“I’m Private O’Toole, sir,” she replied. “I’m a medic. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Please see to my men.”
“Sir, I have; there are only eighteen of you left alive. Fourteen of them have blast burns or gunshot wounds.”
Sheridan got up on his knees and looked at the horrid field of Kurgan and human corpses. For as far as he could see there were smoldering remains. He got to his feet and looked behind him for Adams. Sheridan got a lump in his throat when he spotted the loyal young soldier lying on his back looking up at the sky. His eyes were open. A jagged fragment from one of the missiles was lodged deep in his side. Sheridan got on one knee and gently closed the soldier’s eyes. “Sorry. I really thought you were going to make it.”
He stood and staggered back to the trench with Colonel Denisov in it. He swore when he saw the colonel wasn’t there. Sheridan called out, “Has anyone seen Colonel Denisov?”
“Yes, he was evacuated with some of the other wounded,” said the green-eyed medic.
Sheridan dropped to his knees. He had accomplished his mission, yet he felt shame for what he had done. Sheridan knew he had done the right thing, but that didn’t dull the ache in his heart he had for poor young Adams.
“Excuse me, are you Lieutenant Hill?” asked a man.
Sheridan looked up and saw the man was a colonel. Sheridan got to his feet and saluted the man. “Yes, sir. I’m Hill.”
“Son, you’re to be congratulated for what you did here tonight. That was a fine piece of soldiering. May I shake your hand?”
“Certainly, sir,” replied Sheridan, holding out his hand.
“You’re relieved. My regiment will take over this position. You and your men are to report back to the rear for rest and medical treatment.”
“Hold still please,” said a man with a camera in his hands.
Before Sheridan could object to being photographed the deed was done. The man waved his thanks and ran off to take more pictures.
“If you’ll excuse me, Lieutenant, I’ve got a lot of work to do,” said the colonel.
Sheridan saluted him, turned around, and limped back to the safety of the tunnels and the underground base.
Chapter 42
Sheridan never heard Cole calling his name. He was close to collapsing from exhaustion. He staggered through a throng of soldiers and civilians who had come to see who had made it through the long, hellish night. Sheridan spotted a woman handing out water bottles and made a beeline for her. He took a bottle and drank it all down in one swig. She smiled and gave him two more.
A man walked out of the crowd and threw his arms around Sheridan, startling him. “Jesus, sir, you look and smell like death warmed over,” said Cole, looking at his friend’s dirt-encrusted face and uniform.
“I feel like it,” he replied.
Cole helped Sheridan to an empty table. They sat down together.
“Ms. Suparat . . . is she okay?” asked Sheridan.
“Yeah, she’s with a friend. The Kurgs sent three robots after her, but I intercepted them all. Denisov?”
“Wounded but still alive. They sent two to kill him, but both failed.”
Cole leaned forward. “Mike, Cromwell was here with us.”
Sheridan sat up as if expecting to see the scientist. “What do you mean was?”
“He’s dead. I’ll explain it all when you’re rested and have eaten some food.”
“The ladies? Any word from them?”
Cole held up his comms device. “I spoke to them an hour ago, and they’re okay. I think Wendy may have broken a foot, but aside from that they’re both alive and quite eager to get back to our century.”
Sheridan could feel himself losing his fight to stay awake. A fog began to cloud his mind. “Alan, two things before I pass out. The Kurgan colonel threatened to change the future here in the past.”
Cole raised a hand. “All taken care of.”
“Really?”
“Trust me, the future is safe.”
“Okay, how soon can we leave?”
Cole pointed to a quad parked a few meters away. “Get in and I’ll drive us to our rendezvous point.”
Sheridan got to his feet and swayed from side to side as he walked over to the quad. He didn’t climb in as much as collapse into the passenger seat. He never heard Cole switch on the engine.
The next time he opened his eyes, he was home.
Chapter 43
Michael Sheridan sipped his tea while his father cut a couple pieces of Black Forest cake for their desert.
“I’d hoped Tarina could have joined us for supper,” said Robert Sheridan.
