Resurgence (Redleg In Space Book 2) Read online

  “As good a time as any. The way Mara talks about you, I wasn’t even sure if I was needed on this mission. Almost every time we talk, she brings up you and the rescue,” he said as he adjusted his equipment, making sure everything rode properly.

  “It isn’t that big of a deal. Definitely not worth her lifetime of service. Anyone, in my shoes, would have done the same thing.”

  “You are clearly new to Unity space, or you would know how wrong that statement was. Either way, she either has a bad case of hero-worship going on or she has a massive crush on you.”

  The comment made Zade miss a step and almost fall on his face. He whipped his head around to look at the smirking cat-man.

  “I’m just fucking with you,” Max said, the smirk shifting to a smile. “It’s absolutely a crush. That was the first time she had ever been in real danger. Our family worked hard to keep us from it as kids. She’s equal parts terrified of you and amazed by you. Since she’s been on the ship, she has been working her ass off trying to fit in and live up to your standards.”

  “I haven’t set any standards. I had told her there was no need for the life sentence, but she insisted. She seems to be happy as the engineer,” he replied as he watched the first flames from the atmosphere breaking around the window of the airlock.

  “Thank you for that. Few would have risked their lives to save her, and even fewer wouldn’t have taken advantage of her after she pledged a lifetime of service. I was pretty pissed at her when she told me what she had done.”

  “Feel free to talk her out of her commitment. It won’t hurt my feelings at all. She has proven to be a great engineer, but indentured servitude doesn’t sit well with me. My people have tried it on several occasions and it never turned out well for those in service.”

  The ship had been steadily descending as they spoke. Just as he finished, he heard the thump of the docking arm locking into place.

  “I’m not going to do that. It seems she has chosen wisely, but if not, my honor won’t be the first to tarnish,” Max said, stepping back to let Zade pop the hatch. “Now, let’s see those fighting skills that have her all hot and bothered.”

  Before stepping forward, he did a quick communications check. The women came in loud and clear. After some adjustments to the headset he’d been given back in the armory, Max responded as well. Ann had begun dumping all the information she could gather on the complex into his visor as soon as they broke into the atmosphere. From what he could tell, there were three heat signatures in the room just beyond the door he was standing in front of. He filled Max in on what he was seeing and reinforced that there would be friendlies and noncombatants in the fight, so he needed positive identification before engaging.

  The concentration of soldiers had started at the new habitation modules and swept through the docking area on their way deeper into the labyrinth of connected ships. He couldn’t tell if the heat signatures were from hidden colonists or mercs that had been left behind to secure the space. He wasn’t going to find out until he opened the hatch. Max screwed a can on the end of his rifle after being told they were to stay quiet as long as possible. Zade didn’t want to announce their presence any earlier than necessary.

  Chapter 14

  On the count of three, Zade threw the door open and charged through. Rolling to his left, to escape the fatal funnel, he quickly raised his weapon at the two individuals he had seen clumped together on his overlay. There was a Baast mercenary holding onto a terrified colonist, using him as a shield.

  There was a blast followed by a pop. The shield in front of his visor flared to life, but never had to solidify to take a hit. Zade turned his attention from the merc to the smoking hole in the wall, centimeters from his face. Following the line of the projectile, he watched as a second mercenary slumped to the ground with a smoking hole to match the one in the wall drilled directly between his eyes. Max was a good shot, and quick.

  “You fuckers are going to pay for that,” the remaining mercenary said as he tossed his hostage to the side and began charging towards them, firing his hand-held weapon recklessly.

  Zade almost had to contain a laugh. The rounds were flying wildly, the mercenary unable to aim while in full stride. He took a breath and centered his crosshairs on the man’s right shoulder. A gentle squeeze and his round tore through armor and flesh alike; the man ceased his charge and dropped his weapon.

  He and Max hustled forward and subdued the man. Once his hands were restrained, he turned his attention from trying to grab the weapon that had fallen to hurling insults.

  “Do you know who you are messing with? If you don’t let me go, the Shadows are going to fuck you up.”

  “That’s a cute name for your little club,” Zade said, not taking the bait. “But you don’t seem to be in any position to threaten us. How did you find this place and why are you here?”

  “Fuck you.”

  Zade nodded his head. The mercs smug smile disappeared when Zade buried his thumb, to the knuckle it the man’s open wound. Without raising his voice, he asked his question again. The man grunted and began breathing heavily before giving the same response.

  “Max, can you hold his head still. He will answer me. Whether he loses only his depth perception, or his sight entirely is up to him, but I’m guessing I’ll only have to ask twice more,” he instructed as he unsheathed the knife at his side.

  “All right, all right, I give you whatever you want, just don’t take my eyes. The Shadows wouldn’t have me if I couldn’t shoot.”

  “Very well. How did you find this place and why are you here?” he asked again.

  “We got a contract from Brax to destroy their competition. They said we would get a bonus too if we destroyed your ship in the process. We didn’t know where the rebels were until the fleet arrived.”

  “Now, was that so hard?” Zade asked as he drew his pistol and put a single round in the man’s head causing Max to jump back.

