A House Divided (Terran Armor Corps Book 4) by Richard Fox

Author:Richard Fox [Fox, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Triplane Press
Published: 2018-05-30T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Roland watched as drones buzzed overhead and flew to the empty cellblock. Clipped shouts from the guards echoed over the walls and Roland heard bars slamming shut.

“New arrivals,” Adams said from across the chessboard she shared with Roland.

“How long since anyone else’s been put in here?” he asked.

“Other than you and the Ibarrans, sir?” Boucher asked. “Maybe…two months?”

“Fifty-nine days,” Adams said. “I was one of the last.”

“You hear those slams? Lots of cells getting occupied,” Boucher said. “Maybe another Ibarra ship was captured?”

“If the Omega Provision’s being enforced,” Roland said, stroking his chin, “seems like a lot of excess trouble for prisoners they’re just going to kill. Navy voids people for capital punishment, don’t they?”

“That’s right,” Boucher said.

A drone swooped down and shined a light on Roland.

“Prisoner Shaw, report to Guard Post Bravo immediately. Prisoner Shaw—”

Roland grabbed a black knight on the chessboard and moved it.

“Checkmate,” he said to Adams.

“Good luck,” Adams grumbled as she stared at her doomed king.

Roland went to the guard post, a reinforced shack built into the base of the crater wall connected to a lift up to the main guard post. A chamber made of thick bars buzzed next to revolving door. A trio of Rangers with shock batons waited on the other side for Roland. By their height and build, Roland knew none were Jerry or Valencia.

Roland opened the door to the chamber and stepped inside. It locked shut and a Ranger grabbed him by the front of his overalls and jerked him forward. Cuffs and a hood came next, both applied with more speed than finesse.

“My trial back on?” Roland asked.

Guards grabbed him beneath both arms and dragged him away.

“I wouldn’t be in a hurry for that to start back up, traitor,” one said.

Roland felt his boots drag over a rough surface, then he was manhandled into a cart for a ride that lasted a few minutes. The guards escorted him into a quieter area, and he heard the buzz of drones in the air around him. There was a slam of a cell door and his cuffs and hood were removed.

He was alone in a small cell—a single bunk and latrine. He spun around and found Morrigan in the cell across from him. Behind bars to her left was Tongea; to her right, Martel knelt in prayer.

“I always thought General Laran was a ladder-climbing, conniving bitch,” Morrigan said. “But at least I’ve someone to talk to now.”

Roland pressed his forehead against the bars and tried to look down the long line of cells around him. He saw shadows move in some, while hands and arms rested on the bars of others.

“Tongea,” Roland said, “this wasn’t what was supposed to happen. When I told Martel about the Omega—”

“General Laran shut off Olympus from the rest of Mars and the Crucible,” the Maori said. “Couldn’t get word back to Earth or anyone else.”

“The Ibarrans,” Roland said, grabbing the bars. “If you’re in here…how’re they going to survive?”

“They all know what’s coming,” Morrigan said. “They’re not afraid of it.

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