Nomad Omnibus 02: A Kurtherian Gambit Series (A Terry Henry Walton Chronicles Omnibus) Read online

  CONTENTS

  Legal

  Dedication

  Nomad Supreme

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Nomad's Fury

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Nomad's Justice

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Nomad Avenged

  Timeline

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Epilogue

  Author Notes - Craig Martelle

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  WWDE

  Social Links

  Series List - CM

  Series List - MA

  Nomad Omnibus 02 (this book) is a work of fiction.

  All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.

  Copyright © 2016-2018 Craig Martelle and Michael T. Anderle

  Covers by Andrew Dobell, creativeedgestudios.co.uk

  Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing

  LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  LMBPN Publishing

  PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy

  Las Vegas, NV 89109

  First US edition, January 2018

  Editing by Mia Darien, miadarien.com

  The Kurtherian Gambit (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are copyright © 2015-2017 by Michael T. Anderle.

  They say behind every great man, is a great woman,

  but what if the woman is a Werewolf?

  DEDICATION

  We can’t write without those who support us

  On the home front, we thank you for being there for us

  We wouldn’t be able to do this for a living if it weren’t for our readers

  We thank you for reading our books

  PROLOGUE

  “General Lance Reynolds, son of a bitch!” Terry exclaimed out of the blue, slapping his thigh and nodding to himself. “We need to go there.”

  He sat up straighter, proud of himself for reaching a conclusion based on information he’d had in his mind for only the past twenty-five years.

  “You don’t think a couple thousand miles is far enough to travel? Not good enough for my hunk of man candy?” Char asked, sticking her tongue out. She tossed her head, sending her hair flying in the wind. Her purple eyes seemed to drink in all that was Terry Henry Walton.

  “Huh? What I’m thinking is that he commanded an Army post outside Denver. That one was drawn down during the BRAC, the Base Realignment and Closure, but those generals all stick together. Where’d his 2IC, his second in command, send their stuff? NORAD. He wasn’t there at the fall, but I bet he was ready for it. We need to get into the mountain.”

  “What if it’s still glowing?” Char countered, not dampening his exuberance.

  He paused a moment before shrugging. “That would put a crimp in my plans.” Terry chuckled. “As long as it was an air burst, then the radiation would probably be gone already. If they hit it with a nuke penetrator, well, then no one will ever know what was stored in there.”

  They’d ridden from northern Chicago, leaving the others behind, a week prior. Although Terry was driven to get back to New Boulder, he was taking it easy and treating their return trip like a honeymoon. They’d stop whenever they wanted.

  To do as newlyweds did.

  He had promised to do his best to make up for the two lost years. Char was holding him to that.

  A lead running from Terry’s saddle pulled the third horse along. They’d taken to using it as a pack animal, loading it with food and other items they’d scavenged as they went.

  Terry continued to search for a thermometer, because curious minds, and all that. And clothes. He wanted a pair of jeans. His camouflage utilities were growing threadbare.

  And they rode on at a leisurely pace, expecting to take a month to make the trip, getting back to New Boulder around the end of November. If they could encourage the townspeople to leave a week or two after that, the group would travel past the Wastelands in the heart of the winter.

  It would be the coolest period for a while. Who knew what kind of blast furnace next year would bring?

  CHAPTER ONE

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sp; As they rode through what used to be Minnesota, Terry and Char saw people in the distance, but they disappeared before the two could get close, like mist evaporating as the sun rose.

  Terry wanted Char to point out the strangers so he could yell to them that he and Char weren’t a threat.

  She vehemently declined, telling him emphatically that winning them over wouldn’t be done through intimidation. In fact, yelling at them would simply reinforce their fear and avoidance reaction.

  “But I don’t intimidate people!” he argued. “Just look at me. I’m a big pussycat.” He gave her his winningest smile.

  “Of course you are,” Char purred, giving him a sultry look.

  He bit the inside of his cheek. “Next time we come back, we’ll send ambassadors to say ‘hello.’ Who could refuse the likes of Antioch and Claire?”

