Her Brother's Keeper - eARC Read Online Free PDF Page A

was dead before his body hit the tarmac.
    “Colonial marshals!” Marcus shouted. “You two, get down on the ground!”
    “Get down or I’ll put you down!” Wade ordered, shifting his aim to the next closest suspect. “Now!” The two security vehicles arrived, and the three guards, dressed in orange and gray, piled out with sidearms drawn.
    The suspect closest to Wade, a stocky man with a wild shock of orange hair, looked down at the body of his deceased compatriot before slowly lowering himself to the tarmac. The deputy marshal and one of the security officers moved in to restrain him. The other suspect, covered by Marcus’ carbine, lifted his hands over his head, but didn’t move. He stood near the driver’s side door of the truck, staring Marcus down. He was a large, bald man with obvious bionic augmentations. His arms were black and rippled with synthetic sinews. His eyes had been replaced with ugly bionic implants, which made him look like he was wearing goggles. His long, sleeveless duster flapped in the breeze as he stood in silence. Marcus had a bad feeling about this one. The other suspects looked like a bunch of yokels, but the cyborg in the duster had the presence of a leader and the look of a hardened criminal.
    He also didn’t get down on the ground as he’d been told. “Last chance, tin-man, get down on the ground, face down, right now!” Marcus ordered. The cyborg smirked, but didn’t move.
    “Suit yourself,” Marcus said. He flipped off the safety of the less-lethal launcher mounted under his stubby carbine, and squeezed the second trigger. With a muffled pop, a 30mm compliance round launched from his weapon, struck the stubborn cyborg in the chest, and initiated.
    The big man grunted in agony as his body was shocked with a tremendous jolt of electricity. Spittle shot through gritted teeth as every muscle, natural and artificial, locked up. He fell to his knees, then unceremoniously flopped to the tarmac.
    Marcus exhaled slowly, relieved. “I wasn’t sure that was going to work,” he said to Lazlo. He then approached the incapacitated suspect, slinging his carbine behind his back. “Cover me. You,” he said, pointing to the other security guard, “keep your weapon on the guys in the lift.” He moved toward the incapacitated suspect with a pair of restraints in hand.
    The cyborg lurched upward just as Marcus stepped over him. An augmented arm backhanded the marshal, knocking him clean off his feet. In a flash the cyborg lunged forward, grabbing the closest security guard by his gun hand. He wrenched the guard’s arm upward, snapping bone like sticks, and threw him at Lazlo. The two security officers tumbled to the pavement in a heap.
    Realizing what was happening, Wade and the remaining security officer appeared from the other side of the truck just as the bionic criminal jumped back into the driver’s seat. The truck’s hydrogen engine whined as he hit the accelerator. The two injured guards were barely able to jump clear as the truck roared past, smashing aside their small electric patrol car without slowing down.
    Wade’s revolver roared as he rapidly fired off all seven shots at the fleeing truck. The big 12mm explosive rounds punched fist-sized holes in the back of the vehicle, but it didn’t slow down. “Marshal, he’s getting away!” he said. The empty cylinder ejected vertically from his weapon, and he slapped a fresh one into place before helping Marcus to his feet. “Come on! Are you alright?”
    Marcus shook his head and blinked hard. “Yeah, I think so. I might have a cracked rib. Go go go! You drive!” Marcus shouted to Lazlo as he climbed into the vehicle. “Secure the scene until we get back! The tac team will be en route. We’re going after him!” The colonial marshals didn’t wait for Lazlo’s response before speeding away after the fleeing criminal.
    Wade drove as Marcus got on the radio and explained what was going on. The tactical team was on its way,