Not on Her Watch

by Nicole Zoltack

  "I hate meeting you all," Padilla said. "Honestly, I wish I never met any of you."

  "The feeling's mutual," Shauna blurted out.

  Padilla appraised her with a critical air and then nodded. "You're Strongarm's, aren't you?"

  "As much as he's mine," she said coolly.

  Padilla offered her a smile and a nod. "I meant no disrespect, and if there's anyone who could hold his own against the Hidden Serpents, it's him."

  "Thank you, but let's focus on the task at hand."

  "West, watch it," the Captain snapped but then conceded, "Let's move on."

  "Of course." The Lieutenant Colonel removed a piece of paper from his back pocket and unfolded it onto the table. It was a map. "Here is where we are. Here is where the attack happened. We had lost men the day before the press, and we had hoped to recover their bodies. The Hidden Serpents torched the place as we fell back. I hadn't realized that some were left behind until after the smoke settled."

  The tightening of his jaw and the squareness of his shoulders had Shauna feeling even guiltier about judging the officer. He was nervous, frantic, furious, frustrated. He wanted his men back alive.

  Shauna swallowed hard. "Every unit or squad has lost people before."

  "But this was on me. I could have waited. I should have listened to Strongarm. He wanted to take out the snipers. I wanted us to sneak closer before they knew we were coming."

  Shauna frowned, but it was the Captain who made her point for her.

  "If they had snipers out, they already knew," the Captain said.

  The Lieutenant Colonel shook his head. "They always have snipers out. For every one we kill, three more spring up. I have no idea where their numbers come from."

  "They must have gained followers from outside of the island," Felipe suggested.

  "Or maybe they already have soldiers in other countries to recruit more men," Rozene said.

  Shauna nodded. "That makes sense. We never did figure out how exactly they gained civilians from the ten countries that they killed on air."

  "Back on point," the Captain growled.

  Padilla smoothed out the map. "I would like to come with you when the time comes."

  The Captain shook his head. "No. You can listen in and give advice and your opinion, but that is it. You have the rest of your unit under your command to attend to. We have our mission, and we can handle it."

  "Very well." Padilla pointed to several locations on the map. "From Taroh Darr, we believe these are locations of interest for the Hidden Serpents. They might be weapon or supply areas. They may be more bases. They might be cleared out already."

  "Who is Taroh Darr?" the Warrant Officer asked.

  Padilla glanced at Trinity Shepherd. "He used to be a Hidden Serpent's man. When he realized the length that they would go to achieve their goal, he's been working for us."

  "You trust him?"

  "Considering that without him, we would never have reclaimed the city in the first place, I trust him with my life."

  Trinity nodded. "So we should hit those places first."

  "They have captured our soldiers before, correct?" Shauna asked.

  "Yes. Every other time, however, they made public executions of them within the hour," Padilla said. "And by public, I mean worldwide."

  "How can you be certain they're alive?" Shauna's voice was hardly audible. It contained so much sadness and worry that she was surprised by how unrecognizable it was.

  Again, Padilla reached into his pocket. "We received a letter from the Hidden Serpents."

  He laid it on the map. Everyone crowded around to read it.

  We have your marines. N. Strongarm. L. Barker. J. Sullivan. S. Putman. Leave Grotto's Bay now, or else we will do something far worse than kill them. We are the Hidden Serpents, and the serpents will not remain hidden for long.

  Shauna rejected the worry and the fear. She channeled it into a cool, calculated anger. At all times, she must not forget her training.

  "Something far worse," Lela murmured.

  "Let's not waste time trying to decipher their meaning," the Captain said. "Which of those locations do you think would be the one we should target first?"

  Padilla tugged on his left ear. "This one is the closest to the battle, but this one has the potential to be a larger base. It isn't just one building here, but three that have been converted into one. This third one is the most heavily guarded though. Personally, I always thought that they made it too clear that it was heavily guarded."

  "To draw our attention there and away from somewhere else," Shauna said.

