by John Ringo
Herzer nodded, filing that away.
“That is exactly why I want you,” Herzer said, finally smiling.
“Your servant, Commander,” Cruz said, cracking a smile as well.
“That’s it for now,” Herzer said, standing up. “Keep on the Detail until we move up to the training facility and then you move over to the teams.”
“Works,” Cruz said, standing up as well. “Thank you.”
“Joel’s going to scream about losing you, you know,” Herzer said.
“Well, I’ll still be around,” Cruz said, shrugging. “Somehow, I don’t think I’ll end up as a legion commander. But… I want the damned rank on my shoulders. I want to be able to say I’m somebody besides an accountant or an aide, you know?”
“I know,” Herzer admitted. “Welcome back. I hope.”
“Yeah,” Cruz said, shaking his hand. “I’ll tell you something, but you’ve got to promise that you won’t fisk me.”
“Okay,” Herzer said, frowning.
“I’ll do the mission even if you can’t get me back in,” Cruz said. “It sounds like fun. As long as I get a team command. Not just Joe Sword Fodder. But try, damnit.”
“I will,” Herzer said.
Chapter Eight
“Mike, Courtney,” Herzer said, gesturing them into the foyer. He shook Mike’s hand and gave Courtney a hug as Megan came in. “Good to see you.”
“What’s so damned important we had to wait until this evening?” Mike said, half angrily. “We were going to leave on the evening stage.”
“It had to wait until this evening because I’ve been running my ass off,” Herzer said. “And it was urgent because it’s urgent. Mike, I’m about to piss you off. Ready?”
“What?” Mike said warily.
“I have to talk to Courtney, alone,” Herzer said. “I’ve got to ask her to do something, something for… well, the nation I suppose. And it’s something I can’t discuss with you and she won’t be able to either. And it’s hazardous.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?” Mike asked angrily. “Are you crazy?”
“No, he’s not,” Megan interjected. “Herzer, and I, have a mission. We need Courtney. And some other people. We can’t, won’t, tell you what the mission is. And it’s not just going for a walk in the park, it’s going to be bad. But we need her. We can’t even tell you why because… well, because New Destiny will find out. The other people that we’re talking to, we’re going to be asking to volunteer just like Courtney. If they don’t, they’re not going anywhere until the mission is over.”
“And I can’t ask what it is?” Mike said. “Damn.” He sighed and shook his head. “Okay, I can understand that. I don’t like it, though.”
“Big surprise,” Herzer said, finally smiling.
“Why don’t we go talk farming,” Megan said, taking his arm. “And let Herzer go recruit your wife.”
“If he can,” Courtney said tartly. “Lead on, hunkaroo.”
Herzer frowned but led her to Meredith’s office.
“Have a seat,” Herzer said, gesturing at the sole chair. He perched on the weight bench.
“Been working out?” Courtney asked, sniffing the air.
“Yes,” Herzer said. “Courtney, you know there was a mission planned to try to capture the refueling ship?”
“I’d heard something about it,” Courtney replied warily.
“The team that was supposed to do the job got wiped out,” Herzer said brutally. “By an attack on their training camp. You listed a background in old-fashioned computers as a pre-Fall skill when you came to Raven’s Mill.”
“Oh, my God, you can’t be serious!” Courtney shouted.
“Thanks,” Herzer growled. “Mike needed to hear that.”
“Don’t tell me that’s what you’re talking about,” Courtney hissed. “That’s a mission for… God-damned heroes like you, Herzer! I’m a farm-wife! I cook food all day and raise my brats!”
“And you know what a…” he paused and frowned, “a router is, right?”
“Well, yes,” Courtney replied. “It’s a device for directing electronic packets, but…”
“Courtney, I have four potential computer techs, including you, that aren’t absolutely decrepit,” Herzer said, his face hard. “I can barely do this mission with four. That ship is a mass of old-fashioned computers, most of them you can’t control from a remote terminal. I don’t even know what a remote terminal is but it says you can’t control them remotely so I trust the briefing notes. We’re going to be in trouble if we lose one tech and the more I look at this mission the more I’m worried we’ll lose all of them. Including one of my oldest and closest friends,” he added sadly.
