Pandora's Chase

Chapter Twenty-Three

With his own gun trained on his forehead at Lendar's command, the guard nodded with fear in his eyes. Lendar's instruction to do exactly as he said was clear.

"Good, you're at least half smart," Lendar said. "Two things left. You will undress that man," Lendar pointed to the fallen guard to the left, "and you will tell me exactly how to get to my ship." He took a step back. "You may begin."

Lendar kept his newly acquired gun trained on the guard while the man removed the boots, pants, and shirt from his companion's limp body. When he was finished, Lendar snatched the clothes from him, placed them on the table, and asked, "Which way is the hangar?"

The man swallowed and replied, "Out there to the right. Straight all the way down the corridor. About a ten-minute walk."

Lendar refrained from rolling his eyes. He knew exactly where his ship was, but he didn't know what was waiting for him there. But now he knew the guard was a liar. He nodded to the man and said, "What can I expect when I get there?"

"There's a dozen guards, fully armed." The guard got bolder, thinking he'd tricked Lendar. "You'll never make it."

Probably a handful of guards, Lendar thought, if any. Though there could be a trained Dwear. If there's one, there's two then. Dwears are more obedient to masters if they have a partner. Better be ready for it.

Lendar waved his gun in the guard's face. "And my ship, is it still here?"

"No." The man tried to fake a laugh of confidence. It didn't work.

Good, it's here.

Without further ado, Lendar tied the guard's hands behind his back and then looped the binding around one of the table legs bolted to the floor. After the man was secured, Lendar dressed quickly in his "new better-fitting" clothes. The ones he took from the first guard were way too loose. He needed something that looked more normal, in case there were more guards in the hangar. And if there were Dwears, he'd need to be as agile as possible.

Before heading out, he bound and gagged the two unconscious men, then finished his assault on the pathetic guards by stuffing a dirty sock in the liar's mouth right as the man started to blather out, "You'll never get--"

The rest of his words came out muffled, and Lendar chuckled. "We'll see."

Finally, Lendar walked out of the room, shut the door behind him, and, putting on a guard's air of confidence, headed toward the hangar. A few minutes into his trip, he passed two other guards, but both of them were napping in their chairs instead of paying attention to any passersby.

As he approached the wide doorway to the hangar, he slowed, listening for commotion inside. At first, he heard nothing, so he crept forward and crouched as close to the open doorway as he could without being seen from the inside. The hangar was almost silent. No voices. No clanking tools. No pounding footsteps.

All was quiet. Except for the heavy breathing. This was no ordinary breathing. Breathing too loud and labored to belong to a person. This was the inhale of something large easing into the exhale of something nasty No, it belonged to something else. Something with a snout.

Great. Dwears.