On Silver Wings by Evan Currie Read Free Book Online

shake. Sorilla pushed hard, hoping that she wasn’t running into a trap, and dove for the perceived safety of the dense jungle with every ounce of strength she had.

Chapter 3
    Jerry almost shot her when Sorilla stumbled out of the jungle, the muzzle of his rifle seeking her center mass as he’d been taught many years earlier. He recognized her before his finger reached the trigger, however, despite the glistening reflection of starlight on her face that obscured her features.

    He lowered the weapon in relief, blowing out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Damn it, Sergeant, you scared the ever living...”

    He stopped as she did, frowning when she didn’t say anything.

    “Are you alright?”

    She dropped to her knees, her rifle falling from her hands as her arms fell numbly to her sides and she sat back on her heels.

    “Jesus!” He exclaimed, rushing forward as she started to fall. He caught her before she hit the ground, and lay her down on the soft jungle floor before drawing his hands back and realizing that they were wet.

    He lifted them to his hands, frowning, and smelled them.

    The odor was distinctive, a copper tang that he could instantly taste at the back of his throat.

    Blood.

    “Oh Christ...” he muttered, eyes and mouth open wide as he looked down at the unmoving body for a moment. “Light... I need a light... have to...”

    He almost jumped out of his skin when her hand snapped up and snagged his wrist, her eyes turning toward him, glowing that eerie green.

    “No light,” she said, “I’ll live.”

    He let a few breaths out, trying to keep his hands from shaking. “What the hell happened?”

    “Don’t know.” She said, looking up at the sky from where she lay, still unmoving, on the ground. “Never seen anything like it before.”

    “Did you see them? The invaders?”

    She shook her head, “Didn’t see anyone. No one there to see.”

    “What? There had to be...”

    “No... I would’ve have seen them... heard them...” Sorilla was whispering, eyes flickering wildly as she seemed to be speaking to herself. “This is... new.”

    Jerry could have cried. New. She had staggered back, beaten and bloody, and all she could say was that it was ‘new’. God, this woman was something else. Jerry closed his eyes, trying to get a handle on his breathing and the shakes that were starting to come.

    “Are you sure you’re ok?”

    She snorted, shaking her head. “I said I’ll live. I’m not ok.”

    “Can I do...” He looked down helplessly.

    “No...” She shook her head, “I’m already being healed. Just... settle in. It’s going to be a long night.”

    He frowned.
Already being...?

    “What are you talking about? You don’t have your suit...”

    “Don’t need it,” She smiled, her teeth black with blood. “Bacteria in my blood, already juicing up. I’m gonna be sore in the morning, but I don’t think I’ve got any ruptured organs... nothing you could do if I did. Get some rest. Gonna need it.”

    He shook her head, forcing his questions back as he nodded and sat back.
Bacteria in her blood?
God he wanted to ask, but even if he didn’t feel like he needed rest, she sure as hell did. He’d ask in the morning, if she were better.
Oh lord, I hope she’s better. It’s a long fricken way back to the camp.

    *****

    She wasn’t fine when the sun rose, but she could charitably be called better. Jerry watched her break camp alongside him, the way her fingers didn’t close quite right around things she picked up, and her footing wasn’t quite right.

    “Spinal shunts are illegal, you know.” He said, finally putting it together.

    “Not for military personnel,” she replied without looking up.

    He shook his head, “They were banned for a reason.”

    “I’m aware of the risks,” She said, straightening up and shouldering her pack. “But unless you’d rather carry me a hundred klicks back to the camp.”

    He had to concede the