Blood Thirsty (Tri System's Edge Series Book 2)

by Ron Schrader

  “Yes, Sergeant, are your men prepared?” he asked coldly.

  “Affirmative, sir. We’re strapped in and ready to drop,” the sergeant answered.

  “Good. We only need one live specimen. Do you think your team can handle that?”

  “Not a problem, sir,” the sergeant replied confidently. “If your intel is good, this mission should be a breeze.”

  The general remained silent for a moment, uncertain if the sergeant and his team were in fact capable of completing their mission. He’d seen firsthand what Kalla was capable of, and he knew that if these Vie had anything to do with her strength, they wouldn’t be easy prey. He also wondered if the falsified intel he’d given them was a mistake. But he knew it was doubtful they would have even accepted the mission had they known all the details.

  After resolving the debate in his mind, he said, “Good luck, Sergeant.”

  “Thank you, sir, but we won’t need it,” came the reply. Then the intercom went silent.

  The battleship moved into orbit, and from the bridge, General Quinn now had a full view of the planet below. He smiled briefly and listened as a short countdown commenced over the intercom. Moments later, he could see the drop ship rapidly moving away from the battleship and toward the planet’s surface.

  ~

  Master Sergeant Tom Murphy paced confidently before his team of five men who stood at attention. One by one, he walked by each team member, inspecting them and their gear.

  Bennett, his sniper and longtime friend, smiled as Murphy walked by.

  “Something funny?” Murphy grunted, before cracking a smile and moving on.

  Willis, the communications officer, was next in line. “Equipment prepped?” Murphy asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Willis replied.

  Morris, who specialized in heavy artillery, held a large, bulky assault rifle in both hands, and Murphy only nodded as he passed by.

  At the end of the line stood Drake, the explosives expert, and Newton, the team medic. Murphy nodded to each of them in succession, then took a step back and faced the group.

  Each member of the team was fully decked out in advanced combat gear—slim-fitting body armor suits designed for easy maneuverability, and full, protective headgear with retractable face visors. An array of supplies and ammunition was packed strategically in the attached pouches running down the chest, arms, and legs of the combat suits. A utility belt around each soldier’s waist contained even more ammunition and a couple of side arms. Automatic rifles mounted in brackets directly above each soldier waited to take their place in the highly skilled hands of his team.

  While Murphy had known Bennett the longest, he still thought of each team member as family. Their bond as brothers had been forged over several previous missions, which meant he always looked out for them. Only this time, he’d kept a feeling to himself—a feeling that said something wasn’t right about this mission—and he felt guilty for it.

  As the drop ship made its descent, Murphy addressed his men. “The general’s been vague about what we’re after: some make-believe monster he says lives on this planet. Until I’ve seen one with my own eyes, I’m not sure what to think, but he did make it clear they ain’t goin’ down easy.” Murphy paused and made eye contact, one by one, with each member of his team. “That’s why we’re here, boys,” he continued, “because we’re the best and General Quinn knows it.”

  The men boastfully grunted in sync.

  Murphy half-smiled and almost started to speak again, but the drop ship began to shake as it entered the planet’s atmosphere. Murphy quickly returned to his seat and buckled in.

  “Careful, Murph!” yelled Corporal Willis, followed by a brief bout of laughter from all the men.

  Murphy smiled back. “That’s good, get your laughs out now, because if this monster we’re hunting today is the real deal, we all need to be at two hundred percent. I expect to fly off this rock with my team intact. We clear?”

  “Yes, sir!” came the unanimous response from the group.

  “Alright, then. Now to the part I’m not thrilled about. The primary ammo we’ve been asked to use are these specialized tranq rounds filled with a nerve toxin. The idea is to take one of these things alive, but immobilized.”

  “No prob, Sarge,” Bennett said. “We still get standard ammo for backup though, right?”

  Murphy nodded. “Yes, but our orders are to only use it if absolutely necessary. Bottom line is that we need to try and avoid a firefight.”

