The Only Game in the Galaxy Read Online Free PDF Page B

tracking field also made them pretty much invisible to the all-seeing eyes in the sky.
    ‘This is rather elaborate,’ said Anneke at one point as they neared the safe house.
    ‘The best for the best,’ Maximus said.
    ‘You do realise that we were being followed?’
    Maximus looked at her. ‘I didn’t know that you did. How could you tell? I only picked it up through my tactical implants.’
    Anneke considered that. ‘Maybe I have implants, too.’
    Not like mine , Maximus thought, but he had to admire her skill. The woman had a sixth sense. He should never forget that. Nor, he realised, should he ever lose focus on his surroundings.
    The explosion ripped a hole in the side of the auto-cab and tossed it on its side. It skidded several metres before screeching to a stop amid a spray of sparks. Maximus and Anneke sprawled on the new floor of the cab. Max had his gun out before the cab had stopped moving.
    ‘So much for your precautions,’ said Anneke.
    ‘Those precautions just saved your life,’ said Maximus, peeking out through a reinforced window. Civilians were scattering. No problem. They wouldn’t have deterred anyone truly serious . ‘This cab is an augmented model.’
    Anneke kicked out a rear door then belly-crawled through the opening. Maximus followed her. They kept going until they were behind a low ferrocon-crete pedestal bearing a piece of multi-dimensional modern art.
    ‘Who wants you dead?’ Anneke asked.
    ‘Who doesn’t? Besides, it’s you they’re after, not me.’
    Anneke winced. Obviously, she was still getting used to the idea that people wanted to kill her. Maximus wondered fleetingly what it was like not to know that. He did not tell her that, given whom he had seen inside RIM headquarters, it probably was him they were trying to kill.
    ‘We should get out of here.’
    ‘You read my mind.’
    Maximus peeked over the pedestal, nearly getting his head vaporised. He smelt singed hair.
    ‘I’ll cover you,’ said Anneke. ‘Make for that store.’ She held out a hand. Max retrieved his ankle gun and tossed it to her, skin prickling. What if he’d miscalculated? What if her amnesia wasn’t real?
    ‘Good shooting,’ was all he said.
    Anneke slid the gun over the edge of the pedestal and opened up. With uncanny precision, she scored a direct hit. Someone grunted and thudded into a wall, dropping.
    Anneke kept up a strafing fire.
    Maximus rolled to his feet and dashed towards the storefront in a low crouching run. He blew out the glass, dived through, and slithered to a stop amidst shards of glass, ignoring the pain. Then he scrambled back to the window and covered for Anneke.
    A moment later she joined him. He reflected briefly on the irony of the situation. Here they were, mortal enemies, protecting each other.
    Then the hit squad was pounding towards them. Max counted a dozen. All wearing dark grey one-piece suits. Anneke and Max fired back, but a collective dampening field deflected their pulse beams.
    ‘That’s new,’ said Maximus.
    ‘Probably a good time to get out of here,’ said Anneke.
    ‘My thoughts exactly,’ Maximus said. ‘After you.’
    They jumped to their feet and bolted from the building, disturbing members of a local religious ceremony. As they passed the startled onlookers, Anneke yelled, ‘Down! Get down!’
    People scattered and dropped, leaving a clear line of sight for their pursuers.
    Maximus gritted his teeth in annoyance. Collateral damage was part of escaping. It wasted valuable time for the pursuers.
    A running street battle ensued, with Maximus and Anneke each covering the other as they fought a rearguard action, not managing to shake the hit squad for another hour, by which time they were both exhausted, operating on nervous energy.
    Eventually, they reached a safe house above a storefront advertising psychic readings. Still fired up with adrenalin, they could not relax for hours, not until they were certain that they hadn’t been tracked