by Peter Grant
He shouted, “Griss! Griss!”
From down the corridor he heard his aide. “I’m here, Jake. What’s up?”
“Come here, quickly!”
His assistant hurried up. “What is it? You sound… what’s wrong?” He’d just caught sight of Jake’s expression.
“No time to explain. Get word to Major Tredegar at once. Emergency meeting of all leaders right away in his room. As soon as he’s started spreading the word, come back and lead me there. Hurry, man!”
~ ~ ~
“I’d hoped against hope… but when I saw her go aboard that shuttle, I knew,” Tredegar said sadly. “She wasn’t restrained or confined at all. She was walking with another woman. They were laughing and talking like it was old home week.”
“Yeah.” Jake’s voice was heavy, redolent with sadness. “Telling them about the book readers was the worst of it, from my point of view.”
“At least it’s not as bad as it would have been four months ago, Sir,” Lieutenant Kubicka pointed out. “You had the foresight to arrange a backup way to communicate.”
“Yes, but it’s slower and less certain than what we’ve lost. When’s the next scheduled linkup?”
“Tomorrow afternoon at fourteen, Sir. It’s supposed to be a brief test, but I guess we can make it a full session if we have to.”
“We do. I’ll prepare a message giving details of what’s happened. My aide or I will give it to you tonight. For the information of those in this room only, I’m going to activate Operation Delve at once.” There was a hiss of indrawn breath from everyone in the room. “I want that put into action as quickly as possible.”
“But, Sir… where will we go?”
“I don’t think it’ll be ‘we’, Major. I think it’ll be ‘you’. There’s one final acid test that will tell us whether Gloria’s actively turned traitor. That’s if she tells them who I am. If they learn I’m the father of our current President Pro Tem, they’re going to come for me. They’ll want to use me to put pressure on him. If they take me away, you’ll know; and if they do that, you’ve got to assume they’ll try to use all of you in the same way, even though you aren’t related to any members of our Government-in-Exile. That means you’ve got to take a chance on getting away and hiding wherever you can. Don’t stay here where they can get their hands on you anytime they want. Some of you may die during the escape; others may be killed later trying to avoid recapture. Those are necessary and acceptable losses. We can’t let the enemy hold us hostage to threaten our leaders and influence how they conduct the war.”
“I understand, Sir.” Tredegar’s voice was firm, and was echoed by a chorus of agreement from the others. “We’ll do as you order.”
“Thank you, Major.” Jake hesitated. “If they try to use me, I’ll do my best to stop them any way I can. I don’t expect to survive. Tell my son, will you, if you ever get the chance? I’d like him to know what happened one day, if that’s possible. I will not allow them to use me as a tool against him and what he’s trying to accomplish.”
There was a catch in Tredegar’s voice. “We… we’ll tell him, Sir.”
“Thank you all very much.” Jake’s sightless, forever dry eye sockets could not see the tears in those of his comrades as they looked at him with pride and sorrow. “I know you’ll do your best, just as I’ll do mine.”
Laredo: July 12 2851 GSC
TAPURIA SPACEPORT
Gloria laughed as she saw the cutter waiting on the hardstand, its white color and that of the second cutter next to it contrasting sharply with the dark earth shades of the assault shuttles lined up on either side of it. “It looks like a toy compared to these hulking great shuttles.”
“It’s no toy, Ma’am. It can hold as much as they can. It just looks smaller because it isn’t armored, and doesn’t have stub wings to carry weapons,” the pilot explained as he walked beside them. Behind the group a work party tugged a cart loaded with half a dozen suitcases. Gloria had taken full advantage of the expense account provided to Doctor Surkh. She’d completely restocked her wardrobe. She hadn’t owned so many clothes since before the war.
“You’ll have to replace most of these when we reach Bactria,” the Doctor had warned her, sniffing disapprovingly at what she regarded as the abysmally poor selection available in the shops of Tapuria. “We have a much greater variety there, and much better quality too.”
“Look at it this way,” Gloria had explained, giddy at her first opportunity to shop in a civilized fashion for over four years. “I’m making up for lost time.”