“But, damnit, this mission is so damned important that, yes, I’m asking you,” he continued. “There are probably more people out there. But we can’t exactly take out a classified ad. We don’t know that New Destiny knows how badly they hit us. And if we start going around broadly interviewing, that places those people in danger. Besides, we don’t have time. We’ve got to start training soon or we’re sunk. Courtney, damnit, we need you. I don’t want to be too melodramatic, but the world needs you. You. Courtney Boehlke.”
“This is a bit much to take in,” Courtney said, shaking her head.
Herzer just stayed silent, letting her work it out.
“I don’t know if I want to go into space,” she said after a bit.
“With any luck, you’ll be in corridors the whole time,” Herzer said. “Pressurized corridors with gravity. It will be like being in a big building. The shuttle ride is supposed to be very smooth. And the view should be spectacular.”
“Just before I die?” Courtney asked.
“I’ll tell you this,” Herzer said. “I’m not planning on letting you, or Megan, out of my sight. I suppose as the commander, I shouldn’t think that way, but the rest of the team is expendable. You two aren’t.”
“Thanks so much,” Courtney said. “I will be sure not to repeat that.”
Herzer just waited, aware that she’d just admitted she was mostly in agreement.
“I’m afraid of heights,” she said after another long pause. “I get scared if I stand on a step stool. I want to throw myself off into the abyss. I can’t go into space.”
“Don’t look outside,” Herzer said. “Interior only. There aren’t any computers on the skin of the ship.”
Courtney shook her head and worked her hands on her lap. After a moment she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.
“There’s nobody else,” Herzer said, softly. “I need you, Courtney.”
“I know,” Courtney replied. “Damn you. How do you talk me into things like this?”
“I’m a terror,” Herzer admitted, trying to keep the sadness out of his voice and acting a tad jovial instead. “That’s a yes, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Courtney snapped out. “God. Who’s going to take care of the kids?”
Herzer knew she meant while she was gone, but he hoped it wasn’t a reference to if she didn’t come back.
“If nothing else we’ll move them here or to the training base,” Herzer said. “After the attack they moved a good part of the Seventh Legion to guarding it. A bit of closing the barn door but it’s also to protect the new team. Of which you’re a new member. You can’t tell Mike, though. We’ll have him told when we’re starting the mission. At that point there’s not much New Destiny can, or will, do.”
“What about attacking our families?” Courtney asked, looking up.
“That’s why we’ll move them to the base,” Herzer said. “And keep them under guard. Your children, and Mike, will be as safe as we can make them. It’s you that we’ll all be worried for.”
“Thanks for reminding me,” Courtney said. “When do I have to be where?”
“We’ll keep you and Mike here until we move up to the training base,” Herzer said. “If we move him and the children up there, and they stay, they can be brought in on
it. Until then, we’ll use the cover of getting the farms organized for you to stay here. Mike can walk Megan and me through the process of application.”
“While I sit and fret?” Courtney asked.
“While you start getting reacquainted with ancient computer technology,” Herzer said. “As soon as we get the documentation. Which should be tomorrow or the next day.”
He led her back to the living room where Mike and Megan were deep in conversation.
“You guys get everything hashed out?” Herzer asked.
“Not even close,” Megan admitted, wide-eyed. “I hadn’t realized what sort of equipment and people we’d need to set up a really big farm.”
“Good,” Herzer said. “That’s a good reason for Mike and Courtney to stay in town for a week or so.”
“I’ve got things that need doing back at the farm,” Mike said.
“And you said you have a good manager,” Herzer said with a shrug. “I’d suggest that if whoever is keeping an eye on the kids can get free that they bring them up as well. And over the next few days you can walk Megan and me through the process of applying for our land while Megan smiles at bureaucrats while they find exceptions for you.”
