by Gavin Magson
Ajax used his peripheral vision to keep as many windows in sight as possible whilst he moved through a gap in the furniture and debris. He hugged the buildings on his right, the rifle raised in his hands, until he reached the next intersecting street and paused momentarily to check for gang members before crossing to the building.
The front door had long since been taken off its hinges, a large pile of ash and charcoal in the corner of a sodden room appeared to be its final resting place. The room was bare of any furnishing and he assumed they might have also been used as a source of fuel. Ajax moved over to the staircase and slowly started climbing the carpeted steps. He slung his rifle around his back once more and drew out his pistol and knife; unconsciously he resumed the same stance with both weapons whilst he continued climbing. Each corner that he rounded was taken slowly, a finger resting lightly on the guns trigger, poised ready for any attackers.
Ajax was a little disappointed when he made it to the top floor unopposed, he checked every open doorway and the rooms beyond but the building appeared to be deserted. As he came to the last set of stairs he paused before turning the corner; it was very faint but he heard a person stop breathing ahead. He pressed against the wall and eased along the corridor, standing like that until he heard the breathing resume.
“Who are you?” eventually asked an unseen voice.
“My name is Ajax. I was employed by Rine to aid in cleaning out this sector.” he replied.
Another pause, followed by whispers he could not distinguish. “We only picked up your signal, where is the rest of your squad?”
“I don't have one, I came here alone. Look, are you going to try and shoot me or not? I don't want to stand around here all day.” said Ajax.
When no reply came he slowly poking his head around the corner and was greeted by the sight of two men, one standing and the other crouched, who had their guns trained down the staircase. Neither fired at him so Ajax took a breath and stepped out, lowering both weapons to his side as they kept theirs trained on him.
“You called me over here so either shoot me or let me come up.” he said, one foot on the first step.
“Let him up, he is one of us after all.” came a voice at the top of the stairs from behind both men.
Ajax put his gun back in its holster and the knife in its sheath, climbing the stairs cautiously until the men ahead finally lowered their weapons.
Inside the room all the furnishings had been moved into a corner, leaving the room free of obstructions. Someone had piled cheap paintings on top of chairs, a table and even the carpet off the floor. The three mercenaries had a small fire going against the rooms outside wall, a portable stove heated up a blackened saucepan that bubbled over and gave off a sweet smell that started Ajax salivating.
The balcony's screen doors had been broken down, the glass still scattered on the floor and sparkling in the rain. Two surviving chairs had been left outside for the mercenaries to fire from, spent bullet casings from at least three different weapons were littered amongst the glass.
“My name is Miles, their de facto leader,” the man said, pointing at the grunts tending to the stove behind him.
Ajax shook the offered hand, noting the horrific burns that started at his wrist and ran up into Miles' sleeve. A long barrelled rifle with an appropriately giant scope was slung over one shoulder, which looked a lot more expensive than the weapons his squad carried. Miles gave Ajax a quick once over, smiling at some unknown thought running through his mind. Ajax had not missed the hungry look in this man's eyes, the eyes of a cold, calculating killer.
“How long have you been in the sector, Ajax? I haven't seen your face before.”
“Only a few hours so far. I collected my weapons from Katherine's guest house, grabbed some lunch and headed out to get an idea of what is happening around here. I did not expect to run into trouble this soon, or this close.” answered Ajax, pulling out his tablet as he felt it vibrate in his pocket.
I've got a report saying you have already killed three gang members. I should not be so surprised that you have been into the thick of it so soon. Three hundred credits so far and counting. Take care out there – Aiko
His smile must have intrigued Miles, who started to talk before a shout from outside had both of them crouching down. His men at the stove kept still at Miles' hand signal, weapons ready for when they were needed. Their leader dropped to the floor and crawled up to the balcony with Ajax following in his wake. More loud voices drifted up from the street below as they reached the cheap iron railings and peered down through the rain at the ruined barricade below.
Four men had shown up at the massacre, one was obviously shocked at the sight and had started panicking, his companions were failing in their attempts to quiet him down. The three at least had the sense to hide behind the makeshift barricades remains, their hushed voices no doubt trying to coaxed the man to take shelter with them.
“What do you want to do?” asked Ajax, lying carefully on the broken glass next to Miles.
“Is that gun of yours any good over distance?” asked Miles, a single nod came as answer from Ajax. “Good, let’s sight up and see if we can get a shot.”
Ajax eased the gun off his back, keeping as low down as possible. He rested the barrel on the balconies edge, flipped up the dust cap and sighted along to try and line up a shot; only the idiot still ranting was a definite kill. Ajax remembered the explosive rounds he had packed and slid a hand into his jacket pocket to pull out one of the loose rounds.
“I can't get a shot on the others. Fucking druggies still manage to keep their wits about them.” said Miles, shifting his weight again to move the rifles long barrel.
Ajax saw it happen in slow motion, as the barrel shifted sideways it clipped a fragment of stone, knocking it over the balconies edge. His fingers moved fast, jacking the assault rifles slide and switching the bullet inside the chamber with the loose round in his grasp. The brick hit the street below and three heads popped up from beyond the barricade; the fools were bunched up together.
