Free Weapons of War by M. R. Forbes Page B

have among the bek'hai if that is any consolation."
    "It isn't," Diaz said.
    "Okay, quiet time," Donovan said. "We need to get across the open area to that rubble as fast as possible. Soon, if you want to stay here, we can rendezvous back at this spot."
    "I can run. My head can wait."
    Donovan nodded. "Let's move."
    They charged across the field at a sprint. Donovan kept his eyes on the sky, watching for signs of incoming fighters. Diaz scanned the ground, while Ehri and Soon took up the rear. Soon was slower than Donovan would have liked, but he managed to stay on his feet and running until he caught up to them at a blown-out wall.
    "I should have spent more time in the gym," Soon whispered, breathing hard.
    "You made it; that's all that matters," Ehri replied, also keeping her voice low.
    Donovan put his finger to his lips. Then he moved to the corner of the building and tracked his vision across the street. He knew Wilcox as soon as he saw her, laying on her back with a gaping wound in her chest.
    He felt a pang of sadness and forced himself to swallow it. He had to worry about the ones who might still be alive. He used hand gestures to lead them around the corner, making a zig-zag pattern from cover to cover through the city.  
    They paused when a distant rumble sounded.  
    "Diaz, can you get eyes on whatever is making that noise?" Donovan said.
    Diaz nodded, running across the street and scaling a pile of debris. The rumbling remained distant until it faded completely. Diaz returned a moment later.
    "Some kind of Dread ship," she said.  
    "What did it look like?" Ehri asked.
    "Long, narrow. Lots of spikes or points or something."
    "A transport. Which direction was it headed?"
    "Northeast."
    "What does it mean?" Donovan asked.
    "I'm not sure," Ehri said. "The transport can hold up to one thousand soldiers, both clones and drumhr. The Domo'dahm may be seeking to accelerate his conquest of the resistance now that we have threatened the status quo."
    Donovan tried not to think about how many humans that single ship was going to be responsible for killing. It was harder to do when a second rumble echoed across the sky, matching the first. A third followed a moment later.
    "I'm afraid that escalation is the most likely cause," Ehri said.
    "There's nothing we can about that right now," Donovan said.
    He brought them the remaining distance to the pile of rubble that had once hidden the silo. It had been blasted aside, leaving a gaping hole that revealed the depth of the missile tube. There were no bodies at the bottom. He hoped that meant the Dread had decided not to go down.
    "Diaz, I need you stay up here to keep watch."
    "Me?" Diaz said, reacting to the request. "Why me? Why not Ehri?"
    "Diaz," Donovan barked softly. "That's an order, Lieutenant."
    She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "Order? The military is gone, amigo. We're nothing but a pair of kids who are in way over our heads. That was my home, too."
    Donovan felt himself getting angry. She was choosing a lousy time to be difficult. "Ehri, stay and keep watch with Diaz. Soon and I will go down."
    "Yes, Major," Ehri said. Diaz scowled but knew better than to complain again.  
    "What do you say, Captain?" Donovan asked.  
    "Lead the way," Soon replied.

  EIGHTEEN

    "Your Lieutenant seems to be a bit of a spitfire," Soon said as they descended the silo.
    "Renata? She wears her heart on her sleeve. Sometimes that's a good thing. Sometimes it isn't. That's why I left her up there. After losing her brother, she might not react well to finding everyone else dead or gone. I need her rational."
    "A good assessment of the situation. You trust her to be alone with the clone?"
    "Ehri can take care of herself."
    "I meant, do you trust the clone?"
    "Yes. With my life." He remembered the kiss he had shared with Ehri. There hadn't been any time to explore that any further. Maybe one day. "She saved our lives, and yours."
    "I don't mean to be ungrateful, Major.