Sankor Sangres: Mercenary For Hire

By John Leader

The obliteration of an anthropological research group and loss of viable specimen on a newly discovered planet set off dangers ventures. Hot action, robot attacks, deadly lasers and cannon fire follow the mercenaries. It all starts with a secret meeting and back room. The job always seemed simple at the start until deadly lasers flashed for you.
........... All they got were dead bodies, a burnt out camp, and no crystalline gene materials. Whoever was out there knew their stuff a little too well. Sankor noticed that intel was trickling and the mercenary action building into more than a basic fish cook off........ Shorty and Pointer went out to set up the robotics squad arrays. Someone knew where they were and this retrieval operation was now wrapped into a combat and destroy mission. The hostile, aggressive condition called.......

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Leader
• Release date: Mar 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301732630

John Leader

John Leader enjoys writing science fiction, his first choice. He writes horror just as well. He works using commercial arts techniques and creates his own book covers. His science fiction stories take on action adventure themes.He reads general and technical magazines and books when he can find good materials.He is a part time martial arts practitioner and is familiar with a variety of defense systems.

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Sankor Sangres: Mercenary For Hire

By John Leader

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 John Leader

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to you’re your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Contents

Chapter 1 Men Who Fight

Chapter 2 Fierce And Fiery Action

Chapter 3 A Trap For A Trap

Chapter 4 Robots Attack

Chapter 5 Shadows and Lasers

Chapter 6 Throw the Gauntlet

Chapter 7 Hot Pursuit

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About The Author

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CHAPTER 1

Sankor Sangres: Mercenary For Hire

By John Leader

Men Who Fight

In desolate corporate space no one was safe. There were usually unsavory jobs that always paid well for a mercenary on the hire. Sankor Sangres checked his com mail for useful messages. First pay, then risk, that was his mantra. Three and half jobs sat waiting. One job left the pay amount blank, not bad. Another must have been some kid. He wanted some Jack’s pet dog sliced, diced, and cryogenictized. This message quoted a negotiable price of sorts. For Sankor, price negotiation was on his side and not negotiable.

Sankor, a long time mercenary, ninety-percent regenerated, not his favorite process, but it kept him alive, was the negative side of his profession. He knew well, you can not be in the business without losing something.

One message grabbed his burning, brown eyes. Name your price. And, went on to request a meeting stating that the risk side was too great for print. He searched the screen and found a meeting place that meant traveling to near infinity, further than star hell. It stood at the edge of the civilized universe. Some liked to promote it as an adventure resort at the end of civilization, but that area claimed more of a renegade status on the stellar vine, and definitely not for the weak, faint, or indecisive. The frontier beyond the policed edge made it perilous for man, ship, beast, and alien. The well known civil space buoy marked the unseen line where beyond lurked unknown dangers that quickly reached one-hundred percent for the untrained that ventured into its darkness. All kinds of cut throats and bandits resided beyond the civilized demarcation space buoy. The long reaches of the law fell short of action when it came to the uncharted, uninhabited universe. Only well armed government troops could exercise legal status there. Productive money areas drew corporate businesses that ventured with paid guns to keep control of the small areas they horted.

Sankor relaxed as they crossed several constellation masses aboard a well armed government vessel. The green and blue planet they approached lowered its protective shields as the passenger ship hovered outside before descending to the massive constructed galactic port bays.

Welcome to Crystifite, the planet of blue and green dreams. It was the voice of a mercenary type in blue and green camouflaged military fatigues that blended into the planet colors.

Who are you? Sankor scanned the professional stance.

I’m, Tanker, a, my real name is Jeff Stone. I’m looking for a guy that looks like you. You Sangres, a, Sankor?

Yes. Sankor said sliding close to the guy. He carried no weapons as dictated by galactic law and he needed proximity in case dynamic, physical action clicked his nerves into defensive kill action.

Flexed muscles and tension eased as they picked up his gear and headed for an exclusive hotel, a resort conglomerate belonging to The Delcor Corporation. Sankor had already been curious when Tanker handed him a sizeable chunk of cash in the usual scan card form just for showing up. That curiosity prompted him on as he read the note on the table next to his waiting hot meal and drink in his room. The message read, 6:00 o’clock p.m. Crystifite time in briefing room 1001. Take the special red and yellow pass on the reading table to the elevator area and hand it to the guards. The sign over the elevator will read ‘Exclusive One’.

