Across the Dark Horizon by Tagan Shepard

Author:Tagan Shepard [Shepard, Tagan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781642471007
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 2019-05-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Hawk marched into the civilian cafeteria at the head of a double line of twenty-four soldiers. Williams marched beside her, decked out in full battle gear, his gloved hands wrapped loosely around his M4A1 Carbine assault rifle. He was at ease, as were his men, but Hawk had something of a sixth sense about operations. She smelled blood in the air and knew lives would be lost today. She couldn’t be certain whether those lives would be her men or the enemy. She had chosen her best soldiers. They were bright and fast and they were good. Probably as good as the United States Army had.

She spoke to Williams without looking at him, her words falling in cadence with the boots all around her. “Quick in, quick out, minimal engagement, understood? You smell shit you pull back on the double.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She stopped and turned to him, catching the tail end of a smile before he turned to her and saluted. She held her salute for the blink of an eye before sending him on his way past the tables and into the kitchen. None of the soldiers broke formation to look at her as they hurried past, but she took in every face. She had enough engraved wrist bands at home to make her value every man and woman in her company. Her name would have been on one several times over if not for them. She did not want to add to her collection. She didn’t want to mourn another soldier with a cold strip of metal.

A voice spoke behind her. “What’s going on, Major Hawk?”

She waited until the last of the soldiers had gone by before turning and answering.

“Good morning again, Ms. Moore.” Several of the civilians looked up from their eggs and toast. Those who could overhear pretended not to be listening, but the movement of their forks became slow and mechanical. Hawk motioned for Gail to follow her out of earshot.

“We noted a potential entry point when reviewing schematics last night. A maintenance passage we can use to get through to the prisoner’s side of the complex.”

“A maintenance passage? But they should all be sealed.”

Hawk moved to a beverage station and poured herself a mug of black coffee, and continued in a hushed voice. “This one appears to not have the same airtight seals as the others. The kitchens for the prisoners’ wing and the corporate wing are right next to each other—they share a wall.”

“Right, but there is only a single connection between them.” Gail pointed across the cafeteria at the dark hallway that was blocked several yards on by the airlock door and then by the barricade a few feet beyond that. “Where is this passage you found?”

Hawk sipped her coffee, her thoughts with the sound of boots diminishing in the kitchen behind her. “Beneath each kitchen are several floors of food prep and storage. The lowest floor is three flights down and contains a pair of walk-in refrigerators and freezers. Between the

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