Release The Dogs of War (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 10)

by Michael Anderle

  “What are you talking about?” John asked as he tossed the comatose man over his shoulder and followed Bethany Anne, “I didn’t fumble the catch.”

  “That’s my point!” She turned to smile at him, “I was kind of hoping you would drop him.”

  “I still can,” he told her.

  She waved a hand, “Nah, he might hit his head too hard and fail to be available for my final resolution.”

  “Kinda devious, this one.” John supplied as Bethany Anne turned into the bridge.

  “I hope so, where is the box?” She asked, looking around before spying it on the side, “Ah, never mind,” she said as she went to an aluminum box and opened the two locks before selecting a vial, smelling salts and a syringe gun. She slotted the vial into the little gun and turned around to face Brajorley, “Let me have his neck.”

  John pulled the man off of his shoulder and turned him around. Bethany Anne felt along his neck and then pressed the gun-looking device to his neck and pulled the trigger. Both of them could hear it push the serum out of the syringe into his neck and stop with a final ‘click.'

  Bethany Anne pulled the gun away, “Would have been more fun with him awake, but a bit more of a pain to deal with his squirming.” She pulled the smelling salts out of a pocket, cracked them open and started waving them in front of Brajorley’s face. “Wakey, wakey asshole,” she whispered to him, “It’s time for your final dream.”

  —

  Ten minutes later, the yacht was slowly turning in a circle a half mile wide. “You can’t do this to me!” Brajorley screamed as John held him solidly, one hand on each of Brajorley’s arms, “I’ll pay you any amount of money you need, no one captures and murders people anymore!” He whimpered as the water was slowing moving past them.

  “Of course, they don’t in your world,” Bethany Anne told him, “You think agreeing to a military attack on a business which had children involved…” She started to say before he interrupted her.

  “I didn’t KNOW about that!” he screamed, “Why won’t you believe me?”

  “Oh? You don’t know?” Bethany Anne pulled out a mobile phone and brought up an application that recorded and played back sound, “Here, listen.”

  A voice Brajorley recognized as Anna Elisabeth’s came on, “As is my right, rarely employed by my country, I ask for a table vote on whether you intend to acquire TQB Enterprise technology through whatever means necessary?” She continued playing the tape all the way to when Johann said ‘all the way to force’ before stopping the recording.

  “That was the vote where it was decided to toss your own ass into the sea to drown Brajorley. Be thankful I didn’t choose to kill your children as well.”

  “What about my wife?” he asked.

  “You don’t even have your wife with you on the island, you dick. You don’t love her, she will just get all of your money. I’d keep her alive just to piss you off. As it is, she is actually a decent person, so she stays alive for that reason alone.” Bethany Anne turned towards the water, “However, the nanites injected into your system are going to start playing with your muscles, slowly making them fail to work for sporadic amounts of time. You can, of course, just drown yourself. However, if you make it the half hour it takes for the yacht to circle back around, you can climb back aboard.”

  “Think about all of the people who died when your representative voted, ‘all the way to force’ Brajorley as you try to stay alive.” He barely had time to yell in surprise before she grabbed his arm and threw him off the ship to splash into the water, the yacht already leaving him behind.

  Bethany Anne watched him as he tried to swim towards the ship and she put up a finger and waved it in a ‘no no no’ gesture before he stopped to tread water. Turning to see where he expected the boat to be he started swimming in that direction.

  “So, the more he swims, the more the nanites work in his body?” John asked from beside her.

  “Yup.” She shrugged, “if he remains calm, cool and collected throughout the whole process, ADAM assure me there is a one in nine hundred chance he could get back on the ship when it comes around.

  “And if he swims to meet it?” John asked as he watched Brajorley swim away.

  “Not a fucking chance in hell.” She said as she turned toward where Eric waited by the two Pods. As the three of them got ready to leave the yacht, she watched him swim, “He will get about two-thirds the way to the ship before his muscles seize up. Tough shit, asshole.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Washington D.C. - USA

  When the President entered the small meeting room, he raised an eyebrow. George had already provided a full package of Tums on the table in front of the seat he usually sat in.

  Extra-Strength.

  So, he sat down and opened the package, took two of the tablets, and popped them in his mouth, “Fruit, the better-tasting kind,” he said as he put his hands back on the table, “I take it this is another one of those meetings?”

  “Afraid so, Mr. President,” George admitted, “We have another death, a Chinese navy vessel issue, two companies attacked in the stock market and our information assets in Asia are getting the wind that one of the three most powerful clans is starting to awaken.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” The President asked, “How is a dormant clan waking up in China have anything to do with the Chinese government??”

