Merkiaari Wars: 02 - What Price Honour Read Free Page A

Major Stein said. “Report, Eagle One.”
    “Sorry for the delay, Gold One. Something came up.” She wondered what had happened to Lieutenant Strong. “I have two dead and one seriously wounded.” She patted Pike on the knee, and he smiled feebly back at her. “We have the package and—” she broke off at a warning beep in her headset. “Wait one.” She changed channels. “What have we got?”
    “We found a live one, Gunny,” Frankowski said sounding surprised. “Our civ wants to take him in. I say we cap him for what he did to Gracey.”
    “Copy that.” She wanted the bastard dead, but Eric was no civ. “Bring him in alive. I want to ask him where his bastard friends are.”
    “Aye, aye. Eagle Nine clear.”
    Gina quickly changed channel again. “Gold One, Eagle One.”
    “Eagle One, Gold One. Go,” came Major Stein’s quick reply.
    “We have the package and one prisoner, sir. Request extraction co-ordinates.”
    “Gold One copies. Co-ordinates follow…”
    Gina tapped the figures into her wristcomp and pressed save. “Eagle One clear.”
    Frankowski prodded the rebel forward and made him sit before Gina in the mud. She gave Frankowski a meaningful look and he nodded almost imperceptibly. They had played this game with prisoners before. Gina casually pointed her rifle at the rebel and asked her question.
    “I ain’t talking to you bastids, ” the prisoner spat before she could say another word.
    Gina grinned. Frankowski raised his pulser and pressed it against the man’s right knee. The terrorist closed his eyes and sweated. Gina was impressed. He hadn’t uttered a single word of protest.
    “Gunny?”
    Gina glanced at Eric. He was watching her intently. “Not yet… maybe later.”
    Frankowski nodded and lowered his weapon.
    Gina knew that there was nothing left of Grace to recover, but maybe Pags? “Any sign of Pags?”
    “He was near me,” Pike panted.
    Gina turned and surveyed the crater. Pike had been near the centre when he was hit. Nothing had survived. She said a silent prayer for her two friends, and then turned back to business. She had other friends that needed her. She downloaded the evac coordinates to their wristcomps, and then detailed off her people.
    “Frankowski and Westfield can look after our friend here. Cole, you take point. Ridley and Gleeson, you two carry Pike in the centre. Hollings, you’re rear guard—keep your eyes open for any more of this guy’s friends.”
    PFC Liz Hollings nodded and raised her weapon eagerly. Pags had been her best friend and she wanted payback.
    “And me?” Eric said.
    Gina studied him for a long considering moment. Vipers were lethal to anything that moved, but her people didn’t know what he was, and he wanted it kept that way.
    “In the centre with Pike. You’re wounded.”
    Eric nodded.
    “Let’s move Marines,” she ordered and Cole set a fast pace into the jungle.
    * * *
     
    President’s office, parliament building, Thurston
    “We have their location Mister President,” Major Patrick Stein said patiently.
    He was quite pleased with the calm sound of his voice. In reality, he was boiling with anger. Rage would be closer to what he was feeling. Two of his people were dead, and one would be lucky if he was back on duty in a month. He didn’t want to think what might have happened. The reality was bad enough.
    His thoughts turned to Gina, more properly Gunnery Sergeant Fuentez, but she had been with him long enough to be counted a friend not just a subordinate. She had been quiet when her squad arrived back at base. Oh, she had said the proper things during debriefing, but he knew she was hurting. Losing people you cared for was always hard, but losing those under your command was harder. Gina felt responsible for their deaths, and as the one directly in command, she was responsible. He knew she’d done all she could, but it would be a while before she accepted it. Who would have believed the situation could go down the