Vengeance from Ashes: Special Edition with Exclusive Content (Honor and Duty Book 1)

by Sam Schall

  “How in the hell did they get troops on-planet, much less bring in air support?” Tremayne demanded.

  “A very good question, ma’am, and one I’d love to know the answer to,” Ashlyn replied, once more peeking around the barricade.

  As she did, she felt Tremayne shift restlessly at her side. Her hand flashed out, grabbing the senator before the woman could move forward. That was always the problem with Navy types. They thought about battle in terms of thousands of kilometers of space, not in terms of someone being close enough to put a projectile between your eyes or a knife between your ribs.

  “Gunny, recommendations?” Ashlyn looked at the man, nodding as she did. She’d learned early in her career to trust her gunny, especially on the battlefield. Talbot had proven himself one of the best, at least in her opinion. She’d trusted him during the war and she’d trust him now.

  “We don’t dare wait any longer, Cap. When I say go, you get the senator across the clearing. I’ll cover you. Duck into the walkway between the two buildings at the northwest corner. Wait for me there. Then we’ll regroup and make the last run for the FOB,” he said, his eyes raking the open area before them.

  “You’d better be right on our heels, Gunny. I’m not leaving anyone behind, not this time.” Even as she said it, she thought about her people back on Tarsus and prayed she’d not imagined the notice of their pardons.

  “Understood, ma’am. Believe me, I’ll be on so close behind you that you’ll think I’m your shadow.” An explosion followed by a fresh burst of gunfire sounded to their rear. “I recommend you get moving if you don’t want to be caught smack in the middle of the fighting.”

  Ashlyn glance around, her mouth tight. How in the world had she gone from military prisoner to active duty Marine in the middle of a firefight in less than an hour?

  “Senator, you’re going to do exactly as I say.” She turned to Tremayne. “When I tell you to run, you are going to run like the hounds of Hell are on your heels. You don’t stop until you’re in the walkway, no matter what happens. Do you understand?”

  “I do. You’d better understand that I expect you to be right there with me.”

  “Gunny, stand ready.” Ashlyn checked her weapons one last time.

  “Now, Captain. Go!”

  Shaw nodded and, grabbing Tremayne’s arm with her left hand, raced out from behind the barricade. They hadn’t gone three steps when the shots she’d been expecting rang out. The staccato of projectiles hitting the pavement at their feet filled the air. Pain like the sting of hundreds of insects registered. One part of her mind identified it as shrapnel and slivers of pavement, possibly even ricochets. Not that it made the pain go away. However, one thing her time at the penal colony had done was given her the ability to ignore such things. She’d have time to worry about it later.

  She hoped.

  Two armed and armored Marines appeared from the shadows of the walkway as they neared. Their covering fire joined that of the gunny and the others at the barricade. Shaw all but threw Tremayne at the nearest Marine before turning to lay down cover fire for the gunny.

  “Keep the senator back and comm the major that we’re on our way!” she yelled as she fired in the direction of the last shot to hit the ground near her.

  “Captain, get your ass back against that building!” Talbot ordered as he ran across the open area. “Get her back!” he added to the Marines covering her.

  Snarling, Shaw jerked against the hands that reached for her. She was damned if she ran before she knew the gunny was safe. She had been forced to leave the others behind on Tarsus. She wouldn’t do that here. She couldn’t.

  Once she knew the gunny was safe, she sank to her heels, breathing hard. The so-called walkway they huddled in was nothing more than a tunnel hollowed out between the two buildings. Barely six feet wide and seven feet tall, it offered them at least temporary cover from an aerial attack. But that limited safety wouldn’t last for long if the enemy ground troops managed to close in on them.

  “Are you all right?”

  She heard the worry in Tremayne’s voice and nodded. If this felt a bit too close to what happened on her last mission, she couldn’t dwell on it. No, she had to focus on the here and now. Otherwise, she might as well just walk out into the open and let the enemy put a bullet in her skull. That would be easier than having to relive the last few years.

