Temple of Fire by Christopher Forrest Page B

puzzled, agitated voices.  Their target had literally disappeared.
    “We stuck it to ‘ em ,” said Tank, laughing.
    “We’re not home free yet,” Hawkeye proclaimed in a sober tone.  “That damn grenade damaged the transmission or the treads — or both.  Traction is sporadic and uneven.”
    The EFV, nothing more than a heat shimmer, lurched
    ahead .  “The steering is a bit erratic as well,” Hawkeye said.  “It’s hard keeping this beast moving in a straight line.”
    Ten minutes later, the EFV, the engine growling unevenly, had maneuvered around the Royal Palace and was parked between a granary and the temple of a minor god.
    Hawkeye turned to Langhorne.  “I think you said something about taking us to Commander Aiko ,” he said.
    Langhorne nodded.
    “Good,” said Hawkeye, “but when you show us her location, she’s not going to sit down amicably and have tea while I describe our dilemma.  She’ll think it’s a trap.”
    “What are you proposing?” asked Tank.
    “We’re going to kidnap her.”
     

Titan Six
Ruins of Raz Kithune
     
    Hawkeye and Gator emerged cautiously from the EFV.  The Ops Center had indicated that twenty-six Dragons were below the Temple of the Moon.  Will Langhorne had explained how the two soldiers could gain access to the chamber beneath the temple.
    Titan Six moved down a stairway at the rear of the adjoining temple, the Temple of Ashtak .
    “Langhorne’s correct,” said Touchdown.  “I’m showing a tunnel connecting the two temples.”
    The tunnel was musty and dark, cobwebs spread thickly from wall to wall.  A large rat scurried across the path, illuminated by Titan Six palm beacons.  It froze, looked at the soldiers, and disappeared into a chink in the stone blocks.
    Gator raised his SAW to waist level.
    “Killing these people isn’t going to gain their cooperation,” Hawkeye reminded him.  “We’ll use our weapons only if forced to do so.”
    As he said this, Hawkeye took a gas grenade from his utility belt and motioned for Gator to do the same.
    The sound of Dragons conversing in Chinese could be heard as the team neared the end of the tunnel.
    “Set your helmet controls to filter out any gas,” Hawkeye whispered.  “We go on three.”
    The team leader silently counted down using his fingers.  One, two, three.
    Hawkeye pushed his entire weight against a heavy stone panel, budging it six inches.  Conversation from within the chamber ceased immediately.  Hawkeye and Gator rolled their gas grenades through the narrow opening in the stone and retreated down the tunnel.
    Within, Dragons spoke loudly as a red gas cloud dispersed throughout their makeshift headquarters beneath the Temple of the Moon.  The dual sounds of panic and coughing traveled the length of the tunnel, where Hawkeye and Gator now held their weapons higher as a precaution.  Hawkeye knew only a smattering of Chinese, but he was fairly certain that the Dragons were tossing around more than a few expletives.
    “Okay, let’s move in,” Hawkeye said.
    All of the Dragons were on the floor, unconscious.
    Except for one.   The modified Lieutenant Cho was impervious to poisonous gas.
    Cho rose from a sitting position and walked defiantly across the underground room.
    “Fire!” said Hawkeye.
    Gator opened up his machine gun, filling the chamber with deafening bursts from his weapon, but Cho advanced, unfazed by the rapid-fire rounds.  He was surrounded by shifting, blurry squares, force fields protecting his body.
    Cho’s large hands grabbed Gator’s SAW and threw it to the floor.  He then seized Gator by the throat and lifted him from the ground.
    Gator struggled to speak, but his windpipe was closed off.  Harsh gurgling sounds issued from his throat as his face turned red.
    Hawkeye slammed the butt of his assault rifle against the side of Cho’s face, causing the cyborg to drop Gator and turn his head dispassionately.  Hawkeye looked with alarm at the Dragon’s