by C. R. Daems
When he cut the connection, Wexler was shaking his head and had a smile touching his lips. "They agree. They say to inform you that Captain Blatt and Colonel Berger are aware of the situation and will be there to support your assignment."
* * *
I worked with Wexler through the night, determining the number I thought I'd need and then picking those who would go. It was a strange evening, because Wexler normally determined how many and who. This time he was an interested observer, asking why, giving me his thoughts, but never overriding my choices.
By morning, a team of fifteen bleary-eyed Guards waited on the landing pad, watching a combat shuttle from the Crouching Tiger approach. In the night sky, the shuttle looked like a monstrous bug out of a horror vid. As I approached, many were still stuffing things into their duffle bags and straightening their uniforms.
"Guard, attention," Lieutenant Elijah shouted.
Everyone dropped what he or she was doing and snapped to attention.
"Stand easy. Get you things together and let's board. You can finish getting your things in order on the shuttle," I said as the captain's private shuttle touched down and the gray light of dawn crept across the mountaintop. "Senior Sergeant Catz, see to the boarding."
Using my Mfi, I sent her the personnel and equipment lists. "Lieutenant Elijah, come with me." I entered the shuttle before the young navy lieutenant could exit the open door.
"Captain Sapir, I'm Lieutenant Martina. Welcome aboard," she hurriedly said as she moved back out of the way.
"We can leave anytime you're ready, Lieutenant. I would imagine Admiral Geller wants Captain Blatt in Safort yesterday."
"Yes, ma'am. He does seem in a hurry, because he didn't dock at the space station. He's awaiting us in orbit." She smiled and waved for the sergeant to close the door as she headed to the cockpit. The shuttle lifted moments later.
"The trip to Safort shouldn't take much more than a day. During that time, you need to make sure the detail is fully operational—they didn't have much time to get ready. They are a seasoned team who have been with us on assignments to New Keif, Faithful, and or Blackwood."
I tapped a few icons and sent her the personnel roster. "I don't know much more about this assignment than you do. In general, we'll be guarding a representative from the state of Talula. Although duty may be a bit more complicated than normal, since the JCC has a special interest in the outcome. I'll know more after we meet our new client."
CHAPTER NINE
Safort: Representative Sharli
Colonel Berger was waiting when I exited the shuttle. I gave him a respectful bow that he returned. He stared thoughtfully at me before speaking.
"Captain Sapir, Captain Blatt and I would like a word with you if you have a moment." Berger's presence rather than a lieutenant's put emphasis on the now rather than on at your convenience.
"Of course. I imagine Captain Blatt and you have questions, given the JCC has apparently made this a joint assignment," I said realizing that although Safort had initiated the contract, the JCC had a vested interest in its outcome.
That made it a joint services responsibility. The problem was that we had little experience with joint-responsibility projects, since the lines of authority were blurred. Colonel Berger was a prime example. He was on board the Crouching Tiger to support Captain Blatt; however, Colonel Berger didn't report to him. Likewise, the army on the ground had no authority over the marines on the cruisers, and no one had authority over the Black Guard. Consequently, it was up to each commanding officer to do the right thing, which of course was subject to each commander's judgment.
Berger remained quiet on the way to the captain's office.
Once inside, I gave Captain Blatt a low bow without taking my eyes off him.
"Good morning, Captain Sapir. The JCC ... no, Jax has a vested interest in stopping a Helix Alliance, at least one sponsored by Outpost. And Safort is seen as a pivotal system for Haven, another democracy, as Blackwood was for Chancel another theocracy. And the way these four go will certainly have an impact on Kaycia, a monarchy. So we need to work together. Any suggestions?" Blatt said, coming directly to the point and indirectly conceding no one had command responsibility.
"If I'm not too far wrong, you and Colonel Berger are thinking tradition—keep the client alive at all costs," I said, stopping to assess each man's reaction. "I on the other hand am thinking duty—what are we contracted to do for Safort, and what does the JCC expect. Are they the same, or are they mutually exclusive?"
