play games. He could teach her, he thought, teach
her how good it could be. "Damn!" All thoughts of her delectable body fled his mind as he heard a low
rumble. "What's that?" Falkon lifted his head, listening. The noise came again, louder and closer this time.
He frowned. It sounded like sky cannon. He glanced over his shoulder, swore under his breath when he
saw a cloud of thick black smoke rising from the direction of the mine. A moment later, he felt the ground
beneath his feet shudder. There was an explosion, and a hole big enough to ride a horse through
appeared in the far wall. "What's happening?" Ashlynne asked. "We're under attack!" She shook her
head. "No, that can't be." He heard the low whine of incoming sky cannon. Grabbing Ashlynne by the
arm, he began running toward the opposite end of the yard, dragging the girl behind him. The flowers
tumbled from her hands, leaving a colorful trail in their wake. They were nearing the edge of the gardens
when there was a violent explosion. Ashlynne screamed as the house exploded in flames. "Let me go!"
she shrieked. She tried to wrest her arm from Number Four's grasp, but he held her tightly. "You fool!
What do you think you can do?" "My parents are in there!" "Then they're dead." His words were harsh,
deliberately cruel. "Come on," he said, tugging on her arm. "We're getting out of here." "I'm not leaving
them!" she shrieked. "You can't make me! Let me go!" "Like hell." She glared at him, her eyes glittering
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like chips of cold green glass as she pointed the controller at his chest. "Let me go." He hesitated for the
space of a heartbeat, wondering if he could snatch it from her hand before she could activate it. "Let me
go!" Her thumb moved to the top of the controller, and he dropped her arm. As soon as he released her,
she ran toward the blazing inferno that had once been her home. Muttering an oath, Falkon turned away.
If she wanted to commit suicide, that was her business, but he was getting the hell out of there while the
getting was good. Everyone else would be too busy looking after their own skins to come looking for one
prisoner. With any luck, they would think he had died when the house exploded. He continued down the
path that led to the damaged section of garden wall and crawled through the opening. Standing there, he
could see the mine below. A battle cruiser hovered over the mine, the black-and-gold shield of Hodore
plainly visible on the ship's underbelly. Several small hovercraft lined the beach. Hodore. There was no
reason for them to attack the mine, he thought, frowning. They were already getting their fair share of
crystals. Hatred flooded his soul as he stared at the black-helmeted men swarming over the mine. The
familiar stench of cannon smoke and seared flesh reached his nostrils, sickening him. For a moment, his
mind went back in time and he saw it all again – the ruins that had once been his home, the charred
remains of his daughter's favorite doll…. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the battle cruiser, then at
the figures moving around near the mine's administration building. Had Drade persuaded Hodore to
attack Tierde? Was he down there, even now, strutting back and forth while he decided who lived and
who died? Drade… Falkon's hands clenched and unclenched as he imagined his hands at Drade's throat,
squeezing, squeezing…. A high-pitched scream scattered his thoughts. Turning, he peered back through
the hole in the wall and saw Ashlynne running across the yard, her skirts billowing behind her. Taking a
step forward, he saw two men garbed in the black-and-gold uniforms of Hodore pursuing her. Rage rose
up within Falkon, hot and swift and impossible to ignore. Adrenaline pumping, he stepped through the
break in the wall and gave chase. Ashlynne screamed as she felt a hand close on her arm. A moment
later, she was jerked
her how good it could be. "Damn!" All thoughts of her delectable body fled his mind as he heard a low
rumble. "What's that?" Falkon lifted his head, listening. The noise came again, louder and closer this time.
He frowned. It sounded like sky cannon. He glanced over his shoulder, swore under his breath when he
saw a cloud of thick black smoke rising from the direction of the mine. A moment later, he felt the ground
beneath his feet shudder. There was an explosion, and a hole big enough to ride a horse through
appeared in the far wall. "What's happening?" Ashlynne asked. "We're under attack!" She shook her
head. "No, that can't be." He heard the low whine of incoming sky cannon. Grabbing Ashlynne by the
arm, he began running toward the opposite end of the yard, dragging the girl behind him. The flowers
tumbled from her hands, leaving a colorful trail in their wake. They were nearing the edge of the gardens
when there was a violent explosion. Ashlynne screamed as the house exploded in flames. "Let me go!"
she shrieked. She tried to wrest her arm from Number Four's grasp, but he held her tightly. "You fool!
What do you think you can do?" "My parents are in there!" "Then they're dead." His words were harsh,
deliberately cruel. "Come on," he said, tugging on her arm. "We're getting out of here." "I'm not leaving
them!" she shrieked. "You can't make me! Let me go!" "Like hell." She glared at him, her eyes glittering
Page 28
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
like chips of cold green glass as she pointed the controller at his chest. "Let me go." He hesitated for the
space of a heartbeat, wondering if he could snatch it from her hand before she could activate it. "Let me
go!" Her thumb moved to the top of the controller, and he dropped her arm. As soon as he released her,
she ran toward the blazing inferno that had once been her home. Muttering an oath, Falkon turned away.
If she wanted to commit suicide, that was her business, but he was getting the hell out of there while the
getting was good. Everyone else would be too busy looking after their own skins to come looking for one
prisoner. With any luck, they would think he had died when the house exploded. He continued down the
path that led to the damaged section of garden wall and crawled through the opening. Standing there, he
could see the mine below. A battle cruiser hovered over the mine, the black-and-gold shield of Hodore
plainly visible on the ship's underbelly. Several small hovercraft lined the beach. Hodore. There was no
reason for them to attack the mine, he thought, frowning. They were already getting their fair share of
crystals. Hatred flooded his soul as he stared at the black-helmeted men swarming over the mine. The
familiar stench of cannon smoke and seared flesh reached his nostrils, sickening him. For a moment, his
mind went back in time and he saw it all again – the ruins that had once been his home, the charred
remains of his daughter's favorite doll…. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the battle cruiser, then at
the figures moving around near the mine's administration building. Had Drade persuaded Hodore to
attack Tierde? Was he down there, even now, strutting back and forth while he decided who lived and
who died? Drade… Falkon's hands clenched and unclenched as he imagined his hands at Drade's throat,
squeezing, squeezing…. A high-pitched scream scattered his thoughts. Turning, he peered back through
the hole in the wall and saw Ashlynne running across the yard, her skirts billowing behind her. Taking a
step forward, he saw two men garbed in the black-and-gold uniforms of Hodore pursuing her. Rage rose
up within Falkon, hot and swift and impossible to ignore. Adrenaline pumping, he stepped through the
break in the wall and gave chase. Ashlynne screamed as she felt a hand close on her arm. A moment
later, she was jerked
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