Free Gabriel's Redemption by Steve Umstead Page B

you have both of our best interests at heart. I just wanted you to know I have my best people watching out for your family. You know, in case anything happens to either of us. Your daughter is a lovely girl. Her very special fifteenth birthday dance is coming up, yes? I understand that’s an important occasion. And your son is an excellent futbol player for his small size, is he not?”  
    Cáceres struggled to keep his composure. “Admiral, we are both friends here, working towards the same goal. The people I represent are more than willing to fund your project in exchange for what we’ve all agreed on, and yes, this will give both of us great positions of power. But leave my family out of this.”
    “ Claro , Nacho. Claro . As I said, everything is on schedule, and you will hear from me when we need to take the next step. The plans are already in motion, it will only be a matter of days before the first part is complete, entiendes ?”  
    With that, MacFarland cut the connection and walked closer to the window. He reached out with a finger and touched the glass, tracing an image of a face in the condensation. Circle, two eyes, nose, mouth, and a scribbled mustache. Smiling, he took his palm and wiped the image away.

Chapter 8

    The spaceplane’s journey from low orbit to the station was scheduled to take just over six hours, during which time Gabriel tried to grab some quick shuteye. It had been a while since he had been in zero-G and his body wasn’t fully acclimated to the weightless feeling, especially when attempting to shut down and get some sleep, so he had his neuretics send a half-CC of somnatin from internal storage to the proper neuroreceptors. Within minutes he was fitfully dozing. His automatic watch program monitored his surroundings, which were nothing more than seven other men and women attempting to take the same nap.

    The school burned around him. He stood in what remained of the gymnasium, a steel basketball rim all that was left of the court, pieces of the interlocking bleachers sitting smoldering against a stone wall. His leg screamed at him, the last of his pain meds having been used up earlier in the assault. The Geltex dripped from his combat armor down his leg and sizzled onto the floor, still not completely extinguished. Gabriel grimaced in pain at his injury, and at the feeling of loss at Tamander’s death. The kid was barely out of high school, and gave his life to protect Gabriel as the fiery explosive fell around them. He had taken the full brunt of the Geltex attack, which the cowardly terrorists had ignited like ancient boiling oil as they fled. He could still hear Tamander’s screams, a sound he’d never forget.
    He was down to two men, Martorano and Freestone. Both were wounded, Freestone probably mortally so. Dammit to hell , he thought. Nine dead, nine good men and women he had known almost since their entry into Naval SpecFor. And for what?  
    “Lieutenant!” a voice yelled over the crackling flames. “Sir, Freestone’s gone!”
    Gabriel looked back at the two men, one cradled in the arms of the other. Renaldo Freestone’s lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling as Lonnie Martorano gently lowered his body to the gym floor. The flames grew in intensity, and a section of the ceiling fell with a crash behind the men. Gabriel hesitated for a second as an iron fist punched him in the gut with the loss of another member of his team. Too many good men lost.
    “Seaman,” he called. “Do you have contact with the extraction team?”
    “Sir, yes…barely!” He still had a pleading look in his eye, almost begging Gabriel to help him.
    “Did the students make it out?” he asked as another flaming chunk of ceiling fell.
    Martorano’s face scrunched as he concentrated on his neuretic comm. “Sir, the Damocles reports they’re loading them now, all present and accounted for. They’re just waiting for us!” he said with a hopeful tone.
    Gabriel moved towards him, stepping around