The Dragon and the Moon by Jack Rydeman

Author:Jack Rydeman [Rydeman, Jack]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-03-15T18:30:00+00:00

Three platoon rode a large induction lift down to the base station, armoured up but with helmets off, their personal weapons clipped to their chests and with full power war-shot weapon charge packs carried separately in their hip pouches. A bus had collected them from the barracks without fuss and brought them to the topside stores depot, deserted at this time of night. Nobody had seen them go. It was ten-thirty on the evening of Thursday, the twentieth of October and they were as ready for the mission as they were ever going to be.

Paul was grateful that the waiting was over at last. David had been perfectly right about that. Joanna’s going hadn’t helped, but the drills in the STC captured his attention when they were in there and eased the ache. Anyway, he’d told himself repeatedly and somewhat futilely, it would have been such a bloody cliché to fall in love and indulge in a few days of romantic passion before going off on a dangerous mission, perhaps with a tearful farewell at the end. No, if it had to be then this way was better. At least he’d been free to concentrate on the job in hand.

The lift slowed and chimed a warning. They were deep in the bowels of the Ring now. The big doors opened to a cavernous vista of floodlit acreage beneath a two-hundred-foot-high ceiling with an array of warehouses. Robotic forklifts trundled about in the background and, standing alone in the foreground with his hands behind his back, was Paul’s father.

The men snapped to attention and Paul walked forward to salute, fist to the chest and helmet in the crook of his left arm.

Strange returned the salute in the traditional way. ‘At ease, gentlemen and please carry on. I just wanted to see you off.’

‘Thank you, sir. We’re honoured.’

‘May I walk with you?’

Paul nodded, not knowing what to say. Sergeant Cooper fell the men in without further orders and marched them off in the direction of the train platforms. He and Paul had been down earlier in the day to verify the route. Paul and his father followed behind at a slower pace, in step and side by side.

‘Listen, lad. When you get to Poseidon you’re going to discover one or two changes to the plan. I wanted to warn you before you go.’

‘Changes, sir?’ Paul felt bruised. He’d assumed his father was here for more paternal reasons.

‘Yes. You will be met by a man named Gordon. He’s a civilian and a bit of a secret squirrel, but he’s responsible for the Rip Tide.’

‘I see, sir.’ Fair enough, that seemed logical and it was no big surprise. ‘First name or last name, sir?’

Strange smiled. ‘I have no idea - he never told me. Just address him as Gordon. No, on second thoughts, you’d best call him ‘sir’. The other change is the ship you’re going in. It’s not a fast picket.’

Paul’s eyebrows furrowed, though he chose his words carefully. ‘Sir, we trained for a fast picket.

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