Gemini Rising: Book Summary
The novel begins with a pair of travelers who have stopped outside a ville. They are trying to get into it. The woman is pretending to be pregnant. It turns out that they are jolt dealers and the sec men chill them on the spot. They were trying to get into Rockville.
Ryan and the others are watching the events unfold. It is very cold and is in the late fall. They arrived in Virginia Beach Naval Station which had a partially working gateway. There they explored and Ryan found a telescope which they are currently using.
They decide to approach the ville and see if they can get inside. They Approach the guards and talk briefly showing the ammo they have to trade. The guards let them pass. They go in and Ryan hears a comment about Front Royal charging tolls.
Inside they make their way to an inn. Ryan uses his silenced blaster to kill a man they see hanging from the Gallows as it would take a great deal of time for him to die. They notice that they are being watched. Krysty spots a man staring at them in open hostility.
At the inn they get a meal and something to drink. Jak makes friendly with the serving girl. His actions anger some of the locals. They make the mistake of drawing on him. The barkeep gets his weapon and so do the companions. Jak has one of his knives to the throat of one of the locals. Everyone eases off. The locals are in actuality mercs and are told to finish their drinks and leave.
The girl, named Lily, decides to give her room key to Jak.
As they eat Krysty overhears the mercs talking. They plan to ambush the companions as they leave. Ryan calls them on as soon as they hit the entrance to the inn. A fight breaks out.
The mercs are beaten and the sec force arrives. They let Ryans group off the hook and take the survivor. The Head sec man is British, a man named Monty.
While they talk a man named Stephen comes in and is horrified to see that the mercs that were to act as his escort are dead. But he gains the companions interest as he is heading up to Front Royal with a load of cargo. They offer to ride shotgun in place of the mercs for transportation to the ville.
After everything is cleared up the group separates. Jak goes to Lily's room and finds that she is a twin. J.B. And Mildred, as well with Krysty and Ryan take separate rooms. They are still being watched.
The next day they awaken and inspect the vehicles that they will be riding shotgun for. Doc is quite surprised and suspicious on how well the wags are maintained and running. They even have air conditioning. Stephen said they were carrying wheat. Doc is quite sure that the cargo isn't that.
On the way out they are attacked by a large group of muties. The attack is repelled with no losses or injury. They continue traveling till the first stop. Ryan figures the mutants come from the Washington Hole.
A woman who has been badly tortured is lying on a table. A baron named John Henderseon is conducting the torture. His grand son William is with him. The baron didn't get information he wanted from the woman so he has his grandson kill the torturer for it. They plan on attacking the other Baronies and want to start a fight between Front Royal and the ville known as Bullsrun Ville.
Dur9ng the evening some of the people traveling with the companions to the ville are attacked by a swampie who steals a baby. Ryan and Krysty go after it, retrieving it from the river after they finally kill the mutant. The baby is dead but Mildred is able to revive it. The parents name the baby after her.
Two days have passed and they are still about a day out from the ville. They come to a pass in the hills. Ryan spots an ambush. They take the fight straight to the coldhearts. The initial attack goes well, then a second wave attacks. It too, is beaten off. Turns out that the coldhearts are cannies.
Inside the cannies larder they rescue a man who had been held as a prisoner, only human flesh for him to eat and a drink that would increase his appetite. Ryan recognizes him as one of his servants from years before. He informs Ryan that a man named Overton, not his nephew Nathan, rules the ville.
New day. They are now on the outskirts of the ville. One of many smaller villes that surround the main castle. Mildred, Stephen and one of the travelers with them a man named Clem head into the ville to do a quick recce. Stephen was warned by Ryan not to breath a word about his being there.
Mildred is stopped at a checkpoint. She tells the guards about the man they rescued. It puts the guards on alert and they are escorted straight to Front Royal with the man. They fear an attack is pending.
Once inside the ville they split up. Once again Mildred warns Stephen no to try and betray them. She and Clem go through the ville in another recce of sorts. They trade as they go, listening in to the conversations going on around them.
They come across an execution. Nathan is going to have one of his retainers done in. The man was a drunk and was drinking on duty. He is about to stay his hand when Overton appears. Mildred and Clem are shocked at the physical resemblance of the man to Ryan. Overton executes the man and they decide to leave.
One of Overtons Blue-shirted guards spots and recognizes Mildred and informs Overton. He knows that Ryan and the others can't be far behind.
Two LAV 25's come to a cleared area. They are filled with the same blue shirted sec men as are in front royal. The Sergent orders a for to be constructed and talks to two of the survivors who were initially clearing the area in preparation. Most of the people who were there were killed by a strange mutant creature that inhabits the forests.
Overton, Nathan and several of his sec men are in one of the towers at front royal. They are discussing Overtons plans to unite the east coast baronies. Nathan points out portions of his plan that just won't work. As they are talking JB, Doc, Jak and Dean arrive in the ville.
Nathan and Overton head out to meet him. Overton goes to attack, Ryan forces him back. Overton claims to be his son from a union with a Whore named Havila in Texas. Ryan knows that there is no way he could have a son. But he decides to go along with it none the less.
In bullsrunville the baroness Susan Markham surveys the battlefield and the damage her ville suffered. More than half her forces were killed in the enemy attack. Seems the enemy were Samurai and they were defeated.
She gets word that Cawdor's forces are coming and it looks like they are ready to attack. She orders her sec chief to send a mutant assassin she has named sullivan to kill Nathan. And when he returns from the mission, to have him destroyed.
