Furnace (Hunter-Killer #1)

Chapter 33 - Here's to a Safely Swimming Soul

He found Kim 'Haunter' Lassange being tended to by a medic for a series of burns on her right arm, resulting from a blown fuse within the Hunter-Killer cradle; Scantlin sat at the feet of the other Raptor mech leaning against the scratched and pitted metal plating with his eyes closed. Most of them seemed too exhausted to process or question anything that had just happened.

Most of them.

"Ryke!"

His head snapped the left at the sound of the pain-strangled voice, and he found Brigg stomping towards him with rage blazing in his eyes. The Goliath pilot's eyes were red and he could see the two thin lines on his cheeks where tears had cut through the grime and sweat.

"Easy, soldier," Norville rasped, trying to get between them and grabbing the stocky young man by the arm. Brigg ripped himself free with a wordless growl of frustration, not even breaking stride. Ryke stood his ground and turned to face him, muscles tensing for the unavoidable confrontation.

The others tried to dissuade Brigg, voices bouncing uselessly off the pilot as he walked straight up to Ryke, grabbing him by the shoulders and shoving him backwards hard against one of the supporting girders in the hangar bay. Ryke let out a grunt of pain as the impact jolted his spine, but he'd been ready for it, and he locked eyes with the other pilot.

"Brigg, stop!" Preese shouted, bounding over and trying to wrestle them apart.

"Preese, don't," Ryke said quietly. "It's alright." As the other pilot took an uncertain step back Ryke turned his attention back to Brigg. "Stand. Down." The words came out slow and deliberate, trying to penetrate the fury in his comrade's eyes.

"That's all you've got to say?" Brigg choked out, pressing harder. "Amelia's dead!"

"I know that," Ryke hissed, every muscle in his body beginning to prickle as he tried to keep his composure. "She's not the first person we've lost and she won't be the last. Now stand down."

"Why did you listen to her? Why did you let her go?!"

"We had to do it, and she knew that."

"You knew what would happen if went out there."

"That's why they put me in command, Brigg." He could feel it – feel the mask of discipline slipping away. "We all have to be willing to make sacrifices."

"Who in the Everflowing drowned and made you god?" Brigg snarled shrilly. "You think being happy to send people to die makes you a hero?! You killed her!"

He finally lost control. Smacking Brigg's hands away he surged forward, grabbing two fistfuls of the boy's jacket and swinging him around, smashing the other pilot savagely into the supporting girder. The last dregs of his composure finally disintegrated in a churn of grief and rage.

"It was her choice!" Ryke screamed, veins bulging as he held Brigg in place. "Hers – no-one else's! And if I'd tried to stop her we'd all be dead too! You want someone to blame? Well there are still thousands of Scraegans outside those walls who you can point a finger at!" He could feel the redness of his face, tears threatening to well in his eyes as he leaned in close, daring Brigg to challenge him any further. "Don't you dare – by the Everflowing River and every watching Lord – don't you blame me for this. Don't diminish what she did out there by making it my fault. She saved every single one of us and she deserves more from you."

The echo of his voice rang through the hangar and several techs had stopped their work, watching the confrontation uneasily. Brigg just stared at him, cheeks crimson and neck muscles bulging as they stood there. His breath came in shudders; he swallowed. For what felt like minutes no-one spoke.