Read Online Grendel Unit 1: Bad Day at Khor-wa by Bernard Schaffer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bernard Schaffer
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to stick around when they were being hunted.
The dead man was lying behind the dumpster just ahead, fully revealed now that they were no longer shrouded in smoke. It was difficult to look at now. Even if he'd been there to kill them, he was somebody's loved one, somewhere. All the life he'd possessed was gone, leaving just an empty husk behind. All the startling details of death were on full display, his hair, his wide-open eyes, the lettering writing across the back of his uniform shirt.
Frank read the words aloud, "Unification Intervention Forces."
He bent down to inspect the man's weapon and saw the action switch was set to STUN. "Oh no," Frank whispered. "Oh God, oh no."
At the other end of the alleyway, Vic cut around the corner quickly, wanting to get out of the funnel to the building as fast as he could. He moved with his pistol in front of himself, keeping it at eye level, ready to shoot anything that came into his view. He bent low to move forward and felt the warm metal of a gun barrel press against his right cheekbone. "Do not move, Captain Cojo," the voice attached to the weapon said.
A bright flashlight snapped to life only a few inches from his eyes, blinding him instantly. Vic involuntarily squeezed his eyes shut, expecting to hear the pop! of a gun that would splatter his brains across the wall, but instead, all he heard was the fast rush of boots across the ground as several more men surrounded him. "Sir, lower your weapon!" someone shouted.
Vic didn't move. He was squinting and trying to gain some sort of vantage on his enemies, to see if he could manage to shoot any before they finished him. "Don't do it, Captain. You are being detained by Unification Forces on charges of treason."
He turned to look into the light and said, "What?"
Another man's voice, a more familiar voice, called out above the others, "Stand aside. Let me through."
Vic turned and cocked his head, trying to identify where the voice was coming from. "General? Is that you?"
"It's me, Victor. Put down your gun."
Vic dropped the weapon and held his hand up to shield his eyes, trying to peek through his fingers, "What the hell's going on here?"
"You disobeyed a direct order. Killed one of my men. Violated the sovereignty of a planet. I advise you not to say another word until you speak to an attorney."
The soldiers moved in to scoop up Vic's gun and grab him by either arm. Someone else yanked off his gear belt and pulled out his earplugs. He could now see the ship and the throng of armed men. Vic struggled against them, "Where's Yultorot? He has to be nearby!"
"Stop resisting!" one of the soldiers shouted. They yanked his hands behind his back and held them tight while applying a set of cold handcuffs. Vic winced as they clamped down on his wrist bones.
"The asset has been secured on my vessel," Milner said.
Vic looked at him in confusion until he saw S'bal's slithering, fish-faced form slide up beside Milner and say, "General, if that's all you'll be needing of me, I'd like to go."
"Tha t's the asset!" Vic shouted.
S'bal rolled his eyes and held out his webbed hand toward the General, who nodded and said, "Of course." Milner reached into his uniform shirt pocket and removed a plastic credit slip. He handed the slip over to the Cryndian and said, "Don't spend it all in one place."
S'bal flicked the slip with his webbed fingers and smiled, "Nice doing business with you." He glanced at Vic with a sinister smile, "See you around, human."
Vic broke free of the men holding him to go after the fish, even with his hands behind his back, trying to kick and bite, but the soldiers fell on him swiftly and beat him across the head and shoulders until he fell to his knees.
"Don't be so childish, Victor," Milner said. "The asset today is the target tomorrow, and vice versa. That's how this game is played."
"You son of a bitch," Vic huffed,
The dead man was lying behind the dumpster just ahead, fully revealed now that they were no longer shrouded in smoke. It was difficult to look at now. Even if he'd been there to kill them, he was somebody's loved one, somewhere. All the life he'd possessed was gone, leaving just an empty husk behind. All the startling details of death were on full display, his hair, his wide-open eyes, the lettering writing across the back of his uniform shirt.
Frank read the words aloud, "Unification Intervention Forces."
He bent down to inspect the man's weapon and saw the action switch was set to STUN. "Oh no," Frank whispered. "Oh God, oh no."
At the other end of the alleyway, Vic cut around the corner quickly, wanting to get out of the funnel to the building as fast as he could. He moved with his pistol in front of himself, keeping it at eye level, ready to shoot anything that came into his view. He bent low to move forward and felt the warm metal of a gun barrel press against his right cheekbone. "Do not move, Captain Cojo," the voice attached to the weapon said.
A bright flashlight snapped to life only a few inches from his eyes, blinding him instantly. Vic involuntarily squeezed his eyes shut, expecting to hear the pop! of a gun that would splatter his brains across the wall, but instead, all he heard was the fast rush of boots across the ground as several more men surrounded him. "Sir, lower your weapon!" someone shouted.
Vic didn't move. He was squinting and trying to gain some sort of vantage on his enemies, to see if he could manage to shoot any before they finished him. "Don't do it, Captain. You are being detained by Unification Forces on charges of treason."
He turned to look into the light and said, "What?"
Another man's voice, a more familiar voice, called out above the others, "Stand aside. Let me through."
Vic turned and cocked his head, trying to identify where the voice was coming from. "General? Is that you?"
"It's me, Victor. Put down your gun."
Vic dropped the weapon and held his hand up to shield his eyes, trying to peek through his fingers, "What the hell's going on here?"
"You disobeyed a direct order. Killed one of my men. Violated the sovereignty of a planet. I advise you not to say another word until you speak to an attorney."
The soldiers moved in to scoop up Vic's gun and grab him by either arm. Someone else yanked off his gear belt and pulled out his earplugs. He could now see the ship and the throng of armed men. Vic struggled against them, "Where's Yultorot? He has to be nearby!"
"Stop resisting!" one of the soldiers shouted. They yanked his hands behind his back and held them tight while applying a set of cold handcuffs. Vic winced as they clamped down on his wrist bones.
"The asset has been secured on my vessel," Milner said.
Vic looked at him in confusion until he saw S'bal's slithering, fish-faced form slide up beside Milner and say, "General, if that's all you'll be needing of me, I'd like to go."
"Tha t's the asset!" Vic shouted.
S'bal rolled his eyes and held out his webbed hand toward the General, who nodded and said, "Of course." Milner reached into his uniform shirt pocket and removed a plastic credit slip. He handed the slip over to the Cryndian and said, "Don't spend it all in one place."
S'bal flicked the slip with his webbed fingers and smiled, "Nice doing business with you." He glanced at Vic with a sinister smile, "See you around, human."
Vic broke free of the men holding him to go after the fish, even with his hands behind his back, trying to kick and bite, but the soldiers fell on him swiftly and beat him across the head and shoulders until he fell to his knees.
"Don't be so childish, Victor," Milner said. "The asset today is the target tomorrow, and vice versa. That's how this game is played."
"You son of a bitch," Vic huffed,
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