Free Ragnarok: The Fate of Gods by Jake La Jeunesse Page B

Charlie stepped forward proudly.  “Sure is.  Standard government transport jeep, outfitted with treads for extra-metropolitan terrain.”  Zeke stood silent, eyeing up the bizarre box he’d be spending the next three days in. 
                  “So wait,” piped in Jae-Ho.  “You’re Zeke?” 
                  “That’s right.  Something wrong?” 
                  “No, no.  Nothing wrong.  I just thought . . .  well, when they said soldier it would be someone . . .”
                  “Bigger?”
                  “So you must be our fifth man, the reason we’re delayed,” he said to Charlie.  His tone was friendly.  He was making conversation.  “You would be?”  He paused, waiting for an introduction. 
                  Nothing came. 
                  “The strong, silent type,” he said, in answer to his own question.  “I can respect that.”
                  “Had to see my daughter off.  She’s just been promoted to first-class citizen.  Can you respect that, runt?  Or we got a problem?” Arms still crossed, he puffed out his chest.  It looked like he grew an extra half-meter taller.  Jae-Ho stepped back.  The black man chuckled to himself. 
                  “Of course not,” defended the small Korean.  “I mean, of course.  Er . . .  yes on the respect.  No on the problem.  I’d never have a problem with anyone as . . . mountainous as yourself.” 
                  Charlie stared the little man down as though he could bury Jae-Ho with his eyes alone. 
                  Then the giant burst into a guffaw and slapped him hard on the back.  “Ah, I’m just messin’ with you, runt.  You’re okay.” 
                  Daniel leaned in to Zeke and asked, “Does he call everyone ‘runt’?”
                  “When you’re as big as Charlie,” he explained quietly, “things tend to look smaller than they would to anyone else.” 
                  “Yo!  Zeke!” called the black man.  Zeke spun just in time to catch the assault rifle that had been hurled at his face. 
                  “This is Bill Smalls.  He’s the equipment manager for our little vacation,” Daniel explained.
                  “Modified SKS rifle with hollow-point ammo and attached grenade launcher.  Flick the switch on the scope for night vision.  Got some crates of high explosives in the jeep.” 
                  Zeke tossed the rifle back at Smalls.  “No thanks.  I’m packing my own.” 
                  Smalls noticed the sword on his belt  “A sword?  You sure that’s a good idea?” 
                  “Don’t see why not.”
                  Smalls chuckled awkwardly.  “Don’t know of any sword that can pack the punch a rifle has.  ‘Specially these rifles.” 
                  “I used to think the same thing.”  Zeke didn’t smile. 
                  By now, Charlie had found a rifle for himself and was examining it carefully.  “Speaking of punch, what the hell they expect us to find out there?” 
                  “Pardon?” asked Jae-Ho.
                  “Hollow-point ammo?  Grenade launcher?  Explosives?  They expecting something bigger than draugr?” 
                  “Who knows what these guys are thinking,” said Smalls.  “They just tell me what we’re using and where we’re going.  My job is to drive it there.” 
                  “Last time I checked, penicillin don’t put up much of a fight.  Don’t you think all these toys are just a little suspicious for a retrieval mission?”  He handed the gun back to Smalls, who packed it carefully in a crate. 
                  “Sure we do,” said Jae-Ho as he