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  "Don't worry, we'll trace them through the spaceport."

  "Oh, thank you! I hate to see the city spoiled like this." Harriet paused. "Will you ground their ship, do you think?"

  "That's up to spaceport security, but it's likely they'll be grounded until we've investigated your complaint."

  "I'm glad to hear it. You've been a great help."

  "Not a problem, ma'am. Now, if I could just get your name for the records?"

  Harriet disconnected, and she followed the others downstairs to outline their plan to fortify the station. She was still explaining to the group when there was a hammering on the front door. Everyone froze, and as Harriet reached for her gun she saw Birch doing the same. "Cover that doorway," she told him, nodding towards the opening leading to the front office. "I'll go and see who that is."

  Everyone took cover behind desks and filing cabinets. As Harriet walked towards the front office she sensed Birch's gun behind her, and she prayed he didn't get trigger-happy.

  — ♦ —

  When Harriet peered around the doorway, looking across the reception area, she saw a slender figure peering back at her through the big glass doors at the front of the building. Harriet frowned as she recognised Ben James, the lad Alice had met the day before. What the hell was he doing here? Quickly, she crossed to the doors and let him in, sealing them behind him. "What is it?" she demanded.

  He was taken aback at her expression. "I, er, came to help out."

  "Shouldn't you be in school?"

  "No, it's Saturday." Ben hesitated, and a blush crept over his face. "Is Alice here?"

  Harriet closed her eyes. They might be attacked any minute, and the last thing she needed was a lovesick teen getting in the way. "Yeah, but she's busy."

  "I can wait."

  "Not good timing, Ben. This place could turn into a warzone any minute."

  He glanced over his shoulder at the wreck lying in the street. "Are you fighting those guys who hit Pop's place?" He looked angry. "They need to be stopped and I can help you, I swear."

  "There could be dozens of them," said Harriet. "They might attack us any second, and if you're smart—"

  "What, attack you here? They're mad!"

  "The woman they're following certainly is."

  "I can help, I swear. I'm a good shot!"

  "You have experience with firearms?"

  "No, archery. We do it at school."

  "Nice try, but no thanks." Harriet reached for the door control. "Steer clear of this part of the city if you know what's good for you."

  At that moment Birch came in. "Another helper, eh? Good lad, come through and I'll introduce you."

  "Dave!" protested Harriet.

  "What?"

  "He's …" Harriet was going to say 'he's just a kid', but she realised Ben was probably older than her sister. And if nothing else, it would be nice to have someone looking out for Alice. "Do you really think we should bring him into this?"

  "Sure. The more the merrier."

  Birch led Ben into the main office, and Harriet heard raised voices as everyone greeted him. She withdrew her hand from the door controls, shaking her head. Everyone seemed to be treating this like some kind of holiday camp, with no regard for the danger.

  Tap! Tap!

  Harriet jumped as something struck the doors, and she spun round, reaching for her gun. Then she saw someone outside, and her eyes narrowed at the sight. It was a man, about her age, with red hair, and when he saw Harriet had spotted him, he held a business card against the glass.

  Harriet approached cautiously. She couldn't read the card at that distance, and it was a bit small to contain a list of surrender terms. As she got closer she saw a logo, and the words 'maintenance' and 'plumbing'. Underneath was the man's name: Mike Dantriss. "What do you want?" she shouted through the glass.

  "I met Alice yesterday," he said. "Is she here?"

  Harriet frowned at him. He had to be twenty-five at least. "Seriously? She's fifteen!"

  The man looked shocked. "No! I mean … you've got it all wrong. Alice told me you were using the old Peace Force building, and I thought I could help out." He slid the business card back and forth against the glass. "Maintenance, see?"

  "We don't need anything." Plus they were broke, thought Harriet, but she didn't mention that part.

  "Please! I heard about the attacks in the city. I just want to help."

