OMEGA Guardian by Stephen Arseneault Read Free Book Online Page B

Gammatin’s swing was weak, his head snapping back as the club came forward without conviction. I spun to my right, knocking the wooden-and-steel instrument of death from Harga’s hand. As I completed the spin, my right elbow caught the Gammatin square in the right jaw, knocking him to his left and down onto the floor.
    In a continued move I pounced on the downed Gammatin and began to pound him furiously with my fists. Casinas had a look of disbelief on his face. He reached around to his back and began to pull out a crude mini blaster.
    Garrett was waiting as he drew and raised a blaster of his own. "Drop it! I will blow you into tiny bits if you bring that weapon around!"
    Casinas stopped, holding up his free hand. "OK, OK. I’m setting it down."
    Casinas laid the blaster on the ground.
    I stopped my beating of the Gammatin and stood. My breathing was elevated. "Casinas. You will go and tell Kominga that he too is out of work on this station. He should clear out his things and be gone within the hour, or Mr. Garrett and I will be paying him a visit. The two of you will be off this station within that hour, to where I do not care. If you are caught after that time, I will bring you both back down here and let the residents deal with your punishment. Now, go, before I change my mind and turn you over to them now."
    Casinas nodded and turned to go up the stairs behind him.
    I looked to the four Feldons and spoke. "You four, you will be leaving as well. If you are caught on this station, it will not end well for you."
    The Feldons followed Casinas up the stairs.
    I turned to look back at the bruised and bloody Gammatin.
    Harga spoke. "Grunta, you are a mighty warrior. As is customary with my people, I am now in your care. All I ask is to be fed. We Gammatin are loyal; when bested, we will not turn on our master. My life is now in your hands."
    Cal came around the corner. "Whoa! The Gammatin! He’s—"
    I spoke. "Harga, if you are now loyal to me, may I give that offer of loyalty to someone else?"
    Harga replied, "That is your decision."
    I looked at Cal. "If you had a Gammatin to back you up, do you think you could clear out the levels up to 84? The two thugs that were running those levels will be leaving within the hour."
    Cal replied with a bewildered look, "A Gammatin?"
    I nodded. "If you feed him, he will swear loyalty to you. All I ask is that you keep this in mind: if you use this opportunity to enrich yourself or your family at the expense of others, I will come looking for you. I have other business to attend to. Do you think this is something you can handle?"
    Cal had an enthusiastic expression as he looked over at the Gammatin, now getting to his feet. "With a Gammatin? Yeah, I could do that!"
    I smiled. "Good. If you have any issues, just raise me on your arm pad comm. And get our friend Harga here cleaned up and fed."
    Cal and his group of family members disappeared around the corner with the Gammatin lumbering along behind them.
    Garrett said, "I had no idea Gruntas could fight like that. Your reflexes are far beyond that of anyone I have ever seen."
    I rubbed my fists. "I would greatly appreciate it if you never mention to anyone what you saw here. Gruntas do not like others to know of our abilities. There is only one other being I fear, Garrett. That would be my wife or any other angry Grunta woman. Their wrath is not so subdued as mine."
    Garrett laughed. "Well, then. Let us hope that we never anger them. By the way, why did we really come down here? What connection do you have to these people?"
    I replied, "I was assigned an apartment here. All the citizens who live here, they should not have to live in fear of their lives when in their own homes. The deplorable conditions don’t bother me as much as the fear I saw in people’s eyes. We all need a safe place that we can go when things get tough. If I can make these lower levels into such a sanctuary for the residents, perhaps I can derive some security from