by Daniel Gibbs
David kept screaming, thrashing, trying to break free, and then everything went dark as unconsciousness took him.
Kenneth felt his commlink buzz as he made his through the chow line at one of the primary mess halls onboard the Lion of Judah. He glanced down and furrowed his brow when he saw the message was from Calvin. Well, I can’t take that in the middle of the mess. He slid out of line and headed toward the exit. Looking around for someplace private, he stepped into a single-person male bathroom and locked the door. After pressing his thumb against the fingerprint reader to unlock his tablet, he was treated to Calvin’s unsmiling face.
“Kenneth, thought I was going to have to leave you a vidmail,” Calvin said without preamble.
“Sorry, Colonel, I was at the chow hall. Had to find a private place to talk.”
“I need you to pull some info for me.”
“What kind of info?”
“Colonel Cohen had some stealth drones on station, performing passive and active scans of Monrovia. Could you tap into them and help us try to find him?"
Kenneth furrowed his brow, deep in thought. “I might be able to do one better, sir. The Lion of Judah is now in the system.”
“Wait, what? You’re at Monrovia?” Calvin asked incredulously.
“Yeah. I’m not entirely sure why, but the brass ordered us in to enforce a blockade of the planet. Something about preventing League arms shipments. We’re stopping every incoming freighter and sending a VBSS team to inspect it,” Kenneth replied, referencing Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure teams.
“That makes things a bit easier. When are the Marines coming?”
“They’re not. Colonel Aibek’s made it clear that our orders are not to interfere with anything going on the planet. I’m liable to lose my ability to work for the CDF just for talking to you.”
“Why’d you take my call, then?”
Kenneth smiled. “Because it’s not often I get to walk out at the end of a day and say I did something that made a difference. Well, and I’m worried about my friends.”
“The day I need a slimy defense contractor as a friend…”
“You got any information on where Colonel Cohen was captured?”
“We’ve got the general target area, why?”
“I’ll pull the data from the drones and get some help in writing an algorithm to parse out what happened. With visual imagery, we should be able to track him down.”
“Time is something we don’t have a lot of. Things are going from bad to worse down here.”
“It’s my top priority as of now, Colonel.”
There was a loud flushing noise from the bathroom next to the one that Kenneth occupied.
“What the heck was that?”
“Someone flushed the toilet in the ladies’ room.”
“You’re talking to me in the head?”
“Yeah.”
Calvin chuckled. “Couldn’t find somewhere, literally anywhere else to take the call?”
“It was here, or an airlock. I prefer the head to an airlock.”
“Valid point, Kenny.”
Kenneth rolled his eyes in annoyance; he detested that nickname. “Anything else?”
“Not right now. Get us a location on David, then we’ll take it from there.”
“Roger that. Lowe out,” Kenneth said.
“Out here.”
Calvin’s picture blinked off the screen, and it went dark. Kenneth returned his tablet to his belt and pondered what to do next. The best computer scientist on the ship was also its most difficult-to-motivate human. Oh well, I’ll never know if he’ll help unless I try, Kenneth considered as he washed his hands and walked out of the bathroom, heading for Dr. Hayworth’s office. Dinner was now a distant memory.
29
David awoke with a start in his cell. It was pitch black, and he had no idea how long he’d been out, how long he’d been in the cell, or even what time of the day or night it was. Then he realized he couldn’t move. He realized with a start that he was in a squat, and his arms were tied behind his back. He tried to roll over, but there was some obstruction that kept him from moving. Great, stress positions.
“Adonai, please hear my prayer,” David whispered in Hebrew. “If it is Your will, save me from this place, give me the strength to resist, and to stay true to Your precepts and word. Amen.”
There was no way for him to measure the passage of time, but his leg muscles began to burn, then cramp. Eventually, there was no way to block the pain. It overwhelmed him, leaving him to cry out. He drifted in and out of consciousness and was only vaguely aware of the guards that came in and removed him from the enclosure he was in and dropped him on the floor. After they left, he was startled to hear a woman’s voice call out. “David?”
