No Surrender by Kevin J Anderson

Author:Kevin J Anderson [Anderson, Kevin J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: military, anthology, SF
ISBN: 9781614750703
Publisher: WordFire Press
Published: 2013-08-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Tim Osterhaudt sat slumped in his confined seat on the bridge of the Goshawk. His head hung low and blood oozed from several large gashes on his face and upper torso. Pitman, and Pitman’s commander, Karl Berd, sat on the edge of a console a few meters away, each staring unblinkingly at their captive.

“Who is your partner?” Berd said with an icy hint to his voice. “I really don’t want to have to unleash my first officer again.”

Tim clenched up inside for a second as he contemplated the pain. Would it do any good to talk? He’d almost cracked during the first beating. Would he be able to withstand the second?

Ordinarily Tim would have stuck to his principles, and not wished to harm anyone.

But after the way Pitman had laid into him, Tim was beginning to have second thoughts about his philosophy. For the first time since he’d been a teenager in school, Tim genuinely wanted to retaliate. Hit back. No, not just hit back. Cave Pitman’s skull in with a wrench. Knock him down and beat him senseless.

It was embarrassing to be having such barbaric thoughts.

But Tim realized he could not help it. Not after the way Pitman had savaged him, and for no reason other than that Tim was powerless to do anything about it. Talk or no talk, the Ambit League people were going to beat him again. Perhaps even to death. Regardless of what came out of his mouth. Of this Tim was certain. So, he kept his mouth shut, and waited, dismally, for the renewal of blows.

#

Pitman noticed Osterhaudt flinch, and then remain silent.

“He needs more motivation, boss,” Pitman said. His fists were sore from the first series of blows, but he’d relished the exercise. Every hit was another piece of revenge for what had been done to Gillian.

Berd sighed and nodded.

Pitman lunged, cracking a fist across Osterhaudt’s cheek.

There was a loud smack and Osterhaudt’s head snapped to the side, blood pouring from a new gash in Osterhaudt’s face.

* * *

Tim ran a tongue along the wounded flesh inside his mouth—to compliment the wounds outside—and grimaced. A few teeth were loose. He’d have to have that taken care of, if he survived to get off this mud ball.

Another blow cracked Tim’s head in the opposite direction, and a second cut joined the first in dribbling warm redness all over Osterhaudt’s muscled chest.

“Who is your partner?” Berd asked again, remaining calm as Pitman’s chest inhaled and exhaled rapidly.

Osterhaudt closed his eyes and tried to remove himself from the current situation. He refused to betray a woman whom he had learned to call a friend. He was also a CAF Reserve officer. They hadn’t spent much time discussing prisoner of war scenarios, but Tim knew the stories from history. He would resist them as long as he could. Until whatever he babbled out of his mouth was so nonsensical it wouldn’t matter how much he spoke.

Osterhaudt lifted his head slowly and stared at them both through swollen eyes—just for a moment.

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