Fate of Order by Julian North

Author:Julian North [North, Julian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Plebeian Media
Published: 2017-10-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

“It looks like a surveyor,” Nythan said, squinting at the flying machine in the distance. “Not armed.”

Frost-Bell craned his neck to get a better look out the empty window frame. “Its flight path is abnormal. It appears to be heading directly for this location rather than doing a slow, wide circuit of an area, which would be more typical. Something has attracted its attention, or it has been sent here.”

I did a quick tour of the gas station’s other windows, studying the surrounding terrain. The same reason this had been a good place to meet also made us vulnerable: there wasn’t much cover nearby. The rugged urban sprawl of Newark was a good twenty miles away.

“We’ll draw it away from you, Daniela,” Frost-Bell said. “I’ll take one of your cars and ride off in one direction. Wait five minutes, then your companions take another car in the opposite direction. The drone and any backup will focus on those targets. Once we have drawn them off, take my bike. Head south—you can stay off the road on that thing and it is easy to conceal under trees or inside fallen buildings like this one. You will be far harder to track from the air than if you were confined to the roads.”

“That ain’t bad, fancy man, but I don’t like leavin’ Dee alone again,” Zippo declared. “Got a responsibility, ya know?”

Kortilla rolled her eyes. “She can take care of herself a lot better than you can.” She slipped one arm around me and one around Nythan. “I know you need to bring Nythan, not me. But I don’t like letting you two out of my sight again either, though for different reasons.”

“I’ll get word to you about your dad when I can.” I looked over at Zippo and Kross. “Spread the word of what happened at Fishkill. We beat them once. We can do it again. This isn’t over.”

Kross smiled, his mouth a shattered, glittery mess. “Don’t you worry ’bout that. There were blood brothers from everywhere in that jack-hole you burned down—from Philly, Boston, D.C., you name it. People will know what happened. And what you did, Nui Cohete.”

I wanted to scream that I’d done nothing except put more people in danger, but I clamped my jaw shut. That wasn’t what people needed to hear. I had a plan that could work, and this had to be part of it. Deuces.

I said what needed to be said, even if I didn’t like it. “Let’s get going.”

Frost-Bell headed out first. He insisted, even though that was the riskiest position. He headed southwest toward Pennsylvania. The surveyor changed its course to follow. Zippo, Kross, and Kortilla went next, heading due north. Sure enough, a second surveyor drone appeared on the horizon to pursue them.

“We’re up, Nythan. You sure you’re feeling up for this?”

“I’m taking vitamins. I’m fine.”

My eyes narrowed. “Stims? Are you crazy?”

“I’m about to get on the back of a motorcycle that you are driving. Hell yes, I’m crazy.”

I sat on Frost-Bell’s machine and turned it on, revving the engine.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.