by Dennis Young
Mac was silent for a moment as she watched the camera feeds again. “That was some gutsy work, Talice.” She turned. “I thought we were going to give them a day.”
“We didn’t have a day, Mac. Hell, the batteries may not last as it is. We’ve got to leave as soon as the ship is loaded. I need to talk with Abie, too.”
“Long range comm is still down. Jamal says the ship needs a full rebuild and overhaul.”
“And the team needs some time, too. If this is our last mission, it was the best and the worst we could have done.”
“You got that right.” Mac’s face became serious. “Will… and Bělinka…”
Talice nodded. “I know. And now that things are cooling off, Niky will need a lot of support. That’s been on my mind.”
“I’ll leave that in your capable hands. If you need anything, let me know.”
Talice rose, nodding. “Thanks for everything, Mac. Let’s get this bird in the air and go home.”
* * *
Takeoff wasn’t quite as rough as the landing at the target area had been. Still, balancing Bird One’s turbines was difficult enough, and with half the thrusters out, the ship could only rise about twenty meters before Abie had to light the engines. Which, of course, set everything on fire behind the ship. Fortunately, what was behind the ship was a lot of dirt, rock, and some dry brush, which went up like fireworks, with sparks and everything.
They made two passes over the shanties, the first to reduce them to rubble, the second to see just how deep they could bury that rubble. Abie used half the Hellbores’ ammunition. And enjoyed every second of it.
If Bird One’s damage had caused the approach to the target area to be precarious, the flight back to Northland Base was downright terrifying. Between the shakes, rattles, and rolls of the ship, the subsequent screams and shouts from the prisoners locked in the cabins, Abie’s curses regarding her one-handedness and Tooley’s less-than-sterling co-piloting, — not his fault, the kid was doing the best he could — Talice was about ready to scream herself.
They flew low, unless they had to rise above the mountains. They found passes between the highest peaks, weaving their way gingerly, sometimes within meters of the ground. It was probably a good thing Bird One had no windows, else everyone might have died of sheer terror. The cockpit patching leaked constantly, setting up a whistle through the ship that could only be escaped from with noise-cancelling earplugs and loud music. All the while, Jamal Orlando monitored the batteries, keeping Abie apprised of their approximate maximum range.
Talice had watched for a while, standing in the cockpit, braced against the hatch, then finally made her way back to the ready room. The tension in the cockpit was thick, and at last she realized her presence wasn’t going to lessen it one bit.
She sat alone in the dark. Abie had powered down all nonessential equipment to conserve the batteries. She sipped lukewarm tea and ate a cold meal of… something. She simply paid no attention, and really didn’t care. She stood from the ready room table.
Talice entered her cabin. The only lights were the comm panel telltales. She sat on the bunk, her back against the wall, thinking. Yes, they’d done the job. Yes, they’d performed as well as ever. But now, with death smacking them all upside the head, there was no doubt everyone would consider the future more carefully.
Need to see Babs. These bugs are getting more aggressive, I can feel them. Damn, I hope she’s got some answers. Because for the first time in quite a while, I’m a little bit scared.
* * *
Twice they set down for emergency repairs to the cockpit patch, and twice they took to the air with only minutes to spare based on Jamal’s estimates of the remaining battery power. On the final assent, the turbines cut out for two full seconds. Had they not come back on line, the ship would have ended up somewhere in the mountains a thousand kilometers from home. Splattered all over said mountains. With all hands dead, most likely.
And it was only as they neared their destination that Abie announced, “Uh, Captain… we still don’t have long-range comm.”
Talice, in the cockpit once more, took only two seconds to understand the implications. “Shit! Don’t approach the Base, they’ll shoot us down! Give me…” Fuck, what did I do with Fawkes’s wristwatch bauble? “Just circle back, stay at least a couple hundred kilometers away from Marine airspace.”
Talice scurried past Mac at TacOps to her hammock, spun the lock on the safe, and withdrew the box with the wristwatch commset in it. She hit the intercom button. “Abie, can you raise the Base air control? Tell them who we are and to verify with Colonel Harlan Fawkes! Hurry! I’m going to try raise him on a private line.”
