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Bound By Law (Vigilante Book 3)

Page 26

by Terry Mixon


  It gave them something to bury of the family member who’d died for money.

  The Vikings might have bled for honor and freedom this time, but their traditions were the traditions of a profession that fought for money. Two ships, gone with almost all of their crews. When the dust settled, Brad had lost over a third of his ground troops, as well.

  Those weren’t casualties that a mercenary company could walk away from without impact. He’d already put the entire company on furlough, bringing in trusted people from Saburo’s father’s shipyard and the Mercenary Guild itself to take care of the ships while his people rested.

  This was the last duty they all had, and they fulfilled it willingly. Each coffin was picked up by a set of four, always people who’d known and been friends with the occupant, and carried out of the bay onto the space station.

  One by one. Again and again.

  And Brad stood by, watching stiffly. Michelle was next to him, but she knew better than to say anything. No one spoke at all.

  This was a moment for silence and remembrance.

  “L’chaim!” Michelle barked, slamming back the shot of whisky as the Vikings’ officers gathered. The bar was a long way from their ships, but everyone was here. Even Shelly Weldon, looking just as shattered and exhausted as ever.

  “To absent friends,” Saburo replied with his own toast. “To the ones who never make it home.”

  Brad drank in silence, watching his wife half-sneak up on Shelly to wrap her old friend in an embrace. He wasn’t sure if it was the timing or the alcohol, but it was…enough. For the first time since he’d told her Jason hadn’t made it, Shelly finally broke, collapsing into Michelle’s shoulder with heaving sobs.

  A pile of money had made sure they had the bar to themselves. The rest of the officers gave the two women space, and Saburo stepped up to join Brad in studying the rest.

  “You doing okay, boss?” he asked.

  “Better than the friends we’ve buried,” he replied. “But no. Not really.”

  “You know it wasn’t your fault, right?” Saburo asked. “This is on the Cadre.”

  “It’s all on the bloody Cadre. Everyone I’ve watched die in the last few years,” Brad snapped. “Sooner or later, there has to be an end to it—but I swear, every time I turn around, they’re just stronger.

  “What was that old myth? The beast where you cut off one head and three more grew to take its place?”

  “The hydra,” Saburo replied. “You had to burn off the stumps, I think?” He shrugged. “Or that might have been the D&D rules. I’ll admit, I never read the original myth.”

  Brad shook his head and stepped over to a “window” that was actually a screen showing the outside of the station. Io filled the bottom third of the screen, and Jupiter blocked most of the rest.

  “What an Everdarkened mess,” he whispered.

  “You said to ask you if it was worth it after the funerals,” Saburo reminded him. “We’ve buried those without families and sent the rest home. Was it worth it?”

  Brad snorted.

  “The check cleared. That’s enough for a damn warship all on its own. And I got confirmation yesterday—Fleet is honoring Falcone’s promise. I’m not sure we’re getting the exact ships we captured, but there’s a Bound and three Warriors on their way to Io under my name.”

  Saburo whistled silently.

  “That’s a pretty nice payday, but it doesn’t answer my question,” he pointed out. “Was it worth it?”

  “No,” Brad said very quietly. “It wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t worth it at all.

  “It was just necessary.”

  “It’s not over, though,” Saburo replied, equally quietly.

  “No. It’s not. And we will finish it.”

  About the Author

  #1 Bestselling Military Science Fiction author Terry Mixon served as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Army 101st Airborne Division. He later worked alongside the flight controllers in the Mission Control Center at the NASA Johnson Space Center supporting the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station, and other human spaceflight projects.

  He now writes full time while living in Texas with his lovely wife and a pounce of cats.

  Other books by Terry Mixon

  You can always find the most up to date listing of Terry’s titles on his Amazon Author Page.

  The Empire of Bones Saga

  Empire of Bones

  Veil of Shadows

  Command Decisions

  Ghosts of Empire

  Paying the Price

  Reconnaissance in Force

  Behind Enemy Lines

  The Terra Gambit

  The Empire of Bones Saga Volume 1

  The Humanity Unlimited Saga

  Liberty Station

  Freedom Express

  Tree of Liberty

  The Fractured Republic Saga

  Storm Divers

  The Scorched Earth Saga

  Scorched Earth

  The Vigilante Duology with Glynn Stewart

  Heart of Vengeance

  Oath of Vengeance

  Bound By Stars with Glynn Stewart

  Bound by Law

  Want Terry to email you when he publishes a new book in any format or when one goes on sale? Go to TerryMixon.com/Mailing-List and sign up. Those are the only times he’ll contact you. No spam.

  About the Author

  Glynn Stewart is the author of Starship’s Mage, a bestselling science fiction and fantasy series where faster-than-light travel is possible–but only because of magic. His other works include science fiction series Duchy of Terra, Castle Federation and Vigilante, as well as the urban fantasy series ONSET and Changeling Blood.

  Writing managed to liberate Glynn from a bleak future as an accountant. With his personality and hope for a high-tech future intact, he lives in Kitchener, Ontario with his wife, their cats, and an unstoppable writing habit.

  Other books by Glynn Stewart

  For release announcements join the mailing list or visit GlynnStewart.com

  Vigilante (With Terry Mixon)

  Heart of Vengeance

  Oath of Vengeance

  Bound By Stars: A Vigilante Series (With Terry Mixon)

  Bound By Law

  Bound by Honor (Upcoming)

  Duchy of Terra

  The Terran Privateer

  Duchess of Terra

  Terra and Imperium

  Castle Federation

  Space Carrier Avalon

  Stellar Fox

  Battle Group Avalon

  Q-Ship Chameleon

  Rimward Stars

  Operation Medusa

  Exile

  Ashen Stars

  Exile

  Starship’s Mage

  Starship’s Mage

  Hand of Mars

  Voice of Mars

  Alien Arcana

  Judgment of Mars

  UnArcana Stars (upcoming)

  Starship’s Mage: Red Falcon

  Interstellar Mage

  Mage-Provocateur

  Agents of Mars (upcoming)

  ONSET

  ONSET: To Serve and Protect

  ONSET: My Enemy’s Enemy

  ONSET: Blood of the Innocent

  ONSET: Stay of Execution

  Changeling Blood

  Changeling’s Fealty

  Hunter’s Oath

  Noble’s Honor (upcoming)

  Fantasy Stand Alone Novels

  Children of Prophecy

  City in the Sky

 

 

 
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