The Conscripts: Fight or Die (Blood War Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

she was, there was no fear in her face. Kat marveled at her toughness.
    “Take the staff sergeant behind me. Her name is Kifle Elias. She fought by my side as a Legionnaire, a Marine, and now as a Raider. See that gold badge on her left pocket? That means she has killed more than five hybrids in hand-to-hand combat. Does she look like one of your dregs of society?”
    Kat watched as the senator turned red with anger then white as he realized what Sand was saying. She had to fight to suppress a smile at Barish’s discomfort. He had always been an arrogant ass. She would remember this the next time they crossed paths.
    “Senator, it might be best if I continued to introduce the general to the rest of the guests. I fear this argument will have to be settled at another time.”
    With some difficulty Dasan came to attention and slowly bowed. Kat gently led him away. As she did, she noticed the rest of the Marines around the room relax as Elias and the other Marine returned to their posts. They had been watching their general closely and had been on the edge of action. What kind of man could gain that respect from his troops? This general was more than just very attractive, Kat thought. Tonight was going to be quite interesting.
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    Kat then took Dasan around the room for the rest of the introductions. He was careful with what he said to the other men and women. His stomach remained in a knot of unreleased fury at what Barish had said, but there was little he could do. So he tried to relax and let Kat do the talking. Kat’s presence was so overpowering, he found it easy to sit back and let her take the lead. He was thankful that the Notes program the admiral had given him was collecting the personal information of people as he met them. Each time he met someone who offered their information, he felt a tiny vibration in his ear as contact details was exchanged.
    He lost track of time until Kat finally said, “General, if I am going to help you as Usiche has suggested, I need to get to know you better. Could we sit out on the balcony for a few moments alone?”
    “Of course.”
    Dasan’s heart raced at the thought of being alone with this woman. Kat led him out on the balcony through doors that seemed to appear out of nowhere in the glass wall. They sat on a couch with a coffee table next to it. A plastic cover slid out of the wall to protect them from the wind. Kat leaned over a silver box. She took a cigarette out of it and offered him one.
    “This is my special blend. They have nicotine, some feel goods, and some uppers mixed together. They are my favorite for parties.”
    “Thank you, no. Not right now.”
    Kat lit her cigarette and stared at him for a long moment before she said, “As I said inside, I don’t help people unless I like who they are. So I need a bit of information about you. I asked Usiche what was the best way to get to know you, and she said I should ask you about the handkerchief.”
    Dasan was surprised. He hadn’t known that Usiche knew about the handkerchief, but he guessed there were no secrets from the admiral. Dasan slid his hand into his blouse’s inside uniform pocket and pulled out a worn, threadbare, pale-blue little girl’s handkerchief with tiny flowers on it. He handed it to Kat. She looked at him for a long moment, as if she were deciding something, and then took it gently, when she touched it realizing just how fragile it had become.
    “A little girl gave that to me a long time ago. It changed my life.”
    Kat looked at him and said, “Tell me the story. I want to know.”
    Dasan began to talk. Kat leaned back, smoking and gently holding the handkerchief as she listened to Dasan. He told her about the patrol and how they saved some of the children, but not all of them, on Choem so long ago. How the huge footprints in the dust had convinced Dasan that the Xotoli would be back, which had led to his long professional struggle to establish the infantry in the Legion. The years in exile