Page 8 of Game on Askole

No one moved until the smell hit them. A man hollered, “Good God, they had a run-in with a drunk skunk.” The crowd backed up a couple of feet.

“Gee, what a shame. Your plan isn’t working.” Snark was my middle name.

Voss shrugged. “My warriors will be here shortly.”

Yippee.

The old lady called, “Tomato juice will take care of the stench.”

I threw up my left hand in disgust. “He’s a warlord, not some kind of goddamned superstar.”

“They saved us from the Tai-Kok. They’re heroes,” the old lady spouted reverently and held her camera out to me. “Can you take our picture with the warrior?”

“No! I won’t. Our military saved you, not them. The Coletti haven’t shot down one single Tai-Kok or Rodan vessel since they’ve been in orbit.”

“Not true!” a heavy-set man shouted. “Just last week, two Tai-Kok ships were destroyed.”

“By me.” I thumped my chest. “A Siren. You know, Sirens, the psychics that keep the aliens from eating you? God, you’re all ignorant fools.”

A blonde wearing skimpy cutoffs and a halter-top yelled at Voss, “I heard you’re looking for real women.” She thrust out her DD breasts. “Here I am. Take me.”

I rolled my eyes. Nothing about her was real.

An armored Coletti shuttle landed next to the railroad station. Four heavily armed warriors walked down the landing ramp with tracking scanners.

Crap. The reinforcements were early.

The sheriff, a Kevin Costner lookalike, strode toward us with a Winchester rifle in his left hand. His spurs jingled with every step he took. He came to an abrupt halt and backed up a good ten feet. His gaze roved over my orange jumpsuit before fixing on Voss. “I’m Sheriff Benson. Are you expecting some kind of trouble? No alerts have been issued.”

I’ll be damned. Hank Benson, the creator of Earth First. What a perfect cover.

“Evacuate Old Tucson immediately,” Voss instructed.

Hank shook his head. “No can do. Only the military has the authority to issue an evacuation order.”

“Earth is under Coletti control, and you will do as I command,” Voss snapped.

I put my two cents in. “Unfortunately, the Battle Commander is right. The military does answer to him.” I gestured at my jumpsuit. “The traitorous bastards handed me over without a second thought. You might want to keep that Winchester handy. You’ll need it when the Tai-Kok come back.”

“Be quiet, Sarah,” Voss growled.

“The truth hurts, doesn’t it?” I winced when Voss tightened his grip.

“I still need to check in with Central Command, or they’ll shut us down,” Hank insisted. He had the good-old-boy act down pat.

With an audible snap of his teeth, Voss released my arm and pushed several icons on his communications bracelet.

General Georgina Tasker’s ugly face filled Voss’s vid screen. Her black hair was pulled into a hideous bun. “What can I do for you, Battle Commander?”

Her abrasive voice grated on my nerves. I truly hated her.

“Issue an evacuation order for Old Tucson,” Voss stated.

“Consider it done.” The screen went black.

“Not real talkative, is she? Ever consider if the General would betray her own people, she’ll do the same to you? Once a traitor, always a traitor.”

The Battle Commander stared at me for a long moment. “A valid point.”

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