Read Online Blood of Denebria (Star Sojourner Book 4) by Jean Kilczer - Free Book Online
Authors: Jean Kilczer
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ploy I hadn't expected! He aimed before I could lift my stingler. I gasped in a breath. But he screamed as a hot beam flashed through his mantle and out the other side. His glowing eyes dulled to brown as he pitched forward and crashed into the water, convulsing. I ripped the weapon from his spasming tentacles and swung around, my stingler aimed. “What the hell?”
“Get down, Jules,” a woman's voice shouted in Terran.
I threw myself into the water, not about to argue with anyone up there killing BEMs.
Dirt and roots erupted into the air with a blast like thunder and rained down on me. The narrow stream lifted into a wave. I held my breath as it rolled over me.
I started to get up when another explosion, from the other side of the ravine, threw dirt again and sent the wave seething back with white teeth. I held my breath until it dissipated, with my face in mud.
“You can get up now,” the woman's voice said pleasantly from the rim of the ravine. “And don't forget your weapon.”
I looked up at a young Asian woman, dressed in camouflage. Stringy black hair fluttered across her full cheeks in a breeze as she stared down at me, a heavy-duty beamer slung over her shoulder, her hands hooked in the pockets of her pants, and smirked. “It's safe now.”
I got up and wiped mud from my face and my stingler, then holstered it and picked up the BEM's weapon.
She extended a hand. “Need help out of there?”
I took her hand. “Why not?”
Her strong grip belied her slender body, her fine-boned hand as she took my wrist and pursed her lips, like a pink blossom, as she yanked me over the edge. I tried to stand, but my knees gave out and I slid to the ground.
“Not feeling so hot, superstar?”
Only Chancey ever called me that. I took her extended hand and dragged myself to my feet. “Who—“
“Am I?” Her slanted eyes widened into exotic almonds of black. “They call me Reika.”
“Did Chancey tell you—“
“Where you were? Yes.”
“Are they all OK? Joe? He was wounded.”
“Bat took care of him. The beam burned through his flesh. It didn't hit any organs. He'll be all right.”
“Bat?” I asked. Not sure I'd heard right.
“Farley's a combat medic. We just call him Bat for short. That big furry dude, the Vegan? He was crying like a baby, worrying about you.” Her soft cheeks rounded and she brushed hair off her face as she chuckled.
“Huff. He's a good friend.” Water puddled at my feet. I began to shake and couldn't stop.
She smirked. “I thought he might be your mother until I saw you.”
“He tries to be.” I felt dizzy. She braced herself as I leaned against her.
“Bat!” she called. “Help me with this tag before I have to carry him back to the truck myself.”
Bat shut off their armored vehicle and trotted up, a chunky man perhaps in his thirties, bald and square-jawed, with kindly pale eyes. His cheeks dimpled as he smiled at me. “We were worried about you, Bubba.”
Bubba?
I thought.
He took my wrist and put my arm around his shoulder as they helped me toward the BEM vehicle.
Another male Terran, a scrawny loose-jointed young tag with long sandy-colored hair and a bony face, dressed in camouflage, dragged out the wounded BEM and slammed him to the ground.
The BEM cried out, a sound like the keen of a bird of prey, and writhed in agony. The soldier aimed his heavy beam rifle at him.
“No, wait!” I shouted as the BEM curled into a protective ball.
The kid turned and stared at me.
“What's the tag's name?” I asked.
“Wolfie,” Bat said.
“Wolfie, don't—“ I started as he aimed at the BEM and fired.
Smoking organs oozed out of the BEM's ripped mantle. A thick yellow fluid puddled around them.
“Jesus!” I whispered. “Don't you people believe in taking prisoners?”
“You know what they do to
their
prisoners?” Reika said fiercely.
“I do.”
She let go of me and slid into the driver's seat of their armored truck.
“In here.” Bat helped
“Get down, Jules,” a woman's voice shouted in Terran.
I threw myself into the water, not about to argue with anyone up there killing BEMs.
Dirt and roots erupted into the air with a blast like thunder and rained down on me. The narrow stream lifted into a wave. I held my breath as it rolled over me.
I started to get up when another explosion, from the other side of the ravine, threw dirt again and sent the wave seething back with white teeth. I held my breath until it dissipated, with my face in mud.
“You can get up now,” the woman's voice said pleasantly from the rim of the ravine. “And don't forget your weapon.”
I looked up at a young Asian woman, dressed in camouflage. Stringy black hair fluttered across her full cheeks in a breeze as she stared down at me, a heavy-duty beamer slung over her shoulder, her hands hooked in the pockets of her pants, and smirked. “It's safe now.”
I got up and wiped mud from my face and my stingler, then holstered it and picked up the BEM's weapon.
She extended a hand. “Need help out of there?”
I took her hand. “Why not?”
Her strong grip belied her slender body, her fine-boned hand as she took my wrist and pursed her lips, like a pink blossom, as she yanked me over the edge. I tried to stand, but my knees gave out and I slid to the ground.
“Not feeling so hot, superstar?”
Only Chancey ever called me that. I took her extended hand and dragged myself to my feet. “Who—“
“Am I?” Her slanted eyes widened into exotic almonds of black. “They call me Reika.”
“Did Chancey tell you—“
“Where you were? Yes.”
“Are they all OK? Joe? He was wounded.”
“Bat took care of him. The beam burned through his flesh. It didn't hit any organs. He'll be all right.”
“Bat?” I asked. Not sure I'd heard right.
“Farley's a combat medic. We just call him Bat for short. That big furry dude, the Vegan? He was crying like a baby, worrying about you.” Her soft cheeks rounded and she brushed hair off her face as she chuckled.
“Huff. He's a good friend.” Water puddled at my feet. I began to shake and couldn't stop.
She smirked. “I thought he might be your mother until I saw you.”
“He tries to be.” I felt dizzy. She braced herself as I leaned against her.
“Bat!” she called. “Help me with this tag before I have to carry him back to the truck myself.”
Bat shut off their armored vehicle and trotted up, a chunky man perhaps in his thirties, bald and square-jawed, with kindly pale eyes. His cheeks dimpled as he smiled at me. “We were worried about you, Bubba.”
Bubba?
I thought.
He took my wrist and put my arm around his shoulder as they helped me toward the BEM vehicle.
Another male Terran, a scrawny loose-jointed young tag with long sandy-colored hair and a bony face, dressed in camouflage, dragged out the wounded BEM and slammed him to the ground.
The BEM cried out, a sound like the keen of a bird of prey, and writhed in agony. The soldier aimed his heavy beam rifle at him.
“No, wait!” I shouted as the BEM curled into a protective ball.
The kid turned and stared at me.
“What's the tag's name?” I asked.
“Wolfie,” Bat said.
“Wolfie, don't—“ I started as he aimed at the BEM and fired.
Smoking organs oozed out of the BEM's ripped mantle. A thick yellow fluid puddled around them.
“Jesus!” I whispered. “Don't you people believe in taking prisoners?”
“You know what they do to
their
prisoners?” Reika said fiercely.
“I do.”
She let go of me and slid into the driver's seat of their armored truck.
“In here.” Bat helped
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