Military Fiction: THE MAC WALKER COLLECTION: A special ops military fiction collection...

by D. W. Ulsterman

  Chu shook his head, his charge gun still pointed at Mac.

  “Yes we do Mr. Walker, under the Compliance Laws of the New United Nations as approved by the Great Consulate.”

  “I don’t comply with the compliance laws the New United Nations…none of that globalist bullshit. I serve the United States of America. I follow those laws, and that Constitution.”

  August Hess laughed loudly.

  “Oh Jesus, you people and your oh-so-persistent failure to recognize reality! The New United Nations, that IS reality! The United States? Get with the times, Mr. Walker. That world, your so called Constitution – is long dead! Now hand over your weapon.”

  Mac turned to Hess, his voice a barely audible whisper.

  “I accept your offer - me and you. Whether I win or lose, you leave everyone else alone. Is that right?”

  Hess spread his arms wide, the wide toothy grin again spreading across his face.

  “You have my word, Mr. Walker. Just you will be taken, per our orders. I’ll even let that bag of shit I already dropped to the ground stay here. If he’s still alive he can go back to whatever pathetic pretend existence this place gives him.”

  Mac slowly removed his handgun from its holster and gave it over to Carol, who continued his protest of the proposed combat between Mac and Hess.

  “For God’s sake, Mac, he’s got at least twenty years on you! The man…he’s a killer! You don’t know what you’re up against. Please, don’t do this, Mac. I can contact Anchorage, Seattle, get this situation assigned another review.”

  Mac looked down at Carol and smiled, resting a hand on the compliance officer’s shoulder and squeezing it gently.

  “You’re a good man, Carol, despite your choice to work for this government. I’m sorry for how I treated you yesterday. You didn’t deserve that. If I don’t come out of this thing alright, please do your best to watch after these people, and get them the hell out of here if you need to. Don’t let it go down like Grant County. Can you promise me that?”

  Carol’s shoulders slumped, realizing he was be unable to prevent Mac from accepting Hess’s offer.

  “Yeah, Mac, I’ll do everything I can. You have my word.”

  Mackenzie Walker rose to his full height and turned to face Officer Hess, his eyes flashing like an approaching storm.

  “Son, you might get the better of me today, but it’s gonna cost you.”

  August Hess noted the look in Mac’s eyes, the smile quickly falling from his face.

  IX.

  Mac and Hess clashed in a blur of motion. Mac’s right palm slammed into Hess’s chin as his left arm blocked an attempted blow from the special operations officer. Hess’s head snapped back, but almost as quickly he managed to plunge his elbow into Mac’s chest, causing the much older man to stumble backwards, gasping for breath, his face contorted in agony. Hess followed Mac’s backward motion, delivering a devastating chop into the space between his shoulder and neck. The blow left Mac propped up by his left elbow on the ground, his breathing now coming in gasps.

  August Hess intended no mercy for the seventy-three year old former Navy SEAL, his right foot crunching into the side of Mac’s head, bouncing the right side of his face against the cold hard-frosted earth of Dominatus.

  Amazingly Mac retained not only consciousness, but the ability to swing a foot around and dig the heel of his boot into the back of Hess’s right leg, causing him to stumble downward momentarily. That moment was all Mac needed to grab both sides of Hess’s jacket by the collar and pull it over his head – a move common to the then long-banned sport of hockey. Mac somehow managed to rise swiftly to his feet in one smooth and continuous motion, his right knee crunching into the forehead of August Hess as he did so. The younger man fell backward, a groan escaping his now almost completely concealed face.

  Mac stepped away from the motionless Hess, his body bent over, both hands braced atop his knees, the sound of his breathing even more labored than it was just seconds before. I rushed to Mac’s side, placing my arm around his chest for support.

  Mac wrapped his left arm around my shoulder and whispered into my ear.

  “Don’t let me fall down…I need to walk away from this. If I fall, I might not get back up.”

  Hess began to stir as Officer Chu leaned over him asking if he was ok. Carol Denny kept looking from Hess to Mac, his expression betraying the shock and amazement of what he had just seen – Mac Walker had defeated August Hess in a physical confrontation.

  “Sonofabitch Mac…”

  Mac managed to give Carol a pained smile before turning to Compliance Officer Chu.

  “Ok then, I’ll be walking back inside and you all go back to wherever the hell you came from, and get back to me whenever. That was the deal. Take my gun, leave a copy of the compliance complaints…and go.”

  Stanley Chu held a hand up, indicating he wanted Mac to stay put.

  “I didn’t agree to any such thing, Mr. Walker, and you are now guilty of personally assaulting an officer of the New United Nations. That is a very serious offense and not something that I, as a compliance officer, can simply allow to go unpunished. I’m sorry, Mr. Walker, but Special Operations Officer Hess did not have the authority to make any agreement with you.”

