— 9 —
As he crossed the compound, Bull was engulfed in the whine of hover fans straining to hold their tanks' bulk centimeters above the ground. Ahead of him was arrayed a force that always made Bull's heart beat faster: Lariat Two, second platoon of L Company, four of the best-crewed, fastest-moving, best-hitting tanks in Hammer's regiment. M Company might lead, but L Company was always called on to clean up. And Bull's second platoon was always the first to clean up. Braddington Bromley was halfway to the massing tanks when a skimmer pulled up beside him.
"Need a ride?" The familiar, soft, half-hoarse voice of Platoon Sergeant Sam "Lightnin' " Lewis reassured Bull immediately. Sergeant Lewis had come from Earth itself and had taken a drop in rank to get into the Slammers. Bull had never seen Lewis lose his temper.
"When are you going to get a job?" Bull responded.
"When you make captain," Lewis replied. Then, all business, he said, "This doesn't look like an easy one."
"Tell me about it," Bull agreed.
"Sure, climb aboard. Your corporal's all worried about you," Lewis told him as he mounted the little skimmer.
"Okay, Sam, give me your rundown." Braddington Bromley had been a corporal when Lewis was a green private. He knew when Lewis was apprehensive.
"You haven't been listening to the net, have you, sir?" Lewis asked. Not needing Bull's answer, he continued, "Well, there's a lot of confusion out there. There are a lot of our men in pain, too. What's worrying me are the reports that civilians are firing on them, old rebels starting back up again. Other reports say that it's the Raiders."
Bull cocked an eyebrow. "And you think . . . ?"
Lewis shook his head. "I don't know, sir. I just don't know." The skimmer slowed to a stop. "Here we are."
If Bull removed Lieutenant Smyth from command, turn to section 11.
If Bull kept Lieutenant Smyth in command of the infantry platoon, turn to section 12.