The Void Beyond and Other Stories by Robert Moore Wiliams

Author:Robert Moore Wiliams
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2015-04-06T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

Jones had been dreaming about Brazil when the machine gun let go. Like a phantom that it was, the dream fled from his mind as he struggled to his feet. He and the girl ran to the open door of the lounge.

Most of the lights had been turned out in the cavern, but a few had been left burning. At the far end, the lights revealed men desperately at work—throwing up a rough barricade around a door that had been knocked from its wall concealment. The machine gun, with Raymond behind the shields, was mounted there—and firing straight into the dark opening.

"Looks as if we've got visitors," Jones muttered. He and the girl, keeping out of the line of the tunnel, moved in that direction. Talbot, a bloody bandage on his head, was helping three men shove a heavy table in front of the entrance. "That so-and-so, Balne," Talbot said, "was a Federation spy. He slipped out, knifed the guard at this exit, and has led the Feds in here."

Steel rattled on the shield of the gun, and Raymond fired a blast in reply. "The tunnel curves," Talbot explained. "They blew the door from the other side, and Ray ran 'em back. Now they're bouncing slugs at each other around the curve of the tunnel."

The cavern was alive with sound. At the other end, a long procession was moving through a side exit, apparently carrying out a prearranged plan of evacuation in case of attack. Morrison came hurrying up. He handed each of them a white pill. "The others already have them," he said.

"What are they?" Jones asked.

"A derivative of cyanide. Two minutes after you swallow it -that's all."

Jones stared at him. Sleep was still fogging his brain. Somehow or other he couldn't make himself think clearly. "But these people," he protested, "can give themselves up. They don't have to die."

"We have already considered the matter and made our plans," Morrison answered. "We took a vote on it. No one voted to surrender."

"But there are children here!" The girl's voice was sharp.

"I imagine there is room for children in heaven," Morrison said. He moved on. They stared after him Jake Cross came up. "Last barricade," Cross said. "Last roadblock, last stop. All out here."

Whooom!

The pile of tables, workbenches, in front of the entrance disappeared. Thunder roared in the cavern, and roared again. The gunner with it, the machine gun rose as if it had sprouted wings. The gunner hit the floor, tried to crawl, then quietly cuddled his head in his hands.

In the silence somewhere a frightened child began to whimper.

"I wondered how long it would take 'em to bring up rifle grenades," Jake Cross said. He cuddled the tommy-gun he was carrying. "Well, I can hide to one side. Then, when they come through the entrance I can knock 'em off." He nodded to himself, as if he had thought his plan through and was satisfied with it, and looked at his watch. "Hello, it's six o'clock in the morning.

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