Assault or Attrition Read Online Free PDF

Ever. Stuff continues to happen outside
your little bubble whether you like it or not.”
    I knew Peyton
was emotional. She was clearly still furious that I’d been out of
reach for so long, but she wasn’t listening to reason. I needed
someone else to help convince her that Northern Alberta was the
best course of action. “When Gavin gets here let’s all have a talk.
Maybe we can come up with a plan, all right?”
    “Gavin isn’t
coming,” Peyton said, not much louder than a whisper. “He’s back in
The Fringe cleaning up what’s left of Excelsior.”
    “What’s left?”
I asked.
    She swallowed
hard and stepped away from me. “A mob burnt it down two weeks ago.
Molotov cocktails, right through the front window. The police
thought it was because they figured you were inside. You
were at Excelsior, on camera before Arena Mode, so...” She turned
her head, blinking a pair of tears from her eyes. “The whole thing
is a write-off.”
    Excelsior Retro
Comics was much more than just a store to Gavin; it was the
culmination of his life’s work. His entire personal and professional comic book collection had been reduced to ash, and it
was all because I’d retreated into hiding, unwilling to step
forward. “I have money now,” I said reassuringly. “I can replace
everything. That’s not a problem.”
    Peyton shook
her head. “Not everything can be fixed by signing a check.”
    “I can...it’s
all right – I can help,” I stammered. “Look, when things cool down
I’ll help him rebuild.”
    “If you really
wanted to help you would have been there for Gavin, and for
me. Months ago. The way we were there for you when you
needed us most.” She took a moment to zip up her fitted black coat
and pull on a pair of thermal gloves. “You seem to have your mind
made up, so there’s nothing left for us to talk about. Enjoy living
in your bubble. There are people back in New York who need me, and
I want to be there for them.”
    Peyton abruptly
turned towards the exit and I lunged forward, hoping to stop her. A
razor-sharp pain sliced across my abdomen when I made the sudden
movement, stopping me in my tracks. “Wait,” I said through gritted
teeth, reaching towards her, “I want to be there for you guys – I
do. You can count on me.”
    Peyton paused
for a moment, just an arm’s reach from the door. She lingered in a
moment of hesitation before reaching for the knob. “I’m sorry,” she
sighed. “But right now, I don’t even trust you.”

Chapter Three

    “ I should
have stayed in Sudan,” Valentina grumbled. “Shit was always blowing
up, but at least it was warm.” She pulled her jacket tight
around her waist, burying her chin into her collar.
    Turning my back
to the wind, I yanked my wool toque down over my ears with both
hands. It was an exceedingly unpleasant October afternoon, even for
Ontario; a light morning snowfall turned to freezing rain,
punishing every square inch of our exposed skin like tiny needles.
The hospital’s rooftop hoverpad was open to the elements, with
nowhere to seek shelter from the icy shards.
    My jet arrived
a moment later and touched down silently, and the entrance ramp
lowered to invite us aboard. The new G12 with vertical take-off and
landing capabilities was the most expensive aircraft available, and
also the fastest; with a top speed that exceeded Mach 2, I could
travel halfway across Canada in just over an hour. It was the first
toy I’d purchased with my fortune, and the only luxury item I’d
really had a chance to enjoy.
    Valentina and I
removed our jackets as soon as the door sealed shut behind us. My
pilot, Kirk McBride (who referred to himself as ‘Mac’ most of the
time – or, depending on whom he was introducing himself to, ‘Big
Mac’) greeted us with a beaming grin. “Mister Moxon, Miss Garcia,
nice to have you aboard. Can I offer either of you a beverage this
afternoon?”
    “Kiss my ass,”
Valentina hissed. She shoved him aside and stomped to the