CHAPTER EIGHT
Oner had managed to defeat both his opponents with some quick shooting from his SKRUT-model pistol, when he suddenly noticed that Abe, Cloud, and Crak were no longer anywhere in the area.
Incompetence, he thought. Defeats the idea of having partners at all…
But the point of this whole mission depended on Abe, and Oner wasn’t one to dismiss his duty, even if he did take it lax some of the time. Most of the time, even. So he kicked his bike into a sharp turn and rocketed back across the wastelands.
He scanned the terrain, glancing at each bump and dust cloud. Why’d I ever agree to team up with anyone besides Edur? Oh, yeah, ‘cause of that stinkin’ Keuja-thing that’s tearin’ everything up…
He saw flashes of white light from somewhere to the side, and turned his head in that direction. His eyes widened, as he saw several Interns on motorcycles going in a direct line for the other three members of his party.
Oner grinned, and toed his bike faster. “Not in my turf ya don’t.”
He saw where the white flashes had come from: Abe was standing in place, his hands put together at his chest, his head bowed. Oner recognized it as his famous “possession” stance.
Possession of minds, Oner thought. That’s something that could be even more useful than an electro-nunchuk…
One of the Interns gasped as Abe’s consciousness entered his body, and Oner grinned as that Intern threw himself into a swerving turn into one of the other riders. The two motorcycles crashed to the dusty ground in a squealing tangle of metal and flesh.
Nice one, Oner thought. But can you do this?
Oner reached down to the gun at his side and yanked it free. Settling his arm into a classic shooter’s stance, he gripped the handlebars with one hand and took aim on one of the Intern’s heads. He pulled back on the trigger and that Intern toppled sideways off his bike; his legs were strapped onto the bike, so the body scraped the ground in the instants before the motorcycle crashed.
“Yo!” Oner raised his gun and fired into the air. “Leave us alone, you buzzards!”
One of the Interns glanced over his shoulder at Oner – and Cloud’s lasers took him through the chest. That’s a bunch down an’ a bunch to go, Oner told himself, and took a bead on another –
Then there were more bullets fired from behind him, and he felt a hot pain in his legs, and the world turned black –
* * *
__________________
Master of ellipsis...
|