Chimera Read Online Free PDF

need is a tiny clip of skin from one ear, which we immediately swab with iodine to counteract any infection.   Once the drugs wear off, the animals are no worse for the wear.   Have to do it at night because —”
    “What is your name?” the lieutenant interrupted.
    “Emerson.   Marcus Emerson,” Wallis replied.
    “I am not familiar with that name.”
    “We’re based out of Khao Sok.   I’m surprised you don’t know about our project.   We’ve been working here, on and off, for several months now.   Are you new to the district?”
    “We’re on a temporary detail to this area,” the lieutenant acknowledged and he brought the radio up to the side of his face.   “I’ll contact my supervisor in Bangkok.   They can confirm your collection permit.   How do you spell your name?”
    Bangkok? Bloody hell , Wallis thought, staring thoughtfully at the assault rifle aimed at his chest.   “E-M-E-R-S-O-N.”
    As the lieutenant brought the pack-set radio up to the side of his mouth, a voice out of the darkness said “Excuse me.”
    The sergeant, corporal and constable all started to whirl around in the direction of the new voice, and then crumpled to the ground as a flurry of 9mm bullets from a silenced pistol ripped into their heads.
    The lieutenant had dropped the pack-set radio and was starting to draw his pistol when Wallis swiftly drew a silenced pistol from his shoulder holster and shot the young team leader twice in the side of the head.   As he crumbled to the ground, Jack Gavin stepped forward out of the darkness.
    “Check the jeep.   See if they’ve got anything in there that identifies us,” Wallis ordered as he knelt down and quickly began searching the jacket pockets of the four Rangers.
    “Nothing here, just a map of Southern Thailand with the entire Reservoir area circled in red,” Gavin said as he came back from the jeep.   “Nothing to indicate that they were focused on the Khlong Preserve, or on us.”
    “Nothing on the bodies, either,” Wallis said as he stood up.   The two men looked at each other.
    “Sorry, but from where I was standing, and what I heard, I couldn’t see any other option,” Gavin said, shrugging his lean, muscular shoulders as he returned the silenced pistol to his shoulder holster.
    “No, there wasn’t,” Wallis agreed.   “Thai Forestry Lieutenants and Sergeants don’t go out on routine patrol in the middle of the night; and when was the last time you saw a Thai Ranger patrol wearing ceramic chest plates in their vests?   They were definitely on the hunt for something, or someone.”
    “What happened to Choon?   Why didn’t he warn us?”
    “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”   Wallis shook his head in frustration, and then sighed.   “It had to be done, no question; but these Rangers are going to cost us dear.”   He stared grimly down at the four bodies for a moment, and then back up at Gavin.   “How did you get here?”
    “The motor-bike,” Gavin replied.
    “Give me your pistol and holster.”
    Gavin blinked in momentary confusion, as if he hadn’t heard Wallis correctly.   But then he quickly obeyed, taking off his jacket, slipping out of the shoulder holster and handing the holstered weapon to Wallis.
    “If you need a weapon, use one of theirs,” Wallis said, “but try to avoid any additional shooting if at all possible.   We’re going to need a plausible diversion if we’re to get out of this with our arses intact.”
    “Understood,” Gavin acknowledged.
    “Take the jeep and the bodies back to where you left the bike, pick it up, slip into the best-looking uniform of the four -– ideally the sergeant’s — and then head north.   Try to get as close to Khuraburi as you can without being spotted, run the jeep off the road — into the brush or over a cliff, whatever you can do fast without being seen — and then motor-bike back down to Tauka Pa, dump the bike, and then wait for Quince.   While you’re