Casserine by Bernard Lee DeLeo Read Free Book Online

have some color back in your cheeks now,” Jake pointed out. “I see we have managed to turn this entire thing full circle, back to where the real responsibility lies: me. Somehow I found out about the ion storm, tipped off the pirates, planned the attack on Casserine, sent you to the refuge, secretly knowing you would not go, carried your wounded butt back here after exiling fifteen pirates by blowing up their only way out of here, all for the purpose of having them hunt us down.”
    “Exactly,” Adrian nodded.
    “Flawless logic, my dear, flawless,” Jake replied, getting back in his chair, and reclining tiredly. He shut his eyes for a moment. Jake felt a cool hand on his arm, and squinted over at Adrian’s smiling face.
    “You took a nap. I let you sleep for about twenty minutes.”
    “Good, I have to go out and retrieve my launcher.”
    “Will you get me some more tea before you go?”
    “Sure Tonto, how do you feel?”
    “Sore.”
    “We have something for that if you want,” Jake replied while getting their tea. He stopped long enough to get dressed, and then sat back down next to Adrian, handing her the warmed tea.
    “When should we risk another call out?” Adrian asked.
    “Not until I go out, get the launcher, and check on the whereabouts of our guests. If they can pinpoint us when we call out, they might come hunting. We will give them a little surprise when they get here.”
    “Oh thank you, Jake,” Adrian said laughing a little, as she scrunched her face up and lowered her voice. “What you mean we, white man?”
    Jake laughed at the little play on words Adrian had picked up from the radio tapes and movies. She had been working the phrase every time he said we in conjunction with any chore. “You must be feeling a little better. When should I change those bandages?”
    “Not for another day. They will knit up the damage, but I will have a lot of scarring. You probably won’t love me anymore.”
    “Good point.”
    Adrian gave him a slap in the back of his head.
    “Have I mentioned before about the rule forbidding lieutenants from striking captains?” Jake said leaning back again in his chair to get out of range.
    “Yes, but I don’t like that one, so I ignore it.”
    “The chain of command around here has become a joke. If Colonel Risling knew how you treat me.”
    “He would be giving me a medal,” Adrian finished.
    “Right, well I better get moving.” Jake put on his outer environmental suit, including his gloves, and slung the particle beam rifle. “If I’m lucky, they won’t be monitoring the area around the storage bays, and I can get a close look at how they’re handling Casserine gravity.”
    Adrian reached up and grabbed his gloved hand. “Jake, don’t do anything stupid.”
    “You mean like running around unarmed while a cruiser fires atyou?”
    “Well, if you have to have an example, I was thinking about the one where you try to kill them all inside the solid fuel storage area with a knife and end up with your head blasted.”
    “Tonto has long memory.” Jake said ruefully.
    “But seriously, just grab your launcher and take a quick peek. I know you. Don’t go trying to even up the odds by yourself.”
    “I have no intention of doing that. You know, you’re lucky that cruiser didn’t just blow the whole area, instead of taking potshots. If they had known I was waiting with a MAG50 launcher, they would have made the area we were at into a big smoking crater. You used up all of our luck, so I will have to rely on skill and daring.”
    “Give me a kiss before you put your helmet on over that swelled up head of yours.”
    Jake knelt down in front of Adrian as she took his face in her hands and kissed him softly. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. “If you aren’t back from playing Cowboys and Indians in one hour, I will come out looking for you.”
    “Great, that’s all I need, a deadline. You just keep the tea warm, and I will be back as quick as I