The Journey of Kyle Gibbs Box Set

by Wayne Marinovich

  ‘Do you trust this whole single global government idea?’ Gibbs asked.

  ‘I trust the Grand Founders and Lord Butler. He is one of the men driving this forward, so, I have to believe that it is the best thing we can do under these circumstances.’

  ‘Sounds a little like an autocracy to me.’

  ‘We are trying our best to enable the warlords to govern their own areas or provinces, so I suppose it is more like a feudal system. The GGC will never have the armies to march around the world and impose their will through force. There will always be negotiation. Take the Mayor of Givet as an example. He has no interest in becoming a warlord and helping us. He has, however, realised that we do need to help each other, thus has allowed you and your team to spend a few months there,’ Christina said.

  ‘Fair enough, you’ve been true to your word thus far, so I’ll continue to trust you.’

  ‘Thank you, Gibbs.’

  ‘Just out of curiosity. Which Grand Founder was around at the beginning of the Billionaires Club?’

  ‘Most of them, but I guess Lord Butler is the longest serving member, seen as though as he started it all.’

  ‘Do you trust all of them?’ Gibbs asked.

  She was quiet for a second. ‘I guess I do. Why do you ask?’

  Gibbs looked into her blue eyes. ‘Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just trying to get my head around it all.’

  ‘Take your time.’

  ‘So, how are we to get to France then? Walk and swim? I do look great in a pair of speedos,’ Gibbs said.

  ‘I bet you do.’ Christina replied before blushing a little.

  Gibbs smiled at her. ‘There are going to be ten of us, with a lot of kit.’

  ‘As Andrei explained, after the collapse of the armed forces, with help from the warlords, we were able to get our hands on most of the kit in the quartermaster’s stores. We have a lot of military equipment, weapons and ammunition at our disposal.’

  ‘That’s handy to know, but how do we get to France?’

  ‘In the south of London, there is an old private airfield with a few of our old planes. You fly from there directly to an airfield north of Givet,’ Christina said.

  ‘Do they still have fuel to fly them?’ Gibbs asked.

  ‘There is still a lot of aviation fuel, and diesel left. After the oil wars and the market crashes, industry pretty much collapsed, so there was no real demand anymore. We have, with the help of the warlords, secured vast depots of fuel, and it is primarily used for military and government purposes.’

  ‘Well then, let’s find me some men,’ he said, looking down at another candidate’s file.

  Chapter 17

  Canary Wharf, London, England, UK - 2028

  ‘All I’m saying is that I should have the final say on which men I am going to lead. It should be the same for any other captains recruited in the future. I’m sure old Schmitty here selected his minions,’ Gibbs said, nodding in Markus’s direction across the large mahogany table.

  ‘That is Captain Schmitt to you, Gibbs,’ Markus said.

  The two Phoenix Guard captains stared at each other. Tensions had been high since the German Guard captain had returned from Europe. Lord Butler and Christina were also present at the meeting, which was being held in one of the rooms off to the side of the Phoenix Chamber.

  ‘Okay, gentlemen. That is quite enough, we need to urgently finalise this team. Captain Gibbs, these men are excellent candidates and quite capable of carrying out the tasks at hand. Remember that you are their leader in the field and thus will have the opportunity to mould them into a team,’ Lord Butler said.

  ‘I would usually have time to gauge their field skills,’ Gibbs replied.

  ‘We don’t have the time or the facilities to hold trials. You’ll have to dance with the girls you’ve got,’ Lord Butler said.

  ‘Maybe Captain Gibbs is not up to the task of leading this team,’ Markus said. Gibbs smiled back at the German then blew him a kiss across the table.

  ‘I’ve had the privilege of witnessing both of you in action over the last ten days, and I happen to believe that Captain Gibbs is as capable, if not more,’ Christina said, folding her arms.

  ‘What do you know about military affairs, Christina?’ Markus said.

  ‘Captain Schmidt, regardless of your feelings and what happened in the past between you two, you will address Christina by her title, am I clear?’ Lord Butler said.

  ‘Yes, Lord Butler. I apologise,’ Markus said.

