Wildcard Read Online Free PDF Page B

to obey his orders in violent or deep stress
situations. People instinctually knew that he would find the means
to carry the day, and simply did what he said feeling that was the
best way to get out alive. He could read people on the spot, seeing
the depth of their ability to take stress, and what they could
do.
    He considered just dropping in front of
Luvray, saying ‘surprise’ and going at him, but the soldier in him
couldn’t sacrifice the combat initiative in such a stupid and
deliberate manner. Surprise, or definite initiative as he called
it, was a critical advantage and should never be sacrificed.
    He had seen old films where a soldier would
yell “hey” or scream something unintelligible and then leap, an
idiot’s maneuver. As if someone would be more vulnerable after
being yelled at than if they suspected nothing at all. He had to
force himself to watch such stupidity when he wanted to line up
those fools masquerading as soldiers and give them a proper
asschewing from a Sergeant.
    It was something he never actually did
because, technically, he had no soldiers under his command, but he
damn well knew how. He could chew a soldiers ass all the way off if
needed. It was part of being a Sergeant. And if one of his
theoretical men ever announced their presence before attacking, he
would. He would chew it off and shove it back up the hole. An
attacker should never give up the element of surprise. Just hit
someone. And running at them from the front? Hit them from behind.
But then he was a soldier, not a movie director and maybe it made
for more drama. He certainly didn’t plan for any drama in the
taking of LuvRay Chose. Still, LuvRay had a hell of a reputation, a
mythos, really, and he wanted a real fight with him.
    Commitment, along with surprise, was another
critical factor. The Sergeant knew he would complete the mission.
Then when the A plan didn’t work, he found another way.
    He knew LuvRay had keen senses, beyond the
ordinary. He would be difficult to surprise, and the Sergeant liked
the challenge. The plan: wait on a bench at the top of the train
platform, reading a newspaper. Then, when LuvRay walked past, hit
him with a neural stun device while walking toward him. Catch him
before he fell and act like a friend helping someone lightheaded to
their car.
    He wasn’t sure why the General wanted the
capture. After all, LuvRay was working for them in some way. “I
wish to meet him,” was all the General had said.
    No problem. He sat on the bench with his
paper, waiting for the wolf.
     
    LuvRay looked out the window of the train as
it pulled into the station. This was a bad place for him. Too many
people. Any people was too many for him. Paris had far too many
people.
    He looked at his shoes. They had hard soles.
He preferred soft soles, moccasins, or no shoes at all. But for
some reason he wore hiking shoes. Jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather
vest, all natural. LuvRay didn’t like synthetic fabrics. He
disliked spending too much time indoors, too. The plane ride over
had made him almost crazy.
    The train stopped. He shouldered a small
pack. As he neared the end of the platform, he felt it, a not
rightness. He slipped low, moving behind the crowd by instinct. Saw
it. Newspaper. A man reading a newspaper. He broke into a loping
run the opposite way.
     
    The Sergeant took off after him, stun tagger
in hand. It was a limited use weapon. He kicked off two shots. Both
hit the pack. Great instincts the man had. The next shot dropped
someone in the crowd. It was getting too messy. He had to change
tactics. He tossed the gun aside, moved to take him by hand.
    He dodged between two people, and LuvRay’s
pack was flying at his face. He knocked it aside, but it cost him
close to a second. LuvRay’s feet could be seen, disappearing
between an old woman’s legs, under a bench sandwiched between two
kiosks. The Sergeant knew he couldn’t spare the time to go
around.
    “Bougez vous,” he yelled at the people
LuvRay