EDEN (The Union Series)
Page 31
My charge could range all the way from refusal to obey orders, right through to desertion - the latter of which came with a prison sentence. Perhaps I would meet my old friend Westy after all, I thought gloomily.
I stared up into the clouds, thinking about what had happened out in the Bosque. Had I done the right thing, or had I selfishly risked the lives of my platoon and the wider population of Eden? I didn’t know.
‘Andy?’ The platoon commander’s signaller stepped up to me gingerly.
‘Yeah?’
He flicked his head backward. ‘You have a visitor.’
‘Who?’ I looked up and saw that Yulia was stood behind him, a small team of FEA soldiers waiting nearby in the clearing.
She knelt beside my head, placing her rifle down onto the ground. ‘How do you feel, Andy?’
I was strapped into a stretcher, with drugs and all sorts floating around inside of me. ‘I’ve had better days.’
‘It is good that you are leaving. Bhasin will be out for your blood, if he is still alive.’
I frowned, puzzled. ‘Why?’
‘Why do you think Makito was with us? And why do you think he was chosen to go to kill you? Bhasin wanted his son to do something honourable.’
I swore. So Makito was Bhasin’s son. That explained why he had responded so angrily when I’d insulted the major. He’d probably volunteered to take a patrol to hunt me down and kill me. His mistake, I couldn’t help thinking.
Yulia changed the subject. ‘You will be taken back to Paraiso? To a hospital?’
‘Yeah, our dropships should arrive any moment.’ I paused for a second, before asking, ‘Where will you go now?’
She lifted her head to look into the forest. ‘I am not sure. I am very confused now, after what has happened. I have done many bad things in my life, but I cannot murder people like that. My own people.’
We were silent for a while, listening to the gentle breeze brushing against the canopy, and the distant sound of gun fire. Something silver flashed through the sky, and the sergeant major moved into the middle of the clearing, making himself visible to the approaching dropships.
She suddenly removed her helmet, and lifted her respirator away from her face. Then, without warning, she gripped the underside of my own respirator. Warning tones bleeped in my ears as the seal was broken, and cool toxic air rushed over my face.
‘Wait,’ the platoon signaller started in alarm, ‘what are you …?’
I don’t think anybody expected what happened next. Before I had the chance to say anything she kissed me gently on the lips, before returning my respirator back into place.
She pulled hers back down over her face, breathing out hard to force out the bad air, before returning her helmet to her head.
Everyone nearby was frozen to the spot, stunned at what had just happened. Even the FEA soldiers looked horrified to see their captain kiss a Union trooper.
There was no danger of me accidentally sucking in the toxic air inside my respirator; the tiny motors had already cleaned it out before I remembered to breathe again.
She smiled, and for a brief moment her eyes shone.
‘Perhaps we will meet again, Andy,’ she said, and before I could say a word she was gone, the FEA soldiers hurrying after her.
Speechless, I blinked at the sky as the first dropships swooped in to land. My lips burned.
‘Right! Let’s get lover boy into the dropship!’ somebody shouted, just as the ramps touched the ground.
Perhaps I would meet her again, I thought, as my section lifted my stretcher into the air. I’d often considered it funny how even in a world so big I could still bump into old friends. Anything could happen in the Bosque, and I still had another year to go before my tour on Eden ended - if I didn’t get sent to jail.
My stretcher was moved onto the waiting dropship, and quickly strapped into place by my section before they loaded themselves into position above me.
The sergeant major leant into the open doorway, casting a glance around the compartment to check everyone was present before finally looking down at me.
The corner of his mouth twitched. ‘Feel better now?’
‘A little bit,’ I said. ‘A little bit ...’
I shut my eyes.
BOOK THREE IN THE
UNION SERIES
(Details of books One and Two can be
found at the end of this book)
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Endnote
Eden was a challenge to write, certainly more so than my previous two books, which I had dreamed up years before writing. It turned a little darker, I think, but I also wanted to try to achieve a slightly happier ending, if anything just to give Andy a break. I also wanted to try to keep some characters for future books, rather than kill everyone straight away. You will certainly see Andy's platoon again, as well as Yulia and maybe even major Bhasin . . .
I hope you enjoyed reading Eden as much as I enjoyed writing it. Your positive response from the last two books has driven me to keep going, and who knows where Andy might end up - he promotes slowly for a reason, so I can write more books! If you have a spare few minutes please visit Amazon and write a quick review for my book - your objective review will help other potential readers make informed choices.
Many thanks,
Phil
Books in the highly acclaimed
Union Series of novels
C.R.O.W. - Book One of The Union Series: Andy Moralee knew that life with his new company of Dropship Infantry would be hard, but nothing could prepare him for life in one of the toughest units in the Union army. New arrivals, nicknamed ‘Crow’ by their platoons, are the lowest form of life in his Company, and he finds himself at the mercy of unforgiving commanders and bullies, all the time knowing that the real enemy are waiting for him at the end of his journey through the void. The enemy know that the Union are coming, they have dug in and fortified, and they are ready.
C.R.O.W is a Military Science Fiction novel that follows Andy Moralee across the cosmos, and into combat against a well-equipped enemy prepared to fight to the very end.
Amazon links:
www.amazon.com (US/Worldwide)
www.amazon.co.uk (UK)
LANCEJACK - Book Two of The Union Series: Andy Moralee is no longer the young and terrified recruit who had last set foot upon New Earth two years ago. Decorated for his bravery during the final hours of the invasion and promoted to lance corporal, he is still troubled by his memories and haunted by nightmares. He finds himself unable to cope with life back on Earth, and so he returns to the red planet, the only place where he feels he belongs. But New Earth has changed as well. A growing insurgency threatens to turn the planet into a battleground once again, but this time the enemy has the ability to melt away into the population, and even turn the Union's weapons against them. Nobody can be trusted, even old friends. Quickly swept up in the gathering storm Andy finds himself in the command of a section that resents his early promotion, and during the battle that follows his leadership, his loyalty, and even his faith in his comrades are put to the ultimate test in the face of an enemy that will stop at nothing.
Amazon links:
www.amazon.com (US/Worldwide)
www.amazon.co.uk (UK)
www.theelectronicbookcompany.com
www.facebook.com/quality.ebooks
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