I stumbled back a few more steps as he turned to leave again.
“ ’Ey! ’Et back ’ere!” I shouted, sweeping my coat aside and pulling the SR 547 bullpup from its ready strap.
Curdloe turned around just in time to dive for cover as I sprayed the wall near where he’d been standing with gunfire.
At that, a series of other shouts went up from bystanders as many of them, too, dove for cover, and I figured I didn’t have long before the local authorities were all over the area. But I needed to stay long enough to see the Monpika’s captain step in to protect Curdloe. So, I made another shout as I staggered toward him, careful to keep my bursts placed into the ground near where he’d taken cover to minimize the chance of ricochets.
That was when I heard the voice we’d been waiting for, loud and dis
