Evil Star

roads and walkways, finding shel-ter next to the nearest walls. The compound lay ahead of them, and for a moment there was nobody in sight. Only the lights behind the windows and the distant hum of machinery warned them that they were not alone.
    Richard and Matt were among the last to enter. So they had the clearest view of what happened next.
    A group of four Incas ran over to the radio mast and began to climb it. Atoc and the others were covering them, looking out for anyone who might approach. Still nobody knew they were there. But then, at the very last minute, a dead man gave them away. It was the guard in the watch-tower. He had been killed instantiy — but since he had died, the blood had run into the top part of his body and his weight had shifted. Quite suddenly, he fell forward, plunged through the air, and hit a corrugated roof with a thunderous crash. Nobody moved.
    Nobody even breathed. Was it possi-ble that such a loud noise could have gone unheard?
    An alarm rang out, shattering the still of the night. At the same time, searchlights exploded into life, and what had a few moments before been no more than a gathering of dark shadows and half-seen shapes was instantly blazing white. Every one of the Incas was exposed.
    Matt and Richard, crouching together in a flat, open area of asphalt and rubble, were in the worst position of all. Doors crashed open.
    Guards appeared. A machine gun began to chatter. Pieces of Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star brickwork were blown out of the walls. A whole group of Incas were sent flying to the ground, rolling in a hail of bullets. Richard grabbed hold of Matt and pulled him across to a pile of fuel drums.
    Part of him knew that it was insane to hide behind gallons of petrol during a gun fight. Another part of him said that surely Salamanda's men wouldn't be mad enough to fire in this direction.
    The Incas were scattering, trying to find cover. More shots were being fired. There were guards on the roofs. The door of the largest building opened and a man stepped out, a pistol clasped in one hand.
    Seemingly unconcerned by the chaos all around him, he took careful aim and fired. One of the climbers who had made it halfway up the radio mast cried out and fell to the ground. Matt felt his blood go cold. He knew the man who had just fired the shot. It was Rodriguez, the police captain he had first met in Lima. As Matt watched, he took cover in the doorway, at the same time barking out an order to someone behind him. What was the police chief doing in the compound? It was no sur-prise that he was working for Salamanda. But it seemed he had now abandoned his normal duties completely to take over security here.
    Something glinted in the hard light and a spear hurtled past Rodriguez, burying itself in the door. Rodriguez laughed, showing animal teeth, and fired a second shot. Matt saw something go whirling across the empty space in front of a building: three copper balls, tied together with cords. They vanished into the darkness and a moment later a guard stepped off the roof, half strangled, the cords wrapped around his throat. He crashed down in front of the police chief and lay twitching on the ground.
    More machine-gun fire. There seemed to be guards everywhere, pouring out of doors and taking up positions across the compound.

    Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star Matt's heart sank. They were obvi-ously outnumbered. And where was Pedro? Matt was beginning to regret coming here with the Incas. He couldn't help them. There was nothing he could do.
    Unless . . .
    He and Richard were in front of a small, brick building with a skull and crossbones painted on the side and the same word he had seen at the airport. Peligro. Danger. There was some sort of machinery humming inside.
    "Richard!" he called out.
    Richard understood. He drew back his foot and, using all his strength, kicked open the door. Matt hurried in. The building was filled with machines and heavy-duty fuse boxes, each one with silver handles set in the on position. Together, Richard and Matt began to turn them off. If they could cut the power supply running into the compound, perhaps they could interrupt the signals being sent into outer space.
    There was a buzz and a crackle of electricity. The Klaxon fell silent and darkness returned to the compound. Richard and Matt had managed to disconnect the security system and this gave the Incas the advantage they needed. Spending their lives