"They are the same, to keep the individual alive," Blatt said.
Berger nodded.
"Not true. Safort is paying the Jax to keep the individual alive. The JCC, on the other hand, wants a majority of the Safort Upper Chamber to vote against an alliance. Keeping the individual alive would satisfy Safort but may not satisfy the JCC."
The room was silent for several seconds.
Then Blatt spoke, "You're right. If the individual changes their mind ..."
"Correct, coercion or bribery would be just as effective as killing, and that also applies to the other Upper Chamber members aligned against the alliance, whom we aren't contracted to protect."
"How can we stop that?" Berger sounded frustrated—a man of action with no obvious opponent to confront.
Blatt looked thoughtful, but his silence said he didn't have a solution either.
"If we agree on our duty, I think we can work together to develop solutions as we identify potential problems. The Black Guard is taught to keep our eyes and ears open at all times, since the more we know—about not only our clients but the people around them, the better prepared we will be in the event of trouble. I suggest we keep each other informed of everything we learn, because we won't know what facts are important when we hear them or how they bear on one of our responsibilities. Besides, three minds are better than one."
"I like that. How about a daily update regardless if we have anything to report or not?" Blatt suggested.
Berger and I agreed.
I spent the rest of the twenty-six-hour trip reviewing everything I could find about Safort: the government—more or less democratic, the people—diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, and the climate—more or less moderate on the one inhabited continent.
We docked at the Safort space platform, where a shuttle was waiting to take the Guard planet-side. I noticed that as our shuttle departed the space platform, so did the Crouching Tiger. Captain Blatt was expecting trouble and wasn't going to be caught sleeping.
To my surprise, we landed at Central City, which wasn't a city but a small section of land set aside for meetings and centralized functions. A couple thousand people resided there permanently and kept the official records for Safort—a central bureaucracy of sorts. I was escorted to a room where fourteen individuals waited.
When I entered, a tall gray-haired man stood and held out his hand.
"Captain Sapir, I'm Geraldo, a representative from Shima, and the group's chair this year," he said, smiling. He frowned when I gave him a shallow bow rather than shake his hand. "We fourteen are the current members of the Safort Upper Chamber. We are not above trying to influence each other, but we haven't resorted to killing, although it may sound like it from time to time. It's the SUC that is hiring the Black Guard to protect representative Sharli, who we consider at risk after the ... suspicious death of representative LaRoush from Poloma."
"It was an isolated incident by a madman, nothing to do with the alliance vote," proclaimed a short chubby man with thinning hair loudly as he pushed his chair back to stand.
"Your objection is noted, Morandi," Geraldo said, nodding in his direction. "Whether it was an isolated incident or not, representative Sharli," he pointed to a thirty-something woman seated several chairs away, "is potentially vulnerable because of her replacement's position on the alliance. Another madman or some passionate supporter of the alliance could see her death as an opportunity to change the outcome of the vote on whether to j
oin the proposed Helix Alliance. And although each of us has a passionate position on the matter, none of us wants to see the issue decided with violence. That would set a dangerous precedent."
He paused for a drink of water before continuing. "Captain Sapir, we have never worked with the Black Guard before, so is there anything we should know?"
"Although it's stated in the contract, you should understand what we will and will not do. One or more of the Black Guard will accompany representative Sharli night and day when she is not in a room we can guard—no exceptions. We will kill anyone we feel is attempting to harm her. In that event, our only responsibility is to protect her and no one else."
"What if—?" A bearded man interrupted.
"Sir, there are no what-ifs. We hope our actions benefit others in the area, but our actions are intended solely for the protection of the individual we are contracted to protect."
"What if that isn't acceptable?" the same man asked.
"Then you either need a new contract to include others, or you need to cancel the current one. We cannot promise to protect anyone who happens to be around when an assassin chooses to attack. Only the assassin can control the potential collateral damage."
