by Daniel Gibbs
The man awoke with a start, taking a second or two to realize what was happening. He tried to get away and made a muffled noise, which quickly stopped when David pressed the pistol into his forehead.
“Colonel?” Eldred’s voice whispered behind him.
“I found us someone to talk to,” David replied. “Now, I’m going to take my hand away from your mouth. If you make a sound, I’ll shoot. Are we clear?”
The man tried to nod, but only managed to move his head up and down an inch or so.
Eldred appeared at David’s side as he stepped back, covering the detainee with his weapon. “I can tell by your garb you work security for Feldt.”
“Uh, yeah,” he whispered, voice hoarse. “How’d you get in here? Who are you?”
“We’re the ones asking questions,” David said with a smirk on his face. “Let’s start with your name.”
“Uh,” he said between chatters of his teeth. “George, George Perkins.”
David smiled broadly. “See? That wasn’t too hard, Mr. Perkins. You’re in security?”
Perkin’s eyes darted between the two of them. “I can’t answer any questions. Feldt will kill my friends and family, then me.”
“The things you describe are in the future,” Eldred said, her voice cold as ice. “I will kill you now if you don’t answer my questions.”
The CDF’s rules of war and protocols for treatment of prisoners jumped into David’s mind. Summary or mock executions are outlawed by the Canaan Convention on human rights. As David opened his mouth to protest, she elbowed him in the ribs. The expression on her face was clear: I’ve got this.
Meanwhile, Perkins continued to shake with fear, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. “I c-c-ca-can’t tell you.”
“Listen to me very carefully, George. You will tell me what I want to know. Or I’ll cause you pain the likes of which you’re not capable of understanding. Do I make myself clear?” Eldred said, her mouth an inch away from the man’s face. “There’s nothing you can do to make this stop. You haven’t had control of your life for a long time now, and today, you’ve lost all vestige of control. Now, you’re a security guard, are you not?”
Perkins’ head moved up and down.
“Good. Why is everything on lockdown?”
“One of Mr. Feldt’s freighters got blown up. He wants the traitors found and killed. W-w-we-we were told if we didn’t find whoever did it in twenty-four hours, he’d kill a member of everyone’s family.”
“You seem to live alone. How’s this guy going to kill someone close to you if they’re not here?” David asked.
“He’s got a machine. I’ve seen it. He can kill anyone he wants, at any time. It was my mother when I joined. He always kills someone when you join, to emphasize his control,” Perkins replied, as he began to weep.
David found himself overcome by disgust for the creature in front of him. Weak and spineless; this is the end of human depravity when we refuse to stand up for what’s right and give in to evil.
“Did he find the traitor?”
Perkins glanced toward Eldred and nodded his head again. “Yeah. It was his woman. Someone figured it out just before the deadline. We heard it was his right-hand man, Benoit.”
“She could still be alive,” David whispered into her ear.
Eldred pressed the barrel of her pistol into Perkins’ ear. “Where is she being held?”
“I don’t know!”
Her finger moved from the trigger-guard to the trigger itself. “Wrong answer, George. Last chance.”
He made a whimpering sound, which caused David to glance down. Liquid spread out from his pants, making a yellow pool in the bed. Then again, I wonder what I would have done in his circumstance. I’d like to believe I would’ve chosen better. “I suggest you listen to the lady. She’s running this show.”
“The guys were saying she’s being held in solitary after they finished working her over.”
“Where’s that?”
“It’s hard to describe.”
Eldred thrust a tablet in his face. “Draw me a map.”
As Perkins furiously worked the device, David leaned in and whispered to Eldred, “What are we going to do with this guy?”
“A nice double-tap to the back of the head works for me.”
“No. No extrajudicial killings,” David replied, his jaw set.
“Why not? He’s not worth the risk of him getting free and warning the rest of them.”
“So murdering him is acceptable?”
“It’s no worse than anything that he’s done.”
This is how we lose. When we become like the enemy we fight. “You told me you were tired of living in the gray. You can’t have it both ways, Eldred. Killing a captured enemy is murder. Period. If you go through with it, you can finish this op without me, because I’m out.”
“What?” she replied, her voice sharp.
“You heard me, agent.”
“What if he tips them off?”
“Then we fight our way out of it.”
“There are hundreds of them, Colonel,” Eldred hissed.
Right and wrong. Those words meant something to David, and really to any Jew, especially an Orthodox practitioner. The moment we give in to our basest instincts is when we become unworthy of God’s grace toward us. “We will adhere to the Coalition Defense Force regulations on the treatment of enemy prisoners of war. This isn’t up for debate.”
Perkins held up the tablet. “I’m done. You two going to kill me now?”
The lack of fight and defeat in his eyes made an impression on David. “You knew we were discussing it?”
“It’s what Feldt would do.”
David glanced at Eldred. “We’re better than Feldt. Zip-tie his hands and feet together, gag him, and we’ll stuff him into a closet.”
“Do you think you can stop him?” Perkins asked.