  Harriet wasn't convinced. He could easily be one of the enemy, and if she opened the doors to him, more of them might pour in. She reached for her commset to check with Alice, and as her jacket parted the man saw her gun. His expression changed, and Harriet almost laughed as he stuck his hands up. He looked shocked, almost terrified, and she decided he had to be genuine. Still shaking her head, she activated the door controls and let him in. "Relax, I won't shoot."

  Slowly, Mike put his hands down. "I thought my number was up," he said, with a laugh.

  Harriet smiled back. "Come on. We're all in here." She led him to the main office, where Mike introduced himself. When they got to Birch, he studied the newcomer with a thoughtful expression.

  "Have we met? Only your face is familiar."

  "We could have," said Mike. "I've lived in Chirless my whole life."

  "Birch is from Chirless too," said Harriet.

  "Yeah, but I moved to Dismolle years ago." Birch studied the younger man. "How old are you?"

  "Twenty-four."

  "Oh well, you'd have been a kid when I left. Guess I'm wrong."

  Harriet showed Mike around, but every now and then she noticed Birch watching them, a slight frown on his face.

  Chapter 15

  When Alice and Ben emerged onto the roof they encountered a nervous-looking Scrap. "Are you here to relieve me?" asked the robot, in his even male voice.

  "Sure thing. We'll keep watch."

  "Thank you. I must see to Mr Flint, as his medication is due."

  Scrap left, and Ben watched him navigating the stairs with precise, careful steps. "I've not had much to do with robots," he said.

  "You're lucky," said Alice, with feeling. "I work for a giant Peace Force robot, and she's tough going."

  "Really?"

  "Like you wouldn't believe. She never forgets anything, and she never believes a word I say. Not even when I'm telling the truth." Alice crossed to her fighter and opened the hatch, drawing the ladder down with practiced ease. "Come on, I'll show you round."

  "Aren't we supposed to keep watch?"

  "We'll see more from the cockpit." Alice indicated the ruined van lying on the roof nearby. "Especially if they attack from the air."

  They climbed aboard, and Ben took everything in with a fascinated expression. "How did you buy something like this?"

  "Online auction," said Alice.

  "They must pay you heaps in the Peace Force. I'm lucky to get a hundred a week, and that's only when Pop can afford the rent."

  "We get by." Alice took the pilot's chair, and gestured at the second seat. "Sit down. Arnie will let us know if he spots anything."

  "Who's Arnie?"

  "I am," said the ship. "Welcome aboard, by the way."

  "Who calls their ship Arnie?" demanded Ben.

  "Someone who doesn't want a ship called Rover." Alice raised her hand. "Don't ask." She activated a control, and a map of the area appeared on the canopy. The ship was marked in blue, and the surrounding buildings were grey shapes nestled amongst the yellow roads. "Arnie, can you track all vehicles for me? Ten mile radius."

  "Targeting enabled."

  Multiple dots appeared on the map, all moving in different directions and at different speeds. As Alice watched them, she wondered where the van Harriet had seen the night before had come from. It certainly wasn't one of the two she'd destroyed, which meant the enemy had another base. Or maybe they'd parked more vehicles inside the warehouse she'd seen.

  "Do you think they're going to attack?" Ben asked her.

  "Not really. When I found their base yesterday
, I bombed the crap out of their transport. Half a dozen vans and a bunch of cars, all destroyed. You could see the smoke clear across the city."

  Ben stared at her, mouth open. "So … why are we sitting around waiting for these guys to show up? You could go back and flatten them!"

  "I know." Alice hesitated. "We're supposed to arrest people when they commit a crime, not drop bombs on them. There could be other people down there, innocents. Plus we've only seen four of them do anything illegal so far, so we need to arrest those guys and interrogate them. That'll give us leads on the rest. We can't just go in with guns blazing."

  "But you're the Peace Force! You're the law!"

  "Exactly. We're the law, not the military." Alice glanced at him. "Just this once, I agree with Harriet. We've got to wait for them to come to us, and pick 'em off when they do. I mean, if they attack the Peace Force building we've got all the evidence we need to arrest the lot of them, right?"

