O’Hare looked at him as if she was just seeing him for the first time ever. “Regarding what?”
“Oh, I dunno. Let’s start with you being a general pain in the ass to pretty much everybody. How ‘bout there?”
She was silent and then frowned. “I’m not being a pain in the ass.” Her voice was forlorn and disinterested.
“Such a spirited defense. I have no choice but to believe you.”
O’Hare’s frown deepened. She did look confused. Hawkins had a good idea why. His voice went soft with a gentle tone. “You like him a lot, don’t you?”
She nodded, not trusting words. Hawkins leaned closer at the screen. “Is it that we are leaving soon or the fact he could get killed after we leave?”
Killian looked down and thought for a moment. “Both. Neither. I don’t know. We were meeting every night, and that was fine. Then he blew it.”
“What did he do?” Rafe’s curiosity was rising. He couldn’t imagine any man doing something that would put Killian O’Hare off her game, especially a gentleman such as Admiral Barrett.
“He asked me to go on a long weekend with him away from here… secluded tropical area. Very nice hotel. Enjoying each other’s company without prying eyes or running mouths. I didn’t see that coming, so I didn’t answer him. I just left and haven’t been back. He has called a couple of times, but I wouldn’t talk to him.”
Raferty nodded. He realized how much it took for O’Hare to tell him that. She was leaving herself vulnerable. Very rare for her. She also knew that, with her admission, this conversation had just moved to a different level. Raferty would never joke now or tell her story to others. There was too much between the two of them. Too many years, too many situations, too many close calls, too many shared emotions. Too many everything. They meant too much to each other to get cute now or ever. Killian O’Hare knew Raferty would help her or she wouldn’t have taken his call.
“You been over there for several evenings. This trip is the next logical step. Maybe he sprung it on you with no warning, but we are operating with a deadline here. If you go, you will end up with one of two results. You will like him a whole lot more or a whole lot less. If it is less, no problem, we all move on. If it is more, then you have to make the adjustment of leaving him shortly after you both return from your trip.”
She nodded. “I think I will like him a whole lot more. I enjoy his company so much. He is a gentleman but with a steel core. Cultured but not afraid to show some grit if necessary. He treats me so well.”
“I can see that. If you come back liking him more so much the better.” He leaned close to the screen, and they made eye contact and held it. “This is going to sound trite, but you need to grab any happiness that comes your way while you can. There sure as hell won’t be an opportunity when we get home. If things go well on your weekend trip, there can be a next time if circumstances allow and we all don’t get killed in the meantime.” A pause. “If you don’t do this, you will regret it and wonder about what could have been. We got enough ‘what could have been’ in our lives. We don’t need to keep filling that particular cargo bay. You’re entitled to a little happiness, Anastasia. You probably are more entitled than any of us.” He paused again and slightly changed course. “Besides, you are risking a broken heart. He is risking that and much more, so he must be very serious to make that offer.”
O’Hare furrowed her brow in puzzlement. “How is he risking more?”
Rafe talked softly. “He is risking his career. You must know that your visits to Sirocco are probably the talk of Home Fleet. I suspect it is well known back at Naval Headquarters on Zelenka by now. A high admiral is having a dalliance with the crazy pirate captain. The pretty one with a wolf hallie on her face. Nothing will come of all this gossip unless Barrett fails at something. Then his judgment will be called into question and your name will be in that discussion as an example of his bad judgment. The rest of us pirates will probably be mentioned also.”
She thought about that for a moment. She had been so focused on her own confusion and emotions, she hadn’t considered the effect of the relationship on Admiral Barrett.
She gave Hawkins a determined look. “Then I should say no and end this for both our sakes.”
Hawkins shook his head. “Wouldn’t help. Whatever potential damage that could come from this is already stored away in people’s memories to be used as needed. Breaking off the relationship now will just hurt you both and leave you both wondering.” He smiled at her. “Barrett already knows all this. He knew what would happen as soon as he agreed to your return visit after the formal dinner. Despite all that, he made a choice. He picked you. He has had time to reconsider over the last few weeks, and he is still picking you. He has been a good friend to us and protected us from others in the Aurora government after our two fights for the Empire. There must be many people in the Royal Navy and the Government who see a pattern here regarding Barrett and the pirates. Don’t think they wouldn’t point that out to a higher authority, given the opportunity. He risks much that you do not. Nobody is going to end your career over this. Surely his commitment should earn a little trust and commitment on your part.”
She nodded, and he finished up his advice. “You obviously want to go on the trip. Take the risk and let the future look after itself. You deserve a shot at some happiness.”
O’Hare stared at him for a moment. “Strange getting advice from you on this particular topic.”
“It’s a strange universe and getting stranger by the second.”
She gave a slight smile and nodded. “Yes, it is.” Then she added in a decisive voice. “Got to run. Have to make a comm call.”
“Later.” Rafe signed off.
