“Bossman, what’s the situation inside?”
Aeron was on overwatch for this one. That meant he was on the ship, hovering high above the mission site, monitoring the entire situation from above. Normally, for a run-and-gun mission like this one, they wouldn’t have bothered with such things, but considering the complexity of the mine-tunnel network, it had seemed like a good idea.
Plus, they’d all agreed they needed to leave at least one person behind to protect their woman, and of the three, Aeron was the best fighter. There was no question about that.
Now, the lead Merc’s voice came through Murdok’s earpiece, answering his question.
“Everything’s pretty much the same as when you set out,” he said. “You’ve got twenty-two tangos just beyond CheckpointAlpha. No raknids. After that, the tunnels are clear until Sector Bravo.”
“Roger that.”
Murdok visualized the map in his mind’s eye. Checkpoint Alpha was the entrance to the mine. Beyond that lay a medium-sized ovoid chamber with three smaller tunnels branching off. Before they could proceed into the depths of the mine, they would need to clear all the mutants on the outside, plus the twenty-two more who were hanging out just inside the entrance.
“Kid,” Murdok said, “you in position?”
This time, it was Zeth’s voice that answered him.
“Affirmative. Ready when you are.”
“We wait for the sun.” Murdok glanced upward. The sky was already brighter than it had been a minute ago. He glanced down at his watch. “Won’t be much longer now.”
“Just say when,” Zeth replied. “I’ll be ready.”
The kid was hunkered down a few hundred yards to the north, on a different part of the ridge. Bastard was well hidden, too. Murdok couldn’t even see him. But he knew he was there, and it gave him an added sense of security.
Not that Murdok needed a security blanket. He’d never been afraid of death, and he had no problem going out in a blaze of glory. Nevertheless, he was in no mood for dying today.
He had better things to do.
He reached into one of the pouches on his vest and pulled out a little wadded up piece of fabric—the panties he’d torn fromRona’s body when he’d searched her in the holding cell. He held the dirty little rag over his mouth and nose and inhaled deeply, like an addict huffing ether. His cock went hard in his britches, and his heart started kicking.
Yeah… he wasn’t gonna be dying today. Not when he had such a delicious piece of pussy waiting for him back on the ship. He was going to wear that pussy out once the mission was over. All three of them were. Him and Zeth and Aeron. They were gonna leave that woman dripping from all her holes.
“Bossman,” Murdok said. “The little lady there with you?”
“Right here beside me in the copilot’s seat.”
“She’s not sittin’ on your lap?”
Aeron chuckled. “I’m trying to keep my mind focused on the mission for the time being.”
“In that case,” Murdok said, grinning, “you’d better lock her naughty ass in the holding cell til we get back.”
He remembered the farewell the woman had given him a few minutes earlier, standing on the boarding ramp ofthe Talionis. She’d stood there, looking up at him in the dim starlight, trying and failing to conceal her concern.
“Come back safe,” she’d said.
“Woman,” he’d answered. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were actually worried about me.”
She’d given him one of her trademark scowls.
“It’s notyouI’m worried about,” she’d whispered as she’d touched the front of his pants. “But Ineedthis dick, and I’mwilling to put up with the man that’s attached to it if I must.” She’d lifted herself up on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Come back safe.”
Murdok planned on it.
He would come back safe, dick and all.
He pressed the torn panties to his face and drew another deep lungful of her pungent scent. Then he stuffed the good luck charm back inside his vest and glanced back over his shoulder at the horizon.
