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blade sticking out of his chest. He staggered forward for a couple of steps before his eyes rolled up into his skull. A second later, Andrews fell face-first to the ground, dead.

Tarina broke free from Cole and ran to Sheridan. She expected to see blood pouring from his stomach. Instead, he stood there trying to catch his breath with a smug look on his face. “I don’t understand. I saw the bayonet hit you,” stammered Tarina.

“You did.” Sheridan undid his jacket. Underneath was a gray t-shirt with a small cut in it. Tarina reached out and touched the undershirt. It was rigid to the touch where the knife had hit Sheridan; everywhere else it was still soft.

Cole saw the look on Tarina’s face and smiled. “Thankfully, your boyfriend remembered to wear his body armor.”

“It’s liquid body armor,” explained Sheridan. “It’s super lightweight and hardens on impact. I never leave home without it.”

Tarina shook her head. “Michael Sheridan, don’t do that ever. My poor heart almost stopped when you were stuck by that bayonet.”

Sheridan wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I knew what I was doing.”

“I doubt that. But I’m glad you’re still alive.”

“Me too.”

Chapter 45

At first, the assault on the Kurgan forces by the Marines met little resistance. After securing the Kurgan field hospitals, everything else became a target. The armored division had landed behind the enemy’s rear echelon and steamrollered over the hapless logistical and combat support soldiers. When they hit the masses of Chosen infantry, the drive to relieve the forces trapped in the capital slowed down. Although battered and weakened from weeks of incessant fighting, the Chosen warriors stood their ground and fought to the death. 

Denisov wasn’t one to waste his men’s lives fighting a fanatical foe. He pulled his armored forces back and mercilessly pounded the enemy with artillery and close air support for hours before resuming the advance. It took several days of intense fighting before the Marine divisions were able to link up with those trapped inside the capital. On the last night of the operation, what remained of the Chosen forces charged out of the ruins with flags held high. They were mowed down in waves until they had to climb over the mounds of their own dead to get at the Marines. When it was over, not a single Kurgan officer had been taken alive. The Chosen, seeing the end coming, committed suicide by the hundreds rather than be taken alive. The river running through the capital was choked with the bodies of soldiers who had drowned themselves. Only those too severely wounded to kill themselves were taken alive.

Sheridan stood beside Tarina. Both had washed and changed into new uniforms. For Sheridan, it was his first shower in close to two months. He wanted to keep his beard, but Tarina had insisted that it go.

They stood there arm in arm looking down on the planet. After all, it had been through; Derra-5 looked peaceful and serene from space. On the orders of Admiral Sheridan, they had been found and brought to his flagship. Sheridan had at first refused to follow the order until he knew that his people were looked after and moved to the rear for a few days’ rest.

The door to the room slid open. Admiral Sheridan walked in. He saw his son and Tarina standing there and smiled. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“No, sir,” replied Sheridan as he let go of Tarina and turned to face his father.

“It’s good to see you both,” said the admiral. “When I was informed that Tarina had been reported missing, I was more than a little concerned until both she and you were found alive.”

“Thank you for your concern, sir,” replied Tarina.

“Nonsense, I’ve always thought you two were good for each other.”

“Why didn’t you tell Mother that,” said Sheridan, not hiding the disdain in his voice.

“Michael, I’m sorry for what was said. But please believe me; whatever your mother said to you is in the past. I want a fresh start.”

Sheridan let out a deep sigh. “Simply dismissing the past won’t be easy. It took far too long for me to realize that I love Tarina, and I don’t give a damn if Mother approves of her or not.”

Admiral Sheridan smiled. “Well, I most certainly do approve of her. Shouldn’t that mean something?”

Tarina said, “Sir, it means a lot to me. Thank you.”

“Michael, you should know that General Gruber has recommended you for a Distinguished Service Medal and a promotion to captain.”

“Sir, with all due respect to the general, unless all of the people in my group are recognized, I won’t accept the honor or the promotion. It wasn’t just me who risked their life down there. I wouldn’t be alive it wasn’t for the Marines I serve with.”

Admiral Sheridan liked what he heard and sagely nodded. “I’ll have my aide look into it and see that justice is done for your comrades. You know that after all you’ve been though, you can both choose your next duty assignment.”

“Father, I want to get back into the fight as soon as possible. A front line regiment, any front line regiment, will work for me.”

“I take it that you no longer want a position with the First Division?”

“That’s correct.”

“And what about you, Tarina?” asked the admiral.

“Right back to my transport squadron, please.”

“Yes, of course, your transport squadron.” Admiral Sheridan looked at his son and Tarina. His heart swelled with pride. Both could have taken the easy way out but instead had chosen to continue to take the risks along with everyone else. 

“Michael, I think you should know that after I read your report, I had Andrews’ body examined. I was more than a little shocked to see that according to fleet medical records he had no known relatives reported missing on the other side of the Disputed Zone. In short, he is a homegrown fanatic. It is a very scary thought that some of our people have willing adopted the Kurgan religion. This changes everything.”

Sheridan said, “Sir, it’s only going to get worse before it gets better. The key here is not to overreact. History has shown us time and time again that if we allow our fear to get the better of us, we’ll be doing the Kurgans’ work for them. They want us to turn on one another. The best thing we can do is remain calm but vigilant. If we carry on and conduct our business as normal, they’ll become desperate and try to force our hand. That’s when they’ll be vulnerable.”

Admiral Sheridan grinned. His son was one hundred percent correct. He made a mental note to contact Admiral Oshiro and pass on the same message to his superiors. Hopefully, they would listen and not rush judgment.

Sheridan changed the topic. “Father, what do you intend to tell Mother about Tarina and me?”

“What do you want me to say to her?”

“The truth. That we are in love and that I don’t care if she doesn’t approve of Tarina. She can either learn to accept my decision or she can go through life knowing that it was her prejudices that caused me to never speak to her again.”

 “I’ll send her a message telling her that we have spoken and that I approve of the two of you being together. We’ll have to wait and see what comes from all of this.” 

“Thanks.”

He handed Sheridan a pass key. “You know, I think I’ll take a tour of the fleet. Probably won’t be back until at least noon tomorrow.” With that, he turned his back and walked out of the room.

“What’s that?” Tarina asked looking at the swipe card in Sheridan’s hand.

“It’s the key to my father’s private room.”

Tarina slipped her arm around Sheridan’s waist and pulled him close. Seductively, she said, “Well, at least we have tonight together.”

With a devilish grin on his face, he said, “Yes, we do. I wonder if the ship’s galley delivers.”

– THE END –

BOOKS BY RICHARD TURNER

The Ryan Mitchell Thrillers

Goliath (book 1)

Black Dragon (book 2)

Lucifer's Fire (book 3)

Hellfire (book 4)

Barracuda (book 5)

Nemesis (book 6)

Conquistador (book 7)

The Kurgan War

First Strike (book 1)

Colossus (book 2)

Trident Fury (book 3)

Vengeance (book 4)

Ghost Company (book 5)

Insurrection (book 6)

Renegade (book 7)

Crimson Fire (book 8)

Horror

Mercy

Project Gauntlet

Fallen Star (book 1)

The Founders (book 2)

Thunderbolt (book 3)

The Valley (book 4)

The Alexander Scott Novels

The Devil’s Path (book 1)

Scorpion (book 2)

The Christopher Sheppard Adventures

The Last Eagle (book 1)

A Fragment of Destiny (book 2)

The James Shaw Missions

Incursion (book 1)

The Mountain (book 2)