It was late morning as Sankor, ate and rested waiting for the elevator lift time. His thoughts went to the message, Exclusive One? It sounded more like some coffee shop club for rich Jacks. On the sofa Sankor stretched out and fell asleep wondering who, what, and where? More important he wondered why? The Delcor Corporation was well known for its biotech business. Sankor smiled as he drifted into deep sleep thinking to himself, mercenaries to kill germs….

The alarm shot Sankor to the shower, then a quick snack. He dressed in special armor skins. This type of action, as long as it was defensive, with no built in aggressive features, was permitted at least in galactic law books and was allowed in this part of the legal universe. He cautiously stepped over into the designated gravity elevator. The guards quickly scanned and padded him down. He wondered what the big bucks were for since no weapons were allowed. After all, he was a mercenary and could take the job on the spot.

The elevator sprang into a steady, straight-up hum. Sankor enjoyed the ride. It was fast, smooth, and efficient. It was his kind of ride.

Floor 1,000. The robotic voice from the elevator was actually pleasant.

Sankor sand scrapped the corridor with his trained eyes as he slowly walked to conference room 1001. Big brother was always watching and this corporate hotel was no exception. A simple scan card reader decoded his pass card. Inside the thick doorway stood two more guards with cutting edge, hand held security scanners. All this Sankor thought just to recruit one mercenary? He walked into a quiet, semi-dark auditorium. The section assigned to him was separated with four foot temporary walls. A small metal grey table at the front of the perimeter held writing materials, electronic gadgets, food goodies, drinks, and a few more trinkets neatly organized on top of the rectangular business table.

Sankor smiled to himself as he whispered, What the hell is this? An academic national conference or what?

He felt anxious as the secretive event gathered an ambivalent thick flavor. Aside from heightened alertness he was getting impatient. His thoughts drifted to his past jobs, more direct, with a lot less smoke to cloud his actions. He looked around, and saw four more mercenaries. They stood and headed for the private restrooms returning with a quick stepping pace. Sankor sat on the cushiony arm chair rest. A voice requested the mercenaries to sit down. Sankor moved from the arm chair rest to the plush seat. The other mercenaries sat down as a speaker voice requested the mercenary guests to pick up personal headsets.

Identification requested. Please place your right hand on the identification pad located to your right and next to your seats.

Sankor followed the request holding his hand still as the red scanner light flashed over it and read the micro-identification code on one of his finger print ridges. In a split second confirmation was achieved. In a space minute all guests were screened on site, registered and IDed.

Money amounts were quickly negotiated over the headsets. No one knew how much the other mercenary negotiated for the job. It was clear that this was a highly secretive corporate operation. It usually meant a bloody mess somewhere in space coming or going.

The headphones sounded out more, One final test. Each of you will be taken to a special room for one last test. If you pass your contract will be activated and you will meet with your employer. Please ready to follow one of the android assistants.

Instantly, the androids, grey in color, reached the guests and the mercenaries followed their coded prescribed android. The androids looked crisp, models just off the assembly floor with no distinctive color, clothes, nor recognizable attributes. On their backs they clearly showed a model number. Some kind of proto-type Sankor figured as he walked following the android to the exit door. He preferred straight action and less Baker Street mystery drama. He had worked as a private detective before. He hated the method. Too much walking, taking, and writing stuff down. Mercenary work was fast. Action kept you sharp and the pay was quick. He preferred fighting his way out instead of dieing with boredom. Besides the law as always reviewed your books and asked never ending questions.

To Sankor it smelled of just another high school test and he hated testes of any kind. Then again he was being paid for his time. Ready as old styled pie he followed the android down a dimming corridor that darkened the farther he went and the closer he moved to the black door where the front showed his white printed name on it. It was apparent that he was to walk in and he did. The situation felt suspicious and cautious. He hoped this was an interview and read job not some kind of surprise arrest.

Death was a smell he knew and it bothered him little. Before his armored plated boot cut floor and hit the entrance plate Sankor went into mercenary active mode. The fifty foot by infinity room looked large and empty, the temperature cool and comfortable. Why was the room empty?

Sankor grabbed his small pocket computer and communicator. Most people carried micro-miniatures that easily stuck to their labels, collars, or just about anywhere a grab could be made. He tightened his grip on the small communicator and data computer device. Sankor had designed it and his metallurgist friend built the near indestructible case from some kind of iridium-osmium alloy. As he held it a red blip flashed and a hum sounded a split second before his transparent shield blocked a laser shot in front of