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all along to make it seem like Romy deserted you。 They knew you would leave the Angels； and without you； the Angels were nothing。 So when you left； everything fell apart。'〃
〃Rook wore a confused look now。〃
〃‘That's enough；' Romy was telling Lilly。〃
〃‘Please don't blame him；' said Lilly。 ‘He searched all over for you。'〃
〃Rook looked from one to the other； former lover to sister。〃
〃‘Why should I believe you？' she asked。 ‘Either of you！'〃
〃Lilly took a step closer。 ‘Besides； you can't expect Romy to take on the Snakes alone。' She motioned to the delivery van and to Romy； who was tight…lipped and； I think； embarrassed by the scene。 ‘We're trying to build a life for ourselves； Rook。 Romy isn't going to do the stupid things he used to do。 He's。。。he's grown up。'〃
〃I thought Rook was going to take offense at the remark； but she didn't。 In fact； I could see that she was no longer angry。〃
〃‘Sure the Snakes are an evil bunch；' Lilly continued。 ‘But if you don't give them a reason to fight； they mind their own turf。 Romy's not holding back because he's a coward； but for the good of everyone。'〃
〃Rook smiled。 ‘So you're holding back； are you； Romy？'〃
〃I'm not sure just what was on Rook's mind…maybe the idea that Romy was also holding back the affection he still had for her。 In any case； Lilly answered yes for him； and Rook said that she was beginning to understand。 ‘I guess it took a bookworm to make him see the light；' she directed at Lilly。〃
〃Lilly was about to say something； when one of the girls Rook had rescued appeared at the top of the staircase。 Sue； if I recall。〃
〃‘You've got to run for it； Rook！' she said； out of breath。 ‘The Red Snakes are all over Trenchtown looking for you！'〃
〃I saw Rook grin。 ‘Great！' she said； engaging the Cyclone。 She asked Romy if the Snakes still hung out at something she named ‘Highways。' Romy nodded warily。 ‘Rook； you're not thinking of…'〃
〃‘It's what I've been waiting for；' she told him。 'Revenge！'〃
〃She stomped the Cyclone into gear and raced off； leaving all of us wondering if we would ever see her again。〃
CHAPTER ELEVEN
〃No one can dispute the acplishment。 The very fact that they undertook the journey ！to Reflex Point＇ is in and of itself a measure of their courage and mitment； the very fact that they journeyed so far through such hostile territory a testament to their skills。 But someone needs to point out the troubles the journey stirred up for those along the way。 Can anyone name one Southlands settlement that survived their ＇the Bernard team's＇ wake？〃
Breetai Tul； as quoted in Zeus Bellow； The Road to Reflex Point
〃I decided to show myself after Rook split。 I brought the Cyclone to life and pulled out from my place of concealment in the bushes； surprising the hell out of Romy and Lilly。 I popped a small wheelie for effect and screeched to a halt； allowing the tail end to slide around to where Romy stood with his mouth half…open。
〃'Well； don't just stand there waiting for flies to land；' I said to him。 'Hop on and let's give her some backup support。'〃
〃Romy flashed Lilly a look that municated several dozen things at once and climbed on。 I could tell that Lilly wanted to hold him back； but she knew better than to try。 Romy had to get this out of his system for his sake as well as Rook's。 I mean； nobody likes to be thought of as a Khyron； even if it was all a misunderstanding。〃
〃Cavalierly； I nodded to Lilly and powered the Cyclone up the staircase； getting a rise out of the fact that Romy was white…knuckling the seat grips all the while。 I have to admit that I liked impressing would…be motorcycle toughs like Romy； they were an all too frequently encountered breed in the wastes； and I was bored to tears by them。〃
〃Once up top； I asked Romy about this ‘Highways' place Rook had mentioned； he shouted directions into my ear； and I wristed the Cyc's throttle； letting it open up along the undamaged sections of roadway that led back to the narrow heart of the city。〃
〃It must have been about this time that the three Invid paid a call on Scott and the others。 I had been wondering what they had made of our disappearance from camp。 Perhaps they figured we had run off together or just decided that individually we had had enough of Scott's search for Reflex Point。 As it came out later； Annie was all for going out to look for us； but Scott felt differently。 ‘I prefer not to meddle in people's private affairs；' is how Annie told me he had put it。 But I guessed correctly that they had opted to hang in for another day； thinking that we would find our way back to them。 There was a good chance they would have literally passed right over Trenchtown on their way north； but strangely enough； Scott found his own way to the city in the canyon…with a little help from the Invid； that is。〃
〃They came swooping down on the camp early in the morning； laying waste to that beautiful patch of forest。 Whoever was in charge had elected to send in the big guns again： bat ships like the one we had seen after our run…in with the black bear。 The team had no chance to hit back； only take cover and keep their heads down。 The other thing I learned afterward was that neither the Alpha nor Lancer's Cyclone was activated or otherwise engaged before the attack； which suggested that the bat units had a means of zeroing in on Protoculture even when it wasn't being tapped for energy。〃
〃Scott did manage to make it to the Alpha； though。 He brought up the VT's power and launched before the Invid reduced the camp to a fiery ruin； but apparently that was only the first of his woes。 The three aliens formed up on his tail and went after him with an unprecedented fury； layering the zone above the forest with unforgiving streams of annihilation discs： When Scott glimpsed Trenchtown's canyon； he saw his out； he led the Invid down into the seemingly deserted city； intent on battling them there。〃
〃Closing on Highways； I heard what I then thought was thunder but later learned were the detonations of the eight heat…seekers Scott had dumped on one of the Invid ships。〃
