Sierra Bravo

ordinary cars. The car park was in front of a large brick building with a tin roof. The building had a faded sign above the main entrance, and appeared to be a warehouse or a factory unit. There was a big open area out the back, a hardstand with shipping containers and all kinds of junk dotted around, and there were several other buildings on the far side, backing onto the first.
Alice brought the ship round to the left, until she could see the rear of the first vehicle. It was intact. Then she shifted to the right, slipping sideways with the nose still pointing at the vans.
"Building proximity warning," said Arnie. "We're not allowed closer than one hundred metres."
Alice stopped their sideways momentum and craned her neck. She could almost see the back of the second van, but not quite. Cautiously, she eased the stick to the right, and the ship moved slowly towards a big apartment block, jets thundering. Then it stopped moving. She frowned and pushed the stick further, but nothing happened.
"That's the limit," said Arnie. "We're not allowed any closer."
Alice swore under her breath. Another few metres and she'd be able to inspect the back of the van. Sure, it was probably another bust, but she wasn't leaving until she confirmed it. "Can we set down?"
"There's a park five hundred metres away."
Alice was still considering it when someone emerged from the building. It was a man with blond hair, and he shaded his eyes as he stared up at her. "Arnie, can you give me another couple of metres?"
"I can override my safety parameters, but there will be an investigation."
"Do it." Bernie kept giving her essays to write, thought Alice. It was about time the robot got some paperwork of her own to deal with.
They slid sideways, very slowly, and as the rear of the van came into view Alice drew in a sharp breath. Bingo! The rear window was missing, there were ragged holes in the back door, and the broken tail light was as plain as day on the screen. "Gotcha," she muttered.
As she looked down on the vehicles, and the big building with its rusty steel roof, she wondered what she'd do if her ship was armed. Nothing, she decided. The van might just be visiting the place, which might be a repair shop. And, even if it was the base she was looking for, there might be innocents inside. Family members perhaps, even kids.
She was still eying the place when the man raised his hand, and bright streaks lit up the sky.
"Incoming fire!" called Arnie.
Alice turned the jet sharply, and as she did so she heard a bang. The jet shuddered, and the stick jumped in her hand.
"Taking hits," said Arnie calmly. "Port wing."
Alice pulled the stick back and punched the afterburner, and they streaked into the sky at full speed. Several shots went wide, and then they were clear. Alice craned her neck to see out of the canopy, along the wing, but she couldn't see anything. "Any damage?"
"Negative."
Alice felt a wave of relief, followed by a surge of anger. How dare they shoot at her ship? Her grip tightened on the controls and she turned for home. She handled the ship calmly and deliberately, but inside, she was seething. Briefly, she considered calling Harriet to let her know where the enemy base was, then decided against it. Harriet would order her to keep clear of the enemy, and that didn't suit Alice's plans at all. No, she was boiling mad, and she was determined to get her revenge.
— ♦ —
Harriet and Birch were sitting in a cab on their way to the first prospect. Birch looked out the window in silence, and Harriet wondered whether he was reliving past cases.
"I grew up around here," he said at last.
"It looks … nice," said Harriet, eying the slab-sided apartment buildings and a weed-strewn playground with its rusty equipment.
Birch laughed. "It's a dump. But it was still home."
They both sat in silence. "So who's this guy we're meeting?" Harriet asked.
"He was kicked out of the Force after taking bribes."
"And he's your first choice? What are the rest like?"
"Don't jump to conclusions. He was a good officer, better than me. He just got himself in a hole, and Darting had a knack for finding Peace Force officers in trouble. It usually started with a free loan to cover their debts, and once they were in deep she tightened the screws. I wouldn't be surprised if her people dug the hole this officer found himself in. Entrapment was one of her favourite tricks."
"So why do you think he'll help us?"
"I'm hoping he'll take the chance to right old wrongs. Get his own back on the woman who ruined his career."
"Is that enough for him to risk his life?"
Birch shot her a look. "I'm here, aren't I?" At that moment his commset rang. He took it out and listened, then put it away again. "That was Captain Timms. Someone just called her, threatened her family."
"What?"
"They know we met her, and they want us out of the city."
"So they're threatening an old lady?"
"Timms called around, told her family to lay low." Birch studied her. "These people are serious, Harriet. Darting tried to take over Chirless once before, and it's obviously still her plan."
Harriet frowned. "We're the last line of defence. If we leave, everyone will be helpless. "
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this," said Birch quietly. "We were only supposed to be looking into a hold-up."
"I can't just pick easy cases and run away from the rest."
The cab drove on, and they travelled across the city in silence.

Chapter 11
The fighter thumped down on top of the Peace Force building, and Alice was out of her seat and heading for the airlock before the engines had finished shutting down. She got outside and ran across the concrete landing pad, heading for the port wing. As she looked up, she saw dark star-shaped