“Roger that, ma’am. All I can figure is that something’s gone clap-trapping wrong out there. There are four of them, for freak’s sake. Someone should have gotten a report off. Called for a mayday, said something.”

“Roger that, Briah.” Kalico sat back in the seat, frowning.

“Want me to take a squad and go out there? Maybe leave some of the FNGs to keep an eye on the fence building?”

“Briah, I don’t—”

“Hold everything! I’ve got movement on my HUD. I’m on the southeast corner of the pad, looking down into the forest, and yeah, it’s Private Aberash. She’s limping, falling . . . shit . . .”

“Briah. What’s happening? Briah, report.”

“Running down there now, ma’am” came the reply, mixed with the sounds of panting. “Fuck me with a skewer! She’s covered with blood, staggering, helmet’s . . . like . . . blasted.”

“You mean as in explosive?”

“No, ma’am. If you ask me, it looks like Aberash has taken one hell of an impact. Got her. Packing her up the hill in a combat carry. Her armor’s fritzed, shorting, but she’s alive.”

“Roger that. Can you evacuate her to PA?”

“That’s a negative. Won’t have another shuttle rotation from Turalon until tomorrow.”

Turalon shuttles were making a daily cargo run from orbit, dropping off fencing, dome kits, and other material that Kalico hoped to use in the construction of her new mine. She leaned back, fully aware of the questioning looks Talina and Dek were giving her. But without military com they’d only heard her half of the conversation.

Kalico knotted a fist, slammed the armrest on her seat. Considered.

“What is it?” Talina asked.

Kalico explained the situation, adding, “Briah can’t evacuate Private Aberash. Nothing down there has the range to reach PA, let alone orbit and Turalon’s medical bay.”

“So,” Dek mused, “what could have possibly taken out four marines? In armor and with tech? That’s impossible.”

“Is it?” Kalico asked. “Do you really want to say that after what happened to the Maritime Unit?”

“If there’s something in the forest outside of Southern Diggings that can take out marines,” Talina mused, “we might really want to know what it is.”

“How badly is Aberash hurt?” Dek asked.

“Briah doesn’t know. Said that Aberash’s armor was shorting in and out. Means the med readouts would be fritzed. If it’s really that bad, the miracle is that she was able to make it back to the mine.”

“So, what do you want to do?” Talina gestured out at the forest they flew over. “You’ve got a Board Appointed Inspector General lost somewhere. A most important person, and not the kind of high mucky muck you can just up and lose.”