Dark Heart: A Sci-Fi Action-Adventure Thriller (Galaxy Flux Series Book 3) by Adrian Murphy

Author:Adrian Murphy [Murphy, Adrian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

23

Trapped and now outnumbered, with his escape route cut off, Grady decided he had to risk revealing his position and comm for help, hoping that the interference—or was it an act of deliberate jamming?—had faded. He went to tap his ear-mic, but his hand came away empty. It was gone, probably knocked to the floor when he vaulted onto the countertop in the galley. With an enemy standing a few feet from where he had landed, there was no chance he could sneak back and search for the device without being seen.

He hunkered down and fingered his forearm patch. He’d have to chance the two-way conversation being overheard through the built-in speaker, or else send a text message, though he disliked typing on the tiny virtual keyboard.

Grady needn’t have worried. The curved screen gave a tortured sizzle in response to his touch—the surface sporting a jagged crack—and his frantic tapping yielded no response. Looks like I’m on my own, he thought. I’d have brought something with greater stopping power than a pistol if I’d known I was going to end up in a gun battle.

The first attacker seemed focused on finding Grady, either unaware, or unconcerned, about the arrival of their comrade, who still stood outside in the corridor, a dark, silent, menacing shape suffused by the ambient glow from the red emergency lighting. It occurred to the captain that the frag grenade’s explosion may have prevented the assailant from hearing its companion’s approach. Either way, it didn’t matter.

Grady’s mouth went dry as his pulse throbbed in his temples. Not for the first time, he was reminded how much he preferred combat in space—Adventurer’s cockpit, shields, and firepower providing a modicum of protection—to hand-to-hand fighting where he could see the whites of his adversary’s eyes. Grady knew he was fit enough, and proficient with a variety of weapons, but he lacked Zoe or Mbeki’s experience of in-person combat. His back was against the wall—metaphorically and almost literally—and he was fast running out of options if he hoped to survive.

The first assailant advanced a step, head turned toward the interior of the mess hall, and raised a bulky weapon to its hip. Machine laser, the awkward weapon typically mounted on a tripod and seldom hand carried into battle. The armor must be powered to the max and then some, as Grady had surmised, lending the attacker sufficient strength to heft the heavy armament. Even then, it was a surprising choice and lessened the wielder’s freedom of movement. Doesn’t seem to be slowing them down any, came the bitter thought. What the hell am I facing here?

With surprising agility, the second figure darted into the room and dropped to one knee, laser rifle pinned against its shoulder. And opened fire on the initial attacker. Grady almost whooped with joy and relief. It was Mbeki! The sergeant, still clad in full body armor, must have heard the clamor of combat and came to investigate.

Evidently taken by surprise, the enemy combatant staggered back with a grunt.

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