Fireteam Delta J. Halpin (top 10 books of all time TXT) 📖

wagon for them. One Cortez had aptly named Tank 2.

Summers was pretty sure that was a status thing.

“I’ll take first watch.”

“No, you won’t,” Nowak responded. “I’ll take over your watch. I think you could use a few days.”

Summers reached down to his side. He didn’t notice during the fight, but some small pieces of shrapnel must have hit him after the blast. His entire body was covered in small wounds. Most of them didn’t hurt, but in a world without penicillin, they could become a problem.

“I’m fine, Sarge. Nothing big.”

“Not up for discussion.” Nowak took a moment. “Look, we’ve been through some shit. And right now, we probably only have to worry about a few thieves. So, take the time and get your head straight.”

“My head?”

“You heard me . . . I can’t have you rushing in to die next time, all right?”

Summers didn’t know how to respond to that. Cortez was off to the side, looking the other way and doing a terrible job of feigning interest in a nearby wagon.

“Yeah, all right.”

“Good.”

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

Summers awoke a few hours later to yelling. His gun was already in his hand by the time he registered the source of the noise.

It was the merchant whose wagon they’d taken. Apparently, the mild tiff they’d witnessed had progressed into a full-blown screaming match. Then one of them grabbed a spear.

“Well, that’s not gonna go well,” Summers muttered. He rubbed at his face, now fully awake.

“Nope,” Cortez agreed.

He had started forward when Synel’s voice stopped him.

“She’s asking that you don’t interfere.” Asle spoke up from a few feet away. She was watching the fight escalate with everyone else. “Also, this is normal,” she added.

“Pretty sure they’re gonna stab each other.”

“Yes,” Asle agreed.

“Uh, nobody wants to stop that from happening?” Summers looked at Synel hesitantly.

Asle thought for a moment.

“It’s . . . honor? Does that make sense?”

“Like an honor duel?”

“Yes!” Asle nodded. “He says the tall one stole from him.” She indicated the previous owner of their wagon. “So, they’ll fight to see who’s right.”

Synel said something that Summers must have missed, and Asle responded in her own language.

“She’s flirting with you.” Asle paid the woman a glance before looking back to the fight. A ring was forming around the two.

“I’m sorry?”

“She says my job is hard. She’s being too nice.” Asle tilted her head. “I don’t like her.”

Summers didn’t get much time to process that, as a scream went up from the fight. The tall man now had a spear in his side, and as he fell to the ground, his opponent didn’t give him even a moment to recover. He pulled the spear out and stabbed down, once, twice . . .

It occurred to Summers that they probably shouldn’t be letting Asle watch this.

By the time the man had finished, he was breathing hard and barely able to get to his feet. He must not have seen the other man land a strike.

“Now, he’ll take some blood so that he gets stronger. See? Simple.” Asle spoke as if she was giving a lesson. The man, meanwhile, cut his hand with the blade of the spear he’d just used to kill the merchant.

“Metal,” Cortez said, still not taking her eyes off the display.

“Okay, first off, why?” Summers asked.

“Ceremony?” Asle looked to Logan, who nodded. “It’s polite to honor the spirit and bring it with you. Like you.”

“What—”

Before Summers could finish the question, Logan answered.

“I think she means the dog tags.”

“Oh.” Summers noticed the crowd had already started to disperse now that the excitement was over. “Wait, is that what you were doing with the general? Back when we first met?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you were trying to eat him.”

“That, too.”

Their group all looked to Asle, who didn’t seem in the least bit bothered.

“You know what, I’m just going to stop asking questions.” Summers found Synel directing a few of her men to the site. They quickly got to cleaning up the corpse. “So, how was she flirting with me?”

“She said she could teach you to speak. But I speak better.”

“What?” Nowak blurted.

“Why does she want to teach us?” Summers couldn’t help but ask.

“Wants to flirt with you.” Asle looked at the woman. “Said things are really dangerous in the south, and I could be hurt, so she would do it to keep me safe. She’s a liar.”

“Okay, Asle, in the future, please let us know when the important people are flirting with us, even if you don’t like it. Just so we know. Okay?” Logan pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Right. Uh, Sarge, what do you think?” If Summers was being brutally honest with himself, he didn’t join the army because he was a grade A student. He had his strengths and weaknesses, and learning was not what he counted among his strengths.

Of course, he’d never had a very motivated, very attractive teacher before, but that was just another reason why he should let someone else weigh in.

Nowak considered for a moment before he finally answered.

“Asle, why don’t you like her?” Nowak asked.

“Merchants always want something.”

Nowak considered that for a long moment.

“Well, I think she’s gonna try to find a way to get close to you no matter what, so you may as well get something out of it. Besides, I don’t see how it could hurt.”

“Asle?” Summers looked to the girl. “Keep in mind that it’ll help us teach you to speak even better. Also, you won’t have to follow us everywhere all the time.”

Asle seemed to think that over for a long time before finally agreeing.

 <<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

“This is stupid,” Asle muttered.

Synel sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Summers. She’d drawn