  “That was… grim,” the cat-man said as he looked from the deceased merc to Zade.

  “I didn’t lie,” Zade responded as he looked down at the dead man. “I let him keep his eyes, even if one popped out and is barely attached.”

  Max’s mouth opened and closed several times, like a fish gasping for water, before he stood, shrugged, and turned his attention to the corridor that left the bay. As Zade stood, he caught a glimpse of lights flashing in the window that looked out toward the planetoid’s surface. After a few seconds, he called Max over and had him take a look. They watched as dozens of mining ships tried to take off, only to be shot down by the waiting mercenaries.

  “Those ships…” Max stammered, placing his hand against the window in reverence. “Those ships would have been filled with women and children. They are always the first to be evacuated in an emergency…”

  Another ship exploded into yellow and orange flames. Zade watched Max’s hand clench into a fist.

  “That is why these guys don’t deserve mercy,” Zade said as he pulled the man away from the window with a firm hand on his shoulder.

  “They all must die,” Max said, the lament in his voice seconds earlier turning to rage.

  “And we must be the ones to carry out that sentence,” Zade responded coldly.

  After gathering himself, Max shouldered his weapon and covered the corridor again. Zade stepped out next to him and they began working their way down, side by side in a formation Zade remembered being called the ‘rolling T’ from his army days. Max harnessed his anger well, remaining calm and professional. Anything carrying a weapon who was not in a miner jumpsuit or guard armor went down almost before they recognized a threat. A few managed to get shots off, but the men rolled through them like they were inconsequential.

  Max would cover their front while Zade worked the crossing corridors, ensuring they would not be blindsided as they passed. They followed the sound of gunfire deeper into the complex towards the command center. As they crossed yet another corridor, both men heard a woman scream.r />
  “Go after her. Being a hero is your thing. I have to go check on my buddies in the guard.”

  Zade nodded to him, and he nodded back. Normally the gesture meant very little, but on the battlefield, between comrades, it spoke volumes. Respect, acceptance, and trust: all sentiments passed through the simple gesture. It was an acceptance of a bad decision not yet made or a risk that must be taken. In the unknown or against insurmountable odds, a nod simply meant ‘we’ll meet again in Valhalla.’

  He quickly broke off, allowing the other to continue towards the defending guards. As he moved away from the raging gun battle, the corridor became eerily silent. Occasional screams from the same woman guided him in the right direction. Without backup, he was more cautious and moved slower, careful to cover every approach. Just as he was about to pass the sixth crossing since he left Max, he found a tiny Baast girl curled up in a stairwell that lead to the second deck of the ship he was in.

  “Come on, we have to get you out of here,” he said as gently as possible while holding out his hand to the child.

  She was shaking, too terrified to even move, so he scooped her up. He heard a commotion from down the passage and in the cross-passage at the same time. After getting the girl in his arms he turned to find two groups of mercs rushing towards him. He shifted the girl to his left arm so he could bring up his weapon.

  “Cover your ears,” he ordered as he waited for the men to get within effective range.

  His aim wasn’t great, firing the weapon from the hip, but he managed to take down two of the four approaching him from the front. Sadly, since they were in range for him, he was in range for them. The remaining two opened fire, sparks, and ricochets flashing all around him and the girl. Taking their cue from the first group, the men flanking his position opened fire as well.

  “Protect the kid,” he shouted at Ann as he raced away from the men firing at him, back the way he came. He hoped she would be able to adjust his armor’s shields.

  “It is wiser to keep you safe,” she responded.

  “Just do it,” he demanded as he rushed away, gaining ground on the men behind him.

  A glimmer of hope began to form around his prospect of getting away only to be dashed when four men stepped into the end of the corridor he was racing through. Without hesitating he slammed his hand on the nearest door access and dipped through. To his terror, he was in an enclosed room. There was no way to further his escape, but what he saw in the room made him freeze.

  Just inside the room stood a man, a human man. He looked like a cross between a magician and an old west cowboy, complete a long beard, the leather duster, and a six-shooter hanging off his hip. Voices outside the door pulled his attention back to the present.

  “I saw him go in here,” one announced to the others.

  “I’m so sorry, little one,” he said, thinking of the other children he had seen, bodies laced up with bullets or shredded from shrapnel.

  He looked into her terrified eyes, held her to his chest, and dropped his head over hers. She couldn’t see his face behind his helmet, but if she could, she would have seen only sadness looking back at her. Since his first deployment when things had gone so badly, he had accepted that he would eventually meet a violent end. It crushed him to know he’d be taking an innocent girl along for the ride.

  The door slid open and rounds began pouring into his exposed back. The girl’s mouth opened in a scream, but he couldn’t hear it over the deafening sound of the mercs fire. He watched as his capacitor blinked out and his shields went down. The impact from the rounds became heavier, but his armor held. As his armor took a beating, he felt the impact of the rounds became stronger. Searing pain in his left side signaled that a bullet had found its way between the deteriorating plates along his back. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate and praying, against all odds, that the girl would make it.

  The barrage of gunfire stopped and the men behind him began to scream. He looked up to see the mysterious stranger with his arm raised. Sweat poured off of him and his face was twisted from the effort he was exerting. Zade quickly shielded the girl’s eyes and looked over his shoulder at his attackers.

