by Sam Schall
“You do the same.” She paused and Ash listened in as a new series of reports came in over the battlenet. “Ash, if we can clear a window for you to get back safely to the fleet, we’ll do it. Otherwise, get your ass back to the embassy and bunker down under full safety protocol. Getting Watchman or reclaiming the prisoners is not an imperative right now.”
“Roger that. Shaw out.” She took one last look at the building and then turned to Boomer. “Knock on the door, Boomer. Get us inside without any delay.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The demolitions specialist shot her a grin before jumping out of the transport, Hound on his heels. The two armored Marines cut a path through the crowd jamming the street and sidewalk. The sight of Hound in full heavy armor, a rail gun in hand, sent the crowd pushing to the opposite side of the street. Ash shook her head, wishing they could do something to help those people. Unfortunately, because of the lack of action by the Midlothian government and the refusal to admit they could ever become a target in the war, the only thing standing between them and total annihilation was First Fleet.
A muffled explosion dragged Ashlyn’s attention back to the building. Boomer’s voice came over the comm, reporting breach had been made. Ashlyn grinned and stood. It was time to pay Alexander Watchman a visit. If there was any justice in the universe, he’d be waiting for them.
Watchman grabbed for a handhold as the entire building shook. Dust dropped from the ceiling, filling the air. From the other room, alarms sounded. He stood where he was, body tense, as he waited for the second explosion. Could the Callusians be attacking already?
Fear building, he looked around. His mind raced but in too many directions, making it almost impossible to focus. He closed his eyes and fought for control. He needed to be calm, to think. First things first.
He drew a deep breath, held it and then exhaled. A moment later, he strode across the room to the closet. In the back on the floor was a duffle. His fingers closed around its straps and he pulled it out. Inside rested a clean comm-link as well as weapons and a rebreather. The latter might not give him much protection if the biotoxin were released but something was better than nothing. All he had to do was get to a safe room and he knew exactly where the closest one was. That’s why he had the weapons. If anyone remained at the embassy, they wouldn’t be trouble for long.
He threw the duffle’s longest strap over his head and slung the bag across his back. With the rebreather attached to his belt, he picked up his side arm and strapped it to his left thigh. He lifted the pulse rifle in his hands. With one last look around the room, he moved to the far wall. Hidden next to the ratty bookshelf was a keypad. He entered a quick command and waited, praying the blast hadn’t damaged the system’s electronics.
“Going somewhere?” a woman asked from behind him.
He spun, the pulse rifle lifting to his shoulder. Then he saw them. Five armed and armored Fuerconese Marines. All with weapons aimed at him. Even as his brain screamed at him to do something, anything, he hesitated. That was all the woman needed.
“I’ve been waiting to do this for a very long time,” she said just before she pulled the trigger and the world went dark.
18
Ashlyn lifted her left fist and dropped to a knee. Behind her, the others followed suit. Knowing they had her covered, she inched around the corner and down the hallway. If their information was good, Watchman would be in the rooms at the end of the hallway. All they had to do was make entry without him springing any kind of trap on them.
She flipped through the various filters on her helmet, studying the HUD. So far, so good. The infrared showed one person in the rooms. Nothing else showed that caused her alarm. Now to make entry without alerting him any more than the explosion below would have.
She crept back and motioned toward the door, using hand signals to pass on her orders. Once each of the squad signaled their understanding, Ash nodded. Then she climbed to her feet. They didn’t have any time to waste.
Ignoring Anisimova’s warning hiss, Ash took the lead. Once at the door, she watched as Boomer forsook his beloved explosives and manipulated the lock. There was an audible click a few moments later, He glanced at Ash and nodded. She pounded a fist on his shoulder and gave him a jerk of her head, motioning him back. As he complied, she reached out, her gloved hand carefully, silently opening the door.
Inside, she stood still, listening. From her side, Anisimova signaled for the squad to split up and search the rooms. Despite their armor, the Marines moved almost silently, clearing the front room and moving on to the next.