  “Unfortunately, we don’t understand much ourselves. Until very recently, this clan was more myth and legend than reality. However, our assets are saying that word has gone out from central China that their name either brings fear or respect. Those in power are still people, and this particular clan has been quiet for decades, if not centuries. Why the rumors are happening, our assets don’t know or understand at this time.”

  “Well, maybe there is smoke, but we will have to wait to see the fire part.” The President pulled down the paper and grabbed another Tums tablet. “I love the fruit kind, I can eat these like candy,” he admitted.

  George picked up a piece of paper, and the President could see the remains of his own package of Tums. “Already finished mine waiting for you,” George said, grinning. He placed the paper back down, “Ok, next item is the strange death of Davey Brajorly, CEO of Atomis Energy and about sixteen other energy-based companies both here and in Europe.”

  “Drowned, right?” The President asked, eyeing another Tums.

  “Yes, but no one really remembers the details of how he got on the boat, the security video had been on the blink for a week or so, and two security members both fell down and hit their heads. He was found in an area which he would normally fish, but the yacht was going in a lazy circle. Most of those on the yacht had been drinking and couldn’t remember anything they had done. There is a lot of finger pointing and much confusion. The net is that another major owner of a company that we believe was involved in the TQB attack is now dead.”

  “How are they doing it?” the President asked, “I’m not for a second going to ask you if you think they did it. The fact you are bringing it up says you believe it. So, how do you think they did it?”

  “I’m not sure,” George answered, “I’ve asked some of those on the Joint Chiefs, and they provided consultant time with some of their people. Using what we know of their Pods, they probably dropped a group right on top of his compound, grabbed Brajorly and spirited him away to the yacht. Set up the scene and then pushed him overboard. The problem is that Brajorly was in a good enough physical condition to swim back to the yacht, but he didn’t make it.”

  “They checked for drugs, I assume?”

  “Yes, and we found nothing. It’s like he just seized up or gave up and quit.” George answered, “I’m going with the opinion that their medical capabilities are amazingly able to heal people, so they have to be just as able to kill people.”

  “Keep talking like this and you will find yourself on their list as well, George.” The President grumped, “Assuming they killed Brajorly, we have
proof he was one of those that approved the plan to attack them?” George nodded, “And what are we offering the others?”

  “Nothing yet. The two of them that are quietly talking to us aren’t admitting to anything wrong. So, I’m told we are telling them unless they have some reason to be afraid, we can’t see why we need to spend the taxpayer’s money.”

  “Why make them fess up?” The President asked.

  “Those in the FBI believe if we are in the middle of bringing charges, then TQB will back-off,” George shrugged, “It’s just a guess based on TQB sending others to jail.”

  “So, either choose our justice or suffer theirs is it?” The President asked.

  “Yes, I think everyone in the group now knows that Brajorley’s way of hiding on an island with a small military force doesn’t count for shit,” George supplied, “This was a major operation done cleanly, quietly and without evidence. Just because we can guess how they might have planned the op doesn’t mean they did the op. I’d bet my pension they did do it, but I can’t confirm it.”

  “If those who want our protection try a bunch of legal hijinks, I don’t think TQB is going to be satisfied.” The President said.

  “No, and believe me, that fact will be pointed out to them, as well,” George told him.

  “I wonder if we can use TQB as ‘the boogeyman’?” The President muttered, “At least with those in Congress that are annoying me. That would be nice.”

  “Let’s not and say we didn’t, Mr. President. I think we don’t want to be anywhere near TQB when their powder keg blows up, and I’m pretty sure it will,” George admonished.

  “George, you are always sure something bad is going to happen,” the President retorted.

  “Well, Davey Brajorly isn’t laughing right now.” George pointed out.

  “Ok, good point,” the President agreed, “so, Chinese Naval vessel? How are you blaming TQB for this one?”

  “I got this from the Navy. The Chinese type 052D Destroyer Xiamen was one of the vessels stalking the QBS Polarus and the QBS Ad Aeternitatem when it suffered a leak. They patched that leak apparently and then suffered another. By that time, it was assumed that the QBS ships were letting it be known they didn’t like the Chinese around them. The Xiamen turned towards the closest friendly ship port and left the area. The other ships dropped back another ten miles.”

  “That’s not too far,” The President pointed out, “Their missiles can hit them from that distance, as well.”

  “True, but we think that it was an exercise to let the Chinese know their ships aren’t safe. We suspect they were using some sort of gravitic kinetic weapon when they destroyed the two ships before. Now, they have something that is attacking and making holes in the ships below the water line. If this is true, it is a little frightening. First, because we weren’t looking under water. True, we have SONAR, but their damned coating is screwing that up. We believe we had got a blip of noise before the Xiamen was holed, and we know that there was something on the second, but there is little we can do about it. For all we know, they have ten of these little bastards around every ship, waiting in case of attack and then can hole them all. We can’t find the sum-bitching weapons yet.” George finally stopped.

