Recruiting Drive: Jethro 4 (Jethro Goes to War)

by Chris Hechtl

  He'd heard that a couple merchants had bent the Major's ear over the problem yesterday. He was fairly certain she took it as a horse trading situation. They had gotten wise to Admiral Irons and his gifts … they kept expecting free handouts. She on the other hand was now using them to step up and hold to bargains and to trade. It wasn't going over well with some, but that was too bad for them.

  He was fairly certain the Major wanted the greenhouse gases cut back, if only to curtail some of the health issues that plagued the natives. Lung cancers were only one problem they had to deal with. He shook his head.

  “Mister, you got something to eat?” a voice asked softly. He turned to where the voice and heat signature was coming from. His eyes narrowed as he saw the kitten in the sewer opening across from him. He kicked himself. He needed to pay more attention, stick to his situational awareness, and not wool gather so much.

  “Come out of there and I'll give you something,” he said.

  “Are you for real?” the kitten asked, eyes wide.

  “Real how?”

  “A cat? Like me?”

  “A cat yes. Not quite like you. A different species,” Jethro rumbled. He reached down to flip open his pouch and she flinched and disappeared.

  “Oh!” she said, sounding scared and disappointed.

  “Just getting some food out,” he said softly. He noted someone else was there, someone twice her size trying to sneak up on him. He wondered briefly if they were pickpockets or an ambush duet.

  Seeing the little red tabby kitten and her accomplice was a welcome surprise to him. When he turned to look at the white kitten, she stiffened and pretended to look behind a barrel of trash for something. He sniffed.

  “My name is Lil Red. What's yours?” the red kitten said, suddenly out from the sewer. She had slipped out when he'd turned his head, obviously trying to distract him from her partner he thought. He'd played that game on Anvil many times in his youth.

  “Gunnery Sergeant McClintock, Federation Marines.”

  “That's different than the Empies?”

  “Empies?”

  “Empire people,” she sniffled and rubbed at her nose. Her nose was running with a greenish puss. Not a good sign of her health Jethro thought with a detached corner of his mind.

  “Yeah. They are humans who kill our kind. The Federation protects us.”

  “Then why didn't they here?” she asked. Bast shook her head on his HUD.

  “We're here now, right?” Jethro asked, quirking an eyebrow as his tail flicked.

  “That's my sister Little White behind you,” Red said, nodding to her sister.

  “Awe you told!” the white one protested, glaring at the tiny kitten.

  “Are you from different litters?” Jethro asked, turning from one to the other, then splitting the difference.

  “No, she's the runt,” the white kitten replied, disgusted. She had a light brown tint to her ears and tail. She also had startlingly blue eyes. Her third eyelid was showing though, another indication of internal distress. “I'm a ninja. Or at least I want to be,” the kitten said as she tried to goose him. When he sidled away, she caught and pulled his tail. Jethro immediately growled at her, ears back.

  “She's just playing,” Lil Red said hastily as her sister shrank back in fright, eyes wide. “She's not mean. You're not going to hurt us, are you?”

  “Not unless I have to,” Jethro said, flicking his tail. Those damn eyes on the red cat; green and so soulful they were hard to resist.

  “Do you have any food?” she whispered, licking her lips. She sniffed at him.

  “Huh?”

  “Food?” She asked, cocking her head. She looked cute he thought, she was a minx of a kitten despite her weepy eyes and yucky nose.

  “Oh, here,” he said absently as he pulled out a pair of MREs. He tossed her one. She fumbled it but purred loudly enough for him to hear three meters away. It felt great to help her, to illicit that sort of response from the bedraggled kitten. He tossed the other to her snow white, blue-eyed sister. She caught it easily but seemed to wince when she pulled the muscles on her right side where a bunch of mats and dried blood were at. Bast scanned her and reported that the cuts were superficial, only going deep enough to the fat layer, not deeper to her ribs.

  “Thanks,” the red tabby said, opening the package to take a bite. “We've been living on insects and rodents and what we can scrounge up.” She had a sort of chipper high pitched voice.

