Free Death World (Undying Mercenaries Series Book 5) by B. V. Larson

on the door. It melted away from my hand as I pushed it open. Stepping inside, I was met with another unpleasant surprise.
    I was standing in Winslade’s office, not Turov’s. He was sitting behind his desk with his non-reg jackboots resting between a monitor and a cup of coffee. Working on a computer scroll, he waved at me with a skinny set of fingers, indicating I should approach but remain standing.
    I did so, but after a moment I couldn’t take the waiting around.
    “Sir? Primus, sir? I’m sorry, I must have been led to the wrong office. I’ll be going now. Didn’t mean to bother you.”
    Winslade glanced up and gave me an unhappy stare.
    “You’re in the right place, McGill,” he said. “That is, if it can be said that there is a right place for the likes of you.”
    “I don’t understand, sir.”
    He set the scroll aside and removed his feet from his desk. Weaving together his fingers like a spider web, he leaned forward and gave me an unfriendly appraisal. I could tell I was a bug on a dinner plate to him.
    “Let me spell it out for you,” he began. “I’m in command of your cohort. In truth, even I’m too far up the chain of command to be talking to the likes of a freshly promoted veteran, and the Imperator is two steps above my station. The idea you should be allowed to waltz in here and meet with her in person on demand…it’s preposterous. And it’s going to stop today! If you have something to say to the Imperator, you’ll tell me first. If I find it worthy, I may kick it up another level. But I’ll warn you right now, that’s highly unlikely.”
    Winslade had my attention now. I knew he didn’t like me, and he didn’t enjoy it when I went over his head and talked to Turov. But this wasn’t about protocol or personal dislike. He wanted to know what I was up to. He didn’t want to be cut out of the loop, as had happened in the past.
    “I hear you, Primus. Loud and clear. I’ll be going now.”
    I spun on my heel and managed to take two long strides across his thick carpet toward the door before he reacted.
    “Halt! You haven’t been dismissed, Veteran!”
    Stopping, I spun back around, but I still didn’t say anything. I stood at attention and looked at the wall.
    “Tell me why you wanted to talk to the Imperator,” he prompted.
    “Because I think she’s making a strategic error, sir.”
    A frown grew on his face. It was a wary look of displeasure.
    “You’ve always believed you know better than your commanders how to run our legions, haven’t you?”
    “Not at all, sir. But sometimes, people don’t have a clear view. They don’t have the vision of the man in the trenches.”
    “Interesting. Let me see if I can interpret your vague hints. You’ve uncovered a scheme of some kind. You believe the Imperator should be given this information in person as it may affect her decisions regarding our current mission.”
    I gave him a startled glance. I didn’t have any such information. I was planning on trying to convince her not to give up on finding the raiders too easily, that was all. But as usual, Winslade with his conniving personality thought I was holding back something more sinister.
    “Ah-ha!” Winslade cried, banging a skinny fist on his desk. “I’ve got your attention now, don’t I? Yes, McGill, even I can follow your clever machinations. Well, I’ll have none of it. I don’t want you pestering Turov. I’ve given the staff orders to intercede if you try. As you can see, they’ve been quite effective today.”
    Nodding and looking back at the wall, I paused for a second. “Am I dismissed then, sir?”
    “No, you’re not dismissed.”
    He studied me quietly for a few seconds. He was obviously waiting for me to volunteer information. I endeavored to make my face a blank mask and said nothing.
    “Damn you, man,” he said at last. “You’re not getting out of here without telling me what this is about. But even if you don’t want to talk, your motivations