Extinction Read Online Free PDF Page B

dead, then?” Carin asked, arching an eyebrow.
    Augustus nodded. “There is but a remnant left. These are the only ones I found. They also know how to destroy Askala, which is the only way to stop the swarm.”
    “How long before these... Radaskim.... arrive?”
    “A few days, at least. We must secure the eastern portion of the city and man the fortifications. When the horde is defeated, we can plan the counterattack.”
    “And where will we be attacking?” the Warlord asked.
    “Ragnarok Crater.”
    Carin went quiet at that. I realized how ridiculous it sounded. Ragnarok Crater was almost two thousand miles away, an unfathomable distance, especially when considering the Great Blight.
    “Of course, we wouldn’t be directly attacking Ragnarok Crater,” Augustus said. “We would be advancing toward it, hopefully drawing the attention of the Radaskim. This would give the Wastelanders an opening to attack the Crater, if it has been emptied.”
    “You sound like you don’t know if this is going to work,” Black said.
    “There are no guarantees,” Augustus said. “The only guarantee is our mutual death should we do nothing at all.”
    Carin appeared to be deep in thought. I noticed his son, Onyx, among the ranks of Reapers. His dark eyes glinted as if he knew some secret that would change everything, if only we knew. That made me distrust Black. There was something he wasn’t telling us. Anna stared at the Warlord with open loathing, but Carin did not seem to notice, or care.
    At last, Carin gave a small, superior smile. “And so we find ourselves caught in our enemy’s net.”
    Augustus frowned. “What do you mean?”
    “I’ll not play the bait,” Black said. “What is to stop the Wastelanders from allowing Askala to do what they cannot do themselves? We will be destroyed, Augustus, while our ‘friends’ escape.”
    “Nothing’s stopping you from doing the same,” Anna said. “How do we know you’re not planning to let us die?”
    Carin’s cold eyes turned on her. “If you are suggesting that I would betray my ally, then you have misjudged. If there is any betraying to be done, it won’t be on my part.”
    “Then why not work together?” Augustus said. “The original purpose of our alliance has ended. The Wasteland is already ours, as all of its players have been taken over by Askala. If we are to keep our gains, we have to destroy her. Surely, you see that.”
    Carin Black frowned. “Is there any Wasteland left to own? Supposing we are victorious, we will only have the coastline of California left. The rest will be covered in Blight. And my concern, Emperor, is that you did not come here from Nova Roma to do us a good deed. No, you want to control all of the Wasteland. And if you do not want me dead, then you’ll at least want me to kneel at your feet.”
    “Come now, Carin,” Augustus said. “Whether my army is here, or in the south, you will not be able to contend with my strength. After all, a small country cannot contend with a great. The few cannot contend with the many. And the weak cannot contend with the strong.”
    Carin’s face darkened. His men looked nervously at one another, waiting for their leader to respond.
    “You call me weak, Emperor?”
    Augustus, aware of his advantage, pressed on. “I call you fortunate, Carin, that I even allow you the opportunity to serve the Empire, because the many men who have taken your stubborn stance are no longer standing.”
    Carin went quiet, staring at the Emperor with his glacial eyes.
    Augustus continued. “What is your decision, Carin? You have two roads before you. One leads to survival and peace. The other to death and destruction. The Radaskim will be here in days, and she will not care about our petty differences. Will you join me on the field of battle?”
    “I will join you,” Black said. “I will join you, only if you leave this city afterward, never to return.”
    “Very well,” Augustus said. “Los Angeles will be