David shivered and felt like someone had walked on his grave. He’d never forget the sound of that voice. “Sheila?”
“It’s me.”
“No, you’re dead. I’m hallucinating.”
“Were you hallucinating when I came to you in a vision a few weeks ago?”
“That was different…” David closed his eyes, trying to get control over himself. “They must have worked me over pretty good.”
“They did. You’re lucky to be alive at this point. That dreadful Leaguer held the button down for thirty-six seconds. The manual states the maximum dose is twenty seconds.”
David, in spite of everything, snickered. “Guess I’ll tell him to get a stronger machine for next time.”
“Maybe you should stop trying to piss him off and focus on surviving?”
“Oh, I’m focused on surviving. I was hoping if I got under his skin, he’d lose control and have to be replaced. Maybe buy me a few more hours.”
“You don’t think you can keep from giving up information?”
“I’m not even sure what information I have that would be of value to them. The operational plans are shot to heck, and I’m sure that the League has enough sensor systems to know exactly what we have and what we don’t have. Still, I won’t give up what I do just in case.”
“Still stubborn as an ox,” Sheila observed.
“You must be my brain trying to calm me down.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Does it matter?”
“I suppose not.”
“You know that reporter likes you.”
“No, she doesn’t… she thought I played her and was mad as Hades,” David said.
“Oh, David, you really are clueless at times about the fairer sex. She was mad because she likes you and felt personally betrayed. Then she was happy to be wrong when she assessed your reaction.”
He coughed repeatedly. “If you say so. If I ever get out of here, maybe I’ll find out.”
“If you get out of here? Don’t you have faith they’ll come for you?”
“They’ve got a war to fight. I wouldn’t expect the sisters to drop everything and come for me. It’s up to me to keep fighting as a POW. I can still fight and will continue to resist with honor as long as I can.”
David felt a hand take his and squeeze tightly. “That’s my David, always keeping up the good fight.”
“Somebody’s got to. One thing’s for sure… I’m in for a world-class dressing down from General MacIntosh. I’m not sure what’s worse; this League interrogator or MacIntosh coming after me.”
Sheila laughed softly. “Only because he likes you. It’s time for me to go. Stay strong, okay?”
“I’ll try to.”
“Godspeed, David,” Sheila replied, and then David felt she was no longer there. Maybe I am going nuts. I pray the sisters are still moving forward and they’ve found a way to overcome the League forces arrayed against them. If anyone could keep going in the face of outrageous odds, it’s that Mother Superior. She is one tough lady. Deciding he needed to try to rest, he closed his eyes and forced himself to drift into sleep.
Kenneth walked into Hayworth’s lab to find the temperamental scientist using a laser fuser on a circuit board, humming
some tune he didn’t recognize to himself. The lab looked as it normally did on the few occasions he had to visit; experiments, tablets, equipment tossed everywhere. At the interruption, Hayworth switched off the fuser and looked up with a snarling expression. “I had my do-not-disturb notification up! What do you want?” he spat at Kenneth.
“Um, I’m sorry to bother you, Dr. Hayworth,” Kenneth said, suddenly a bit unsure what he was about to ask.
“Oh, just out with it. And remember, I don’t want to do any side work for that dreadful company you work for.”
Kenneth grimaced, remembering a previous attempt to strike up a conversation with Hayworth that resulted in the doctor going off on him for half an hour about how slimy defense contractors were. “I need your help to find Colonel Cohen.”
Hayworth stopped what he was doing and looked down the rim of his glasses at Kenneth. “What can I possibly do to help you locate the good colonel?”
“I’ve got visual feeds and scan records from one of our stealth drones over Monrovia. When his shuttle crashed, there’s got to be a visual record of that in there. If we get lucky and he made it out, Colonel Demood and I are hoping there’s a way to track him back to whatever installation he’s being held at.”