Beryl had undersold the larger explosive round, on impact the explosion turned the middle man into a haze of red mist and left a large crater that the other two bodies were strewn across. A large calibre round turned the last man's head into pulp, the sound as Miles fired his gun almost deafened Ajax. It took a few seconds for him to realise he was swearing.
“What is wrong with you, Ajax?” asked Miles, pulling himself up from the floor and brushing glass fragments from his jacket.
“That,” he answered, pointing at Miles weapon. “Is that thing even legal? It sounded like a damn cannon back there.”
Miles started chuckling and slapped his ruined hand on Ajax's shoulder. “It's not made to tickle them. I need to know my enemies will be dead when I pull the trigger.”
“That would kill your target and everyone in the fucking room.” said Ajax as he slotted the spare bullet back in his gun's magazine and toggled the safety on.
The two other men started laughing along with their leader and Ajax felt their previously frosty nature ease up a little. He began to relax his guard and was glad of the companionship on this dreary night.
“You are right, Ajax, it certainly is a beast of a weapon. She has done me proud so far, rescued me from enough tricky situations to warrant the overkill it can offer. How would you feel about joining us? We could really use your excessive force, I didn't know anyone was packing explosive rounds.” said Miles.
“If it helps us all to get out of here sooner then I am fine with that, one man against many is a stupid idea out here. I haven't seen civilians on any of the streets, where are they? What happened here?” asked Ajax.
“Gone, fled to either the inner city or Seven to get away from this war. It started out as a simple operation, we hit targets fast to try and clear out buildings and eliminate threats without giving them time to fight back. Once word got out of what we were doing the various gangs united; it wasn't something we anticipated. Who coul
d blame us, they had been warring with themselves on a daily basis for decades. Resistance has only strengthened and our numbers are dwindling, if we don't do something soon Rine might lose his war. I, for one, want to ensure my pay check is protected, along with my life.”
“That might explain why he wanted me here so fast, I barely had a day to myself after I agreed. So how many mercs are still left here?”
“I could not tell you, I don't get any information through about our numbers. Rine made a mistake, he hired small groups, not an army; we may have better training but they have numbers and knowledge of the sector over us.”
“It's getting dark outside and I don't fancy being ambushed out here - where are you guys staying? I think I'll head back while I still have light to see by.” said Ajax.
“We are staying at Kathy's guest house as well, it's a good coincidence at least. I agree, we should call it a day for now. The gangs started roaming at night last week, their confidence is shocking. Come on lads, pack up the stove.”
Ajax glanced over at the two other squad members. Only up close did he now realise that one had all his visible skin covered in intricate tattoos that merged into one continuous design. He had thought the man was a different race at first, the ink almost matched the jacket Ajax wore. As the two men folded up the stove Ajax followed Miles as he headed for the stairs.
Their descent was swift, Miles did not move through the house with as much caution as Ajax had earlier. He could not decide if it should worry him that this man was supposedly a leader yet barely showed signs of looking for danger, or whether it was a confident front to assert his leadership.
No guns met them on the stairs and the other men soon caught up to fan out on the ground floor, weapons half raised and giving the air of professionalism at last. Miles took point, a handgun extended as he moved into the street, checking corners and signalling for the others to follow. Ajax knew he would have to remain focused at all times; this job was going to be far from a cakewalk.
Chapter 7
Ajax was happy to see the run down guest house once more, which came as a pleasant surprise to him. The newly extended four man squad had made it through the streets unseen. Ajax had fallen back behind to check they were not followed, and sight of this building heralded some relative safety.
During their journey the rain finally halted and the squad members could converse in a hushed whisper. Ajax learned that the three men had been away from the house for two nights, forced to seek shelter as they stumbled on a hive of activity by accident. It had taken them most of today to find their way around the threat without alerting others to their presence. Miles was loath to admit it but he knew a lost cause when he saw it; to fight a hundred men was suicide.
He had to keep the laughter out of his voice when Rex, as he liked to be called, told Ajax how one gang members had trod on his fingers as he lay under a pile of rubble. The man somehow had not noticed the quiet squeal of pain, much to the relief of Rex. A look from Miles suggested the story might have been slightly elaborated on, but Ajax chose not to call him on the claim and merely admired the intricate tattoos that were on show. He was dying to inquire about them but knew that now was not the right moment.
Finally they stepped through the battered metal gate into the alley behind the guest house. Ajax followed last, walking backwards as his eyes swept the street once more. When he caught up he found the squad stood at the basement door. Ajax turned up his jackets collar to try and ward off the cold wind whilst waiting for sanctuary from the slums. Miles lightly knocked until Angelica opened the door slowly and greeted him with the shotgun aimed straight at his heart. She lowered it slowly when she recognised him and opened the door wider to allow the men inside.
Ajax was a little relieved that there was no food cooking at the moment, he was still trying to erase memories of the last meal from his mind. He left Rex and the other grunt in the kitchen and headed for his room. As he climbed the steps out of the basement the general tones drifting up suggested they were trying to flirt with their hostess.
