by Sam Schall
“You heard the captain. The two of us take point. Marino, Puckett, you’ll be right behind us. The rest of you after them. Let’s do this by the numbers. Marino, you have one duty. If this goes south on us, you are to get the captain out of here and to safety. If anything happens to her, you will answer first to me, then to Major Pawlak, then to Admiral Tremayne and then to the rest of the Devil Dogs.” Now it was his turn to hold up a hand to keep Ashlyn from speaking. “Captain, you know I’m right.”
She tried to stare him down and lost. Damn it, he was right, but she didn’t have to like it. Instead of speaking, she nodded and reached up to remove the helmet she’d put back on once inside the building.
“Captain!”
“They need to see us, Gunny, us and not just the armor. Quit acting like my nanny and think. You know I’m right.”
“I swear to God, ma’am, if you get yourself killed, I’ll find a way to resurrect you just so I can kill you myself.”
It wouldn’t surprise her if he managed to do just that. So she’d have to make sure she didn’t get herself killed.
Besides, she still had a few things she needed to do before Death finally found her. There were some people who had to pay for what had happened to her and her company back on Arterus.
“Then let’s do this. Stow your helmets but keep your weapons ready.” As the others complied, she moved closer to the bend in the corridor, Talbot on her heels. “All right, Gunny. Let them know we’re here.”
“Attention at the barricade. This is Gunnery Sergeant Kevin Talbot, First Marine Division, Devil Dogs. Stow your weapons. We’re moving forward.”
Ashlyn waited long enough to hope the civilians heeded what the gunny said. Then she nodded. With Talbot all but glued to her and radiating his displeasure, she moved forward. One step at a time. That’s all it took. Let the civilians see they were who they claimed and then she could figure out how to get everyone to safety.
Still, as she neared the corner, she drew a deep breath. Her fingers itched to pull the pistol at her right thigh. She knew how dangerous her actions were. All it would take was one overly nervous civilian pulling the trigger and either she or Talbot could pay the ultimate price. The problem was she didn’t see any other way. These might be some of those residents who were ex-military. But she couldn’t count on it. That meant they had to see for themselves that the squad was friendly, not part of those who’d been trying to kill them.
“We’re coming out!” she called.
* * *
Elizabeth Shaw’s head snapped up and her eyes went wide. No, it couldn’t be. Damn it, this was a trick after all. There was no way, absolutely no way, the person she’d heard could be there. Lips pulling back in a snarl, she signaled for her companions to stand ready. She’d damn well show those bastards that they’d screwed with the wrong woman.
The sound of a step focused her attention on the corner. Her rifle snugged against her shoulder, her finger resting next to the trigger, she waited. If this was a trick. . . .
It had to be a trick. There was no other explanation.
It would also be the last trick those responsible ever played. She’d make sure of it.
But if it wasn’t. . . .
She couldn’t think about that now. She couldn’t let hope make her sloppy. Others, too many others, were relying on her to protect them.
Breathing deeply once, twice, she steadied her nerves. It might have been years since she’d seen action, but she hadn’t forgotten her training. She knew exactly what she had to do.
“Stand ready,” she said softly. “Be prepared for anything, but do not fire unless I give the command.”
* * *
Ashlyn paused and listened to the sounds coming from around the corner. Was she doing the right thing? She knew Talbot wasn’t the only member of the squad unhappy with her orders. Unhappy? That was putting it mildly. They were pissed and, if she were honest with herself, she would be too if their places were reversed. The CO wasn’t supposed to expose herself to danger, not like this. But this was one situation where she had to. Surely they understood that?
The problem was she didn’t need to do it, at least not tactically speaking. She could easily send Talbot in as her second. Once he was sure the situation was secure, he’d stand down in her favor. That’s what she ought to do. That’s what Pawlak would tell her to do if consulted. But she couldn’t. Maybe she was being foolish but, after what happened on Anteras, she wasn’t letting anyone take chances for her, at least not if she could help it.
She exhaled, drew another deep breath to steady her nerves and stepped forward. As she did, she forced her fingers to relax the grip they’d taken around the butt of her pistol. Holding her hands out from her body, she moved around the corner, her eyes sweeping from side to side. So far, so good. No one had taken a pot shot at her and nothing had gone boom.
That had to be a good sign, right?
Then her eyes focused on a tall, slender woman with brunette hair sprinkled with gray and she came to an abrupt halt. In that moment, nothing existed except the woman in light battle armor, rifle snugged to her shoulder, crouching behind the barrier. Of all the shocks she’d been dealt over the last few days, this one rocked her the most. Yet one small part of her brain told her she should have expected it, especially after what Pawlak had said earlier.
Shaking her head, trying to still her emotions, Ashlyn prayed this wasn’t a dream from which she’d soon awake.
