Read Online Exodus: Tales of The Empire: Book 2: Beasts of the Frontier. by Doug Dandridge - Free Book Online Page B

dwelling.”
    Acknowledgements
came back, and another of the aircars moved with a swift drop to just over the
entrance, now a hole in the ground revealing the ruined upper floor of the
structure. Six figures dropped from the car, the assault team brought for this
purpose, their light armor suits levitating them softly down.  Before they
touched down a particle beam rose from the nearby foliage and speared one of
the suits.  The suit went limp, the sign that its wearer was dead or
unconscious.  From the ragged hole with melted edges through the chest, he was
most likely dead.  He floated down to land on the ground, unmoving.
    The Pilot of the
command ship switched back to particle beams and swept it across the area from
which the enemy beam had originated.  Trees and shrubs exploded, a couple of
small animals fled in terror, and whatever had been hidden there with a weapon
did not respond.
    The assault team
went into the house, Deveroix watching the take from their cameras from the
cockpit of the command craft.  The upper floor was a complete wreck, furniture
shredded, walls holed by shrapnel.  A pair moved to the lower floor, which was
in much better shape than the upper, though there were still some signs of
penetration damage.
    “There’s no one
down here,” reported the leader of the team.  “Not a sign of life.  And only
one indication of power.”
    Deveroix looked
over the schematic of the house that was superimposed over the images being
transmitted from the team.  The area showing power usage was not connected to
the house’s major systems.
    “Get your men
out of there,” yelled Deveroix, comprehension dawning.
    Before the team
could react the device went off, a class IV crystal matrix battery pack charged
to the point of instability, releasing a twenty kiloton blast within the
confines of the underground structure.  All com with the team ceased as the
blast wave rose up through the ruined entrance of the house, then areas of the
ground rose up, and a few penetrations occurred that released more of the blast
wave.  The aircar over the house was flipped over by the blast and thrown to
the side, to slide into the water with a heavy spash.  Within seconds a score
of forms, giant carnotropes, slid into that same water and struck out for the
rapidly sinking aircar.
    “All units,”
yelled the Pilot into the com.  “Prepare for search and rescue.”
    “Don’t bother,”
ordered Deveroix, watching as one of the multiton predators thrust its head
under water, then surfaced with the limp body of one of the men who had been
manning the car.  Another carnotrope grabbed onto the exposed part of the body
and began a tug of war that ended with both predators gaining a mouthful.  More
of the giant carnivores dove after the still sinking car.
    “They weren’t
here,” called out Jubil from the back of the vehicle.
    “No shit,”
yelled Deveroix, turning in his seat to glare at the Enforcer.  He looked back
at the Pilot.  “Bring up the other possible locations.”
    The Pilot nodded
and sent the commands to the aircar’s computer system, bringing up a map of the
local area, showing other settlers cabins, camps, areas where Swampers were
known to gather.  Next he superimposed a satellite image over the map, and one
area in particular showed a half dozen dots that were the ambient temperature
of humans.
    “There,” said
Deveroix, pointing at the area.  “All units.  On my command, head for this
area.  We will come in at one hundred and twenty degree angles from each other
and surround them.  As soon as you’re in position at three hundred meters out,
assault teams will drop and come in on foot.  Aircars will be prepared to
provide cover if needed.”
    The acknowledgements
came back and the aircars all pivoted in the air and headed for the area they
assumed was a camp, twenty-seven kilometers distant.  They accelerated up to a
hundred kilometers an hour, quick enough to get there fast without