Desperado (Murphy's Lawless: Watch the Skies Book 2) Read online

  Weapons fire from the militia ebbed to nearly nothing. Riderless whinnies screamed and fell upon the men, bounding over their fallen herd mates. Another whinnie fell in the street. Bo saw the coloration; his heart leapt into his throat.

  “Scout!” Bo yelled. “Scout!”

  The big whinnie rolled his head to peer down the street at Bo. He gave a low, throaty call and turned back to one of the other fallen whinnies wobbling for a moment, as if dazed. Then Scout’s head and neck went limp and fell to the dusty ground with an audible smack.

  “No!”

  Adrenaline coursed through Bo’s system as he shambled down the street on his injured leg. The militia’s guns had fallen silent. Some of the ones with face paint were running hard to the west. Bo wasn’t watching. He reached Scout just as he heard Aliza wail from behind him. Now she was running down the street, her good arm cradling the bad.

  A whinnie’s trumpet echoed through the quiet town from the west, and Bo raised his eyes. Overhead, two Hueys hovered in security positions. They were close enough to see their gunners scanning the streets for targets. One of them waved, and Bo responded. The helicopter slid slowly toward them and hovered directly above. The gunner was pointing down at the carnage around them. The pilot turned and studied the ground. Bo could see them talking on the radio. Exhaustion crashed over him as the adrenaline wore off.

  Bo knelt by Scout and stroked the smooth leathery skin on the animal’s head. But were you just an “animal?” Fresh tears filled his eyes, and Bo tried not to let them come. He failed. His head swirled with dizziness, and he collapsed onto the ground next to his mount.

  We almost made it, Scout.

  Almost.

  * * *

  “Hotel California, Gunsmoke Lead. Desperado Six needs assistance. He’s down. I say again, Desperado Six is down. East side of town near the wall. At least one other injured with him. Over.”

  Fahey and the others moved toward the stairwell into the city. “Copy, Gunsmoke. Fastlane, send security and medic that way now.”

  “Fastlane, roger. Out.”

  “Gunsmoke Lead, good copy. Shadower is three minutes out. LZ status?”

  “The LZ is green, Gunsmoke,” Fahey replied. From the top of the plateau, he was roughly at the same altitude as the hovering helicopters. More noise came from the north, and Fahey turned to see the strike team approaching at high speed. The UH-1s appeared to be about a foot off the deck as they streaked east over the plateau.

  Damn, Major Lee. You not only taught them what to do, but how to do it with style.

  Impressed, Fahey shook his head and laughed. After all, helicopters never flew. They simply beat the air into submission.

  * * *

  As Lieutenant Stewart and a section of riders arrived, Aliza knelt in the dusty street by Athena’s lifeless body. Words wouldn’t—couldn’t—manifest in her tight throat. They’d had so little time together, yet Athena was special, and not only to Aliza. Her hand traced the angles of the whinnie’s jawline and her serene face for a long moment.

  She died here with her mate. They died protecting us.

  Our greatest allies.

  Aliza sobbed and clapped her dirty hands to her face. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She wiped at them with a dust-covered sleeve as Stewart dismounted and walked over to Bo where he sat with his back against Scout.

  “We have the town secured, sir. Most of the militia have surrendered. We’re mopping up the others now. Our guys took the tunnel.”

  “Casualties?”

  “One of ours dead, PFC Rich. Crazy asshole took out some kind of crew-served weapon in the tunnel’s entrance and turned it on the militia trying to get through. Stopped them cold, sir. Fucking incredible. We lost at least forty-seven indigs; we’re gathering bodies now. Morton is going door-to-door looking for F’ahdn. Cook has established a security perimeter around the bazaar. It’s big enough for an LZ and Fahey’s directing them in from the top of the plateau.”

  “How many wounded?” Bo asked.

  Stewart looked down at Bo’s bloodied lower leg. “Counting you and Aliza? Sixty-one. Most of those are minor. Let me get a medic up here, sir.”

