Reason For Vengeance (Dark Vengeance Book 1) by Adrian D Roberts Read Free Book Online

Wolfram?”
    “That would be the one.  You pulled my arse out of the fire that day.”  Valerie said with a chuckle.
    “Let’s hope this one won’t be like that.  I’ve only got orders to get you to Concordia, wherever you are going after that, we won’t be there to back you up.”
    “We’re Shadow Company.  We don’t need back up!”
    “Of course not and you didn’t need an entire task force at Wolfram to do just that.”
    Valerie shrugged.  “I just thought you were all a bit bored sitting out there beyond the grav limit.  Time must have dragged when you only have hide and seek to keep you occupied.”
    “That was plenty to keep us entertained, trust me.  The Wolfram Navy had just enough tech to know something was out there and they did everything they could to find it.”  Mariya changed the tone to a more serious one.  “Now I understand we are on a tight timetable to get you to Concordia, so why don’t you come with me to the bridge and we get this old girl underway.”
    “Good idea and in perfect timing, here is my XO.”  The tall Captain stepped up beside her.  “Captain Tsoutsouvas, this is Captain Joss Gibson.  If you can point him in the right direction, he’ll get Shadow Company squared away and out from under your feet.”
    “Welcome aboard Captain Gibson.”  Mariya indicted the junior officer and non-com who entered the bay with her.  “This is Lieutenant Oehlmann and Petty Officer Langhorne, they will make sure you all find your berths.”
    “Thank you, Captain.”  Gibson said, and then nodded to the two Navy personnel.  “PO, Sergeant Major Bickerstaff is back at the lead Helo, co-ordinate with him.  Lieutenant, why don’t you come with me and make sure I’m pointed in the right direction?”
    “Of course, Captain.”  The Lieutenant replied before turning to her CO.  “With your permission, Captain?”
    “Carry on, Lieutenant.”  Captain Tsoutsouvas ordered and turned to Valerie.  “Shall we head up to the bridge, Major?”
    “Excellent idea, Captain.”  The two commanding officers headed out of the bay as everyone else got to work.
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER THREE
     
     
     
    “All ships we are T-minus sixty seconds from drop.”  Hans’ voice came across everyone in Shadow Company’s com.  Valerie studied her screen showing the information from the Forward Operating Base Modules passive sensors. 
    From the outside, it looked like every other mass transit container attached along the length of the freighter Eric Blair.  Inside it was far from that.  The module was made up of a large vehicle bay able to hold much more than the current load of five Windsoar Helos and the Scarab shuttle, along with large troop quarters and training areas.  Sensor baffles hid its true purpose, to show the outside world what they thought they should see if they scanned it
    Over the past nine days in the module, Shadow Company had gone through detailed planning and rigorous training exercises, to prepare for what was about to follow.  The Company was as ready for this mission as they had been for any other and Valerie was proud of them.  She worked her troops hard, pushing each and every one of them to their mental and physical limits, just as she did prior to every mission.
    Now she concentrated on the take from the massive, hidden sensor arrays built into one entire side of the FOBM.  They took in every piece of data that was flying around the system, light, radiation, com signals and much more.  The computers on board processed it all, filtered the irrelevant and sent it to her screen.  She could see the movements of all the craft around and on Gomez should she wish to.
    Valerie was looking at just those that may be able to see what was about to happen.  As planned, there were none in a position to compromise the mission.  It took four orbital passes of the drop zone to get to those conditions and it was well worth the wait.
    “Thirty seconds to drop.”