“Roger that.”
Buster, Jade and Art waited by the building’s front door. They bolted across the wide four lane street. They made it across but were detected by a figure in the front foyer of the bank. He went to bring his rifle up but his head jerked back as Akos’ sniper rifle barked. Another man opened up beside a vehicle parked up the street.
“Go” hailed Akos “I’ll keep ‘em busy.”
Art barged into the entrance of the bank. The big glass doors were not locked. No one alive was in the entrance foyer.
“Which floor?” hailed art to their Alliance controller, who told him ‘floor 14.’
They took the elevator up to floor 13 and then the stairs to the floor above. There was no one in the main corridor. The sign on the big glass doors about twenty metres on the right said “Interstellar Business.”
Jade had her pistol drawn and held in her right hand by her side as she walked in.
“Who …” uttered the man sitting on the desk. But he never finished the sentence. Two silenced reports and two holes in his forehead put paid to any further utterance.
Art went past the desk his focus on the archway on the left. He glanced back and with a tilt of his head instructed Buster to close up. Buster gave him a nod and they quickly entered into another corridor.
McShane was taken by surprise but years of experience saved him as he dived into the doorway on his left. Buster’s shot impacted onto the wall just to the right of the door frame.
Art lobbed a grenade that landed close to the doorway. Both he and Buster retreated behind the archway as the grenade exploded. Jade charged back in first. She got to the doorway, saw McShane on the ground. He was wounded in the thigh. A pool of blood was forming. He had his left hand on the thigh applying pressure while he was withdrawing his automatic pistol.
Jade kicked it out of his hand and fired twice. Mc Shanes head rocked back and hit the floor with a thud. He was dead by the time Buster came through the doorway. But neither had seen the grenade rolled into the room from the inner office. Jade bore the brunt of the explosion. The shrapnel cut her beautiful face into ribbons. The concussion blew her into Buster knocking him over. For a moment she could feel the pain but then it and her life were over.
Buster felt the shrapnel rip into his left arm and leg. The stinging pain was searing his brain until his head impacted onto the floor and he lost consciousness.
Art who had yet to enter the room was rocked by the explosion. His hearing was stuffed and he could feel the mother of all migraines but otherwise was unharmed. He knew he had to get in there even though his instincts said otherwise. He kicked off and entered with his rifle at the ready. His eyes quickly scanned the floor. He stepped over the two bodies. His anger was rising. He didn’t think rationally but just charged forward. He felt the solid shot impact into his left arm above the elbow. He immediately lost his grip on the stock of the rifle. Its barrel now pointed down to the floor as the momentum from the shot turned his body to the left and his legs gave way and he collapsed to the floor on his bum with his back falling back onto the nearby wall.
He could see his nemesis smiling at him. Art tried to raise his rifle one handed but before he did so the long leg of Kyle Bane removed that option. Bane leaned over and craned a look into the outer office.
“Pity” he said “he had been such a useful fellow.” He stepped back and sat down on the desk top with his pistol pointing at Art. Even in such a pose Bane held onto the urbane airs.
“My dear Mr Cannard or should I say LCmd Simons. You should have done better. You had me cornered you know. But fools do rush in don’t they?”
Art wanted to hold his aching arm but he steeled himself not to. He would need a free hand.
“If you don’t mind Art, move your right hand out in front where I can see it. If you like you can hold that poor arm of yours. It must be hurting something dreadful.”
Art begrudgingly complied.
“You do realise don’t you that you’ve lost. You may have saved this miserable planet but there’s no shortage of rich pickings in this neck of the woods. Your pathetic effort here is too little too late old chap. But you can die knowing that you failed your bit just like all these other hapless souls.”
Art was starting to go into shock. He could feel the shudders. His head felt like it was moving. He was witnessing it pulse in and out closer and then further. He was so light headed and then, with a final shudder, nothing.
