Part 6 (2/2)

And yes, Grant's young lieutenant was showing gray around the temples. So the kid had learned wisdom and now led his own company of storm troopers. Of course, Grant told himself, I am no older. He laughed.

”And the company, are they arriving soon?”

”Many of them are already here, sir. Everyone has their own cover. No two alike. If one goes south, we will not weep, but, at least so far, all have reported in. Are the police here on Eden blind?”

”Not blind, just old and comfortable in their ways. The place is a ripe fruit, ready to be plucked.”

The team leader clicked his heels at attention and saluted. ”We dreamed of plucking fruit in the old days. Now we shall.”

12.

Kris actually jumped out of bed when her alarm woke her at Oh Dark Early. Marines were the best of company to keep early in the morning. For her jog, Kris figured she could go light. She just pulled on a spider-silk body stocking, sweats.h.i.+rt, gym shorts with ceramic slat inserts, and combat boots with similar armor.

Proof against most personal weapons, she slipped her own automatic into the small of her back...and ran into Jack and Penny in the hall.

”Got to stand up to the Marines,” Penny said. Her sweats.h.i.+rt said GO NAVY.

Jack's sweats were still Wardhaven Secret Service, which was to say, blank.

Kris laughed with her friends and strode outside.

And came to a roaring halt.

Captain DeVar stood waiting for her. He saluted as Kris took in what he had arrayed before her. ”The Marine Detachment is ready for PT, Your Highness.”

”In full battle rattle!” Kris yelped.

That they were. Each Marine stood with his or her M-6 at port arms. Without a full inspection, it was beyond Kris's kin, but it sure looked like each of them were in full-battle gear...with a full-battle load.

”Is all this necessary?” Kris whispered.

”Your Highness, I will not take my Marines in harms way without proper armor and equipment.”

Kris waved at her eyebrow and the Marine captain smartly dropped his salute. ”Gunny Sergeant, open the detachment,” he ordered.

Orders were given and half the Marines smartly took three steps forward, leaving room for Kris and company to slip into the s.p.a.ce between First and Second Platoon.

”Do we have a permit for this much firepower?” Kris asked.

”I fully expect that anyone concerned about that fine point of the law is still sound asleep. Shall we get started, Your Highness, so we can complete our run before that changes?”

Properly chastised, Kris settled in between Jack and Penny.

”Oh, one more thing, Your Highness. Local marksmans.h.i.+p is reported to be pretty bad, so we'd appreciate if you'd wear this.” Captain DeVar handed Kris a bright red sweats.h.i.+rt. On the front a mean-looking bulldog growled SEMPER FI, from behind a golden globe, anchor, and rocket s.h.i.+p.

On the back was a target in circles of Navy blue and gold.

”Thank you so much,” Kris said, then pulled the s.h.i.+rt on over her armored one.

”Don't want any Marines ending up as collateral damage,” the captain explained with a grin. ”If one of my Marines takes a hit, I want it in the front, charging the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.”

”Ooo-rah,” answered that. Softly, so as not to wake anyone.

”Gunny Sergeant, move the detachment out.”

And they headed for the mall. There had been a light rain during the night. The air was cool with the smell of trees and fresh earth. And honest sweat. They had the place to themselves, except for a trash truck carrying off yesterday's refuse. Three miles never went so quickly for Kris.

Though it did leave her a bit breathless. She was spending way too much time being a social target. She'd better start paying attention to that target on her back or someone just might score a bull's-eye.

As they jogged up to the emba.s.sy, a large black sedan pulled to a stop ahead of them. Gunny brought them to a halt as Inspector Johnson got out from the driver's side. No chauffeur today...or maybe just at this hour.

Kris broke ranks to trot up and join the inspector. Jack and Captain DeVar hung back in easy hearing and close support.

”Didn't expect to see you this early,” Kris said to break the ice of the hard glare the cop was giving the Marines.

”I got a wake-up call from the Sanitation Division. Someone asking if the mall was being invaded. I suspected I knew where the invasion came from.” He opened his arms as if in surprise. ”Here I am and here you are. And you and you,” he said, nodding toward Jack and the captain.

”May I dismiss the troops, Your Highness?” DeVar asked.

”Please do,” the inspector said.

”Kindly do,” Kris said, and quickly, quietly, it was so.

Jack and Penny took guard around Kris, checking out the building roofs, streets, and any other potential site where death might reach for her. The Marines in battle dress raced off, but didn't leave her unprotected for long. A minute hadn't gone by before two marines in khaki double-timed from the emba.s.sy. The apparent duty team on sensors were followed only moments later by one Marine hobbling on crutches as quickly as he could, his left foot in a cast, him in a hurriedly donned sweatsuit.

That was when it hit Kris. She'd been adopted into the Marine Corps family. They had made her one of their own. It sent a s.h.i.+ver down her spine. And stiffened it, too. These men and women would lay down their lives for her.

Of course, the unspoken contract flowed both ways. Loyalty went up and down or it didn't go at all. As unlikely as it might seem to some, she now owed her life to them. A stranger to the uniform might not see much prospect for Kris to pay the full price for one of these privates or NCOs.

Kris knew differently. A solemn vow now bound each of them equally.

And that was the only way it could be. One for all. All of them for each other when the mouth of h.e.l.l was yawning and the piper demanded his pay.

Kris found herself standing a little taller, her back a bit more ramrod, as Gunny would expect of her, even as she pa.s.sed the time of day with Inspector Johnson.

If he was aware of the change that came over the woman in front of him, he certainly showed no evidence of it.

”Did you bring over my weapons permit?” had been Kris's first gambit.

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