They send the recall, and the drones whine past on the way up. They lower ropes and rappel down the shaft. They pause by the pool, scanning the tunnels and blasting sensor pulses of sound, and likely radar and other scans as well. I wait.
They move carefully down the tunnels. I can feel their every movement through the rock, hear their every word. These men know what they are doing: staying in pairs, staying in constant communication, and checking corners carefully. I wait.
One pair comes up next to me. They pause. One of them has bad breath. I can feel the tension; they know something is wrong. They could shoot me any instant. I wait.
“Let’s make sure.” I hear a deep voice and a switch clicks.
Heat and fire fill the tunnel. I can see red light through the fibers. Roaring fire sucks all the air away, and the fibers seal my nose before I inhale flame. The fibers protect me from the liquid flame that covers everything. I can feel the heat slowly begin to burn through.
It’s time.
* * * * *
Get “Warrior: Integration” now at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0875SPH86
Find out more about David Hallquist and “Warrior: Integration” at: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/
* * * * *
The following is an
Excerpt from Book One of the Mako Saga:
Mako
___________________
Ian J. Malone
Now Available from Theogony Books
eBook, Paperback, and Audio
Excerpt from “Mako:”
The trio darted for the lift and dove inside as a staccato of sparks and ricochets peppered the space around them. Once the doors had closed, they got to their feet and checked their weapons.
“I bet it was that little punk-ass tech giving us the stink eye,” Danny growled, ejecting his magazine for inspection.
“Agreed,” Hamish said.
Lee leapt to his comm. “Mac, you got a copy?”
“I leave you alone for five minutes, and this is what happens?” Mac answered.
“Yeah, yeah.” Lee rolled his eyes. “Fire up that shuttle and be ready. We’re comin’ in hot.”
“Belay that!” Link shouted. “Hey, asshat, you got time to listen to me now?”
Lee sneered as the lift indicator ticked past three, moving toward the hangar deck on ten. “Damn it, Link, we’ve been made. That means it’s only a matter of time before the grays find that little package Hamish just left into their energy core. We’ve gotta go—now. What’s so damned important that it can’t wait for later?”
“If you’ll shut your piehole for a sec, I’ll show you.”
Lee listened as Link piped in a radio exchange over the comm.
“Velzer, this is Morrius Station Tower.” A male voice crackled through the static. “You are cleared for fuel service at Bravo Station on platform three. Be advised, we are presently dealing with a security breach near Main Engineering, and thus you are ordered to keep all hatches secured until that’s resolved. Please acknowledge.”
“Acknowledged, Morrius Tower,” another voice said. “All hatches secure. Proceeding to Bravo Three for service. Out.”
Lee wrinkled his nose. “So what? Another ship is stoppin’ for gas. What’s the problem?”
“It’s a prisoner transport in transit to a POW camp in the Ganlyn System.”
Prisoner transport?
“And boss?” Link paused. “Their reported head count is two hundred seventy-six, plus flight crew.”
Lee cringed. Never in a million years could he have missed that number’s significance.
“Yeah, that struck me, too,” Link said.
“Does mean what I think it does?” Danny asked.
Lee hung his head. “The Sygarious 3 colonists are aboard that ship.”
“Oh no,” Mac murmured. “Guys, if that’s true, there are whole families over there.”
“I know,” Lee snapped, “and they’re all about to dock on Platform Three, just in time to die with everyone else on this godforsaken facility.”
* * * * *
Get “Mako” now at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088X5W3SP
Find out more about Ian J. Malone and “Mako” at: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/imprints-authors/ian-j-malone/
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