Countdown by John Walker (most life changing books TXT) 📕

get a sense of their numbers. The luxury ship only had five people. Biggun made it clear that would be Loch, his guest, two pilots, and a server. The other two contained combatants, the closest thing they had to soldiers. Armed men who were expected to unload the vessels, stowing equipment.

If they were only after Rita, I doubt they’ve got much to deal with. They might immediately come inside. Zem hated waiting around for a conflict. His mind wandered, creating a dozen possibilities. He’d never been able to get over it, never could clear his mind. Not until the shooting started. Then things became clear.

They took up position on the balcony overlooking the audience chamber. Double doors on the opposite side of the room led to the courtyard beyond. Doors to the left and right gave access to the pads. Loch seemed like the type who would go around, to enter like a victorious emperor returning to his castle.

Either way, they had a solid field of fire not only on the entrance but the side passages as well. Their immediate flanks were protected by trip mines just at the ends of the hallways. McCully spaced them perfectly to give three layers the enemy had to plow through. If they had enough to use them all, they’d hopefully assume there were more and slow down.

McCully guarded the hallway on the left side of the compound where the two vessels with the largest number of troops planned to land. The right was left to defensive measures, bigger explosives that should have sealed the hallway when they blew. The explosions were meant to funnel their opponents into the audience chamber.

All roads lead to this kill box. Zem would’ve liked Nostros to be on the right side but they needed someone to guard Biggun. Much as the man seemed motivated by the promise of running the empire after Loch’s demise, they couldn’t trust him. It would be quite the boon for him to take us down after we succeed… the guy who avenged his boss then took over.

“First ship is landing now,” Biggun announced. “The yacht is next.”

“Was it too much to hope that they’d be coordinated?” Zem whispered to Torrence.

She chuckled. “They’re not military pilots. Even so, most of our guys would’ve been sloppy about this too.”

“We need them to land before the defenses go off. McCully?”

“Yeah, I know,” McCully replied. “We can’t detonate until all ships are down.”

“I’ll reposition if I have to.” Zem gripped his rifle tightly. Ops had changed dramatically for him as of late. Before the ervas, he would take up an overwatch position as a sniper. He’d watched the action from afar. Once they joined the Morrigan, he found himself deep in the action again, back to the old ways.

I don’t know how I feel about it. Danger never motivated him. He didn’t care about the thrill of combat or the risk to his life. He wanted to get the job done and he happened to be good at it. When he helped Torrence on the space station, that brought back some of the camaraderie he appreciated but had nothing to do with the violence.

Operations are a means to an end. Zem hadn’t thought about it that way before. All those years of running into fights, killing, taking buildings and territory… he’d never once considered what he wanted. He didn’t think of himself as unhappy. Maybe I should talk to someone about what it means to be fulfilled.

“First ship is down,” McCully announced this time. “They are… securing the vessel. We’ve got another few moments.”

Zem steeled himself. They were on the verge of a firefight. His mind started clearing. It felt natural as he settled into a familiar sensation… that of a soldier again, a killer who knew he could rely on his instincts. He wondered if Torrence went through a similar exercise. She’d been a professional for a long time.

We all have our methods to get through combat.

“Second shuttle’s down,” Nostros called this one. “They’re hopping right out. I’ve got them on camera. They… are not heading for the doors yet though. You’ve still got some time.”

We don’t want time, Zem thought. We want to get this over with.

“Yacht is next,” Biggun said. “Here it comes. Ooh, they’re going to get called out by Loch later. That looked rough as shit. You see it practically bounce? I’d bet on their excuse if you guys weren’t going to shoot them all.” He paused. “You know, that reminds me. Who exactly am I going to be in charge of if you kill them all?”

“The guys who aren’t here,” McCully replied. “Now shut the hell up and do your job. We don’t have time for you to start thinking.”

“Where’s Loch?” Zem asked. “Anyone got him on scans or whatever?”

“The yacht will open up shortly,” Biggun said. “But he’s definitely on there. I promise you that. He’s the only one who uses that ship. None of the boys are stupid enough to take it out. Believe me, someone tried it. He disappeared the next day. Later that week, they found him with most of his insides on the outside if you know what I mean.”

“That was a clear description,” Nostros replied. “Pretty sure everyone knew what you meant, dumbass. This psycho killed someone for borrowing a ship?”

“You don’t take Loch’s things,” Biggun said. “That’s just a fact.”

All the more reason to kill him. Zem checked his computer, watching as the final shuttles set down. Dots surrounded them in a few seconds, men doing whatever work was necessary to secure the vessels. Okay, there we go. Looks like… twelve on that side. That’s what McCully has to work with.

“Got our first count,” Zem said. “McCully, you’ve got a bit of work ahead of you.” He checked the other side. “Nine more not including the package.