Read Online Afterworld (The Orion Rezner Chronicles Book 1) by Michael James Ploof - Free Book Online Page B

Mushiro and I traded glances—he looked like a kid on Christmas Eve—and I got a better look at Wonderwitch. She looked to be about my age, mid-twenties. I couldn’t pinpoint her ancestry—somewhere between Italian and French. I was never good at that. She was short, no more than five five, but had the air of a giant. I don’t know if it was her inner strength or some kind of magical glow, but she seemed to shine like a supernova.
    “We take I-90 till reach here.” Kronos indicated with a wand. “Four miles from freeway we begin search. Our mission, infiltrate lake area. If survivors, bring back. If not, load up truck with supplies.”
    Master Kronos put his wand away and squared on the group. “Stand and speak names and titles. Then sit. You begin.”
    He pointed at Meathead, who shot to attention, sending Dude flying. “Sir, Private Anderson, sir. Boston Militia infantry, sir!”
    I smiled up at Meathead Anderson and realized I was already next. “Oh right.” I cleared my throat and stood. “Orion Rezner, Wizard of the Order of Franklin.”
    Killroy rose as I sat. “Father Killroy. Many of you know me from Trinity Church.”
    A nerdy dude next to him pushed up his glasses and stood clutching a laptop. “Bernard Macklebee, tech master at large,” he said, and gave a jerky bow.
    “Doctor Dockson, Medic,” said the man next to him, who looked just like Bill Hicks. “Call me Dr. Doc.”
    “Juggernaut, operator of all things badass, Boston Militia,” said the long lost brother of Mr. T. I found myself waiting in gleeful anticipation for him to say “Foo,” but it never came.
    When the roll call came to Wonderwitch, she stood and regarded each of us in turn with a deep stare. “I am Melody Stone, newly appointed Witch of the Coven of Elzabeth, Keeper of the Word of Maliki, Sister of the Order of Franklin, of the Temple of Light,” she said with the authority of a queen. It was actually pretty cool.
    After Melody was a woman in her twenties. She wore the same camo garb as Juggernaut and Anderson Meathead, and her watchful eyes were partially hidden behind a camo baseball cap. “Angelica Lopez, mechanical engineer, demolition expert, Boston Militia,” she said, concluding introductions.
    Kronos changed the image on the projector to one of a crazy-looking war machine that could have belonged to Batman. “For mission, we use three machines. This is—”
    Dude screeched and scampered over to the chalkboard by the projector screen, and wrote DUDE in big letters. He turned to the group proudly and put his hands on his hips, doing his best Superman impression.
    “That’s Dude,” I told the room. “He’s a superchimp.”
    Dude curled back his upper lip and gave everyone a big ape smile, before taking his seat once again on Meathead’s lap.
    “Rezner, keep chimp under control!” yelled Kronos.
    I shrugged and held up my hands. “I didn’t invite him, man. I thought you did.”
    Kronos gave me a look that would make a baby cry and returned to his droning. I barely heard a word he said, being pretty nervous about the first mission outside the walls.
    Dude didn’t seem to share my apprehension. He was stoked.
    Kronos finally finished his spiel. “Any questions?” he asked.
    I burped and felt some of the apple pie retaliating.
    “What is it, Rezner?” He was annoyed.
    “Huh?” I said, swallowing down the rebel pie forces.
    Melody looked to me with slight disdain and addressed Kronos. “Is this a circus or a rescue mission? With all due respect, Master Wizard Kronos, I don’t feel that a clown and an ape will be much use on the outside.”
    “Hey!” I yelled. “Don’t call Dude a clown. He has feelings too.”
    Dude gave her fish lips as Johnny broke into laughter.
    “Enough of horseplay!” Kronos slammed the desk. “If no questions, suit up. We leave on the hour.”
    “On the hour?” I protested, suddenly sober. “I thought this mission was scheduled for tomorrow.”
    Kronos laid the