"What else? It's time I had a talk with Ramirez. If you can't lick them, join them."
"You're kidding." She laid down the automatic and glared. "You're going to just give up?"
"No, I'm going to offer him a deal. Maybe it'll work, and maybe not. But I don't know what else to do."
She stared at him incredulously. "What kind of deal?"
"I don't know yet. I'm making this up as I go along. But maybe if I can get in close to him, I can try to slow him down." What would happen, he was wondering, if Ramirez saw him again? Just shoot him on sight? It was possible, but then again maybe not. It was worth a try. "But you've got to help. Create a diversion that'll give me an opening."
"All right, then." She shrugged. "Just tell me what you want me to do."
Now he was fiddling with his Walther, checking how many rounds were left in the clip. There were two. He cocked it, then slipped it into the back of his belt, pulling down the shirt over it.
"See that window there?" He was pointing toward the glassed-in viewing station of Launch Control that overlooked the pad and the vehicles. "I want to get him there, where you can see us both. Then when I give a signal, a thumbs-up, I want you to open fire."
"On you both?" She looked incredulous.
"How about trying very hard not to hit either one of us. Just start firing and distract them. Then I'll try to take care of Ramirez. Somehow."