Chapter 17

Kit Baxter brought the ceiling down with an explosive roar.

Dust and debris flew everywhere, but as it cleared, the night sky could now be seen through a new hole in the roof.

What are you doing? Falcone roared, his ears still ringing.

She leapt up onto an old countertop, more or less directly under the gap she had just created.

"'He told me to get you up on the roof,' she said, and he forgot that we got nothing to hook a grapple gun onto,

and I am not the half of the equation known for heavy lifting. Get your fanny up here, Max!'

Valconi could see the plan now and did his best to hurry. In his current state, still unable to make

proper use of his powers, it was quite clear that he was the weak link in the chain, and he did

his best to overcome his limitations. He holed himself up onto the rickety counter and moved toward

the hole in the ceiling with kits steadying his arm. From outside there were still the howls and cries of the wild

animals that had descended upon them, mixed with sudden, startled yelps that obviously came

when one of them drew too close and the Red Panda was forced to deal with it. The plaintive cries were

coming faster now, and it seemed clear that the jackals were not getting the hint. The flying squirrel seemed impatient, and Falcone knew that it pained her to hear the Red Panda facing danger alone.

He reached his arms high, found a section of roof that would support his weight, and tried to haul himself up.

He felt her grab at his feet, and he straightened his legs to take advantage of the boost she was giving him.

Over the brittle, broken edges of the hall, he pulled himself up until he could flop forward on his belly,

his center of gravity now off the countertop, and wriggled forward in an undignified fashion.

An instant later she was through the hall as if in a single tremendous leap, landing in a silent crouch beside him.

The air was clean and fresh with a slight breeze coming off the desert, but there were few lights from the buildings around them and no light at all from above.

"'Now moan,' she said, tapping the side of her goggles for night-vision.

"'That would be Thatcher's work,' Falcone said.

...