Free McCade's Bounty by William C. Dietz Page B

meantime, get your royal ass out of bed. You're coming with us."
    Bulo crossed his arms. His expression was defiant. "I am not! Run while you can, human. In seconds, minutes at the most, my guards will kill you and your traitorous assistants."
    There was a loud pop to McCade's left. He turned to see fingers of yellow flame climbing up an embroidered curtain toward the canopy.
    Phil waved the nozzle of his flamethrower. Smoke drifted away. "Oops. Sorry about that. My mistake."
    Bulo looked at the flames. His eyes grew big. "You wouldn't dare!"
    The two females looked at Bulo, looked at the fire, and rolled out of bed. They were gone three seconds later.
    McCade walked over, held his cigar in the flames, and puffed. Once the cigar was lit he blew a long streamer of smoke toward the ceiling.
    "Oh, yes, he would. There's nothing Phil loves better than fresh meat roasted over an open fire."
    Bulo looked at the variant, saw a mouth full of gleaming durasteel teeth, and turned a lighter shade of green. He was careful to stay away from Phil as he rolled out of bed. "Where are you taking me?"
    "For a reunion with your brother," McCade replied. "Come on, let's go."
    As they left the room the canopy burst into flames.
    Phil led the way, with McCade right behind, and Ven, Bulo, and two troopers bringing up the rear.
    They were halfway down the stairs when the front door crashed open and Rico dived in. An energy weapon stitched a line of diagonal holes through the door barely missing Phil's sizable feet.
    There was a mad scramble to reach the bottom of the stairs and line up along the walls.
    Rico stood by sliding himself up a wall. He shoved another power pak into the receiver of his blast rifle. "Time ta haul ya all."
    McCade nodded. "Casualties?"
    "One trooper dead . . . one missing, presumed dead."
    "Damn." McCade had hoped to pull it off without any more casualties. "Any sight of the hovercraft?"
    "Nope. Just a lot of bozos with more weapons than brains."
    "See?" Bulo demanded shrilly. "My bodyguards are everywhere. Surrender while you still have a chance!"
    There was a loud whump as Bulo's entire bedroom was engulfed by flames.
    McCade shook his head in disgust. "Sergeant Ven . . . if his supreme effluence says anything more, gag him."
    Ven grinned wickedly and slid the muzzle of his blast rifle into Bulo's left ear. The dead troopers had been friends of his.
    McCade pulled his handgun and looked around. Everyone was here. No need to use his mic. "All right, everyone . . . head for the pier. Plan one is still operational. Okay, Phil, light 'em up."
    Phil sent a long funnel of flame out the door to intimidate attackers and ruin their night sight. Then he released the trigger, shifted the pistol grip to his left paw, and kicked the door open. Phil fired three round bursts from his machine pistol as he headed toward the river.
    Ven and the troopers went next, pushing Bulo along in front of them as a shield, firing around him.
    Then came McCade and Rico, firing their weapons for effect, zigzagging toward the river.
    Energy beams whined overhead, bullets threw up geysers of mud behind their heels, and a heat-seeking missile hit the inn with a loud boom. Rico was right. Bulo's rowdies had more weapons than brains.
    McCade heard a roar of sound off to the right. Here came the hovercraft! Right on time and lit up like a Christmas tree! Against all instructions the captain had the vessel's interior and exterior lights turned on.
    The hovercraft made a wonderful target. Unable to resist all of Bulo's retainers shifted their fire to the oncoming vessel. A heat-seeking missile hit the rear deck and blew up.
    The explosion did very little structural damage, but did sever some control cables and caused both engines to race out of control.
    The captain did the only thing he could and shut down both of his engines. Thanks to the swift current he was able to steer toward the middle of the channel. Mercifully the lights went out when the