Alice in Deadland Trilogy by Mainak Dhar

Author:Mainak Dhar [Dhar, Mainak]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-07-04T04:00:00+00:00

***

FOUR

'A jeep would be nothing more than a magnet for air strikes. Why do you think I asked all my men to disperse?'

Satish said the words with a smile, but Alice had known him long enough to recognize the underlying irritation. The two Americans had proved to be a study in contrasts. The older man, who walked with a pronounced limp, was yet to utter a word. He merely kept looking around him with wide eyes, and Alice found him staring at her way too often for her comfort. Looking at his disheveled hair, torn vest and vacant expression, she wondered if he had indeed lost his mind in some Red Guard labor camp. The younger man, conversely, was all business. He had immediately equipped himself with a bulletproof vest from one of the fallen Red Guards, and armed himself with an assault rifle. To Alice’s amusement, he seemed very vocal about his opinions – though Satish certainly seemed to find nothing funny in his trying to impose his opinions.felt otherwise.

'How fast can we walk? Let's take one of the jeeps and get back to this city of yours.'

Satish took a step closer to the American. He was a good six inches shorter than the blond, lanky man he faced, but Alice's eyes, trained by years of experience, told her that the American would not stand a chance. He clearly had little experience of close combat, since he was holding his rifle in both hands. At such close quarters, he would never even be able to bring the rifle up before Satish cut his throat. She held out a restraining hand on Satish's shoulder and addressed the American.

'My name is Alice Gladwell. What's yours?'

'I am Captain Vince Hudson, U.S Marine Corps. I flew with the White Knights squadron before The Rising.'

He pointed to a patch stuck on his jacket, showing an armored man on horseback, carrying what appeared to be a spear or lance. Above the patch were the words 'White Knights' and below it were inscribed the letters 'HMM-165'.

'Vince, I have lived and fought in the Deadland all my life. Here are some things you should know. The Reds control the skies. So traveling in a large group is suicide. Traveling in large vehicles is suicide. And not listening to someone like Satish is suicide. We risked our lives to save you, but if you would rather be on your own, go ahead. I do not like to carry excess baggage.'

With that, Alice shouldered her assault rifle and began walking off.

'Hey, wait. Sorry if we started on the wrong foot. Being chased by Red Guards for a week has a way of putting you on edge.'

They took refuge in a nearby clump of trees. Satish had already radioed his men to give him advance warning of any incoming Red Guards, on land or by air. For close to an hour they lay flat against the ground, waiting for the telltale buzzing sound that would announce the arrival of an attack helicopter.

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