Hostile Genus: An Epic Military Sci-Fi Series (Invasive Species Book 2) Ben Stevens (best contemporary novels txt) 📖

“Call it what you like, but please, my lady, try to recognize the danger we are in and behave appropriately.”

At this, Maya stuck her tongue out at Lucy and crossed her arms in mock defiance.

The necklace the goddess wore was the latest gadget created by the ever-resourceful Ratt, who hadn’t slept a wink last night, instead opting to help assuage Jon’s concerns for the goddess’s safety. Digging through the sled of parts they had brought, Ratt had found what he needed to create a one-way radio, a sender and a receiver, but alas, he did not have enough equipment to design it to work both ways. And so, they would have to content themselves with Jon being able to hear what was going on around Maya. Between that and Carbine watching them with his high-powered, see-through-walls scope on the cover-providing railgun, Jon felt somewhat satisfied and at least semi-confident that they could protect Maya, if need be. Plus, Lucy would be there, and Jon had no illusions about her ability to deal death when required to do so.

While Ratt had busied himself with the radio necklace, Jon and the others had cleared the sled and, using the sleeping bags and salvaged tarpaulins, had erected a cover over it. If they wanted to pose as traveling troubadours, it wouldn’t do to approach the city on foot or have Maya riding shotgun on Ratt’s hoverboard or Lucy’s ATV exposed to the elements. The result was more Shanty-chic than Cleopatra, but it would pass.

“Declare su negocio!” a sentry shouted down from the rampart in Spanish. Jon tightened his lips and frowned, wishing he understood what was being said, but trusting his friends below to inform him if things started to go south.

“I speak for my lady, Lily Sapphire. She requests an audience with the rulers of this city,” Lucy announced. Through his binoculars, Jon saw her looking up at the sentry, but he quickly shifted his view, for the mid-day sun reflected off some of the rustic blocks of the wall and flashed in his lenses.

“For what reason?” the haughty guard asked.

“To discuss playing here. Miss Sapphire is a traveling performer of great renown.”

“I have never heard of her,” the guard said as if bragging.

“Nevertheless, every bastion of civilization that we visit, we have left with its citizenry in a much higher spirit than before our arrival. We are sure your leaders would appreciate us performing.” Lucy was on her best behavior.

Jon, who had the earpiece that made the other half of Maya’s necklace, could hear the whole exchange and was impressed with what he heard, impressed and thankful that Lucy had forced the parley to English. It would seem that Lucy could avoid confrontation when she wanted to after all.

The sentry sneered at Lucy’s rebuke and thought for a minute, rubbing his bearded chin.

“Well?” Lucy dared. “What have you?”

“Wait here,” the sentry replied— as if they had anywhere else to go.

For the hundredth time, Jon wished he could reach out, if only with his voice, to talk to Maya, for the silence was deafening. The minutes felt like hours. Nearly half an hour went by with no sign of movement down below, on either side. Jon called out to his companion to keep his eyes peeled for any sign of funny business. His nervous, paranoid imagination played out sequences of horror over and over again. Who was to say that the men who posed as soldiers down there wouldn’t decide to attack, if only to take whatever wealth Lily Sapphire might possess? Or worse, murder… or rape. Not all marauders were nomadic. They knew next to nothing about this city, nor about those who ruled it.

Then Jon heard thuds, clicks, and clanks, and he and Carbine watched as the gate began to swing open.

“Carbine?” he said.

“I’m on it,” the sniper responded, clicking the scope one click forward and tapping the toggle that allowed him to “see through” the gate’s material.

“What do you got?” Jon demanded coolly.

“I got four bogies. Right behind the gate. They’re armed, but the rifles are slung, Jon. Things look chill.”

Jon’s shoulders dropped, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Moving his binoculars back to Lucy, who remained out front of the ATV and caravan, he saw she betrayed no expression or movement as the sentry that had spoken to her from the wall now approached on foot from the open gate.

“Señor Don Luis Fernando sends his apologies for having made you wait and bids you welcome to New Puebla.” The sentry even bowed. Lucy nodded her head back in a gesture of gratitude. She squeezed the clutch, popped the gear lever down with her toes, and threw a glance over to Ratt. Neither one of them risked a look back at the mountain, nor the watchers they knew were there.

Maya had heard the exchange as well as Jon, and now she whispered aloud, “See, Jon? So far, so good.”

Please be careful. Jon put the binoculars down, for now that Maya and company had passed through the gates, they were useless to him.

9

“I still think this is a bad idea,” Candice said. Miller didn’t miss that she had been picking at her cuticles with her fingernails since he’d arrived.

“Look, Candy, I know you’re nervous, but I’ll be there. I’ll walk you through everything. It’ll all be jus’ fine.” Miller did his best to soothe the former waitress’s nerves, resting a meaty paw of a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s not just that I’m nervous, Milly,” Candice said, biting her lower lip. “It’s that I don’t belong there! I have absolutely zero qualifications for the job!”

Miller frowned and sat across from her in the cafe’s booth. After Miller’s injury in the Battle of Texhoma, he had been lost, struggling with his injury and subsequent re-assignment as a cookie. Lost, until he’d found Maya and the Underground Resistance. He had spent many years slinging hash in the very café they now sat in. He knew her, probably