Starheart by Greta van der Rol

Author:Greta van der Rol
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: action, adventure, space opera, spaceships, romance
Publisher: Greta van der Rol
Published: 2013-04-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-two

Hudson sprayed fire at the ground troops to keep them in place. The copter rushed across the treetops, the thrum of the engines booming around the peaks.

Jess set up the target and stared down the sights of her rifle. Closer, a little closer. The thruster grew in her mind, dominated her vision. It disappeared. She lifted her head from the gun sight. What the hell? The copter soared into the air, swept around in a banking turn then raced away toward Mount Egmont. Jess exchanged a glance with Hudson; he seemed as surprised as she was. The ground troops had disappeared, too, including the man with the injured sniffert. Scuffed snow and a greenish stain marked the place where it had been.

"They're going," she said. A different sound echoed around the hills, heavier, deeper. "What's that?" Oh, shit no. Another aircraft, larger by the sound. She spun around, searching for a target.

Hudson laughed and looked over his shoulder at two sleek shapes barely visible against the bright sky. "That's a pair of mine. T14 Hunters."

He pulled her into his arms, swung her around and kissed her. What started off as a gesture of delight quickly evolved into rather more. Jess wound her arms around his neck while one of his hands slid down to her buttocks. Tongues wrestled briefly. He pushed her away and cleared his throat.

"This will have to wait until later." His voice was husky and his eyes held a fading spark.

Jess said nothing. The last couple of days had seen a change in him, no longer the arrogant asshole she'd first seen on Defender. Maybe His Admiralship was starting to shed his shell.

Hudson gazed up at the approaching craft, contacting them, she presumed, via his implant. One of them sped up, following the same track as the copter, while the other slowed and settled beyond a belt of trees.

Jess slung the rifle. It felt like a hawser cutting into her shoulder, and her feet were blocks of ice. Oh, for a warm shower, clean clothes and some food. Hudson strode through the snow into the woods toward the machine a few hundred meters away. Troops came running, weapons poised. He stopped and allowed them to approach. One of them stepped forward, sweeping up the visor of his helmet. His name patch said Tully.

"Good to have you back."

"Good to be back."

Hudson slipped an arm around Jess’ shoulders and walked up the ramp into the vehicle. She collapsed onto the nearest seat, an acceleration chair against a bulkhead.

The officer who'd met them saluted, a fist struck against his chest. "We've been searching since they told us you didn't come back from your trip. We ... hoped we weren't looking for bodies."

A trooper poured tea into mugs and handed them over. Jess cradled hers in her hands, grateful for the warmth and the aroma. The liquid slipped down her throat, sweet and strong. So good.

"When were you told?"

"Late last night. We flew the area for a few hours but the weather made it very difficult.

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