Michael Williamson - When Diplomacy Fails…

“Understood. Alex, how’s the fighting?”

“I have only intermittent access, since we don’t want to be tracked. What I saw on the way out was clear in this area, but we should avoid the northeast and south.”

“West it is, then. There’s a lot of clutter that way, though, if I recall the map.” He looked up at the tracking screen.

“There is,” Elke said as she disconnected the unit. That was another hindrance. While it provided fantastic data, and was theoretically proof against enemy cracking, their putative friends could easily get into it-that’s what it was meant for. They’d travel seat of the pants.

Well, it wasn’t the first time. It felt good to be all together, well-armed and with decent protection for once.

“Status,” he asked.

Alex said, “Aramis on top gun, I’ve got the rear, Shaman has witch, Bart monitoring engines, Elke on support.”

“Direction?”

“North for now.”

“Excellent. Rolling.”

It was good to be running a proper military vehicle. The best armored limos were not close to this. That it had largely been for Highland’s image didn’t matter. It was serendipitous functionality.

He also wasn’t concerned about cosmetic wear and tear on the vehicle, nor collateral damage. That let him drive much more aggressively.

Damn, it felt good.

He exploded through the gate-warning barricades, plowed through the movable blocks, which were just sand-filled drums, and slalomed around the sunken bollards.

“Aramis, I may need obstacle removal,” he shouted back.

Aramis replied clearly, “Can you connect? If not, say the word.”

“Elke, do we have internal commo?”

“We will in a moment. I’ll plug you in.”

He rolled over the curb and didn’t notice until afterward, then cleared the bump the stupid limo had hung up on. This was how to travel.

Then Elke shoved ear muffs at him, bulky, but hard wired directly into the vehicle’s system. He yanked them over his head. “Test.”

Aramis replied, “I hear you.”

Alex said, “I’ll direct if needed.” He was at the commander’s console, with screens slaved to Jason’s.

“Understood. We’re in traffic. I’ll try not to kill anyone.”

Alex said, “That would be best. We’ll be hard to hide as is.”

“Do you want to debark for alternate transportation?”

Alex said, “Not yet. Right now, the armor and speed are useful. I’m hearing chatter about pursuit. They’re trying to figure out whose vehicle it is. They’ve just now figured out it’s ours. My phone is ringing. I may as well decoy before I disable it.”

“Agreed.”

Intercom went dead as Alex played stupid and innocent. Seconds of delay there could provide minutes of leeway here. He was back in less than ten seconds, though.

“They didn’t buy it. I don’t think they can scramble aircraft fast enough, but they can get one up for recon soon enough, or even satellite will help once they locate us. They will pursue on ground at once.

“And shit,” Jason said, looking forward. “Homebound convoy about to pass us.”

“I see them. They’re wondering where we’re going in a hurry.”

Aramis said, “I’m smiling and waving. We’re all friends and there’s no threat.”

“They seem to be buying it. We’re rolling.”

They passed out of view, and Alex said, “Thank god for bureaucracy. They still haven’t figured out who’s where, and of course, they dare not shoot at us with Ms. Highland aboard.”

“Do they know that?”

“Yes, I made sure to tell them it was an urgent need on her part.”

Jason smashed into a vehicle that strayed across the road.

“Very urgent. I just crushed a Mercedes.”

“Casualties?”

“I don’t think so, just the nose and part of the side. Occupants should be fine.”

“Cady has a location picked out. She’s stashing a car for us. We’ll debark nearby, hoof it, load up, relocate.”

“Understood. Though I’d much rather fight from this platform.”

Aramis said, “We’ll steal another.”

“Or more.”

Elke had managed to plug herself in, and said, “I can offer distractions if need be.”

“I’m sure you’ll get a chance soon.”

“That will be good for our relationship,” she said brightly.

He took another turn and found the way blocked. There was heavy construction here.

“I can’t turn, going through,” he said, as he swerved around a small crane. It looked as if they were doing sub-road drainage repair.

He hit the trench at speed and bounced over, causing slumps and collapses along that width. The excavated fill slowed them slightly, and he felt the vehicle rise, then flatten the pipe section awaiting installation.

Beyond that was a man with a multiwindow camera setup, leaning against his car and shooting video of the scene. The ARPAC was unmarked, so it wouldn’t immediately tag to Ms. Highland, which was a good thing, because he slammed into the man, smashed him into a broken bag of cold cuts against the car, which he crushed under the wheels in a popping, rolling, bumping, grinding crunch. Well, if you stood in traffic, you were liable to get hurt. Jason told himself he didn’t care, but didn’t believe it. Stupid or not, the man had been a human being, and not actively hostile.

His introspection stopped when Bart quipped, “I believe it’s crush hour.”

He stifled a response, and instead asked, “Where to?”

Aramis shouted, “Take any left, three squares lateral, then north again.”

“Left three, resume north, roger.”

It was easy to tell who was who in traffic. Extreme Muslims didn’t dodge. Insh Allah-as God wills. Sufis swerved, then cursed and threatened. There weren’t many Baha’i or Christians in this neighborhood, but they cleared the way and pulled back afterward, shrugging it off without public commentary. Local police dodged faster than anyone, and might even go onto the sidewalk. Mercenaries went over any obstacle or threat, and if it came down to it, might back up for a second try.

Highland was not only well-tranked, she was weeping. He assumed it was for her career, not from any real compassion. Still, alive she might pull it off. Dead she’d be only a footnote.

Alex said, “You have alarmed the locals. There are gathering groups and I predict armed response.”

“Yeah, that was not my intent.” He thought for a moment and added, “But I guess it was inevitable. Do we FIDO, unass or split up to do more damage?”

Alex said, “Right now, FIDO. Follow Aramis’ directions.”

“Fuck It, Drive On,” he muttered loudly. They might get that fight Aramis suggested, right now.

He reported, “The road is getting clogged. They’re less willing and able to clear a hole.”

Highland was functional enough to bawl, “How many poor people do you plan to kill?”

At least one more, he thought. JessieM’s transmissions were completely squelched, he hoped. Otherwise there’d be military force en route to them as well.

“Aramis, advise me.”

“Keep going north. How far out do we want to abandon ship?”

“How hot is it?”

Elke said, “Very. Milnet full of talk. Local police being brought in.”

Alex said, “They probably won’t shoot us with Ms. Highland in the vehicle, but mistakes happen. We need to unass soon.”

Aramis said, “Ms. Jessie, are you agreeable to churping some misdirection? Which can also leak out the intel we need known?”

“I can. You’ll… have to tell me what to say.” She flushed and blushed at that.

Alex said, “Damn, what do we say?”

Aramis said, “I have an idea. Jessie, churp that we’re heading west to seek shelter with the Right Baptists.”