Chapter 8
Tactical and her grandfather rode their horses for two hours at a slow but steady pace. They followed a stream down from the hills near the family home. They chased the gurgling water through narrow vales and across open meadows and pasturelands. They talked of many things as they rode. The Duke pointed out the exotic animals grazing among the cows, goats, sheep, and horses. He covered the story of how saving one endangered animal had grown into passion shared by the last three family generations. Tactical liked the commitment. It called to mind another family generational commitment. She smiled as she mentioned that to her companion. “That is much like the long dedication to the library at home. I like the way our family thinks.”
Tobias Gallagher smiled at his granddaughter. He liked her references to home and our family. “We do get a few things right. I am sure you and Zachary will continue both endeavors.”
Tactical nodded in response. “Count on it, Grandfather.”
When they arrived at a small lake fed by the stream, they dismounted their horses and removed their tack to allow the animals to graze. The two riders moved to the narrow grassy area between the forest and the lake’s shoreline and began to unpack. Together they put out the blanket and then set up the lunch they had carried to this beautiful spot. Wine was poured, and the two travelers took their places on the blanket with full glasses between them. Neither indulged immediately in food, drink, or conversation as the scenery and quiet family companionship was enough to occupy them.
Tactical laid back on the blanket with her hands behind her head. She stared at the light blue sky. She was completely content for one of the few times in her life. She loved this region known as Black Hallow. The family had chosen well. Her family. She still had a difficult time thinking in those terms. Her mother had told her and her brother all the family stories, but it always felt like hearing about ancestors who had died decades prior, and she would never meet any of them. Now she was sitting next to one of those untouchable ancestors. She turned to her grandfather who was smiling down at her. She smiled back. Tactical sat up and turned to the basket. She began to set out the midday meal from the basket.
After a superior meal and matching conversation, the comfortable silence returned. Eventually, Tobias Gallagher looked at his g
randdaughter and searched her face. Tactical watched him with a quiet detachment. She would never have survived all those years in the Badlands without the ability to read people… when they were about to lie, when they were about to pull a shooter, when they wanted to ask a question but couldn’t decide how to do it.
She smiled at her grandfather. “Ask it.”
He smiled in return, a bit abashed. “How do you know I wanted to ask anything?”
“The ability to read people is a basic survival skill in the old neighborhood. You have to know what they are going to do before they know what they are going to do. It gives you an opportunity to get your weapon out first.”
Gallagher nodded and stared downward for a moment. It still bothered him that his two grandchildren had lived like that their entire adult lives. He mentally shook himself. Nothing to be done about that now.
He frowned slightly. It was a sensitive subject, but he had to know. He talked with quick words. “The wounds on your face. I can see they are very old. I also understand you and Zachary have money now. How did you get the wounds and why haven’t you had corrective surgery to repair the original surgery?”
Tactical nodded and smiled. She realized he had been hoping she would bring it up on her own, but she never would have. To bring it up would require the telling of the story and she had not wanted to do that. She was too private and untrusting. She knew she needed to work on that, and now was a good time to start.
She laid back down and replaced her hands behind her head as she stretched out on the blanket. The sky was a continuous light blue. It was a common, mundane characteristic for a fine day on Zelenka. Tactical found it to be perfect. She stared at the blue, almost hypnotized. She decided to tell the story, for the first time ever.
“Raferty told you all about the death of Mother and her people and then the town was leveled. They hit Mother’s meeting place with an armed shuttle and then wiped out the town with an aerial bombardment. After that, Strasberg Mining Company security men walked through the town wreckage killing survivors. An example had to be made, and it was. Eleven of us kids were in the hills above the building where the meeting had taken place. Seven of us were the children from Mother’s group. The other four were townies. We ranged in age from fourteen to seventeen.
“We had snuck out of town hours earlier to play in the hills, and then we decided to spy on the meeting place. The armed shuttle should have found us in the hills but they were probably told everyone was in the town or in their target building so never did a detailed heat search of the surrounding area. The town was probably put under surveillance a few hours before the meeting, but we had unknowingly avoided it when we had left before the surveillance had been set up.
“After the attack, the Goth shuttle and the Strasberg Mining people vanished. We buried what we found in the meeting building and then went to the town. There had been very few body parts at the meeting building, but there were several bodies in the town. Several kids wanted to bury people, but Raferty said no. He was already thinking ahead. He took charge. We searched the town for anything of use. We knew we had to get stuff and get out of there to hide in the countryside. Other towns and cities on the planet would hear of this soon enough and would toe the line for fear of the same thing happening to them. We knew we would find few nearby allies or friends.
“Raferty directed the searches. It had to be done fast before human vultures heard about the massacre and descended on the town to take anything not nailed down. Rafe had his own particular search to accomplish, and while others looked for food, water, tools, and clothing, he searched the town’s three bars. He wanted weapons. Of course, shooters were outlawed by the mining company in the name of public safety, but the bars were always tough places, and the owners had weapons handy to keep the peace. He found three shooters and spare power packs with rechargers. After that, he went to our family house. It was destroyed but there was a portable, fireproof safe. He got to it and emptied it. He took out money, various legal documents, and some family keepsakes. He also got the pocket watch he showed you on our first visit. Mother always treasured that watch, so she kept it in the safe.
