Part 20 (1/2)

Amber needed no second prompt: white lines were creeping through the crack between door and frame. She grasped the faucet in both hands and wheeled it round.

Behind her, ice was racing across the wall in knotted scratches.

Hot water splashed up from the tub and Amber narrowly-avoided a scalding as she dropped the plug into place. Done, she retreated to the window and prayed for the steam to come wafting up from the tub like a fog bank. Like whenever Mom tried to run a bath.

At least, that way, she wouldn't be able to see the ice, eating up the wallpaper in tracks like fevered sketches of winter trees.

Captain Shaw vaguely recalled a Laurel and Hardy cla.s.sic, where Stan was guarding a trench during WWI and was left forgotten; cut to ten years later, the hapless sentry has dug himself a deep ravine with all his pacing back and forth.

Morgan looked down at his own tracks in the snow and he could see where he was headed if he didn't snap out of it soon.

It wasn't so funny when you had men and women out there in the worst storm this side of the birth of Christ - who he hadn't heard from for what seemed like the same length of time.

Every so often, Morgan would hop up into the CPV and bug O'Neill for some news.

Morgan kicked the crown off a pile of snow. Ben McKim was long overdue.

And where in h.e.l.l was Kristal? Joanna?

'Sir!' Kev O'Neill poked his head out from the CPV. 'Think you'll want to take this!'

Morgan leaped aboard, giving his comms guy scant time to back away. 'Which team?'

O'Neill pa.s.sed him the mic. 'CB. sir. Civilian was attacked, sir. by some screwy b.i.t.c.h with an AK and a hostage. She described Lieutenant Hmieleski, I swear. Sir.'

Morgan clicked to transmit. He mouthed a question at O'Neill: Name? Name?

'Lowell, sir. Charlene Lowell.'

'All right, Charlene. Cavalry's here. Take a breath, then tell me your position.'

Now they could be getting somewhere. they could be getting somewhere.

Makenzie Shaw charged from the Walsh house in a daze, feeling like a criminal for leaving Amber inside. Trusting that Doctor guy was the toughest choice he'd ever made.

Lieutenant Beard, in any case, had shoved him outside, backing through the doorway after him. suhmachinegun levelled and shaking ever so slightly. Makenzie aimed his revolver at the same point. He jumped - and nearly pulled the trigger.

Spence was there in the doorway - but he was dead. Or dying.

Makenzie hoped it was the former.

The grenadier's face was fixed in a scream that never made it into the world of sound, his eyes as wide as they'd go; and what was left of him was enmeshed in barbed threads of ice.

They whipped around him and through him and the man diminished with every second.

The Lieutenant gave an anguished, almost animal yell and fired into the face of his trooper. Makenzie told himself there was no life there to kill. Even as he fired his own two shots.

It was his turn to grab hold of Beard's arm and haul him into a retreat as the remains of the corpse thudded onto the steps. The ice wires thrashed a while like beached eels and lay still. Makenzie tried to ignore them, searching the second floor windows for any sign.

'Sir!'

A White Shadow man was hopping the fence onto the snow-covered lawn.

'Kyle!' Beard bellowed at him. 'Get your a.s.s over here and put a Willie Pete in that house!'

The grenadier nodded fiercely. 'Sir, yessir!' He was already ripping a stubby nosed grenade from his belt and popping it into the tube under the barrel of his rifle.

'Wait!' Makenzie waved him back, and frantically searched the windows again.

There! Above the porch, the legs of a bathroom stool smashed through a frosted window. Within seconds, the stool was tossed aside and the Doctor was helping Amber through and out onto the roof of the porch. He kept a firm hold of her as he clambered out and slid down the roof ploughing great clumps of snow with his heels. He hit the ground and rolled like a paratrooper, Amber locked in his arms and s.h.i.+elded from the fell. Then he was up and she was running with him for the fence.

'It's all yours, gentlemen! Be my guest!'

The Doc had taken the scene in like that, fully up to date in the s.p.a.ce of a blink. The grenadier, loaded up and sighting keenly along his barrel, waited for the word from his senior officer Beard practically exploded himself: 'Torch it! NOW!'

The grenade launcher coughed, blowing in a window before the whole interior was alive with a blinding white inferno.

Willie Peter: white phosphorus.

Makenzie couldn't think of anything more appropriate.

Squatting down, he gratefully took Amber from the Doctor, and pulled her into a hug. which she didn't even think to fight.

Melody swung the 4x4 smartly around and parked in front of the drive. Whatever the gunfight had been about, it was clear they'd found the girl.

Melody jumped out of the car in perfect synch with her partner, and they trotted over to join the party watching the savage flames spitting and hissing out of every window, as the snow fell over the scene like white ash.

'Ah!' the Doctor rounded on them. 'Just the people!'

'Well,' Melody shrugged affably. 'Parker here was concerned for your safety.'

'Was not,' Parker mumbled childishly.

'Well, naturally I'm flattered,' the Doctor said, barging past and making a beeline for the 4WD. 'In any case, your help couldn't have arrived at a more opportune moment.

Lieutenant Beard, run ahead and give a full report to the Captain, won't you? A full full report,' he stressed, looking over his shoulder and throwing open a pa.s.senger door. 'And do tell him I'd like to borrow one of his snowmobiles, there's a good fellow.' report,' he stressed, looking over his shoulder and throwing open a pa.s.senger door. 'And do tell him I'd like to borrow one of his snowmobiles, there's a good fellow.'

The Lieutenant appeared to evaluate the order a moment, then led his grenadier away after a firm but silent a.s.sent.

Melody traded looks with Parker, and hoped he was going to maintain his cool after his earlier slip.

The Doctor barely acknowledged their departure, too busy rummaging around in the back seat of the 4x4. 'Meanwhile, we have a young patient here who could use plenty of rest and I'm sure you two won't mind conducting her back to the hotel.' Apparently satisfied, he beckoned to the Police Chief.

Makenzie Shaw obliged, steering the girl tenderly to the truck.

' Hey, Doc, what do you suppose suppose you're doing?' Parker covered the ground in a few steps. ' you're doing?' Parker covered the ground in a few steps. ' If If you don't mind me asking.' you don't mind me asking.'

Melody sighed and wondered why Parker's hackles could never rise quietly. Obviously the few quiet words she'd had with him after the previous quarrel hadn't taught him anything. She decided to position herself close, in case Parker needed a kick to shut him up.