“I’m sure you are! We’ll do our best to give you plenty more opportunities to do so.”
“What’s the second cutter doing here?” Doctor Surkh asked the pilot. “I thought we only brought one down.”
“They sent another down very early this morning to pick up a few last-minute passengers and some additional luxury foods for our guest, Ma’am.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have bothered!” Gloria exclaimed automatically.
“Nonsense. We want you to feel spoiled,” Surkh insisted. “Heaven knows you’ve had little enough opportunity for that since this damned war started!”
They strapped themselves into their seats as the pilot supervised the work party stowing the suitcases beneath a cargo net. He cocked his head to listen, then called to them, “The other cutter’s just started her reaction thrusters. If you look out the rear ramp, you’ll see her lifting off. She’ll reach the ship a few minutes ahead of us.”
“Thank you,” Gloria replied.
Neither she nor Doctor Surkh were able to look directly at the cutter parked next to theirs, so they didn’t notice its pilot hurrying down the rear ramp after activating a pre-programmed set of instructions in the flight computer. He got into a utility van, which drove away as the autopilot closed the cutter’s rear ramp and increased power to the thrusters. The empty craft lifted off.
Gloria and her hostess craned their necks to watch as the cutter appeared in the aperture of the rear ramp, climbing rapidly as it headed for the spaceport boundary. It rose higher… higher… then a column of smoke and flame suddenly soared from a clump of trees about a kilometer outside the boundary. It streaked upwards and slammed into the cutter with a flash and blast that echoed across the spaceport. The small craft staggered in mid-air, then tumbled, twisting and writhing as it fell. It smashed into the ground just inside the boundary fence and exploded into flames.
“What the…?” Doctor Surkh exclaimed in horror.
“Rebels!” the pilot yelled, his face red with fury. “They must have shot it down! That was a missile trace! They were after you, Ma’am!” He stared straight at Gloria.
She went white with shock. “But how… No! That can’t be possible!”
“What else could they be shooting at, Ma’am? We were the only cutter scheduled to lift off this morning! No-one knew about the other cutter because it wasn’t on the flight schedule. It was a last-minute arrangement. They must have wanted to hit you! Nothing else makes sense!”
Gloria could only stare at him, her mind frozen. He tugged at her belt buckle. “Come on, Ma’am! Until they’ve dealt with whoever that was, we aren’t going anywhere. Let’s get you out of this cutter into the terminal, where you’ll be safe.”
Numbly she allowed him to lead her down the rear ramp. Doctor Surkh followed, also pale with shock. They emerged into a scene of organized chaos as an emergency response platoon rushed onto the hardstand and climbed into two assault shuttles. As soon as they were all aboard the shuttles lifted off, reaction thrusters roaring deafeningly, and headed at full blast for the place from which the missile had been launched. As they crossed the spaceport boundary their plasma cannon began to fire, cutting through the trees around the firing position, sending more flames and smoke into the sky. A fire engine and ambulance rushed towards the crash site, sirens wailing.
“Come on!” The pilot urged them towards the glass doors through which they’d so recently emerged. “
Let’s get you back inside until they’ve got things under control!”
Two levels above them, a black-uniformed Colonel of State Security gazed down at the hardstand. “Make a note,” he murmured to his aide. “Give that pilot a bonus for good acting. He’s very convincing.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The officer raised his eyes to the missile launch site in the distance. “The response team is putting up a good show. Commend the platoon and its commanding officer in my name.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Now let’s see whether Lieutenant Syr is as good an actress as she claims.” He adjusted the volume on a speaker standing on a table next to them.
Two levels below, as the pilot led Gloria and Doctor Surkh through the glass doors, a woman dressed in Army Lieutenant’s uniform rushed up to them. “Did anyone get out?” she begged the pilot, her voice impassioned.
He straightened and saluted. “I’m sorry, Ma’am, but I didn’t see anyone get out. From the force of the impact, I don’t think there’ll be any survivors.”