“Me too, but she and Wendy are taking a couple of trainee crews out on a three-day patrol,” replied Michael.
“I take it Captain Cole is likewise busy?”
Michael chuckled. “He’s got something important to do—or so he said. You know him, Dad, if it’s just us men, he gets uncomfortable.”
Robert sat down at the dinner table and handed his son a piece of cake. “I’ve read your report over three times and if it had been written by anyone else, I would have thought they were off their rocker. My God, time travel. Who would have thought it would have worked?”
“The theory is sound. All you need are two wormholes connecting different places on the timeline and you can travel through time.”
“I noticed in your summary that you admitted to ordering your colleagues to erase all the calculations used by you to travel though the wormhole.”
Michael sat up and looked into his father’s eyes. “Dad, we both know that if we had arrived in our time and been met by those goons with the black coveralls, they would have downloaded the calculations and then erased them so the Kurgans couldn’t get their hands on them. I’d rather no one got them.”
“And you have my full support for your decision. Détente between us and the Kurgans is the only way we will bring about a lasting peace.”
“I’m glad you feel that way. After my experiences on Terra Nova, I’m dangerously close to hating them again.”
Robert placed a hand on his son’s arm. “You’re going to have to learn to let your feelings go. It wasn’t your war.”
“It sure as hell felt that way to me.”
Admiral Sheridan’s laptop computer on his desk chimed. He stood up and opened it. “Michael, you may wish to see this.”
The younger Sheridan got to his feet and walked to his father’s side. “What’s up, Dad?”
“This,” responded Robert, turning the computer so Michael could see the screen.
“Good Lord,” muttered Michael when he saw a picture of him covered in dirt and blood next to an army lieutenant colonel. “Where the hell did you find that?”
“I didn’t. General Denisov did. For years, he was told that was a picture of his great-grandfather after the Battle for the Sayan Highlands. He’s been waiting a couple years to spring it on you.”
“So he knew about this and never bothered to tell anyone?”
“Evidently, so.”
“That son of a bitch.”
“Don’t judge him too harshly. It could have just been a coincidence that you looked like someone from the past.”
Michael shook his head. “Some days I wish I hadn’t stopped drinking.”
Without warning the lights in the room turned to red. A woman’s voice came over the ship’s speakers. “All hands, this is the captain. Report to your duty station. This is not a drill. I say again, all hands, report to your duty stations.”
Robert flicked a switch on his desk. “Captain, this is Admiral Sheridan, why have you gone to red alert?”
“Sir, Captain Killam has authorized a fleet-wide alert.”
“Did he say why?”
“Sir, the Kurgan Fleet has also gone to red alert. It would appear the Kurgan Emperor has suffered a massive stroke and is barely alive. Admiral Kaar feels it prudent to take up a defensive posture in case dissatisfied elements of the military
take advantage of the situation and attempt to stage a coup,”
The two Sheridans exchanged a worried look.
Robert Sheridan tapped his foot on the carpeted floor for a few seconds while he pondered his next move.
“Dad, the Kurgans are a notoriously paranoid species. You need to reassure Kaar that you are still his friend and that you will abide by all our treaty agreements. He’s got to hear from you that we will not do anything to jeopardize the peace.”
Robert nodded. “Captain James, have my shuttle readied. I’m going to speak directly to Admiral Kaar.”
“Sir, is that wise?” asked James.
“Maybe not but it has to be done.”
“Very good, sir. I’ll have it ready to go in fifteen minutes.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Michael asked.
Robert shook his head. “No, son. You will stay here. Report to the command center and remain there with Captain Killam until I return.”
Michael offered his hand to his father. “I’ll see you for coffee in a couple hours.”
The elder Sheridan smiled and shook his son’s hand. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” With that, he turned and walked out of his quarters.
Michael stood silently watching his father leave. He was overcome with emotion and had to sit down. Just when things seemed to be going in their favor, a new and unexpected turn had sabotaged everything. Michael didn’t know if things had turned for the worse or not. All he did know was that that the fragile peace was in danger of blowing up into another full-scale war.
– THE END –
Renegade (The Kurgan War Book 7) Page 24