Nikolai was on the Council, but he wasn’t exactly a very active member. He’d gotten his position due to the prominence of his family in the Tribe, nothing more. The Council wisely sought representation from all the major families, but many of those families only gave lip service to the concept of an overarching Council, the Borisovs among them. Nikolai was happy to remain in Uzbekistan with his reach into Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan and run his family business. He had placed members of his family into influential positions in the human governments, and this gave him practical immunity to carry on his activities.
The entry of the American-led Coalition forces into Afghanistan and the pressure they put on the Pakistani government had an impact on some of his more lucrative enterprises, but for the most part, it was business as usual, just as it had been for decades. The Soviets had not been an impediment, and neither would the Americans be one. The Taliban were nothing, either. Although they professed their loathing for many of the types of business that Nikolai controlled, in actuality, they were ready and willing allies when it came down to it.
Frankly, Nikolai didn’t care if the Taliban and the Coalition forces killed each other off, as long as they left him alone. Business was business, and nothing could interfere with that. And that was why he had requested the Council meeting. Something had interfered, and as much as he tried to ignore the Council, taking action against the feral tribe that had attacked his shipment required Council approval. He risked more than he wanted to if he took unilateral action against another tribe, even a feral one.
Nikolai was well aware that most of the others on the Council looked down on him. They did not approve of his various enterprises. Several times, they had tried to get him to back off, afraid that he would attract unwanted attention to the Tribe. The drugs and weapons smuggling were bad enough, but putting tribe members into the human government seemed pure idiocy to them. But when two of his most vocal opponents simply disappeared, the rest backed down.
Sheep, he thought as he waited for a reply. All sheep, afraid to take what is rightfully ours!
“Unless anyone objects, I have to agree with Counsel Borisov. We cannot have a feral tribe attacking any of us,” Günter Wais said.
Nikolai had no allies on the Council, but Wais was as close to one as he had. Wais shared some of Nikolai’s philosophy on the position of the Tribe with regards to the humans. Nikolai had supported Wais several times when he’d bothered to get involved with Tribal politics, so he wasn’t surprised that Wais would support him on this. Nikolai knew that Wais would expect a return favor, but that didn’t bother him. He’d support Wais or not based on the situation at the time.
“I have no objection,” Park Ho Mun said. “However, any action Counsel Borisov takes against the ferals must be made with Tribe only, no humans. We cannot allow humans to take part in any action against us.”
There were nods of agreement from the other Council members.
Piss on you, Nikolai thought.
The Borisov tribe was old and fairly large, but he didn’t have enough of them who would be willing to attack another tribe, even a feral one who had attacked one of his operations. He needed about 100 fighting vargs to be sure to overcome the 80 or so ferals, of which probably 20-30 were prime fighters. Nikolai had intended to use some of his human vassals to bolster his numbers. He wasn’t so out of touch that he’d have allowed any of them to live after the attack. No human who had shed Tribe blood, even feral blood, could be allowed that, after all. Now, with this stricture, he’d have to raise 30-40 vargs from outside his tribe, and that would indebt him to those alphas. Nikolai felt no compulsion to repay Wais for his support, but within the central Asian region, these personal debts could not so easily be ignored.
“Of course, Counsel Park,” Nikolai said, trying to sound as if that had been his plan all along.
There were a few more comments, but Nikolai knew he’d get the Council’s approval. The feral tribe was out of the Council’s control, so giving Nikolai the go-ahead to eliminate the tribe made it his headache instead of theirs. It was a foregone conclusion, but Nikolai knew he had to play the game and formally request permission.
There was not a single voice of dissent. Nikolai had his permission. He’d already had his assault force ready for the attack, but because of that cub-faced Park, he would have to delay it and find additional vargs to join his team.
No matter. Tomorrow or a week from now, that feral tribe in the Hindu Kush would be no more.
Chapter 18
“He leaves at night sometimes, coming back in before dawn,” HM2 Redmond said, standing in front of Keenan. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him leave, though. I just look up, and he’s not in his rack.”
Keenan looked up at the corpsman. The doc didn’t seem comfortable even relaying that small piece of information, and Keenan didn’t feel right forcing it from him. Due to his untimely accident in Kuwait, Keenan had never seen combat, but he knew that teamwork and trust were vital to a unit’s combat effectiveness. Turning the doc into a spy couldn’t be good for the team, and that could have unforeseen consequences. But the colonel had given him the information on Redmond that ensured his cooperation. Keenan had spoken to the corpsman before he’d been assigned to MSOC, letting him know that the young man had a good career ahead of him, and it would be a shame if some youthful extravagances, as he put it, would get in the way of that career. If he would only keep an eye on Kaas and report back anything unusual, well, he would make sure that all records of an “unsavory nature” would be destroyed, and Redmond would be in the clear. Keenan didn’t have to get into the details: Redmond understood and agreed to watch Kaas.
Keenan had felt dirty then, and he felt dirty now. He resented the shit out of the colonel for putting him in this position. He was really beginning to resent the shit out of the entire operation. Whatever Kaas was or wasn’t, he wanted to tell the colonel to shove it, and if that was the end of his career, if you could even call it that, then so be it.
