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very low down.
    The rest of the journey went by in silence. Hugo watched the thronging streets of Northside Tranquillity pass by. The neon was not helping his headache, but he didn't close his eyes. He kept sneaking glances at Webb and at Rami and Bolt in the back. Rami tapped away on the computer panel, the light washing her skin sickly white. Bolt sat straight and stared out the window. Then he had to look back out the front again because the unfamiliar motion of the wheeled vehicle was making him nauseous. He blinked as the Jeep climbed to the apex of a ramp and emerged onto a better-lit level of the city. The traffic was thinner and they picked up speed.
    Finally they turned another corner onto a virtually empty side street and pulled up beside some unmarked gates. There was no sign of any control panel or comm unit. They just sat there for a moment before Webb leaned out the driver window, grinned and waved up at one of the cameras mounted on the wall.
    “Hey, Anton,” he yelled. Hugo cringed. “Long time no see.” Nothing happened. “Come on, Anton. We've got presents.” Still nothing. Webb slumped back into his seat with a frown.
    “ You don't suppose he's still mad at us do you?” Rami asked.
    Hugo glared at Webb. “Mad?”
    “ Nah,” Webb said, waving his hand. “He couldn't still be mad...”
    “ Want me to try and get him on his personal comm?” Rami said.
    Webb opened his mouth to reply just as there was a clunk and a hiss and the gates started to open. Webb cast Hugo a glance but the smile on his face was a little too relieved. “See?”
    “ I suppose there's no chance there's an ambush waiting?” Hugo said.
    “ Not Anton's style,” Webb said and drove the car through the gates and into the cluttered yard beyond. Twisted metal and broken machinery were piled high against the walls. There were a couple of gutted flyers and more sheet metal than Hugo could quite believe was all legitimate scrap. There were a couple of people in overalls in amongst the piles of junk but they had stopped work to watch them as they parked up.
    “ Ezekiel Webb, you goddamned asshole,” bellowed a voice from across the yard. “Where the hell have you been?”
    “ We'd've been here sooner, Anton, if you'd opened the gates,” Webb said as he climbed out. Hugo got out too and stood close to the Jeep, getting a good look at the point as he came over the oil-stained yard towards them. He certainly didn't look threatening, even storming towards them brandishing a computer panel. He was short and round, hair thinning on the top and his skin had the pale, doughy look of someone who had spent their entire life under artificial light.
    “ Baszódj meg . You're a cheeky sonabitch, Webb,” Dolgorukov drew level and folded his arms over his ample paunch. “You're lucky I don't...who's this?” His sharp eyes looked Hugo up and down.
    “ New captain,” Webb said.
    “ Another one?”
    Webb shrugged. “We're demanding.”
    “ Demanding. Yeah. That's the word,” the man said, still glaring.
    “ We come bearing gifts, Anton,” Webb said with another disarming smile just as Rami and Bolt came round from the back of the Jeep, pushing the crate on it's lifter. Dolgorukov narrowed his eyes at Webb then pushed past the taller man to open it.
    “ Here, Anton,” Rami said, handing over her panel which once again displayed the cargo manifest.
    “ Thank you, Anita,” the short man said, taking it from her and glancing down it. “Still hanging out with these reprobates? You disappoint me, child.”
    “ They're my reprobates, Anton,” Rami replied with a small smile.
    Dolgorukov chuckled. “Yes, I suppose they are. And good thing too. If it weren't for you and More the whole crew would have drifted themselves years ago.” Bolt grunted and folded his arms, glaring. Dolgorukov looked up from the panel to the big man and his face suddenly cracked into a wide smile and he slapped Bolt on the shoulder, not something Hugo would