Trident Fury (The Kurgan War Book 3) Read Free

and transit routes, a small but thriving lawless community had been established. If there hadn’t been a war on, the military would never have paid them much attention. They had become such a nuisance stealing from military depots and boarding supply ships destined for the fleets fighting the Kurgans, they were now being targeted for eradication.
    “Any trouble getting here?” asked Cole.
    “A couple of Abbas’ goons tried to stop me.”
    “What happened?”
    “I got to try out my taser on them. Let’s just say they won’t be bothering anyone for quite some time.”
    “You and your toys. Glad you tried it out on them and not me. I guess all of our poking around has not gone unnoticed by Abbas’s stooges.”
    “Yeah, I think you’re right. What about you? Any luck finding us a way in?” Sheridan asked.
    “I met a guy who can take us to Boss Abbas.”
    Sheridan glanced at his watch. “We had best get a move on, the Raider Task Force will be here in just over three hours, and we haven’t found the missing air-defense weapons yet. I’d hate to think how things would go if the assault force tried to land into a storm of anti-ship missiles.”
    “It would be a bloody slaughter.” Cole stood and looked at the exit. “Looks like the coast is clear. Come on, let’s go.”
    Sheridan followed his friend outside. They walked down a side street until they came to an open-air market. Vendors stood by their stalls trying to out-shout the competition. Anything and everything was for sale. Sheridan spotted brand new Marine Corps weapons and uniforms as well as night-vision and communications gear. What surprised him the most was one disreputable-looking woman hocking a military-issue drone that appeared to be in perfect condition. What a smuggler would want with a drone was lost on him, but there was a man haggling with the vendor trying to get her to lower the price.
    A couple of minutes later, Cole stopped outside of a slender two-story building and knocked on the front door. A man’s voice from the other side of the door called out, “Who is it, and what do you want?”
    “It’s me, Alan, now open the bloody door. It’s friggin cold out here.”
    The door opened slightly. A man peered out. “Who’s that with you?”
    “He’s me mate. Mike. I told you about him. Now quit screwing around and let us in.”
    The door opened just enough to let the two men slide inside. Sheridan looked around and saw that they weren’t alone. Standing farther down the hallway was a woman with two small children at her feet. She looked at the two strangers with mistrust in her eyes.
    “Pauline, take the kids and keep out of sight until I’m done,” said the man.
    The woman took her children by the hand, stepped back into the kitchen, and locked the door.
    “Mike, I’d like you to meet Mister Smith,” said Cole.
    “Good day,” said Sheridan, doubting that Smith was the man’s real name. Their host was short and skinny with smudged, sliver-rimmed glasses perched on his hawk-like nose.
    Smith turned to face Cole. “If I get you into Abbas’ compound, I want to hear it from you that you can get my family and me off this planet with a full pardon for all my past crimes.”
    “That’s why we’re here,” replied Cole.
    “All right then. Come back in the morning and I’ll get you in there.”
    “That won’t do. We have to go there now,” said Sheridan.
    A worried look crept across Smith’s face. “I can’t do that. I usually don’t go there this late in the day. Besides he’s hosting some of the other smuggler clans’ leaders at his home tonight. Security will be tight . . . , very tight.”
    “I don’t care. Get us in there or the deal is off.”
    Smith looked to Cole for support but never got it. “You heard the man. It’s now or never, mate.”
    “If I do this I want to be paid for my services. Shall we say one million credits?”
    “A pardon and a lift off this rock are all you’re going to get from