  Like Hess, Keith was also stirring, attempting to sit up. Ironically, both men displayed a walnut sized lump in almost the exact same location on their foreheads.

  Carol Denny interjected on Mac’s behalf.

  “That’s bullshit, Stanley! Hess made the offer. Mac accepted the offer. I’m not saying it was right, but that’s how it went down. You and I both know Special Operations operatives are given a hell of a lot of personal interpretation in how to handle these situations. It is my recommendation, once again…it is my recommendation we write up the situation report, submit it to the director in Anchorage for review, and await further instruction.”

  Office Chu stepped toward Carol, his face flushed in anger.

  “You are dangerously close to being cited for insubordination Officer Denny. I am the ranking compliance officer here, and I say Mr. Walker will be coming with us today. Either willingly and under his own power, or otherwise.”

  Keith had fully regained his feet, and though he appeared less than fully aware of his surroundings, managed to raise his middle finger to Officer Chu.

  “Screw you, Chu.”

  I glanced behind me as the sound of quickly approaching snow machines could be heard – though how many was too difficult to tell as the sound repeatedly echoed around us.

  Mac smiled and whispered again.

  “Here comes the cavalry.”

  August Hess was now also back on his feet, though his body swayed noticeably. It appeared he was in even worse shape than Keith.

  The first snow machine came into view, followed by at least ten more behind it. As they neared a hundred yards to our position, they broke formation, with two going on either side. Within a few more seconds they had surrounded us. I recognized the massive figure of Bear on one of the machines, and the much smaller form of Dublin on another. Dublin’s machine continued to slowly make its way toward us, and I noticed she was carrying a passenger.

  The Old Man removed himself from the snow machine slowly, Dublin’s hand providing support. His body, though covered in multiple layers of clothing, still appeared incredibly frail. Not surprising, of course, for one in their ninety-seventh year of life.

  His feet shuffled upon the ground, his eyes watching each of his own steps closely likely out of fear of falling. Dublin glared across at the government officials, while maintaining steady support for her grandfather as he crept his way beside Mac to face the three New United Nations officers. When his voice broke the silence, its strength and clarity once again surprised me.

  “So! Tell me, Officer Denny, how is it you are here…with two unannounced guests, no less?”

  Carol shifted uncomfortable, glancing over at Officer Chu before responding to the Old Man.

  �
��Mr. Meyer, I assure you sir…I am simply following orders. I was informed of this visitation just this morning and directed not to communicate to anyone else about it. I do apologize for…for the intrusion sir.”

  “And who then, is responsible for this action, Officer Denny?”

  “That would be Anchorage, Mr. Meyer, uh, Officer Stanley Chu here is…he is the ranking compliance officer here today, from the Anchorage office.”

  The Old Man peered at Officer Chu, his eyes looking the man up and down.

  “Welcome to Dominatus, Officer Chu. My name is Alexander Meyer. I assume you are quite aware of who I am?”

  Officer Chu nodded his head in greeting, giving an abbreviated smile as he did so.

  “Yes Mr. Meyer, I am well aware of who you are. We are engaged in the business of the New United Nations Mr. Meyer – on orders of the Compliance Director for the Anchorage office.”

  “Ah…I see. Who then is this gentleman to your right? He looks…rather worse for wear at the moment.”

  Officer Chu tipped his head in the direction of Hess.

  “That is Special Operations Officer August Hess. His presence was requested by the director for today’s engagement.”

  “Is that what this is, an “engagement”, Officer Chu? It sounds almost…pleasant. Tell me then, can you confirm whether or not the A.N.R.C was notified of this engagement, as you call it? They, like you, have an office in Fairbanks, as well you know. And as you also should know, I am sure you do of course…that my property, Dominatus, borders recognized Alaskan native lands, yes? And any police action against this land would most likely require the approval or at the very least the notification, to our neighboring Alaskan native authorities. Would you not agree, Officer Chu?”

  Chu looked to Carol Denny, who in turn nodded his agreement of the Old Man’s statement.

  “I believe he’s right, Stanley. Did you notify the Native Regional Corp. Office before signing off on this?”

  Though still clearly feeling the effects of his efforts against Mac, August Hess interjected.

  “What the hell do native Alaskans have to do with us? We represent the New United Nations. We don’t answer to local government or state government, or to some Alaskan natives group. WE are the authority. WE only answer to ourselves. And why the hell are you listening to this…this…”

  Hess leaned to the left before catching himself, his eyes blinking rapidly as he attempted to clear his still ringing head.

  The Old Man turned slightly to address Officer Hess.

  “And you are…Special Operations Office Hess, yes? That would mean you come from, at the very nearest, from Seattle. Quite a special thing you are involved with indeed then. To travel so far to take a man in for playing music? Owning a small handgun?”

  Alexander Meyer’s head shook slowly, his eyes never leaving August Hess.

