" Drek !" howled Blanchard. Chase had only enough time to see a flash on one of the monitors before the missile struck. The thunderous explosion slammed him sideways as metal shrieked and tore directly above him. One of the panels in front of Freid, and something behind Chase, exploded in a fountain of smoke and sparks. The T-bird, bucking from the impact, scraped hard against something along its left side. Chase was thrown again, his outstretched hands slamming against the structural support alongside him. The cybernetic contact with his weapon winked out as it bounced from his hands and struck the floor, sliding to a stop a few steps away.