Warrior Chronicles 2: Warrior's Blood by Shawn Jones Read Free Book Online Page B

surveyed the dead and injured. Kay was crying next to Dr. Wills. “Why haven’t you woken him?” he asked.
     
    Rand said, “He’s dead. We don’t know why. Tom Depp is dead also. He took a prowler hit while immobilized. It probably killed his synthetics. Mike is going to be okay. He pissed himself from the electrical shock. We don’t know what killed Doc though.”
     
    Cort put his hand on Kay’s shoulder. She looked up through her tears and said, “Make them pay.”
     
    “I will.” I promise. Turning to Rand he said, “I want the schedules for all en route freighters. And I want to talk to Dar.” Cort looked at Kay again and said, “After you are done here. Right now, Kay needs you, and we have at least a week or two.”
     
    --
     
    “They tried to get off a transmission. It looks like it was just as you pushed them away from the colony. It did not go through. Still, someone somewhere, on Earth or on their way here, is wondering why they haven’t heard from these guys.” Rand had been with Cort for the last hour. Kim had arrived from Oxia Palus and was with his mother now.
     
    “According to the schedule, there are two other shipments that Dar can’t verify. He’s working on it though,” Cort said. “Both are headed for the other colony. But they can change landing sites if they have personnel on board. So that means three possibilities. Here again, Argyre, or Oxia. My money is on Oxia. I would have sent one here, then one to the main colony, and finally one to secure Argyre. If they follow standard invasion and occupation tactics, that’s how they will play it. The third module is back up unless all goes well. In that case, it becomes a remote garrison.”
     
    “Seems reasonable, but that is your area of expertise, not mine. What do we do about it?” Rhodes asked from his own office at Oxia Palus.
     
    “We have thirteen days until the next one arrives. I’m going to be there when it does. In the HAWC.”
     
    “The hawk?” Rhodes asked.
     
    “You haven’t met him yet, Chief,” Rand said. “Hell, I’ve only seen it. But I’m looking forward to seeing what it can do.”
     
    Cort continued, “In the meantime, I want a communications blackout with Earth. No one sends outgoing messages until I approve them. Dar is aware we’re doing this. He doesn’t expect to hear from us until after this crisis is over. He’s also making a bid for the launch facility. If he can buy it out, great. If he can’t, we are building our own. Moving forward, I hope to eliminate this kind of threat.”
     
    Earth
     
     
    “Now, Mr. Alt. Tell me about the three launches on these dates.” Dar pushed a piece of paper across the table.
    “Mr. Sike, I appreciate that your trust now owns this facility, but I cannot talk about matters of military security.”
     
    “Who ordered the launches?”
     
    “I cannot share that information with you.”
     
    “Mr. Alt, I very much admire your discretion. My trust has benefitted from it on several occasions. However, in this case it is misguided. I’d like to show you a video. It was compiled from Aeolis colony security footage and from the men involved. Men on both sides of what you are about to see.” Dar turned a video screen around to face the launch director.
     
     
    Argyre Site, Mars
     
    Cort’s companions had finished packing the last of the backup site’s supplies into its transport modules. Six MELFs had a pair of modules each. The Mars Environment Light Freighters were the planet’s version of a semi truck. Each tractor was able to pull two transport modules once they were lifted from the rail system and fitted with wheels. Normally preparing the modules for ground transport was a slow process. However, by using the HAWC suit, Cort was able to assist. Lifting the ends of empty modules allowed techs to fit each unit in less than an hour. Then they were filled to capacity with supplies from the rest of the site.
     
    Once all twelve units were moved