  “I’m fine, Johnny,” Bo replied.

  Aliza looked up and saw Bo trying to laugh off his own wound, but he was pale and his clothes were almost black with sweat. She went to him and knelt at his side.

  “Lay down, Bo.”

  “I promise I’m fine,” he replied with a smile. Aliza did not reciprocate, and his bravado evaporated in an instant. “No, I’m not, huh?”

  “Not at all,” she replied. “You’re going into shock. Help me with him, Johnny.”

  Stewart went to Bo’s other side. They turned him and raised his legs carefully, resting them on Scout’s body.

  Bo’s eyes were on Scout’s still head; his face threatened to break. “He—they—”

  “They fought for us,” Aliza whispered. “You were doing the same for them, yes?”

  He nodded. “I was.”

  “Then leave it be, Hubert.”

  “Stop calling me that.” Bo half-smiled.

  Aliza smirked. “It gets your attention.”

  His eyes cleared up a little. “Where are the targets? The people Murphy wants us to grab?”

  “I have some names. Militia leaders mainly,” Aliza said. “I’ll get them to Cutter. There were others: a man named Zeesar who may be in town. And the J’Stull commander Sobiturni: he’s here somewhere, too.”

  She was aware that her voice had trailed off, and Bo quickly asked, “What is it?”

  “There’s another man. He’s…he’s not from here. Maybe he’s Ktor or Kulsian, but he’s not from R’Bak, and he’s not one of us. I can’t explain it, but he’s eluded me for several days. When this happened—” she raised her arm, “—he shot the bastard in the back. This man, this Yukannak, killed him and ran. He saved my life, Bo. We have to find him. Something tells me he’s the person Murphy will want to speak with the most.”

  Above them, the whup-whup sound of the approaching Hueys filled the sky. Bo sat up, grimacing with pain. “Stewart?”

  “Sir, Lieutenant Bird is on his way with the medic bag and—”

  Bo waved him off. “Bring me your radio. Do we have comms with Captain Cutter?”

  “I don’t know, sir. We can check with the CP.”

  Bo motioned for the radio.

  “I can do it,” Aliza said.

  Stewart shrugged out of his rucksack and set it down beside her. He pushed the handset into Aliza’s hand. “I’m going back to the men, sir. I’ll leave a security element with you, and Bird will be here in a minute.”

  Aliza met his eyes even as she passed the handset to Bo. “Thank you, Johnny.”

  He touched the brim of his hat, not unlike how Bo always did. “Aliza.”

  She watched him mount his whinnie with ease and ride off to the west side of town. There were still sporadic flurries of weapons fire echoing through the city. Around them, people peered out of houses and buildings. She heard Bo talking on the radio to someone, but she wasn’t paying attention. The curious face of a child appeared in a window across the street. Aliza met the little girl’s gaze and smiled. She’d hoped for a similar response, but there was none.

  Maybe there’ll be a time for joy here, someday.

  “Aliza?” Bo called. “Help me up, we’ve got to get going.”

  “Where?” His color had returned somewhat but he was in no shape to move.

  “The central bazaar. Our strike package is on the way. You’ve got to talk them in. Give them the names and locations to search. We’re going to find F’ahdn, too. He might not like it, but we’re going to hold the town per Colonel Murphy’s orders. After that, we have to secure the roads through this sector.”

  Her face screwed in confusion. “The roads?”

  “I met your guy Zeesar this morning on the road southwest of here. Nice enough to talk to, but I’m not taking any chances. He was waiting for frie
nds. If he’s a warlord and one of the Satrap’s buddies, I don’t want him attacking our exposed—” Bo struggled to get to his feet.

  “You stay down,” Aliza snapped. He laid down again as Lieutenant Bird and an indigenous nurse sprinted their way. “Bird is almost here and until he bandages your leg, you’re not going anywhere.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Bo snorted, and a smile appeared on his face. “Lieutenant Turan.”