All thought of safety and protocol suddenly forgotten, she took a quick step away from the gunnery sergeant. His hissed protest fell on deaf ears. Her entire focus was on the woman slowly rising to her feet, disbelief and even anger reflected on her expression.
“Mom?”
Tears filling her eyes, Ashlyn took another step forward. Then the world exploded and all went dark.
* * *
“Hold your fire!” Elizabeth yelled. “Goddamn it, hold your fire!”
Without thinking, she slid her rifle into place across her back and vaulted over the barricade. She felt her implants kicking in, giving her added speed even as they released high doses of gamma amino butyric acid to stop the panic rising in her. Her heart pounded and fear rose in her throat as she raced to where the young woman had fallen. As she dropped to her knees at the captain’s side, the gunnery sergeant knelt opposite her. Her eyes went wide with recognition. Then she flinched under his withering look as he barked out for someone to find a medic. Before she could open her mouth to say they had a doctor, he glared at her again and she clamped her jaws shut.
Not that talking was much of an option as she gazed down at the face she’d missed seeing for so long. Her heart clinched at the sight of the scar marring her daughter’s cheek. Another scar bisected the young woman’s right eyebrow. From the bruising and swelling around her nose, it was easy to guess she’d broken it very recently. But worse was the blood at her left temple. Had Ashlyn somehow managed to make it home only to be killed by friendly fire?
Then she was aware of Abe yelling at her through her earbud, demanding to know what was happening. She reached up and tore the device out of her ear, tossing it to the ground. She couldn’t talk to him, couldn’t deal with him until she knew more. Wasn’t it enough that her own heart had just been torn out? She couldn’t let that happen to him, not again.
“Who fired that shot?” the gunny demanded as he looked up from his captain, his eyes fierce.
“Answer the man!” Elizabeth ordered without looking up from her daughter’s face.
It was Ashlyn. It couldn’t be anyone else. But how?
“Gunny, let me,” a young blonde in light armor said as she slid to a halt at his side.
For a moment it looked like he might argue. Then he nodded and slowly climbed to his feet. Elizabeth caught the hand signal he sent the rest of his squad, putting them on guard. They weren’t going to let anything else happen to their captain or anyone else.
“I asked who fired that shot.” He ground out
each word. Elizabeth knew she needed to do something, say something, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t pull her attention away from her daughter.
Get it together, Liz. You can’t do anything for Ash, not now at least, and you have to make sure no one else gets hurt.
“Stand down, Gunny,” she said firmly as she forced herself to her feet. “We’ll deal with that later. But for now, I need to know what’s happening and then we need to get the civilians evacuated.”
She waited, wondering if he’d argue and press the point. She wouldn’t blame him if he did. Hell, he’d asked exactly what she wanted to know. Not that she didn’t have a damned good idea, especially considering the way Ramsey was doing his best to hide behind the others at the barricade.
“Yes, ma’am.” He visibly got himself under control. “Colonel Shaw, our squad took out the enemy at the rear of the building. Major Pawlak and the rest of the Devil Dogs as well as support troops are in place to deal with the attackers out front but the major wants to make sure all civilians have been evacced first. Once we have a clear picture of how many people you have here, we can get started.” He paused and glanced back to where the medic busily worked to treat Ashlyn. “LT?” His concern was clear.
“She’s going to have a hell of a headache when she wakes, Gunny, but she should be fine,” the blonde assured him. “It would help if we could get her off the floor.”
“Gunny, detail two men to carry her. We’ll move her down to the basement where the children are. Then you’d better be prepared to tell me just what the hell is going on and how my daughter happens to be here,” Colonel Elizabeth Shaw, former CO of the Devil Dogs, said .
And I’d better let Abe know what’s going on before he blows a gasket and comes down to see for himself.
* * *
Oh, God, Gunny is going to kill me.
Ashlyn lay still, assessing how she felt. Why in hell had she agreed to take part in the mission without first having her implants brought back online? At least then she wouldn’t hurt so badly. Without the implants, her battle armor didn’t know to release the pain killers that would have kept her head from pounding so.
Not that it was anything like the headache she’d likely get after Talbot finished yelling at her. Then there’d be Pawlak to deal with and a simple headache wouldn’t come close to what she’d feel then.
Keeping her eyes closed, she listened to what was going on around her. Voices, some sounding much too young, were talking. She caught snatches of conversation. Fear that the enemy would move in before they were ready. Another voice, a woman’s, reassuring someone that his mommy was all right, that she was just sleeping for a bit. Then she heard Talbot saying they were just waiting for Lieutenant Tsui’s people to get there to help with the evac. Another voice, the woman’s again, told everyone to get ready to move. When Talbot gave the word, they wouldn’t have time to waste.
