Get Her Back (Demontech)

DemonTech

GET
 
HER
 
BACK
!

The World of DemonTech

NOVELS

Onslaught (January 2002)

Rally Point (Febuary 2003)

Gulf Run (December 2003)

SHORT
 
FICTION

Surrender or Die (So It Begins, 2009)

Delaying Action (By Other Means, 2011)

DemonTech is a series of military science fantasy novels where demons have been tamed and utilized in ways that mirror technology as we know it, particularly of a military nature. These demons may be visible or invisible and specific abilities they possess allow them to assume the function of many conventional tools with superior results, though they do require specially trained personnel to manage them.

Other Dark Quest Books Featuring David Sherman

So It Begins

By Other Means

In An Iron Cage
:
 
The Magic of Steampunk

Novels by David Sherman

The Night Fighters

Knives in the Night

Main Force Assault

Out of the Fire

A Rock and a Hard Place

A Nghu Night Falls

Charlie Don’t Live Here Anymore

There I Was: The War of Corporal Henry J Morris

The Squad

DemonTech

Onslaught

Rally Point

Gulf Run

The Junkyard Dogs

The Hunt

Novels with Dan Cragg

Starfist

First to Fight                                       School of Fire

Steel Gauntlet                                     Blood Contact

Technokill                                            Hangfire

Kingdom’s Swords                             Kingdom’s Fury

Lazarus Rising                                    A World of Hurt

Flashfire                                               Firestorm

Wings of Hell                                      Double Jeopardy

Starfist: Force Recon

Backshot

Pointblank

Recoil

Star Wars: A Clone Wars Novel

Jedi Trial

DemonTech

GET
 
HER
 
BACK
!

David
 
Sherman

DTF PUBLICATIONS

A division of Dark Quest Books

Howell, NJ

For my nephew, Tom,

It’s well past time you got one

PUBLISHED
 
BY

DTF Publications, a division of

Dark Quest, LLC

Neal Levin, Publisher

23 Alec Drive,  Howell, New Jersey 07731

www.darkquestbooks.com

Copyright ©2011, David Sherman.

Interior art ©2011 by Mike McPhail.

ISBN
 
(trade paper): 978-0-9830993-4-5

All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

All persons, places, and events in this book are fictitious and any  resemblance to actual persons, places, or events is purely coincidental.

Interior Design: Danielle McPhail

Sidhe na Daire Multimedia

www.sidhenadaire.com

Cover Art:

Travis Leichssenring, K Studio

http://web.mac.com/kharum

Cover Design: Mike McPhail

www.mcp-concepts.com

Copy Editing: Until Midnight

www.untilmidnight.com

CONTENTS

I
-
Runaway Sue

II
-
The Nomads

III
-
All the Way Home

I

RUNAWAY SUE

CHAPTER ONE

      “What did you say?”

      Startled, the newly arrived refugee jerked around to look toward the demanding voice. He blinked at the sight that met his eyes—a magnificently beautiful woman, golden from crown to toe. The spun-gold color of her hair, the amber of her eyes, and the honey-sunshine glow of her copiously exposed skin combined to deceive the eye into seeing her clothing as golden as well, although she wore nothing of gold. The fillet that held her hair in place was a simple leather strip. The short vest that didn’t quite close between her breasts, and the pantaloons that hugged her hips so low as to leave her entire midriff open to the air before billowing gracefully about her legs were all a parti-colored patchwork.

      “L-Lady!” the refugee stammered. Even though no lady he’d ever caught a glimpse of dressed so like a houri, this woman’s bearing was such that she could only be a lady. He snatched his cap from his head and held it crushed in his hands. “I said—I said that I heard the music of a sothar before I escaped from the Desert Nomads’ camp.”

      The golden woman thrust her face close to his. “Did you
see
the musician? Was he with a dancer?”

      The refugee took an involuntary step backward. “N-No, Lady.      I only heard the music.”

      The woman stepped forward to keep her face close to his. “Did you see a dancer with this musician?” she repeated.

      “N-No, Lady. As I said, I only heard the music.”

      “Then how do you know it was a sothar that you heard?” she  demanded, staying close to intimidate the man.

      “I-I’m a merchant seaman, Lady. One time my s-ship made port in Frangeria. I saw a Djerwolh dancer, and heard her musician.  Sh-She,” he took two brisk steps back so he could look more widely at this woman, “she looked a lot like you, only her clothes were gold.” His face reddened as he contrasted the lady’s splendid patchwork with his own seaman’s rags.

      The woman stood erect and stared hard at the refugee. After a short moment she demanded, “Where is the Desert Nomads’ camp that you escaped from?”

      The refugee swallowed. “In the High Desert. Three or four days walk from here. Maybe more. I wasn’t keeping track of how long I ran.” He swallowed again. “I ran and walked, and napped when I found safe places to stop.” He shook his head. “I can’t even say how many times I ate, I only ate what little I could grab as I ran.”

      “I don’t care how many times you ate,” she snapped. “I want you to tell me where the camp is!”

      The seaman swallowed. “I think th-three or four days w-west of here.”

      “Then you will guide me to the place. Prepare to leave at first light.” The woman, Alyline, also called “the Golden Girl,” spun on her heel and strode toward the wagon that held her belongings.

      The refugee looked after her, gape-mouthed, for a long moment, then spun around and ran, looking for a hiding place. There was no way he was going to return to the camp of the fierce nomads of the High Desert.