Bane smiled weakly. He turned and went around the desk careful not to step on the bank manger’s body that lay crumpled next to the chair. He looked down at the console, noted that the transfer had concluded and smiled enthusiastically. “Not a bad morning’s work, even if I do say so myself.”
He was totally unprepared for the impact which hit him in the chest. He really didn’t feel much at all. ‘Damm I didn’t see that coming’ were his last thoughts.
Akos fired again just to make sure. He checked out the rest of the room, then turned and felt for a pulse on Art. It was there. ‘Good’ he said to himself. Jade was not good but he knew that before even checking. He lifted her off Buster and found a pulse. ‘Thank god.’
First priority was the bleeding leg. Thankfully no big chunks just the small stuff. He applied his own dressing to the biggest wound. The rest could wait. He hailed for medivac and was told that it was on the way.
Akos dragged Buster’s body a bit so he could get his webbing off and tried to make him as comfortable as he could. He grabbed Buster’s field dressing and then applied it to Art’s wound.
He finally sat back down against the wall surrounded by all these people, not one of whom was conscious. “Fuck. What a mess!”
Chapter 22. Niku 1300, 25 May
Sue ran out to Whiskey 1 even before it touched down on the pad. Alain opened the hatch and assisted her in. Parinya gunned the engine and took off in a hurry. Rihan met her on landing. She had a police car, courtesy of Harry Kirkland. They got in and the driver hit the siren while he raced for the hospital past the burnt out buildings, the rubble and the barricades yet to be removed. A makeshift radiation detector had been fitted to the car. The display affixed to the front window kept edging up ever so slightly.
The surgeon finally came out an hour later. He looked weary but he managed a smile. “Are you Sue?”
“Yes I’m Sue” she said in a hesitant voice, a fearful voice.
“Well you’ll be pleased to know he’s going to be alright. We managed to save his arm though he’s going to need a lot of post op therapy. He’s sleeping now. Probably won’t wake till late tonight. But you’ll want to see him now anyway, right?”
“Please.”
He led them into the recovery ward. Art was still unconscious from the medication. His wounded arm was in a cast. The machine next to him pinged and the display on the other side flashed the latest stats.
“Can I just sit here for a bit?” she asked.
“Of course.”
Rihan made sure Sue sat down, then she turned to the Surgeon “Sgt Williams?”
He beckoned her to come outside. Once out in the corridor he said “He’s still in the theatre. He lost a lot of blood, a lot of blood. We should know soon.”
Rihan nodded.
“I have to go” said the Doctor.
“Of course. I might just sit out here and wait.”
Rihan sat there and contemplated. ‘What a ride!’ She thought back to the basement under Terminal 2 and how she was overcome with a feeling of peace in the midst of the drama and fear. ‘Physical courage isn’t enough. Is it?’
“Maam” hailed Kali Chada “is Buster all right?”
“He’s still in theatre Kali. I’m just outside.”
“I wish I was there too.”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything.”
“Please do Maam. Let him know I’m thinking of him.”
“I will Kali.”
“Thanks.”
A few minutes later Rihan�
��s thoughts once again turned to her experience earlier this morning. ‘Yes physical courage isn’t enough, nor is morale courage.’ She thought of her state as she sat on the floor looking across at Emilio. It had been one of extreme fear only minutes before. Somehow it had been transformed into…contentment. Yes that’s what it was. But why?’
She recalled how she had started repeating the mantra. ‘But how could it?’ she asked herself. She recalled Dave’s words ‘it stills the mind and allows you to get in touch with your inner self, your true self. It is always serene.’ She repeated his words again trying to scrutinise further. She didn’t fully understand it. ‘Oh yes that’s what Dave would say ‘contemplate’.’
Alone in the corridor she closed her eyes, adopted an upright sitting posture and took some deep breaths. She posed the question ‘why was I able to be so content?’ She repeated it and then let it go. As in meditation she found her thoughts dropping away. The words ‘Inner courage’ came to her and in that instant she understood what Dave had been trying to convey to her all these months. ‘Yes when I am my true self I have an infinite amount of inner courage. With that I am content no matter what.’