Overton is with his lieutenant Ki discussing what to do with Ryan. He is very angry that his plan didn't go as he wanted and that Ryan is still alive. He wants to contact their mutal employers in the caves where the two LAV 25's are. He eventually grabs a bottle of wine and returns to the celebration. Here he wants to take Ryan hunting but Ryan refuses. He knows exactly what the other man has in mind for him.
Ryan wants to get with Nathan and speak to him about what is happening. He isn't able to until just after the dawn with J.B. and Clems help. They discuss the situation. Nathan informs him of Overtons attempt to rule. They call each other Uncle and Nephew to indicate when they are lying to each other. But enough information is passed on.
After they separate Nathan encounters Tian Hwa Ki, Overtons lieutenant and he slaps the other man around because Overton has Nathan's wife and unborn baby.
A healer named Daniel Lissman encounters Sullivan. The healer is killed and Sullivan takes his identity in order to get into Front Royal
The companions decide to go after Nathans wife, as well as the other prisoners that are being held, the men that are loyal to Nathan. They get their weapons prepped and head to the Barracks where they kill several of Overton's guards and get inside.
Once inside they make short work of Overtons men. They rescue Tabitha and the surviving loyalists and get them out. Ryan sends Mildred and Clem with Tabitha and the former prisoners outside the ville to where they will be safe.
Ryan and his group ambush more of Overtons men and arm the servants with the weapons they get. Overton finally realizes what is happening and he calls the cave for backup. He then goes after Ryan directly.
Mildred and Clem head to the mans cabin, the man they rescued. They bring Tabitha there for safe keeping and give the man an AK 47 to protect her. At the same time a group of Overton's men arrive looking for them. Mildred has a desperate plan to save them all.
Krysty is separated from Ryan and the others and gets cornered by sec men. She fights them with all her might using her mutant strength. But they finally take her down. Ryan and the others are fighting hard in the castle itself and are greatly outnumbered. They fight all the way to the roof and jump down into the moat so they can escape. But they also plan to keep pressing the attack once they make their way in.
When the sec men searching for Tabitha enter the building, they find Daffers on top of Mildred. She is pretending to be a Gaudy slut. The ruse works and the sec men leave. She quickly dresses and at that time Tabitha's water breaks. Mildred goes to work and is horrified to see it's a breech birth.
Krysty awakens and discovers that the sec men are about to gang raped. It turns out that one of the sec men is actually a loyalist who is in disguise. He attacks and kills the men and frees her. They get into the LAV 25 in the building and discover that it is booby trapped.
Outside the ville Ryan and the rest quickly dress in filthy clothing that Nathan gave to them. They watch as specially bred hounds are released on the sec men who are returning to the ville. The group is destroyed, with only a few of the dogs killed. The dogs then turn their attention on Ryan and the group but they don't attack as they smell Nathan in the clothing. The group re-enter the ville.
Inside they meet up with Nathan and change into clean clothing. Everyone except Doc head for the barracks. Doc runs into nine sec men and Ki at the gatehouse. He kills all, including Ki.
Inside the APC Krysty and the loyalist set up a system of straps to help them get out without setting off the trap. They get out and away from the vehicle before it blows. The detonation causes canisters of poisonous gas to rupture. The loyalist is killed when the forces loyal to Overton blow open the door and come to get the APC.
Ryan and the others make their way to the same place that Krysty hiding in and kill the sec men. They continue to press the assault.
Overton orders his surviving men out to the cave where they can re-group and gather reinforcements. They will then attack the ville and destroy it. As he rides past Doc spots him and shoots him but the round doesn't kill the man as he is wearing armor. Doc gets shot by the sec men and before Overton can make good his escape he gets shot in the leg. By the early evening Ryan is on a battered motorcycle and is hunting Overton. He finds the horse that the man was using and comes under attack by one of Overton's sec men. After killing him, he discovers the compound.
Ryan cuts the wires that surround the compound and sneaks inside. He sees the 2 LAV 25's as well as the cave and a satellite uplink. Overton announces over the PA system that he knows that Ryan is there. Ryan is able to sneak to one of the LAV 25's where he proceeds to wreak havoc with the vehicles cannon before it is wreaked.
He ends up hiding under the satellite dish that he knocked over in the attack and is surprised to see the rest of his group show up to help him out with the fight.
Nathan and Overtons forces clash and neither side is able to get the upper hand. Without warning Casanova's troops attack and it quickly becomes a three way battle. Ryan gives Overton the option to join him and Nathan's forces in order to repel the attackers. He takes it but neither man trusts the other.
They need to get to the explosives that were buried during the fighting. Both Ryan and Overton reach it and continue to hold the truce. Once they dig them out and they finally light them. The barrage from the explosives decimates Casanova's forces. When the battle finally ends Overton breaks the truce and attacks Ryan with a knife.
One of Overton's own men ends up shooting him down for breaking his word to Ryan. It attack doesn't kill him but there is no way he will survive.
Ryan keeps his word and allows Overton's men to leave. They find literal tons of goods to take back to Front Royal with them. At this time Overton is still alive but fading fast. He is in a great deal of pain. Mildred gives him Quill jolt to kill him quickly and painlessly. But before he dies they find a hidden Tattoo with the number 352 on his wrist. They learn about a base hidden in Shiloh and the rebuilding of the country. Overton Dies.
The group decide to repair the APC and head to Shiloh to investigate it.
End of Gemini Rising