  “No one in their right mind,” Char smiled. She looked away for a while, then turned back to Terry, her face serious. “How many people have you killed, TH?”

  She stared at him intently as if his answer was the most important thing in the world.

  Terry looked into the distance. He didn’t know how to answer that. He’d kept track at one point in his life, as a source of Marine Corps pride, then it became part of doing the job, then it was critical for survival. And now he killed to save mankind.

  Tallying the number didn’t make sense.

  “Too many,” he finally answered. “I’m afraid we’re not done with that either, not by a long shot.”

  “Does it matter?” Char dug deeply into his mind, his very soul, further solidifying their partnership as one, greater than the whole.

  “Don’t all lives matter?” he replied. It was obvious that he wasn’t finished talking, so Char waited, still watching him intently.

  They had spent a great deal of their relationship in silence. That was how they knew they were a perfect match, because they were equally comfortable conversing or not.

  “If we are to help humanity recover, we need people to live. We need people to thrive. They can’t do that if they are afraid of getting killed. Like those people we see in the distance who run from two people riding nearby.”

  “The Force is about security, right?” Char asked. Terry nodded in agreement. “The sooner people know that, the better off they’ll be. Keep the people safe and they’ll be free to do what they do best. You only create the conditions. The people have to take care of the rest, but the name could be a little off-putting, don’t you think?”

  “Force de Guerre?” Terry asked.

  “The War Force with you as the Secretary of War, not the Secretary of Defense. Maybe something a little kinder to the civilians, as you call them, something like the Force for Defense and Grandeur,” Char said. She couldn’t think of another word starting with G that made sense.

  “Grandeur? Gravitas. Gillyweed. Goonballs.” Terry snickered to himself as he recited words that began with ‘g,’ and then took a deep breath of the humid air. Winter didn’t feel like it was right around the corner. It felt more like late summer. “When I was conducting those first interviews, the only thing I could think of was, ‘Fucking Dickless Groupies.’ They were just bullies and thugs. We didn’t have much to choose from back then, did we?”

  “Gillyweed? More Harry Potter? Dickless? Do you mean me? I say, Terry Henry Walton, had I known your vocabulary was so limited and vulgar, I’m sure I would not have married you,” Char countered, laughing.

  He turned in his saddle to look at her. “Do you believe in fate?” Terry asked, watching Char’s purple eyes sparkle as they rode toward the setting sun.

  “As in?”

  “As in, we were meant to be together. We were meant to be in the here and now, doing what we’re doing, even though we may feel like we’re fighting tooth and nail for every inch of ground that we gain.” His eyes got a far off look for a moment before focusing back on her. “Fuck, I don’t know. Just the thought of doing anything without you is debilitating.” Terry seemed to struggle with the words.

  “The course of true love never did run smooth,” Char quoted with a wry smile.

  “A Midsummer Night’s Dream. That’s apropos. How about, if music be the food of love, play on.” Terry’s mood lightened.

  “Play on, indeed, lover. Fate? No. We are simply attracted to what we ourselves want to be—beautiful, strong, intelligent, honorable, selfless. Pick your poison. You are such a man, TH, uncomfortable talking about how you feel. Clearly, Werewolves had a bad rap somewhere in your history. It turned your world upside-down when you fell in love with one, like, the first day you saw this hotness!” Char taunted, her smile widening, her eyes radiant as she looked at her husband.

  “I think we’ve traveled far enough today,” Terry suggested, smiling and reaching for his wife.

  “Me, too.” Char winked, leaning into his embrace.

  ***

  “We have to work them out. Assuming we’re leaving, the people need to be ready, Mayor.” Mark stood across the table from Billy.

  The mayor’s patience had grown so short that he’d removed the chairs from his office, not giving his visitors anywhere to sit. Most of them heard the message loud and clear.

  Sue worked from a chair at the side of the table. Everyone noticed her, a beautiful blonde woman with yellow eyes and Clyde curled up at her feet. They had to look past her to see Billy, Felicity ever present behind him on the couch.

