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Authors: Brett James

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He
drew his pistol and fired in a spiral pattern at the ground. A mine
exploded, splattering snow on his visor. He landed gently, the
webbing on his boots spreading his weight and allowing him to stand
on the fresh powder.

Peter
was the last to touch down. The battle computer reported that
three-quarters of his division had been killed on impact. He set a
meeting point for the remaining men and slapped a fresh battery into
his gun. As he started forward, bullets ripped up the snow at his
feet.

Finally
,
he thought,
something to kill.

His
suit calculated the bullets’ reverse trajectory, highlighting his
target. Peter checked which of his forces were nearby and, racing
ahead, opened the comm. “Sergeant Graff,” Peter said.

“What?”
Saul replied.

“Live
target in your sector. Sending coordinates.”

“I’m
standing right on it,” Saul said. Peter saw a group of men ahead,
where the target was supposed to be. There was nothing else. Then
the snow swelled, bursting in a red flash as a Typhon leapt from a
trench. It landed in front of Peter, its column-thick legs sinking
in the deep snow.

Peter’s
hand went for his belt, but he wasn’t carrying explosives.

Oh
well
,
he thought, as a monstrous hand swung down at him.
I wouldn’t get to pull that trick twice anyway.

The
Typhon grinned, scooping him into the air. It lobbed off a couple of
rockets, opening its hand as they struck him on both sides.

Black.

 

White.

Peter
blinked. There was a rustle of sheets and a young woman’s face
appeared, smiling down at him. She was beautiful, the most beautiful
woman he had ever seen.

“What’s
the last thing you remember?” she asked.

“Being
in love with you.”

“It
better be,” Linda said, flopping heavily onto his chest. Peter
traced his hand down the cleft of her back, feeling the silken skin
of her new body. He reached for the light beside the bed.

Black.

 

Also by Brett James:

 

The Deadfall Project

 

Thank you Rob, and damn you
Rob, for encouraging this.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My enduring thanks to my editors, Jeff Stark
and Jenna Kamp. Thanks as well to Jeremy Roth,
Nicholas Sher, Barri Evins, Jennifer Wilkin,
Allen White, Ian Saunders, Pam Susemiehl,
Megan Caper, Jason James, Donna Bell,
Bill Loeb, Ed Overton, Skunk,
Jeanne and Lance James, Mo Flaherty,
Paul Ford, Paula Z Segal, Jason Engdahl,
Kristin Campbell-Taylor, Fred Ohler,
David Hagberg, Danielle Hlatky,
Andrew Leung, Libby Stephens,
Pablo Morales, and so many others
that have offered support, both moral and
tangible, through the years.

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,
business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 Brett James

All rights reserved.

 

Fallacy Publications

 

http://thedriftwars.com

 

ISBN 978-0-9850864-2-8

 

First Edition

 

cover art by Andrew Leung

Book design by MobiHue

BOOK: The Drift Wars
3.98Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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