A Desert Called Peace cl-1

by Tom Kratman

  In answer, the woman laughed. Years fell away from her face, as if she had, perhaps, not laughed in all those years. She asked, "Who do I have to blow? If I never see this miserable place again it will still be too soon."

  Chapter Fourteen

  Grace was in all her steps, heaven in her eye,

  In every gesture dignity and love.

  - Milton, Paradise Lost

  Casa Linda, 15/7/460 AC

  Carrera's first words on awakening were, "My, that was a nice…"

  He was never quite sure afterwards which it was that first informed him that he had not been dreaming. Was it the mattress slumped slightly with a another human being? The scent? Some half-remembered details that were just too real to have been a dream? Or perhaps it was that all his dreams for months had been nightmares while the preceding night had definitely not been a nightmare.

  How it would turn out, however…

  "Lourdes?" he asked, uncertainly.

  She sniffled, "Yes?"

  Oh, shit. What the hell did I do? He asked her.

  "Last night," she answered, "while you were making love to me, you didn't even call out my name. It was like I gave myself to you and it meant nothing." She began to cry in seriousness now.

  He reached to her shoulder and pulled, rolling her over to face him. She resisted, initially, pulling her shoulder away. He was not, however, taking no for an answer. He gathered her in his arms and whispered, "It wasn't that. I was-I'm sorry to say-asleep. I don't sleep well, usually, but when I do I could sleep through a barrage. I have. Anyway, I'm really sorry. And I'll make it up to you, as best I can."

  Lourdes said nothing. How someone was supposed to make up to her the ruination of what should have been the most special-or perhaps the second most special-event of her life was beyond her. She was angry, she was bitter. Above all, she was hurt.

  Carrera continued on, despite her stony silence. "Frankly, Lourdes, I'm glad you came to me last night. Loneliness was killing me and you are… well… simply wonderful. Thank you."

  Carrera backed off slightly to push her back onto her back. Then he proceeded to kiss her tears away and show her-without any mistakes with names, this time-that he meant what he said.

  And perhaps, she thought, anger lessening, perhaps the hurt will go away if I let it.

  Casa Linda, 27/6/460 AC

  Carrera, Sitnikov, and half a dozen other Volgan officers sat in the conference room in the basement of the house. These half dozen Volgans had indicated that, while they could not, in good faith to their duties to the motherland, give up their Volgan citizenship, they were willing to stay on in Balboa under contract if they were wanted. They also represented another several dozen Volgans in the same straits. Another one hundred and twenty-one of the Volgan trainers had elected to take Legionary rank and eventual Balboan citizenship- and getting the legislative assembly to approve that had cost another series of bribes-and to accompany the Legio del Cid to al Jahara and Sumer-or wherever, for that matter. Legionaries take their orders and march with them. But if these men, and those they represented, remained citizens of the Volgan Republic, they could not accompany the Legion to a war to which their country was not a party.

  Carrera began, "Gentlemen, first of all let me say that I appreciate and respect your decision to remain true to the country of your birth. There is no shame in that. Your absence will be felt when the legion leaves for the desert." Carrera passed around glasses, scotch, and ice as he spoke.

  "Nonetheless, you may, if you wish, still remain here in Balboa to work on a few special projects that I have in mind. If you decide to stay, your pay will be commensurate with the LdC pay for the ranks you now hold. I can arrange some longevity increases as you spend more time here, but you will be, for all practical purposes, frozen in your current ranks for the immediately foreseeable future. Can you accept this?"

  Carrera looked at the Volgans' faces for a reaction. Seeing no negative indicators from them, he continued. "The second condition is that you must still take an oath to the LdC to give loyal and diligent service. This includes not divulging any of the nature of the work you will do to anyone, ever. This includes divulging to the Volgan Republic. Can you accept that?"

