The woman sat down and pulled down a bandage that was wrapped around her left thigh. A dark, wet blood stain showed where a bullet had struck her. “Sir, I’m going nowhere fast. If it’s alright with you, I think I’ll stay here and make sure nothing else goes wrong.”
Kabar bowed and took a seat on an overturned crate.
“Sir, you can still make it if you try,” said the private.
“What if a fanatic comes back and tries to set off the bomb early? No, I think I’ll stay here with you and make sure that doesn’t happen.”
The soldier forced a smile on her dirty face. “Thanks. I didn’t want to die alone.”
Kabar looked at the seconds as they ticked away. He had done many things in his life he would never be proud of. In minutes, he knew he would die knowing, for once, he had made the right decision.
Chapter 38
“Activate the ship’s gun,” said Wendy to Tarina as their shuttle descended between two snow-covered mountain peaks.
“The gun is operational,” replied Tarina. Underneath the nose of the ship dropped a 30mm chain gun.
“I have the hangar opening in sight,” said Tarina.
Wendy looked up from her console and saw the mouth of the giant cavern.
Tarina slowed their descent. “I’m going in.”
The shuttle flew inside the cave. Tarina bit her lip. Less than five hundred meters away, Sheridan and Cole sat on the ground. Harry Williams’ lifeless body lay nearby. “I’m going to land right next to them.”
In record time, Wendy unbuckled herself from her seat and ran to open the side door. She slammed her hand on the control button. Before the door was fully open, Wendy ducked down and leaped to the ground. She ran to her friends’ side.
“Long time no see, Red,” said Cole looking up at Wendy.
She shook her head. “Jesus, you two look like hell. I’m going to have to get Tarina to help me move you.”
A subway train sped down the tracks and came to a sudden, jarring halt. A side door opened and a handful of Chosen soldiers led by Lieutenant Kall ran out. They saw the shuttle and sprinted for it.
Wendy drew her pistol.
Kall slid to a halt and raised his hands. “Captain Kabar sent us.”
“They’re okay,” said Cole. “I know them.”
“Help me get them into the ship,” said Wendy to Kall.
With the threat of instant annihilation hanging over everyone’s heads, the Chosen soldiers picked up the two injured Marines and hurried inside the waiting shuttle.
Wendy closed the door and ran for the cockpit. She jumped into her seat and said, “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Tarina pivoted the shuttle around in the air and applied full power to the engines. The ship shot out of the cavern and sped straight up toward the stars.
“Making our jump in three-two-one,” said Wendy as she engaged the ship’s jump drive. The world outside the cockpit went black as the shuttle was enveloped in a gravity bubble and shot past light speed.
“How are they?’ Tarina asked.
“They’ll live. Alan looks like he’s got some broken ribs and a shattered foot. Michael has a broken arm—I think.”
Millions of kilometers behind them the antimatter device exploded. In the blink of an eye, one-quarter of the planet was ripped apart. Chunks of rock, some as large as the tallest mountains on Earth, were hurled out into space. Tens of thousands of Kurgan government troops had been rescued. Thousands more had died unable to reach the last ships as they fled the planet in its final seconds.
Michael Sheridan placed his good arm around his friend. “How are you doing, old man?”
Cole winced as he tried to sit up. “I sure as hell hope the ladies packed some good painkillers on this ship as I think I’ve got internal injuries as well as some shattered bones.”
“At least we’re still alive.”
“Yeah, there’s that.”
“Wendy wasn’t kidding about you two,” said Tarina. She shook her head as she opened a medical kit. “I’ll give you both something for the pain and nothing more until we rendezvous with Admiral Kaar’s ship.”
“A painkiller would be nice,” said Cole, holding out an arm for her to inject the medicine in.
Sheridan held up his good hand. “Before you fill me up with drugs, I need you to pass a message to Admiral Kaar for my father.”
“Michael, you know we can’t communicate with anyone while we’re in our jump bubble,” said Tarina. “It’ll have to wait.”
“It’s important.”
“Okay, what is it? I’ll send it the second we end our jump.”
“Tell my father that Harry Williams hid the rest of the Alpha Virus on New Brittany. It’s a small planet in the Titan System. There’s an old mining colony there. The virus is in a metal box hidden in the number four mine shaft.”
“Got it,” said Tarina. “Now give me your arm so I can give you your injection.”
The painkillers raced through his body, easing the pain in seconds. He looked into Tarina’s dark brown eyes and said, “Thanks for coming for us.”
“You’re welcome. Now close your eyes and rest.”
Sheridan’s eyes were becoming heavier than lead. “How long until we RV with the admiral?”
“Two hours. No more questions, Michael Sheridan.”
He never heard her last few words as he was already fast asleep.
Chapter 39
Michael Sheridan stood in his father’s quarters and gently rubbed his aching wrist. He was wearing his dress blue uniform.
The door slid open, and Robert Sheridan walked in. “So, are you ready for the big day?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” replied Michael.
Admiral Sheridan checked out his son. “You look fine. On my way here, I popped in to say hi to Tarina, and I don’t mind telling you that she looks positively radiant.”
“She always has been to me.”
“How are you feeling?” asked Robert as he poured them both a glass of non-alcoholic champagne.
“Okay, I guess. There wasn’t much left of my wrist, so the docs fused it. I’ve lost some range of motion, but at least I still have a hand.”
Admiral Sheridan took a seat. “You know, Michael, I’ve lost track of how many injuries you have sustained during the war.”
