Resurrected Soldiers: The Tyrus Chronicle - Book Three Read Online Free

swinging a punch. I stepped to the side, avoiding the attack, moved in close, and hit him hard in the gut. Air whooshed from his lungs.
    Some might have stopped there, and under normal circumstances I probably would have as well. However, the tall solider seemed like the sort of person who might attribute my first strike as getting off a lucky punch. I couldn’t have that. Besides, I said I would not go easy on him, and the last thing I wanted to be called was a liar.
    My knee came up, striking him three more times in the gut until the man vomited. I struck the side of his face with my fist as he bent over heaving up his last meal. The blow sent him to the ground. He managed a groan.
    “Stand up, soldier,” I said.
    The man only rolled over and moaned some more.
    I grabbed him by the hand, and bent a finger back until it snapped audibly. He found enough air to scream, then worked himself to his feet. Tears filled his eyes.
    “Good,” I said as he fought for balance, cradling his broken finger. “Now, I gave you an order. The ribbon.”
    He looked at me, face twisting more. Somehow he found both the strength and stupidity to charge. I caught him by the arm, snaked it around, and snapped his elbow joint backward. He wailed again. I pitched him forward, and threw him on top of a still unconscious Habak.
    I eyed a nearby soldier who had watched the entire exchange. “Do you know where the ribbon is?”
    The man blinked. “Uh, yes sir.”
    “Get it.”
    He bent over and fumbled around in the tall man’s pockets without hesitation. After a moment, he produced the blue strip of cloth.
    “Give it to, Boaz,” I growled.
    Boaz accepted it immediately.
    The soldier took a step back.
    I looked at him. “Thank you.” Then I gestured to the ground. “Get some medical help for the captain and this man. Let Habak know that I hold no hard feelings against him.”
    I gave them my back and gestured for Boaz and the others to follow. They grabbed their things and fell in beside me. I ignored the stares from others.
    In the past, those stares would have led to regrets for getting into an altercation with another soldier. Early in my soldiering career, when I was cocky and called on it, I felt no remorse for the fighting I did.
    As I got older and wiser, it caught up to me. It was a shame that many who had hated me died before seeing me mature into what I had hoped was a better person.
    Nowadays, any altercations were necessary. I glanced over my shoulder at Habak and his men. I doubted I’d carry any regrets over this one.
    “Dekar’s got a fire going over that way,” I said while we walked. “Get yourself something to eat and have him or Ira take a look at any injuries you might have picked up.”
    Zev and Caleb walked on ahead. Boaz hung back.
    “Aren’t you coming?” he asked.
    “I’ve got a few other things I wanted to do first.”
    He still seemed to be processing what had just happened when he said, “That was pretty impressive. A little different than how you handled things with those who left Denu Creek.”
    “Different circumstances call for different solutions.”
    “Thank you.”
    “Don’t mention it.”
    I continued walking through camp, taking in more of what I had only seen a piece of earlier. I exchanged greetings with several men I recognized from my earlier stint in the army. They seemed about as thrilled as I was to be back grunting it for some other fruitless cause.
    Making my way over to the infirmary, my heart began to speed and my stomach flipped.
    I hated the infirmary.
    Not because of the people working there. I had nothing but respect for those healers and cutters who worked themselves ragged, sometimes to death, under horrifying circumstances. Trying to save the life of a man who just wanted nothing more than to die was no easy task.
    I didn’t hate the infirmary because of the soldiers housed there either. They didn’t ask to be in that situation.
    I hated the infirmary because of the