  Several of the men nodded.

  “So make sure your silencers are equipped before we leave the ship.”

  Again, the men all nodded as they followed Murphy’s instruction.

  “Any questions?” Murphy asked.

  Bennett raised his hand. “Yeah, why not just let me take the shot from the drop ship, then we can fly in for an easy cleanup?”

  “Wish it were that easy,” Murphy replied, “but apparently there’s a thick fog all over the ground where these things live. Can’t see more than a few meters in front of you, if that.”

  “Do we even know how many are down there?” Bennett followed up.

  “I’m still processing the idea that these things actually exist, so I can’t imagine there’s too many of them,” Murphy replied. “General Quinn said he was here not long ago and had a run-in with a half dozen maybe, so we might not find them at all and this trip will be a bust. Let’s just do our job as best we can so we all go home in one piece. Sound good?”

  The men chattered in agreement as the ship approached the surface, but the excitement was cut short by the drop ship pilot who began yelling for Murphy to get in the cockpit.

  “What’s up?” Murphy asked, as he sat down next to the pilot.

  “See for yourself,” came the sober reply.

  Murphy looked down at the ground. Even though the sun was setting and thick mist covered the ground, he could see what appeared to be a herd of something dark, racing around the valley floor like ants busy at work. “Straight ahead,” he pointed forward. “Let’s see if we can find a break to land in.”

  “Sir, with all due respect, I’m not landing anywhere near those things.”

  Murphy could see the beads of sweat dripping down the pilot’s face. “Captain, what’s your name?”

  “It’s Fisher, sir.”

  “Listen up, Fisher. We all have a job to do, and I expect you to do yours just the same. You won’t need to leave the ship, just let us do our job and we’ll all go home, safe and sound. Alright?”

  Fisher nodded after a moment of hesitation. “I’ll keep looking for an opening, sir,” he said. “But I’m not staying on the ground,” he added. “If they damage the ship, nobody’s going home.”

  “Fair enough,” said Murphy. “Just stay close by and I’ll radio for pickup.”

  “Roger that,” Fisher said.

  Murphy headed back to the passenger compartment of the drop ship where he found his men on their feet, preparing to go to work. “Small change of plans,” he said. “There’s a lot of something running around down there, and our pilot, Captain Fisher, doesn’t seem to like the idea of being on the ground for too long, and I agree with him. So, we’re going in without immediate evac.”

  “Is it these Vie we’re after?” Bennett asked.

  “What happens when we get overrun?” Morris protested.

  The rest of the group murmured in agreement.

  “I know,” Murphy interrupted with a raised hand. “I don’t like it either, but this ain’t what any of us expected. And to be fair, Fisher doesn’t have our training either, so I do understand his reluctance. But I also don’t want to endanger the drop ship. That would be bad for all of us.”

  The men all nodded.

  “So here’s the new plan. We’ll move as soon as it’s clear, and Fisher will fly up out of the fog, but stay close enough for a quick evac. He’s lookin’ for a clearing to land in as we speak, so let’s all be ready to jump ship any minute now.”

 
; Less than two minutes had passed when Fisher’s voice came over the intercom. “Thirty seconds to touchdown.”

  “Safeties off. Silencers on,” Murphy said. Ready for action, the men lined up by the exit ramp that had already started extending down and outward beneath the ship. Murphy stood in front of the small group and waved his hand, signaling them to move. One by one, the men ran down the ramp and jumped the few remaining feet to the ground.

  “We’re clear,” Murphy spoke into the helmet mic, then watched as the ship rose back up into the sky, above the fog and out of his view.

  The noise of the ship’s thrusters had barely faded when squeals could be heard in all directions, forcing the team to huddle close, back-to-back.

  “I think I see a wall,” said Willis. “Maybe we can find cover?”

  “Move out!” Murphy ordered, leading his men toward the wall.