From the looks of the people at the table, that seemed to satisfy everyone, or they didn't think it affected them enough to care.
"Any other questions?" Geraldo asked. When no one said anything, he continued. "Then we are adjourned for the next four weeks. At that time, we will meet back here for a formal vote on whether to join with Outpost to form a Helix Alliance."
The room slowly emptied as the representatives packed their briefcases and said their last-minute goodbyes.
Sharli rose and cautiously approached me. She stood about my height and looked to have a muscular build under her light-blue pantsuit. Her round tanned face was frowning in thought as she neared.
"What now, Captain Sapir?"
"I'd like to introduce you to the team assigned to you, get a little background from you, and then you are free to get on with your life."
"Restrictions?"
"None unless the person guarding you feels it precludes him or her from protecting you." When she nodded, I notified Elijah on my Mfi, and a few minutes later, she and fourteen Guards entered the room.
"Why so many?" Sharli asked, looking around the room.
"Because of the unknown nature of the contract. If we were guarding you in a permanent building that you didn't leave, eight would be standard. But besides guarding you night and day, there are no restrictions on your movements. Therefore, I had to add additional Guard to cover the unexpected." I nodded to Elijah, who stepped forward. "Lieutenant Elijah is my second-in-command. And Senior Sergeants Cerff and Catz are the team leaders." I said, then quickly pointed to each Guard as I mentioned their name. "I know you won't remember their names. Don't worry, they will reintroduce themselves until you become familiar with them. Now, before we leave, can you give me a little background: type of dwelling, other occupants, transportation, and any activities you will be involved in?" I waved her to a chair.
"Is that necessary?"
"If an assassin or madman targets you, he will have the element of surprise, which will give him the advantage. The more I know about you and your anticipated activities, the better prepared I will be and the less of an advantage your attacker will have."
She looked off into the distance, then nodded. "I'm from one of the newer states, Talula. It has a large landmass but a small per kilometer population. Our towns are small and farther apart. That was also true of the murdered representative from Poloma. He was killed along with three others while attending a town meeting. I live in a ... moderate-size house of about eight thousand square meters with my mother and daughter. Most weeks, I spend a day or two at the capitol building in Calmet City, which is a few hundred kilometers from my home. Oh, I have a skimmer and two security agents assigned to me, as do all the State Representatives."
"Your ... the father of your child?"
"Dead … in a skimmer accident about a year ago."
"Any connection to the Outpost vote?" I asked, wondering how far back the conspiracy might have gone.
"It appeared to have been just an unfortunate accident, but now ... the LaRoush killing … my God … they might have thought I was in the skimmer." She put her head in her hands and sobbed. Several minutes later, she wiped her eyes dry and looked up. "Do you think …?"
"What happened?"
"Engine trouble was the official cause. Do you think …?"
"I'm just trying to get a picture of you and your activities. If there are no attempts on your life over the next several weeks, I think you can assume it really was an accident," I said.
She nodded but said nothing. I imagine she hoped it had nothing to do with her being a representative who was against the proposed alliance.
"Are we ready to leave, Captain?" she asked, obviously looking for a reason to end the discussion.
"Lieutenant Elijah, do we have transportation?"
"Yes, sir. Mr. Geraldo has arranged for three eight-passenger police skimmers. They are pretty standard skimmers, so we won't need pilots. The four sergeants have been checked out on the skimmer's weapons. They too are very basic."
"What about my assigned security?" asked Sharli.
"I don't mind them accompanying us in their skimmer, but you will be in our sight until this matter is resolved."
I had split my detail tentatively into three groups: one for Sharli, one for her mother, and one for her daughter. The two sergeants and Elijah would each head a team, with Sergeant Glick Elijah's replacement. Sharli and I boarded with Senior Sergeant Cerff's group.