Miles caught up to Ajax as he reached the staircase opposite the front door and called his name before he was out of sight.
“There are a few things I wanted to talk to you about before you turn in for the night. Mind if we go to my room?” asked Miles.
Ajax extended his arm and said, “Not at all, lead the way.”
Two flights of stairs later and Miles stopped to unlock one of the numerous doors. Ajax looked down at the worn carpet below, its original colour was now indeterminable after paint from the old wooden door had flaked off onto it and been ground in by passing feet. The room was cramped, no thanks to someone barely squeezing a toilet and shower in the corner. At least Miles had a bed frame, the mattress did not appear to be any better than Ajax's, nor did the sheets. Miles offered Ajax one of the two collapsible chairs, which he sat on gratefully.
Ajax had to remove his weapons for comforts sake, their various forms had shifted as he sat to dig into him. When he unzipped his jacket and allowed it to hang over the chair the faint clinking of metal made him chuckle. A small puddle was quickly forming on the floorboards from the water that dripped off his jacket.
When he turned back to speak with Miles Ajax was surprised by the glass presented to him, he had neither seen where it or the bottle of clear spirit had materialised from, but soon he was drinking something that was either going to get him drunk or turn him blind.
“First thing, if you haven't changed your mind about joining my squad we roll out of here at dawn; don't worry, that isn't too early in winter.” said Miles, watching Ajax try to keep down his drink. “And second, I don't want any challenge of authority. First mutiny I hear about and there will be a bullet hole where your brains used to be.”
“You have nothing to worry about, both are perfectly acceptable to me.” replied Ajax, stifling a cough.
“Good, I don't want to be thinking of every person I come across as a threat. Rex and Jerry aren't what you would call intellectuals, but they are worth their weight in gold in the heat of battle. I have seen the looks you keep shooting them and there is nothing to worry about. I can vouch for both, without them I probably would not still be alive today.
“I have to admit that your shooting is impressive of someone too young to be a veteran, and your actions under pressure were well executed. At least twice today you've stopped potential harm coming to me and my men; for that you have my thanks. If I could spare another rifle I would ask you to be our sniper, something tells me you would relish being able to see your targets eyes as you took their lives.”
None of the words Miles had spoken were revelations to him, Ajax aimed for the head when he had time, specifically to see the man's eyes. In his mind he believed no one should take a humans life unless they were prepared to look that person in the eye as they extinguished their existence. Miles refilled his own drink and continued talking.
“What have you done in the past? You move like a military man, yet you don't seem old enough to have bought your way out of that.” inquired Miles.
“I grew up on these streets, learnt everything from an old captain who raised me,” the lie sounded almost believable, even to Ajax. “What about you, what is your background?”
“I was conscripted into a militia off planet, fighting a war in the name of our glorious leader against my own people. When my entire brigade was slaughtered I made a run for it, deserted whilst I still had the chance. Must have been twenty years ago now, haven't looked back and haven't stopped to check if anyone is following.”
“Is that where you got the burns?” asked Ajax.
“You don't miss anything, do you? Yes, that is how I got these scars.” said Miles. He rolled up the long sleeve to reveal the extent of his injury. The sleeve only went as far as the elbow before Miles stopped, by then Ajax had seen enough. “These low flying fighters were trying to bomb us, we were too dug in for them to get many in one run and we were making a lot of ground when they
rearmed.
“This noise, it was unbelievable how the ground started to shake. It came from behind us and it was too late to make a run for it, we all thought it would be more bombs and dug in. Three of the biggest planes I have ever seen seeded the entire marsh, raining fire down from above that stuck to clothes and ate men alive. It latched onto my arm, almost burnt through to the bone; I managed to bury it in mud and put out the flames. The planes had missed a few, but they swung back and headed for the survivors. I buried myself under smouldering bodies, watched on as the others fled and died. I have never felt so useless in my entire life, watching friends, comrades, and brothers, die without being capable of helping.”
Ajax sat in silence whilst Miles trailed off, the thought of what the man had suffered slowly sunk into him. “It sounds like you certainly earned your freedom, and then some. I am surprised you chose to lead a mercenaries life after what you have experienced.” said Ajax, accepting a second refill when Miles returned to the present.
“I wasn't left with many career choices. A deserter is marred for life, if he manages to avoid the death penalty. I had to get my implant replaced and since I had no money the only way to afford it was to work for the man who carried out the switch. He told me that he needed a hired gun and that the job would pay for my new life. A report told him that his brother in law was allegedly plotting to kill him, can’t remember what the motive was now. He needed the man, his family and his home wiped off the planet – that included his own wife. That was hard, I don’t like killing women, not unless they are trying to kill me first.
“So it started there, I took that job to get a new life, a new identity, couldn’t see any other choice if I wanted to live. The only way to get off planet was a shuttle service to the next system, only ran once a month; it really was a backwater planet stuck in the middle of nowhere. It took me months to earn the extortionate fare, by then I had let out so much blood that killing did not matter anymore. I haven't thought for a second about a career change, this is all I have ever known.” Miles finished his drink and shot Ajax a look full of hurt.