Swords of Exodus by Correia Larry & Kupari Mike

Author:Correia, Larry & Kupari, Mike [Correia, Larry & Kupari, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Action & Adventure, Thrillers, thriller, Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, War, Science Fiction, Military, Horror, War & Military
ISBN: 9781476736112
Google: bAGKmQEACAAJ
Amazon: 1476736111
Goodreads: 17571685
Publisher: Baen
Published: 2013-09-15T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14: Hunting Season

VALENTINE

Crossroads City

March 15th

I was roused out of bed early in the morning, long before the Sun came up. Exodus had established a number of safe houses in Crossroads City, spreading themselves out to try to reduce their apparent signature and keep a low profile. Ling and I had been dropped off at one of them with all of our clothing and equipment. Not everyone was in place yet, so Ling was very busy.

The building was one of the structures erected by the Soviets in 1950. Bland and featureless, it was on the far north end of town, crumbling from decades of disuse and tagged with graffiti in four different languages. It had electricity, sort of, but no functioning toilets or showers. Field-expedient means of hygiene were necessary and unpleasant.

We were posing as a group of mercenaries for hire. There were several such groups in town, and while we were sure to draw the ire of our supposed competitors, we were less likely to gain the notice of Sala Jihan. Enterprises of all sorts and varying levels of legitimacy came and went through The Crossroads all the time. With Sala Jihan’s own forces keeping the peace, we weren’t especially concerned with being attacked outright.

After a brief, frigid scrub in an improvised shower, I dressed myself in some civilian attire I’d been given and found Ling in the main room. Two men, other Exodus personnel I guessed, were with her.

“Good morning, Michael,” she said, as I walked in. “Allow me to introduce my comrades.” Ling indicated a fit-looking Middle Eastern man with a thin mustache. “This is Ibrahim Barzani, one of our strike team leaders.”

Ibrahim offered me a firm handshake. “Mr. Valentine, it is most excellent to meet you. Your reputation precedes you.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“This is Hideo Katsumoto,” she said. An imposing Japanese man with a shaved head bowed politely, a move which I awkwardly attempted to return. He then shook my hand, and though his hands were thinner than mine, he had a grip like a vice.

“Mr. Valentine,” he said curtly.

“Michael, we will be working with Katsumoto during the operation.”

“I am happy to have Ling at my side during this operation,” Katsumoto said. “She will be my second-in-command.”

I wondered how Ling really felt about effectively being demoted from team leader, but Ling’s face was a mask, as always. “You will be with us, Michael, if you’re feeling up to it.”

“Doing what, exactly?”

“I must be blunt,” Katsumoto said. “I do not like the practice of colluding with outsiders. As I’m sure you can understand, they are often security risks and prove to be less than reliable. Ling has vouched for you, however, and we are short on personnel. If you wish, you may come along on the mission and assist however you can.”

“You’re not an initiated member of our order, so you will not be in the chain of command,” Ling clarified. “But an extra hand with as much combat experience as you have would be a great asset to the operation.

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