Release The Dogs of War (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 10)

by Michael Anderle

  Paul walked to the Pod, the doors opened, and Bethany Anne was sitting inside wearing a black executive suit with a maroon shirt underneath. “Hello Paul, long time no see!” She smiled at him as she sat up and stepped out of her Pod. She grabbed his offered hand and shook it before giving him a hug. “What? You think I’m not willing to embrace one of my people who have been with me forever?”

  She stepped back to look him up and down, “I see you are keeping in shape.”

  “Habit, I’m waiting to get into the next big thing,” he told her.

  She cocked her head and asked, “What would that be?”

  “Well, I requested twice to get into the Black Eagles, ma’am. Both times, I was told opportunity comes to those who wait.”

  “So it does, Paul Jameson, so it does,” she agreed. “You know why you were told twice?”

  Paul exhaled, “I’m hoping because I needed to get something through my thick skull?”

  “No, it was because I had to be sure that your initial antagonism towards those above you had burned off. Furthermore, you needed to know it had burned off. How did you feel each time it happened?” she asked him.

  “A little dejected, but I went back to work,” he considered it further for a few moments, “I didn’t feel neglected. Like I wasn’t being listened to. Merely that things were going on that had a focus, and while I needed to wait, it wasn’t to just cool my heels.” He eyed her, hopefully, “I take it that I am getting my request to move up to the Black Eagles?”

  She smiled, “Better.”

  Paul’s head jerked back just a bit and to the side, “Better? Is there a new type of fighter?”

  “Oh, you could say that, Paul. You see, there is an entirely new ship up there,” Bethany Anne pointed to the sky, “One that isn’t going to be,commanded like one down here. It’s my ship, Paul. I’m going to need someone to fly her, and I don’t want someone thinking in two dimensions.”

  “How big?” Paul asked.

  “Fucking huge.” Bethany Anne told him dryly. “But I’m told it can stop on a dime and give you nine cents change if that helps?”

  “Well, it gets my attention, that’s for sure.” he admitted to Bethany Anne, his eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out what ship would be ‘fucking huge.’

  “I’ll make you a deal Paul. If you fly this ship for just one month, and then want to go to a Black Eagle squad as either a fighter jockey or the unit commander, just tell me, and we will make it happen. But, unless you want it, otherwise, you have flown your last jet aircraft.” She looked at Paul, who was trying to understand.

  “No more jets?” he asked.

  “Only if you want to, they are a little slow, but I can understand the desire to fly the old stuff,” she said and winked at him. “So, if you accept my offer to see what is behind door number two, then this Pod behind me is going to take you back to your plane to get your clothes and everything you need. Then you are going on a fourteen-hour trip to where your new ship is waiting for you. I’m told they desperately require your help to dial stuff in. You will be part of a group of three under me. You are the pilot. I’m going to need guns, but I’m pretty sure I know who that will be. I am also going to need an XO, and I’m pretty sure I know who will sign up for that position.”

  “Jean Dukes for guns?” Paul asked, smiling.

  “Yes.” Bethany Anne agreed with a chuckle, “the one and only.”

  “Hell yeah, I can’t pass up a chance to see where this is going to go,” he held out his hand, “Ma’am, Lt. Commander Paul Jameson, reporting for piloting duty.”

  Bethany Anne grasped his hand firmly, “I accept. Now get in this Pod and get yourself out to the Asteroid belt.”

  Paul dropped her hand and stepped around her to get in the Pod. As he sat in the chair and started strapping in, he looked back up and asked, “Asteroid belt?”

  Bethany Anne had turned around, “Yes, make sure you take some reading material. I’m told the trip can get a little boring after the first hour or two of looking at the stars.” She closed the doors and hit the front twice. The Pod slowly moved up, paused, and then quickly disappeared.

  Bethany Anne turned around, “One down.”

  She walked towards the SUV and slid into the back seat as Scott held the door open for her. She noticed Darryl in the seat in the very back. “Short straw?” she asked him.

  “That damned Akio is lucky as shit, that’s all I’m saying,” Darryl grunted as he tried to find a comfortable position in the smaller back seat.

  Akio was already in the seat next to Bethany Anne as she slid in the middle, “Akio?” He smiled and made a small shrug towards Bethany Anne, “I do what they ask, they say pull a straw, so I choose a straw.”

  Bethany Anne looked dubiously towards her Elite Queen's Own. While she felt he was probably doing something fishy, she couldn’t figure it out quickly, so she dropped it.

  By the time the SUV left the parking lot, the Pods had all left. Fifteen minutes later, the vehicle arrived at the building address provided them. A single guard stepped out of the shadows to wave them in. The guys noticed the man step back into the shadows once they passed through.

  “My Queen, these are not the right guards,” Akio told her, “These are here to kidnap you and take you to another, someone who wants you either dead or alive.”

  “Motherfucking President can…” John began when Akio cut him off.

  “It isn’t the President doing this,” Akio told him, “This is some group that I can’t figure out reading thoughts from this distance.”