  “I think you need to realize that TQB isn’t the enemy here, George,” the President mentioned, “You see dark desires behind technological advances that you can’t defend against. At least not yet. Perhaps diplomacy?” The President laughed when George scowled, “I see the military still refers to diplomacy as the weaker brother, right?”

  “Well, we prefer to know that if diplomacy fails, we can kick their ass, yes.” George admitted, “And for all of this, TQB isn’t even a nation-state. If it is annoying our military, just think about the Chinese. Hell, they stole half of their technology from our people, and I know for a fact the Chinese haven’t been able to steal shit from TQB, and they are getting their asses spanked at the same time. I’m sure it wasn’t lost on the Chinese when TQB made those damned big holes in Australia’s Outback. Something like that has to concern them. Now, we have TQB over in the Asteroid Belt building God knows what. It’s enough to keep a nervous person up at night.”

  “So, how is your sleep, George?” the President asked with a smile.

  George eyed him and grumped, “Lousy.”

  The President laughed and pushed his half a roll of Tums across the table, “Now I know why you have already eaten your roll.”

  “Yeah, thanks,” George said as he grabbed the roll and peeled out two Tums, “These are the best tasting.” He pushed the remaining Tums back to the President, “I’m calciumed up for the day, I think. So, that leaves us with another two companies lost in the stock market.”

  “Anything unfair going on?” The President asked.

  “No, just too damned smart by half. The NSA is now thinking it’s feasible they have some sort of supercomputer focused on just handling the stock market. They have to be manipulating something, somehow but there is no evidence whatsoever.” George admitted.

  “Once again, anything illegal?

  “No.”

  “So, is there any reason we shouldn’t open up communications with TQB?” the President asked.

  “Only my gut, Mr. President, only my gut,” George admitted.

  “Well, I’ll give your stomach two more weeks to calm down, and then we need to consider how these discussions might move forward.”

  “I understand.” George kept his reservations to himself.

  Clan Temple Near Shennongjia Peak, Hubei

  Stephanie came back to consciousness lying in bed. She could feel the mountain air drifting through the room and the silence that nature always brought with her. She turned her head to see that she was a guest of the Clan’s temporary living quarters.

  So, not in her old room.

  Her head was clear, but she could only remember a little from her dreams. The dreams spoke of mysteries, and magic, technology, and testing.

  They spoke of secrets.

  She sat up in her bed, the simple coverlet was warm enough. She dressed in the same outfit she walked into the temple wearing. There was a glass and pitcher with water next to her bed. She reached over, poured herself a drink and took a few sips.

  She sought the meditative state, the level where she would be able to replay what her conscious mind could not. She reached over to place the cup back down before sitting back on her bed, folding her legs under her and closed her eyes to seek the answers within her.

  It was time to find the answers that she knew had been placed inside.

  If she had come here with an attitude that the outside was the final answer, then she would leave with with answers she would never be able to hear. However, she had come with the acknowledgment she needed help, and help had been provided along with a test. A test to see what she remembered from her past.

  Did she forget too much of her training when she left the temple area eight years ago?

  Stephanie Lee smiled slightly before composing her face in calmness.

  She was hotheaded, not stupid.

  Manufacturing Facility 01 - Asteroid Fields

  “Marcus should be here in a couple of hours,” William told Bobcat as they sat eating in the cafeteria area. The amount of space under the inflated building was substantial. Bobcat felt like he was sitting underground, not millions of miles away from Earth near the Asteroid Fields.

  “What do we have on tap for him?” Bobcat asked, chewing on his General Tso’s chicken and rice dinner. The chef that the group had come from South Africa, but he knew cuisines from most of the world, except he couldn’t do pizza for shit.

  Fortunately, he knew how to do a decent flatbread, and Bobcat had cans of pizza sauce, mozzarella, and Hormel pepperoni stashed on the next shipping container coming to them. The resulting pizza would have to do for him until he got back to Earth.

  He hoped.

  “We are going through the gravitic field mergings, so TOM and ADAM are dealing with
a lot right now. Marcus seems to get the issues intuitively somehow, possibly because he has worked with them so often. I’m hoping he will help bypass some of the problems they are encountering,” William answered as he sat down with a meal of chicken-fried rice, “The extra engines we placed all over the ship are even giving TOM fits in the math department. He and ADAM have to re-program old calculations TOM knew and interject the changes. It is taking time.”

  “Does he feel it will work?” Bobcat asked, “Or is it just not working at all?”

  “Oh, TOM says he is sure it can work, it is just his people never conceived of something so complicated for a spaceship.”