“And then the Marines charge in to save the day and shoot the bad guys?” Hayworth asked in his normal acerbically mocking tone.
“Something like that, Doctor.”
“Well, just great. I had important science to do this afternoon, and now you want me to hunt for a needle in a haystack.”
“Colonel Cohen’s life is in danger. He’s no doubt being tortured.”
Hayworth’s expression softened. “What do you even want me to do here? I’m not an intelligence analyst, you know.”
Hmmm. Maybe the way to get him to do is to goad him. “Well, I mean it’s so simple. We need to get an algorithm that can track the colonel’s visual signature and determine where he was taken. You’re right, I shouldn’t have bothered you. I’ll find one of the intel guys and have them run it down for me.”
Hayworth harrumphed and cleared his throat. “Are you trying to say I can’t do a simple task, Mr. Lowe?”
“Well no, I just don’t want to waste your time.”
“Do you have the data with you?”
Kenneth held up a data chip container. “It’s all here. Ten exabytes in total.”
Hayworth held out his hand. “Give me that. I’ll have an answer for you within two hours,” he said smugly.
“You sure, Doctor? Seriously, I don’t want to bother you from the pursuit of science.”
Hayworth snatched the container from Kenneth’s hand. “I’m not as dumb as you seem to think I am, Mr. Lowe. Now get out and let me examine the data.”
“Sure thing, Doc,” Kenneth said, turning on his heel and walking out the door.
“Don’t call me Doc!” Hayworth shouted as Kenneth turned out the door.
Kenneth smiled to himself as he walked down the passageway. Well, that worked out. Time for a late dinner.
30
This mission has evolved, derailed, and turned into a fight for survival. Sarno stood in the command tent, staring down at the map of the planet’s surface that showed all of the camps they still needed to liberate, and the new concentrations of enemy forces. Her two top lieutenants, Arendse and Kaufman, stood nearby, pondering the map as well.
“Sisters, I fear I’ve led us into a situation that has caused much suffering,” Sarno finally said to break the silence. They were due to have a general briefing in another ten minutes.
“I think I speak for the entire order, Mother Superior, when I say that your leadership has been exemplary in this dire hour. We’ve accomplished much and saved many lives. The battle may still be won,” Arendse replied.
“I fear the cost,” Sarno said. “After all, what good is defeating this enemy only to wipe out our order or cause so many casualties that we set back the rest of the progress we’ve made throughout the galaxy.”
“God tests us in so many ways, I’ve lost count,” Kaufman began. “What I know is that of all the causes I’ve fought for, in my prior service and with this order, there’s never one I’ve been surer of. Regardless of the cost, I think God wants us here.”
Sarno smiled. “It’s such an honor to walk His path with you and the rest of our sisters. I challenged you all for a way forward; do we have it?”
Arendse cleared her throat and stepped forward. “The lynchpin is taking out their air assets. Colonel Amir and I have a plan. It’s bold and risky. I believe it’ll work.”
The flap to the tent opened, and the other sisters streamed in, along with Calvin, Amir, and Tural. Sarno had specially invited Simone to recognize her for the daring escape she’d made from the Monrovians. Everyone milled about for a couple of minutes until a quorum had assembled. Sarno cleared her throat; a distinctive sound that every sister in the order knew by heart.
“Sisters, honored guests,” Sarno said as she glanced around the room. Her gaze stopped on Calvin, Tural, and Amir, who stood together. “We need a better title for you three. How does ‘honorary monk’ sound?”
“I don’t care what you call me, as long as you’re talking about me,” Calvin replied to snickers from many of the nuns; even Sarno’s face showed the crease of a smile.
