Cobra Slave-eARC by Timothy Zahn Read Free Book Online

them skulking around. We talked it over and decided we were intrigued, so we hunkered down out of their sight and waited to see what they were up to. When they took off after you—” He shrugged. “We decided to tag along.”
    “So what does the Dominion want with you?” de Portola asked. “Ishikuma said you finished your testimony this afternoon.”
    “Maybe Ishikuma was wrong,” Lorne said.
    “Cobra commandants are never wrong,” de Portola said. “You know that.”
    “He reminds us about it all the time,” Werle added. “He’s especially never wrong when his information comes from Chintawa himself. That’s actually why we’re here—Ishikuma send us to haul your butt back to Archway so you can, quote, do some actual Cobra work for a change, unquote.”
    “Ah,” Lorne said, nodding. “Yes, I’m afraid I’ve been loafing lately.”
    “And don’t think we haven’t noticed,” Werle said severely. “Out playing with Trofts when there are spine leopards that need killing.”
    “Luckily, Ishikuma sent us by aircar, so you won’t have to worry about how to fill the long hours of a land drive.” De Portola raised his eyebrows. “Unless there’s some reason you want to stay here a few more days. We can always say we couldn’t find you.”
    Lorne looked around. He’d grown up in Capitalia, and there were plenty of things he liked about the place. Ever since his assignment to the small towns and rural areas of DeVegas Province he’d looked on his occasional big-city trips with a kind of nostalgic anticipation.
    But not anymore. From now on, the tall buildings and masses of steel and concrete would forever be associated in his mind with the Qasaman city of Azras, and the death and destruction he’d seen there.
    Cities no longer felt like refuges. Cities felt like deathtraps. “No, I’m ready,” he assured de Portola. “The aircar’s at the field?”
    “Ready and waiting,” de Portola confirmed. “Soon as we drop off this rental, we’ll be on our—”
    “Hold it,” Lorne said as his comm signaled. He pulled it out, frowned briefly at the ID display, and keyed it on. “Hey, Uncle Corwin,” he said. “What’s up?”
    “We’ve got trouble,” Corwin said grimly. “Jody’s been taken from our car by a pair of Dominion Marines.”
    Lorne felt his mouth drop open. “What in the Worlds for?”
    “I don’t know,” Corwin said. “But it has something to do with you—they wanted to know where you were. Are you all right?”
    “I’m fine,” Lorne said between clenched teeth, a red rage boiling up inside of him. So their response to his little escape prank had been to take it out on his sister? “Don’t worry—I’ll get straight over to the Dome and raise whatever hell is necessary to get her out.”
    “You can’t wait that long,” Corwin said. “One of the Marines has her recorder. It’s absolutely vital you get it back before they get there.”
    Lorne frowned. Her recorder? “Understood,” he said, wishing he actually did. “Any idea which way they’re going?”
    “Last we saw, they were heading north on Appletree in a tan Celera, starting at the intersection with Mitchell,” Corwin told him. “But they may be heading back to Cavendish.”
    “Got it,” Lorne said, visualizing the map of the city. That intersection was about six blocks behind them and two streets over. Even if the Marines were planning to get on Cavendish he should be able to intercept them before they reached the ramp. “Got to run—I’ll call you.”
    He keyed off the comm. “Sorry—”
    “Yeah, we heard,” de Portola said tightly, pointing the direction opposite from Appletree. “There’s a patroller station about two blocks that way.”
    “I don’t have time for—”
    “Shut up and listen,” de Portola cut him off. “Get to the station and get in their faces about your sister being snatched. Badj and I will go get Jody.”
    “And there’s no time to argue, so don’t,” Werle