Read Online The Ruins of Karzelek (The Mandrake Company series Book 4) by Ruby Lionsdrake - Free Book Online

mother finally asked. “If those mercenaries start blasting at the mining complex, even more people will be injured.”
    “ I’ll tell them that’s not what we want,” Kalish said. “After the blood we’ve spilled, it would be even worse to give up empty-handed. I’d like to think that the find we make could be worth all of this, but even with the relic hunting aside, I’m going to get Dad back. I have to. Even if it means going to jail for the rest of my life.”
    Her mother sighed. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. We’ll figure something out. The laws out here... are more flexible than in the core. If we find what you’re looking for, we might be able to buy your record clean.”
    Kalish shook her head. “Does that make me any less of a criminal?”
    “ We’ll figure it out.”
    “ Great,” Kalish mumbled, so softly Sedge barely heard it.
    Her back was still to him, her chin drooping to her chest. Was she crying? Sedge wished he could say something to make her feel better, but he had made the choice to feign sleep. If he said something now, she would be startled and perhaps self-conscious as she wondered if he had been listening the whole time. A dilemma.
    A grunt came from outside, and someone tapped at the tent flap. “Ms. Blackwell?” Tick drawled. “Brought your equipment in. Might as well get your new command center all right and comfortable, eh? Can we come in?”
    Kalish wiped her eyes and didn’t answer right away.
    “ She might be naked,” came Striker’s voice in a whisper.
    “ Why would she be naked?” Tick whispered back.
    “ We got dirty last night. Girls like to bathe when they get dirty.”
    “ It’s a shame you don’t have that same habit.”
    “ I clean Betsy. That’s enough.”
    Kalish walked to the flap and pulled it open. “Betsy?”
    “ That’s his rifle,” Tick explained, walking in along with a draft of frigid air. He carried a couple of folding chairs, which he set up in front of the desk. “One of them, anyway. He’s got a small to middling-sized armory in his cabin.”
    Striker ambled in after him, a portable heater in his arms. He looked Kalish up and down as he passed. “She’s not naked, Tick.”
    “ Yes, I saw that.”
    “ I’d gotten my hopes up there.”
    “ No bathing facilities in the tent,” Kalish said.
    Tick hit Striker in the arm, then bowed his head toward her. “My apologies for his rudeness, ma’am. We’ve been trying to train it out of him, but the captain refuses to use shot therapy, and I’m of the opinion that’s the only thing that might get through his skull.”
    “ Shot therapy?” Kalish asked.
    “ Sure. He says something dumb, and you shoot him.”
    Kalish chuckled. Sedge held back a frown. He had wanted to be the one to say something that might make her feel better. Tick beamed a smile at her, and this time, Sedge didn’t manage to tamp down his frown. He wasn’t flirting with her, was he? Sedge wasn’t good at judging whether other men were handsome, but Tick had an easy-going manner that usually won him female company when on shore leave, unlike Striker who, despite his claims to the contrary, didn’t seem to be able to lure a woman to go off alone with him unless he waved a few aurums around first.
    Striker kicked the foot of the cot, jarring Sedge, and eliciting a fresh twinge of pain from his side. “You alive, Sniffles? Or did Tick stick the wrong needle into your arm?”
    “ It was a medical injector,” Tick said, “and I’m certain I gave him the correct sedative.”
    Sedge rubbed his eyes and yawned. He felt disingenuous for pretending Striker’s kick was what had woken him, but he didn’t think Kalish would appreciate his eavesdropping. “I’m alive. And that’s Lieutenant to you, Striker.”
    Normally he didn’t bother attempting to enforce military courtesy with the mercenaries—especially with Striker—but he didn’t want the oaf calling him that stupid nickname in front of