Vengeance (The Kurgan War Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

face. He looked over at his colleague. “Not bad. I didn’t know you could do calculations as complicated as that.”
    “Next time you can do the math. My head still hurts,” shot back Cole. “Come on, let’s ditch the suits and the gear and find us a lift into Irkutsk.”
    “What about the Super-T?” asked Sheridan alluding to the world wide web of mag-lev trains. Built below ground, they interconnected at most major city terminals. Sheridan and Tarina had taken one from the Academy to Paris and back again during one of their rare weekends off together.
    Cole shook his head. “We can’t risk taking mass transit until we’ve got all of the stuff we need from Bodrov. Our faces would be recorded on one of the security cameras at the train terminal. Also, if we use our credit cards, the opposition will know precisely where we are and be able to track us that way. From now on it’s old school. We’re going to bum lifts and use gold to pay for a little discretion from anyone we may deal with.”
    “Where the hell did you get gold from?”
    “I kept some from the job we did on the smuggler’s colony. I knew it would come in handy one day.”
    Sheridan shook his head at his friend’s ingenuity. He quickly stripped off his jump clothing and jammed it into a garbage bin at the back of a closed fast food restaurant. They took off their rank insignia from their uniform collars and disposed of them as well.
    “I doubt there are going to be many transports out on the roads this late at night,” said Sheridan as he looked over at the bright city lights of Irkutsk
    “Well, then, I guess we might as well start walking.”
    With their hands jammed in their pockets to keep them warm, Sheridan and Cole began to walk down the middle of the road hoping that someone would come along, or it was going to be a long night.
    Twenty minutes into their walk, they spotted an eight-wheeled vehicle parked on the side of the road with its hood up. A man with a flashlight was busy working away on something.
    Cole tapped Sheridan on the arm and said, “Let me handle this.” He walked at the vehicle whistling a tune to let the driver know that there was someone out there in the dark. Experience had taught Cole that many people, especially those who lived in the countryside, tended to be armed. He was right to be cautious when the man turned to face Cole with an old military pistol in his hand. The gunman had a scraggly gray beard on his round face and looked to be in his late sixties.
    Cole stopped, smiled, and slowly raised his hands. “Whoa, there stranger, we mean you no harm. Can you speak English?”
    The man eyed Cole with suspicion in his eyes. “Yes, I was in the army. I speak English good. Who is you?” asked the man in halting English.
    “My name is Smith and my friend’s name is Jones,” replied Cole, motioning for Sheridan to move over beside him so the man with the gun could see him.
    The man spat on the ground. “I know made-up names when I hear them. Why are you in uniform? Are you deserters?”
    Cole shook his head. “We’re lost.”
    “Bah, a terrible lie. But I don’t care; I didn’t like the army either.” The man lowered his gun. “What do you want?”
    Cole and Sheridan lowered their arms. Cole stepped forward and slowly reached into a pocket on his jacket so he wouldn’t startle the driver. He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to the man.
    Sheridan could see the man’s lips moving as he read the note.
    “How much gold?” asked the man.
    Cole smiled and showed the driver a small gold bar. “One now and one later if you help us.”
    The man stared at the bar. His eyes were fixed on the gold glimmering in the light of his flashlight. “Okay, I help. But my truck is not working.”
    Cole put the gold away and moved over beside the vehicle. “Mind if I take a look?”
    The man shrugged and stepped aside.
    Right away, Cole shook his head. The engine compartment looked as if it hadn’t been