“That’s it? Nothing else?” he asked the corpsman.
“Yes, sir, that’s it,” Redmond said.
Keenan stared at the young man’s face, wondering if the corpsman was holding anything back. Marines tended to cover each other’s ass, and while Navy, Redmond was, for all intents and purposes, a Marine as far as his team went.
“Very well. Just keep an eye on him,” he said, ignoring his suspicion. Then, he added, “You’re doing well. Corporal Kaas is important to our mission for reasons I can’t say right now, and we’ve got to make sure he’s around to do his job. We’ve got to have his back.”
He had taken this tack earlier, figuring he’d get better cooperation if the doc thought he was watching out for Kaas instead of doing something that might hurt the Marine. Something told him, though, that Redmond was not buying it. Keenan could see it in his eyes.
“If that’s all, then you’re dismissed. Specialist Sutikal will let you know next time I need a report.”
HM2 Redmond came to attention, did an about-face, and not saluting as was the norm for Marines and sailors when indoors, left the room. Keenan looked over at MT as the door closed.
“Well?” he asked his assistant.
“I don’t think we’d get anything from him if he saw anything,” MT responded. “He sure as hell didn’t want to be here today.”
“I think you’re right there. But we had to get this report before calling the colonel. And speaking of which, I guess I can’t put that off any longer.”
Keenan took out the sat phone and punched in the colonel’s number. It would be almost 0700 at the Pentagon, but Keenan knew Colonel Tarniton would be in. Sure enough, after only one ring, the colonel came on the phone.
“Well?” he asked without a preamble.
“Sir, we’ve still got nothing solid. We just debriefed HM2 Redmond, and he had nothing to add.”
“And the cam, that’s shown nothing?”
“No, sir, nothing,” Keenan said,
glancing up at MT who stared back at him with deadpan eyes.
“Well shit. And that corpsman? He’s seen nothing at all?”
“That’s what he says, sir.”
“And do you believe him?”
Keenan didn’t really believe the corpsman 100%, but he was not going to tell the colonel that.
“Yes, sir. I do,” Keenan answered.
“Well you’re a fool, Major. These people, they’ll hide anything to protect one of their own. You’ve got to be more forceful in getting it out of him. Maybe I’ll leak some of that pervert’s secrets out and see if that’ll get him to be more forthcoming.”
“Sir?” Keenan asked, shocked.
“You’ve got a problem with that, Major?” the colonel’s voice came cold and hard over the phone.
“Well, well, yes, sir, I do. I told him on my honor that if he cooperated with us, all of that would be destroyed,” Keenan said, his vehemence surprising him and drawing a raised eyebrow from MT.
“I don’t give a fuck for your honor, Major. You West Pointers live and die by your vaunted Honor Code, but in the real world, it isn’t that simple. What we are doing is for the United States, and if we have to sacrifice a piddly-ass Navy corpsman for that—and your precious honor—then I have no hesitation in my heart but to do it. Do you understand me?”
“Uh, yes, sir,” Keenan said outwardly while his conscience silently screamed out “No!”
“Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page. And your charm offensive on Kaas, has he seemed to open up to you yet?”
“It’s hard to say—” Keenan began before the colonel cut him off.
“It’s hard to fucking say? What is your malfunction, Major? I hired you because some people thought you had what it takes despite being a cripple. I took you because I thought you could get the job done. And now you tell me ‘It’s hard to say?’”
“No, sir. I can say. We’ve had conversations, and he seems to trust me. But he hasn’t come out and told me he’s a fucking werewolf!” Keenan said with more force than he was used to when speaking to a senior officer.
If the colonel noticed Keenan’s lack of deference, or even cared, he didn’t show it. “I thought that it might work. Guess I was wrong. We wasted an operation on the kid’s mother, and I don’t think we can do that again. So we need to go further. I’ve got a few ideas, so Major, you and your specialist, I want you two to get into Kaas’ head. Make him think you’re his friends, part of his team. I’ll be back to you with further instructions in a day or so as I work some things out. Tarniton, out.”
Keenan pulled down the phone so he could stare into the receiver in shock. The colonel has just “wasted an operation” having to do with Kaas’ mother? That asshole had arranged for the break-in and assault and had lied to Keenan about it. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He was taking orders from a man who ordered a civilian woman roughed up? This was not what he’d signed up for.
He looked up at MT who merely shrugged back at him. Keenan didn’t think that his assistant caught the significance of the colonel’s words, and until he wrapped his own head around them, Keenan wasn’t sure he should point that out.
Keenan didn’t know what he should do. He couldn’t very well report what the colonel was doing, given the security clearance on this operation, and even if he wanted to, he had no idea to whom he would report. As far as he knew, his chain of command went up to the colonel, and then from him to someone very high on the pecking order. The only thing Keenan was sure of was that he’d just about had it. If what their little command was doing wasn’t illegal, it was morally reprehensible.
With that realization, Keenan reached a decision. There was one thing he could do, should do, and the colonel had pretty much ordered him to do it.