For a police skimmer, it looked almost like a moderately expensive civilian vehicle. The passenger seats were padded with a leather-like material, each seat had a one-meter-square window, and the seats were wide, with four rows of one seat on each side of the aisle. I thought they might have been used for transporting VIPs. The pilot and gunner were in a separate compartment up front.
"It will be about a three-hour flight to my home," Sharli said after we had attained cruising altitude. "We will be following the Snake River, which defines the border between Poloma and Ayasha. In less than two hours, we will leave Paloma and enter into Talula. At that point the river forms the border between Talula and Ayasha. If we continued to follow the river, then we would come to Calmet City, the capital of Talula. But we will travel more northerly to reach my home, which is about two hundred kilometers inland from Calmet City." She sat quiet for the rest of the flight.
I sat peering out the window, interested in the terrain. From what little I could observe at ten thousand meters, Paloma and Talula seemed cold, based on the snow-covered mountains, and less populated than Ayasha, from the size and number of towns I managed to see.
* * *
Sharli lived in a small community of several hundred homesteads—each with a large parcel of land, judging by the view from our approach. A cluster of stores appeared to be the town center. We landed in an open field about a hundred meters from a sprawling one-story log cabin. The land was rolling hills and, except where it had been cleared for homes, heavily treed.
When we entered the house, an elderly woman and an adolescent girl around eight stood just inside the entrance.
"Mother, this is Captain Sapir of the Black Guard and her … troops," Sharli said before the door closed. "Captain, this is my mother Alani and my daughter Tamri."
I gave a small bow. "There are a lot of us, and we will be invasive, but it's necessary."
Alani laughed. "That is refreshingly honest, Captain Sapir. If you keep my daughter from getting ..." She glanced quickly at Tamri. "Hurt, I can survive the inconvenience. You certainly have enough troops with you." After giving me an appraising look, she scanned the Guards. "Quite a few are women." She said when her gaze returned to me.
"The Black Guard do not distinguish between men and women. Those that wear the Black of the Guard
have earned it and are assigned based on rank, not gender."
"Why so many? Surely you don't need more than a couple guarding my daughter at any one time." Her eyes locked on mine. She was a small woman, several centimeters shorter than Sharli, but she had the predatory look of a mother wolf guarding pups.
"True, Mrs. Alani, but we will be on guard day and night, and there are three of you."
"Why?" both Sharli and Alani said together.
"Are you in favor of a Helix Alliance?" I asked while looking at Alani, wondering if the issue was or would be a problem.
"No, I agree with Sharli as most do on Talula. An alliance would change our lives, and we don't want that."
"What would your daughter do if you or Tamri were threatened?" I asked no one in particular, watching Sharli and Alani's faces shift through conflicting emotions: confusion, fear, and finally a nervous relief.
"You … Jax has a vested interest?" Sharli said as a small knowing smile appeared. Alani nodded agreement.
"Jax feels like you do, that an alliance would change our way of life, so we are therefore not interested. Nevertheless, we would not have opposed such an alliance; however, events on Outpost and Blackwood have convinced us that a Helix Alliance would benefit only Outpost and its allies." I went on to explain the instances in detail over snacks Sharli and Alani prepared. Tami spent the time talking mostly to the women Guards. Fortunately, the house had an excess of rooms, and three unused rooms were set aside for the Guard.
* * *
A police skimmer and the two policemen assigned to Sharli arrived early the next morning, while Sharli, Alani, and Tami were eating breakfast.
Sharli introduced them as Tubbs and Coles. "Captain, since I imagine we won't be using my police assigned skimmer, should I dismiss them?"
"No. They will understand the local laws and customs and therefore better able to handle certain situations. For example, we can't arrest people and have no jails, and we aren't interested in situations that don't involve you directly." I turned to the two men. "Officers, you must understand that when it comes to Representative Sharli, we are very myopic. If she is threatened, she will be our only concern, and we will tolerate no interference."