“She’s in?” Megan asked.
“Yes,” Courtney said, shaking her head.
“Do I get a say?” Mike asked angrily.
“Yes,” Courtney said. “You get to say: ‘Whatever you think is right, honey.’ And then hug me, please,” she added, sitting down next to him and leaning into him.
“Herzer…” Mike said dangerously, uneasily slipping one arm around her.
“She can’t tell you what it is,” Herzer said, shrugging. “Not now. Maybe soon. So you can’t discuss it and work it out. So, sorry, Mike, you’ve just got to eat it raw.”
“Fisk you,” Mike snarled.
“Like I said,” Herzer repeated. “Not now. Not until we’re out of the capital and its rumor mill.”
“Are we done here?” Mike asked.
“For now,” Herzer nodded. “But I was serious about walking us through the application process—”
“The hell with that,” Mike said.
“No, Mike,” Courtney interjected. “That’s important, too. It’s a cover and if you want me to have any chance at all, we need the cover.”
“What in God’s name for?” Mike said. “Never mind, you can’t tell me. Okay, damnit, I’ll walk you through the process and all the rest. I’ll be a good little boy. But you’d better be able to convince me, at the end, that it was worth it or you can find yourself somebody else to manage your farms. All of them,” he added, glaring at Herzer.
“I hope you’ll agree it’s important,” Herzer said. “I think it is. Courtney thinks it is. Megan thinks it is. You’ll just have to wait to find out. And in the meantime, you’d better figure out a way to keep from radiating anger or you’ll show that something’s up. None of this ever happened, tonight. We just discussed farming. Understand?”
“I understand,” Mike said. “Cloak and dagger and all that. Fine. Let’s get going, Courtney.”
“When do we…” Courtney asked.
“We’ll get together sometime tomorrow,” Herzer said. “About the farming stuff. The rest has to wait until…” He paused and shrugged. “You’ll probably be spending a lot of time here.”
“Okay,” Courtney said. “Later.”
“Come on,” Mike said, pulling at her hand.
* * *
“Well,” Megan said, leaning on the door as they left, “I think that went well, don’t you?”
“No,” Herzer grunted. “I hadn’t thought about how incredibly badly Mike would take it. I should have. I wish it was Mike that was the computer tech. I could imagine him surviving.”
“What a sunny thought,” Megan said, grimacing.
“Now, I think we had other plans,” Herzer replied.
“Frankly, that little scene sort of took it out of me,” Megan temporized.
“Well, I think a little brandy would help,” Herzer grinned, grabbing her hand. “And then we’ll see what comes up.”
Chapter Nine
“Oh. My. God.” Megan whispered. “Paul was never like… did you get… enhanced before the Fall?”
“Pure genetics,” Herzer said calmly. He’d discovered long ago that reciting multiplication tables helped. “My parents might have had a hand in it, but I never asked them. They’d released me before I really started to… grow.”
“That’s…” Megan said then stopped, tilting her head to the side. “I’m not sure…”
Herzer just waited as she tilted her head back and forth and then reached out with one finger.
“Does it get any bigger?” she asked humorously, running a single fingernail over the tip.
“Careful, or we’ll be starting all over again,” Herzer said, trying not to groan.
“I’m not sure about it… fitting,” Megan said, huskily, leaning forward, “but I think I might be able to get my mouth around—”
There was a shout from outside and then a scream and Herzer cursed luridly.
“Not NOW Bull God damnit!” he shouted, rolling to his feet and drawing his sword.
“Well, you should be able to beat them to death,” Megan said tightly, trying not to laugh. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Spiders. Two of the sentries are down. More… something. On the street and the roof,” she added, looking up at a scrabbling sound.
“Corner,” Herzer said, pushing her back and turning to the window.
