wasn't as hard as you might think. You were all over the vids. During the course of a day I saw footage of you lying on the beach, stealing a skimmer, and destroying a robo-cam.
"But it was the interview with the trooper that told me where to look. After listening to him I knew that you had a PCV, access to a highway full of robo-haulers, and a strong desire to reach Brisco City. I put one and one together and got two."
"But how could you pick the right truck?" Lando insisted. "There must be hundreds, maybe thousands to pick from."
"Not true," Della replied. "I called the Highway Control Authority, identified myself as Detective Lieutenant Orling, and requested some information. They were very cooperative. There were twenty-six robo-haulers headed in the right direction at the right time. I stopped seven of them before I found you."
"But why scare the heck out of us? We thought you were a bounty hunter."
"I am a bounty hunter."
"You know what I mean."
Della shrugged. "I didn't know who if anybody would be inside, and besides, you've been known to shoot first and ask questions later."
Lando grinned. He wanted to grab and hug her. "You are absolutely amazing."
The spaceport's security fence was just ahead. Della smiled as she applied the brakes. "I certainly am. And don't ever forget it."
They piled out of the car. Della had parked in the shadow cast by a large warehouse but they were still exposed. She popped the engine compartment and told Cap to stick his head under the hood. Considering their proximity to Blast Town, and the time of day, there was little chance of someone stopping to help.
Lando eyed the fence. He saw it was constructed of high-test metal mesh and boasted a force field too.
"How could we possibly cut through that?"
Della shook her head. "We won't. We go over it instead."
Lando looked again. Now he saw that if he stood on the car's roof his shoulders would be level with the top of the fence. Close, but no cigar. He'd have to jump about five feet straight up in order to clear the fence and get over it as well. The smuggler looked at Della.
"Nice try, but there's no way that I can jump that high, and even if I could, that would leave the rest of you here."
Della ignored him and spoke to Melissa instead. She pointed through the fence. "Do you see the hi-loader parked over there?"
Melissa looked, saw a bright orange piece of equipment, and nodded.
"Good. Could you operate it?"
Melissa's eyes lit up with excitement. "You bet! Daddy let me drive a flat-loader once⦠and I did very well."
Cap looked away. Lando winced. Melissa's father let her do lots of things when he was drunk, or too hung over to handle them himself. Flying the tender was a good example.
Della nodded understandingly. "All right then. Pik will throw you over. Watch your landing. It's a good eight- or nine-foot drop. That pile of cargo netting will cushion your fall."
"I can handle it," Melissa said confidently. "I've done more."
"No you haven't," Della replied sternly. "Not under anything like Earth-normal gravity. We're counting on you to land, start the hi-loader, and bring it over here. The whole plan goes down the tubes if you sprain an ankle. And once over, there's no way back."
Melissa nodded solemnly. "I'll be careful."
Della smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Atta girl. Okay, Pik. Climb up on the roof and get ready to boost Melissa over the top."
Lando raised an eyebrow, looked at the top of the fence, then looked at Melissa. She smiled brightly.
"I can do it, Pik, really I can."
Lando gave a reluctant nod, aimed a "this had better work" look at Della, and climbed onto the front of the car. It was easy to reach the roof from there. The car's duraplast skin gave slightly under his feet.
Della gave Melissa a hand. "Okay, hon. Up you go."
Melissa scampered up to stand next to Lando. The smuggler looked around. No traffic in sight. Good. Two people standing on the roof of a car was unusual even in Blast
"But it was the interview with the trooper that told me where to look. After listening to him I knew that you had a PCV, access to a highway full of robo-haulers, and a strong desire to reach Brisco City. I put one and one together and got two."
"But how could you pick the right truck?" Lando insisted. "There must be hundreds, maybe thousands to pick from."
"Not true," Della replied. "I called the Highway Control Authority, identified myself as Detective Lieutenant Orling, and requested some information. They were very cooperative. There were twenty-six robo-haulers headed in the right direction at the right time. I stopped seven of them before I found you."
"But why scare the heck out of us? We thought you were a bounty hunter."
"I am a bounty hunter."
"You know what I mean."
Della shrugged. "I didn't know who if anybody would be inside, and besides, you've been known to shoot first and ask questions later."
Lando grinned. He wanted to grab and hug her. "You are absolutely amazing."
The spaceport's security fence was just ahead. Della smiled as she applied the brakes. "I certainly am. And don't ever forget it."
They piled out of the car. Della had parked in the shadow cast by a large warehouse but they were still exposed. She popped the engine compartment and told Cap to stick his head under the hood. Considering their proximity to Blast Town, and the time of day, there was little chance of someone stopping to help.
Lando eyed the fence. He saw it was constructed of high-test metal mesh and boasted a force field too.
"How could we possibly cut through that?"
Della shook her head. "We won't. We go over it instead."
Lando looked again. Now he saw that if he stood on the car's roof his shoulders would be level with the top of the fence. Close, but no cigar. He'd have to jump about five feet straight up in order to clear the fence and get over it as well. The smuggler looked at Della.
"Nice try, but there's no way that I can jump that high, and even if I could, that would leave the rest of you here."
Della ignored him and spoke to Melissa instead. She pointed through the fence. "Do you see the hi-loader parked over there?"
Melissa looked, saw a bright orange piece of equipment, and nodded.
"Good. Could you operate it?"
Melissa's eyes lit up with excitement. "You bet! Daddy let me drive a flat-loader once⦠and I did very well."
Cap looked away. Lando winced. Melissa's father let her do lots of things when he was drunk, or too hung over to handle them himself. Flying the tender was a good example.
Della nodded understandingly. "All right then. Pik will throw you over. Watch your landing. It's a good eight- or nine-foot drop. That pile of cargo netting will cushion your fall."
"I can handle it," Melissa said confidently. "I've done more."
"No you haven't," Della replied sternly. "Not under anything like Earth-normal gravity. We're counting on you to land, start the hi-loader, and bring it over here. The whole plan goes down the tubes if you sprain an ankle. And once over, there's no way back."
Melissa nodded solemnly. "I'll be careful."
Della smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Atta girl. Okay, Pik. Climb up on the roof and get ready to boost Melissa over the top."
Lando raised an eyebrow, looked at the top of the fence, then looked at Melissa. She smiled brightly.
"I can do it, Pik, really I can."
Lando gave a reluctant nod, aimed a "this had better work" look at Della, and climbed onto the front of the car. It was easy to reach the roof from there. The car's duraplast skin gave slightly under his feet.
Della gave Melissa a hand. "Okay, hon. Up you go."
Melissa scampered up to stand next to Lando. The smuggler looked around. No traffic in sight. Good. Two people standing on the roof of a car was unusual even in Blast
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