Phoenix Rising (Book Two of The Icarus Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF Page A

gave into anger.  Abrams kicked the man’s ribcage and then stood over the corpse.  That’ll teach him , she thought as she turned to look for her partner.  The sounds had stopped coming from beyond from the ridge and as she looked over the battlefield she saw her partner walking towards her with his automatic in his hands.  At least he had taken care of the other Viper.
    “You good?” she asked.  She didn’t want to start criticizing the man just yet.  Templeton lowered his gun and shrugged.
    “Good enough.  The guy wouldn’t ever stop firing.  Only reason I was ever able to shoot was because he ran out of ammo.”  Abrams closed her eyes and wished she could strike the man without any consequences.  She opened them and then scratched the back of her neck with her free hand.
    “Next time just throw a grenade and get into a better position.  I really could have used you down here,” Abrams said before seeing the man lower his head.  He was so easily cowed; it disgusted her.
    “Oh, sorry.  I guess you’re right.”  Abrams closed her eyes again and brought her hand up to her helmet.  Templeton was giving her a headache.  The soldier had been here for a couple months, now, and he was still acting like a rookie.  Jessica couldn’t even swear at him since it would hurt his feelings.  Abrams missed the old Jenkins; she could swear at him and she wouldn’t really feel bad.  He would fix his behavior if it was warranted.  She shook the thought from her head; she had to deal with the present.
    Abrams looked towards the horizon and wondered where they should go, but thankfully she was relieved of the responsibility.  As soon as she had started debating the issue with herself the announcement scrolled across her display and the AI’s feminine voice issued from the Comms speaker.
    “Round Over.  The Crows Win.  Repeat: The Crows win.  Congratulations.  Each team should make their way to their respective rendezvous points.  Repeat:  The Crows Win.  Congratulations.  Each team should make their way to their respective rendezvous points.”  Abrams looked at her partner and sighed.  She wouldn’t have to deal with the man on the battlefield for a while, it seemed.  She bent down to pick up her empty revolver and then scanned the horizon for the rendezvous beacon.  It was off to the East.  She shrugged and started off in that direction.  She heard Templeton following and chuckling.
    “Aren’t you glad that’s over?”  She looked back at the man and couldn’t help but laugh along with him.  She shook her head and smiled under her helmet, not bothering to answer the useless man. 
    You have no idea .
    -
    Carver walked towards the transport’s beacon and felt the weight of the world on him.  He always thought the science was preposterous, but whatever the scientists had done to the core of this asteroid it felt exactly like Earth had felt back during his brief stay on the planet.  His steps were heavy and age was starting to weigh in as well.  He didn’t know how much longer this rickety body of his would be able to take this constant warfare.  Everything just felt like too much of a burden.
    Cortes could hear the man’s body groaning and creaking from two meters back.  The Spaniard wondered why the old man was still fighting with all of them.  Carver was a legend in his own time, but if the old man continued to fight it would only tarnish his reputation.  Cortes knew the old man had more money than all of them combined; he could retire in luxury whenever he wanted.  The Spaniard tried to think about what could make a man stay on like that, but then he realized that he was in much the same situation.
    Hector Cortes wasn’t nearly as good a solider as the old man, but he was on Eris for a vastly different reason than material gain.  Cortes, whose only real Spanish traits were his name and black hair, had been sent here as a way to avoid his death sentence.  What most people