Bitter Harvest (Harvest Trilogy, Book 2) (54 page)
Read Bitter Harvest (Harvest Trilogy, Book 2) Online
Authors: Michael R. Hicks
“Yeah,” Jack croaked, confused. “That’s me. Who the hell are you? You’re not Russian.”
The man pulled up his goggles and peeled back the white balaclava that covered his face under the hood of his parka, revealing a wide, toothy grin that glowed in the darkness. “No, I assure you we’re not Russians, and they would not be happy to know we are here. I’m
Kaptein
Frode Stoltenberg of the
Forsvarets Spesialkommando
, Norwegian Special Forces.” He made a signal with his hand, and two men materialized beside him. One of them, the team’s medic, opened a large satchel of medical supplies and began to wrap Jack’s hands, while another pulled over a rescue sled next to Jack before unrolling a thick white sleeping bag onto it. “Your Russian friend Mikhailov telephoned a mutual acquaintance, Terje Halvorsen, who raised a bit of a ruckus about your escape. With the rest of the world going to hell, our government also decided to leave sanity behind and sent us across the border to find you.” His grin widened. “I’ve always wanted to take a piss on Russian soil. And imagine my surprise when we discovered your tracks on our way to the crash site. You’ve been walking in circles, my friend. We just made some coffee and waited for you to come back around.”
“Glad I could make your job easier.” Jack tried to smile, but his face was a numb plaster mask. The medic daubed something on his face and ears.
Another soldier appeared and spoke to Stoltenberg in Norwegian while pointing off into the distance.
The big captain nodded. “It is time for us to go. The Russians probably won’t search this far from the crash site, but there is no point in pushing our luck with their helicopters flying about.” He took the balaclava the medic handed to him and gently pulled it over Jack’s head. “You’ve done enough. Just lay back, relax, and enjoy the ride.”
With the help of the medic and the soldier who had been pulling the sled, Jack gratefully crawled into the sleeping bag, which Stoltenberg zipped up. After patting Jack on the shoulder, he quietly gave a command in Norwegian, and the team began the trek to safety.
Laying on his back, listening to the rhythmic swish of the team’s skis through the snow, Jack imagined he could see menacing shapes in the dark clouds above him. He closed his eyes, shutting out the phantoms before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
REAPING THE HARVEST
Reaping The Harvest
is the explosive climax of the Harvest trilogy, slated for publication in mid-2013!
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DISCOVER OTHER BOOKS BY MICHAEL R. HICKS
In Her Name: The Last War Trilogy
In Her Name: Redemption Trilogy
In Her Name: The First Empress Trilogy
Mistress Of The Ages
(Coming Soon)
In Her Name
Trilogy Collections
Harvest Trilogy
Visit
AuthorMichaelHicks.com
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in 1963, Michael Hicks grew up in the age of the Apollo program and spent his youth glued to the television watching the original Star Trek series and other science fiction movies, which continues to be a source of entertainment and inspiration. Having spent the majority of his life as a voracious reader, he has been heavily influenced by writers ranging from Robert Heinlein to Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven, and David Weber to S.M. Stirling. Living in Florida with his beautiful wife, two wonderful stepsons and two mischievous Siberian cats, he’s now living his dream of writing novels full-time.