  But they didn’t make it very far. Less than a meter from their original position, the first attack on his men began.

  “Murphy!” Bennett screamed, just before he suddenly disappeared into the fog.

  “We’re being flanked!” yelled Drake.

  The men stopped their run, regrouped in a tight circle, and began firing into the fog as dark shapes closed in from all sides.

  “Stand your ground!” Murphy yelled, struggling to compete with the noise of gunfire that continued for several minutes. He joined in with his men, taking aim and firing at anything that appeared to move. “Evac, I repeat, evac!” he called out over the radio.

  “Heading to drop point now,” Fisher responded.

  “This is insane,” Drake yelled.

  “Let’s move!” ordered Murphy, knowing they hadn’t made it very far from the drop point.

  The group moved as quickly as possible, while maintaining their tight formation, picking off anything that happened to move.

  As they approached the drop point, Murphy was surprised to stumble across Bennett, who was laying on the ground, and appeared to be unconscious. “Check him,” he yelled to Newton. “Is he still alive?” But before Newton could react, the drop ship came into view. “Never mind, just grab him, and let’s get on that ship.”

  Willis and Drake were closest, so they hoisted Bennett upright, throwing his arms over their shoulders, and began running toward the drop ship’s extended ramp.

  Meanwhile, the rest of the team provided cover fire until all the men were safely aboard the ship.

  “Shut the door and get us out of here!” Murphy shouted over the comm the moment the last man had reached the ramp.

  Fisher complied, but the jolt of the ship lifting off was just enough to knock Morris off balance, sending him rolling down the ramp and out of the ship.

  “Wait! Open the ramp!” Murphy yelled, but it was too late. He could hear Morris screaming, and even before he was able to see outside the ship, he knew Morris was as good as dead.

  Before the ramp finished opening, Murphy had already climbed onto it and was prepared to jump. But the sudden the loud bang of a grenade stopped him from going any further. Murphy reached his hands to his face and sat on the edge of the ramp, still dangling several meters above the ground.

  Though it was difficult to see much through the fog, Murphy could make out a frenzy of black shapes that swarmed beneath the drop ship, the spot where he knew Morris’s life had just ended. He walked back inside the cargo bay feeling defeated. “Let’s go,” he quietly said over the comm, knowing there was nothing left to do here.

  “Bennett’s in bad shape,” Newton interrupted. “He’s barely breathing and he’s got a lot of bite marks. Murphy, I don’t know if he’s going to make it!” he yelled above the noise of the ship.

  Murphy pushed his emotions aside and walked toward the gurney to inspect the damage for himself, and he knew right away that things didn’t look good for his friend.

  Bennett’s armor had done its job, but the man’s exposed hands and face hadn’t fared so well, having been bitten countless times, with large pieces of flesh missing in places.

  “Do you think he’ll live?” Murphy asked.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. We need to get him back to the battleship, to the med center,” Newton said, shaking his head. “I’m just not equipped to deal with trauma like this.”

  “General Quinn ain’t gonna like this either,” Murphy muttered, as he walked toward the cockpit. Once inside he sat down. “Open a line to the battleship,” he asked. “Get Quinn on now.”

  “What happened down there?” Fisher asked after complying with the order, but before Murphy could answer, General Quinn’s voice filled the cockpit.

  “I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon,” the general said without emotion. “I certainly hope the mission hasn’t been delayed.”

  “Sir, um, we’ve had an incident. Morris is dead, and Bennett is . . .”

  “Did you capture one of the creatures?” General Quinn was more demanding now.

  Unlike most of the soldiers under the general’s command, Murphy was not easily intimidated by him. “Sir, the mission was compromised before it even began. We were attacked within minutes of reaching the ground. Bennett was mauled, and might not even live, and one of my men . . .” The lump in his throat forced him to pause for a moment. “Sir, Morris is dead and this mission is over,” he said bluntly.

  “You did good, Sergeant.”