  Gibbs sat back in his chair and flicked a glance between the sulking German captain and the blonde deputy minister, and a smile spread across his face.

  ‘I think that we are in agreement then. Captain Gibbs, you will finalise this team with the help of the Deputy Minister, and that is final. The next bit of news I want to hear from you is that you are on your way to France. Is that clear, everyone?’

  They all nodded.

  ‘Markus, can you wait for a few minutes, I would like a few words with you in private,’ Lord Butler said as the others left his office.

  • • •

  Lord Butler leant forward with his elbow on the table. ‘Markus, my loyal old friend. What has happened to you recently? You have never let your emotions stop you from doing your job, so why can you not seem to get past this?’

  ‘I am sorry, sir. She gets under my skin, that’s all.’

  ‘Are you still in love with her?’

  Markus turned and looked out of the window.

  ‘I’ll take that as a yes, then,’ Lord Butler said. ‘She does not feel the same way about you, son. You do know that, right?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘Well, stop all this sniping and snivelling, and do the jobs I ask you to do. You know you will always be my go-to captain.’

  ‘Thank you, sir.’

  ‘But don’t go and disappoint me now, you know how I hate that,’ Lord Butler said, and stood up.

  He watched the tall blonde man walk out of the room in silence, then looked down at the file of Kyle Gibbs. It was ten years since he had last had the man’s file on his desk, and he should have dealt with him back then. He was a great soldier, but a guaranteed pain in the backside, and someone who needed to be watched if he didn’t get his way.

  • • •

  As the sun disappeared behind one of the tall neighbouring GGC buildings, Gibbs wandered down from his quarters and entered the staff relaxation room. It was a large dimly lit room with a bar in the corner and an assortment of scavenged furniture from vacant buildings nearby. Staff members from the seven GGC and Phoenix buildings in the area met up here to have a drink and relax, escaping the grim reality of their day to day lives. Gibbs had waited until after the meeting to ask Christina to join him for a drink, which she accepted with a smile. He had done so within earshot of the ever-volatile German captain to test a theory.

  Gibbs was already seated on an old leather couch when Christina walked in and caused him to do a double-take. She wore a red long-sleeved polo neck and figure-hugging jeans with long boots. Her long blonde hair was loose, and it flicked around her shoulders as she walked. She was the spitting image of his long-passed girlfriend, Sharon Matthews. As she walked over to him, he realised that he was holding his breath.

  ‘Can I get you another drink, Captain?’

  He nodded in silence.

  Christina signalled to the barman to bring over two of the same beers.

  ‘Interesting selection of beers you have on offer here,’ Gibbs said as Christina sat down on the couch next to him.

  ‘Most are brewed locally I think, whisky can still be found in certain areas, and I believe the distilleries are starting to produce small amounts again, but they can be exceptionally pricey,’ she said.

  ‘Thanks for organising me a line of credit here by the way,’ he said.

  ‘My job does have its perks you know,’ she replied.

  They sat drinking cloudy home-brewed beer and ale for a while, enjoying the warm feel
ing of intoxication that swept over them as they relaxed in each other’s company. Christina and Gibbs had by then turned to face each other on the couch, the idle chitchat making way for personal questions.

  ‘So…You and the German, hey? Interesting couple,’ Gibbs said to her as Markus entered the room.

  Christina laughed out loud, running her hand through her hair then following his gaze, to the tall surly figure standing at the bar, staring intently at them. She turned back to the smiling Gibbs and punched him playfully on his leg.

  ‘We all make mistakes, Gibbs,’ she said, taking another swig of her beer.

  ‘What happened?’ he asked, leaning in a little closer, fully aware that they were being watched.

  ‘I was young, naïve and pretty shell-shocked with all that was happening around me. Being forced to stay in London and not being able to see my folks for an unknown period was a pretty terrifying thought for a twenty-year-old. He was just there, you know, a solid and dependable person,’ Christina said. ‘Or so I thought.’

  ‘What ended it?’

  ‘He started to get possessive and jealous of any man that came near me. He became…’

  ‘Psychotic?’ Gibbs said.