  Bethany Anne heard Darryl behind her, “Lucky little mind-reading shit!” Perhaps Darryl had figured out how Akio had been so fortunate.

  “How do you want to play this, Bethany Anne,” John asked.

  “I want to trip this trap and figure out how to go find this mysterious guy. Give me a second,” Bethany Anne opened her consciousness to hear the vibrations, the energies, the thoughts around her. She shut down those of her men and started jumping from one mind to the next, seeking something… seeking…

  “Got him,” she said, her eyes still closed, “they are expecting to shoot you guys and gas me. In other words, gas everything and then, when I’m out of the way, fill you guys with lead.”

  “Damned rude,” Scott mumbled, “I’ve had lead in me recently enough, I’d rather not go through that again if I can help it?” He turned to Bethany Anne but was shocked to see her eyes shining red, fangs out, countenance determined.

  “Ah, John?” Scott murmured, reaching toward him in the front seat.

  “Huh?” John asked as he turned left down a ramp to continue towards the bottom. They had been told they needed to descend three levels before the area where they would meet the security.

  “Ah, John?” Scott said again more forcefully, tapping him on the shoulder.

  John turned quickly to look at Scott, “What?” It was then he noticed Bethany Anne’s face, “Oh.”

  John turned back towards the front, “Ok guys. New plan. The plan is to stay the fuck in the SUV so these poor son-of-a-bitches can suffer whatever the hell they deserve for wanting to kill us.”

  John finished driving down the additional level and pulled towards the men standing guard next to a door. He kept his lights on, keeping the waiting men a little blinded as the vehicles slowly came to a stop. Fifteen feet away from the SUVs, the two uniformed men had their thumbs in their belts, their faces angled slightly away from the vehicles.

  Bethany Anne’s head turned to her left, “Three,” then glancing towards her right, “four.” She finished looking ahead, “Two.”

  Akio faced the front seat after noticing her face. He had not ever seen Bethany Anne so deadly calm. Eric caught Akio’s eyes and shook his head. “Stay in the car,” Eric mouthed to Akio, who nodded his understanding.

  That was when Bethany Anne disappeared, and the shrieking began. Seconds later, one of the men in their headlights stared at them from lifeless eyes, his neck broken. The
other grabbed his throat, as Bethany Anne opened the door with his hand on the security glass. Seconds later she disappeared inside.

  John exited the vehicle, saying, “Well, let’s see if any of these poor fuckers need anything.”

  Scott got out and called from his side, “Three here, beyond the need of any support.”

  “Same here,” Akio said from the left.

  “Can somebody let me the fuck out?” Darryl called, “This backseat is for pigeons!”

  Eric laughed as he went around Scott’s door and grabbed a hidden handle in the seat, “It’s here genius.” He told Darryl as the whole seat moved forward and Darryl was able to squeeze out.

  “I’ll ride on the damn roof next time,” Darryl grumped as he pulled his Sig Sauer P227 Tactical and started towards the door.

  John had already gone through the door after he heard a couple of pistol shots inside.

  The men caught up to him as he was studying another soldier, this time with a bite in his neck when they heard a scream.

  Akio and Scott stayed behind while the other two followed John down the hallway, their pistols were drawn.

  They caught up to Bethany Anne, holding a man in a General’s uniform high against a wall screeching at her, “What are you!”

  “Your worst fucking nightmare, George!” she replied in a menacing voice, “someone who sees your inner thoughts, your inner sins, and your inner knowledge and rips it out as I please.” She grew a nail a few inches long on her left hand. “Now, where do I start cutting, George?” She took the sharp nail and trailed the tip down his uniform coat, cutting slices into the fabric, “Who is JG, George?”

  George shook his head violently.

  “Joshua Guildenstern?” George’s eyes opened wide.

  “What are you doing? Stop it!” He started to fight but was easily pinned to the wall by John holding an arm and a leg on his left side, Eric on his right. Bethany Anne let go, turned around to straighten her jacket before once again turning back to the frightened man, “Once again, who is Joshua, George?”

  >> I have four Guildenstern's within an hour of here. Two are happily married, one is a lawyer, one is an industrialist. <<

  Tell me about the industrialist.

  ADAM told Bethany Anne about Joshua’s large holdings, his family history, what could be accounted for, and his present location.

  “So, Joshua lives out in Virginia?” Bethany Anne asked George aloud. “Yes, I can read your mind, you useless morally bankrupt chucklefuck.” She tapped her finger against her lip, “You are going to text him and let him know that there was a problem, but the package is tied up tight. You have to wait until an unexpected event, make something up, happened before leaving. We will get to Joshua tonight, trust me.”

  “Bethany Anne?” John said.

  “Yes?”

  “What do you want to do with all of the evidence?” John looked around as he spoke with her, “Lots of blood.” He paused a moment, “Lots.”

  Bethany Anne turned to George and spoke, silk over steel, “So, how were you guys going to clean it up?”

  “Another group is due here, in two hours,” he rasped.

  “So, if there are no bodies, but blood everywhere, what will they do?” she asked him.

