Machine World (Undying Mercenaries Book 4) Read Online Free Page A

sure the air car was in full manual mode. I nudged the stick forward just a bit, and it drifted to the edge, nosed over, and dropped down the side of the building like a sled.
    We stood there side by side, watching it spin and blossom into flames a few hundred meters downslope.
    “Too bad about the pilot,” I said.
    “Are you kidding me? That’s all you have to say? You almost got our world erased again! ”
    “Didn’t you hear what Xlur said?” I asked. “We’re screwed anyway. The Galactics are out there talking to the squids, telling them that we’re the troublemakers. We pulled the same blame-game on them back on Tech World. Remember?”
    I could see by the look on Turov’s face she did remember. We’d been together when she’d told the squids that we were an independent and neutral entity. That we weren’t part of the Empire proper, but rather mercenaries who worked for them on a for-hire basis. The purpose of that lie had been to deflect the squids into attacking the Empire rather than Earth. Apparently, the Mogwa had come up with the same idea.
    Both the Mogwa and Earth had tried to put the blame on the other side. I had a feeling the squids weren’t really going to care. When they came for us, they weren’t going to be choosy. They were going to kill everyone who got in their way.
    Turov holstered her sidearm and put her gloved hands on her hips. “What are we going to do now?”
    “We’ll report this as an accident. With luck, Xlur will be annoyed but too busy to seek petty revenge. The bigger question is what the squids will do next.”
    “That’s not what I meant,” she said, rubbing her temples. “What are we going to tell Hegemony? They have to know about this. They have to know that Earth is being abandoned by the Empire. Three hundred star systems—isn’t that what he said?”
    “You’re talking about the size of the squid kingdom? Yeah, I think that’s right.”
    “I just don’t believe this,” she said, shaking her head.
    Walking away from the wreckage and the fallen bodies of Graves and Leeson, I headed for the elevator. Turov followed. We were both a little dazed.
    Emergency flying vehicles were converging on our location. I thought it might be a good idea if we weren’t around to have to answer any embarrassing questions when they got here. The emergency people didn’t need any details as far as I was concerned. They’d queue up the revives and, unless a hold was put on any one individual, all the victims of this “accident” would be returned to life soon enough.
    When we were in the elevator car riding downward, Turov put out her hand toward me and gave me an expectant look.
    I glanced around quickly. I didn’t see any cameras. I shrugged and took her hand in mine. I figured maybe she needed a little comforting. Possibly, this was an opportunity to spark up the brief love affair we’d enjoyed back on Tech World.
    She shook my hand off of hers with a violent motion.
    “No, you idiot!” she hissed. “Give me back the key!”
    “Oh, that,” I said, and fished it out of my pocket. I handed it over to her with some reluctance.
    The Galactic key was quite possibly one of the most powerful devices on Earth—maybe the most powerful device. Giving it up wasn’t an easy thing for anyone to do. I’d put it in my pocket, and it had felt like it belonged there. Now that it was gone, I missed it.
    Turov turned the key over twice in her hands then put it away. I wondered if she was checking to make sure it was the same one. Like I said, she was as paranoid as the day was long.
    “Do you think this ruse will work, McGill?” she asked when she was satisfied with the key.
    “You mean about crashing the air car? I sure hope so.”
    She shook her head. “I can’t believe what just happened. I can’t believe you took such a chance.”
    “The way I see it, I didn’t have much choice. I didn’t want to go down saluting an alien and blasting my own brains out.”
    “I