Ash moved down a short hallway to the back room. A sound, little more than the soft scrape of cloth against cloth, reached her. She signaled for Anisimova to stand still. Then she cocked her head, listening. One corner of her mouth lifted as more sounds reached her. Someone was moving around on the other side of the door. There was a sense of urgency to their movements, not unreasonable given the current situation.
Without warning, she lifted her right leg and aimed a kick at the door. As it swung open, she rushed in. Across the room, a slightly overweight man stood with his back to them. His hand hovered over what looked like a control pad. A duffle was slung across his back and she saw the pulsar at his thigh. A crack appeared in the far wall. They’d arrived none too soon.
“Going somewhere?” she asked.
The man spun toward them and she smiled triumphantly. As she did, the rest of the squad joined them. The sounds of weapons being drawn and readied filled the small room. She slid her battle rifle into the scabbard across her back and pulled her sidearm.
“I’ve been waiting to do this for a long time.”
Her finger squeezed the trigger. The man looked startled and then he collapsed to the floor. Hound stepped forward, kicking Watchman’s rifle away. As he did, Anisimova stepped in front of Ash and reached for her weapon.
“Angel?”
Ash smiled, knowing the woman worried she’d killed the man. “Don’t worry, Durga. It was on a low charge. He’ll wake up hurting like hell but that’s all.” She turned her attention to Hound. “Search him and strip him. Then secure him and get him to the transport.”
Anisimova blew out a breath and then shook her head before handing Ash’s gun back. “Speed, we’re on our way out,” she radioed the transport’s driver.
“Grab anything that looks like it might be of interest to Khan and his team,” Ash ordered. Then she turned and started out of the room. As she did, she radioed the flagship.
“Talk to me, Angel,” Tremayne said.
Ashlyn frowned to hear the tension in the Admiral’s voice. “We have the package, ma’am, and are headed back.”
“How long before you get to the shuttles?”
“Racer, how long?” she asked on another channel.
“If you don’t mind me plowing a few new roads, five minutes, seven at the most.”
Assuming, Ash knew, they didn’t have to fight the panicked crowd. Even so, she relayed the information to Tremayne.
“Not enough time.” Anguish filled the admiral’s voice. “Get back to the embassy and bunker down. I don’t give a damn about the Midlothian prisoners. They can stay where they are and take their chances. That’s the fate they signed for their citizens. But take Watchman with you. If we manage to live through the next few hours, I look forward to dealing with him myself.”
“Aye, Admiral.” She watched as Watchman, stripped to his underwear, his hands secured behind his back, was all but dragged out of the back room. “We’re on the move, ma’am. I’ll report in when we reach the embassy.”
“God’s speed, Colonel.”
“And fair winds, Admiral.” She ended the comm and prayed this wasn’t her last discussion with the woman who had been friend and mentor for so long. o
“Talk to me, Raoul.” Miranda Tremayne stepped onto the flag bridge from her ready room and looked around. Her flag captain stood in front of the plot, studying the enemy’s latest position. Then h
e turned, his expression grim.
“The enemy made a slight course correction ninety seconds ago, ma’am,” Kohler said. “New heading places them on a direct course for the capital. No question about it.”
“Any word from Major Khan about groundside defenses?”
“He reports he and his team are in the system and have locked out local control.”
At least that was good news.
“All right. Signal Captain Earhardt. Once the enemy reaches point gamma, he is to move in at best military speed.”
“Roger that.”
“Time to weapons’ range?”
“They will be within the outer ranges of our weapons envelope in two minutes, forty-seven seconds, Admiral,” the sensors officer answered.
“Very good. Comm Captain Adamson and ask her to report to the flag bridge. It’s time we move out to greet our visitors properly.”
And heaven help them all. This might just be the shortest battle she’d ever fought, especially if Ashlyn’s intel was correct and the Callusians were carrying torpedoes weaponized with the biotoxin.