  "Precisely." The Lieutenant Colonel nodded to her.

  Rozene stepped forward. "The sandstorm will have a field day here. The buildings are far too low from all of the battles. All of the sand… our visibility will be so poor. We will be trapped. They have the means to thrive while the storm goes on, but we will be sitting ducks."

  "Sandstorm?" Padilla asked, his shock evident.

  She nodded.

  Padilla slammed his fist onto the table. His anger didn't surprise Shauna, but his confusion did. "I hadn't realized…"

  "Realized what?" the Captain asked critically.

  "The Hidden Serpents have been claiming that they can control the world. The ocean. The sky."

  "The weather," Rozene supplied.

  "Which is why the meteorologists aren't predicting a sandstorm anytime soon," Felipe cut in.

  "You're saying they have the technology to manipulate the weather?" Captain Jones glowered at Coral and Mack as if this was their fault.

  "Their technology is cutting edge," Mack admitted.

  "How long do natural sandstorms last here?" the Captain asked.

  "A week," Padilla said sadly.

  All of that sorrow and worry came rushing back. Fear forced goosebumps to rise on her skin. Shauna could hardly believe it. Had they rushed the way here to be forced to wait an entire week before they could even attempt to rescue their men?

  As it turned out, the created sandstorm lasted for two weeks. Two long weeks.

  The only hope Shauna could cling to was that the Hidden Serpents hadn't broadcasted a single death. If anything, they seemed to be very hidden indeed.

  Just what were they planning? What were they doing to the Marines?

  Were the Marines even alive?

  Chapter 11

  Neil woke to hushed whispers outside of his door. He could eavesdrop if he wished, but he would not. Doing so would be wrong.

  The Hidden Serpents were more than just a military group. They were a family, and family treated each other with respect. They had taken him in, given him a purpose, and fueled his body, his heart, his soul, and his mind. Without them, he would be lost. This world was far too dangerous to dare risk being lost in it.

  His memory was a strange thing right now, but the gaps didn’t bother him. He knew and understood his role. That was what mattered. The Colonel said he had an assignment for Neil, and that was what he would focus on.

  It did feel strange to wake up in a soft bed peacefully, though. The world did not have peace yet. The world deserved peace, and Neil would have a hand in bringing that same peace to everyone.

  Except to the Hidden Serpent’s foes.

  A solid knock sounded at the door, and Neil jumped out of bed and stood at attention immediately.

  The door opened to reveal the Colonel. He stared at Neil indifferently.

  “Today, you prove your loyalty to the Hidden Serpents,” he said, his words echoing off the walls. “Succeed, and you will be given this.”

  The Colonel slowly rolled up his sleeve. On the inside of his bicep was a tattoo of a stunning serpent. When his arm would hang by his side, the serpent would be hidden from view.

  “Tell me what I must do to earn that,” Neil said, barely able to contain his excitement.

  “There is a civilian who lives in Grotto’s Bay who does not understand and will not join our cause. He fights against us by stealing our food and supp
lies. What do we do to thieves?” the Colonel asked.

  “Cut off their hands.”

  “And if they give us lip?”

  “Cut off their tongues.”

  The Colonel nodded stiffly. “His name Taroh Darr. He has been spotted in the western quadrant of Razun. Here he is.”

  Neil accepted the paper. A tanned man with a wide nose, thick eyebrows stared back at him. Darr’s face was thin. In fact, his entire upper body seemed a little thin too. No wonder he was stealing food, but stealing was wrong. And what supplies was he taking? Not that that changed things for Neil. He was given an assignment, and he would carry it out.

  “I assume Taroh Darr will have more than a few words for you,” the Colonel said. “If Taroh Darr gives you a hard time, kicks you, tries to bite you, anything after you cut out his tongue, kill him.”

  Neil nodded. “I will handle the situation. Is he acting alone?”

  The Colonel smiled. “I would doubt it. Our intelligence has not given us the names of his followers. If you find any, feel free to bring them in. Or you can handle them as you see fit.”