  “Yeah.” She blew out a breath and then coughed. Smoke filled the air, bringing with it all the smells of battle. “Ma’am, you’d better make sure those folks at the FOB know I’m supposed to be with you. I’d really hate to be shot as an escaping prisoner.” She tried to make it a joke but failed. It was too close to the truth.

  “Don’t worry, Ash. They know.” Tremayne’s hand reached over and gave hers a quick squeeze.

  “They do, ma’am,” Talbot assured her. “Besides, that’s why I’m here. I’m your bodyguard right now even more than the senator’s and, as you know, I’m very good at what I do.”

  She couldn’t help it. She smiled slightly and nodded. Talbot was good and he’d proven time and again over the years that he would do whatever was necessary to get the job done. It might not keep a sniper from getting off a lucky shot but hopefully it would keep one of her own side from doing something she’d regret, assuming she lived that long.

  Without a word, she climbed to her feet and moved to the end of the “tunnel” before crouching again. Her right palm rested against the side of the building as she leaned forward. She took a quick look around the corner in the direction of the old Cap City Bank building before ducking back into the walkway. The sounds of fighting here were a bit more sporadic than at the security complex but she wasn’t about to let her guard down yet.

  “One more time, Senator.” She drew a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then released it. God, the last thing she’d expected when she’d been escorted from her cell was to be fighting for her life and the life of her mentor. “You will stick with me. You will not stop for anything. If I go down, you will keep running until you are safe inside. Do you understand?”

  “I’ll repeat what I told you earlier. I’ll do it as long as you remember to stick with me as well.”

  “And I’ll kick both of your asses, ma’ams, if either of you do anything stupid. Respectfully, of course,” the gunny added, grinning slightly. “Cap, when you’re ready, give the word and I’ll let them know at the FOB to cover you.”

  “Let’s do this.” She stood and checked her pistol one last time. Then she said a quick prayer and nodded. “Go!”

  She stepped into the street, gun ready and waved for Tremayne to move. As the senator broke into the open, gunfire erupted around them. Ashlyn’s hand closed over the senator’s arm and together they raced in a zigzag across the street. Marines appeared from the FOB to lay down cover fire. The sounds of the battle echoed off the sides of the buildings, masking Ashlyn’s thundering pulse and the sounds of Tremayne gasping for breath as they ran.

  “Go, go, go!” Ashlyn yelled as she raced through the door of the bank building a moment later, the gunny on her heels.

  One of the Marines pulled the door closed behind them and then pounded his gloved fist against a panel next to the doorway. Almost instantly a heavy security door slid into place. Ashlyn bent, hands on her thighs, and fought for breath. It was one thing to do several hundred pushup and sit-ups in her cell each day, but it was something very different to be running for her life in the middle of a firefight. Her heart pounded, sweat covered her and her breath hitched. But they had made it and, so far at least, no one had shot her. That had to count for something.

  “Senator, Captain, if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the major,” Talbot said a moment later.

  As she followed the gunny and Tremayne deeper into the building, Ashlyn couldn’t help wondering what was going to happen next.

  « Chapter 5 »

  Major Rico Santiago stood next to a small table, carefully studying a holo display. As Tal
bot escorted Tremayne and Ashlyn into the room deep inside the building, he looked up. Relief lit his expression and he stepped around the table to greet them. As he did, Ashlyn felt the years of training forcing her body to snap to attention even as her mind suddenly decided to stop working.

  Reaction. She knew that’s what it was. She had been operating on instinct, adrenaline and training since first realizing the security building was under attack. But now, deep inside the old bank building, inside what had once been the vault, the danger was over, at least for the moment. The need to fight to survive was gone. Now came the waiting and the wondering.

  God, she hated the unknown.

  “Well done, Gunny,” Santiago said. “Any problems?”

  “Nothing we didn’t expect, sir,” Talbot replied. “However, there is a matter the senator needs to brief you on. She had me take the two Marines escorting her and the captain down from the security block into custody.”