“Just coming in range, and we’ve got two blips on radar approaching fast. Looks like Marine interceptors.”
Talice paled. Fuck! Yeah, we close on the Base, then turn away. That’s not suspicious or anything. Breathe, Wyloh!
Talice hit the intercom button again. “Five minutes.”
“Captain, Jamal. We’re getting perilously close to our battery cutoff. Fifteen minutes, twenty at most.”
“Just keep us in the air!” Talice powered up the commset and typed furiously. Trouble in Paradise! Approaching Base, really don’t want to get shot down. Comm out, please confirm to Combat Air Patrol we’re not bad guys. Talice.
She waited, nervous fingers tapping the deck.
“Captain, we’re receiving orders from the interceptors to land. Now.” Abie again.
Talice started to speak when her commset chimed. In contact now with CAP, will advise. Follow orders. Fawkes.
Talice hit the intercom, almost too hard. “Set us down, Abie! Further instructions to follow!”
The ship dove. Talice almost bounced as it leveled out. Then did bounce as Bird One landed, a bit harder than usual. She heard shouts from the cabins upship. Probably got down in a hurry to save batteries. Wonder how far we are from home?
The roar of the interceptors overhead was unmistakable, and shook the ship.
Talice hit the button again. “Where are we? What’s the local time?”
“One seventy-five kilometers from the Base, 2240 Hours local,” came Jamal’s voice.
Talice punched for Briggs. “Get Ollie, Tooley, and Dosu in camis, light weapons, and meet me at the ramp.”
She rose and strapped on her sidearm and a shipcomm headset. The team appeared just as Talice hit the ramp deployment switch. They descended into darkness, seeing the interceptors circling overhead. Her commset rang again. Turbocopter on the way, follow all instructions. I’m enroute, two hours. Fawkes.
Fuck, he’s not at the Base. Well, it’s probably past his bedtime. Talice chuckled to herself.
Talice clicked to Abie. “You okay? Good job. What about remaining battery power? Anything left?”
“Jamal shut everything down as soon as he could. Maybe fifteen minutes, but it will take part of that to get us back in the air.”
The private circuit dinged. “Talice, it’s Mac. Talk to me.”
“Abie, thanks. Gotta talk to Mac.” Talice clicked over. “We’re down, two interceptors watching us. Fawkes has Marines on the way.”
“Good. Hopefully he’ll brief them. What else?”
Talice considered. “Right now, nothing. I’ve got the team outside. We’ll wait for the Marines, then I need to check on everyone.”
“Briggs is doing that. No injuries, just a bunch of people scared to death.”
“Yeah, I can imagine. Nothing like knowing you’re going to be in the hands of the Marines.”
Mac chuckled before she clicked off.
* * *
An hour, and the lights of the turbocopter appeared from the north. Both interceptors had left the area thirty minutes earlier, and the wait was wearing on everyone.
Talice ordered the prisoners outside. Briggs and Rory stood at either end of the line in full HCS gear, Dosu, Jian, and Ollie at the ramp, still in camis. Tooley had retreated to the cockpit, to assist Abie and Jamal
getting Bird One ready to make the short jump to Northland Base.
The ’copter landed a hundred meters distant in a field. A rifle team streamed from the hatchway and deployed around the craft. Two minutes later, three Marines in full combat gear debarked. Then a fourth figure Talice assumed was an officer, in light armor and sidearm. They approached.
Talice walked out ten paces to greet them, came to attention. “Former Captain Talice Wyloh, Third Battalion, Lieutenant.”
The Marine officer paused. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I assume you’ve been briefed on the way here? Message from Colonel Fawkes?”
The young officer nodded slowly. “I wasn’t aware you were one of us….”
Talice gave him a disarming smile. “We’re all former Marines. Been doing this for a few years. But we miss the Corps, that’s for sure.” She noted his name tag. “How long have you been in, Lieutenant Yar’Adua?”
“Almost five years. Got my second bar about a year ago.” He looked to Bird One and the waiting line of people. “Any problems?”
Talice shook her head. “Not with the prisoners. May I ask what your orders are?”
Yar’Adua paused before answering. “First stage confinement until Colonel Fawkes has a chance to set up interrogation. That’s all I can say.”