  Still the Volgans gave no indication of objection. Indeed, since their whole way of life prior to this had involved the most stringent security procedures, they did not even consider any other possibility. As to whether they would honor those oaths…

  Carrera thought, As if they could be trusted not to spill their guts once they go home. Still, my cautioning them may help make them feel they're part of the team and fully trusted. People are odd that way.

  Continuing, Carrera said, "Very well then. Colonel Sitnikov has decided to accept our offer of citizenship and equivalent rank. He will be in charge of you in my absence. I thank you for your decision to stay and help us. Dismissed."

  When the rest of the Volgans had departed, Carrera explained to Sitnikov what it was he wanted done while the legion was gone. He had learned to trust this particular Volgan, implicitly, over the last half year.

  "Aleksandr, there are a number of projects I want your people to work on over the next year or two. Probably two years."

  Carrera stood up, walked to the railing of the porch, turned and leaned against it. He continued. "The first project involves the Isla Real. That's the big island in the Bay of Balboa. I want you, personally, to work out how to turn it into a major Initial Entry Training establishment capable of turning out up to thirty thousand trained privates a year, as well as the needed number of specialists, officers and noncoms to lead an army of about three hundred and fifty to three hundred and eighty thousand. I'll send someone over with the table of organization, equipment, and manning to guide you in your planning."

  "I've already seen it in rough terms," Sitnikov said. "One of your people showed me. You really think you can turn this place into a nation-in-arms?"

  "Maybe not," Carrera answered. "And maybe I won't need to. But it is certain that unless I plan for it, I won't be able to."

  Sitnikov's head rocked from side to side, considering. It's true enough, I suppose.

  "Don't, repeat don't, try to build anything along those lines," Carrera continued. "I will want you to build, as the money becomes available, a less ambitious facility capable of turning out seventy-five hundred to eight thousand trained privates a year, with other specialty and leadership schools as required.

  "Remember, though, all you can do is plan for now. Even to buy the island, or to get the government to condemn it through eminent domain, would cost about half a billion FSD, maybe more. I don't expect to have that kind of money until and unless I can work out a deal with the Feds to hire the legion.

  "In any case, let me make this clear: the planning for the building of the smaller training facility is to be open, once we own the island. The plan for expanding it to the larger capacity is to be very close hold. Even more close hold, I want you to plan for turning the island into a genuine fortress, one capable of enduring air attack and defeating amphibious attack by any possible enemy."

  Sitnikov brushed a hand through thinning hair. Any enemy? he wondered. Even the FSC? The Taurans? I wouldn't enjoy taking on the FSC, were it my fortress to command. But killing Sachsen and Gauls? Zhong? Be still, my heart.

  Sitnikov asked, "You think the others might report back even though they gave their words they will not?"

  Carrera lowered his chin slightly, his eyes boring into Sitnikov as if the latter were a very dull schoolboy.

  "Yes," Sitnikov admitted. "Well… I suppose so."

  Carrera nodded and continued, "The next project is to plan to set up a major unit training center at Fort Cameron, something capable of training and testing units up to regimental size. We're going to cut you orders and get you a visa to visit the Federated States. I will also get the local FS attache to get you permission to visit their combat training centers in the states of Arcadia and Sequoia. I'll give you more guidance
on this later. For now, just go and see how the FS Army does it. And be skeptical."

  Carrera paused while Sitnikov wrote this down. He began to walk from one side of the porch to the other.

  "Lastly, I want-and in some ways this will be the most delicate work of all-I want a plan for organizing six junior military academies in six locations I will give you later. I will get you a professor from the University of Balboa to help with the academic requirements. The purpose of these schools will be to provide the preliminary training for recruits to the legions-yes I said, 'legions'- as and when we can expand. I also want-and this is critical-for these schools to be able to defend themselves at need and attack within fifty kilometers or so of their positions. They must be able to exit the academies and move to attack positions without being detected.

  "Aleksandr… whatever I said to those who decided against citizenship… I want you to arrange things so no one can put together a picture of what we're doing from the bits and pieces those men will work on. Not if the KVD and OSI each had a thousand years to question every one of those men."

