Desperado (Murphy's Lawless: Watch the Skies Book 2), Kevin Ikenberry [reading the story of the txt] 📗

and kicked to no avail. In his free hand, he brandished one of the steel rods she’d seen; she brought up the one in her own left hand as he wound up to strike. She was able to block enough of the blow so it did not smash her skull, instead causing chips to fly up from the logs to her right.

“Get off me!” she screamed.

Waornaak roared and attempted to recover and strike again. “Offworlder!”

There was another sound, an unearthly shriek that she abruptly realized was coming from her own mouth. Her right arm was useless. Tears of pain blinded her, kept her from seeing Waornaak’s face clearly. All she could do was kick and hit and try to block his attacks with her metal rod.

There was a shattering sound, almost like a small explosion, from the door. It was immediately followed by another sound—one she’d heard before. Aliza turned her head, and the tears drained sideways long enough for her to see Athena burst through the wall abutting the waterfall. The big whinnie’s lunge carried her so far into the room that as she landed, she was already snarling and biting as the man turned to face her.

Waornaak swung his makeshift weapon again. The blow slammed into the side of Athena’s head just behind her left eye. There was a whoosh of air from the animal’s lungs as she collapsed. Waornaak dropped Aliza and stalked toward the stunned whinnie, rod rising for a killing blow.

Aliza rolled off the logs onto the floor and dove for the pistol. Her right arm screamed with pain, and she wondered if she’d have the strength to fire left-handed. As she wrapped her hand around the pistol’s grip and turned to aim it at Waornaak…time slowed down.

With her left hand, she centered the sights on the back of Waornaak’s head.

The pain in her right hand prevented her from stabilizing the pistol at all.

She knew she could not aim well enough to hit her target.

But she had to try.

When the sight was centered once more, Aliza pulled the trigger…and time returned to normal.

The bullet passed harmlessly by Waornaak’s head and chewed out a piece of the wall behind him. Instead of swinging his makeshift weapon at Athena again, he turned and leaped toward Aliza.

She steadied the pistol and tried to aim for his center of mass, his chest above his heart, and pulled the trigger.

The pistol bucked out of her useless hand. Waornaak snarled and advanced, the metal rod raised for another strike. Behind Athena, through the rough gap in the wall, Aliza saw Scout making his way to the top of the falls.

He would not make it in time…

Several shots echoed, sharp and hard, in the enclosed space. Waornaak’s face went from rage to shock. The metal staff slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor. Staggering, he spun around to look behind him before toppling against the log pile.

Behind him, Aliza saw the man named Yukannak with a pistol in his hands. His tanned face was smeared with the traditional paint; he was older than her and handsome. They locked eyes for a moment. Scout broke down the remainder of the wall, howling over Athena. Aliza looked away from the door to the whinnies and then stood to face the man.

She gasped in recognition. His white-hair and intense amber-gold eyes were no more native to R’bak than his features and mannerisms. He was Kulsian, possibly even Ktor. As he tucked his weapon away, their eyes locked. Neither of them spoke.

Aliza nodded, said, “Thank—”

The outsider ducked out of the door before Aliza could finish, let alone stop him.

“Wait! Yukannak!”

But he was gone. As if he’d never been there.

Aliza heard a low groan. Athena’s eyes opened, and the big whinnie rose unsteadily to her feet. Aliza met Scout’s gaze. He’d assumed a protective posture over his mate as the others outside finished climbing the wall. The big whinnie hooted at Aliza and tossed his head behind him, as if to say he had things under control here, but that she needed to get to safety.

Outside, the battle raged closer and louder than it had before. Looking around, Aliza saw the pistol lying in the dust and gingerly picked it up. Several shots echoed just outside the room. Scout snarled and stomped in place, shifting so that he was between the door and Athena. Hand shaking, Aliza brought the pistol up to cover the door.

A familiar face ducked inside and swung a rifle in her direction, then stopped. He glanced at the body on the floor and back up to her. “Lieutenant Turan? You okay, ma’am?”

“Sergeant Morton.” She grinned through the pain. “Am I glad to see you.”

* * *

As a young second lieutenant going through his officer’s basic course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Bo learned from a Marine major how a combat engagement could change in a moment. A competent combat leader needed to understand the situation and decide quickly how best to seize or retain the initiative. Without question, the militia and J’Stull soldiers atop the glacis were firing into the center of town. Bo could assume they had either come apart at the seams due to a lack of leadership, or that his security element had been able to push through the western gate and get inside the city.

Movement to the right caught his eye. Atop of the wall, a few soldiers were scrambling down a narrow passageway. Behind them, riding tall over the battlements, came Lieutenant Stewart on his mount, Olympia, followed by three or four mounted whinnies. Further to the east there were riderless whinnies on the wall, but they hung back, close to the waterfall. Bo was surprised he did not see Scout or Athena among them.

I can’t worry about them right now.

The successful attacks had shaped