Page 32 of Her Cyborg Commander
They geared up quickly, tossing out ideas that quickly coalesced into a workable plan. Edge couldn’t stop himself from grinning the entire time. After all, any day he got to gear up and prepare for a fight was a good day, but this was so much more than just a fight. It was a chance to get some payback and avenge the ones he hadn’t been able to protect. He’d always hoped he’d get this chance, but he’d never imagined he’d be here with River standing beside him.
Today wasn’t just a good day. It was the best day of his life.
17
River heldposition above the camp site, watching. The sun was low enough on the horizon to cast long shadows that provided plenty of places for her to hide. Sealed inside her helmet, her heat signature was masked from sensors. The only thing they couldn’t be sure of was how precisely Jens could track her position. If he realized she wasn’t the one lying in the middle of camp right now, they’d have to go to Plan B. Unfortunately, they hadn’t had enough time to come up with one.
“Did I mention how much I dislike this part of the plan?”Edge complained through their link.
To sell the illusion that she was the one sprawled out on the ground near the entrance to the camp, they had partially buried Edge in the sand. It hid his large size as well as the blaster they’d carefully concealed below his outstretched hand.
“It was your idea,”she reminded him. They were restricted to internal comms to avoid being overheard by their unwanted guests. “We could have just placed my armor on the ground so it looked like I was in it, but you didn’t like that idea.”
“Armor isn’t useful if you’re not wearing it.”
“And that argument is why you’re out there, slowly broiling to death. I understand it’s an excellent way to cook meat, actually. It comes out quite tender.”
“Great. Now I’m hotandhungry. Thanks so much, minx.”
Bantering before battle wasn’t something she’d done in a long time, but the easy back and forth was soothing in a way, and it helped to pass the time as they waited to spring their trap.
The shuttle had flown over the camp before setting down several hundred meters away, which meant they must have seen the body lying face down in the sand. All she and Edge could do now was wait and see what approach they took. If things went well, Jens and his cronies would stroll through the entrance and run smack into the various booby-traps she’d set up after her arrival. If they were more cautious and came over the rocks, this would be trickier.
River checked the data pad lying face-up near her feet. It showed the view from every security camera. Edge had managed to link his helmet’s heads-up display to the same feed, meaning he saw what she saw despite him being face down in the sand.
“And here they come,”Edge sent at the same second she saw the new arrivals come into view.
She watched and tried to take in as many details as she could. There were six of them. Five had weapons up and walked with the smooth, heel-toe motion of trained soldiers. All of them were the same height and general build. They looked human, she decided—all male and possibly clones.
The sixth member of the group wore a steel gray ship-suit instead of armor and struggled to keep up with the others. She recognized the way he moved before she even saw his face. Dr. Troyan Jens.
Her grip on the pulse rifle tightened, though she kept her finger well away from the trigger.
“Easy, minx,”Edge sent, his tone soft and soothing.
River made a conscious effort to exhale and loosen her fingers. “I’m good. It’s a shame he’s in the back. I would have liked to see him get fried by that first trap.”
“You and me both.Speaking of which, they’re getting close enough someone is going to get lit up in the next minute or so.”
River moved to the edge of the shadow she was using for cover and stood on her toes so she could see what happened next with her own eyes instead of through the camera. Though the distance was greater, her visual acuity allowed her to see more detail than the camera.
Each of the soldiers had a rectangular square of gray fabric on their chest that probably showed their name or identification number, but that was it. None of them had any rank insignia or patches to indicate unit, branch, or even corporate affiliation.
“These guys are ghosts. No identifying markers at all.”
Edge didn’t get a chance to answer before the soldier in the middle of the group stepped onto the electrified plate buried beneath the sand. His body spasmed as the current tore through him, his back arching with bone-breaking violence.
His teammates reacted instantly, raising weapons and taking up defensive stances as if expecting an attack. None of them even looked at their comrade when he collapsed into a lifeless heap.
“One down,” Edge sent.
The remaining soldiers held their ground for another minute before lowering their weapons. They left the body where it lay, making sure to give it and the surrounding area a wide berth.
Jens hadn’t moved. He simply stared like he couldn’t understand what had happened.
Eventually, one of the soldiers turned back to retrieve him, guiding him around the corpse with brusque, impatient gestures.
Jens followed as best he could, but she could see he was rattled by what had happened. Had he really deluded himselfinto thinking she was eager to see him? Edge had told her what was in the broadcast, but it was still hard to believe the scientist thought she actually came out here to make it easier for him to find her.
