Read Online Earthbound (The Reach, Book 1) by Mark R. Healy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mark R. Healy
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the first enclosure, and Hildi expertly tugged on a zipper that opened an aperture in the membrane. She indicated for them to pass through. Sealing the opening once again, she strode past them and continued to lead at a brisk pace.
“Not far, now,” Hildi said. This enclosure was smaller and the ceiling lower than the first, and it lacked any tall plants whatsoever. They made it across in only a few strides and then entered the next habitat.
“There he is,” Talia said, pointing down a row of strawberries. Knile saw him then too, a tall man with thinning golden hair and a stubbly beard. He was bent over the soil and hadn’t seen them yet.
“So he is,” Hildi said. “Giroux himself. This is where I leave you, then.”
She held out her arms and embraced each of them in turn.
“Thank you, Hildi,” Knile said. “I really appreciate this.”
“You’ll visit the boy before you go, won’t you?” Hildi said firmly, glancing at each of them in turn. Knile and Talia exchanged glances.
“Of course,” Talia said.
“I think that would be for the best,” Hildi said.
“We will, Hildi,” Knile said. “Thank you again.”
Hildi nodded, then disappeared through the wall of the habitat and back the way she had come.
“Come on,” Talia urged. “Let’s do this.”
They strode toward Giroux, their boots thumping purposefully on the firmly packed sand of the path. Giroux heard their approach and straightened, wiping his hands on his grey overalls. At first his face betrayed no emotion, but as they neared he couldn’t prevent a broad smile from spreading across his face.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” he said, reaching out one of his massive hands and shaking each of theirs in turn.
“Nice to see you too, Giroux,” Knile said.
“What’s it been? Three? Four years?”
“About that,” Talia said.
“I heard you were dead, Knile,” Giroux said, twitching his eyebrows humorously.
“That story seems to have gone around a lot,” Knile said. “Luckily it’s untrue.”
“So I see.” Giroux turned to Talia. “And what about you, Talia? Haven’t seen you in almost as long. You risen from the dead as well?”
Talia shrugged, embarrassed. “I’ve been around. Just doing my own thing.”
“There’s still a place for you here, if you want it. You know that.”
“Thank you, Giroux,” Talia said. “I appreciate that, but I’m doing fine on my own.”
“Never one to accept help when it’s offered, that one,” Giroux said to Knile conspiratorially, as if Talia wasn’t there. “I’ve tried, believe me.”
“Well, I could sure use some right now,” Knile said.
Giroux narrowed his eyes playfully. “This doesn’t sound good. What is it you need?”
“I’m going back to the Reach.”
Giroux considered that, rubbing at his large broad chin as he did so. “That’s not a good idea, Knile. Not a good idea at all.”
“A day ago, I would have agreed with you, but since then everything’s changed. There’s a passkey waiting for me, Giroux.”
Giroux glanced at Talia doubtfully. “For real?” he said.
Knile nodded. “Yes. Word came from Jon Hanker himself.”
Giroux turned and dug his hands into the soil, massaging it between his fingers.
“They’ll be looking for you, Knile. The Enforcers, I mean. You know that, don’t you?”
“I can handle them, once I’m inside. I just need someone to get me in the front door.”
“And that’s where I come in.”
“Yes. I figure you’re my best bet, Giroux.”
“You’re asking a lot, Knile. Do you know what they could do to me if they knew I was helping you out? They could march five hundred men over here and wipe me out. Not even my security crew could stand up to that.”
“I know, but you don’t have to vouch for me in any way. I’ll make it look as though I was acting alone.”
“So what’s your plan?” Giroux said, taking a
“Not far, now,” Hildi said. This enclosure was smaller and the ceiling lower than the first, and it lacked any tall plants whatsoever. They made it across in only a few strides and then entered the next habitat.
“There he is,” Talia said, pointing down a row of strawberries. Knile saw him then too, a tall man with thinning golden hair and a stubbly beard. He was bent over the soil and hadn’t seen them yet.
“So he is,” Hildi said. “Giroux himself. This is where I leave you, then.”
She held out her arms and embraced each of them in turn.
“Thank you, Hildi,” Knile said. “I really appreciate this.”
“You’ll visit the boy before you go, won’t you?” Hildi said firmly, glancing at each of them in turn. Knile and Talia exchanged glances.
“Of course,” Talia said.
“I think that would be for the best,” Hildi said.
“We will, Hildi,” Knile said. “Thank you again.”
Hildi nodded, then disappeared through the wall of the habitat and back the way she had come.
“Come on,” Talia urged. “Let’s do this.”
They strode toward Giroux, their boots thumping purposefully on the firmly packed sand of the path. Giroux heard their approach and straightened, wiping his hands on his grey overalls. At first his face betrayed no emotion, but as they neared he couldn’t prevent a broad smile from spreading across his face.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” he said, reaching out one of his massive hands and shaking each of theirs in turn.
“Nice to see you too, Giroux,” Knile said.
“What’s it been? Three? Four years?”
“About that,” Talia said.
“I heard you were dead, Knile,” Giroux said, twitching his eyebrows humorously.
“That story seems to have gone around a lot,” Knile said. “Luckily it’s untrue.”
“So I see.” Giroux turned to Talia. “And what about you, Talia? Haven’t seen you in almost as long. You risen from the dead as well?”
Talia shrugged, embarrassed. “I’ve been around. Just doing my own thing.”
“There’s still a place for you here, if you want it. You know that.”
“Thank you, Giroux,” Talia said. “I appreciate that, but I’m doing fine on my own.”
“Never one to accept help when it’s offered, that one,” Giroux said to Knile conspiratorially, as if Talia wasn’t there. “I’ve tried, believe me.”
“Well, I could sure use some right now,” Knile said.
Giroux narrowed his eyes playfully. “This doesn’t sound good. What is it you need?”
“I’m going back to the Reach.”
Giroux considered that, rubbing at his large broad chin as he did so. “That’s not a good idea, Knile. Not a good idea at all.”
“A day ago, I would have agreed with you, but since then everything’s changed. There’s a passkey waiting for me, Giroux.”
Giroux glanced at Talia doubtfully. “For real?” he said.
Knile nodded. “Yes. Word came from Jon Hanker himself.”
Giroux turned and dug his hands into the soil, massaging it between his fingers.
“They’ll be looking for you, Knile. The Enforcers, I mean. You know that, don’t you?”
“I can handle them, once I’m inside. I just need someone to get me in the front door.”
“And that’s where I come in.”
“Yes. I figure you’re my best bet, Giroux.”
“You’re asking a lot, Knile. Do you know what they could do to me if they knew I was helping you out? They could march five hundred men over here and wipe me out. Not even my security crew could stand up to that.”
“I know, but you don’t have to vouch for me in any way. I’ll make it look as though I was acting alone.”
“So what’s your plan?” Giroux said, taking a
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