Read Online Arisen : Nemesis by Michael Stephen Fuchs - Free Book Online

this team.
    “It’s close by,” Elijah added, pivoting to look out the window as the bright light of vehicle headlights flashed by, accompanied by shouting voices. The walls were thin and there appeared to be nothing like blinds or drapes for the window.
    Elijah went back to his shelf and now produced a pair of big headphones – shooting cans. “Put your Peltor ear-pro back in, wear these over them, and you can sleep through the apocalypse.” He also pulled out a large black-and-flat-dark-earth shemagh with a ragged fringe, and draped it around her neck. “And this’ll keep out the blinding flash of the end days.”
    He smiled, and so did Kate – she actually did appreciate his sense of humor.
    Something banged loudly from out in the team room – the outside door, Kate presumed. And one second later an extremely gruff and severe voice said: “ Well, well – don’t you boys just look as cosy as a bunch of faggots in a dick tree. ”
    Elijah grimaced, turned, and went out to face whatever the hell that was.
    * * *
    Kate was left alone in the dark – but it was only near dark, because the door to the team room didn’t quite close. At first she resisted the temptation to peek through the crack. But she could hear everything that went on out there, and every word that passed.
    “Sarn’t Major.” That sounded like Kwon, greeting the newcomer, his voice quiet and emotionless.
    “You want to tell me what the fuck you guys are planning?”
    A couple of beats of silence suggested that no one did.
    “Half our guys have disappeared into the bush.” This was Jake.
    “Loss of commo doesn’t mean your guys are lost, or even in trouble. They’re fucking snake-eaters – their whole goddamned job is surviving alone in the boonies.”
    At this point Kate lost her sense of discretion and put her eye to the crack, looking out into the brighter room outside. She could see a seriously squared-away and intimidating man standing two feet inside the door. It was the Command Sergeant Major she’d seen in the JOC. She could see now his nametape read Zorn . She could also see that he, too, wore the Ranger tab on his shoulder. For some reason, she remembered someone writing once that “Sergeants Major are the walking, breathing embodiment of Everything That’s Right in the U.S. Army.” This guy looked like the rule that proved the rule.
    Jake spoke again. “Our split team was under heavy fire at last contact. We had to give up our drone coverage.” He paused. “And there was something else.”
    “What?” A beat passed, but Zorn didn’t wait for an answer. “So what are you implying? That we’d better not be such dumbasses as to try and stop you guys from going out for your brothers? Is that it?”
    This was neither confirmed nor denied by the ODA.
    “Well I’ll tell you, that’s exactly what I suggested to General Præsidium himself. And you know what he said? He said he didn’t give a shit if it was your goddamned mothers. God save us, he seems to think you precious snowflakes are the best shooters currently residing on this base. And the commander has no intention of losing you. Not when there’s rioting in the town and we just repulsed a legit, no-shit attempt to overrun this base. We still don’t have any good idea of what the fuck is going on out there, and it doesn’t look like getting any fucking better.”
    He paused and spat, right onto the floor.
    “So be advised. You floppy-hat-wearing motherfuckers are restricted to base, by order of the commander of this task force. Your rescue mission is a fucking no-go.”
    The CSM disappeared from Kate’s view as the bright slit went dark for a second. It resolved again as the team captain, Brendan, stepped forward. To Kate’s amazement, he got right in CSM Zorn’s face. It was like an adolescent facing off against his very traditional and intimidating father. Kate actually had to make a mental effort to remember that the Captain outranked the