〃Highways turned out to be the headquarters of the Red Snakes。 It was on the roof of a skeletal fifteen…story building； reached by a series of jerry…rigged ramps that connected it with an adjacent （and equally devastated） ten…story parking garage。 Romy and I arrived a few moments after Rook； who was braving it out on her own against more than a dozen outlaw bikers。 At the center of the group stood the Snakes' main man； a mean…looking hulk named Atilla。 He must have stood six six and weighed in at two eighty； most of which was pure muscle。 He had a pot； like most of these rogue leaders do； and affected a getup that was part street； part costume； including armless goggles no larger than bottlecaps he had had stitched to his eye sockets； black leather wristbands； shin guards and knee pads fashioned to resemble poised cobras； and a kind of pointed； twin…horned Vikinglike helmet and cowl bination。 There was a large S emblazoned on the front of his sleeveless T…shirt； and he had a face not even a mother could love； with a nose that was wide and flattened from countless breaks。〃
〃‘I've gotta admit it； Rook；' he was saying as we pulled up。 ‘You got a lotta guts。 It's just too bad you ain't got the brains that go along with it。'〃
〃At that； Atilla gestured to his assembled pack； and they responded with the appropriate litany of hoots and hollers。 The implication was clear enough： Rook was about to receive a stomping that would make the first seem like a love fest。〃
〃'I didn't think you had it in you； Rook；' Atilla added。〃
〃But if Rook was at all worried at that moment； she had me fooled。 Somewhere along the way she had suited herself up in Cyclone battle armor。 But even so； she looked vulnerable； straddling her bike； glaring right back at them； her blond hair mussed by the wind。〃
〃'I'd say you're the one who's the coward。 Snake Eyes；' she fired back。 ‘You're nothing without this army of slugs you call a tribe。'〃
〃During this little exchange we were parked on the remains of a roof balcony； above and behind Rook。 Romy was eager to go down to her； but I told him to hang back a moment more； at least until the rules were laid down。〃
〃‘You're Mr。 Mean；' Rook was saying； 'only because you've got the odds on your side； and not one of these rogues has the balls to challenge your position。 But I think you're hollow to the core； and I came back here to tell you that。'〃
〃This was the same Rook I had fallen in love with that day in Pops's biker bar。。。And unless Atilla was a lot quicker than the scuz she had seen to there； he was soon to be one sorry rogue； and I knew it。〃
〃To Rook's taunts； Atilla returned something befitting his intellect…something like： 'Oh yeah？ Prove it！'…before she got down to the challenge。〃
〃‘Just you and me；' she told him。 ‘One on one； right here in front of all your boys。 And I'll even make it easy for you。 We won't even fight； we'll just have a chicken race。'〃
〃‘A race？' Atilla roared laughingly。 ‘I thought we were gonna have some fun。'〃
〃Rook grinned and said； ‘The beam；' pointing to something off to her left。〃
〃This brought a real chorus of cheers from the spectators。 I didn't understand what she was talking about until Romy showed me what the beam was。 It was either the remains of a bridge that had once linked Highways with the building across the street or a collapsed structural member from one of the two buildings。 In any case； it was no more than foot wide and now ran roof to roof more than one hundred and fifty feet above the city's main street。 But that wasn't all： The beam was not entirely straight。 Midway along was a bend and a slight dip…from who knew what…to test the mettle of any rider。 Reaching the beam first was only part of the game； reaching the other roof was something else again。 It was obvious from everyone's reactions that the beam was one of Trenchtown's rites of passage； an initiation that had certainly ended in more than one death。〃
〃While I was taking all of this in； Romy was dismounting from the Cyclone。 ' We can't let her go through with this；' he told me； showing an intense anger that almost led me to reevaluate my initial impression of him。〃
〃Atilla； meanwhile； was doing his best to back away from the challenge without losing face。 He pointed out to his assembled buddies that what he had envisioned was a genuine physical mix…up with Rook…winner taking all； so to speak…and they were buying it。〃
〃‘Let's pluck this chicken now！' he shouted； leering at Rook。〃
〃I could understand his misgivings； but if I were him I would have been pointing out the fact that Rook's Cyclone was not only faster than his old Kamikaze but capable of reconfiguring and actually flying across to the opposite roof should Rook misjudge the beam itself。 Well； perhaps he had never seen a Cyclone before； I thought。〃
〃Romy and I were standing side by side on the roof balcony now。 Below； Atilla and his Huns were beginning to take a fancy to the idea of jumping Rook's bones； so I decided it was time for us to show our colors； pulled out the hand H…90； and fired off a quick vertical burst for the boys that stopped them dead in their tracks。
〃‘Stay where you are！' I warned them； feeling a little like Atilla with the blaster backing up my threats。 ‘The two of them fight it out alone； just like the lady says。' Rook was more surprised by my sudden appearance than any of them。 I figured that by backing her I was doing a little better than Romy； who was now urging her to give up the idea。 His presence elicited as many ments from the Snakes as Rook's idea of riding the beam had。 It seemed that the former leader of the Blue Angels was not very well thought of in the Snakes' side of town。〃
〃‘Don't worry； Romy； I won't blow it；' Rook was saying； not entirely successful at hiding her concern。 ‘Let's just say my riding skills have improved a lot。' She looked hard at Romy and thanked him for standing by her。 ‘ing back here was a good thing；' she said； smiling。 ‘I think it cleared my head of a； lot of bad memories。 More than you'll ever know。。。'〃
〃‘Rook；' Romy started to say。〃
〃‘I'm counting on you to take care of Lilly；' Rook added； activating the Cyc。〃
〃I walked down the stairs and casual