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our attaining the promised land. If it is so, then indeed this is truly a
sacred text."
Ryan put his hand on Doc's where the old man's lay upon the paper, obscuring
part of the map.
"Time for the talking later, Doc," the one-eyed warrior said. "First of all we
need to get acquainted with the layout of this place."
"Very well," Doc replied brightly, withdrawing his hand.
The map that lay beneath his hand was of the Pentagon but not the one that had
once stood in Washington and had long since been blasted to dust by the
nukecaust. This was of an amended Pentagon, a "doppelganger" as the scribbled
note on the edge of the yellowing paper described it, a shadow Pentagon with
an altered floor plan and hidden extras, all of which were carefully marked on
the diagram.
"Dark night, this is just what we need," J.B. said softly as he peered over
Ryan's shoulder at the map. "It's got every shaft and elevator marked, and it
even gives us sec camera positions."
"It's enough to make you believe in God if he hadn't put us here in the first
place," Mildred added.
Ryan's scarred and craggy face cracked into a grin as he looked first at
Gloria, then at his people gathered around. "'Who gives a shit? This gives us
an edge over the Illuminated Ones. After all, they're going to think we're
stumbling
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Axler,_James_-_Deathlands_59_-_Amazon_Gate around up here like children in the
dark. And an edge is what we need, 'cause they've got the secured positions
and the manpower."
"Yeah, maybe, honey," Gloria added, "but we've got destiny."
Chapter Sixteen
Gloria stood before her people, Ryan to one side of her. Despite the fact that
the one-eyed warrior, muscular and broad shouldered, stood more than a head
taller than the Gate queen, her authority and sense of purpose made her seem
his physical equal.
"The time is near. This could be our moment of destiny, and at this moment
it's vital that we keep it frosty and know exactly what we're doing." Her
piercing blue eyes lit up with a zealous fire as she said, "This could be what
we've waited for all these years. We could be the generation of Gate who
actually reach the gateway itself. For this chance alone we should be
thankful, and should not squander it lightly. It is thanks to our friends from
outside that we have the little knowledge we possess of those who stand in our
path, and it is also due to them that we are able to glean information from
the sacred texts that may help us."
She glanced across at Doc. "Doc Tanner has deciphered the meaning of one of
our old maps, and it is from this that we know the ways into the underground
lair of those who guard the gateway. Together with Doc and Ryan Cawdor, I have
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worked out a plan of battle."
Moving forward into the throng of Gate who waited anxiously on her every
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Axler,_James_-_Deathlands_59_-_Amazon_Gate word, the warrior queen began to
single out some of her Amazons, tapping them on the arm or shoulder and
murmuring one syllable commands in a tongue Ryan didn't recognize. The
warriors thus selected split into small groups, obviously picked by the queen
so that they would be able to fulfill specific tasks in the forthcoming
battle. Some of the smallest and wiriest of the women were singled off into
groups that would be able to traverse the smallest of spaces, while the larger
and more heavily muscled were selected for a head-on attack.
The small groups continued to divide until there were eight of them, each
consisting of five or six warriors. The men of the tribe were directed to keep
base camp defended and the young of the tribe safe from harm. This, as ever,
was the task they were trained and best suited for, especially in such
circumstances that would demand close fighting and combat skills.
The companions divided up so that they, too, would travel with each of one of
the groups. As the slightest in stature and musculature, Jak and Dean were
singled out for two of the groups that had the smallest of the Amazon
warriors.
Mildred, J.B. and Krysty each took a group. Ryan would be with Gloria, and
knew already from their discussions that he and the warrior queen would lead
the main assault on the elevator shaft that should if the plans were correct
lead directly into the lair of the Illuminated Ones.
Doc would travel in a group with Margia, and already he was eying the easy way
in which the blond armorer was toying with a laser blaster.
"Do you think you will really get the chance to use that?" he asked with a
raised eyebrow.
"I hope so, sweetie. If not, well, I just may have to make that chance." She
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Axler,_James_-_Deathlands_59_-_Amazon_Gate smiled. It was a cold smile, the
eyes stone hard.
Doc bit hard on his cheek to avoid giving anything away in his expression, but
made a note to keep an eye on the blonde, even in the heat of a firefight. The
laser blasters were erratic enough in the hands of those who knew how to use
them, let alone in those of someone like Margia, who had no practical or
combat experience with the weapon.
With the groups now divided, Gloria once more took her position at the head of
the camp, with Ryan and Doc close at hand.
"Now that we're in combat groups for the battle ahead, it's time to talk
tactics.
We're lucky enough to have discovered via Doc Tanner that we have a map to
this building that lets us see all the entrances into the places below ground
where the guardians of the gateway have based themselves. They don't know we
have this, but they know we're here, so we'd have to be complete stupidworks
to assume that they don't have every entrance guarded, except maybe for
these& "
She beckoned to certain groups those including Jak and Dean, and those
consisting of the slightest and most petite members of the tribe to gather
closer to where she and Doc held the old map. The other groups moved in
behind, but allowed those indicated to gather at the front, as that was
obviously of the most concern to them.
"Right, pay heed, and pay it well," the warrior queen began. "There are
passages marked out on here that have nothing to do with the elevator shafts
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and emergency stairwells that the guardians will expect us to find. They're,
well, what did you say they were, Doc?" she asked, turning to the old man.
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Axler,_James_-_Deathlands_59_-_Amazon_Gate
With a gentle inclination of his head to acknowledge her request, Doc [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]