  Murphy was taken back by the response, especially since he’d more or less given the general an order. “I don’t understand, sir,” he replied.

  “Just get Bennett up to the ship right away where we can attend to his needs.” After the general had finished, the radio signal ended.

  “What just happened?” Fisher asked, a look of confusion on his face.

  “No idea,” Murphy replied, “but that sure didn’t go how I expected. He’s not one that’s typically happy about a failed mission.”

  Without letting Fisher respond, Murphy stood and walked back to check on Bennett.

  “He’s in really bad shape, Murph,” Newton said as Murphy approached. “He’s started having all these seizures. I’ve never seen anything like this from a bunch of animal bites before.”

  In that moment, as Newton’s words registered, Murphy began to put the pieces together. This was the general’s plan all along. He’d never intended for Murphy’s team to actually capture anything. He just needed a live sample, which was exactly what they were bringing him. Bennett must have been infected by whatever those things were, and Murphy didn’t believe for a second that the general had any intention of helping his good friend.

  “It’s because those weren’t animals,” he finally replied. “And I’m pretty sure Bennett’s as good as dead.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Entering the atmosphere of Svati Prime reminded Kalla of the first time she had met General Quinn, and she wished for a moment that she’d known then what kind of person he was. She daydreamed of sitting across from him in the lounge. When his focus turned to lighting another cigar, she’d reach for her pistol and . . .

  “Kalla,” Davis interrupted, “I know a safe place to land. It’s a bit of a hike, but no one will bother the ship.”

  She nodded, but kept staring out at the scenery of the planet below. It occurred to her that Svati Prime would have been a beautiful place to live, with its lush green forests, abundant lakes and waterways, and scenic mountain ranges scattered across the planet’s surface. Even the desert regions added variety to the scenery. It was the inhabitants who were the problem.

  The people who called Svati Prime home were the type that would sooner put a dagger in your back than call you neighbor. It was for this very reason that outlaws and criminals—the very worst people in the Tri Systems—felt so at home on the planet. It was easy to see why General Quinn had established a base here, surrounding himself with like-minded people. It probably made it much easier to recruit, too, Kalla assumed.

  Prior to her more recent visit, she’d only been here one other time. Aurelia had bro
ught her here when she was very young, on what Aurelia called a “business trip.” On the way to the planet, Aurelia had warned Kalla that, because Svati Prime was among the handful of planets on the outskirts of the Tri Systems, the Directive had little to no ability to sufficiently police it. The absence of any significant law enforcement made it easy for criminals and outlaws to run rampant, which in turn made it a dangerous place for everyone, but especially for anyone good and decent. The bad far outnumbered the good, because on the whole, good people were smart enough to stay far away from here.

  As Davis maneuvered the ship toward the planet’s surface, Kalla’s thoughts shifted to another time not long ago, a time when she fit in quite well with the type of people that inhabited Svati Prime. She’d never been at the far end of the spectrum, with those who were just plain evil, murderers and the like, but she’d been raised as a thief and a smuggler, and she was good at it. But as the ship touched down, she reminded herself that she had changed. She had a purpose now, one that didn’t involve shady deals for a payday. She’d experienced the stark difference between good and evil, and she’d finally taken a side, after all the years of sitting on the fence.

  “Kalla?”

  She snapped out of her daydream and looked up at Jarek, who was facing her with his hands firmly gripping her shoulders.

  “We’re here,” he said.

  “Sorry, I was just . . . reminiscing, I guess.” She took a deep breath and slowly stood. She could sense that Jarek and Davis were both waiting for her to take the lead. “Are you ready to do this?” she asked Jarek. Her speech was cautious and hesitant. Even though she knew he could take care of himself just fine, she also knew that most of his experience had been in dealing with the Vie, not conniving criminals, and definitely not men like the general.

  “You know I’ll be fine,” Jarek reassured her.

  “We haven’t even really talked about what you need to do, though,” she said.