Castling by Jack McGlynn Read Free Book Online Page B

keep ‘em?”
    “...Oyster Card...” Rook whimpered.
    “I warned you.” Molly laughed, purposely swerving the craft. Passenger safety wasn’t something she was overly concerned with. Behind her, Sabrina yelped as the port rotor dipped low. Ocean sprayed against the hull’s underside.
    Their perpetual flirtation was annoying enough without the added possibility of plummeting to a fiery death.
    “How can she afford it?” Rook enquired, blatantly ignoring the pilot’s warning not to play with assorted dials, knobs and switches.
    “You’d be surprised the kinds of things you can afford when you don’t, in fact, pay for them.”
    “That cheeky whoore. Who’d she rob then?  The French? Cubans? It was the Cubans, wasn’t it?”
    Molly’s chin motioned to the dashboard. The chopper’s ancillary interface framed a red emblem with five yellow stars in it s upper left. Beneath it, in embossed characters - C.A.P.
    Chinese Army of Proto-humans.
    Well, Shit.
    “I trust the both of you realize you’re working for a crazy woman, yes?”
    Intrigued, and desperate to be included in their conversation, Sabrina leaned forward, gripping the headrest of the co-pilot’s seat,
    “Shouldn’t that be ‘ we’re working for’?”
    “The Boss and I have... an accord.” Rook dodged, showing herculean restraint in drawing his finger back from a red toggle ominously labelled ‘Countermeasures’.
    “Don’t listen to him Sabs!” Molly sneered, “He works for her same as us. If anything, right now, in this thriftily acquired Chinese aircraft, I have seniority.”
    “ Seniority, is it?” Rook snorted, “How old are you again?”
    “Twenty S ix.”
    Evidently, this was news to Sabrina.
    “Really? We’ll have to update our files. Scan for inaccuracies. We have you listed as twenty nin-”
    “Uh, that’s enoug h Sabs. You just sit back and enjoy the flight. There’s a good girl.”
    For a long moment, the only sound within the canopy was the consistent drone of tilting engines. Molly could almost hear the grin sneak along her co-pilot’s smug face.
    “It’s alright Mol, you don’t look a day over thirty.”
    “ That’s funny coz you look just like a jerk who should shut up and go away and leave me alone and shut up.”
    “Not the first time someone ’s said that to me today either...” He couldn’t actually recall a specific instance. But chances were it happened. He had a way with people.
    Still gripping his headrest, Sabrina cocked a brow and asked,
    “Mr Rook?”
    “ Please, it’s just ‘Rook’ Sabrina. I’m not married.”
    “Uh ok... Can you possibly explain what you’re expecting of each of us?”
    Gripping the lever under his seat, Rook pivoted until he faced both women.
    “T here’s a good possibility I can.
    You and I are going to share a few choice words with this Big Phil, during which you, Sabrina, will be at your persuasive best.
    As soon as he reveals the location of this eh, sanctuary to us, I contact Wendy. I suspect sprinting to this safe house won’t be beyond her. She’ll scour for weapons, traps, alarms, explosives, etc. I imagine Hinge might help in that regard.
    With t he location scrubbed clean by the time we arrive, Molly will take you and Wendy home. And there you will wait until Lancet and I are finished...eh... what’s a good euphemism for beating the crap out of each other?”
    Molly was less than enamoured with the plan.
    “Now just a minute! You’ll need a spotter, someone covering you, watching your back. And in this exact case I suggest from an adjoining building with a rail-gun or an RPG or an atomic-”
    “No .” Rook insisted, any suggestion of humour bled suddenly from his voice.
    “It’s policy! Not the nuclear thing but-”
    “ Spotters have the nasty habit of getting spotted. What I need is to focus on getting the jump on this clown. I can’t very well do that with you lot breathing down my neck!”
    Catching the indignant expressions forming around