i_
taped the woman's left ankle to the stanchion. Then he cut free her wrists. "I want you to start calling people," the tanker said as he stepped back. "And first, I want you to tell them exactly what you see here."
With the care the apparatus deserved, Slade opened the case and tilted it so that Delores could see clearly what was inside. The Mayor was no demolitions expert, but the threat was utterly clear from context. Her gasp was proof enough of that.
"And I want you to tell them," the tanker went on as he slid his own commo unit from his belt sheath and keyed it, "that if I let up on this switch—" he pointed to the key his left thumb depressed—"the signal triggers the bomb." His index finger tilted down toward the case. "Ten kilos of Cylobar. If that doesn't ring a bell, tell them its propagation rate is ten kays per second."
The tanker sat down against the wall. He moved carefully, so that his thumb did not slip and he did not lose eye contact with the horrified woman. "When you've got their attention that way," Slade concluded, "then we'll move on to my instructions."
He smiled, and his face was more threatening than the way he gestured with the commo unit he held.
* * *
Slade!" blurted Captain Levine as female guards ran him into the refrigeration room at gunpoint.
"Dear heaven, I'd prayed they wouldn't have gotten you, you know about these—but why's she tied? The Mayor?"
Half a dozen more of GAC 59's crew stumbled down the corridor. They were logy
With the care the apparatus deserved, Slade opened the case and tilted it so that Delores could see clearly what was inside. The Mayor was no demolitions expert, but the threat was utterly clear from context. Her gasp was proof enough of that.
"And I want you to tell them," the tanker went on as he slid his own commo unit from his belt sheath and keyed it, "that if I let up on this switch—" he pointed to the key his left thumb depressed—"the signal triggers the bomb." His index finger tilted down toward the case. "Ten kilos of Cylobar. If that doesn't ring a bell, tell them its propagation rate is ten kays per second."
The tanker sat down against the wall. He moved carefully, so that his thumb did not slip and he did not lose eye contact with the horrified woman. "When you've got their attention that way," Slade concluded, "then we'll move on to my instructions."
He smiled, and his face was more threatening than the way he gestured with the commo unit he held.
* * *
Slade!" blurted Captain Levine as female guards ran him into the refrigeration room at gunpoint.
"Dear heaven, I'd prayed they wouldn't have gotten you, you know about these—but why's she tied? The Mayor?"
Half a dozen more of GAC 59's crew stumbled down the corridor. They were logy