  “Clean it up, but report it,” he replied.

  “How long before that happens?”

  “I’d need to see the mess,” he admitted. Bethany Anne nodded to the two guys who dropped him to the floor.

  John grabbed him by the collar and started walking him out of the room while Eric told Bethany Anne, “You aren’t going to be able to go see the President like that,” he told her, pointing to her outfit. She looked down in disgust at all of the blood she had splattered over herself.

  “Son of a bitch,” she grumped, “Cheryl Lynn is going to kill me.”

  “Well, I’d offer to wet a tissue to get the two blood splatters around your mouth, but I think that would be about as useful as pissing on a fire,” he told her.

  Bethany Anne rolled her eyes as she turned towards the door. “Wow, Eric. Way to tell a girl she looks bad,” she muttered as she followed Darryl out of the room.

  Eric walked behind her, “Hey, BA, I’m just keeping it real.” He waved his arms wide in explanation, talking to her back as he walked out of the room, carefully stepping over the blood splatters in the middle of the floor.

  —

  General George Thourbourah stood next to the column by the SUV, staring blankly into the distance, his mind screaming but his body not responding.

  He was in purgatory as six people spoke around him.

  “So, we have ten minutes to figure this out,” Bethany Anne told her group,” or I need to cancel the President’s meeting.”

  “I say we make this jerk-off help us,” John said, flicking a thumb in the direction of the general, “It was his dumbass plan to kill us all in the first place.

  “Yeah, but we need corroboration, and unfortunately, I killed them all.” Bethany Anne admitted, “Perhaps not a moment of clear thinking.”

  John snorted, “No, probably not. However, don’t jump all over yourself. You found an outlet that could be justified and it was easy enough for you to go out and do it. Now, we just need to figure out the resolution that doesn’t make us all seem like bloodthirsty killers.”

  Everyone but the general stood a moment to look at the dead bodies, the blood splatters and then returned to looking at Bethany Anne.

  “Ok, I get it,” She groused and fought the urge to flip them off, “Next time, I’ll knock more heads into unconsciousness instead of knocking them all the way off.”

  “Secret Service is not going to accept the President coming here,’ Darryl mentioned as he looked around at the blood everywhere. “This is one photo away from a scandal.”

  “Ok, I’ve got an idea, but it sucks beyond sucking, boss,” Scott said.

  “Let’s hear it.” She turned towards him.

  “He,” Scott started, pointing to the stunned general, “has to be the hero of the night.”

  Akio turned to look between the general and Scott, “I don’t follow this,” he told him.

  Scott started selling his idea. “Bethany Anne was attacked, she was in the middle, the General comes here, saves the night and then … and then… “ Scott sputtered, “Well, then the story falls down,” he sighed.

  “Likely when I kick his ass again,” Bethany Anne mentioned as she looked at the mess. “Gott Verdammt! Why didn’t I just leave some alive?” She looked around for something to kick, but everything was concrete.

  “What about Virginia?” John asked.

  “Joshua?” Bethany Anne said, “Frank has found out a shitload about that dried-out animal fondler. I’m for getting to him tomorrow or the next night now. Tonight, I need to meet with the President.”

  She turned around, “Ok guys, this jerkoff is going to go back to his life, thinking that many of us got killed, but you guys took me away. Someone shoot his ass where he won’t bleed out…”

  “HOLD!” She screamed when four guns all cocked quickly, aiming at the general.

  “Dammit, one bullet, not one bullet from each of you!” She laughed, “Although, that was almost funny as hell. Draw straws to see who gets to do it. I’m going to jump to Florida and take a vampire-fast shower and will be right back. Stage this place to look like there was a lot of fighting and drag some bodies around. I’ll take two of you back who get dirty. Three of you stay clean.” She looked around, “Ok, snap snap guys!” She took a step and disappeared.

  Darryl muttered to everyone, “Akio isn’t drawing first!”

  —

  Thirteen minutes later, Darryl was driving in the front seat with Akio riding shotgun. Scott was in the back seat beside Bethany Anne. John had too much blood on him from following her, and Eric won the draw but got blood on himself when he shot the general.

  The new location, compliments of the General, was another building, but as soon as they entered
the area, they could see lots of people. They made it to the bottom when Akio said, “Yes, all good. No deviousness in any of them.”

  “Ok, see you guys in a few minutes,” she said as Akio stepped out of the SUV and opened her door. Nodding to him in thanks, she walked up to the guard in front of a non-descript gray door. “I believe I’m expected?”

  The man nodded with a smile, “Yes ma’am, you are. Please have your men stay with us, there will be two guys inside to pat you down and make sure you are clean, ma’am.”

  Bethany Anne allowed herself to be searched and waited as they performed a metal search to make sure she had no weapons. She was escorted down a corridor that was at least two hundred yards long. She ended up in a small room, before a door on the opposite wall was opened. The nicely-appointed meeting room that she was ushered into had a long dark wooden table, leather chairs gathered around it and a wall of screens to her left. Ahead of her, the President was seated, looking at the daily paper.