“The rest of us got plenty of food, water, heavy clothes, knives, medical supplies, and tools. We put most of it into packs for us to carry, and we buried the rest just outside town in the woods as a cache for future use. As we climbed the hills above the town, the first of the human locust arrived with the dawn. We didn’t sit around to watch, but the town wreckage basically disappeared over the next several hours as the scavengers took everything.
“We all wanted revenge and didn’t much care against who. The Strasberg Mining Company with Goth military support had the planet in its pocket for years, so there were potential targets all over the place as the infrastructure was well established. Everyone wanted to attack the nearest thing, a small ore refining plant that serviced five mines in the area. Raferty wanted to pass it up. We still had the element of surprise since nobody knew we were alive, and he didn’t want to hit the closest target. Too easy to tie it to the town massacre and then conclude there had been survivors from the attack. That was his reasoning, but I know the truth was that he thought it was too big a target for us. We kept moving. We settled on an ore transporter convoy that ran on a daily schedule between the towns. We hit a three air truck convoy and wrecked all of them. They had no armed protection, so we took no casualties and didn’t inflict any. Three days later, we set fire to a Strasberg company office building. A week later, we sabotaged vehicles in a Goth motor pool. Nobody was hurt during any of this and we were never seen. We got more weapons from the mining building and the motor pool. During all this, we were a democracy. We all picked the targets. We discussed it and voted. I was the tactical planner for the attacks. Never any problems or fighting. That changed with the next attack. It was a storage building for mining tools and supplies. The Strasberg people put security forces on most of their sites in response to our attacks, mostly local thugs and townspeople with no security training. We had no intel capability so didn’t know about two guards newly assigned to the storage building. Once we got in the building, we saw the first man but not the second. We took the first guy prisoner while the second was at the other end of the building. That second guy came running to help his comrade. Raferty shot him in the leg. We were all amateurs and forgot about the first guy. He jumped up and grabbed for a weapon. We all just started shooting, and he went down. First death in our careers and nobody is sure who fired the fatal shots. We dragged them both outside and set the building on fire.
“We ran after that. We laid low. Rafe wanted to get off planet. He could see the trap closing in. The Strasberg people and Goths were taking us seriously now, and we had left a witness behind who could describe us and talk numbers. I was with Raferty on departing the planet, but the others wanted to hit the refinery we had passed on. That was where all the ore from our town had gone so was a symbol to some of us of the entire system that had killed our families. The mine was still closed, but we knew they would rebuild the town and open the mine again. After all, it was just a company town. Really just a place for miners’ families to subsist and some merchants to set up shop to sell to the families. It didn’t even have a name. It was called number twenty-three after the mine number. Hitting that refinery had become an obsession for some of us. The majority wanted to hit the refinery and then leave the planet. A vote was held and doing the attack won. I planned it. After looking the situation over, I thought we could pull it off.
“We hit the refinery at night. Cut through a fence and moved inside. We damaged some machinery, cut wires, and poured whatever liquids we found into any machinery or storage tanks that were nearby. We did all this in three or four minutes because that was how long it took the reaction team to get there. Seven guys. Our posted lookout reported them, and we tried to run. We got out of the fence, and they chased us into the woods. It was a running fire fight. They had night vision equipment on, but we knew the woods as we
used to play there. We killed four of them, and they killed three of us. They wounded three of us including me. They captured three which included one of the wounded. Five of us, including two of the wounded, got away. We got away due to dumb luck more than anything. That and too few pursuers.”
Tactical paused now as she reflected on that episode. She took a deep breath and continued. “Looking back on it, we were lucky as hell that night. We didn’t know what we were doing. We were up against Strasberg security guys who were basically hired, local, tough guys. A professional security team or Goth soldiers would have gotten all of us. Anyway, my face was hit by fragments from a hand grenade blast. Lost my left eye and was barely conscious. We knew of several caves from our playtime. We hid out in one of them. I was in and out of it, was pumped full of painkillers. We waited out the next day and pulled out when night returned. We got lucky again as the mining people and Goths were looking for us, but we knew about and used some abandoned mine shafts to get through the mountains and out the other side. We managed to put some distance between us and the refinery. Two of the townies had relatives who helped us. One of them put us in touch with a medical nurse who knew somebody who knew somebody. This last somebody was a doctor who had been blacklisted by the mining company so had very few patients. He did the repairs to my face and put in the replacement eye. It didn’t match but we could hardly be picky. The amazing thing was, he did it for free while running the risk of capture and death. He hated Strasberg Mining and the Goths so was glad to help. Raferty never forgot that. A couple of years later, Raferty got him off planet and to Potenka.
“After my operation, we got off planet by stowing away on a freighter. Raferty didn’t forget the kids we left behind as prisoners. After a month of planning and rehearsals, three of us went back and got them out of a Strasberg Corporation jail. We killed five people doing it and escaped once more. We only got back two out of the three. The wounded one we had left behind had died. Although we don’t know for sure, we have always believed lack of medical attention was the cause of death. Incidentally, leveling that jail has always been something we have wanted to do. I will have to be more active in looking at that operation in the future.
The Queen's Hammer Page 5