A Fistful of Trouble (Outlaws of the Galaxy Book 2), Paul Tomlinson [bts books to read .txt] 📗

Gnat. The rest of the vehicles and robots eventually followed. I watched them pass from my hiding place. If any one of them had searched for our heat signatures, they would have found us. But they were putting so much faith in the hidden tracking device that they didn’t even look at anything else.

Mozzie followed their vehicles out and then waited for us at the entrance to the canyon. His video showed the Colonel’s posse setting off in pursuit in a less orderly formation this time. I think some of them were racing against their colleagues.

We waited until they were all gone and the dust had begun to settle. Floyd picked up the tree and dropped it back into its original position. Desert plants are hardy, so hopefully it would survive the upheaval. I drove the Trekker forwards out of the gap.

“So far, so good,” I said.

Floyd held out his arms and I twisted off the weapons, replacing them with his hands. He flexed his fingers like a giant-sized pianist.

The screen on the dash flashed up a message from Danny – he was in position and ready. I would be meeting up with him shortly. I sent a quick message off to Harmony, but got no response. That must mean she was in the process of sneaking up on her objective.

Floyd took up his position on the back of the Trekker and its suspension complained about the extra weight. We headed back the way we’d come, following the tracks across the desert. When we reached the road that led back to Cicada City, I stopped to let Floyd off.

“I’ll see you back at the ranch,” I said.

Floyd waved casually and walked away. I wondered what it was like to have no feelings. No fear. Floyd’s job was riskier than mine. I was meeting up with Danny so he could complete a few final modifications to the Trekker and make it ready for battle. Floyd was getting into position to take up the last part of the chase. When Gnat stopped broadcasting the tracking signal, Floyd would begin sending it out, leading the Colonel’s army to the location we had selected for the final battle. Somewhere that was away from town and where we had made a few preparations to even up the odds a little.

Chapter Thirty-Three

While Floyd was acting as a decoy, leading the attacking force back to our chosen battleground, Danny and I were working on something else. We had taken over Danny’s father’s barn and were making some final modifications to the Trekker. This included fitting the signal-booster on the roof. Originally Danny had built it to transmit a signal to Floyd. Now we were going to use it to send a different sort of signal.

Meanwhile, Harmony was off working on another part of the plan. Or I hoped she was. It was entirely possible that she had taken the rest of our money and disappeared with it. I was doing my best to resist the urge to look behind the Trekker’s dashboard panel. That’s where my remaining cash was hidden. If Harmony hadn’t taken it. I thought not knowing was better than knowing. If she had taken it, it would be like a kick in the scronies and it would damage my confidence in the rest of our plan. Our chances of success were slim at best and I needed to keep the hope alive. And besides, even if she had taken the money, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be there for us in our moment of need.

“To hell with it!” I said and tore off the panel. There was some dust and a bit of an old leaf in the space. No money. I slammed the panel back into place.

“Are you okay?” Danny asked.

“Sure,” I said. “I was just wondering what we should do if Harmony doesn’t... er... make it back in time.”

“She’ll be there,” Danny said. He still trusted her. Even after she’d talked him into wearing that outfit.

If Harmony didn’t show, perhaps it would teach him a valuable life-lesson. Providing it didn’t bring about his death. I grabbed Danny by the shoulders and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“For luck,” I said.

“Done?” he asked, blushing. He closed his toolbox.

I nodded and winked at him. “You drive.”

*

The drones, Gnat and Mozzie, hovered above the Colonel’s house. Their cameras showed us the arrival of the army. This was the place Floyd and the tracking signal had led them to. The spot where we would make our last stand. Vehicles were abandoned on the road and the troops, human and mechanical, came the rest of the way on foot. They took up positions in an arc in front of the house, hiding behind trees and bushes on the front lawn. Seen from above, the grey military robots looked even more like insects as they swarmed into position.

At the back of the house, the chain-link fence was cut down and the half-track truck moved into a position where the gun on the back could cover all of the rear doors and windows. The armoured personnel carrier pulled up behind it and people got out. Using the two vehicles as cover, they also trained their rifles on the house.

Floyd was standing with the front door open, watching the Colonel’s people arrive. He wanted them to see that he was there – and that he was armed with the grenade launcher. No one saw me arrive because I used one of the Colonel’s hidden entrances. I went to stand in one of the windows until I was sure I had been seen. We wanted them to know I was in the house too.

When the movements outside ceased, Gnat and Mozzie dropped down the chimney and came into the house through the fireplace.

“Danny and the Trekker are in position,” I said. “We’re just waiting for Harmony to check-in.”

Floyd didn’t respond. He’d taken up a position by one of the front windows in the reception room, keeping watch in