Valentine's Resolve (Vampire Earth 6)

Valentine gave chase, heard explosions from outside the column, a scattering of gunfire.

Miss L. separated herself from the crowd, flung herself on Silas as a police detail opened up with shotguns. As Valentine ran up she drew her pistol from its holster, but instead of aiming for Valentine, she pressed its muzzle to the back of Silas' head.

"Stay down, Sly".

"I need him at the base of the tower", Valentine said.

"Get up, Sly", she ordered.

"You doing this for his own good?" Valentine asked.

They hurried into the center of the four pillars, where the Bears, dressed in variegated civilian attire, now with camouflage vests and

hats thrown over them, were prying up cobblestones to make barricades to lie behind.

Valentine saw Thunderbird giving orders, as Bears and PeaBee troops emptied backpack after satchel after bag of dynamite sticks and plastic explosive through holes being made in the concrete with power drills and portable masonry saws.

"We got most of the C-4 in Pacific Command ready to blow, boss", Thunderbird said to Valentine.

"Dunno if it'll bring the whole shebang down", a Bear feeding wire into one of the holes said. "Depends on how strong those supporting towers are".

"How did you get all that past the bomb dogs?" Silas asked.

"The dogs were in the Resistance Network too", Miss L. said.

"Not... not you too?"

" 'Fraid so, Sly".

"This bang better work, or we're going to have a hell of a fight getting out of here", Thunderbird said.

"I'd like to avoid that if I can", Valentine said.

"What's the alternative?" Miss L. asked.

"We'll negotiate", Valentine said. "They've got something we want - those people and Lifeweavers I saw in that tank up there. We've got something they want, an intact tower".

"They won't listen to us", the Bear at the wires said.

"They'll listen to him", Valentine said. "Care to deliver terms? Not of surrender, just an exchange of hostages".

"What hostages do you have?" Silas asked.

"You, for a start. Maybe they grabbed a few others on the way here. Bridge sentries and such".

"I'm not sure I want to stand in front of Seattle and start naming terms", Silas said.

"Then we'll shoot you and blow the fucker", Thunderbird responded. His hand dropped to his pistol holster.

"I suppose I could try", Silas said.

"Good luck", Valentine said, and meant it. "If it doesn't work out, try and get out of the center tower. You've got fifteen minutes from when you disappear in that tower. Any troops show up on the plaza, we blow it".

Silas gulped, looked up at the towering mushroom cap. "I'll see what I can do".

Valentine watched him ascend the scaffolding, stopping to gape at one of the frozen Reapers. He made it to the door. The organic mouth admitted him.

"Can I stop loading clay into this tower?" one of the Bears on the demo team whispered.