Privateer Tales 3: Parley by Jamie McFarlane Page B

peek before we go around. If you start fatiguing let me know, so I can switch Nick in.”
    “Check,” Tabby said.
    “We have no idea what’s on the other side of this door. Tabby, take a knee and keep your body behind the door frame. Nick, cover left through the door and stay real close to Tabby. I’ve got right and I’ll slide around to the right, looking left. Marny, if it’s open straight ahead I need you to cover that. Say 'hold' if you don’t know what to do, otherwise, Tabby, open the door.”
    I pulled the blaster rifle tightly in to my shoulder and snugged up to Nick. Tabby swung the door open to expose a narrow hallway leading to the left.
    “Nick, we’re going to look down this together. You’re going to slide out until you can see the middle of the hallway as far as it goes. You get everything to the right. If you see something, say 'contact.' I’ll stay on your right and focus on the hallway to the left. GO.”
    Nick slid around Tabby and the doorframe and I moved with him. The tactical map on my HUD started to fill in as I gained more visibility on the twenty meter hallway.
    “Contact left,” I said. My peripheral vision caught a figure disappearing through a door about five meters down on the left side. It was the only door in the hallway which ended in an L-shaped turn going to the right.
    “Tabby, go ahead on point, I saw someone enter the door on the left. Marny, follow on my six.” My heart was hammering in my chest enough that I could hear it in my voice.
    “Tabby, when you get to the doorway I want you to kneel and cover right through the doorway without entering it. Nick, stay right of Tabby. Once she gets to the doorway, swivel past with your gun pointed in. You'll use the opposite side as cover. I’m going to cover down the hallway. GO.”
    We followed Tabby down the left side. It was hard not to try to get a view through the opening and keep my eyes down the hall. She stopped at the doorframe. Nick peeked and then attempted to cross to the other side.
    “Contact!” he said. His gun flashed as he fired into the room. My tactical display filled in with the rectangular layout of the room, including two red dots, both on the right. Nick slid to the other side of the door. I could see his blue dot on the tactical display, he hadn’t been hit.
    “Tabby, they’re in front of you. Engage.” Tabby poked her gun in and must have gained visual as she started firing. One red dot blinked out and the second moved quickly to the left, running across Nick’s field of view. He fired and the other dot blinked out.
    “Marny, cover forward down the hallway.” I slid up on Tabby’s right shoulder, looking into the room, sweeping from right to left. There was a small amount of furniture in the room and I didn’t initially see anyone.
    “Nick, I’m going in. Cross behind me once I do. Tabby, follow on my right shoulder. Marny, use the door frame as cover for down the hallway.” I was exhausted just spitting out all the instructions - there had to be a better way. It occurred to me that combat on the ship was easier, mostly because we all knew our roles.
    We worked our way into the room. I wanted to make sure we didn’t have any hidden baddies. We moved around the desks, taking time to look beneath them when …
    “Cap. Contact in the hallway.” Marny said. I looked to my tactical display in the HUD. A gray dot appeared at the end and disappeared. Crap, it wasn’t clear if that was a baddie or friendly.
    “Clear,” Tabby said.
    “Clear,” Nick agreed.
    “Marny, stay on the doorframe and cover down the hallway. Tabby, take a knee next to Marny and aim down. I’m on point. Nick, on my six, next to the right wall. GO.”
    We fast-walked down the hallway. Seeing Nick’s rifle between me and the wall didn’t seem right but I knew that stopping wasn't a good idea. I hoped he wouldn’t have to fire it. My face was awfully close to the end of the barrel and he had no freedom of movement.