news."

Using a laser, Cobra burned through the lock upon the door and quietly took his men inside. Finn waited, tensely, in the street.

From where he stood, Delaney could see the front door, the lighted window where the conspirators were, and the room on the second floor of Moreau's Tavern, where the two TIA agents had taken up their posts. He knew that Cobra thought that he was doing him a favor by placing him in the least dangerous position, but just the same, he would have felt a great deal better if he had gone along with them inside. Still, the raid looked almost foolproof. If Cobra hit them hard and fast, with the element of surprise upon his side, the chances of any of the Timekeepers being able to escape via chronoplate were virtually nil.

As Finn watched, the window on the second floor of Moreau's Tavern was opened quietly. He saw agent Jaguar peer out, cautiously, then he saw him raise his hand toward the wall of the other building, just across a narrow alley. The agent had some sort of object in his hand, which he seemed to be aiming at the wall. A moment later, Finn heard a faint popping sound and a metallic sounding clink and he realized what the TIA man had done. Aiming at a spot on the wall considerably higher than the shuttered window, he had fired a metal dart attached to a length of nysteel line into the opposite wall. It would enable him to swing across. He saw the agent taking position, crouching in the window frame, his feet on the very edge, his hands holding the nysteel line taut. Any second now, thought Finn. As soon as Cobra gives the word. He held his laser ready.

Jaguar glanced down at him for a brief moment and nodded, then swayed for an agonizing second and, as Finn watched, horrified, he lost his balance, shouted "Shit!" and swung out into the air.

"Jesus…" Finn whispered.

The agent swung across the narrow alley, but instead of jackknifing and hitting the wooden shutter with his feet, he slammed into it full length with a resounding thud, knocking himself out and dropping into the alley.

The other agent on the second floor of Moreau's Tavern fired into the shuttered window. There was a tremendous racket inside the house. Finn heard shouting and then he heard someone scream. Feeling helpless, he remained rooted to the spot, watching frantically for a sign of any of the terrorists. It was over almost as quickly as it had started. The front door opened and someone shouted, "Don't fire, Delaney!"

Cobra walked out alone.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded.

Finn told him. "I guess Jaguar lost his balance and swung across before you gave the word. He fell down in the alley. Probably knocked himself out."

"I hope the damn fool broke his neck," said Cobra, savagely.

“Well? Did you get them?' '

Cobra bit his lower lip. "Taylor got away," he said.

"Oh, that's just dandy," Finn said, grimly. "How did you manage that?"

Cobra sighed. "Freytag bought him the time. He didn't need much. He must've had the plate set in advance. Freytag took out both my men before I got him."

"What about Mongoose?" Finn said.

"He's still alive," said Cobra. "He wants to see you."

Finn went into the house with Cobra. Mongoose was not a pretty sight. Fortunately for him, he had not been alone with Taylor very long. The Timekeepers had evidently intended to torture him to death. They had tied him to a chair and gagged him, then performed some delicate surgery with a laser. They had started with his face. Finn had to force himself to look at him.

"We've got to get him medical attention right away," said Cobra, "but when he found out you were here, he wouldn't let us touch him until he saw you."

Something vaguely resembling a rasping chuckle emerged from the agent's mouth as Mongoose looked at him. "Just wanted you to see this," he rasped. "Thought you might get a kick out of it."

"This isn't exactly my idea of kicks," said Finn.

Mongoose nodded, head lolling. "I really screwed it up, didn't I?"

Finn did not respond.

"I didn't go over," Mongoose said, emphatically. "I just wanted you to know that. I wanted you to understand. I thought Freytag…." He shook his head. "I wanted him, Delaney. I wanted him all to myself. Just him and me. The best against the best-"

Finn turned away. He looked at Cobra. "You got anybody at the palace?" he said.

"Sparrow should be there. But this is only her first field assignment-"

"I suggest we hotfoot it over there and fast," Delaney said.

"Delaney-" Mongoose croaked.

Finn glanced at him briefly. "I haven't got time for you," he said. "Go and get your face fixed."

Tags: Simon Hawke TimeWars Science Fiction
Source: readsnovelonline.net