  Neil nodded. “Sir, yes, sir.”

  “Good. A meal and your supplies will be brought in shortly. You can leave afterward.” The Colonel’s gaze shifted to the unmade bed. “See that that is corrected.”

  “At once.”

  The Colonel tipped his head and left the room. At once, Neil made the bed as tightly and perfectly as he could. The moment he finished, his door opened, and a man handed Neil a tray. A second man gave Neil a backpack. The two were dressed in camouflage, but something in their stiffness made Neil believe they were guards.

  He thanked them, but the guards silently left. Undeterred by their rudeness, Neil ate his food. The grapefruit wasn’t perfectly ripe yet. The peanut butter on the toast was delicious though. He drank the entire pitcher of water. It wasn’t nearly enough food, but he wouldn’t complain. Who knew? Maybe that Taroh Darr had stolen enough food that the amount they had to ration out was diminished.

  A pang of guilt and sorrow hit Neil then. He had eaten like a glutton last night. Just because he was hungry didn’t mean he should do with more if it meant others had to do without.

  All the more reason to stop this thief.

  Neil placed the tray on top of the dresser. The top drawer contained boxers, briefs, and perfectly matched socks. Boxers and briefs? Interesting. He grabbed some socks and briefs and then opened the next drawer.

  There, he found camouflage gear. He changed his clothes immediately. Beneath the bed, he found combats boots. He tied them tight and rifled through the backpack. Some rope, a compass, a map, a first aid kit, which he found extremely funny. A set of matches, some flint, and that was it. No knife. No gun. No rifle. No bullets. No weapon at all.

  Neil hesitated at that. His hands were certainly weapons, yes. And he could hold his own against a knife as demonstrated by the doctor. However, he had to assume the civilians had weapons in their possession whether legally acquired or illegally obtained. He would be going up against them at a disadvantage.At a moment, Neil shrugged. He could easily choke a man or kill him with his hands. Doctor Despair was right that Neil’s reflexes were heightened to almost absurd heights. He might be able to dodge bullets. He hoped he wouldn’t have to find out if that was true, but he rejected the idea that he could be afraid. The Colonel wanted Neil to succeed. He would’ve have set Neil up for failure.

  After studying the map for a minute, Neil left his room. The two guards had remained in the hall by his door, so Neil went back inside to retrieve the tray. Wordlessly, the shorter one accepted it, but the two guards jointly escorted Neil from the premises.

  Outside, the military bunker looked like it was nothing more than a sandy hill. The door nearly blended into the landscape as if it was completely natural. If there were any trucks or tanks or anything of the sort nearby, they were too camouflaged for him to detect them.

  Neil didn’t even need the compass. He easily found the trail he needed to take to head to Razun, although he did not use it. Instead, he cut along the natural landscape instead. He did not want to risk detection by any foes, but he also wished to seek out any foes that he could.

  Any fools against the Hidden Serpents must be hiding because he did not spot any of them during his trek. The sight of the ruins that had been Razun disgusted Neil. The city had surely been in its glory before those ignorant civilians took it upon themselves to fight back. Didn’t they realize that peace was the Hidden Serpent’s main objective? How could they not accept this? Sometimes, change was difficult, yes, but this alteration would be for the benefit of everyone.

  With one government, there would be no more first-world, second-world, or third-world countries. There would only be countries. There would be no more world hunger. No more poverty. No mortars. No more fighting. No more homelessness. No more unemployment. Everyone would have a purpose. Everyone would have their own individual goals as well as objectives required by the new government. Everyone would work together to ensure everyone had a place to live, a job, clothes, and food. No one would be without.

  It would be a utopia, and it would soon become a reality.

  How soon, exactly, Neil wasn’t certain. The Hidden Serpents worked out of the island of Grotto’s Bay. Once the entire island accepted them, they could move onto Japan and China and onward from there. Or should they go after Australia first? Now that would make for a truly solid base. Australia was massive compared to the size of Grotto’s Bay.

