An excerpt from On A Cold Wind…
(After tracking down the camp being used by the two
fugitives she and her team had been searching for, EarthGov Security Special
Agent Caralynn Adrasteia is ambushed and taken hostage. She is then taken to
see the fugitives, Efhram Bartok and Leonard O’Donnell…)
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As
she walked, flanked by the two guards, Carly let her gaze drift around the
encampment. Everyone she saw looked to be at ease, as if they had nothing to
worry about. She lowered her head and tried to hide her smile.
Just come in shooting, Murphy, she
thought.
The
shelter she was led to was larger than the one that held the prisoners. One of
the guards knocked on the shelter’s door then opened it. He leaned in, spoke to
the occupants then waved his rifle at Carly.
Inside,
Carly found the shelter to be fully furnished, reminding her of a cheap hotel
room. A metal table, chair, portable communication set and file cabinet sat
along the back wall. Next to the commset were her pistol and a large hunting
knife. Unmade beds were on opposite walls, and a chair and small table were in
the center of the shelter.
Though
she recognized the shelter’s two occupants, she kept her face blank. One man,
tall and thin, with fine black hair, was talking to the commset. The other was
a large man, whose bulk filled the chair. His labored breathing didn’t sound
healthy.
She
listened to the conversation going on in front of her. “No, it’s alright,” the
first man said. “We’ve been found but it was only a matter of time before that
happened. Just be ready. We’ll have to move fast.”
A
familiar voice came from the commset. “It may not be as easy as you think,
Bartok. Those EGS agents are getting close to figuring out who helped you. And
don’t forget about those ships Confed dispatched. You’ll have trouble getting
away.”
“Don’t
worry about my getting away, Bancroft. That’ll be easier than you think. They
won’t fire on a colony full of civilians. I’m planning on leaving a few alive
for that purpose.” He slapped the cut-off before Bancroft could reply.
He
stared at the desktop for a minute then looked up. “So you’re Special Agent
Caralynn Adrasteia, with Division Five of EarthGov Security. And, I assume,
licensed to kill.”
“That’s
me, and you assume correctly. So you’re Efhram Bartok. And this must be Leonard
O’Donnell. I must say, your pictures don’t do you justice.”
“I’m
glad you approve.”
“I
didn’t say that. Was that Carl Bancroft, the senior ColAf representative? The
one who helped the two of you escape and provided these buildings, the equipment
and told you who was being dispatched?”
“One
of them. Is it important to you?”
“I
have to know who to go after when I’m finished here.”
“You’re
here to stop us, are you?”
“Bring
you in, though in what condition wasn’t specified. What was that you said about
the colonists?”
Bartok’s
smile grew. “Just that the colonists will make perfect living shields against
the ships Confed has dispatched. They may be after us but they won’t burn
civilians.”
“Are
you sure about that? Do the words scorched earth mean anything to you? If they
took care of you and this crack bunch of mercenaries, it wouldn’t matter how
many civilians were caught in the crossfire.”
She
shrugged. “Not that the colonists have anything to worry about. I’ll have this
taken care of before the ships get here.”
O’Donnell
pulled himself out of the chair and lumbered toward Carly. “Confident little
bitch, isn’t she.”
He
pressed close to her, one arm going around her waist, the other roughly
caressing her leg. “I like that in a woman.”
Carly’s
back straightened and she ground her teeth. “I’m glad you approve. What do you
plan to do with the prisoners? A mass grave somewhere in the…hey! Watch the
hands, worm!”
Bartok
smiled. “It’s only fitting. They think they’re free. I’ll give them true
freedom.” His smile grew as O’Donnell’s hands began to slide from her waist to
her breasts.
Something
in Carly’s mind snapped and self-control gave way to instinct and training. She
broke O’Donnell’s hold and went into overdrive.
She
spun, her right arm a blur as it came around, making solid contact with
O’Donnell’s neck. She heard vertebrae shatter and he dropped to the floor.
Continuing
with the spin, Carly came back to the table. Her hands found the knife and she
let it fly toward the guard that stood in the doorway. She didn’t see the blade
sink into his chest as momentum carried her around. As she came back to Bartok,
Carly threw a left.
His
right hand was waiting for her.
Carly
let herself relax and she stared at her hand. Right, she thought. Enhanced.