Anyone walking by in the corridor would have seen her beaming face and would have been hard placed to comprehend why, given this was next to the theatre, where presumably she was waiting for someone on death’s door. But beaming she was. She was blissed out with the realisation and then she had another. ‘I am that. Yes I am that.’ She was overjoyed that she had found her true inner self and she loved it.
She stayed in that state for quite a while but eventually opened her eyes. She still felt elated by her experience. She felt invincible. She walked down the corridor and poked her head into the recovery ward. Sue’s eyes greeted her. She was still holding Art’s right hand. She gently let go and came out to see Rihan. They walked a bit back towards the theatre.
“You look like you’re on a high” said Sue, quite incredulously.
“I am.”
“What’s happened?”
“An awakening Sue, a marvellous, wondrous awakening.”
“I don’t understand?”
“Don’t worry Sue. It’s all good.”
“Excuse me” said the doctor after closing the door behind him. “I thought you’d like to know that he’s going to live.”
“What wondrous news” said Rihan. “Thank you” and she kissed the doctor on the cheek, catching him completely by surprise. Rihan hailed Kali “He’s going to be OK Kali. Everything’s going to be OK.”
Before You Go
Thank you for reading Redemption. I’d really appreciate you taking the time to rate the book and share it with your friends. So please respond to the “Before You Go” prompt that will appear on your Kindle as you finish the book.
Dave O’Connor
Acknowledgements
Once again I must thank my wife, Joy, who encouraged and supported my writing.
Peter Winship (author of the John Connor crime books) also provided valuable feedback and advice both in terms of writing style and getting published. He very generously shone a light for me and, coming from someone who has trodden the path already, this was very reassuring.
John Hemry (author of Jack Campbell’s The Lost Fleet series) gave generously of his time to advise on how I could get published. His ‘pay it forward’ attitude was most appreciated.
The Australian Society of Authors (www.asauthors.org ) provided good advice on being an author and sponsored Steven Lewis’ E Publishing course (www.taleist.comwww.warpdrivepublishing) which I found to be valuable.
Book 4 of Warner’s World
The adventure continues in Book 4 of Warner’s World: Retribution.
Rogan efforts to destabilise the human systems reach new heights. Espionage, counter intelligence and high stakes geo political manoeuvrings ramp up the tensions to straining point. Trust is the rarest commodity as political assassinations and power plays become the order of the day. The Rogan are mounting for the king hit. Admiral Phil Yomoto knows they are coming but can he convince his political masters to ignore the shenanigans and commit everything over Polaris in a galactic showdown? Can he and Dave Warner win the battle of the millennium without unleashing the horrors of unchecked retribution? When humanity goes to war can its warriors retain their humanity?
Visit www.warpdrivepublishing.com for more details.
Purchase it from Amazon here:
Warnerpedia
Get your free copy of Warnerpedia at www.warpdrivepublishing.com. It answers your questions on ‘who, what and where” in the Warner’s World series.
This reference document comes in three formats - Word, PDF or MOBI. It contains a listing of all the characters in all the books, listed by first name, last name, rank, role, organisation and the book they first appeared in. There is also a list of the weapons, vehicles, ships and other equipment used in the series. All the cities, places, planets and star systems are listed so you can look up exactly where events are happening. A glossary is also provided.
With the Word format the data is listed in sortable tables. So it makes it easy to find that character using one of their attributes - first name, last name, organisation etc.
