As the men bent down to retrieve their pistols. Hunter lunged across the bed and reached under his pillow. Carruthers quickly shifted his aim and fired, but Hunter was already on the floor and rolling. As Carruthers aimed again, Lucas disappeared. He reappeared instantly, standing beside Carruthers, and knocked his arm up. The shot went wild. Hunter’s silenced 9 mm. semiautomatic coughed twice. The two Network men went down with slugs through their foreheads. Lucas drove his fist into Carruthers’ solar plexus, threw him back against the wall, and punched him again. Carruthers slumped down to the floor, the wind knocked out of him.
Delaney reached for his gun.
“Don’t do it!” Hunter said sharply.
Delaney froze.
“Come on. Hunter, take it easy.”
“Hands back on your head.” said Hunter. leveling the automatic at him. “All of you, right now!”
“Reese. listen-” Lucas said.
“Shut up! I’ve got to think, damn it!”
Carruthers sat on the floor, clutching his middle and gasping for breath.
Hunter moved back against the wall, his gun moving back and forth, keeping them all covered. He centered his aim on Andre. “Don’t try anything. Priest, or I’ll put one right through her, so help me.”
“All right. Hunter, take it easy… “
“There could be more of them.” he said. “Carruthers said he had only two men in that apartment…” Delaney’s voice trailed oil as he realized what that meant. “Damn it! They’ve got Steiger!”
Ignoring Hunter. he bent down over Carruthers and dragged him to his feet. “Where’s Steiger, you son of a bitch? Where is he? What’ve you done with him?”
Carruthers couldn’t talk. He was still struggling to get his breath back. Delaney slammed him hard against the wall.
“Talk, you bastard!”
“Hold off, Finn,” said Lucas. ‘Give him time to gel his breath back.”
“Get his warp disc.” Hunter said.
Delaney grabbed his arm and pulled the warp disc off his wrist.
“Toss it here.” said Hunter.
Delaney glanced at him. “Like hell I will.”
Hunter fired. The pistol coughed and Andre cried out, grabbing at her shoulder where the bullet had just grazed her flesh.
“Do as he says, Finn.” Lucas said quickly.
“Toss it on the bed,” said Hunter.
Scowling, Delaney threw the warp disc on the bed.
“Stay right where you are. Priest,” Hunter said, keeping his gun steady on Andre. “Please. Don’t force me to do something I don’t want to do.”
“All right, Reese.” said Lucas. “Stay cool. You’re calling the shots for now. We had a deal, remember?”
“Yeah. I remember,” Hunter said, edging over carefully and picking up the warp disc without taking his eyes off them. “I just want sonic insurance.”
He fastened the warp disc around his wrist.
“When you deliver me safely to that confluence point, you’ll get this back,” he said. “Meanwhile, I’m not going anywhere until I’m good and ready. Now I believe you wanted to ask that man some questions. Go ahead. I’ll wait.”
Delaney and Lucas exchanged glances. Lucas nodded.