Tango Down (Drop Trooper Book 11) by Rick Partlow

Author:Rick Partlow [Partlow, Rick]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2023-01-16T13:00:00+00:00

“I don’t like the plan,” Vicky said, the words a warm breath against my neck.

Propping myself up on an elbow, I stared down at her in the darkness, bemused.

“You got the strangest damned pillow talk, woman.”

She chuckled, smacking me on the arm.

“Fine, it was great, it was spectacular, you’re a Greek god.” She rolled her eyes. “We’re going to be feet dry in thirty hours, and I’m telling you, I don’t like the plan.”

“Oh, God,” I murmured, covering my eyes. “Please don’t make me go back to the Goddamned Operations Center again. I can’t listen to Hachette dither anymore.” I wanted to be offended by Vicky bringing up business so soon after we finally had a little alone time, but she was right. There wasn’t much time left, and we’d already started working the company through our op plan. No time for afterglow, not for a commander. “I thought I was going to have to choke the fucker out when he started talking about how our real mission was getting home and there was no guarantee the Seekers were going to be there. I know Nance wanted to punch him, and I was about ready to let him do it.”

My eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the compartment, and I could see Vicky’s face clearly in the gentle glow of the chemical striplights. Her frown was entrenched all the way to her eyes.

“I don’t give a shit about Hachette,” she insisted, thumping a fist into the mattress. “What bothers me is the idea of trusting Zerhanen’s word about the setup there.”

“You think he was lying?” I blinked, surprised. She hadn’t brought that up before.

“No, I think he’s never been there. He might be telling us what he’s heard, the memories in his databank, but he doesn’t know that’s the setup.” Vicky turned over on her side and met my eyes. Mine wandered downward and she chucked my chin back up impatiently with the edge of her hand. “Besides that, we have the company planning for a space drop while the Tahni take Lilandreth to the main lock. How the hell can we trust them to look out for her after what happened today?”

“As crazy as it sounds, I do trust him. That doesn’t mean Lilandreth can actually access the place though, even with Dwight’s help.” I shook my head. “I mean, we’re making the assumption that the Skrela came after us because the Condemnation didn’t want anyone fucking with their setup. If that’s the case, wouldn’t they make sure their security systems didn’t just let in any Resscharr that came along? And hell, Dwight… says he didn’t even know this place existed, so he’d have no way of being certain he can crack whatever firewalls they put up.”

“We did think of that,” Vicky said. “I mean, Nance did. He said if we can’t get in any other way, he’d try the ship’s main gun out on the airlock.”

I winced.

“Even if he has the chance, I’m not even sure that would work.

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