The Ghost in the Doll (Fox Meridian Book 6) by Niall Teasdale

combination. The muzzle vents were, as far as Fox could tell, just a style choice.
    ‘So it’s a gyroc pistol with an electromagnetic launcher?’
    ‘Basically. It solves the problem of them being next to pointless at very short range. Most encounters in policing take place within ten metres, and a gyroc can’t get up to speed in that kind of distance. But, if you use a homing round, you can hit a moving target out to a thousand metres and deliver various different payloads.’
    ‘The gophers wouldn’t stand a chance,’ Jonathan said, grinning.
    ‘Ah…’ Fox turned to a large case she had brought with her. She flicked open the catches and opened the lid. ‘I’ve got your new gopher gun right here.’
    In the case, set into packing foam, was a stubby rifle with a roughly triangular front cross-section, and a pair of pistol grips, one with a trigger. It was a bullpup design, with a fairly wide magazine set behind the rear grip. Fox lifted it out and offered it over with a grin on her face.
    ‘This is our new assault weapon. Over-and-under design with a four-mil gauss assault carbine mounted above a twenty-five-mil, electromagnetic grenade launcher.’ Fox lifted a grenade round out of the case and held it up. ‘I really want to get the chance to try one of these out, however. Optically guided minimissile with a SEFOP, that’s a smart, electromagnetically forged penetrator warhead. You can make it detonate over the target and then it chucks a superheated bolt of molten metal down at their heads.’
    ‘I thought you said a railgun was too much for gophers?’
    Fox grinned. ‘This isn’t for gophers.’ She lifted a second grenade out. ‘ This is for gophers. Thermobaric grenade. Lots of heat and huge overpressure. Cooked and pulverised at the same time.’
    Jonathan grinned back. ‘You… couldn’t leave a couple of those here when you go, could you?’
    ‘Mom would have a fit.’
    ‘Yes… But it would probably be worth it.’
    Oologah Lake Camp, Southern Protectorate.
    The camp looked much as it had the last time Fox had driven into it on a Q-bug, though that time she had driven up from Tulsa rather than straight down from Topeka. There was still a fairly intact road between the two cities and she had only had to go cross-country for the last few miles, but she was still feeling like the dirt would never come out of her skin.
    As she began driving past the buildings, she began noticing a few changes. It was still a village of homes manufactured from whatever anyone could get their hands on, but there was more fresh paint around now. More trade with their northern neighbours had, apparently, led to greater prosperity.
    And Baxter Cable, standing outside the largest of the buildings which served as a communal core for the camp, still had a huge beard, but it looked like he had trimmed it a little since the last time Fox had seen him. Beside him was Patsy, his partner and the camp’s default second in command. She was still moderately pretty, still looked strong, and still in a short skirt and a bikini bra, though the latter looked newer and made of softer leather.
    ‘Welcome back,’ Cable said, grinning. ‘Want a drink?’
    Fox laughed and swung off her bug. ‘I brought a bottle of whiskey down from Topeka. You can provide the glasses.’
    ‘Doesn’t seem to quite fulfil the dictates of hospitality.’
    ‘Oh, you’ll be providing a few things I really need while I’m down here, so don’t you worry about that.’ Fox took her rifle case and a small rucksack from where they were strapped to the back of the Q-bug and set off after Cable as he walked up the steps to the building.
    ‘You, uh, know we can’t pay your company for–’
    ‘This isn’t anything to do with Palladium. I am officially on medical leave.’
    ‘And you came down here?’ Patsy said, bringing up the rear. ‘You get hit in the head?’
    ‘Actually, I did. Several times.’ They entered the large room inside with its array