Marked Man by Charles Ingrid

Author:Charles Ingrid [Ingrid, Charles]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science fiction, General, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction - Science Fiction, Science Fiction - General, Space Opera, Adventure, American Science Fiction And Fantasy, Computers, Religion, Programming Languages, Eschatology
ISBN: 9780886773960
Publisher: DAW
Published: 1989-12-14T00:00:00+00:00

Nolan sucked in her breath. "They died for nothing? You sent them out to draw Denethan's attention?" The horror of what she'd seen on the outskirts of Carpin flooded her eyes. The blue turned icy, but the brown brimmed with an unshed tear.

"Ramos… maybe. But we had our pair… didn't want… anyone to know… needed a decoy. Denethan had been sniffing around lately. Knew he wasn't bottled up in the Mojave anymore. Who but Thomas would find out… sent my own daughter out as decoy… hoped he could keep her safe anyway…." The dying man's eyes flickered to his friend's face.

"You knew Denethan would follow them if I went after."

"Your… reputation. Ronnie's idea… internal spies… had to throw them off. We thought you were good enough anyway…." His eyes clouded. "Jennifer?"

Thomas shook his head briefly. He said only, "They didn't suffer."

"Veronica knew… two days ago. I didn't believe her." Charlie still held the stiff hand of his dead wife. He squeezed it tighter.

Lady said to Blade, "And you knew about this. That's why you drove us to get home!" Thomas shook his head. "Not about this. Only that the children weren't what we were told. I had no idea about the attack. I did not think Denethan would be ahead of us." He turned away from the astonishment on her face.

His friend's eyes had closed. Thomas raised his free hand to Lady's and gripped it so tightly she could hear bones move. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"Keep him here. Just another moment or two—"

Instead of protesting, she nodded sharply. "I— I'll try."

Charlie opened his eyes and squinted, tears running from the corners of them. "It's dark, Thomas. Is it still sunrise?"

"No. Mid-morning, a little later."

"She said… we wouldn't see another sunrise. She was wrong… everyone dead but me. Denethan kicked me…" He moved his hand feebly, rubbing his rib cage.

Lady pressed her right hand to his forehead and bowed her head in concentration. The strain began to show on her already tired face.

"Charlie," Thomas leaned close and whispered urgently, "Did the children get away? Who were they?"

"Alma and… Stefan. But I told you… already, didn't I? I was… waiting for you…" Lady whispered, "I'm losing him."

Sweet-eyed Alma and blond Stefan, whose genes had sailed all the way from the other side of the world. Thomas rocked back. "Where?"

"To the College Vaults." Too spent for words, his old friend closed his eyes tightly. After a shuddering breath, he added "We didn't plan to send out Alma and Stefan… until after searches had stopped. The way would have been clear then…."

Blade nodded and then added, because Charles could no longer see him, "Yes, except that it led back to you again. You old fool."

"Yes." To Lady Nolan. "I'm cold. Can't you keep me warm?"

"No," she whispered. "Not now."

The frame of what had once been a massive, vital man seemed to shrink as he trembled from the cold. Then he coughed again, and drew a long, painstaking breath. "We were betrayed.

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