“Open channel to the fleet,” she said as she took her place in the command chair.
“Admiral.” The comms officer nodded to let her know the channel was open.
“This is Admiral Tremayne. The enemy has failed to respond to our hails and has made a course correction, putting it on a direct trajectory to the capital. Alpha Protocol is now in effect. I repeat, Alpha Protocol is now in effect. We are going to take this battle to the enemy and avenge their attacks on our allied systems. Department heads, confirm status. The first barrage will be away in less than two minutes. Tremayne out.”
“Weapons ready, Admiral,” Lt. Mardelle said.
“Countermeasures ready as well,” Lt. Arens reported.
“Captain Kohler, issue the order. First volley away in sixty seconds. LACs to launch immediately after.”
“Aye, Admiral.” He relayed the order to the rest of the fleet.
She glanced at him and smiled slightly. They hadn’t served together for long, but she’d come to respect his ability very quickly. She also understood he knew their chances of getting out of this alive as we all she did.
“Let’s get this done, ladies and gentlemen. You are the best FleetCom has to offer. It’s time we show the enemy we will take no quarter and their biotoxin doesn’t scare us.”
Even if it did scare her witless. That was the one thing she’d never admit to anyone under her command.
“Go, go, go!” Ash ordered as she leapt from the transport.
Over the battlenet, she listened as reports from the battle came in. LACs engaged the enemy’s leading elements. So far, the enemy was not close enough to use their torpedoes against First Fleet, but it was only a matter of time. That meant the planet wouldn’t be safe for much longer. She did not want to be caught outside when the first missiles hit.
With Anisimova all but dragging her toward the building, she looked over her shoulder, making sure the rest of the squad had gotten out of the transport. Part of her felt guilty for leaving the four prisoners at the government house. The holding area they were secured in wouldn’t keep them safe if the biotoxin was released into the atmosphere. But there was nothing she could do about that now. She had her orders and it was her duty to obey them.
“Mr. Secretary, status update,” she radioed as they raced into the building. She watched as two of the squad closed and barred the doors. Then she led them through the lobby toward the stairs. At least Watchman was no longer bellyaching about being a prisoner. Of course, the gag Boomer had stuffed in his mouth might be why.
“What’s our status, Colonel?” Nelms asked in return.
She quickly told him what she could. As they entered the stairwell, she motioned for that door to be secured. Then she took the lead, guiding them deep below the foundations. As she did, she wondered how long it would be before they climbed the stairs upward once again.
“What are you going to do with your prisoner?”
“We’ll secure him in one of the rooms outside the safe rooms, sir. He’ll survive if we do.” She tried not to think about what might happen if the biotoxin was released. “I’m sure Major Khan won’t mind keeping him company.”
Nelms chuckled softly. “I wouldn’t mind having a short discussion him with myself.”
“I promise you’ll have as much time with him as you like when this is over, sir.” She shouldered the door at the bottom of the stairs open and stepped out of the stairwell. As Hound emerged with Watchman in tow, she pointed to the room she wanted the former Intelligence Czar secured in. “How is everyone in with you, sir?”
“We’re fine, Colonel. Don’t worry about us. What’s the situation topside?”
“About like you’d expect, sir. Even if the enemy doesn’t manage to get any torpedoes through planetary defenses, there will be deaths as people panic. They weren’t ready for this, thanks to their government.”
“And that is something we will make sure is addressed when we return to Fuercon, Colonel. You have my word.”
“Thank you, sir.” She moved into the room outside the safe room checked the outer seals. Everything looked intact. Hopefully, it would be enough to keep those inside safe if the worst happened. “We’re outside the safe room now, sir. I need to report in to Admiral Tremayne. Then we get to wait.”
“Then let’s hope this is a short wait, Colonel, because I have no intention of spending the rest of my life in these two rooms.”