“Oh, damn this bloody war to hell!” She leaned against the glass, hands raised to cover her eyes, tears suddenly streaming down her face.
Gloria couldn’t help instinctively reaching out to touch her. “Did… did you know anyone aboard that cutter?”
“My platoon sergeant was aboard. She’d just finished her term of enlistment, and was going home to be discharged. Her husband and their two children were with her – a five-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy. They’re all…” She couldn’t continue.
Gloria stood frozen, her mind a jumble. This is what Lady Zeba meant! This is the sort of mindless violence that we’ve got to stop! Two more innocent children are dead! How many more must die?
The pilot patted the Lieutenant’s sleeve helplessly. “I think that missile was intended for Doctor Aldred here. Our flight was the only cutter listed on the schedule this morning. They could have shot at any one of a dozen shuttles that have already lifted off, but they didn’t. They waited for a cutter. They must have been after her.”
“But who? Who would murder innocent kids just to get at a civilian doctor? Why?”
Gloria was suddenly suffused with rage. The pilot’s right! Someone must have decided to kill me rather than allow me to be part of a peace initiative! Without realizing she was thinking aloud she blurted out, “It must have been Jake! He’s the only one who could have set it up this quickly! Damn you, Jake Carson!”
“Jake Carson?” The officer stared at her. “Who’s he?”
“He’s…” She suddenly recollected herself, and tried to recover. “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve no proof, no evidence. I don’t even know where he is these days.” She turned away, feigning confusion. Have I given away Jake’s secret?
The Lieutenant snapped, “If you ever find out, let me know. I’d love to hear his explanation of why children’s lives count for nothing!” She turned on her heel and stalked away.
Gloria dropped her gaze to the floor to hide the gleam of relief in her eyes. She didn’t notice that once she was a safe distance away, the Lieutenant took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped most of a noxious, tear-inducing liquid from her hands and cheeks, then headed for a restroom to clean her skin more thoroughly with soap and water.
She didn’t suspect anything, Gloria reassured herself. I haven’t given anything away!
Two floors up, the Colonel’s eyes gleamed. “Jake Carson! She must mean the man we know as Captain Jake Smith!”
“I don’t understand, Sir,” his aide ventured.
“He’s the only person named Jake in that prison camp. Who else could she mean? If so, he’s the father of the rebels’ President Pro Tem – the head of their Government-in-Exile. We thought he’d been killed in the big assault on Tapuria last year. We must bring him here at once to interrogate him. Once we’ve confirmed his identity, we’ll send him to Bactria. Let’s see whether his son’s still so aggressive after he learns we’ve got his father at our mercy!”
~ ~ ~
PRISON CAMP #3, NEAR CARISTO
Jake was walking the circuit with Major Tredegar when his companion suddenly stiffened. “A group of guards has just come boiling out of their barracks like the Devil himself is after them. They’re forming up in front of the Commandant’s office.”
As if to echo his words, the loudspeakers blared. “All prisoners are to return to their quarters at once. I say again, all prisoners are to return to their quarters at once. Remain there until you are informed that normal routine can resume.”
Tredegar asked, trepidation in his voice, “Do you think…?”
“I fear so.” Jake held out his hand. “It’s been an honor to serve alongside you, my friend. Remember what I said. Make sure that message gets through this afternoon.”
“I’ll supervise the semaphore myself, Sir. Go with God.”
“And God bless you. You’re in command now, Major Tredegar. Look after our people.”
There was nothing more to be said. Jake waited for Griss to find him, then allowed his aide to lead him back to his room. As they reached it, he said quietly, “Griss, stay in your quarters, no matter what. Don’t resist or make a fuss.”
“But, Sir –”
“No buts, Griss. This is my swan song, and it’s a solo part. I’ve got to sing it by myself.”
“Yes, Sir.” He could hear the tears in his aide’s voice. “I’ll sing my own song one of these days. I’ll make sure to mention you in it.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to provide my own escort across the river, but in case I don’t succeed, I’ll be obliged if you’ll kindly do your best to top up its ranks for me.”