  "That will not be easy, sir. I will have to do everything but the most mundane things myself."

  "So? Lourdes will be remaining here. She can be of great assistance to you. She's a very impressive woman, actually. Now, what are your questions?"

  As if on cue, Lourdes-smiling rather happily now-stuck her head out the folding glass door to the rear porch and announced, "Patricio, I've got Senator Rodman on the phone as you requested."

  "Excuse me for a moment, would you, Aleksandr?" Carrera asked as he stood to go to his office.

  "Patrick, dear boy, how can I help you today?" Harriet Rodman asked brightly.

  Carrera went right to it. "I need an appointment, two hours or so, with Ron Campos, SecWar."

  " That asshole? Whatever for? And why come to me?"

  "I came to you because you can do it and because you are an honest politician." They both knew what Carrera meant by that. Once bought you stay bought. And I'm keeping up the mortgage my uncle and grandfather placed on you and your antecedents.

  He continued, "As for why him; I need his help with something. Actually, Harriet, come to think of it I really should bring you into it. You, after all, are concerned with loss of Federated States citizens' and soldiers' lives. You are pretty tight with a defense drachma. Yes… tell you what; I'll come up a day early and brief you. At dinner, say? Perhaps at the Army and Navy Club."

  "No," Rodman answered. "Too public for both our purposes. Dinner at my place, okay? Use the back door. If we're conspiring, Patrick, let's conspire. "

  Hamilton, FD, 32/6/460 AC

  "You've been doing what?" Rodman asked incredulously.

  "Not 'been doing,' Harriet. Done. I have a large brigade, el Legio del Cid, a nongovernmental organization set up under the sponsorship of the government of the Republic of Balboa, organized, equipped and, almost, trained to fight."

  "You aren't serious," she insisted. "You think these people can actually fight? Come on."

  Carrera resisted, almost successfully, the outrage that he naturally felt at anyone casting even the slightest aspersion on a unit he- practically speaking-commanded.

  Harriet knew she had overstepped her bounds when Carrera's fingers began drumming the table rhythmically. His uncle used to do that when he was really annoyed, she thought.

  "For your information, Senator," Carrera said in an icy voice, "The legion is fully equipped. It is not equipped up to FS standards but it is still very well equipped. The core of the leadership cadres have experience of combat; many of them have much experience of combat. Moreover the bulk of the legion's leaders have been brought up to speed for modern, combined arms warfare. The younger ones have as well. The troops…" and the iciness left his voice as he began to describe his men.

  "Ah… they're just great. The minimum IQ is 110. There is no army in the world that can boast that. The average is above 115… closer to 120. In a place like Balboa, with fifty percent unemployment among young men, we could pick and choose, you see. There were about a hundred and eighty thousand unemployed young men. We only needed four thousand for now. They have been through courses of individual qualification as thorough and as rough as any in the world. They are almost frighteningly fit and healthy. They have been trained, the troops and leadership both, by some of the most combat experienced and capable trainers in the world. All they need is an extensive period of unit training, more for the commanders and staff than for the men. And that period is beginning even as we speak.

  "So yes, Senator, they'll be able to fight… by the end of the year. They can be deployed in al Jahara before the campaign begins."

  Rodman shrugged. "All right. Suppose I buy that this legion of yours can or at least will be able to fight? What do you want with Campos?"

  "I want him to hire us."

  The War Department gave Carrera the willies. He had always hated the place, from his first guided tour as an officer cadet to the last time he had set foot in it to tender his resignation. Everything about the comlex irked him, from the bloated staffs to the arrogant civilians to the military retirees who had sold their souls to defense contractors and made the place dangerous to walk with the slime trails they left behind them.

  He loathed the decor. He loathed the special corridors set aside to pander to allies, most of whom had transformed themselves into albatrosses. He loathed the coffee shops and the pizza stands, the fast food malls and the shopping mall.

  It was to him everything a military ought not be; an oversized, overstuffed monument to corporate bureaucracy.

