Free Take The Star Road (The Maxwell Saga) by Peter Grant Page B

to fold forward onto himself like a pocketknife, dropping his dao ; but Tomkins grabbed his jacket and lashed out with his right hand in a pile-driver of an uppercut. He began the punch below his waist, putting his full weight and momentum and all the power of his back and shoulder muscles behind it. It caught the bladesman squarely on his descending nose, smashing it, sending blood spurting. In a continuation of the blow Tomkins seized the man's hair and slammed him face-down, very hard, to the floor. He bounced, then lay motionless.
    As Steve rose, still grasping his victim's wrist, twisting his arm to lock it and control his movements, he heard Tomkins mutter, "That'll teach the bastard!" He looked across as he massaged his right hand's knuckles with his left palm. "Nicely done, Maxwell. You move real fast and smooth - but you'll have to remember to turn off your baggage tracker next time!"
    Steve nodded, breath coming fast, heart pounding, trembling as the adrenaline rush hit him. He reached back to switch off the tracker.
    "Yeah, that caught me off balance. I never had to fight wearing one of them before!" As he spoke, he toed the fallen blades further out of reach, then bent to pat along his opponent's waistline. He felt something, tugged the man's waistcoat aside and pulled a wooden scabbard from behind his belt. A stone knife hilt rose from it. He tucked it into his own belt, beneath the right side of his uniform jacket.
    Tomkins grinned wolfishly. "Let's say we make a good team." He looked back at the Bosun. "Nice throw. You set him up perfectly for me."
    "Heads up!" Cardle called urgently, looking past them. As they spun around, they saw six more men emerge from the narrow alleyway. All were of Far Eastern descent, like their two attackers, but they made no threatening move. Five wore identical gray coveralls, while the leader - whom Steve also recognized from his encounter outside the Horseshoe Saloon a few nights before - was dressed in black trousers and a loose-fitting collarless white shirt, open at the neck. He raised his right hand, holding it across his chest, fingers forming a claw-like sign.
    "Easy!" Steve warned his comrades. "These guys are Dragon Tong."
    He let his attacker's arm fall to the floor. The man whimpered, rolling slowly onto his back, jaw hanging slackly, eyes flooded with tears and unfocused. A mixture of blood and spittle leaked from his mouth.
    "Let Maxwell handle this," the Bosun confirmed. He and Tomkins took a slow, careful step backward, ready for whatever might be needed.
    Steve half-bowed to the lead figure. "We meet again, Sir," he said carefully, trying to adopt the same polite, formal tone he'd heard Louie use with this man.
    "We do indeed," the other agreed. "We have been trying to locate this one since your previous encounter with him," nodding towards Steve's victim. "He did not show himself, but he paid others to watch you; so we watched them. That one," pointing to Tomkins' victim, "saw you this morning. As soon as you met your colleagues, he hurried to warn his master. They took a short-cut to get here before you, bringing four more armed with knives and a pistol. We dealt with them in the alley before they could join these two."
    "We heard you do that. The noise distracted them." Steve nodded toward their fallen attackers. "That helped us to disable them. We're grateful to you."
    "As we are grateful to you for preserving the life, eleven days ago, of one who is of value to us. I trust you have received the reward we promised you?"
    "Yes, Sir, thank you."
    "Thank your skills and courage, which earned it, and the Lotus Tong, which paid it - somewhat less than willingly, of course!" He grinned as he toed Steve's victim contemptuously. "We shall take these carrion with us."
    He nodded to his followers, who collected the fallen weapons, picked up the two men, and carried them into the alley. As they worked Steve asked, "Sir, what about the security cameras in this passage? Won't