  “No, your presence here would mean something far more substantial than that. Indeed it would. And you…you took it upon yourself to physically challenge one of us? It would seem perhaps, you bit off quite a bit more than you thought to chew, Officer Hess.”

  Hess lurched forward, snarling outrage at the Old Man, his hand raised above him to strike. Both the hand, and August Hess, froze as Dublin’s gun now pointed inches from his face. She uttered but a single word.

  “No.”

  Hess stepped slowly back, rage dancing in his blue eyes.

  “That is twice in the same day I’ve had a gun pointed at my head. I am going to take such great pleasure in wiping this place clean.”

  Officer Hess’s wolf-grin returned as he pointed toward Dublin.

  “And YOU…I intend to pay you some very personal attention VERY soon.”

  The Old Man stepped more quickly toward Hess than I thought him capable, again peering intently at the special operations officer.

  “Hess, your name…that is German, correct?”

  August Hess offered his toothy grin back at the Old Man, though his eyes held only hatred.

  “Yeah, it’s German.”

  Now it was the Old Man’s turn to offer up his own smile, his head shaking slowly.

  “It would seem, as is so often said, some things never change.”

  Turning back to Officers Denny and Chu, the Old Man addressed the two compliance officers, the tremble in his voice revealing the fatigue quickly overtaking him.

  “Gentlemen, I do believe I am correct in my concern over your, let us simply call it non-compliance shall we? Regarding the lack of notification to the Alaska Native Regional Corporations office, I would suggest, strongly suggest, you do so prior to any further actions intended against my property. While the New United Nations has been designated legal authority over individual states within the United States, legal authority for much of the world in fact, there remains documented uncertainty over how that authority pertains to tribal lands, governed in great part by their own people per longstanding and still-viable treaty agreements – in this case the Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. Your actions today may in fact have placed you, each of you, in direct violation of that agreement between my tribal neighbors, the United States, and by default then…the New United Nations.”

  Officer Chu again looked to Carol for confirmation of the Old Man’s words. Denny nodded his head.

  “I think he’s right, Stanley. We can come and go up here, to monitor, whatever. But to take direct police action, weaponry, if there was no notification to the Native Lands Office in Fairbanks, we might be walking a very fine line here with this. The non-compliance report was for one man – not the entire area. They could raise a hell of a protest. They have strong lobbyists in New York – the New United Nations building. Contacts with the Consulate. With people around the Great Consulate himself.”

  The concern on Officer’s Chu’s face quickly formed into panic at the mention of the Great Consulate, his eyes darting from the Old Man back to Carol Denny.

  “Officer Denny, please leave a copy of the mandate violations for Mr. Walker’s review. Mr. Walker, you and everyone else here currently carrying any firearm are ordered to hand those weapons over to Officer Denny immediately. Those weapons will be used as evidence during the administrative review of today’s events, as will any and all further non-compliance issues pertaining to yourself and others here at Dominatus.

  “Do you fully understand what I have just told you, Mr. Walker?”

  Mac looked over at the Old Man who in turn nodded to Mac.

  “Yeah – I understand.”

  A low rumble of protest issued from those of Dominatus who had arrived in the snow machines and who now surrounded the three N.U.N. officers. Bear growled his disapproval, his right hand holding tightly to his M16.

  “Any of you want to try and take my gun from me?”

  The Old Man turned his head to Bear, his eyes communicating a plea for silence.

  “Your request is a reasonable one, Officer Chu. I thank you for your…consideration. I know everyone here now will be, if not happy, at least willing to comply with your request.”

  The Old Man looked to Mac.

  “Mr. Walker, please see to it that all weapons here today are handed over to the officers, and that they are safely escorted back to the road. No harm is to come to them.”

  Mac nodded before glancing over to August Hess and grinning as Officer Hess glared back at the former Navy SEAL.

  I had not noticed how much more Dublin was supporting her grandfather, but as he finished his words to Mac, I saw the Old Man’s legs buckle as Dublin gently guided him back to his seat on the snow machine, concern showing itself on her face.

  Mac addressed the other members of Dominatus, telling them to hand over their weapons to the N.U.N officers. Even Bear complied, though not without a string of obscenities directed at the three officers. As the two other officers began driving away, Officer Carol Denny turned back to Mac, his hand disengaging the transmitter on the front of his jacket before he spoke.

  “This bought you just a l
ittle time Mac. Officer Hess will be back. He’ll be back with more like him, and they don’t answer to anyone in compliance. Your kicking his ass didn’t help any Mac. They have the authority to clean things up. I would urge all of you to…to get out. Or prepare for a worst case scenario. I’m sorry.”

  Mac nodded to Officer Denny.

  “I know what you did for us today Carol. Thank you.”

  The Old Man’s voice called out from behind Mac.

  “Officer Denny, you’re not accusing me of making things up regarding certain applicable agencies are you?”

  Carol Denny answered back as he stepped into his light blue New United Nations vehicle.