Hybrid Saga 01 - Hybrid Read Online Free PDF

girl on his knee a squeeze, and sitting up, let her off of it. “Sorry, sweetheart. Fun’s over.”
    Looking back to Jarred, Mac continued. “Afraid I can’t give the money back though. It’s already tied up in a number of personal investments. But, you can give Taliss my word, I’ll pay him back as soon as I get the chance.” Mac looked back to his cards, the conversation seemingly over for him.
    Jarred didn’t move from his position in front of the table. “The contract is for you,” he began, “and you alone. Not the credits . . . or the girl.” He watched as Mac looked back up at him, looking a bit more serious now.
    “Looks like I really fragged the old man off this time,” he said.
    “No doubt.” Jarred tossed a set of hand restraints onto the table, allowing Mac and the rest of the men to take them in. “Come quietly,” he suggested. He was already aware of the side arms the other players had drawn beneath the table, so he wasn’t surprised, and showed no reaction, when they brought them up to bare on him.
    Mac replaced the cigar in his mouth once again, grinning smugly. “Are you a gambling man?” he asked.
    Jarred motioned to the gun toting players with one hand. “This needn’t concern any of you,” he warned. “Walk away now . . . while you can.” As always, he knew his words would find no purchase among men such as these, but never the less, he felt the need to voice them anyway.
    For a moment there was utter silence, no one in the tavern moving an inch. It was a moment that Jarred knew wouldn’t last and he was already moving when the first shot was fired.
    The man to Jarred’s right discharged the shot that would have burned a hole through the side of his head, had it still been there.
    Jarred leaned just out of the path of the energy bolt and simultaneously two small Mark-5 plasma gauntlets slid out from within each of his sleeves, their ignition triggers coming to rest in the palms of his hands. Quickly, he fired a blast into the man’s shoulder to his right with one, knocking him over in his seat, and raising his other hand, he fired a second round, shooting through the player’s hand to his left, causing him to drop his own weapon.
    Fisk’s daughter let out a scream at the sudden fire fight, diving behind Mac for cover. At the same time the third remaining player to Jarred’s far left was already rising to his feet, his weapon pointed squarely at him for a point blank shot. With a swift kick, Jarred launched the table up into the man’s face, his shot firing into the ceiling. As he collapsed backwards on to the floor, his weapon was jolted from his hand. He reached out for it only to recoil as the weapon was blown apart by another of Jarred’s plasma blasts. Raising his open hands, the man looked up at Jarred, the expression on his face suggesting he fully expected his life to end then and there.
    Jarred doubted he’d be doing a disservice by fulfilling the man’s expectations, but killing in cold blood just wasn’t his style. In fact, he usually tried to avoid taking life, if it was at all possible, which wasn’t always the easiest of tasks when one was a bounty hunter.
    He glanced back at the other two wounded men who were groaning in pain on the floor, the acrid smell that accompanied a laser discharge fresh in the air. Looking back down at the man before him, he motioned him to leave with a wave of his hand. Wasting no time arguing, the man quickly scrambled to his feet and made for the exit, the other two doing the same, though obviously pained and a bit slower.
    Jarred spared them a final glance as they went before allowing his vision to track back around the tavern. Seeing that the patrons had thought better than to get involved, most turning back to their own business, he finally allowed his attention to return to the one man remaining at the overturned table. Mac was sitting calmly and still in his chair, though the look of arrogance was now gone from his face.