Gateway (Gateway Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

with half of his teeth. Stone knew he could always count on Jackson, not only for his abilities in the field but also to lighten the mood when things got too serious.
    Captain Venarus Desro had served well as a platoon commander and had been promoted when Captain Colter was killed by a Red Moss viper during the battalion’s last visit to Sierra 7. Desro was pale, tall, and wiry, with his light-brown hair cut high and close. Despite his stature, however, his body always seemed to be tightly coiled, ready to spring into action. Similar to Stone, Desro had connections to a First Family, but his line had long ago been wiped from the Venarus lineage.
    Desro had done little to help his status by taking a barmaid for a bride. Stone remembered feeling sorry for Lana, his wife, at the last regimental banquet. The enlisted wives would not speak to her because she had married an officer and the majority of officers’ wives were elitist social climbers always trying to prove their superiority. She had held up well, though, and eventually became good friends with Captain Martin—their mutual hatred for snotty, over-privileged bitches being a common bond.
    Confident, but cautious of the mission, Stone took up a position beside Desro as his men fanned into the wilderness.
    ***
    A week had passed since the battalion had dispersed to conduct reconnaissance operations, and Stone was pleased. No contact reports had been received from the other companies and things were going well in Delta. The company had been in the moss fields for a day and a half, and there had been no major problems. Aside from the headaches caused by the toxic red moss and the bites from blood beetles, things were almost going too well. The company was deployed in its normal formation. Second platoon, under Lieutenant Alister Lowstreet, was assigned to the scout patrol operating a thousand meters ahead of the main body.
    “Any reports from the other companies?” Stone asked Delta Company’s communications officer.
    “Nothing other than required checks, Sir,” the young lieutenant replied.
    As he moved along in the formation, Stone strained his eyes to focus. Orchid petals drifted slowly to the ground, partially suspended in air by the constant gentle breeze blowing over the red moss fields. As the petals floated toward the red moss below, the scene reminded Stone of the mid-winter snowfall in the Northern Hills of Alpha Humana. He had warned his men, as he always did, about becoming complacent in the visually stunning environment, but he often found himself being lulled by its deceitful beauty.
    ‘ Contact two hundred meters ahead ,’ came through the comms link into Lieutenant Lowstreet’s earpiece.
    “Terillian patrol; squad size, approaching from 025.”
    ‘ Roger. 2nd squad, take position for ambush ,’ responded Lowstreet, after activating the command frequency so the Desro and Stone would hear his platoon’s comms. 
    2nd Squad took up positions quickly and quietly. In a matter of seconds they had blended into the landscape completely.
    ***
    Lying prone near the trunk of an orchid tree, Lowstreet steeled himself as the noxious spores from the red moss burned his nostrils and throat. His position gave a perfect vantage from which to watch the approaching Terillians. After freezing momentarily to allow a viper to slither over his rifle, he slowly shouldered his weapon and brought the scope to his eye. Through the white haze of the orchid blossoms, Lowstreet saw the Terillian patrol gradually materialize. He gently rubbed his index and middle fingers against his thumb and then placed his finger in the trigger guard and listened over the comms circuit.
    ‘ Last man ,’ was whispered over the circuit, telling Lowstreet that it was now his call.
    Lowstreet selected his target, breathed out his stabilizing breath, and passed the word, “Fire. Fire. Fire.”
    With the third order, the field erupted with the sound of gunfire. Out of the corner of his eye,