“We’ll stop him or die trying,” David said quietly, staring at the man as he did. “Why?”
“Someone should. I didn’t know what this was going to be when I joined. I thought it was just a better life and a steady paycheck. I wish I could go back and do it over again.”
Eldred pulled several pairs of zip-tie cuffs out of her tactical vest and began to manhandle him. “Yeah. Tell that to all the people you’ve helped him kill.”
Perkins was silent as she finished her task. Once done, they shoved him into a small closet and shut the door.
David cleared his throat. “It’s important not to become our enemy. I’ve seen too many times what happens when a good person crosses the line.”
“I know you’re right,” Eldred admitted. “Still, I hate them. What they’ve done. Feldt and his butchers are disgusting.”
“Then beat them not only with superior firepower but better ideals. Now, let's go find this prison and save your source. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Watching her move through the house, David felt compassion for Eldred. She was a fine warrior and an excellent covert operative. It was evident to him that many years of standing in the gap had damaged her psyche. Perhaps when all this is said and done, if we’re still alive, I can help somehow.
20
The desert rolled by kilometer after kilometer. Qadir had trouble at times, making out the road in front of her through the smashed windshield of the electric vehicle she drove. Allah, guide my path. Help me in my duty. Her shoulder smarted with pain. The drugs David applied had worn off thirty minutes prior. Every couple of minutes, she picked up the handcomm device and tried to raise anyone she could from the Terran Coalition.
“This is Director Qadir, Coalition Bureau of Investigation, to any Terran Coalition vessel or transmitting station. Come in, this is an emergency.” Focusing on the device instead of the road, when there was no answer, she glanced up to see several men standing in the road as she rounded a bend.
They waved wildly at her. The intent of their gestures was clear: pull over.
All three of the
m carried military-style rifles, not unlike those the last group of hostiles had. She glanced at the passenger seat and the sidearm lying on it. I’m down to two magazines, thirty bullets. As she tried to decide what to do, foot not leaving the accelerator, they raised their weapons in unison.
Bullets smashed into the already damaged polymer. A few cut through and perforated the seat next to her. Qadir wrenched the steering wheel to the left, desperately trying to avoid being shot again. The men’s shots went wide. She snatched the sidearm from the seat and pulled the trigger repeatedly, firing as she flashed by them.
More shots hit the back window of the car, causing Qadir to duck reflexively and almost drive off the path once more. She quickly regained control and attempted to speed up, leaving a dust cloud in her wake. Her breathing heavy, adrenaline coursed through her body as the near-death experience passed. Today marks the only day in my career I’ve fired a weapon in anger. The realization shocked her, but the task at hand was paramount. By some miracle, the rear-view mirror was intact. Through it, she saw a 4X4 emerge from the dust storm carrying two gunmen.
Fighting down outright fear, Qadir gunned her vehicle and tried to gain as much speed as she could. The old car, though, was on its last legs. It would barely go above seventy kilometers per hour.
The 4X4 kept pouring on the juice, gaining on its prey rapidly. Another fusillade of rounds pierced the rear window, shattering it in multiple locations before it crumpled in on itself and collapsed.
She ejected the magazine from the sidearm, using her knees to keep the steering wheel straight. Three rounds. Not enough. She picked the last remaining fully loaded mag off the passenger seat and rammed it into the pistol. Glancing to her left side, she saw the 4X4 entering her field of vision.
Time seemed to slow down as the vehicle came alongside, the passenger leaning up with his rifle raised to deliver the kill shot.
At the last possible second, Qadir raised the pistol using her right hand and squeezed the trigger repeatedly. The man holding the rifle took two rounds to his chest and flopped off the 4X4. As he did, she jerked the steering wheel and sideswiped the other vehicle. The effect was instantaneous—it caromed off the dirt road and repeatedly tumbled, sending the driver flying. She drove on, hands shaking on the steering wheel.
A few kilometers later, she slowed to a stop and shifted the car into park. Staring down at her shaking hands, Qadir tried to calm herself, first with thoughts, then with prayer, begging Allah to help her. When she opened her eyes, her shaking had stopped. I must go on.
“This is Director Qadir to Lion of Judah. Come in.”
There was no response to her hail. After a moment, she put the car back into gear and drove on—back toward civilization.
“Of all the places we could end up,” David whispered as he kept his head down. “You pick the most ramshackle, God-forsaken pile of dirt this side of Earth.”
Eldred snorted. “I thought you CDF types loved harsh conditions, engaging the enemy?”
“You’ve got us confused with the Terran Coalition’s misguided children.” At her look of bewilderment, he continued. “Nickname for the Terran Coalition Marine Corps. Inside joke.”
“Ah. Got it.”
David poked his head just slightly above the half-height wall they crouched behind, taking in the scene beyond. The building indicated by the guard was nothing more than a poorly constructed pre-fab, its plasticrete walls decaying under the intense heat of the Gileadean star. No one else was in sight, and in the hottest part of the day, he hoped it would stay that way. Otherwise, we’re screwed. “How do you want to play this?”
