Treasure of Light (The Light Trilogy) by Kathleen O’Neal Read Free Book Online Page A

Baruch is going to … to take this ship! I have to get to Tahn. For God’s sake! Let me go!”
     
    When the tube stopped, Jamie Ryngold and the security team flooded out. Sergeant Yocup met them, still hastily fiddling with the charge in his rifle. Together, they trotted in single file into Transportation. Jamie saluted, glancing quickly at Tahn, expecting a reprimand for being late. He frowned when it didn’t come. Tahn looked like hell, nervous as a tiger on a hunt, sweat matting his brown hair to his forehead. His blue-violet eyes gleamed with such desperation and uncertainty Jamie tensed involuntarily.
    “Ryngold,” Morcon ordered. “Hang back. Run the final check.”
    “Aye, Sam.” He faded back to stand by the security com on the wall.
    Tahn hit the button to open the doors to the landing bay foyer. Lieutenant Halloway and the security team followed. Jamie tried to ease his anxiety by letting his gaze drift admiringly over Halloway. A tall woman with shoulder-length auburn hair, she had pale translucent skin and blazing green eyes. No man aboard had ever been able to approach her. Cool and tough, she kept to herself for the most part, shunning parties and rarely appearing in any of the lavish lounges on the ship. But everybody admired her from afar.
    Jamie brought his attention back, accessing the bay monitor and keying in a level one alert on deck nineteen. The alarm panel above him flashed blue in silent rhythmic pulses, changing the stark white walls to pale azure. He could see the empty landing pad, Mike Fritz manning the control console.
    “Sergeant?” Tahn inquired tersely of Fritz. “What’s the status of the shuttle?”
    “Simons reports he has Baruch in custody. No problems. ETA is two minutes, sir.”
    Tahn’s face paled visibly as though he waged a violent battle with himself. He looked like he’d clenched his fists to keep them from shaking under the tension. Finally, Tahn pulled in a deep breath and ordered, “Notify the bridge to commence Prime Mover One.”
    “Aye, sir.”
    Jamie closed his eyes a moment, bracing himself. The ship lurched slightly as violet beams lanced out, blasting the surface of Horeb. He glanced at the close-range planetary monitor. Three hundred miles below, he could see a huge crimson wave rise from the melted sandstone ridges, rolling toward the capital city of Seir—a sea of blood to drown Gamant inequities. Damn them all, anyway. The Hoyer had been forced to initiate a level two scorch attack against Kayan less than a week ago. Gamants were all insane. They’d wantonly broken the Treaty of Lysomia, attacking Magisterial military installations, killing hundreds of soldiers. Horeb had compounded the sins by flaring into civil war and hiding a Magisterial criminal. They had to be heroes, protecting one of their own. Baruch ranked number one on the government’s hit list, and they knew it. Even though a Gamant Councilman had betrayed and turned Baruch over in the end, the Magistrates didn’t tolerate disobedience very well.
    “Oh.” He heard Halloway whisper emptily to herself as she turned away from the planetary monitor.
    Jamie felt the soft reverberations through the ship like widening rings across an enormous pool of black. He could almost hear the screams of the thousands. It made him ache a little, but he quickly dismissed it. Horebians had brought it on themselves. Obeying orders, that’s what the Hoyer was doing, just keeping peace in the galaxy.
    “Shuttle docked, sir,” Fritz acknowledged. “Simons reports all clear.”
    Tahn swallowed convulsively. “Open the doors.”
    The foyer emptied as people flooded into the broad white-tiled bay. The ceiling stretched seventy feet high.
    In an abrupt movement that made Jamie stiffen, Tahn whirled, eyes scanning the bay as he dropped into a combat crouch.
    “What the hell…” Jamie whispered nervously to himself. His monitor showed nothing! Simultaneously, the communications light on his console flared.