Steven D. Fisher - Fragger Sparks 02 by A Ranger Loses His Way

Author:A Ranger Loses His Way [Way, A Ranger Loses His]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-07-03T13:27:05+00:00

Chapter 20

Several days into the jungle, Fragger called a rest period in mid-afternoon. They’d been on the march since dawn and needed a break. He cursed the rain. It had been coming down all day, and the temperature was unusually cold for the rain forest. He estimated it had to be in the 60s, a shock after the constant 80s he’d grown to expect. He laid Red on the jungle floor so Buurk could check him over.

“No change, colonel,” the medic informed him.

“He’s shivering. Will he be okay?”

“We’re all shivering. My answer is the same as the last hundred times,” Buurk replied. “I just don’t know.

I’ve kept the wound clean, but that doesn’t tell us a thing about internal damage. His body could be healing itself or—”

“He could be a vegetable.”

“It’s possible.”

Fragger wiped sweat from his brow. He’d kept the suit open to maintain personal contact with the group and to reduce power consumption to a minimum. Despite the suit’s augmentation of his muscles, his arms were tired. Red had to weigh over a 100 kilos. Fragger did a quick conversion as he sat down to rest.

Two hundred plus pounds is a lot of weight to carry for anyone even with augmentation.

“Do you think the coded signal you had Red’s armor send threw the Aiforians off track?” Buurk asked.

“They haven’t found us yet, have they?” Fragger answered.

The medic’s hurt expression at the irritated tone made the Ranger regret the loss of control.

“Sorry, Buurk,” he said. “This march is getting to me.”

“You’re tired, colonel. Everyone is.”

Fragger checked the small clearing to make sure everyone was present. Andriana lay back against the root of a junglewood tree, her good arm across her forehead. Alissma Turnwaite sat atop the root, fanning Andriana with a large leaf. Wik had laid his small body on the ground and was staring up into the jungle canopy.

“How are the women doing?” Fragger asked.

“They’re doing as fine as can be expected. It’s Wik, I’m worried about. It’s hard for him to keep up with those short legs.”

“Well, what do you expect me to do about it?”

“Nothing, I just thought you should know.”

“You want a solution, Buurk, do the same thing I’m doing. Carry him. Put him on those big Martian shoulders of yours.”

“I already suggested it to him, but he refused.”

“When he gets tired enough, suggest it again. He’ll take you up on the offer, I guarantee it.”

Fragger sat down and leaned back against a tree.

“God, it feels good to take the weight off my feet.”

Buurk folded his body and sat beside the Ranger.

“Colonel, I want to ask you a question.”

“Can’t it wait? I need some sleep.”

“Of course.”

“Stand watch,” Fragger said. “Give me a half-hour, then wake me up. I’ll answer your question if I can, at that time.”

“Do you think the enemy is close enough that we still need to stand watch?”

“Who knows? Better safe than sorry. Keep one eye on the jungle and one eye on Lady Lesto. She’s probably the bigger danger right now. Don’t let her kill me in my sleep, Buurk.

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