  Visitors kept their trips short.

  The biggest issue was the freezers. They weren’t eating the food down quickly enough. It wasn’t a bad problem to have.

  “You have a grizzly bear running around free out there, Clyde ate my lunch again, and the people are walking around in circles. Can’t you do something different?” Billy wondered.

  Sue tried not to snicker. Felicity had taken a liking to the dog and always made two of whatever she was going to feed Billy.

  “I guess we could set up something to go outside the city. I’ll work on it, Billy. Tomorrow we take a different route and the Force de Guerre will be there with the people every step of the way!” Mark stated proudly. He stood tall, nodded, and walked out, a far different man than the one who’d walked into that very room on Terry Henry’s heels two and a half years earlier.

  “We’re all different,” Billy said. Sue looked sideways at him not knowing what he was thinking.

  Felicity had been there at that time and had seen it all. She knew exactly what the mayor was thinking. Mark’s face had been bruised and swollen, as were the others’. Ivan’s face had been smashed in, and he still wore those scars, but now, he wore them with pride.

  He was no longer fat or slovenly.

  They were all different. “Shows you what one person can do, doesn’t it?” Felicity offered.

  Marcie lay on the floor, wiggling her hands and feet, not yet able to roll over. She giggled and watched as her mother dangled things in front of her small face.

  “It only took one person to believe and get us walking in one direction.” Billy looked at the paperwork on the table, a striking woman sitting nearby, Felicity his wife, a baby, and a dog under the table. “Terry’s not even here, hasn’t been a whole lot these past couple years, but he doesn’t need to be. We still believe, and we’re still walking in the same direction. The only difference is that now we have a dog, a bear, a bunch of people with rifles, a herd of cattle, and three times the people.”

  “No one is getting beat up, and no one is hungry, Billy dear,” Felicity drawled.

  Sue had kicked back and was listening. Clyde was starting to get anxious. He strolled over to sniff the baby, but got too close. The little hand reached up and grabbed a handful of whiskers. She wouldn’t let go. Felicity intervened so no one got hurt. Sue excused herself and headed outside with a whimpering Clyde. Clemson sat outside the front door, waiting in case he needed to run somewhere with a message.

  “Damn! You are one fine looking woman,” Billy said, smiling as he took in his wife and child.
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  “Why thank you,” Felicity smiled back.

  “I wasn’t talking to you,” Billy chuckled as he slid over and picked up his daughter.

  Old Chicago

  “One of the wolves is injured!” James yelled, running into the plant and waving his arms to get someone’s attention. Ted jumped down a flight of stairs and ran as if his hair were on fire. The man continued outside and unerringly ran straight for the shaggy beast without James having to point him out.

  The wolf had a gash on his side that was caked with mud and dried blood. Ted slid to a stop and looked at the injury before picking him up and carrying him into the plant. “Get the sewing kit and water, as much water as you can carry.”

  James yelled for Lacy and then dashed sideways once outside the big door to the power plant. The building was eerily silent as no equipment was currently functioning. They’d hear a bang or screech every now and then as Timmons tested this or that. He was still making a list of tasks that needed to be accomplished.

  Timmons couldn’t do much of the work because of a stump where there should have been a hand, but he didn’t let that hold him back. He was in charge of people who had all their limbs intact He kept the whole group hopping, but they also had their own daily routines on top of working at the plant.

  Terry had given each of them something to do, and then put Timmons in charge.

  Every day was a full day of hard work.

  James and Lacy had taken their daily ride to the north and tried to make contact with the people they’d seen in that area. After a week, they had yet to realize any success. The active farms would play an important role when the town’s people arrived.

  James and Lacy had just returned from their morning ride, when James saw the injured animal.

  He returned with the sewing kit at the same time Lacy appeared with four flasks of water.

  Ted scrubbed the wound with his own shirt and then started pouring water trying to cleanse the area. The wolf was trembling and snarling. Ted talked and growled to the young male soothing him as best he could.