Free The Fleet by John Davis

overrun in a matter of
days.
    What the city
did seem to have in place were gun towers. Armed military snipers
in each of the city's largest towers, which were plentiful. Giving
them a bit of defense against any infected who may try to approach
the city. Aside from that, Adam saw a handful of combat shuttles
patrolling the outskirts. Capable of taking down small groups of
infected, if needed be.
    He wasn't sure
who was behind the plan to move the survivors here, but Adam
thanked them. Truly. Praying he would be able to raise his son with
a natural breeze blowing at their backs, rather than air
manufactured by a ship's purification system.
    The planet was
safe enough to rest with his son. That was his assessment and Adam
would gladly take it. He was in serious need of a few hours of
sleep. It didn't matter where, just as long as he was with his son
and they were safe.
    As the shuttle
touched down with a bit of rough thud onto the large courtyard
built of stone, Adam thanked each of the soldiers for their help in
rescuing Avery.
    Taking a few
extra moments to encourage the young soldier with them to stay
after his dream of owning a ship and moving freight. Letting him
know that their society would be back on track soon enough, and
sometimes a dream to chase was all that a man needed to be
happy.
    He would try
to track down his old friend soon enough. At the moment though,
Adam felt the extreme of fatigue and hurt of a lover taken down by
his own hand. He needed sleep in the worst of ways, though he
feared...very little sleep was to be had.
     
    *
     
    “I'm going to
ask you not to go.” Cambria said. Pleading with her brown coat
laden lover to stay within the safe confines of their ship.
    “I've been
playing too nice for too long. I've got to get out and live a
little, you know?” Dalton replied.
     
    Cambria found
the exchange odd. It seemed as though two married lovers were
disputing something normal, like a man's night out to the local pub
with friends. Although she would say nothing of it to her
lover.
    “Anything can
happen over there,” she pleaded. “Anything.”
    “I was born
ready for anything,” he replied with a grin. “You're talking to the
old hound dog here.”
    “Dalton. I'm
serious.” Cambria insisted.
    Old hound dog
or not, she understood the Viscion could very well be a peaceful
race. That said, they could also spring a trap onto Dalton and his
group the moment his shuttle touched down. Stripping the man she
loved from her arms. Forever.
    “I know,” he
replied. His tone becoming one of truth. “Trust me Cambria, I'll be
fine. I'm just going long enough to find out what we're up
against.”
    “Be careful.”
she said. Draping her arms around him for a moment and exchanging a
very passionate kiss.
    Her arms
clinched him tightly. Almost knowing he would never come back to
her. Cambria wanted to beg him once more. Scream it at the top of
her lungs, if that's what it took. But she didn't. She simply
kissed him as she'd never done before. Taking her time and loving
him completely.
    “Well, this is
awkward.” one of the soldiers commented.
    A party of six
of them altogether, four human and two Husk, had gathered and
awaited the commander. Preparing to fly along with him.
    “I've pulled a
few posts outside of the commander's bunk,” another soldier
replied. “Trust me. They don't care who is around. They just get to
it.”
    “Get to what?”
one of the Husk warriors asked.
    The human
soldier glanced to him.
    “Oh my.”
    The Husk
understood that what his own race did in the privacy of stone built
dwellings, Dalton was capable of doing in public with no regret. A
scary thought indeed.
    “Alright men.
Let's get your hands out of your pockets and get to it.” Dalton
ordered. Passing by the group with purpose as they prepared to
board the fleet's most solid shuttle.
    But you were
the one holding US up?
     
    As the shuttle
began to lift from the firm push of thick steel flooring, Dalton
felt nerves.