“Will do, Sir.”
Jake held out his hand, and Griss shook it. “All right. Be off with you.”
His aide unexpectedly hugged him. “Goodbye, Sir.”
The rush of prisoners subsided, and the building was silent for a few moments; then the door to the compound opened. The tramp of heavily-booted feet approached his door, followed by a knock.
“Captain Jake Smith? Or should I call you Lieutenant-Colonel Jake Carson?” The voice of the Commandant was mocking. “Your presence is required in Tapuria at once.”
“I’m coming,” Jake said steadily. He opened the door. At once his hands were seized, he was spun around, and his wrists were handcuffed behind his back.
“May I ask what threat a blind man poses to you, that you have to treat him like this?” he asked quietly, offering no resistance.
“I’ll turn you loose when we have you safely belted into your seat,” Amu promised casually.
“Thank you, Colonel, but may I ask that you please cuff my hands in front of my body until then? I can’t see, after all, and you must have noticed how I sometimes trip over things – even my own feet. If my hands are in front, I can at least break my fall.”
“Oh, very well! Sergeant, do as he asks.”
“Yes, Sir.” A guard repositioned his hands and refastened the cuffs. As he did so, Jake pretended to lose his balance and bumped into him. Okay. His pulser’s on his right hip, in an open-topped holster. If the angle’s right…
“What about my clothes?” he asked.
“I don’t think you’ll need them. More will be provided in Tapuria if necessary.”
“Very well. Would someone please hand me the pocket Bible on my table?”
“Why? You can’t read it, after all.”
“I used to read it daily until I was blinded, Colonel. Even now, it has sentimental value. My late wife gave it to me.” Jake thought, but didn’t add, at the start of this war, just before she was killed.
“Oh, all right. Sergeant, get it for him.”
“Yessir.” The Sergeant picked up the little book and handed it to Jake, who slipped it into his chest pocket.
As they led him down the corridor, the Colonel said, “I must admit, I’m surprised you’re taking this so calmly.”
“What do I have to fear?”
“
You… what do you mean?”
“I fought for years before finally being disabled in combat. I’ve seen my friends and comrades die all around me. My wife and two of our children are dead. I’ve got nothing left to lose, so why should I be afraid?”
“You have another son to lose.”
“No. He’s in my heart always. He knows that, and so do I. If we don’t meet again in this life, we’ll meet across the river.” Jake laughed as he remembered their parting the year before. “We’ve even discussed what drinks to order when we get there.”
“I suppose your faith must be a comfort at a time like this.”
“It’s always a comfort, Colonel. It’s also a heck of a responsibility.”
The Commandant shrugged. “I’ve never seen it that way, but then, I don’t believe in anything I can’t see, smell, hear, touch or taste.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I’m not! We’ll be taking my personal airvan to Tapuria. It’s the fastest transport we have around here.”
“Oh?” Jake said casually. “I’d have thought you’d prefer something more comfortable than an airvan. Most I’ve seen have had two seats for the pilots, plus two long hard benches or folding seats running down the sides of the load compartment behind them.”
“No, mine’s much more comfortable. It’s got four rows of seats, two singles for the pilots up front and three three-person bench seats behind them. We’ll put you in the second row with the Sergeant. I’ll be in the back with another guard, so don’t try any tricks!”
“How can I, when I can’t see what I’m doing?” Jake asked, trying to sound reasonable. Inwardly he was smiling. Yes, I remember that configuration. Once I know where I am in relation to the sides of the airvan, I’ll know near enough where the other seats are, and the people in them. I don’t need to see them.
The crunch of gravel beneath his shoes gave way to smooth plascrete. They passed through the inner and outer gates, then turned right. Jake knew they were heading between the wire and the Administration building to the flight pad where the shuttle had landed yesterday. He felt the blustery wind ruffling his hair. It would make handling the airvan more difficult at low speeds and altitudes. That meant the pilot would probably fly it by hand until they reached calmer air higher up. He wouldn’t have to worry about an autopilot at first.