“Well put, Colonel Demood,” Sarno said, continuing her monologue. “We have faced a serious setback in this fight. I spent last night on my knees asking the saints and the Holy Mother herself to intercede our behalf. I considered if we should even continue. But, I believe our order is called to do good by checking evil whenever, however, and wherever we can. Today, we can do the most good on Monrovia by stopping this tyrannical government from killing its citizens and allying with the League of Sol. I challenged our leaders to devise a sound tactical plan for defeating this enemy. Sisters, what do you have for us?”
Kaufman stepped forward. “We’ve got a three-prong strategy to bring the fight to the enemy and defeat them, Mother Superior. Allow me to start by saying it is extremely high risk. However, after discussions between the sisters and Colonels Demood and Amir, we all agree that any strategy that doesn’t go for a knockout blow immediately is doomed to failure. Our resources are finite and far smaller than the Monrovians. Every minute we give them to integrate more League equipment into their armed forces, the worse it gets. We’ve also got to assume the League will send more supplies and munitions. Our plan is deceptively simple. Sister Chayka has been working the planetary holonet, using bot farms to stir up pockets of dissent. We plan to stage demonstrations in every major city on the planet later today, which will coincide with us attacking their main government complex. We believe that if we take out the head of state, the rest of the government will implode due to the lack of leadership.”
“For any of this to work,” Arendse interjected, “we’ll have to take out their air capabilities. We’re going to split into two elements of five fighters each and attack them on the ground.”
“I would expect the Monrovians to have an active combat air patrol, Sister. Have you accounted for that?” Sarno asked.
“Yes, ma’am. We’re outfitting several shuttles with air-to-air missiles and ECM pods, and we’ll use them to spoof the Monrovians into thinking they’re an attacking force, while we sneak in at low altitude, using stealth and our ECM to avoid detection.”
Calvin raised his hand.
Sarno eventually took notice. “Yes, Colonel?”
“Well, I have some updated intelligence this morning. I know where Colonel Cohen is being held.”
“And that is?”
“Black site prison complex, rural area. Something we can hit with a couple of hundred troops and take relatively easy. I got plans for the place from Monahan.”
“I appreciate the initiative, Colonel. Sister Kaufman, do we have the troops to spare?”
Sarno watched as Kaufman made eye contact with Calvin, and immediately saw sadness in her eyes. “No, we don’t,
Mother Superior. Our plan calls for every available sister to assault the capital government complex at the same time. I’ll have a reserve element, but I can’t risk it without introducing an overwhelming chance of failure to our main operation.”
Calvin’s face contorted. “That’s just freaking great,” he said, his emotions rising to the surface. “So we leave my brother to die? Guess what… that’s where they took your sisters too. We owe it to them to get them out of there! The League will kill them all if it looks like the government will fall.”
“We’ll turn our attention there once the battle is won, Colonel Demood.”
Calvin crossed his arms and set his jaw. “Not good enough.”
A small voice in the back of the room stood out: Simone’s. “Mother Superior, may I speak?”
Sarno glanced toward her and smiled. “Yes, child.”
“Colonel Cohen put his life on the line for me. That’s the only reason I got away. I now owe it to him to put my life on the line for his. I want to organize a volunteer assault on this black site he’s being held at. Perhaps Colonel Demood would be willing to lead it.”
“But we have no spare troops, Sister Darzi,” Kaufman insisted.
“Yes, we do. There’s many walking wounded that can still fight. Some refugees are willing to fight. If we can raise enough volunteers, let us try. Nothing is lost if we fail, except our own lives, which we would give willingly.”
Calvin turned and stared at her, his face and demeanor betraying his shock. “You’d do that for the colonel, Miss?”
“He surrendered to save me. The least I owe him is trying to save his life,” Simone answered.
This sounds like a suicide mission… but we owe David a rescue attempt. Not to mention the rest of those held there. We still have three sisters unaccounted for. “Make it known this is strictly volunteer. We won’t be able to help you while we’re assaulting the government complex. There will be no air support except your shuttles. Are we all clear?”