  “Been there, done that,” Jethro muttered.

  “You have?” the blue eyed kitten asked.

  “When I was your age. Hunting is almost impossible on the space station where I grew up,” he said. They blinked at him. He flicked his ears in a shrug. “But I got through it. You two will too.”

  “Thanks,” the red one purred, coming over to rub his leg. Bast pointed out the tiny parasites leaping off the cat's fur. He fought a wince. He reached down and stroked her head and ears. She purred louder, eyes closed, head up. Then she sneezed. The crap in her nose went down the wrong passage.

  “Sowwy,” she said, sneezing again. She rubbed at her nose and sniffled.

  “Not your fault. Allergies and a cold,” Jethro said, rubbing her shoulders gently.

  “Hey, what's this white stuff?” the other kitten asked. “And the bag?”

  “The bag is to heat the food. The white stuff is TP, toilet paper,” Jethro answered. She cocked her head. He snorted. “To wipe your rear when you go to the bathroom.”

  “Oh.”

  He felt Bast move nanites down into the kitten. She was actively killing the parasites off, then she went into the kitten through their bodily contact and cleaned her up. “Immune system is low. She has the Feline Leukemia virus as well as FIV. Inoculating now,” Bast texted him. He was surprised by her response. Apparently he wasn't the only one taken in by the waif.

  “You looking for Empies?” Lil Red asked.

  “Yes. Do you know where they are? We're hunting them down. The more we get rid of the less there are to hurt you.”

  “Good. Like they did to us. They deserve it,” Lil White growled. “I know where some are.”

  Jethro's head swiveled to her. “You do? Where?”

  “What's it to you?” she asked, lifting her chin. He could see the nictating membrane, her inner eyelids weren't working right. They kept partially closing on her blue eyes, which wasn't a good sign of her health. She also had the crud like Red did, discharge coming out of her eyes and encrusting around them into a black layer. But the blue eyes … eyes much like … he put that distracting thought aside.

  “Are you asking for a bribe? After I fed you?” Jethro sniffed in amusement and admiration. “That's extortion.”

  “A gal's got to live,” she said diffidently, flicking her ears. “And letting you know where they are means risk. They might come back on us.”

  “Not if I can help it,” Jethro growled. He fished out another pair of MREs and held them up for her inspection.

  “Two more,” she said. She rubbed her tummy. “It was dry but good. Sits in my tummy though. It was hard to pass later.” She winced.

  “I know. They are hard to digest. Packed with nutrients and stuff though. Stuff to help you grow. Energy,” he explained. “But you need to drink a lot of water with them.”

  “Oh.” She blinked then focused on the MREs. “Four,” she said, holding up four fingers.

  “I've only got these left. You already had two,” he said.

  “I'll tell him,” Lil Red said. “You don't have to pay me,” she said, looking up to him. He scratched behind her ears.

  “Fine,” Lil White sighed in disgust. “Two it is. They have a warehouse on C Street two blocks over. And a building nearby. There are some people on the roof keeping watch.”

  “We avoid them,” Lil Red supplied.

  “We haven't seen them,” Jethro mused.

  “Well duh, they are keeping a low profile of course!” White replied, rolling her eyes. She came ove
r, jumped and snatched the MREs out of his hand. “They are using the steam pipes and smoke stacks as cover. I know because we do it all the time. They know when your flying stuff comes around. They got it timed to the tick.”

  Jethro nodded slowly as Bast put the latest aerial image of the area and building up on his HUD. “Okay.”

  “They got some stuff. Weapons and shiny stuff. Things they look through.”

  “A forward observation post? A sniper post? Or an ambush site,” Jethro murmured. He nodded slowly, flicking his ears as he pulled a map up of the indicated site. He worked on sight lines since Bast was busy.

  “Stuff in the basement too. They only move when you people aren't around,” White said.

  “Which means they've got eyes on us. Probably civvies blending into the population,” Jethro murmured.

  “Pretty much,” the kitten said, flicking her ears in humor. “The humans hate us. You're smarter than you look.”