“The girls!” Megan shouted. “Shanea, Meredith…”
“I’m just hoping to keep you alive!” Herzer replied as the window crashed in.
It was, as Cruz had reported, a giant scorpion, about two meters in length, not counting the tail. That was as long and it whipped back and forth outside as the thing climbed through the window.
Megan mouthed a syllable and extended her hand but the bolt of lightning stopped halfway across the room.
“They’re shielded,” she snarled.
Herzer darted forward as the thing scrabbled at the sill and swung the sword to bash the left claw out of the way. The right claw snapped at him, the monster pausing in its quest to enter the room, and he jabbed the tip of the sword into the joint of the claw, wrenching it with a hard twist of his wrist. The joint popped open and the claw flopped uselessly to the side.
The other claw was snapping at him by that time so he ducked to the right and jabbed the sword into the space between the creature’s eyes, twisting the sword again to prevent it being bound. There was a cracking sound and the scorpion began to spasm, its tail, which it had never gotten into the room, thrashing at the wall outside.
There was a scream from somewhere in the building and Herzer heard Megan dash to the door.
“Shanea!” she shouted.
“Megan, damnit,” Herzer shouted in turn, turning away from the beast and following his bride-to-be.
Mirta’s eyes had flown open at the first shout and she shuddered in her bed at a scrabbling on the roof. She jumped up and went to the window but the guard that was supposed to be on the alley below was nowhere in sight. She opened the window and leaned out, looking up. There was a noise up there, but whatever was making it wasn’t visible, yet.
She looked around the room and shook her head, then hiked up her nightdress and clambered out of the window. Grasping a drainpipe she half slid, half fell to the alleyway and scuttled across it into the deeper shadows on the far side.
Only when she was in shadow did she look up. Coming over the top of the building was some sort of massive bug, a scorpion, judging by the tail. It carefully climbed over the eaves and then slid down the wall to the open window. It had some trouble fitting through but in a moment it was out of sight. Before it was in, though, another had appeared on the roof and another, each of them heading for the other windows on that floor.
Shanea’s window crashed in and then Ashly’s, and Mirta shuddered at the screams but she d
idn’t move. It wasn’t courageous but she’d survived by knowing exactly when to be courageous and when not to be. And there was nothing she could do about those things.
“Shanea!” Megan shouted at the door, pounding on it. Two of the guards were down the corridor, holding one of the scorpions at bay, while more were apparently fighting on the landing.
Herzer slammed his bare foot into the door and then stepped back, trying to get a view in the room. The lamps in the corridor were turned up and the room was inky black. But he saw a movement by the bed and leapt through the doorway, pausing at the far side to check to the side.
The scorpion was at the bed in the room, scrabbling at something underneath, its tail waving in the air. From the sounds of it, what it was scrabbling at was Shanea, but he couldn’t tell if she was hurt or just screaming her bloody head off.
Herzer made another bound and flipped his sword through the air, cutting off the bulging stinger on the tail and removing that threat. Then he stomped down on the rear end of the creature, pinning it to the ground. He flipped his sword up and over, pointing it down and drove the tip into the thing’s braincase, all the way through and into the floorboards.
“Damnit,” he muttered, wrenching at the sword. “Shanea, are you hurt?”
“No!” she shouted.
“Then quit screaming!” Herzer bellowed, finally getting his sword free. He pulled the thing away, then reached under the bed until he made contact with one scrabbling hand and yanked the girl out, roughly.
“It was a… it was a…” Shanea whimpered, flailing her fists in front of her chest wildly.
“I know,” Herzer snapped. He went to the door and looked out, then ducked back as a black arrow embedded itself in the doorframe. “Fisk!”
He slammed the door and grabbed the bed, sliding it across and blocking the door. Then he looked around.
“Meredith,” Megan said, tightly. “Mirta, Ashly.”
“Bowmen in black in the corridor,” Herzer snapped. “Both guards down but so is the scorpion. But I don’t think the bowmen are on our side.”
