Read Redoubtable for Free Online

help the next and the next who came.”
    “And warned us when the bad ones arrived,” Annam said.
    “Bad ones,” Kris echoed.
    “The ones with guns,” Pinga said, voice sharp with disapproval. “We were sharing all that we could. They laughed at us and demanded the best, and all of it.”
    “I quickly gave them what they wanted,” Annam said. “The net by that time was full of the tale of what happened to those who did not give.”
    “We did what we had to do to save body and soul,” Pinga agreed.
    “I’m sure you did,” Kris said, leaning back in her chair.
    PENNY, IS THIS ALL NEWS TO YOU? Kris asked via her computer link through Nelly and her kids.
    SORRY TO SAY, YES IT IS, KRIS.
    AH, CREW, I KNOW IT’S NEAT TO HAVE THIS NEW TOY FOR TALKING AMONG OURSELVES VIA OUR COMPUTERS, came clearly in Jack’s voice, BUT DON’T YOU THINK THESE FOLKS DESERVE THE COURTESY OF BEING INCLUDED IN OUR CONVERSATION?
    “Mr. Annam,” Kris asked, “have you heard anything about the conditions on New St. Pete?”
    The plantation owner raised his hands to heaven. “I wanted to know as little about the goings-on there as I could. I thought they knew nothing about us, but I guess you cannot get the tiger drunk without its knowing where the good stuff comes from.”
    “I told you so,” Pinga was quick to point out.
    “Those who came to us first were the merchants who sold my products. I thought when I took them in that I had rolled up the carpet behind me. Unfortunately, others knew, and they told still others.”
    “It’s the gunmen I’m curious about,” Penny said. “We don’t know much about what is happening in Greenfeld territory. Maybe even less about New St. Pete, but some of our analysts insisted there were a lot more criminal elements in the mix than the intelligence estimates allowed for.”
    “Something tells me even they were lowballing it,” Kris said.
    “And if Mr. Annam and his people are dealing with the criminals who had to flee St. Pete . . . ?” Jack said.
    “What’s left behind must be even worse,” Penny concluded.
    Kris shrugged. “But that is Vicky’s problem.”
    “Commander Longknife, Captain Montoya, this is Staff Sergeant Bruce. We got company coming.”
    “What kind of company, Sergeant?” Jack asked.
    “I make out forty-five trucks driving up the road from town. They’re averaging about fourteen klicks an hour. ETA at our roadblock is seventeen minutes. Hey, Nelly, this new computer gives me real numbers.”
    “I told you so,” Nelly said on net and to all present.
    “Are they armed?” Jack cut in.
    “First couple of trucks appear to have a general collection of rifles and pistols. Looks like the sort of stuff you could use to set up a nice museum of ancient firearms, sir. Beyond that, there are not a lot of long guns showing.”
    “Kris,” Jack said, looking her straight in the eye, “now would be a good time for you to get out of here.”
    Kris made a face. She hated the idea of running. Even more, she hated the look on the faces of the farmer and his wife, like she’d kicked a puppy and was leaving it alone beside the road.
    But she wasn’t supposed to be in the middle of a shoot-out. Not with half Jack’s company still in orbit.
    Kris prepared to follow her security chief.
    Then everything changed.
    “Uh, this is the pilot of Shuttle 1. We got a problem.”
    “What kind of problem?” Jack asked, giving Kris the evil eye as if somehow, in some way, she was responsible for whatever came next.
    “We, uh, thought we’d get ready, just in case we had to make a run for orbit. Just like I guess you want us to do now.”
    “And,” Jack snapped. “Pilot, tell us today, not next week.”
    “Well, we needed water for reaction mass. So we started pulling lake water into our tanks.”
    “And you caught a fish?” Kris suggested.
    “No, Your Highness. A fish we could have handled. No, they got a lot of water weeds growing around the wharf here, and we sucked them into