“We could shoot him before he knew what hit him.”
“And spray blood all over the wall?”
“Point taken, Colonel. How about this? I’ll walk up and ask for directions, then dispatch him quietly.”
David’s eyes got wider. “You’re just going to walk up there?”
Eldred winked. “I’m a woman, an attractive one at that. Trust me.”
He drew his sidearm and quickly attached the suppressor as she stripped off her combat armor, loosened her shirt, and let her long red hair down. “If there’s any indication it's going south, I’ll waste him,” David said.
“Of that, I have no doubt, Colonel. I appreciate your concern, but I’ve got this.”
With that, Eldred sprang up and slowly made her way across, swaying her hips and butt in a dramatic and over-the-top fashion. Just as she’d predicted, the guard immediately took notice. She sashayed over to him and began a conversation.
Unable to hear them, David stared intently, his pistol at the ready. Come on, Eldred, don’t take all day. One slip up will get who knows how many gunmen coming after us.
The moment the guard’s head turned, she struck with a stun device pressed to his neck. There was a short crack, then nothing as he collapsed.
David grabbed her gear as he jumped up and ran across the dusty road, coming to a stop as Eldred pulled the unfortunate guard’s access card. “How long will he be out?” he asked.
“He’s quite dead, Colonel. I don’t leave loose ends.”
“Remind me not to play poker with you. Ever.”
Eldred gave him a wicked grin, then turned and used the card on a nearby scanner.
The door swung open. David picked up the body in a fireman’s carry, flinging the man’s torso over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Sidearm at the ready, he advanced into the dingy building, which was even hotter than the exterior. I guess Feldt doesn’t believe in A/C for his prison.
Eldred slid her armor back on and brought her battle rifle into position. “Hopefully, there’s not too many of these jokers.”
David dropped the body against a wall, out of easy sight, behind a heap of trash. The stench of human waste, coupled with death, was thick in the air. He sneered. This place is hell itself. He holstered his sidearm and went back to the battle rifle that he dropped into its one-point sling. “I don’t suppose you have any idea where we’re going?”
“I’d guess there’s a solitary confinement area.”
“It’s not like a real jail, with helpful signs.”
“Cute, Colonel. You’re a real smart ass, you know that?”
David smiled widely. “At least you’re not calling me dumb.”
Eldred rolled her eyes. “Who’s got point?”
“Normally, I’d say ladies first, but in this case, I’ve got it. We’ll start from the south end and work our way across.”
Hanson glanced around David’s day-cabin office, then went back to the paperwork he had to complete before the end of watch. I feel like an imposter here. Like I don’t belong. The colonel or the XO needs to get back so I can go back where I belong, the reactor core. The thoughts didn’t go away as he looked through personnel transfer requests and non-judicial punishment forms.
The voice of Lieutenant Bell, the Lion’s second-shift communications officer, broke through the mental reverie. “Major Hanson, I’ve got an urgent communication from Gilead. It’s Director Qadir, sir. She says it’s an emergency.”
“Put her through, Lieutenant.”
A few moments later, Qadir’s unsmiling face appeared on the tablet attached to the desk. “Major, I need that commando team the colonel had on standby sent down here ASAP.”
Hanson’s eyes went wide. “Where’s the colonel?” he blurted out.
“He and Eldred continued on without me. I was told to get help. There’s a communication damping field around Feldt’s area of control. Now get that team down here.”
“I’m not authorized to send a QRF force into Gilead territory, Director.”
Qadir’s face went red with anger. “What?” she practically screamed.
“I don’t have the authority to send military forces into Gilead.” What do I do? Dear God, this is why I didn’t want the big chair.
Qadir spoke slowly, enunciating each word. “Who does?”
“Colonel Cohen, or someone of equal rank.”
“Are you telling me that we’re not going to help?”
“I’m telling you I have to get permission to help.”
“Do you get it, Major? Colonel and Agent Eldred can’t take on hundreds of enemies by themselves. They need our help!”
No one left behind. “I’ll be in touch, Director.”
“Major, if you don’t find a way to help them, I’ll make your life a living hell.”
“Colonel Cohen is my commanding officer and friend. I want nothing more than to help him, but I can’t start another war in the process!”
“Stop talking about it and get the commandos down here,” Qadir said, her voice direct, firm, and angry.
“I’ll be in touch.”
The screen went black, and for a split second, Hanson put his head in his hands, overcome by indecision. What would the colonel do in these situations? He asks the XO for advice. I don’t have one of those… wait. He reached over and hit the intercom to the bridge. “Lieutenant Bell, have Lieutenant Goldberg report to the CO’s day cabin, ASAP.”
“Aye aye, sir.”
Sitting back in David’s chair, Hanson felt like a minuscule version of the person who had earned it, an interloper. He jolted back up when the hatch chime buzzed.
“Come in!”
The hatch swung open, and Ruth strode in. “Lieutenant Ruth Goldberg reports as ordered, sir.”
“Close the hatch and sit down. I need some help.”