Gun Runner by Larry Correia & John D. Brown

Author:Larry Correia & John D. Brown [Correia, Larry]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Military
Publisher: Baen Books
Published: 2021-02-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

They led Jackson out into a tunnel, and he shuffled along in his socks and underwear. The tunnel was carved through solid rock, as he suspected this whole lair was, like the ranger base had been.

A wide strip of luminescent paint ran along both walls the length of the hallway. Smart. It could soak up the light, then give it back in a glow when the power went out. Also, after going straight a bit, the tunnel jogged left, then back again. And he suspected they’d done that on purpose to prevent intruders from being able to shoot down the full length. They passed closed doors, a kitchen, and a wide area with practice mats on the floor. They turned a corner and came to an open area with stone pillars and a lot of hubbub. There were a couple dozen beds inside and a lot of medical equipment. There was what looked like a play area. There were a few adults, but a bunch of children.

Most of them turned to see who had arrived. Some looked hopeful. Some looked down in disappointment. A good many of them wore bandages or braces of some type or other.

The tough old bird walked him over to a bed with a boy lying on it. “This is Alario.”

Alario was around eight and missing an arm. He smiled up at them.

“Nice to meet you,” which was the polite thing to say, even when you were in shackles.

“They sent him and five others at gunpoint to harvest. Sent them in with masks, but no suits. In trees that hadn’t been cleared. They disturbed a wollard nest. The same creatures that swarmed you. And what was the Warlord’s policy? To leave them. To write them off as an operating cost. If we were somewhere else, we could have regrown him a new arm. But that’s beyond us currently.”

“I’ll work hard and save money,” Alario said. “I’ll get one.”

“That’s the spirit,” she said, then turned to Jackson. “Alario is the only one to make it out alive. Why don’t you tell our guest what happened?”

“My friends died,” Alario said, oh so earnestly. “Hundreds of bites each. Their skin turned black.”

The woman gave Alario’s hand a squeeze. “It was a difficult thing, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“That’s alright. You’re made of tough stuff. And you’re going to learn how to deal with wollards, aren’t you?”

“I sure will!”

The woman directed Jackson to another small boy sitting on the next bed. “Hello, Leon.”

Leon looked up. He was missing an eye.

“When he started to go blind, they took him out on a work run and left him behind. Another operating cost.”

“I’ll work hard too,” Leon said, clearly having heard Alario’s responses.

“I know you will,” she said kindly. “You’re going to do well. You’ll have that eye someday. And until then, you’ll help in any way you can.”

Leon nodded, but still looked distressed. Jackson knew that look well. He’d seen it on the children on Gloss whose parents had died, who’d lived through all sorts of stress, and seen plenty of death.

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