  “Thanks,” Jethro said dryly.

  “No problem.”

  He fished out a pair of native coins and handed one each to the kittens. “If you get any more information like that, let me or another Marine know. Especially if you know they or one of our people are about to be attacked. Tell them Gunny McClintock said you're okay. I'll spread the word to them too. They'll pay you if they can, or you can come to me and I'll find a way to pay you later.”

  “Really?” Lil Red asked, eyes shining as she looked at the coin in her tiny hands.

  Jethro nodded firmly. “Really.”

  “Thanks, but we don't want any trouble,” White replied.

  “If we clean them out, you'll get less of it. As long as you stay out of trouble with the law,” Jethro said warningly, nodding to the constable with the bowler hat coming their way. The man was wearing a long black trench coat and had a sidearm strapped to his hip. He was whirling a truncheon and telling people to move along in a surly voice.

  “Them. Them we can do without,” White said with a disgusted sniff. “Why didn't you get rid of them?”

  “Someone's got to mind the peace. Keep order when we're not around. We can't be everywhere I'm afraid,” Jethro replied.

  “Still sucks. They helped the Empies. Rounded people like us up. Stuffed ‘em into the ghetto or into trenches to die,” White said in disgust, eyes locked on the constable.

  “I was afraid of that,” Jethro said, ears back. “I'll let the Major know.”

  “Major?”

  “She's a Neo. An olllldd one. An old White Wolf, which is her name.”

  “Oh. Good to know,” Lil White said, nodding.

  “Anyone tell you your eyes …”

  “What about them?” White demanded.

  “Sorry, they look a lot like my mate's eyes,” Jethro admitted, then saw her recoil.

  “Pervert,” she said in disdain, licking her shoulder. Jethro winced. “You coming, sis?” she demanded, slapping her sister upside the head.

  “Yeah,” Lil Red snuffled, nodding. “Thanks, Mister Gunny.”

  “No problem. Stay safe, ladies,” Jethro said, touching the brow of his helmet in salute. They nodded and retreated into the back alley. He saw them disappear in a puff of smoke from a building. He could still see them on his HUD but only barely. After a moment they were gone.

  He turned in time to see the constable arrive near him. “Those waif's giving you a hard time, is it?” the constable asked, tipping his bowler back with the tip of his truncheon.

  “No, just talking.”

  “Them's pickpockets and dirty riffraff. You blokes don't want to be associated with the likes of ‘em,” the constable said, sizing Jethro up. “Beggin’ your pardon and all guvnor,” he said brusquely as he realized who he was talking with. “Evenin’, miss,” he said, nodding to a young woman who had come out of the building nearby.

  “Can you be a kind sir and escort me to the corner? I simply must catch a ride on the bus, but I'm fearful of being accosted,” the woman said in a nasal whine.

  “Well of course, lovely lady,” he said, taking the woman by the arm. “A lovely night out for a stroll in'it?” he asked, whistling as he walked her to the bus stop.

  Jethro watched them go, and when he was sure they were out of ear shot he called the tip in.

  <(>~^~<(>

  “Are you sure of this source, Gunny?” Lieutenant Chaing asked dubiously. “We've swept that sector twice.”

  “And they most likely moved in right after we did. Or they were tipped off. One of my sources reminded me that the local law was backing the Empies. Some were hired by them. She also stated that they helped in the round up of Neos and aliens, and even helped in some of the … cleansings, sir.”

  “Oh,” the lieutenant replied softly. “Shit,” he said a moment later.

  “It would explain why they are one step ahead of us, sir. Some of the cops and possibly the utility people and firefighters are playing both sides.”

  “Yeah, I can see it happening,” the lieutenant replied, exhaling heavily. “I'll tell intel to look into it. If we catch a few in the act, the rest will keep a low profile.”

  “Your call, sir.”

  “Actually it's the Major's and the damn spooks. I'm just the middle man. I'm putting a squad up on alert and detailing a drone to have a look-see. I know you can't leave your post until you’re relieved …,” he hinted.

  “I wasn't dreaming of it, sir. But I'd like to be in on the op if at all possible. Both of them.”