  "Sure, if they don't kill you all first."

  Alice glanced at him. "If you're scared, you can always leave."

  — ♦ —

  On the ground floor, preparations were in full swing. Every piece of furniture had been moved to the entrance, where they were piled into a makeshift barrier stretching across the reception area. There were already bollards in the street outside, protecting the glass doors from a ram raid, but they were no defence against gunfire.

  Birch eyed the barrier. "They'd better show up after all this effort."

  "You can be sure of it." Harriet peered over the barricade. Outside, in the middle of the road, she could see the twisted wreck of the second van. It was crumpled from the impact, but it would still provide handy cover for any attackers. "What do you reckon? Do you think we can move that thing?"

  Birch took a look. "Maybe, if we all pitch in."

  "Okay, gather everyone." Harriet opened the front doors and peered up and down the street. It was deserted, and if anyone was curious about the ruined vehicle sprouting from the middle of the road, they weren't hanging around for a closer look. She glanced up and saw several faces peering down at her from the neighbouring apartment blocks, faces which quickly vanished when they saw her watching them.

  Birch gathered the rest of their people, and after another scan of the street, Harriet led them into the road. The van was a blackened, twisted mess, and when she put her hands on the crumpled bodywork she got covered in soot and flakes of burnt paint. "I want this thing moved further up the road," she called out. "If it's still here when the enemy shows up, they'll have perfect cover to shoot from."

  The others nodded and took hold of the vehicle. On a count of three they all pushed, but the van didn't budge. Harriet wasn't surprised, since the average age of her helpers was about seventy. Then she frowned as she realised someone was missing. "Where's Mike?"

  "Haven't seen him," Birch said, still taking deep breaths. "Maybe still in the station?"

  "Well, we need him here." Harriet ran inside, around the barrier and into the main office. "Mike? We need your help!"

  There was no reply. She checked the garage, canteen and locker room, but there was no sign of him, and she was just about to go up to the second floor when Birch shouted through the front doors. "Harriet, leave it. Scrap's got an idea!"

  Harriet ran back outside, where the robot was crouched next to the ruined vehicle. "We should try rolling it," he said calmly. "That would require less effort."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Of course."

  "Okay, you all heard. Everyone get a hold, we're going to tip it over."

  They were about to start when her commset rang. She checked, and when she saw it was Alice she answered it. "We're in the middle of something."

  "I know, I can see you."

  "You should be down here helping, not—"

  "Never mind that," said Alice quickly. "Arnie's tracking a convoy of vehicles heading this way. They're about ten minutes out."

  "They could be going anywhere."

  "Trust me, we've been watching the traffic. These guys are inbound, and they're in a hurry."

  "Okay, thanks for the warning."

  "I could slow them down," said Alice.

  "No, stay up there and keep watch."

  "If you say so."

  Alice disconnected, and Harriet raised her voice. "They're coming. We've got about five minutes to shift this wreck. Let's get it done!"

  Everyone bent to the task, and with a lot of puffing and pushing the ruined vehicle went over with a crash.

  "Again!" shouted Harriet. "Keep going!"

  Slowly, they moved the van further and further down the road, leaving a trail of broken glass. As they went they gradually angled it towards the pavement, until it was well clear of the building. There was no time to catch their breath, because Scrap turned suddenly to look down the road. "Caution. I hear several vehicles approaching fast."

  "Back to the office!" shouted Harriet. "Quick!" She drew her pistol and brought up the rear as the whole group headed for the safety of the Peace Force building. She could hear the vehicles herself now, the growl of their engines approaching fast. She wanted to run but she held herself back, shepherding her elderly charges while she glanced over her shoulder and got ready to defend them with her life.

  They made it, just, and Harriet slammed her palm on the door controls. The heavy glass panels slid together, cutting off the outside, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she made sure everyone retreated behind the makeshift barricade. "Is everywhere else sealed up?" Harriet asked Birch.

  He nodded, still breathing hard.