  “Hubert.” She scowled at him. “Now, while you’re at it, hand me the radio.”

  “So, you still wanna marry me?”

  With her good hand, she punched his upper arm. “I’ll go anywhere you go, Hubert Moorefield. Of course, I’ll marry you. We have too much to lose and too many gifts we fail to appreciate.”

  She watched him look past her. The riderless whinnies had gathered around them in a protective circle. Like Bo, she recognized their behavior. Her grief threatened to erupt again. They’d been through so much with these aliens. They were far more than beasts of burden, and there was so much the humans could learn from them.

  Finally, Bo met her eyes and nodded. “You’re right about those gifts—about everything—honey.”

  She smiled in return. “It’s about time you came down from your fences.”

  Before he could respond, the radio handset squawked. “Desperado Six, this is Shadower. ETA is one mike. Let’s talk. Over.”

  She took the handset, winked down at him, and depressed the send toggle.

  “Shadower, this is Queen of Hearts. Have location and identification of primary targets. Prepare to copy.”

  # # # # #

  About Kevin Ikenberry

  Kevin Ikenberry is a life-long space geek and retired Army officer. A former manager of the world-renowned U.S. Space Camp program and space operations officer, Kevin has a broad background in space and space science education. His 2016 debut science fiction novel Sleeper Protocol was a Finalist for the Colorado Book Award and was heralded as “an emotionally powerful debut” by Publisher’s Weekly. Kevin is the author of the military science fiction / thriller novels Runs In The Family, Vendetta Protocol, and Super-Sync. Kevin is a core author in the Four Horsemen Universe where his novels include Peacemaker, Honor The Threat, Stand Or Fall, Deathangel, and Redacted Affairs (with Kevin Steverson). He is an Active Member of SFWA, and a member of International Thriller Writers. He lives in Colorado with his family – his home is seldom a boring place.

  * * * * *

  Find out what’s coming from CKP!

  Join the Factory Floor and stay in touch!

  Meet us at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/461794864654198/

  * * * * *

  The Caine Riordan Universe

  The Caine Riordan series and Terran Republic universe deliver gritty yet doggedly optimistic hard scifi in a world that is a believable and embattled successor to our own. For those who are not familiar with the series’ hallmark blend of exploration, alien encounters, intrigue, and action, you can find them all right here:

  The Caine Riordan series

  (Baen Books)

  Fire with Fire

  Trial by Fire

  Raising Caine

  Caine’s Mutiny

  Marque of Caine

  Endangered Species (forthcoming)

  Protected Species (forthcoming)

  Triage (forthcoming, with Eric Flint)

  The Murphy’s Lawless series

  (Beyond Terra Press)

  Shakes

  Obligations

  Man-Eater

  Promises

  Pearl

  Waveoff

  Murphy’s Lawless

  Season Two

  Sundown

  Desperado

  Shadows (May 28, 2021)

  Other works in the Terran Republic universe

  (Beyond Terra Press)

  Lost Signals

  Since that list includes a winner of the Compton Crook Award, four Nebula finalists, and ten Dragon Award finalists, they’re not hard to find. Just go wherever books are sold. Want to learn more about the Caine Riordan series? Easy. Contact any of the publishers, or you can reach out to me at [email protected].

  Want to see more of what’s going on in the Terran Republic universe? Check out http://www.charlesegannon.com for exclusive written and visual content.

  And if you decide you don’t want to miss a single new release or announcement, then go to http://charlesegannon.com/wp/sign-up/ to join the all-inclusive mailing list for sneak peeks, special offers, and features you won’t see anywhere else.

  And most important of all…welcome aboard; we’re glad you’re here!

  * * * * *

  The following is an

  Excerpt from Book One of the Chimera Company:

  The Fall of Rho-Torkis

  ___________________

  Tim C. Taylor

  Now Available from Theogony Books

  eBook, Paperback, and (soon) Audio

  Excerpt from “The Fall of Rho-Torkis:”

  “Relax, Sybutu.”

