Read Online Z-Minus (Book 4) by Perrin Briar - Free Book Online Page B

to run into right now,” John said, shaking his head. “How do you want to handle this?”
    Mark looked back the way they’d come.
    “We have to go through him,” Mark said. “Unless we want to take a long detour.”
    “I suppose it’s too much to suppose they’ll be by themselves,” John said.
    “It is,” Mark said. “They’re too relaxed, too calm. Trying too hard to appear nonchalant. There will be more of them waiting for us in the bushes.”
    “No doubt the major put them here on purpose,” John said. “Knowing we would have to go through them.”
    “No doubt,” Mark said.
    “We’re going to have to hit them hard,” John said. “Engage them in the open. Force the others out of the forest to attack us. Then we could take the jeep.”
    “We wouldn’t get half a mile before another patrol picked us up,” Mark said. “Or worse yet, a helicopter.”
    “When do you suggest we do?” John said.
    There was too much to take in, too many things to consider. Mark took a few deep breaths and let his mind grow calm, relaxed. He let his subconscious take over.
    Back when he was a new recruit, Mark had taken part in an experimental study. In recent years neuroscientists had begun to explore the benefits of meditation in everyday life, as well as those of higher functioning activities. They discovered that calming the mind and letting it work independently of conscious thought produced enhanced productivity and creative functions. It was a concept the military took seriously.
    Mark breathed deeply, finding his center. He fed his subconscious all the information and details of the situation before him, forming a swirling orb of ideas that bulged and shrank, concepts parting through his mind, running through potential outcomes, successes, failures, that he either threw out, or merged with other ideas.
    The conscious mind was a Commodore 64, the unconscious a supercomputer.
    “What’s he doing?” Daoud said. “Meditating?”
    “It’s just a thing he does,” John said. “He’ll stand like that until he comes up with an idea.”
    Daoud watched Mark with trepidation.
    “What if he doesn’t come up with an idea?” he said.
    “He will, but it might take some time,” John said.
    It wasn’t five minutes before Mark blinked and came awake. He unshouldered his bag and put his weapon down. He tore some red flowers out by the roots and mashed them between his hands, forming a fine paste. He ran it over his cheeks into several thin lines.
    “John, Daoud,” Mark said. “I want you to scout the forest. Find the other soldiers out here. There might be one, maybe two. Take them out quietly.”
    “What are you going to do?” John said.
    “I’m going to hand myself in,” Mark said.
    Before John could utter another word, Mark stepped out of the foliage with his hands up.
    The patrol snapped to attention, guns raised and aimed at Mark.
    “That’s close enough,” Eddie said.
    “I’m infected,” Mark said. “I’m out of the game.”
    “Already?” Eddie said, chuckling. “Man, you’re more pathetic than I thought.”
    He looked disappointed, like he wished he’d been the one to take Mark out of the game. He lowered his gun.
    “Who got you?” Eddie said.
    “One of the infected,” Mark said.
    “How come you didn’t return to the drop off?” Eddie said.
    “I tried,” Mark said. “I got lost.”
    Eddie barked a laugh.
    “I knew we’d get you, Edwards,” he said. “Without even needing us to fire a shot, either! What were you up to when they caught you? Crouched down with your pants around your ankles? Not the shining star pupil now, are you?”
    “I never said I was,” Mark said.
    “As the boss’s offspring you were always given the best missions,” Eddie said. “The easiest missions. It’s easy to excel when put in the right situations.”
    He couldn’t have really believed that. Sub-Saharan Africa was known as one of the most inhospitable places in the world. Half their tour was