Part 1
Aftermath
When the firing stops and the screams subside
Fear once more retreats inside
Frazzled nerves recover and tired minds assess
The outcome of the battle and whether it was success
But either way comrades have died or suffered
Lives lost and aspirations smothered
Where to from here
Do you retreat from fear
Or regird your loins and sally forth
Striving to the next objective with all your worth
Chapter 1. Resolute over Assam 1400, 25 May 2513
Captain (Capt) Dave Warner, commander of the Federation Fleet Ship (FFS) Resolute, sat in his chair in the command centre. He rested his chin in his right hand and leaned his torso and head to the right pondering his next move. It had been a big day by any standards.
In conjunction with the two frigates FFS Sydney and Washington, they had defeated the remains of the Rogan 10th Fleet. But he had to resort to using nukes to destroy their huge invasion fleet, something which never sat easy with him. The Resolute had been hit by a series of EMP waves from the nuclear explosions. These had fried impulse engines three and four. Subsequent overheating caused a fire which ripped through the aft section of E deck. The fire KO’d several life support systems and the ships most important capability, its ability to cloak and remain invisible to all enemy non-visual detection. It had been this capability which had allowed his small force to defeat the numerically superior enemy fleet.
The fire was now out and he had just received word from his engineering officer, 2nd Lt Gunter Rapperberg, that they had brought back on line the life support systems. At least that would enable him to maintain station over Beta Phi for another five days when the much larger Ark Royal group would arrive.
While all this had been mulling over in his mind his eyes stared at the main holo display which occupied a large circular area in the centre of the bigger circle which made up the command centre.
Around the holo display was a walkway in which the watch officer could roam. Lieutenant Commander (LCmd) Aubrey Bellard, the ships Operations Officer had the watch. She stood in the walkway, hands on hips and scanning the rest of the command staff. She turned her head and her blond ponytail swished to the right as she caught sight of Dave’s demeanour. She knew he was about to say something.
Dave was focussed on the holo’s representation of the radiation cloud that was expanding as he watched. He used the control on the station in front of him to get a data readout on the radiation cloud. It would enter the atmosphere over Beta Phi in the next two hours.
“Jasmin, hail me General (Gen) Kirkland at Alliance HQ in Assam” he ordered.
“Of course Sir” replied Second Lieut
enant (2nd Lt) Jasmin Morales, the deputy communications officer.
Gen Harry Kirkland was an Alliance officer. He was senior in rank to Dave but he was not his superior per se. Dave’s orders came from Admiral Yomoto head of Federation Fleet Special Operations on Polaris. Dave was to cooperate and assist the Alliance forces in the defence of Beta Phi, but he had discretionary power to decide in the best interests of the Federation.
“Control says he must be still in the shelter” advised Jasmin “they’ll keep trying.”
Dave nodded. He took a deep breath in and sank back into his chair. The sight of the radiation cloud on the holo display brought back memories. ‘Was it only fifteen months ago?’ he asked himself. He was thinking about how he had lost his first wife Amy and his two kids to the first nuke attack of the civil war between the Alliance and the Federation. ‘What a waste.’ It had all been part of a rogan subterfuge to get the humans to fight amongst themselves. ‘And it had worked’. Well up until his best friend LCmd Art Simons had found out otherwise.
He recalled the attempts to link up with Art, first on Josker and then on Alpha Phi, how they had been betrayed and ambushed by the Alliance. He and Art had played a big part in bringing about the reproachment between the Alliance and the Federation so they could unite against the common foe. That foe had then been the sleth but they had been blackmailed by another alien race the rogan.
Dave had mixed emotions as he recalled how they had discovered that fact. It had come at the cost of his then XO, LCmd Ella Appel, and that had led to his fall from grace. ‘But grace did shine upon me’ he thought as he recalled the battles over Fulmar to protect the sleth from rogan retribution and their desire to capture the rogan resistance leader Evie Plentun.
‘Mmm...’ thought Dave and he smiled as he recalled how throughout all this he had fallen in love with his second wife Cmdr Rihan Kabel. She was now his XO and down on the surface of Beta Phi having led the assault on the spaceport at Assam.
Insurrection: Book 3 of Warner's World Page 35