  There was a screech nearby, and shouted orders. She pictured the attackers fanning out, taking cover in doorways, and she was glad they'd managed to get rid of the wreck.

  Then … silence.

  "What are they doing?" demanded Caldavir.

  They didn't have to wait long to find out. A man walked into view outside, hands above his head, and Harriet stared at him in shock. It was the maintenance guy, Mike!

  "Do you think they snatched him?" she hissed to Birch.

  Before he could reply, Mike raised his voice. "We're giving you one last chance. You have five minutes to surrender. You'll be allowed to leave Chirless and nobody will get hurt. Your time starts now." With that, he turned and walked away.

  Suddenly, Birch slapped his forehead. "I knew he looked familiar!"

  "Who the hell is he?" demanded Harriet.

  "I've never met him, but there was something about his face." Birch turned to look at her. "He's related to Darting. A nephew, maybe even a son, I don't know which." He swore. "They fooled us good and proper."

  "Fooled me, you mean." Harriet's grip tightened on her weapon. "It was that damned business card that swayed me. How the hell did he organise that so quickly?"

  "It's probably a legit business. He had to be doing something to earn a living before his aunt showed up."

  Harriet swore under her breath. "I gave him a guided tour! He knows the layout, knows how many people we have, knows about our weapons …"

  "They've still got to get through that door," said Birch grimly.

  "Alice! I've got to warn her." Harriet pulled out her commset. "Alice, get off the roof."

  "Why?"

  "You've got about three minutes before the shooting starts."

  "They can't touch me in the ship."

  "Really? What if they've got hold of a missile launcher? Take off, and they'll blast Arnie all over the landscape."

  There was a pause. "Okay, heading down."

  Harriet put her commset away and glanced along the barricade. "If any of you want to leave, now's the time."

  "Forget it," said McCluskey. Captain Timms shook her head and the others made their wishes clear too. The only sour note was Caldavir, who looked uncertain. "You have to admit they've got the advantage," he said at last.

  Birch gestured at the door. "Don't let it hit you on the way out."

  "I'm not leaving," said Caldavir. "This is my
town, too."

  "Then get ready to defend it," said Birch.

  Crash!

  Something hit the glass doors, and Harriet saw a small round object rolling across the pavement outside. "Grenade!" she shouted. "Get down!"

  They all ducked, and there was a loud bang as the grenade went off. Harriet risked a glance, and to her relief the doors had withstood the blast. They were scorched and pitted, but still intact. She looked around as Birch got up. "Where are you going?"

  "The roof," he said, brandishing his gun. "I might be able to keep them away."

  "You'll be exposed up there."

  "If they keep throwing grenades it won't matter where I am, will it?" Birch hurried away, and Harriet turned her attention to the doors. She saw a couple of people run into the doorway of the building opposite, saw them take cover, and then one of them threw something towards her. The grenade struck the doors, bounced off and exploded harmlessly in the middle of the road, the bright flash lighting up the reception area like a bolt of lightning. Harriet gripped her gun and wished she could return fire, but opening the doors would be fatal. All they could do was sit and wait.

  Then she saw bright flashes as Birch opened fire, bracketing the doorway and driving the enemy deeper into cover. One of them raised her weapon and fired back, and as the bright blaster fire lit up the street, Harriet ran to the door controls. She opened them a few inches, then stuck her gun through the gap and fired into the doorway. She saw her shots hit one of the attackers, and they spun round before falling in a heap. The other stared at her, then vanished into the building, leaving the entrance door swinging to behind themselves. Harriet fired again, and her shots splashed harmlessly on the woodwork.

  "You want a real gun," called Duke. "That thing's useless."

  "We're not killers," said Harriet mildly.

  "They are."

  "Yes, but they're criminals and we're upholding the law." Harriet closed the doors, then turned to the barricade. "Same goes for all of you. We're taking them alive."

  "That's very noble dear," said Captain Timms, "but I fear they'll have no such qualms."

  "Just … do your best."

  Bang!