  Santiago frowned and turned his attention to Tremayne. “I know you well enough to know you wouldn’t do soething like that without good cause, ma’am.”

  “A very good cause,” she assured him, her voice cold. “Who ordered them to escort us down?”

  That was a question Ash wanted answered as well. Just as she wanted to be the one to deal with the person who issued that order.

  “I’d have to check, but I would assume the Officer of the Day. Why?”

  “Because, before we were off the security floor, I was told that one of the Marines would escort me to safety and the other would deal with the captain.”

  Talbot’s reaction almost mirrored Santiago’s. Both stiffened, their expressions turning thunderous. Watching them, realizing they had nothing to do with the order, Ashlyn relaxed a little. She wasn’t ready to completely drop her guard, but seeing how angry they were helped.

  “Did they explain how they were to deal with the captain?” Santiago ground out the words.

  “They didn’t need to. The implication was clear.”

  For a moment, Santiago didn’t say anything. “Captain, my apologies. Neither I nor any member of my staff issued such an order. I promise I will find out who did and there will not only be an investigation but charges will be brought. You have my word on that.”

  “Thank you, sir.” She took his outstretched hand in hers. His promise might not have been enough to reassure her but that, combined with his reaction to hearing what had almost happened, most certainly was.

  “Now, before we compare notes about what’s going on, there are a few things I need to deal with.” For the first time since their arrival, Santiago looked a bit unsure. Then he smiled and there was a twinkle in his eye that had Ashlyn watching him closely. He was up to something and, from the way he looked at Tremayne, it had to do with the senator and not with her. Fortunately. “Senator, I’ve been instructed by FleetCom to inform you that you have been recalled to active duty for as long as this current state of emergency is in effect. You should be receiving formal notification shortly. Until it is safe to transport you to the Intrepid, you will be stationed here to help coordinate our ground forces with our air strikes.”

  “I can’t say I’m surprised. Who is the senior officer groundside right now?”

  “For the Navy?” Santiago waited until she nodded. “Senior officer is Admiral Liat. SecDef has been evacced to safety along with the President, Vice President and the Cabinet.”

  “I’d best report in then.” She nodded and stepped to one side, pulling her comm-unit as she did.

  “Gunny, escort the captain to the medic. I want her checked over ASAP,” he continued. “Ash, by the time they’re done with you, we’ll have gotten something for you to wear other than that damned jumpsuit. Get your injuries treated and then get your ass back here for a briefing.”

  “One thing first, sir.” She reached up and her hand closed over her dog tags. “How did you get them?” She didn’t explain what she meant. She didn’t need to, not when he looked at her hand fisted around the tags.

  “When your parents realized I was looking into what happened, they gave them to me and asked that I return them to you. They said they figured I’d see you before they would.”

  She swallowed hard and nodded. Tears burned in her eyes. Her parents had trusted him to help free her. He had managed to carry out his part. But what about them? Were they all right? She couldn’t let herself think about them being in the middle of the attack but she couldn’t deny her worry either.

  God, she had to get out of there and find them.

  “Sir, I’m fine, really. Just give me a few minutes to get out of this jumpsuit so no one mistakes me for an escaped prisoner and then I’ll be ready to do whatever needs to be done.”

  “Medics first.” He took a step closer and dropped his voice. “Ash, right now you look like hell. It’s more than the smoke and debris from the fight to get here. I can tell you’re hurt and hurting. You know as well as I do that you need to get treated before anything else happens.”

  She wanted to protest but didn’t. For one, now that they were away from the fighting, she felt every ache and pain, especially those from her broken nose and ribs. For another, she knew he was only doing what the regs required. They weren’t in immediate danger of being attacked. So, as the senior officer until Tremayne assumed that role, he had to make sure all the people under his command were at their best. She didn’t have to like it, and she didn’t, but she did understand it.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good.” Now he smiled again, his relief plain to see. “Gunny, stay with her and let me know what the medics have to say.”