  Christina laughed again, shaking head. ‘You have no bloody idea!’

  A loud sound of breaking glass drew their attention to the bar. Markus had thrown his glass on the floor, shattering it, before storming out of the room. Gibbs and Christina looked at each other.

  ‘I don’t think he likes you very much,’ she said.

  ‘I can handle old Grumpy. As long as he stays away from you, I’m happy,’ Gibbs said, their legs touching slightly.

  ‘I somehow don’t care what he thinks anymore,’ she said as she placed her hand on his knee. They sat for a moment looking into each other’s eyes, neither noticing the thumping bar music or Markus lurking near the doorway. Gibbs slowly leant in to kiss her. She didn’t move away.

  • • •

  The stillness of morning was shattered with a loud banging on Christina’s bedroom door. Gibbs was off the bed and up on his feet in a heartbeat. He stood naked at the end of the bed then turned back to Christina, who was awake and looking up at him with a smile. She was partially covered by the sheets, the warm morning light falling across her pale skin. Gibbs checked that the door was still locked then decided to ignore the banging. He climbed back into bed beside her, wrapping his cool arms around her warm body. She squealed at his cold touch, before stifling the sound.

  ‘Open up at once, Christina, I can hear your voice,’ Markus shouted.

  Christina looked at Gibbs with a smile and shrugged her shoulders, then reached under the covers to tickle him.

  ‘I’ll get rid of him,’ Gibbs said, laughing as he slipped out of bed and into his jeans.

  ‘Gibbs, don’t. He’ll go insane,’ she whispered, pulling the covers up to her chin.

  ‘That’s the whole bloody point,’ he whispered, a mischievous smile on his face. ‘To see how long it takes him to snap.’

  Gibbs strode over to the door and slipped the bolt. He opened the door slightly. ‘Mate, are you trying to wake up everyone in fucking London?’

  Markus froze for a few seconds as he stood in the empty white corridor, unable to speak at the sight of a half-naked Gibbs in Christina’s room. ‘Where is Christina?’ Markus growled in a low voice.

  ‘The Deputy Minister has gone for a run,’ Gibbs said.

  Markus heard a snigger from inside the room and reddened, trying to look past the muscular form of Gibbs.

  ‘I need to speak to her, now,’ he said.

  ‘Not in the mood you’re in, buddy. Why don’t you go and cool off somewhere first? Besides, mate, Christina and I are busy,’ Gibbs said and shut the door.

  He heard Markus scream something in German, followed by a thud of a fist against a nearby wall. Gibbs turned back to a surprised Christina and said. ‘Now, Deputy Minister, where were we?’

  • • •

  The group of soldiers were standing in the large GGC canteen, eating sandwiches and drinking coffee. The canteen was a long rectangular room that also served as a recreational room for soldiers who were not out on operations. None of the walls had any outward facing windows, so the room had a dull grey atmosphere, much like the colour of the old wallpaper. Gibbs walked past a few other soldiers who stood to attention, then he walked over to his men.

  ‘You fucking bastard,’ Killey said. ‘How lucky can a man get? We’re being shipped off to a god-awful hole in France, and you get to spend your time playing Casanova with the Deputy Minister.’

  ‘Hey, that’s the hot Deputy Minister to you,’ Gibbs said with a grin on his face. ‘I hear that you two have been promoted to corporal.’

  ‘Yup, better than nothing, I guess. When are you coming out to join us?’ Killey said.

  ‘In a few days, I think,’ Gibbs said.

  ‘As I said before…Bastard,’ Killey said, shaking his head.

  ‘I need to head off to see old Butler about something,’ Gibbs said.

  ‘Do you still think that he might be the one who set us up?’ Shredder asked. ‘Seems like a nice enough sort of bloke.’

  ‘He’s one of six possible people who had enough power to both set us up or orchestrate our escape. Either way, I want a meeting with him.’

  ‘How are we going to get to the bottom of this if we are stuck all the way out in France?’ Shredder asked.

  ‘I’m working on something, lads. We cannot let on that we’re looking to get the bastard, or they could just cover their tracks again. Anyway, I have to get out of here. I’ll see you all later.’

