The Street Survivors by Ian J Malone & Chris Kennedy

Author:Ian J Malone & Chris Kennedy [Malone, Ian J & Kennedy, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Seventh Seal Press
Published: 2021-08-09T00:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 15: Caught in the Act

“What is this, Mike?” Torrio asked.

“What does it look like?” Genovese huffed. “This is me bein’ one step ahead of the game, just like always.”

“One step ah…” Torrio’s gaze widened then narrowed abruptly. “Wait…did you set us up on Emza?”

“No, you idiot,” Genovese snapped. “What I did was cut a deal with a superior fighting force to ease off our necks while I got 200 innocent people back to safety from the shitstorm your arrogance got us into.”

Torrio shook his head.

“I practically begged you not to take the Zuparti deal, remember?” Genovese continued. “I told you the Hawks weren’t ready and it was too big a job. But you wouldn’t listen. You were so hellbent on stickin’ it to the company who took away your path to Ron Carnegie’s chair that you couldn’t see straight. And how did that end? With a whole bunch of dead troopers lyin’ face-down in the sand while their buffoon CO slings rocks under a dome on this freezer of a planet called Droxis. That’s on you, pal. Not me. It’s all on you.”

Torrio opened his mouth to speak, but paused, silver eyebrows pulling together. “What the hell are you talkin’ about? Yeah, you had some objections at the start, and I noted those. When the Bills signed on for support, though, we both agreed the Zuparti contract was doable.”

“No, you agreed.” Genovese stabbed out a finger. “I told you Emza was a suicide mission. But you’re the boss, and the boss is always right, aye Paulie?”

Torrio glared at his XO with the heat of molten lava as four KzSha pushed a lone Buma in restraints toward the humans.

“Sorry, Chief,” Frank said on his way by. “I tried like hell to stay hidden, but the damn wasps found me anyway.”

“Don’t sweat it, brother.” Taylor patted the pilot’s shoulder. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

The Buma’s gloomy expression didn’t waver as he fell into line with the others.

“So.” Taylor shifted. “Now we know why you missed your magnet hookup with the truck convoy outside the dome.”

“Yeah, my apologies for that,” Genovese said. “I needed a way to get free of you hillbillies so I could alert the KzSha to our arrival. FYI, the original plan was to grab you topside in the warehouse, but the hotfoot through the snow back to the dome took me longer than anticipated.”

“Sorry to take a dump on your arrangements,” Jack muttered.

“Ah, it all worked out,” Genovese said with a wave. “After all, had I not been delayed outside, we might not have all gotten the chance to share in this wonderful little Earth reunion of ours.” He motioned to the River Hawks. “I mean, I don’t know about you all, but I’m touched. Am I right?”

No one answered.

“Tough crowd.” Genovese scratched his head, then faced the KzSha. “Lock up the elephants and the cockroach, but bring the humans with us. He wants to meet them.”

He who? Taylor caught matching looks from Jack and Stan.

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