“Good enough. These people were civilian flunkies, not hardcore criminals. Be alert, but civil. Please.”
Yar’Adua nodded. “We’re ready to receive prisoners, ma’am.”
Talice led him to the line, named Edmund and Portnoy as the spokespersons, and waited for the lieutenant to respond. She noticed Yar’Adua’s guards watching Briggs and Rory very, very carefully.
It took only minutes for the Marines to situate everyone in the turbocopter. Talice’s team dispersed, headed back into the ship. As final preparations were being made, a second ’copter circled and landed to the north. A single figure emerged and approached the Marines.
Fawkes. Got here in a hurry. Must really miss me. Talice steeled herself.
Fawkes received a salute from the lieutenant as Talice watched. Then he jogged her way as the Marines lifted, stirring everything around, and disappeared in the clouds.
Fawkes slowed to a walk. He was dressed in civies, a dark suit and tie.
Talice straightened. “Good to see you, Colonel. Looking sharp as always.”
Fawkes glanced over his shoulder at the receding ’copter. “Glad you made it back safely. Status?”
Talice swallowed a lump in her throat. “Colonel, the team has sustained casualties. And some serious ship damage.”
“Casualties. How bad?”
Talice could barely hold it in. “Hal… Bělinka is dead. Will Thomas, the co-pilot, too. We damn near lost Abie. Almost two others.”
“Was our intel bad? The reports we had—”
Talice cut him off. “Nothing wrong with the intel. Jance was there.”
Fawkes was silent. When he spoke, his voice was low with concern. “We didn’t know that.”
Talice nearly laughed. “She showed up late to the game. Took the place over. Damn near shot us out of the sky.” And I’ll be damned if I’m gonna tell you the rest right now.
Fawkes nodded after a moment. “Tell me what you need.”
“The ship is crippled. We’ve got about fifteen minutes of broken battery power, so we can just barely make it to the Base. Then we need the infirmary. And the morgue.”
“Alright. You can follow us back to Base, then we’ll get medivans to you. Stay on our starboard side, land at the southmost hangar, it’s closest. Save you a bit of time.”
Talice smiled. “Thanks. We’ll be right beside you.” She motioned to his attire. “Sorry to interrupt your evening.”
Fawkes waved it off. “I’ll get back to you tomorrow. I’ll need your report within forty-eight hours.”
Talice sighed and nodded. “Will do.”
Fawkes headed back to his aircraft.
Talice made her way to the ramp.
Mac was waiting in her chair at the top. “Well, that looked interesting.”
“Yeah, and that wasn’t men’s cologne I smelled on his lapels, either.”
Mac’s brow furrowed. “You weren’t that close.”
Talice chuckled dryly. “Didn’t have to be.”
* * *
The batteries all but died as Bird One settled on the south tarmac. Three medivans were waiting, and a full Marine infantry team. As soon as the assault ship cut engines and the ramp deployed, medtechs streamed toward the ship.
Talice met the doctor in charge at the base of the ramp. “Several wounded, ambulatory. Two deceased in the infirmary.” She nodded to Jamal, coming down the ramp. “He’ll take you there. Thanks for your help.”
“Doctor Anders, Ms. Wyloh. Colonel Fawkes said to take care of your team. Whatever you need, we’ll do our best to provide.” Anders was a tall blonde, obviously of old Norse stock. The gentle breezes stirred her fine hair as they spoke.
Lightning flared in the west, and Talice swallowed hard as thunder rumbled. “Show them respect is all I ask. And the husband of the deceased woman is with us, both team members. So we’ll likely need a counselor if one’s available tonight.”
“At the hospital, yes. Let’s get everyone loaded so we can leave before it rains.”
Anders headed up the ramp, leaving Talice alone. She stood in the dark for a few minutes, watching as two gurneys brought the body bags down. Then Abie, with two medtech attending. Abie was doing her best to explain she was “fine” and needed no immediate attention. Talice smiled.
Rory, still hobbled, and Dosu, about the same, eased their way down the ramp. Two young female techs attended each one. Everyone seemed to be enjoying it, with feigned seriousness.
