Star Runners 2: Revelation Protocol by L E Thomas Read Free Book Online Page B

before you arrived, and they didn’t come back. I don’t know where Rodon took them. Lots of machinery coming through each day.”
    “Machinery? Like what?”
    “I’ve only heard it. Could be freighters. I don’t know.”
    "Where are we now?” Josh asked. “Do you know?"
    "No," Delmar said, grumbling. "Definitely with the Tyral Pirates, but they will sell us to slavers soon."
    Josh winced. “Great.”
    "Or they will work us to death."

CHAPTER THREE
     
    A light shot into his right eye.
    "Ow!" Austin yelled. "I told you already-I'm fine!"
    "We are just being careful, Lieutenant, and this is the quickest way to tell if you have a concussion." The nurse lowered the light and planted her hands on her hips. "You were very close to the explosion."
    He glared at her.
    With a bandage covering his face where he had hit the concrete, Austin did not want to tell her about the ringing in his ears in fear of the admission leading to another test. He had enough tests. He wanted answers.
    An hour before, two agents in plain clothes claiming to be of the Legion Earth Intelligence Force arrived on the scene of the explosion and escorted him back to Base Prime. Once past security, the EIF escorted him into a small room with bright fluorescent lighting and launched into a series of questions about the incident.
    Did he notice anything unusual?
    Did Lieutenant Bean seem distracted?
    What was the last thing he said to you?
    After forty-five minutes, they brought him to the infirmary where the nurse started poking him.
    A tall, thin lieutenant colonel with a tablet tucked under his arm marched through the infirmary door. He scanned the room, seeming relieved when his dark eyes fell on Austin.
    "Lieutenant Stone, I am Lieutenant Colonel Roberto Ginn," he said in a deep voice as he approached. "I am sorry, but your leave is going to be delayed. Will you come with me?"
    Austin glanced at the nurse who nodded approval. Ginn led him through two secured doors guarded by armed Marines into a dimly lit control room. A dozen staff monitored holographic images. The cool blue light washed in a palette of neon colors emitted from the holograms. In addition to the twelve staff, two Lobera Star Runners sat hunched over holographic stations.
    Ginn gestured to a station near the door. "You have a secure link. Please advise if you need anything."
    Austin blinked. "Pardon me, sir, but a link from what?"
    "I am not privy to that information. Please sit and log in. Your connection will be completed shortly."
    Austin slid into the cold, black chair uncertain. He put on the headset and glanced at the screens on the far side of the room. It appeared to show the local San Francisco news. Three stations showed images from the street Ryan's taxi disintegrated into a burning wreck of twisted metal. The caption indicated officials thought terrorists had carried out the attack. Perhaps that was true, but terrorists from where?
    The holographic projector at his station purred to life. The image materialized into a familiar face.
    "Thank the maker you're alright," Captain Jonathan Nubern said.
    "I can't say the same for my traveling companion," Austin grumbled, his hands shaking. He balled them into fists and dropped them out of view of the screen.
    Nubern stared off camera. "I know. Lieutenant Bean was a good man. We don't have much time. Since I am your CO, I was asked to share some information with you.”
    The image flickered as the visual message caught up with real time; the standard delay when conversing over light years. Austin had grown accustomed to it when he was on Tarton’s Junction, but now it infuriated him.
    “I have some disturbing news to share, and I don’t have much time,” Nubern said. “I wish I had more time to educate you during flight school, but this was unexpected.”
    “Time? Educate me about what?”
    “About the dangers.” Nubern leaned into the camera. “There is much more going on in Quadrant Eight than I have been at liberty to