  "Secretary Campos will see you now, Mr. Hennessey."

  As Pat stood to walk into the sanctum sanctorum, the holy of holies, he thought, Hennessey… Carrera… shitbird and motherfucker. I have so many names now.

  Campos was polite, at least. He stood, walked around his desk and offered his hand in welcome to the man he thought of as Patrick Hennessey, and more importantly thought of as the heir to the Chatham, Hennessey, and Schmied empire.

  Hennessey took it while, at the same time, taking the measure of Campos. Tall man. Old but not worn. Good bearing and good health. I wish he didn't have the face of a technocrat.

  Campos began the chat. "Mr. Hennessey, how can I help you? Senator Rodman thought it imperative that we speak and, since she is on the Defense Appropriation Committee, I thought it wise to listen."

  "Mr. Secretary, it's more a question of how we can help each other," Hennessey replied, in what had to be the oldest intro to a confidence game ever played. Campos took it as such but, in his line of work, expected no less.

  "Please call me Ron."

  "Pat, then… Ron. Look, I know that sounded like bullshit. But it's the truth. I have something you need. You have something I need."

  "And those would be?" Campos enquired, innocently.

  "I have an ally for you. I have an infantry brigade to assist you. I have people who will bleed and die so that fewer kids from the Federated States need to. I have people who will do so for less, much less, than it would cost you to have your own do it.

  "But I need money, a lot of money, though less money than you would need for you own forces."

  "Oh, really." Campos sounded, at best, skeptical.

  "Yes, really. Shall I tell you?"

  Campos consulted the watch on his wrist. Oh, what the hell? I cleared my slate for two hours at that twat, Harriet's, insistence. I can at least hear the man out.

  "All right," he said. "You have my undivided attention for the next thirty minutes. If you can engage my genuine interest in that time you can have more."

  "Fair enough," Hennessey answered. Then he began to explain what he had on offer, and a portion of why he had it. Thirty minutes stretched to an hour, to an hour and a half, to two hours, to… "Mildred, clear my calendar for this afternoon. I'll be busy until this evening."

  That led to, "And how much is this going to cost me?"

  Hennessey inhaled de
eply, then sighed. "As I said, a lot. But less than it might.

  "We believe, my people and I, that the cost for you to use one brigade in full up combat for one month is approximately twelve billion drachma. To have that brigade in action over a longer term requires you to maintain a full division. That costs an additional four hundred million per month, base. That, you'll agree, is chickenfeed compared to the cost for actual combat."

  "Whenever someone talks about that kind of money," Campos corrected, "it's never chickenfeed."

  "All right," Hennessey conceded, smiling. "It's not chickenfeed. That also means that it wouldn't be chickenfeed if you could save that much, doesn't it."

  Quick bastard, isn't he? Campos mused.

  "Further," Carrera said, "I will deploy my legion to al Jahara in time for the upcoming campaign. I will participate in that campaign. I will undertake any mission you or your commander in the field should care to assign us that does not involve going up against masses of heavy armor or which requires that we operate more than one hundred miles from a logistics base. We're not equipped for that and frankly you don't need us for that; you need us for clearing fortifications and built-up areas. I will do so for sixty percent of the cost to you, per month, of using FS troops. That is to say, it will cost you seven point two billion FSD per month of active operations. Neither my staff nor, might I add, yours expects active operations to last past six weeks. Later on, if there needs to be a pacification and stabilization phase, we can also be hired. I estimate the cost to you of that to be on the order of six billion, per year, for our one brigade… or legion, as we call it. Since that saves you billions, you'll agree that you will not be saving 'chickenfeed,' yes?"

  Campos sighed. The leathery face grew a tad weary. "And there you had me going for a while. We can't afford that. I'd have to hide it and frankly I couldn't hide that much."

  "You can't afford not to… Ron. And you can hide enough of it."

  Campos pointed out, "We've already been helping you, you know. Harriet saw to that. Can't you come down on the price a little?"