  “Understood, Major.”

  “Go on, Ash. The sooner you let them do their magic, the sooner you can get back here.”

  She nodded and turned to the gunny, indicating she was ready to follow orders.

  “Captain,” Talbot began a few moments later as they moved through the lower level of the building. “Before we get to the medics, I have a couple of things to say,” he continued and Ashlyn tensed.

  Was he about to damn her for what happened back on Artarus? He’d known many of those who had been lost or injured. Surely he understood that she’d done everything possible short of mutiny to prevent having her company sent into that Hell.

  “Ma’am, don’t.” He reached out and touched her arm. It was so brief as to be almost non-existent, but it was enough to reassure her. “I want you to know that none of us who served with you believed that line of bullshit the brass tried to feed us. We knew you wouldn’t have purposely disobeyed orders, much less put your command in jeopardy like they said. More than that, we knew you’d never do anything to harm innocent civilians. I’d also like to say it’s good to know that the injustice done to you and the others has finally been corrected.”

  “Thank you, Gunny.” She blinked back the tears suddenly burning in her eyes. “When this is over, I owe you a drink. I know you went out on a limb and tried to testify for me at my court-martial and the Board wouldn’t let you.”

  “Ma’am, there were more than two dozen of us who were on-planet and who tried to do just that. Dozens more who were off-planet at the time sent their recorded statements supporting you and the others in your command.”

  Ashlyn swallowed hard. Her attorney had told her that he’d received a number of requests to testify on her behalf from former squadmates. What he hadn’t said was just how many. It wouldn’t have changed the outcome of her trial, but the knowledge that so many of those she’d served with had come forward to testify on her behalf might have helped her cope with her conviction. At least then she’d have had hope that someone might have been working to free her and the others.

  “And you don’t need to buy me a drink. I know for a fact that every one of our former squadmates are just waiting for the chance to buy you a drink, myself included.” Now he smiled down at her and laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You’re home now, Cap, and you’re safe. The others will be soon.”


  “They’d better,” was all she said, her voice rough with emotion. “Now, let’s find the medics. I don’t think either of us want to keep the major waiting.”

  The next hour was a blur of medical tests. Ashlyn’s protests that she was all right fell on deaf ears. Nothing she said swayed the Navy doctor or the two medics working with him. In fact, the longer the doctor worked on her, treating her broken nose and ribs, as well as other injuries she hadn’t registered, the grimmer he looked.

  Had she been hurt worse than she thought?

  Then realization dawned on her. It wasn’t her new injuries that upset him. It was the scars she bore from the last two years on Tarsus. Well that was just too bad. She neither wanted nor needed anyone worrying about what happened in the past. Not right now, at any rate. Not when the capital was under attack and she didn’t know if her family was safe.

  “Doc, just give me a painkiller and let me out of here.” She sat up on the makeshift examining table and looked around the small room for her clothes. Then she remembered how one of the medics assisting the doctor had taken the black jumpsuit and left with it almost as soon as they’d had her stripped. “And find me something to wear or I’m walking out of here in the clothes I was born in.”

  She climbed to her feet, convinced her bluff would work. Instead the doctor drew himself up to full height – meaning he now came up to her shoulders – and crossed his arms. His expression reminded her of any number of her teachers at the Academy when she’d said or done something extremely foolish.

  Damn it.

  “Go ahead, Captain, if you want the Marines here to mutiny.”

  Mutiny? What the hell was he talking about?

  “You really don’t know, do you?” His expression softened and he motioned for the others to leave them alone. As the door closed, the doctor pointed to the examining table and waited until Ashlyn sat. “Captain, the Devil Dogs, at least the core unit, are here, in this building. If they saw you and saw the scars you bear, nothing could keep them from haring off to Tarsus to exact their revenge. I’d even join them. I might be Navy but I spent time as a corpsman for the DDs. That makes you mine almost as much as you are theirs.”