Read Online Redemption of Light (The Light Trilogy) by Kathleen M. O'Neal - Free Book Online
Authors: Kathleen M. O'Neal
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lifted his hands uncertainly. “I don’t know. I guess maybe ten. I think everyone else—”
“Any of those people could reveal the exact location of the fleet if they’re probed. We’re going to have to move fast. How many officers may have survived?”
Cole turned around and pinned Jeremiel with a haunted look. “Every officer is accounted for except one. The last time I saw Josh Samuals, he had a shrapnel wound in his leg. If he managed to take cover—”
“He could be alive.” Jeremiel steepled his fingers over his mouth for a moment. “Samuals knew at least the fundamental details of the Horeb mission. If he was captured, they would have probably taken him to Palaia. He would have been considered too valuable to leave his interrogation up to any regional neuro center.”
Rudy shifted his weight to his left foot. “You think we should try to send somebody in? It would be a suicide mission, but I think we could find a volunteer. Neither Samuals nor the volunteer would make it out, but maybe we could get to Samuals before they put him under the probes.”
“Don’t be a fool, Kopal,” Tahn accused. “Leave aside the fact that Palaia is invulnerable and the suicide mission volunteer would probably be captured and make things worse for us—if we make any moves now, if we breathe wrong, the Magistrates will tighten their security net around Horeb and we’ll never get those people off that hellhole! The solution is to step up the Horeb mission. Since we have to get the fleet out of here anyway, let’s hit Horeb now, before it’s too later! ”
“Are you crazy?” Rudy shouted. “We’re not ready!”
Jeremiel listened to their stormy interchange for several more minutes, but he barely heard the words. In the back of his mind he could hear Carey calling his name, over and over— as though she were alive. Simultaneously, the logical part of his brain whispered, “She’s dead. Accept it. She’s not coming home this time.”
He gazed up soberly at Cole, who’d grown red-faced and seemed on the verge of violence. Rudy looked just as bad, fit to burst at the seams. They were tired, both of them.
Jeremiel shoved himself out of his chair. “Go and get some rest. Consider Cole’s suggestion of stepping up the Horeb mission. We might have to. I’ll schedule a strategy meeting for 09:00 tomorrow morning.”
“All right,” Rudy responded tiredly. He started toward the door then stopped beside Jeremiel. Rudy clamped a strong hand on his shoulder. Kopal smelted so pungently of old blood that it made Jeremiel feel hollow. Traces of the stain spilled over the white threads on Rudy’s cuffs. Red blood, not blue. Human. Which friend? Friends?
“Rudy, if you have time, please put together a list of casualties for me. I’ll need to inform the families.”
“I’ll make time.” He patted Jeremiel’s shoulder and briskly left. The door closed behind him.
Tahn stood at the far end of the room, a fist pressed to his lips as he stared intently at the floor.
“Cole, after you’ve had some dinner and sleep, I’d like to talk to you more … about Carey.”
Tahn sucked in a halting breath and held it. He nodded. “Let me know when you’re available.”
“Tomorrow night. I’ll be—ready—by then.”
“Understood,” Cole responded softly.
Jeremiel put his hand against the exit patch and the door slipped open. Voices echoed down the corridor, discussing the damage sustained by the Trisagion. He exited quietly.
Something moved inside her like a tangle of serpents twisting around each other in some perverted mating spectacle.
She choked, fighting to swallow the welling of blood that surged up her throat. Swallow. Swallow, damn you! But the tide flooded up too quickly. She felt herself drowning, unable to get any oxygen, as though a wall of warm water had engulfed her and deluged her lungs. Move! Roll over, you cowardly bitch, or you’re going to die! Move!
But her muscles wouldn’t
“Any of those people could reveal the exact location of the fleet if they’re probed. We’re going to have to move fast. How many officers may have survived?”
Cole turned around and pinned Jeremiel with a haunted look. “Every officer is accounted for except one. The last time I saw Josh Samuals, he had a shrapnel wound in his leg. If he managed to take cover—”
“He could be alive.” Jeremiel steepled his fingers over his mouth for a moment. “Samuals knew at least the fundamental details of the Horeb mission. If he was captured, they would have probably taken him to Palaia. He would have been considered too valuable to leave his interrogation up to any regional neuro center.”
Rudy shifted his weight to his left foot. “You think we should try to send somebody in? It would be a suicide mission, but I think we could find a volunteer. Neither Samuals nor the volunteer would make it out, but maybe we could get to Samuals before they put him under the probes.”
“Don’t be a fool, Kopal,” Tahn accused. “Leave aside the fact that Palaia is invulnerable and the suicide mission volunteer would probably be captured and make things worse for us—if we make any moves now, if we breathe wrong, the Magistrates will tighten their security net around Horeb and we’ll never get those people off that hellhole! The solution is to step up the Horeb mission. Since we have to get the fleet out of here anyway, let’s hit Horeb now, before it’s too later! ”
“Are you crazy?” Rudy shouted. “We’re not ready!”
Jeremiel listened to their stormy interchange for several more minutes, but he barely heard the words. In the back of his mind he could hear Carey calling his name, over and over— as though she were alive. Simultaneously, the logical part of his brain whispered, “She’s dead. Accept it. She’s not coming home this time.”
He gazed up soberly at Cole, who’d grown red-faced and seemed on the verge of violence. Rudy looked just as bad, fit to burst at the seams. They were tired, both of them.
Jeremiel shoved himself out of his chair. “Go and get some rest. Consider Cole’s suggestion of stepping up the Horeb mission. We might have to. I’ll schedule a strategy meeting for 09:00 tomorrow morning.”
“All right,” Rudy responded tiredly. He started toward the door then stopped beside Jeremiel. Rudy clamped a strong hand on his shoulder. Kopal smelted so pungently of old blood that it made Jeremiel feel hollow. Traces of the stain spilled over the white threads on Rudy’s cuffs. Red blood, not blue. Human. Which friend? Friends?
“Rudy, if you have time, please put together a list of casualties for me. I’ll need to inform the families.”
“I’ll make time.” He patted Jeremiel’s shoulder and briskly left. The door closed behind him.
Tahn stood at the far end of the room, a fist pressed to his lips as he stared intently at the floor.
“Cole, after you’ve had some dinner and sleep, I’d like to talk to you more … about Carey.”
Tahn sucked in a halting breath and held it. He nodded. “Let me know when you’re available.”
“Tomorrow night. I’ll be—ready—by then.”
“Understood,” Cole responded softly.
Jeremiel put his hand against the exit patch and the door slipped open. Voices echoed down the corridor, discussing the damage sustained by the Trisagion. He exited quietly.
Something moved inside her like a tangle of serpents twisting around each other in some perverted mating spectacle.
She choked, fighting to swallow the welling of blood that surged up her throat. Swallow. Swallow, damn you! But the tide flooded up too quickly. She felt herself drowning, unable to get any oxygen, as though a wall of warm water had engulfed her and deluged her lungs. Move! Roll over, you cowardly bitch, or you’re going to die! Move!
But her muscles wouldn’t
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