  “We'll have to get them to go down simultaneously, without alerting them or the cops it's coming. Tricky.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I think a bait and switch. We'll tell them we're patrolling somewhere, then change direction and hit them hard. And we'll keep the militia out just to eliminate possible leaks there.”

  “Your call, sir.”

  “Again, wrong, it belongs to a certain alpha wolf. I'll give her a ring. Hang tight, Gunny.”

  “Copy that, sir,” Jethro replied as the connection terminated.

  <(>~^~<(>

  “It explains a lot. Why we're coming up almost empty, ma'am,” Lieutenant Chaing stated. Moira nodded slowly. “And why they seem two steps ahead. Ghosts, even with our drones and recon.”

  “We're usually catching them when they move. And they don't talk. They are also all partisans. We've checked the bodies; none are off-worlders.”

  “Ma'am? You can check ….”

  “Yes. Forensics. They have a backlog but a quick check of their dental and blood work will tell us if they are natives or not. There are some trace minerals here that take time to build up. Plus the smog,” the wolf replied as she cut orders for the raid. “And of course any implants are a dead giveaway.”

  “Yes, ma'am,” the lieutenant replied with a nod.

  “There is always something new to learn. We're still trying to get a headcount on the enemy. I know they are hemorrhaging forces; some of the natives who went over to their side don't want to stay there anymore. They were backing a winner … who isn't winning.”

  “They may have a discipline problem. But they are ruthless with people, ma'am,” the lieutenant replied, remembering the apartment complex the general had blown up as a demonstration.

  “Yes. Yes they are. We're getting the drone feed now. Something is definitely hinky about that block,” Moira stated. She put the feed up on the main plot. She pointed to the building and then to the observation post on one intersection. “If there is one there, there is undoubtedly another on the other end. Here or here,” she mused, pointing to the two tall buildings on the street. “My money is here,” she said pointing to one of the two buildings.

  “Why not the other, ma'am? Or the two, okay, they are only two stories, so it makes sense to go with the higher elevation. But ….”

  “See here?” She pointed to the wires. “Telegraph and electrical cables. They could run a line there to their central outpost. Therefore no transmissions to pick up. Or send a runner. Hell, even smoke signals.
”

  “Waving a flag. Something as simple as a woman going out and flapping a towel or blanket to spread the word,” Chaing said in agreement.

  “Exactly. Getting in there would be a problem.”

  “But I imagine you have a solution, ma'am?”

  “They have the streets watched. So, we don't take the streets. And the rooftops will be covered. But we can get in the back alleys ….”

  <(>~^~<(>

  When night fell the teams moved into position. One moved out on patrol, while the others slipped through the darkness. Jethro had his armor on, he hit one forward observation post and took it out while cloaked then went in behind the squad into the main building.

  There was a brief fire fight, more in alarm then in any hope of staving off their inevitable victory. He climbed the fire escape, and when that gave way under the suit's weight he used the claws to dig into the mortar and brick building to get inside. As the Marines hit the doors, he took down those scrambling to gear up to receive them. A swipe of his cloaked tail knocked one against the wall while he tore the throat out of two more men. A woman was knocked off her feet by a well-placed kick. She fired into the air as she went down in a welter of gore as his claws tore into her chest.

  Jethro grimaced. He hadn't intended to kill her, but he hadn't pulled his kick. And the guy who he'd knocked against the wall with his tail swipe wasn't faring well. He groggily tried to rise to his feet. Jethro slashed the weapon out of his hands brutally and then slammed him head first into the plaster wall. Hair, lath boards and plaster sprayed out as the man's head was embedded in the wall. He struggled briefly then slumped.

  According to his implants Jethro judged he was unconscious. He zip tied the man's hands behind his back and then nodded. He checked his HUD and went back to work.

  The raid went down well, they bagged a dozen partisans as well as a basement full of improvised gear. There were some pretty solid weapons, most of them had been native built too. Based on the serial numbers, some of it had been captured and turned over to the militia. He made a note of that in his report.