“MT, why don’t you see if you can round up the good corporal,” he told his assistant. “The team’s going out tonight, and I want to talk to him before that.”
“Roger that. Let me go track him down,” MT responded, getting up from his chair and leaving the office.
Keenan leaned back in his chair as far as the cramped space would let him, clasping his hands in back of his neck as he stared at the plywood ceiling. Kaas’ team would be rotating back to the US before too long, and once that was done, Keenan would be out of this Godforsaken FOB where he had no real purpose. He outranked everyone else in the FOB, yet he and MT were superfluous bodies, suspected of being spies for higher headquarters. Captain Lindon certainly suspected that, and he wasn’t very circumspect about it when the two spoke. The ironic thing was that while the captain was right, Keenan wasn’t spying on him. The captain was safe in his little fiefdom.
It took almost 30 minutes before MT returned with Kaas. The Marine corporal looked slightly exasperated at having to come see him, but he was obviously trying to control that. Keenan looked at his watch. It was almost chow time, he realized, and one of the things that HM2 Redmond had said was that Kaas never missed chow when he could help it and ate more than anyone else on the team.
“Specialist Sutikal, would you give us a few minutes?”
MT looked surprised and seemed almost to say something, but he nodded and left the office. Keenan gestured at MT’s seat, and Kaas hesitantly took it.
Make friendly with Kaas, he wanted? OK, he ordered it.
“I’m sorry to pull you now. I know you’re going out in a couple of hours. I wanted to come clean with you. Do you know why I’ve had an interest in you?” he asked.
“Uh, no, not really sir,” Kaas said cautiously.
“There is something different about you, something special, something unique.”
Keenan was rewarded with a jerk of the head and a look of guilt. Whatever skills or capabilities Kaas had, lying wasn’t one of them. That in itself was not damning, but the analytical part of Keenan’s mind took note of the corporal’s reaction.
“Now, I’m not asking you to tell me just what you can do, even though some people, and I mean people high up, have some suspicions, and they sent me here to confirm just what it is about you that is different. If you want to tell me, fine, I am here to listen. But it’s up to you.”
Keenan stared pointedly at the corporal, but the young man had seemingly regained his composure and said nothing.
“But I want to tell you that someone, and I can’t say who, is after your ass. He wants your secrets. And, I am sorry to say, the whole thing with your mother was a sham, designed to seek my help.”
Keenan held up his hand to stop the corporal who had jumped up out of his seat.
“Your mother was never in any danger,” he said, silently hoping that was the truth. “Some idiot thought it would spark you into revealing yourself. I knew nothing about it until just now. Please, sit.”
Kaas didn’t look mollified, but he did sink back into MT’s chair. He hadn’t jumped over Keenan’s desk to attack him, and given the corporal’s combat record, Keenan thought that in itself was a victory for him.
“I wanted to be blunt with you. Your mother wasn’t in danger, as I just found out, but someone wants your secrets. You need to watch yourself. I’m supposed to be watching you, and I don’t know why, but from what I can observe, I see before me a warrior, a patriot. I think you are fighting for the US and are a good Marine, so I see no reason not to level with you.”
Kaas still said nothing but stared at him, and Keenan couldn’t read what was going one behind those deep hazel eyes.
“I’m going to let you go, but one thing. If you need anything, anything, you let me know. I may only be a major, but I’ve got a lot of pull. I’m here for you, so don’t hesitate to use me.
“Do you have any questions? Anything you want to say?”
“No, sir. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m going to trust you that my mom’s OK. I think it’s crazy shit that anyone is taking an interest in me, but I thank you for telling me that. Can I go now?”
The kid was covering up something, and despite Keenan’s le
ss-than-convinced belief in werewolves, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement.
“Yeah, sure. I know you need to finish getting ready. Be safe out there, and remember, I’m here if you need me.”
Kaas stood up, came to attention, and after a hesitation, rendered a salute. Keenan stood to return it. Technically, on an Army installation, salutes were rendered indoors and when uncovered in situations like these, but Marines didn’t salute indoors, and Kaas had never done that before. Keenan dared to hope that his talk might have sunk into the corporal.
MT came back in immediately after Kaas left.
“Well?” he asked.
“The colonel said get closer to Kaas, so that’s just what I did,” he replied.
Only, if Tarniton knew just how he’d accomplished that, the colonel would have his ass.
Chapter 19
Shit, shit shit!
Aiden rushed to the DFAC, his mind a jumble. If what the major had said was true, then someone knew what he was, and that couldn’t be good. And whoever it was fucked with his mother? It had been difficult for Aiden to hold back from attacking the major when he’d said that. He probably would have before the major had said he just found out about it, but he’d been so pissed that he’d started to shift and had had to clamp down on that.
He believed the major, though, that he had not been in on it. Someone had, however, and Aiden made a solemn promise that he’d find out who and extract some justice. If they wanted him out in the open, whoever “they” were, they should confront him, not his mother!
He subconsciously shifted one finger to his varg claw, an exercise he’d been doing for some time now to hone his control. It was as if his claw was seeking the men who’d invaded his mother’s home and threatened her.
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