Invasion of Kzarch Read Online Free PDF Page B

we’re coming, and they will , they’ll activate their ECM and keep moving. And even without that, they’ll be nearly undetectable in a city, with all of a city’s emissions. No, wiping out a town to get them won’t work.”
    “What if we launched from far enough away that-”
    Bloody Jack leaned forward.
    “Do you really think that’d work, Mad?” His second-in-command’s real name was Madeline, but no-one called her anything but Mad after knowing her long. “At best, they won’t be able to kill any of our gunboats from that range… but chances are, we still won’t be able to kill them either. All we’d end up doing is waste a lot of missiles. Missiles, which, may I remind you all, we cannot replace.”
    “What if we use Superior Fortune , Whydat , and Anne’s -”
    Bloody Jack snorted.
    “Please. Spaceships are hardly designed for atmospheric use. And we don’t have a large supply of their missiles either.”
    Mad made a moue, but finally held her peace, not able to think of any other practical way to commit mass slaughter.
    “However,” Bloody Jack continued, raising a hand to attract attention. “We still need to investigate. Grinner, take your Blastfire and scout it out. Check their landing spot first, then the town. Do not attempt to make contact. If they’ve left town, or if you detect them in town, report back before do anything further. Is that clear?”
    Grinner leered, although, considering the way his mouth was fixed by a multitude of scars, he could do little other.
    “Oh, very.”
    “Excellent. Now get moving , before I set you on fire to speed you up,” Bloody Jack said, fingering the weapon at his side.
    “Going!” Grinner hastily departed, knowing his commander was offering no idle threat.
    Abruptly, Bloody Jack stood up.
    “If anyone else has anything to say, you can flap your gums all you like. I’m going.” And suiting actions to words, Bloody Jack strode out of the room.
    His mind was busy.
    Things weren’t developing quite the way he had intended. He had been expecting a company or more of Marines, not just a platoon. And he had been forced to restrain his officers. Of course, everything he had said had been true , but nonetheless, he hadn’t thought such stratagems would be necessary. It looked like he was going to have to modify his plan…
    He grimaced, then smiled a cold smile, causing a pirate he was passing by to flinch.
    Oh, well. This way he’d at least get to kill more Marines.
     
    ***
     
    “Hey, captain.”
    “Yes?”
    “You told me to report in, after I spoke with the mayor.” Actually, that wasn’t quite what Bloody Jack had ordered, but he was in no mood to argue.
    “All right. Then?” he said, after a pause.
    “They’ve been and gone. The mayor said they dropped by for a few minutes, then left, after hearing we were around. She also claimed that she ordered them away immediately.” Grinner’s tone dripped with disbelief, a disbelief Bloody Jack fully shared.
    “I see. Of course, I suppose she couldn’t inform us, the communication tower being down…” His tone was idle. Then he shrugged.
    “Kill her. Now.” Grinner’s grin was even worse then usual, as he casually pulled out a pistol and began shooting to the side of the camera.
    Waiting for Grinner to finish, the pirate captain frowned mentally. Grinner had called with the mayor nearby? It demonstrated a severe lack of security consciousness.
    It hardly mattered any more, of course. Nevertheless…
    Bloody Jack made a mental note to kill Grinner the next time he did it.
    Grinner finished shooting every last bullet he had in his gun, and began reloading, nodding to his captain.
    “Done.”
    “Good. Then I want you back here.” Bloody Jack shut the com down without waiting for his subordinate’s reply.
     

Chapter Three
     
    “We’ve made fair time, sir,” the platoon sergeant pointed out. “Perhaps they’re simply behind us.”
    “Maybe. But I don’t like it. Where are