by C. R. Daems
* * *
"Do you think they will come tonight?" Haru asked. Sergeant Judt and I had elected to handle the launchers and the three of us were lying in the shadows some fifty meters from the front gate in between two one story houses. It was partly cloudy but a half moon, when it wasn’t blocked by clouds, provided good visibility.
I looked down at my Mfi. "It’s just after midnight. If it were me, I’d want to enter the city around two or three when the least number of people would be up and any guards asleep or fighting sleep and therefore slow to react."
Haru nodded and I could tell he was fighting to stay alert. I hoped Daiki was crazy smart rather than crazy stupid. Smart would mean the valley was a diversion; stupid would mean a messy brute force approach. The Guard had no structure capable of being defended and little advantage in open terrain.
* * *
I shook Haru awake just after three when the first truck slowly approached the compound. It was soon followed by six other vehicles. They began closing the space between them as they got nearer the compound, and the last hundred meters they accelerated. The lead truck smashed into the front gate, tearing it off its hinges, and four vehicles followed it. Men began pouring out of the trucks and heavy machine gunfire erupted within the compound. Two vehicles, small trucks with heavy machine guns mounted in the backs, blocked the entrance.
"On my count, three… two… one… fire," I said, and pulled the trigger. A second later both trucks exploded, followed shortly by explosions within the compound as grenades arched over the walls from every direction. For the next hour, sporadic gunfire could be heard as Daiki’s troops attempted to escape over walls or through the gate. They attempted to use one of their trucks to clear the gate area, but I set off another charge, disabling the truck. Around dawn, a white flag could be seen at the front gate. Haru looked to me.
"Your show, Lieutenant Haru." I didn’t care whether they wanted to fight to the death, take prisoners, or negotiate a truce. My only concern was the safety of Iseul and her children. I was only helping because it was the best solution to protect my client’s family. Haru stood as a young man came walking out. When he saw Haru, he approached.
"Warlord Daiki is dead. Lieutenant Paek wishes to surrender," he said, as his eyes darted back and forth between us and the houses. Haru looked to me.
"I’d leave enough men around the walls to ensure no one tries to escape while the others are surrendering. Have them all come out and lie down while you have a few inspect the compound to make sure it’s clear," I said.
Haru laughed. "You aren’t very trusting, Captain Sapir."
"Better to look foolish… "
* * *
The next week was busy. Shin and the new warlord of Semuc Province met and worked out an arrangement for returning the prisoners, an agreement involving the disputed valley, and I was told a mutual support agreement. And the Black Leopard returned and waited as the Guard services were unlikely to be needed if the two warlords came to an agreement, which they did. We left two days later.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Jax: The Committee’s Decision.
"Your report was very interesting," Commander Wexler said. He had invited me to lunch along with Hada, Dobrin, and Tzadok. "Certainly a very non-traditional assignment handled in a non-traditional way, which appears to be your signature style. I’ve had a long discussion with the Jax Contract Committee. They feel that the role of the Black Guard is evolving and are as nervous as I am. Like me, they are very satisfied with your solutions and results but wonder if other dragons would achieve the same or similar results. They also agree with you that if we are to continue to accept these more risky assignments, duty must be expanded to include the risk to the Guard team." He paused to take a drink. "Your last assignment is a good example. Using the local troops kept the contract safe and minimized the risk to the Guard. The other question is whether we can teach the future Guard leaders to think in those terms?"
"Like all evolutions, I would suspect it’s a hit and miss trial by error," Dobrin said.
"Yes, that is what the Committee fears. So Sapir, they are taking you off assignments for a while. Attali, Dobrin, and Tzadok will get the assignments I might normally give to you. That will answer the Committee’s first question. For the second, they have asked that I assign you to design exercises for the new students to get them thinking in those terms." He sat back waiting our reactions. I wasn’t sure how I felt about those decisions. I didn’t like the fighting, but I loved outsmarting our opponents, protecting our clients, and most of all, minimizing the risk to my family—the Black Guard. I would lose that. It would help if I could ignite that same fire in our new crop of team leaders. And someday be put back on assignments.
To Be Continued… The Black Guard: Evolution.
Novels by C.R. Daems & J.R. Tomlin
http://clemd.home.comcast.net/~clemd/JC/Index.html
Science Fiction:
The Riss Series:
The Riss Gamble
The Riss Proposal
The Riss Survival
The Riss Accession
Fantasy: Epic
The Shadow Sisters Series:
The Shadow Ryana
The Shadow Gypsy
The Seer Renee
Talon of the Unnamed Goddess
Women of Power
Scales of Justice
Blood Duty
Urban Fantasy:
Kazak Guardians Series:
Lynn’s Rules
The Unthinkable
Supernatural/Horror:
Laughing Hounds
Historical Fiction:
Freedom’s Sword
Black Douglas Trilogy
A Kingdom’s Cost
Countenance of War
Not for Glory
The Stewart Chronicles
A King Ensnared