  The mercenaries had dropped their weapons and were frantically clawing at themselves, trying to get their armor off. Blood poured out of their eyes, noses, and ears, and leaked out from between the plates. He watched as their movements slowed and finally stopped. They collapsed to the ground, unmoving, after losing the battle to blood loss. He turned back to the stranger, but he had vanished.

  Energy from the fallen men flowed into his armor, replenishing his shields. The scene was straight out of one of the slasher movies he had watched as a kid. It was enough to make his stomach churn, and he was a seasoned combat vet. He could only imagine how it would scar the girl. Blood covered the ceiling and walls, dripping down to join the growing pools seeping out from beneath the dead men.

  “Close your eyes. Keep them closed,” Zade said, unsure that he could leave the girl in the room. “Do you promise to keep them closed?”

  “I promise,” the child replied, clamping her eyes shut.

  “I need you to hold onto my leg as tightly as you can,” Zade said, leaning down and setting her near his foot. “I need you to keep your eyes closed, hold on, and do not let go until I tell you it’s okay. I need both of my arms free. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” she said quietly, hugging his leg with all of her might.

  After checking his weapon, he made his way to the door, the girl’s small hands never leaving the back of his calf. He peered down the hall in both directions, relieved to see he was once again alone.

  “Can you promise to keep your eyes closed until I say?” he asked the girl again.

  She nodded, so he began picking his way through the blood bath. He didn’t care if he got his gear dirty, it wouldn’t be the first time he had to scrub blood off himself, but he didn’t want to leave bloody footprints that would lead to him.

  When he thought he was far enough away, he told her she could open her eyes. He was moving slower than he had hoped for. The wound on his side was on fire and making it hard for him to breathe. He leaned down and picked the girl up. He gingerly touched his injury. His hand came back covered in blood, which he expected, but what concerned him was he could feel the jagged edges of two of his ribs.

  “Oh no! You’re bleeding,” the girl squeaked.

  “It’s ok,” he said, trying to reassure the girl. “Just keep watching up ahead. We need to get to the docking bay to get to my ship. We’ll be safe there. Then we can get you back to your family.”

  Every word shot fire through his side. He tried to keep his breathing and his voice level to keep the girl from panicking.

  “Ok. I’ll keep a lookout for bad guys.”

  “Good girl.”

  The slightest movements made him feel lightheaded, so he stopped trying to prop his gun up and focused on just moving forward. He made a left, back towards the docking bay, where he had originally broken off from Max. The gunfight in the other direction had died down significantly, which was either very good or very bad.

  As he trudged through an open emergency hatch, he heard the sound of feet running behind him. With the day he was having, his first instinct was to turn and fire. A glance at his map overlay showed a blue dot corresponding with the sound behind him: it was Max. The blood loss was beginning to slow him down. He wasn’t even sure he had it in him to turn and fire if he needed to. His only focus was putting one foot in front of the other. He had to get back to the docking bay for an exfil.

  “We routed them. The mercs tucked tail and ran back towards their ships!” Max announced happily from behind him. When he got close enough, he slapped Zade on the back. “Didn’t you hear me? We won, man!”

  The jarring from the pat on the back only elicited a pained grunt from Zade. He had to focus. One foot in front of the other. If he broke his concentration, even to form words he feared he would drop in place.

&nbs
p; Realizing something wasn’t right, Max tempered his excitement. As he looked over his new captain, he spotted the blood running down his leg. He leaned in to examine the wound. A round had ripped through two ribs and the lower part of Zade’s left lung. An entire chunk of his side was missing, exposing a portion of his other organs.

  “May the gods have mercy. Why the hell are you still moving? You need to have this looked at,” he questioned without looking up, all excitement disappearing from his voice.

  Zade could only grunt and focus. One foot then the other. His arms were beginning to feel heavy. He shifted the girl, hoping to find a better way to carry her. The movement was a little unexpected causing her to yelp in surprise. At the sound, Max popped his head around to find out what made it.

  “Nine bad guys were chasing me,” the child said when she saw Max look at her. “I tried to hide, and I was afraid they were going to find me, but he got to me first. Then we ran from them, but they chased us into a room. They started shooting at us, but I couldn’t see much because he was between me and them. It was scary. I screamed and closed my eyes. Then they screamed and screamed until he got them back, and then we started walking here. He said he’s going to take me back to my family.”

  Max listened intently at her retelling of the events and the pieces began to fall into place. He moved back to Zade’s side and reexamined the wound. The ribs were broken forward, and the exit wound was on his front. He continued around to find that the back of his armor was destroyed. The few armor plates remaining were crushed and burnt, barely hanging onto his under suit.

  “Son of a bitch. Nine on one. They cornered you, so you protected the kid? When you heal, I want to hear how you made it out of there.”

  He tried to slide under Zade’s arm to help him walk, but the movement caused Zade to howl in pain.

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he managed.

  “Fair enough,” Max said with a chuckle. “Let’s get you to a med bay. I can’t dress your wound. Give me the girl and your rifle. It will make it easier for you to move.”