  But Neil was getting ahead of himself. First, he had to handle this important mission for the Hidden Serpents.

  If he were being honest with himself, Neil had to admit that he was disappointed and frustrated. Going after a common thief felt beneath him, but there would be other missions once he succeeded. The more he proved himself a worthy and competent ally of the Hidden Serpents, the more dangerous and fulfilling his assignments would be.

  I want to become the Colonel’s go-to man. I will become his second. I will do everything that he asks of me.

  Neil’s pace quickened the closer he ventured toward the city. Now, he had no choice but to take the path. The few trees and underbrush had all be killed within a certain radius of Razun. Neil kept his head down and walked with purpose but also unhurriedly. He did not wish to attract attention.

  A kind, older woman with curly white hair and hazel eyes approached Neil. From the way she stared at him critically, he wondered if they had crossed paths before.

  “What do you want?” she demanded. “Why are you here?”

  He appraised her in return, noting her hatred, her frustration, her worry. If only she was on the proper side, then she would feel only hatred for those who did not agree with their true way. She would only feel frustration that more hadn’t accepted their call. And worry, given her age, that she might not see the dawn of their new era once achieved.

  The woman brushed her curls back, and Neil spotted a small braid tucked beneath her hair. It wasn’t the braid that caught his eye but the green coil surrounding an inch of the hair. It was the exact same shade of green as the serpent tattoo on the Colonel.

  She bristled angrily, whether at his staring or at his hesitation he wasn’t certain. “Are you going to answer me?”

  “If you answer one of my questions first,” Neil countered. “What do you want most?”

  “To live to see the dawn.”

  “Which dawn?”

  She eyed him, and her skepticism melted away, replaced with interest and a frightening level of happiness. “The dawn of the rising serpent.”

  Before he could say anything, she flashed him her tattoo. She lifted the billowy sleeve of her tan dress that reached so long it trailed along the sand. He barely had time to see it before she was adjusting her sleeve so no one could see it.

  “That day will dawn soon,” Neil said.

  Her grin stretched even wider now. “It will indeed. You know our tongue.”

  He hadn’t realized h
e was speaking in it.

  His confusion must have been plain because she patted his arm. “Don’t you worry. Don’t you fear. The time will come.”

  “It will come all the sooner if you can help me. I am looking for a Taroh Darr. Do you know where I can find him?”

  The old woman turned her head to the side and spat. “Do I know him? Yes, I do.”

  “But where can I find him?”

  She pursed her lips.

  “You don’t trust me, do you? Have we met before?”

  “What do you want with Taroh Darr anyhow?”

  Neil hesitated.

  “You don’t say. I won’t help,” she said.

  Frustration warred within Neil. He could find Taroh Darr without her, certainly, but she could help him to complete his first mission that much sooner. Besides, the Colonel hadn’t told him not to mention his objective to anyone.

  “Taroh Darr is a known thief against the Hidden Serpents,” Neil whispered in a rush. He hated that he felt like he was betraying the Colonel by mentioning this to her. If the woman proved to be an enemy after all, he would deal with her as all enemies would be dealt with. Her gender would not protect her.

  “That he is. Very well. I will take you to him. I only just learned of his location an hour ago.”

  An hour ago. Just before the Colonel gave Neil this assignment. The Colonel was trusting Neil to handle this problem, and Neil would not disappoint him.

  The old woman eyed Neil and shook her head. “Come to my place first, though.”

  “Why?” he asked suspiciously.

  “Because you look dehydrated and like you need to eat more.” She poked his belly. “I have some food I can spare you.”

  Neil’s stomach grumbled. He flushed with embarrassment.

  The old woman just laughed. “See? I know what you need more than you do.”

  “What I need is Taroh Darr’s hands,” Neil said angrily. “If you insist on slowing me down, I must consider you an enemy.”

  She gaped at him in dismay. Fury flashed in her eyes, and she shook her head. “You do not know who you are dealing with, do you?” she asked angrily. To Neil’s surprise, sadness creased lines near her eyes.