Read Online The Down Home Zombie Blues by Linnea Sinclair - Free Book Online
Authors: Linnea Sinclair
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this was one of those occasions.
Petrakos probably thought of her as narrow, inflexible. Compared to Kort Pietr, she was wantonly lenient. The captain would never have risked losing the T-MOD to save one nil’s life. Zombies didn’t damage tech. She could have waited, let the zombie snack on Petrakos, then recovered the unit before the next zombie picked up its scent. What was one life when the data she brought back could save a million lives?
“Thank you, sir.” She kept her shoulders back, her hands locked behind her waist, emotions tightly in check. “Agent Wain, like all of us, knew the risks. If shielding malfunctions and cannot be repaired, the T-MOD must be destroyed. Guardian Force Field Regulations, Section Twelve, Paragraph Three, Subsection A. Sir.”
“Yet sometimes agents and trackers in the field ignore those very important regulations, Commander. They become enthralled with the hunt. They want to be the one to bag a powerful C-Prime. And they see an unshielded unit as bait.” He rocked his chair slightly, his eyes half-hooded. “They reinterpret those regulations to suit their needs. They take unnecessary risks. Sometimes it works in their favor. In Wain’s case, it didn’t. A lesson for all of us, surely.”
Jorie wasn’t fooled for a moment, either by his posture or his words. Pietr was completely alert and by now had read everything she and her team had logged. He knew about Petrakos and might well consider her bringing the nil aboard unnecessary and in violation of not only field regulations but half a dozen Guardian Force general procedures as well. She chose, however, not to address that issue until he did. “An unshielded unit can spur a craving,” she recited. “Actions of zombies caught in a premature craving can be unpredictable. I would never attempt such a maneuver, sir.”
Pietr nodded. Silence filled his large office, broken only by the occasional change in pitch of the air-ventilation system or the muted click as his deskcomp downloaded incoming messages from his staff.
He arched his clasped hands, cracking his knuckles. “We have a nil on board, Commander.”
“Yes, sir.”
Those half-hooded eyes studied her. “Tell me about him.”
She did, careful in her phrasing, careful to make it clear recovery of the T-MOD had been her priority.
“You could have terminated him.”
“His presence, tied to the T-MOD at that point, was the zombie’s focus.” That wasn’t totally truthful, but there was no way the captain could know that. “It permitted me to engage the zombie. Had he not been there, the zombie would have come after me and the unit might still be unrecovered.”
Pietr arched one silver eyebrow. “More likely it would simply have taken you a little longer to terminate the zombie.” He chuckled softly. “I don’t believe there’s a zombie out there that’s a match for the intrepid Commander Jorie Mikkalah.”
That was because in the field the intrepid Commander Jorie Mikkalah often broke more rules than she followed. She just made sure no one was around to record her transgressions when she did. “Thank you, sir. That’s very kind of you. I can’t operate under those assumptions, however.”
“So now we have this Sergeant…”
“Petrakos, sir.”
“…Petrakos on board. I’m sure you can arrange for his transport to Paroo at the proper time. Tell me, Mikkalah, are you going to attempt to connive me into sending his spouse and children with him as well?” His mouth curved into a wry grin.
“He’s not spoused.”
“That makes it clean and easy. I like that. I’m sure he’ll find Paroo a blissful experience.”
Jorie hesitated. She could still see the bleak desolation on Petrakos’s very good face when she informed him he’d never return to his locale, his duty, that he was powerless over his life’s path. Such impotence took a harder toll on those used to the freedom of command. It had almost destroyed her once. Maybe that’s why his
Petrakos probably thought of her as narrow, inflexible. Compared to Kort Pietr, she was wantonly lenient. The captain would never have risked losing the T-MOD to save one nil’s life. Zombies didn’t damage tech. She could have waited, let the zombie snack on Petrakos, then recovered the unit before the next zombie picked up its scent. What was one life when the data she brought back could save a million lives?
“Thank you, sir.” She kept her shoulders back, her hands locked behind her waist, emotions tightly in check. “Agent Wain, like all of us, knew the risks. If shielding malfunctions and cannot be repaired, the T-MOD must be destroyed. Guardian Force Field Regulations, Section Twelve, Paragraph Three, Subsection A. Sir.”
“Yet sometimes agents and trackers in the field ignore those very important regulations, Commander. They become enthralled with the hunt. They want to be the one to bag a powerful C-Prime. And they see an unshielded unit as bait.” He rocked his chair slightly, his eyes half-hooded. “They reinterpret those regulations to suit their needs. They take unnecessary risks. Sometimes it works in their favor. In Wain’s case, it didn’t. A lesson for all of us, surely.”
Jorie wasn’t fooled for a moment, either by his posture or his words. Pietr was completely alert and by now had read everything she and her team had logged. He knew about Petrakos and might well consider her bringing the nil aboard unnecessary and in violation of not only field regulations but half a dozen Guardian Force general procedures as well. She chose, however, not to address that issue until he did. “An unshielded unit can spur a craving,” she recited. “Actions of zombies caught in a premature craving can be unpredictable. I would never attempt such a maneuver, sir.”
Pietr nodded. Silence filled his large office, broken only by the occasional change in pitch of the air-ventilation system or the muted click as his deskcomp downloaded incoming messages from his staff.
He arched his clasped hands, cracking his knuckles. “We have a nil on board, Commander.”
“Yes, sir.”
Those half-hooded eyes studied her. “Tell me about him.”
She did, careful in her phrasing, careful to make it clear recovery of the T-MOD had been her priority.
“You could have terminated him.”
“His presence, tied to the T-MOD at that point, was the zombie’s focus.” That wasn’t totally truthful, but there was no way the captain could know that. “It permitted me to engage the zombie. Had he not been there, the zombie would have come after me and the unit might still be unrecovered.”
Pietr arched one silver eyebrow. “More likely it would simply have taken you a little longer to terminate the zombie.” He chuckled softly. “I don’t believe there’s a zombie out there that’s a match for the intrepid Commander Jorie Mikkalah.”
That was because in the field the intrepid Commander Jorie Mikkalah often broke more rules than she followed. She just made sure no one was around to record her transgressions when she did. “Thank you, sir. That’s very kind of you. I can’t operate under those assumptions, however.”
“So now we have this Sergeant…”
“Petrakos, sir.”
“…Petrakos on board. I’m sure you can arrange for his transport to Paroo at the proper time. Tell me, Mikkalah, are you going to attempt to connive me into sending his spouse and children with him as well?” His mouth curved into a wry grin.
“He’s not spoused.”
“That makes it clean and easy. I like that. I’m sure he’ll find Paroo a blissful experience.”
Jorie hesitated. She could still see the bleak desolation on Petrakos’s very good face when she informed him he’d never return to his locale, his duty, that he was powerless over his life’s path. Such impotence took a harder toll on those used to the freedom of command. It had almost destroyed her once. Maybe that’s why his
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