  Osu didn’t fall for the man steepling his fingers behind his desk. When a lieutenant colonel told you to relax, you knew your life had just taken a seriously wrong turn.

  “So what if we’re ruffling a few feathers?” said Malix. “We have a job to do, and you’re going to make it happen. You will take five men with you and travel unobserved to a location in the capital where you will deliver a coded phrase to this contact.”

  He pushed across a photograph showing a human male dressed in smuggler chic. Even from the static image, the man oozed charm, but he revealed something else too: purple eyes. The man was a mutant.

  “His name is Captain Tavistock Fitzwilliam, and he’s a free trader of flexible legitimacy. Let’s call him a smuggler for simplicity’s sake. You deliver the message and then return here without incident, after which no one will speak of this again.”

  Osu kept his demeanor blank, but the questions were raging inside him. His officers in the 27th gave the appearance of having waved through the colonel’s bizarre orders, but the squadron sergeant major would not let this drop easily. He’d be lodged in an ambush point close to the colonel’s office where he’d be waiting to pounce on Osu and interrogate him. Vyborg would suspect him of conspiracy in this affront to proper conduct. His sappers as undercover spies? Osu would rather face a crusading army of newts than the sergeant major on the warpath.

  “Make sure one of the men you pick is Hines Zy Pel.”

  Osu’s mask must have slipped because Malix added, “If there is a problem, I expect you to speak.”

  “Is Zy Pel a Special Missions operative, sir?” There. He’d said it.

  “You’ll have to ask Colonel Lantosh. Even after they bumped up my rank, I still don’t have clearance to see Zy Pel’s full personnel record. Make of that what you will.”

  “But you must have put feelers out…”

  Malix gave him a cold stare.

  You’re trying to decide whether to hang me from a whipping post or answer my question. Well, it was your decision to have me lead an undercover team, Colonel. Let’s see whether you trust your own judgement.

  The colonel seemed to decide on the latter option and softened half a degree. “There was a Hines Zy Pel who died in the Defense of Station 11. Or so the official records tell us. I have reason to think that our Hines Zy Pel is the same man.”

  “But…Station 11 was twelve years ago. According to the personnel record I’ve seen, my Zy Pel is in his mid-20s.”

  Malix put his hands up in surrender. “I know, I know. The other Hines Zy Pel was 42 when he was KIA.”

  “He’s 54? Can’t be the same man. Impossible.”

  “For you and I, Sybutu, that is true. But away from the core worlds, I’ve encountered mysteries that defy explanation. Don’t discount the possibility. Keep an eye on him. For the moment, he is a vital asset, especially given the nature of what I have tasked you with. However, if you ever suspect him of an agenda that
undermines his duty to the Legion, then I am ordering you to kill him before he realizes you suspect him.”

  Kill Zy Pel in cold blood? That wouldn’t come easily.

  “Acknowledge,” the colonel demanded.

  “Yes, sir. If Zy Pel appears to be turning, I will kill him.”

  “Do you remember Colonel Lantosh’s words when she was arrested on Irisur?”

  Talk about a sucker punch to the gut! Osu remembered everything about the incident when the Militia arrested the CO for standing up to the corruption endemic on that world.

  It was Legion philosophy to respond to defeat or reversal with immediate counterattack. Lantosh and Malix’s response had been the most un-Legion like possible.

  “Yes, sir. She told us not to act. To let the skraggs take her without resistance. Without the Legion retaliating.”

  “No,” snapped Malix. “She did not. She ordered us to let her go without retaliating until the right moment. This is the right moment, Sybutu. This message you will carry. You’re doing this for the colonel.”

  Malix’s words set loose a turmoil of emotions in Osu’s breast that he didn’t fully understand. He wept tears of rage, something he hadn’t known was possible.

  The colonel stood. “This is the moment when the Legion holds the line. Can I rely upon you, Sergeant?”

  Osu saluted. “To the ends of the galaxy, sir. No matter what.”