On his signal, the men opened fire. It was precise and economical—ten shots, ten kills. Now there were only fifteen left, given the ones the turrets had mowed down. The installation was top-notch; someone had the capacity to retrofit tech with the same efficiency as the initial installation, an uncommon skill and one that made him wary.
I need eyes on the other side of those barricades. This was the one zone he hadn’t scouted; some athletic bastard kept breaking his tech. And when I get my hands on him, I’ll pull his head off.
“One more time.” Another burst of red, and ten more brutes dropped dead. The turrets took out the other five, and he signaled for his squad to fall back. “That’s it for now. We don’t go in there until I have more intel.”
“Makes sense, Commander.”
After what happened to Gerardo, the guys were hungry for payback, but they weren’t stupid. It might take a little longer, but the time he spent gathering information would be worth it when the last murderer died at their feet. Fifty million credits went a long way toward excusing the fact that the job hadn’t been as easy as described. At that price, he ought to have known it wouldn’t be a quick in and out. These men were the worst of the worst, and they’d had the run of the place for a long time. They won’t surprise me again, he vowed, as he led his men away. The turrets spat a few rounds, activated by the retreat, but his unit wasn’t in range. On the way back, they shouted out a marching song, buoyed by victory.
Vost smiled. I’m coming for you, ass**les. And then I can go home.
11
Havoc Unleashed
It was two days after Mungo’s last attack, thwarted unexpectedly by the mercenaries.
The mass of attackers had been thinner than the first strike, so they took some casualties due to rounds blowing through the barricades and into defenders trying to hold it in place. That was collateral damage she hadn’t predicted, and she was hearing complaints from the injured. A few of them probably wouldn’t make it, especially the man with a massive hole in his gut, currently moaning in the makeshift infirmary. There were no nurses; nobody was looking after them unless they had friends or lovers willing to take on the burden.
“This wasn’t your fault,” Tam said.
He met her as she came out of the secondary barracks, now purposed for the wounded. The reek of septic wounds and unclean bodies nearly choked her, even out in the hall. I don’t want to know that the last man on the left’s just pissed himself. She strangled the dying scraps of human decency that made her want to go back in and take care of people; that wouldn’t serve Queensland, and it sure as hell didn’t fit the Dread Queen.
Sometimes I hate that bitch.
“Doesn’t matter,” she answered. “Everything comes to rest at my door, whether I could’ve prevented it or not.”
“Price of power.” Seeming to realize she was in no mood for a prolonged conversation, Tam limped away, likely to pursue his private intrigues.
Dred went looking for Jael. He wouldn’t see the wisdom of her next move, but she had to use every tool in the armory, even one that horrified her personally. But since she’d coaxed a promise out of him, she couldn’t take off without informing him. Trust had to go both ways. So while she wasn’t asking for his blessing or permission, she did intend to offer full disclosure. For obvious reasons, she chose mealtime because he couldn’t react too strongly while they were surrounded by Queenslanders.
Jaw clenched, Jael listened with palpable, growing incredulity, then he shook his head. “If you do this, I’m coming with you.”
“You can’t. Not because I don’t trust you, but I can’t risk that you’ll be affected. If you go nuts and attack me, that won’t help.”
“Do a test run, see if I’m susceptible.”
“The whole zone will run amok, pretty lad. I don’t think you understand the scope of what I’m capable of.”
His blue gaze skimmed the room. “There has to be somewhere we can be alone.”
“Jael . . . I appreciate your loyalty, but it’ll be faster if I just do this.”
“On your own. After your blistering lecture, too.” He wore a thunderous scowl, lips clamping to a thin white line.
“The difference is, I’m not crawling out of bed and sneaking away. You don’t have to understand, just keep things together until I get back.”
There was a long silence. The susurration of other voices rose and fell around them. Utensils clinked against tin plates; laughter rang out, along with the occasional curse. She leveled a frank gaze on Jael, waiting for his response.
“You really think this is necessary?” he asked at last.
“We have no armor. One rifle. And the turrets out front are running low on ammo. There’s enough in the storeroom to reload once. After that . . .”
“I take your point,” he said.
“Yes, I think it’ll bolster our position.”
“Then go. Do it fast before I realize how stupid I’m being . . . and how much you’re putting on the line for a bunch of gits who don’t know or appreciate you.”
Dred pushed to her feet, dinner untouched. There was no way she could eat anyway; the prospect of what happened next churned in her stomach like dread. Jael caught her wrist, circling it with his fingers. His thumb and forefinger traced lightly over her pulse, then he kissed the heel of her hand.
“Come back, right, love? I’m just getting used to your face.”
“Will do my best,” she said.
He didn’t let go immediately; he held on just long enough to make her wonder, then he opened his fingers in a deliberate gesture. I’m trusting you. I’m letting go. She smiled and walked out of the common room, careful to look as if she had no pressing business. The last thing she wanted was a shadow. If the men knew her secret, they’d probably burn her as a witch. Convicts were generally a superstitious lot. It was one thing for her to be ruthless and hard to kill; any whisper of Psi, and she’d be done as the Dread Queen.
The sentry saluted as she went over. Blood smeared the flooring outside; chunks of Mungo’s mongrels were slowly decaying. The men had hauled the corpses off earlier, so at least the station had plenty of organic to recycle. At this rate, there will be nobody left, but the Kitchen-mates will be full. The stink from battle lingered with every breath she took.
Dred wished she had Tam with her to scout, but he was still injured, and she couldn’t risk him any more than she’d risk Jael. So she took the RC unit to alert her to nearby battles without drawing undue attention. There were other maintenance bots still roving the station, repairing what they could reach. Using the remote, she programmed the bot on a long maintenance cycle, added a beep sequence that wouldn’t give the plan away to the combatants, then she followed it silently. Once more, her chains remained in Queensland since brute force was inadvisable on this mission.