Then came Ollie, and Jian, and Tooley, with Nikolay looking nearly like he was in protective custody. Talice decided that was where she needed to be. With Niky, not in protective custody. Well, maybe so, with some of the thoughts I’ve been having.
Finally, Mac rolled down the ramp, waved, and pointed to the last van. Talice waved back, pointed to Nikolay, then nodded to the van with Bělinka and Will. “Niky, let’s ride there. The rest of you, we’ll see you at the hospital.” Her tone left no room for discussion. Everyone nodded and headed for the trailing medivan with Mac.
Talice climbed in and sat with Nikolay. He was calm, and she decided Jamal, or maybe even Mac, had administered a little something. Maybe a lot of something. Damn, reality is gonna hit home hard now.
The van eased away from the ship. Nikolay sat slumped, hands at his sides, his eyes blank and staring ahead. As they neared the hospital, Talice laid a hand on his arm. He almost jumped, then turned and focused on her face.
“I cannot know what to do, Captain. What can I tell my baby girl?”
Talice squeezed his arm gently. “Let’s do our duty, then we’ll talk about it later. Right now, more than anything, we need to take care of Bělinka. And then you.”
Nikolay nodded slightly, then looked ahead at the lights of the Emergency entrance. Slowly, the van eased to a stop. The door slid open, and they exited, then stood together as the gurney was unloaded.
The team formed up, a line on either side. Talice stood at the head. Everyone, including Abie and Jamal. Briggs, then Rory, then Dosu, Ollie, Jian, and Tooley. Then Mac. Talice watched as Mac lifted herself out of her broken hoverchair and stood.
“Team… by the hand, salute.” Talice waited a beat. “Salute!” The command was only a whisper, filled with grief and pain and respect that could not be measured. The team stood at full attention, saluting, as the gurneys passed by. Then fell in line, silent. Through the open doors, past the waiting aides, down the corridor, and to the morgue entrance.
Talice was sure she could hear Day is Done playing somewhere in the background.
* * *
Talice sat with Mac, Briggs, and Jian in the commissary. The rest of the team had been offered barracks for the night, and accepted, then
gone their way after hugs and handshakes. Nikolay was still with the attending doctors, and presumably, Bělinka’s body.
At 0200 Hours, Doctor Anders approached from the hallway. Talice stood, as did Briggs and Jian.
“We’re going to keep Mr. Polivanov overnight for observation,” said Anders.
“Is there a problem? Is he okay?”
“He’s exhausted, and wants to stay close. It’s not a problem, we’ve already got a room for him. The rest of you are welcome to stay at the barracks if you wish. Arrangements have been made.”
Talice gave a quick glance to Mac, listening across the table. “Thanks. I have an apartment in Anchor Prime. Mac and I are headed there, but Briggs and Jian may want to stay. Debriefing tomorrow, guys.”
Both men nodded, picked up their bags, and headed out the door with a wave.
Talice waited until they were beyond hearing. “Okay, Doctor, give me the real scoop. Please. How is Niky?”
“As I said, exhausted and drained. We have him under light sedation, so he can rest. You can see him after 0800. Do you have his wife’s family info so we can inform them?”
“We’ll take care of that, thanks. I’ll send you the family info as soon as I clear it with Nikolay.”
“Doctor, what about the young man, Will Thomas?” asked Mac.
“I spoke with Ms. Johansson, the pilot. She felt the same way about personally informing his family. She’s staying overnight too. A bit of infection in her injury, nothing serious, though.”
Talice suddenly realized she had never heard Abie’s last name. “We’ll speak with Abie tomorrow then. Thanks for your help.”
Anders nodded. “Check with the duty station. I go off duty at 0700.” She turned and left.
Talice sat. For a while, neither she nor Mac spoke.
“Let’s get a metrolink and head out,” said Mac. “I’m about to collapse.”
“We’re getting too old for this crap.”
Mac huffed. “If you’re too old, what does that say about me?”
Talice frowned. “Sorry. Look, we’ll get the team together tomorrow someplace neutral, so there aren’t too many memories. And I’ll get with Niky privately, too, find out what he wants to do. Fawkes wants his report in forty-eight hours. Let’s put our heads together and deliver it in person. I’ve got questions needing answers.”