As
more guards came through the door, Carly went back into motion. She snatched
her pistol, half-turned and shot the first guard. She squeezed off a second
shot, killing a second guard before Bartok tightened his grip on her hand. Pain
shot up her arm and Carly dropped the pistol.
The
guards were ready to open fire but Bartok stopped them with a wave. “It’s
alright. Everything’s under control.”
Light
blue eyes locked onto Carly. “Would you like to talk about it?”
Carly
tried to pull her hand free but Bartok held it tight. “I’m going to need that.”
Bartok
released her. Carly flexed the hand, relieved to find no broken bones. “I am
what I am…”
“Don’t
give me that. You’re not free. You only think you are. O’Donnell’s dead; I
heard his neck snap. Get them out of here.”
When
the bodies were removed, Bartok sat behind the table. “Congratulations. That
was very efficient. You made the most of an opportunity. As much as I hate to
admit it, your training is very good.”
He
held out a hand. Carly stared at it. “Won’t you even shake my hand?”
“I’d
rather tongue a snake.”
Bartok’s
smile faded. “Anything else to say?”
“Why
are you doing this? You’re not only planning to kill a colony full of norms,
you’re also going to kill eighteen of your own kind. This makes sense to you?”
“I
have my reasons. Please, have a seat.”
Bartok
opened a file cabinet drawer and took out a bottle and two glasses. “Would you
like a drink? Gregorian brandy, twenty-ninety.”
Carly
shook her head once, her eyes never leaving Bartok. “No. I prefer the
twenty-one hundred.”
“As
you will. What else would you like to know?”
“I
repeat my question: Why are you doing
this? Isn’t it bad enough norms consider us subhuman despite our enhancements? You
have to start killing them and your own kind? How is that going to help
anything?”
Bartok
poured red-brown liquor into one glass. “Let me ask you a question, one Free
Person to another.”
“I’d
say go right ahead, if you were a Free Person. As it is, you’re just a rogue I
have to bring in.”
“Splitting
hairs. How would you feel if you were presented with one of your own kind,
someone who would lead you to a place where you wouldn’t have to worry about
prejudice and discrimination? A place where you wouldn’t have to worry about
irillium scanners picking you out of a crowd?”
“I’d
probably think I was dreaming. You see yourself in that role? The one to free
all Enhanced Humans and lead them to the proverbial Promised Land? What do you
have, a messiah complex?”
Carly
laughed and sat in the second chair. “What makes you think anyone would follow
you? Especially after people find out you’ve killed your own kind.”
“They’ll
follow me. They’ve been waiting for someone to show them the way. Many of our
people aren’t satisfied with the slow, political attempts at changing the
system.”
“You’re
talking about one percent of the population, at most. And how many of them
actually want a civil war?”
Carly
leaned back in the chair and shook her head. “Besides, the chief geneticist for
my batch keeps telling me that I’m the last hope for all of us. He feels that
I’m the one to eventually lead our sort to freedom and equality.”
“I
see. It would seem we’re no so different. We’re more alike than you’re willing
to admit.”
“Now
you’re getting nasty.”
Bartok
stared for a moment, drained his glass and stood. He stepped around the table,
picked up Carly’s pistol and examined it. “This feels heavier than the standard
CZSeventy-five.”
“I
had to have the grip reinforced. When I started out, I had the bad habit of
crushing the grip when I squeezed the trigger.”
Bartok
nodded and checked his watch. “It’s feeding time. I’ll walk you back to the
others.”
He
set the pistol on the table and waved a hand toward the door. “Please, after
you.”
Carly
stood and crossed to the door. As she stepped out into the cool night air,
Carly lowered her voice to a whisper.
“Have
you made your proposal to the others?”
“No
need. I know they’d reject me. Too much contact with norms.”
Carly
glanced at the guards that took up position behind them. “All these men are
norms? Was O’Donnell?”
“Yes
on both points. O’Donnell just happened to be there when my escape attempt went
into motion. He helped me with the guards so I brought him along. I should
thank you. I was planning on eliminating him soon. You saved me the trouble.”
“Glad
to be of assistance. None of them will make it off the planet.”
“Of
course not. They’re an expendable resource. You don’t approve?”
“It’s
a waste of material. I will stop you.”
Bartok’s
smile grew. “We’ll see.”
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On A Cold Wind is available from Smashwords, Kindle,
iTunes and NOOK, price $5.99.
Find the links at my website, Wordboy’s Words –
http://wordboy1.wix.com/wordboyswords#!books/cnec
