LOGAN (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page B

said.
    Just then the group was expanded as two more women walked up and saluted Tarla. She automatically returned the salute and waited for them to identify themselves. They obviously knew who she was, or at least they knew of her superior rank.
    "Airman First Class, Alicia Samples, helicopter pilot," said the taller of the two. With her statuesque form and long blonde hair, she looked more like a model than a pilot.
    "I thought you ought to know, someone just found a supply of tents, cots, and bedding in the tack room. Looks like someone's expecting us to make ourselves at home."
    The other woman had distinctly oriental features. "I'm Lee Tang," she said. "Ninth Infantry. We hope you don't mind our joining you, but in case you haven't noticed, there are ten of us and over a hundred of them."
    Tarla looked at her curiously for a moment before realizing that she was referring to the male-female ratio. It was a fact of life in the field, something each woman dealt with in her own way. She had told Robin she was concerned about physical needs such as food, water and latrines. She hadn't given a thought to the kind of physical needs that might drive a man like Wilkes.
    Suddenly she was filled with that new concern but she knew better than to let the other women see it. After all, she was a captain, the second in command. They were expecting her to take care of them and, as always, she would do everything in her power to do that. She introduced herself, Robin and her nurses, suggesting they all use first names under the circumstances.
    "There's no reason to worry about something that's not an immediate problem," Tarla stated firmly. "I agree that we should be aware of the situation, especially considering the fact that twenty-nine of them are convicted felons. However, I'm sure the rest of the men can be counted on to behave in a civilized fashion. Besides, we'll probably find out what's going on here any minute and—"
    A creaking noise coming from one end of the barn caught everyone's attention. Very slowly, a large section of the wall opened at the bottom and rose upward like a giant door.
    With each inch the door opened, sunlight filled more of the barn. Tarla was torn between racing for the opening and being afraid to find out what was beyond the barn. For several seconds, it looked as though the fear of the unknown was keeping everyone else from moving as well.
    "Captain Yan, I believe our place should be on the front line."
    Tarla turned to see Major Cookson and Logan waiting on her. To the women she said, "Stay back until we see what we're facing." She then posted herself on the major's left as they strode toward the opening. With each step, others fell in behind them until Tarla felt a bit like the Pied Piper. Cookson halted them at the edge of the barn and waited for the rising door to complete its journey.
    Tarla's heart pounded in her chest as she prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. When the outside world finally came into view, it was not clearly one or the other. The warm air temperature suggested it was summer. The brightness seemed to make it midday. Although her first thought had been that they might have been rescued by a transport to Innerworld, her thought as the barn door began to open was that they were on a farm somewhere in Middle America. Now she knew neither was the correct answer.
    Outside of the barn, the ground cover and tree leaves were deep shades of blue, the cloudless sky was celery green and there was a second, smaller orb of light to the left of the sun.
    And the large gathering of oriental men waiting for them to exit was evidence that they were not the only humans in this place... wherever in the universe this place was.

 
     
     
    Chapter 4

     
    Tarla, Logan and Geoffrey walked cautiously out into the yard. Scanning the group of men a second time, she noted some were not oriental, but they all bore the same expression of wonder. Within seconds, the rest of the soldiers and nurses