She chuckled softly and ended the comm. Then she nodded in appreciation as Anisimova handed her a cup of coffee. “Thanks. Let everyone know they can lose their helmets for the moment. I want two of our people in with Watchman at all times. Room to be sealed from the outside. We’ll rotate out in two-hour intervals as long as we can. Everyone else is to be in here. This room will be sealed from the inside. Tell Major Khan that one of the two in with Watchman can be one of his team. I have no problem at all with them starting the interrogation right away.”
“Understood.” Anisimova stopped at the door. “He’ll want to know if you want him to move his equipment in here.”
It would make it an even tighter fit but Ash saw no way around it. “I do.”
The master sergeant nodded and passed on her orders. As she did, Ash sat behind the desk and activate the comm. Part of her hesitated, knowing the very real possibility that Tremayne wouldn’t be able to accept her message. God, she felt useless. She should be onboard the flagship, helping with the fight.
Half an hour later, Ashlyn looked up and frowned. Deep as they were beneath the surface, she couldn’t actually hear what might be happening topside. Even so, she felt like something had. When she checked the various video feeds, she cursed softly. A number of people, some civilians but others wearing the uniform of capital security, pushed at the gates outside the embassy. They were panicking. As one, they flinched. Some ducked and looked for cover. In the distance, smoke rose high in the air. At least one missile had broken through Tremayne’s defenses.
“Helmet up!” she ordered and Anisimova quickly relayed the order to those not in the room. “Mr. Nelms, get everyone into the respirators. At least one missile has hit the city. We don’t know if it carried the biotoxin, but we aren’t going to take any chances.”
The man acknowledged her order and softly wished her and her Marines good luck.
“Get those in with Watchman back here. We’re going to seal up the best we can.”
“And Watchman?” Anisimova asked.
“Leave him.” She might have to pay the price later for willingly leaving a prisoner in a dangerous situation, but she didn’t care. It was going to be hard enough to keep her own people alive. She didn’t need to worry about the former Intelligence Czar trying something and possibly getting them all killed in the process.
Less than a minute later, she watched the video stream from the office where Watchman was being held as his guards prepared to leave. The man, no lon
ger gagged, demanded to know where they were going. Instead of answering, Boomer turned the single screen in the room so Watchman could see the display. As they secured their helmets in place and made sure they were sealed, the man stared at the images from outside.
“You can’t leave me here!”
“You are collateral damage. That’s what our report will say,” Boomer told him and Zimm nodded in agreement.
“Wait! I have information you want.”
“Unless it is a way off this rock and a way to stop the biotoxin, it isn’t enough.” Zimm motioned for Boomer to open the door.
“Please. You can’t just leave me here to die.” He struggled to free himself from his bonds.
“Boomer, Zimm, turn on the room’s ventilation,” she said over the intercom, closely watching the prisoner for any reaction. She shook her head in disgust as he pissed himself. That answered one question. He knew how the biotoxin worked. “Watchman, in case you don’t recognize my voice, this is Colonel Ashlyn Shaw, Fuerconese Marine Corps. You have one chance to save yourself. Tell me everything you know about the biotoxin and the enemy attack plans. Otherwise, you will be left where you are, ventilation flowing and the door open. Not that it will help you, trussed up the way you are. Oh, and don’t think you can take the easy way out. We found the little pill you had hidden in your mouth.” She almost laughed at the look on his face as he realized they’d removed the fake tooth hiding the suicide pill.
“Tell me what you want to know.”
“I just did.” She held up a hand when Anisimova approached. “Nothing to say? Then, Boomer, Zimm, leave him to his fate. If he’s still alive when the attack is over, we’ll resume our chat.”
The Marines didn’t say anything. Instead, they turned and started out of the room. Ash laughed aloud as Boomer stopped and jammed the door open. That’s when Alexander Watchman, the man who most of the power players in the system held in fear, started crying like a baby and begging for mercy. How the mighty had fallen.
