Soldier of Fortune: A Gideon Quinn Adventure (Fortune Chronicles Book 1) by Kathleen McClure Page A
Authors: Kathleen McClure
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glanced back at the door. “There isn’t any—“
“Not Rory. The one he mentioned. Pitte. ”
Grey eyes frosted over. “I don’t see why it’s any of your—”
“We served together,” Gideon cut her off with the truth. Sort of the truth. “We fought at Nasa Valley.”
Jinna looked unconvinced but after a moment, relented with a short hiss. “John Pitte is Rory’s captain on an independent freighter. He’s also a friend—”
She cut herself off this time, as Gideon was already moving to the front door. He yanked it open and took a quick look outside, but the street was empty of any signs of the love-struck Rory.
For a time, Gideon stayed where he was, staring out at the night.
Just as Mia was starting to get out of the booth, he turned. “I need a minute,” he said, though no one had said a word. Then he strode quickly past them, past the kitchen and to a short corridor on the right, where diner’s lone privy was hidden.
Once inside he switched on the light, locked the door, rested his hands on edges of a small sink, above which was hung a small mirror.
He looked into that mirror for a long time, but it wasn’t his reflection he was seeing.
It was his past.
C HAPTER F IFTEEN
THE SUNS WERE finally setting over the Nasa escarpment.
The 12th Company was settled into the apiary, the watch set and Gideon, walking the perimeter of the camp, was on edge — and not just because he was walking on the verge of a cliff.
"Who goes there?" Fehr's voice called softly.
"Quinn, Colonel of the 12 th ,” Gideon responded to Fehr's query.
"Advance and be recognized. Have a care, sir," Fehr added as he unfolded from his cover in a clump of abal bushes. "That last step is very final."
Gideon stepped closer, carefully, and peered over the side of the cliff. It was, indeed, quite a drop. The suns setting behind them rendered the river valley below into a sea of shadows, with only faint golden flickers from the river catching Tyche's last rays as she followed her sister, Nemesis, to sleep beneath the horizon.
"It is a beautiful place," Fehr observed as Gideon retreated to a safer viewing distance. "Temperate, fertile, plenty of room for wind farms and water from the river," he nodded down to where the Ares ran quickly along the base of the escarpment. "I wonder how it is none of the Coalition states have settled here, yet?"
Gideon shrugged. "No crystal, I guess."
Fehr looked at him. "There is more to Fortune than crystal."
"Pretty sure there was more to Earth than oil," Gideon said, then paused, tilted his head. "Do you hear that?"
"Hear — ah," Fehr said as it became clear.
The telltale thrum of an airship.
* * *
"She's one of ours," Gideon said, lowering his telescope which, with its night vision activated, clearly revealed the oncoming 'ship's name. "The Kodiak, Destroyer Class."
He handed the telescope to Lt. Fehr then looked down to where Corpsman Carver was crouched before her equipment. “Radio?"
"No contact from the Kodiak, sir," Carver replied, holding the headset close as she monitored the receiver for any incoming signals. "If they know we're here, they're not reaching out."
"She is a fine 'ship," Fehr observed, edging closer to the precipice to view the incoming vessel.
"Careful," Gideon echoed the lieutenant's earlier warning, though he understood the fascination. Because of the depth of the valley, the airship was approaching their location at the same elevation as the escarpment itself.
Fehr lowered the 'scope and took a step back before raising the eyepiece again. "Who commands her?"
"Captain Pitte."
"I have heard of him," Fehr nodded. “They say he is a good man. A Fordian, is he not?"
Gideon grunted in acknowledgment. “He and the Kodiak provided air cover on one of our ops a few months before you joined up. He was solid, maintained support under heavy ground to air fire. Still, I can't help but wonder what he's doing here with his very fine airship."
“Not Rory. The one he mentioned. Pitte. ”
Grey eyes frosted over. “I don’t see why it’s any of your—”
“We served together,” Gideon cut her off with the truth. Sort of the truth. “We fought at Nasa Valley.”
Jinna looked unconvinced but after a moment, relented with a short hiss. “John Pitte is Rory’s captain on an independent freighter. He’s also a friend—”
She cut herself off this time, as Gideon was already moving to the front door. He yanked it open and took a quick look outside, but the street was empty of any signs of the love-struck Rory.
For a time, Gideon stayed where he was, staring out at the night.
Just as Mia was starting to get out of the booth, he turned. “I need a minute,” he said, though no one had said a word. Then he strode quickly past them, past the kitchen and to a short corridor on the right, where diner’s lone privy was hidden.
Once inside he switched on the light, locked the door, rested his hands on edges of a small sink, above which was hung a small mirror.
He looked into that mirror for a long time, but it wasn’t his reflection he was seeing.
It was his past.
C HAPTER F IFTEEN
THE SUNS WERE finally setting over the Nasa escarpment.
The 12th Company was settled into the apiary, the watch set and Gideon, walking the perimeter of the camp, was on edge — and not just because he was walking on the verge of a cliff.
"Who goes there?" Fehr's voice called softly.
"Quinn, Colonel of the 12 th ,” Gideon responded to Fehr's query.
"Advance and be recognized. Have a care, sir," Fehr added as he unfolded from his cover in a clump of abal bushes. "That last step is very final."
Gideon stepped closer, carefully, and peered over the side of the cliff. It was, indeed, quite a drop. The suns setting behind them rendered the river valley below into a sea of shadows, with only faint golden flickers from the river catching Tyche's last rays as she followed her sister, Nemesis, to sleep beneath the horizon.
"It is a beautiful place," Fehr observed as Gideon retreated to a safer viewing distance. "Temperate, fertile, plenty of room for wind farms and water from the river," he nodded down to where the Ares ran quickly along the base of the escarpment. "I wonder how it is none of the Coalition states have settled here, yet?"
Gideon shrugged. "No crystal, I guess."
Fehr looked at him. "There is more to Fortune than crystal."
"Pretty sure there was more to Earth than oil," Gideon said, then paused, tilted his head. "Do you hear that?"
"Hear — ah," Fehr said as it became clear.
The telltale thrum of an airship.
* * *
"She's one of ours," Gideon said, lowering his telescope which, with its night vision activated, clearly revealed the oncoming 'ship's name. "The Kodiak, Destroyer Class."
He handed the telescope to Lt. Fehr then looked down to where Corpsman Carver was crouched before her equipment. “Radio?"
"No contact from the Kodiak, sir," Carver replied, holding the headset close as she monitored the receiver for any incoming signals. "If they know we're here, they're not reaching out."
"She is a fine 'ship," Fehr observed, edging closer to the precipice to view the incoming vessel.
"Careful," Gideon echoed the lieutenant's earlier warning, though he understood the fascination. Because of the depth of the valley, the airship was approaching their location at the same elevation as the escarpment itself.
Fehr lowered the 'scope and took a step back before raising the eyepiece again. "Who commands her?"
"Captain Pitte."
"I have heard of him," Fehr nodded. “They say he is a good man. A Fordian, is he not?"
Gideon grunted in acknowledgment. “He and the Kodiak provided air cover on one of our ops a few months before you joined up. He was solid, maintained support under heavy ground to air fire. Still, I can't help but wonder what he's doing here with his very fine airship."
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