“Let’s see now. I’ve had multiple teeth replaced. I’ve lost hearing in one of my ears. Several of my ribs have been cracked. My body has scars all over it, and now I have a built in barometer for the rest my life,” said Michael, holding up his fused wrist.
“At least I still have you.”
Michael took a seat. His once formfitting uniform hung loosely on him. “Dad, how are the peace talks going?”
“Slow but steady. Both sides have agreed to a framework for the negotiations. Admiral Kaar will be here tomorrow to discuss the repatriation of Terran civilians and soldiers taken during the war.”
Michael nodded. “That’s good news.”
“I never asked you what you and Admiral Kaar talked about when he visited you and your friends in quarantine.”
“I think he was taken aback by my forthrightness. Kurgan majors don’t speak to admirals the way I did to him.”
“Oh, no. What did you say?”
Michael let out a long sigh and stared out a window for a moment. “Dad, you’re probably going to have me arrested, but I told him he has to make the Kurgan government see the futility of fighting a civil war.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad. Peace is in their best interests.”
Yeah, it’s what I said next. I explained that in my view they only have three viable options open to them. They could continue fighting their fellow citizens until billions of Kurgans on both sides were dead, and the empire was financially and militarily crippled. Or they could ask the emperor to welcome the Khynisans back into the empire as equals and tolerate their religious point of view. Or they could negotiate a ceasefire with the rebels and split the
empire into two separate entities. I made it clear that the second option was the one he should stress to his government. If they couldn’t see the wisdom of the proposal, then I told him to seize power and force an end to their civil war before it got too far out of hand.”
“Jesus,” blurted out the admiral. “I hope no one heard you say that.”
“Alan did, but he’d never say a word to anyone.”
“What did Admiral Kaar say?”
“Not much. He thanked me for my opinions and left.”
Robert chuckled. “You’ve never been shy to share your ideas with me, but telling a Kurgan Admiral to overthrow his government is a new one.”
“Dad, almost one hundred thousand Kurgans died on Kattarak. That was a mere skirmish compared to what will follow if they continue their war.”
“I remember a time, not all that long ago, when you told me that you hadn’t had your fill of killing Kurgans. Now you’re preaching peace.”
“I’m sick of the war. They may have started it, but people on both sides of the border helped it come about.”
Robert Sheridan’s eyes lit up. “Speaking of that, I just learned they’ve arrested Major-General Brooks back home on charges of conspiracy and treason.”
Michael shook his head. “I’ve never heard of him. Who is he?”
“He was the chief of staff to the home guard commander. He’s the one who told Harry where to find the Alpha Virus. He also gave him the passcodes so he could gain access to the secret storage facility. The Kurgans provided us with his name. They’ve also arrested some of their senior staff officers for supplying the insurgents on Kattarak with an antimatter bomb.”
“It’s going to take years for both sides to root out all of the traitors hidden in plain sight.”
Michael glanced at his watch. He still had a few minutes before they had to walk to the chapel. “Dad, do know if they have retrieved the virus from the mining colony?”
His father nodded. “General Denisov dispatched an entire Marine division to secure the site while a team of biological specialists searched the mine for the virus. They found it right where you said it would be. The container with the virus in it is on its way to a newer and hopefully more secure storage facility.”
“Why even keep it? It should be destroyed so it can never again fall into the wrong hands.”
“I argued that but was overruled by the federation president. Since we work for him, all I could do was say, ‘yes, sir’ and send the virus back to Earth under heavy guard.”
“I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
Robert patted his son on the arm. “I’m sure he does. Come on, it’s time for you to marry that girl of yours. If I could give you one word of advice before you walk down the aisle it would be to take your wife and your children, if you have any, more seriously than I did. Rank means nothing when you come home to an empty home.”
At the chapel, Robert joined the other guest while Michael walked to a side room where Alan Cole was waiting for him.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” kidded Cole. He was sitting in a chair with his bad leg propped up.
“Dad and I got into one of our philosophical discussions again and almost lost track of the time,” replied Sheridan. “How’s your ankle treating you today?”
“Still aches, but I can move about with my cane. Doc says I’ll be able to lose the cane in two or three weeks, but I’ll always have a bit of a limp.”
“Ain’t we a pair?”
Sheridan looked into his friend’s eyes and smiled. “I’m glad you’re here today, Alan. I couldn’t imagine another person being my best man.”
“I’m glad to be here too. And it’s a pleasure and an honor to be your best man.”
A recording of a church organ came through a speaker on the wall.
Cole clenched his teeth as he stood up. “I guess it’s time.”
Sheridan helped his friend steady himself on his feet. They stood there for a moment pondering the future. Finally, Cole broke the silence. “Well, Michael, there’s no point in delaying the inevitable. It’s time for you and your much-better half to get hitched.”
“Yeah, I suppose there’s no turning back now.”
Cole chuckled. “Oh, there is, but I wouldn’t want to be you when Tarina finds out you left her at the altar. I’ve learned over the years that she has a bit of a temper in her at times.”
“I was just kidding.”
Cole raised an eyebrow. “Were you?”
Sheridan placed a hand on Cole’s shoulder. “Alan, before we walk out there. I want you to be totally honest with me.”
“Sure. What’s on your mind?”
“Is it over? Is the war finally behind us?”
“I don’t know, Michael. I just don’t know.”
The door opened, and the Padre stuck his head inside. “It’s time, gentlemen.”
Michael Sheridan smiled as he walked beside his limping friend to the front of the chapel, knowing he was about to make the best decision he would ever make in his life.
– THE END –
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Insurrection (The Kurgan War Book 6) Page 20