Ancient Origins (Dark Descent) by Storey Robert

Author:Storey, Robert
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sancturian Publishing
Published: 2014-08-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty Five

Dazzling light momentarily blinded Professor Steiner as – almost immediately – a deafening clap of thunder announced the storm’s presence overhead. Rain hammered down like stair rods, the intensity soaking him to the bone. Behind, Colonel Samson lit their way with a torch attached to the side of his tactical assault rifle. Every so often Steiner felt a nudge in the small of his back, the action an attempt by Samson to encourage him to move faster across the uneven and rocky topography of the New Mexican desert.

Steiner’s thoughts still lingered on those who had just perished, a harrowing guilt over their deaths gnawing deep into his heart. His orders and his alone had seen them to an early grave. Captain Iwamoto and his lieutenant, a powerful woman whose name he couldn’t recall, had been taken out by some unseen assassin. The rest who’d made the arduous journey to the surface from USSB Steadfast had been cut down on Malcolm Joiner’s orders and by the callous actions of Samson, whose company he now had to endure alone.

‘Get down!’ Samson shouted from behind.

Steiner, shoved to the ground, had the air squeezed from his lungs when the Colonel landed painfully on top of him, the man’s heavy bulk pinning him to the muddy earth.

‘What are you doing?!’ Steiner said as Samson held him down.

‘I’m shielding your body, don’t move!’

A loud, penetrating roar shot by overhead, the very earth trembling at its passing.

Steiner knew that sound; it wasn’t anything produced by nature, but by a high velocity, low flying aircraft. Peering out from underneath the Terra Force leader’s camouflaged body, Steiner caught sight of the twin afterburners of a jet fighter as it banked steeply, vanishing up into the flickering storm clouds above.

The weight lifted from Steiner’s back and a metal shrouded hand heaved him to his feet.

‘This rain will wash away our tracks,’ Samson said, as the two men moved forwards once more, ‘but they’ll keep searching the area in case they missed anyone. We need to up the pace.’

The ground sloped down, Steiner stumbled and grabbed onto a stunted, sodden tree. The branch he’d selected, too brittle to support his weight, snapped with a resounding crack. Falling to his knees, Steiner found himself looking into a small hole sunken into a shelf of bedrock. Peering back at him out of this shadowy pit was a face, its eyes wide.

Steiner barely had time to move as a small figure flashed past him, out into the rain and off into the night. Scrambling up, Steiner saw Samson had raised his gun, preparing to shoot. Without thinking Steiner threw himself at the Colonel just as a stifled shot exploded from the muzzle with a flash of flame and smoke.

‘Are you out of your fucking mind?!’ Samson’s voice seethed from within his helmet.

‘I just stopped you from murdering a small boy.’

‘No, you just compromised our position!’ Samson shoved his heavy rifle into Steiner’s unresisting hands and loped off, his indistinct outline fading quickly from view.

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