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e goods had been

damaged in transit but ALPHA-BRAVO's disablement probably makes the

task of shipping her back to Grand Central a lot easier. As Roz has

probably told you, it's early days yet, but given the level of medical

support available here and down the line, I've been assured that if our

target survives the next two weeks, she has every chance of making a

full recovery."

'Glad to hear my efforts weren't totally wasted,' said Steve.

'If she needs any other specialists, they can fly out and treat her on

the return trip."

Steve's eyes met Roz's briefly. With six people watching them they had

to tread carefully. 'Return trip...?"

'Yes,' said Wallis 'We were planning to airlift her into the Federation

but Red River's CMO has advised against it. And I agree. We made that

night pickup because we were in a life-or-death situation but it would

be crazy to risk losing such a valuable asset between here and Grand

Central. This is the safest way for her to travel. So as soon as we

know what your plans are, we're going to run for home."

Steve weighed up the other members of the task-force then came back to

Wallis shaking his head. 'No. Sorry.

You're going to have to call Mother and tell him you can't dO that."

'Oh? Why?"

'Because I need Red River to stay here with Clearwater on board. She's

the bait that will lure the other two into the net."

Wallis pursed his lips. 'You mean Cadillac and Mr Snow . . ."

'Yes." Steve looked at Roz, but apart from listening with interest,

like everyone else, she did not respond.

'You had Cadillac - knocked out cold - and you let him go,' This was

Nevill again.

'I let him go because he's the one who will bring Mr Snow to us,' said

Steve patiently. 'I need a month to get things organized. Six weeks

at the outside."

'Six weeks?!" cried Nevill.

'That's not very long when you consider it's taken me a year to put

this together."

'Christo! Just to kidnap three lumpheads? If someone had given me the

job I'd have winkled 'em out inside forty-eight hours."

'With an airborne snatch-squad?"

'Yeah. They'd be back in Grand Central before they knew what hit

'em."

Steve looked impressed. 'That certainly would have been a remarkable

feat of logistics. One of the trio was in Wyoming, the others were in

two separate locations in Ne-Issan - held by people opposed to our

friends who run the local network."

'Quite,' said Wallace hurriedly. He was the only person at the table

who knew what Steve was alluding too and it was a subject he wanted to

put a cap on. Attempting to be diplomatic he added: 'I don't think

you've fully appreciated who it is we're dealing with, Jake."

'Exactly,' said Steve, opting for a head-on collision instead of

conciliation. 'Have you ever come up against a summoner? Actually

seen them channelling earth magic through their bodies?"

'No, but-' Steve cut across Nevill's reply and addressed the other

mexicans. 'Have any of you?"

They all shook their heads.

'Well, I have. I've been on the'receiving end when I was on board The

Lady from Louisiana in 2989 ' 'I think we've all read the report on

that one,' said Wallis, trying to keep his team's end up.

'But I've also seen them make it happen. Seen 'em make rocks fly, blow

away half a hillside, take control of someone's mind."

Steve described the death of Lord Yama-Shita. How Clearwater had made

him drive his sword repeatedly through his body. And each time, the

blade had sunk in right up to the blood-drenched hilt. Eight killing

strokes, one for each of the Mutes he had condemned to death on the

giant iron-bound paddle of his wheel-boat.

Turning to Nevill, he said: 'Mr Snow's other name is the

Storm-Bringer.

That's not just a fancy title. It means precisely what it says. He'd

have blown your snatch-squad right out of the sky."

'But you, of course, know how to' handle him,' said Nevill.

Sarcastic sonofabitch ... Steve had run up against guys like Nevill