Ash: Rise of the Republic by Campbell Paul Young Read Free Book Online

the open, his huge, cruel knife pressed into the neck of an
equally tall, slender girl. He held her head back with a firm grip
on her long red hair. She screamed in terror, breaking the
Captain’s heart and causing Deb’s face to redden in fury. The rest
of the troop tensed and growled in indignation.
    “Hold your fire,” he warned his rangers,
“looks like they want to talk.”
    A short man in ragged clothes was scrambling
down the slope of the drift, unarmed. At the bottom he started
walking slowly toward them, a crooked smile on his face.
    “Hello there friends, I’d like a word!” He
was waving at them genially as if they were old friends. He kept
smiling and beckoned them over. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite!”
    The Captain stood, laid his rifle on the
crate in front of him, and started forward. He approached the small
man warily.
    “I’m Captain McLelland, 1st Ranger Company,
RNT. You men are interfering with the pursuit and apprehension of a
number of dangerous felons. That girl you’re holding hostage is a
peace officer commissioned by the Governor himself. Have your
friends over there release her, lay down their weapons, and march
down here with their hands where we can see them,” he said curtly,
flashing his badge and placing his hand on his holstered
revolver.
    The man looked quizzically at him for a
moment and then shook with laughter. “When the Chief finds himself
a filly like that he don’t just let it go! As for the guns, you’re
welcome to march up there and take em if you think your badge will
scare somma them animals! In fact, please do! I love a good laugh!”
he said, chuckling and grinning, showing off a mouthful of broken,
yellowed teeth. He danced a few jigged steps in delight as he
laughed, then stopped. The mirth fell from his face and his voice
suddenly dripped with menace. “Nah. He sent me down here to make
our demands, not listen to yours!
    “Ok, what’ll you have?” asked the Captain,
leveling a cool gaze at the shorter man.
    “The Chief left his son in charge of the
camp when he left. He’s willing to let you lot go (except for the
girl of course) if you send him up. We saw you come out with those
kids. What you do, tie our boys up in there?”
    Before the Captain could reply, flames burst
from several of the upper windows of the warehouse. He heard a howl
of rage from the ridge. He and the small man turned to look as the
big bald savage holding Mol shouted an order into the trees. He
looked straight at the Captain and slowly sawed his wicked blade
across Mol’s pale neck. She squirmed horribly and a panicked gurgle
escaped her lips as blood welled past the dark blade. The man
tightened his grip on her hair and ripped the knife back, nearly
severing her head. He shoved her twitching body down the slope and
turned to head back into the trees.
    The Captain’s eyes began to mist red with
rage. He drew his revolver, pressed it to the temple of the small
dirty man next to him, and casually pulled the trigger. He turned
the big pistol toward the man on the ridge and snapped off a long
shot. He cursed as it went wide and the murderer ducked into the
bushes untouched, still howling. Fire erupted from both lines as
the Captain turned and ran back to his shocked troop.
    When he ducked back behind his crate, he
turned to see the big savage walk back out of the trees. Blood
covered his bare chest. He screamed at the rangers and hurled a
round, dripping projectile toward them. It landed a few feet from
their cover, rolling twice before coming to rest facing them, still
blinking.
    “Holy shit! Jenny!” cried Legs in grief at
the sight of his comrade’s severed head. He leveled his rifle and
fired wildly at the tree line, screaming.
    “Grumps, get him under control! It’s time to
bug out folks!” Deb nudged her husband, pointing to the flare that
had appeared in the sky above the warehouse.
    “Casper, Pirate, pop smoke!” shouted the
Captain, “Prepare to withdraw by twos