  The old passages of the once modern and trendy building were now dank and badly lit. Gibbs looked ahead as he walked, pondering a way to set a trap to catch the man or men who got them sent to prison. The anger rose quickly as he remembered the last nine years of his incarcerated life. Markus came around the corner at speed and was also clearly deep in thought.

  ‘Out of my way,’ he shouted and moved to his left. His eyes looked up at the person who had got in his way, and then they narrowed as he realised it was Gibbs. His hands dropped to his side, with both his fists clenched.

  Gibbs circled to his left and looked at the tall man, the anger still percolating. It was time to start poking the bear. ‘What the fuck was all that noise about this morning, Blondie?’ Gibbs asked.

  ‘Just what do you think you are doing?’ Markus said.

  ‘I am on my way to see Butler about something.’

  Markus glared at him. ‘You know I am talking about Christina.’

  ‘Well, Schmitty. What Christina and I decide to get up to has fuck all to do with you,’ Gibbs said. ‘We’re adults, and we were having a lovely time until you came banging on the door, like some crazy fool.’

  Markus charged at Gibbs, who with an instinct honed by years of hand to hand combat, turned side on and bent his knees slightly before taking the impact of the German. Gibbs swung his hip into Markus and using the German’s body weight, flipped him over in a judo throw.

  Markus flew through the air and landed on the base of his spine with a groan. Gibbs walked over to him and as Markus looked up, drove his right fist into his face. The sound of the blow rippled through the passage as Gibbs swung again, this time with his left. Markus, still reeling from the pain of the first blow, managed to drop his head slightly as the swinging fist missed and just glanced his ear. This threw Gibbs off balance and gave Markus the chance to drive up from his haunches and tackle Gibbs around his waist. He was heavier than Gibbs and used all his strength to force Gibbs backwards against the building window, which shuddered under the ferocity of the collision. Out of nowhere, there were countless hands and arms everywhere, as Shredder, Killey and other soldiers dragged the snarling men apart.

  ‘I’m going to kill you,’ Markus growled at Gibbs, blood pouring down his face.

  ‘Anytime you’d like a beating again, come and see me, you crazy piece of shit,’
Gibbs shouted as he was dragged away.

  • • •

  Gibbs sat in the soft leather chair observing the man who could have been responsible for him getting out of prison. Lord Butler was sitting behind his antique desk reading documents from an old file when Andrei Kirilenko stormed in.

  ‘My apologies, Francis, but I need to discuss a matter of extreme urgency with you in private,’ he said, glancing at Gibbs.

  ‘Here we go,’ Gibbs muttered under his breath.

  ‘Of course, dear boy,’ Lord Butler said. ‘Captain, would you step outside for a minute, please?’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ Gibbs said and walked out of the office. He closed the door behind him and sat down in a chair in the hallway. He thought about the possibility of returning to the stinkpot of a ship and knew that he and his men would rather die fighting than go back. Looking across the carpeted corridor at an old painting of a posh Duke or Earl in military dress, something dawned on him. He smiled. Just how easily had they given into his demands in Fishguard. The speed at which they had expunged their criminal records without anything of substance in return. These Grand Founders were desperate.

  The nuclear plant in France was obviously of critical importance to these Grand Founders, and they had no one else to send.

  ‘Captain?’ Andrei Kirilenko interrupted his thoughts and held the door open for him.

  Gibbs walked in and stood in front of the old desk.

  ‘My, my, Captain, you have been busy making friends and enemies, haven’t you?’ Lord Butler said, nodding towards the seat in front of his desk.

  ‘We cannot have you going around beating up colleagues. I don’t approve of such behaviour, especially from two men who are supposed to be setting an example. However, we have far more pressing business to attend too than disciplining you two idiots,’ Lord Butler said.

  ‘He started it with his unhealthy obsession for the Deputy Minister.’

  Lord Butler silenced him with a raise of the hand.

  ‘Captain, you will accompany your men out to France immediately and set up in Givet. Is that clear?’ Andrei Kirilenko said.