God, she wished her head didn’t hurt so much. It made it hard to think.
She must have moved without realizing it because she sensed someone bending over her. A moment later, a hand tilted her head to the side. “Lie still, Captain. You’re going to be fine. Let me give you something for the pain.”
There was a sting at the right side of her neck as a pressure syringe was applied. Almost instantly, the pain eased. Ashlyn opened her eyes and found herself looking up at the young medic who’d been dispatched to treat their prisoner. The blonde gave her a slight smile and nodded before looking over her shoulder. Ashlyn followed her gaze and gasped. Standing across the room, a very large room she guessed must be part of the basement, was Talbot and . . . .
“Mom?” It hadn’t been a dream after all. Or, if it was, she hadn’t awakened.
Ignoring the lieutenant’s protests, Ashlyn pushed into a sitting position. For a moment, the room swam around her and her stomach protested. She ignored it. Hell, she’d felt worse too many times on Tarsus for this to really bother her. Besides, nothing mattered just then besides the fact she was just a few feet from her mother.
But where was her father? Her sister?
Then, without warning, she found herself almost thrust back into a prone position as someone launched himself at her. A small someone. Arms and legs wrapped around her armored torso and a soft, warm face burrowed in against her neck. Her arms automatically wrapped around the child and held him close. Then, recognizing the dark hair, the shape of the head, her heart clinched and tears filled her eyes.
“Mommy!” her five year old son cried.
“I’m here, baby. I’m here.” She held him close and sat up, rocking back and forth as she did. Then, with the lieutenant’s help, she carefully climbed to her feet. This was too much to take in. She’d known it was possible her parents might be in the complex. But not her son. He was supposed to be halfway across the system with his father. Her bastard of an ex-husband had made sure he gained full custody of their son once she’d been convicted. So what was Jake doing here?
Then her mother was there, enveloping them both in a hug. “There’s a lot to say and even more to ask but it can wait, dear heart,” Elizabeth Shaw said a moment later, tears glistening in her eyes.
“Dad and Katie?”
“Your father’s upstairs making sure the others are ready to move. He’ll be down once Lieutenant Tsui’s people relieve them. Your gunny is right. We don’t want to do anything to tip the enemy off about what’s going on.
“And your sister’s safe. She is off-planet right now. She left more than two weeks ago and isn’t due home until next month.”
“My brothers?”
“Off-planet and on ships.”
A shudder of relief ran through Ashlyn to know none of her family had been harmed during the attack and she held tightly onto her son. There were so many other questions she wanted to ask, but they could wait. They had to wait, at least until everyone was safely away from the fighting.
“All right.” Ashlyn carefully shifted Jake to her left hip and then nodded to Talbot. “Gunny, status?”
“The LT is one his way with our relief, Cap. Once they are in position, the civilians will be moved out and we’ll put the screws to the enemy.”
“Excellent.” Now she nodded. “Lieutenant, what about our prisoner?”
“He’s been moved back to the FOB, Captain.”
“Cap, the major is on the horn for you,” Marino reported.
She nodded and activated her suit’s comm unit. “Shaw here, Major.”
“Captain, what part of don’t do anything stupid do you not understand?” Pawlak demanded. She winced slightly as his words echoed through her earbud.
“Sorry, sir, but it was a necessary risk. I’m sure the good lieutenant has already assured you that I’m all right. Besides, my head is very hard, as you’ve told me on more than one occasion,” she countered easily. Although, she did plan to have a discussion with whomever had been the one to fire at her. She’d been lucky and she knew it.
“And you’re still as cheeky as ever,” Pawlak said. Fortunately, he sounded more amused than angry. “Report.”
“We’re ready for the next phase as soon as Lieutenant Tsui arrives.”
“Good. You’ll be returning to the FOB with the civilians, Captain. I want to see for myself that you aren’t seriously injured. After you’ve given your report, I’m turning you over to the medics so they can do their magic with you. After that, well, I’m sure FleetCom and the Commandant will have orders for us all.”
She wanted to argue but knew better. She was lucky they hadn’t hauled her out of there already. It had been a damn fool stunt. But there was one thing she wouldn’t take “no” on. She wanted – no, she needed – for her family to come with her. After so much time away from her and the shock of learning her darling son had been in the middle of the fire zone, she needed time with them and if it had to be at the FOB or on a ship or somewhere else, so be it. All that mattered was spending some much needed time with them.
“Ash,” Pawlak continued softly,
almost gently. “Don’t worry. Your family will be going with you. I promise.”
“Thank you, Major.”
“Now, make sure everyone’s ready to move.”
“Aye, sir.” She turned to Talbot. “Gunny, you heard?”
“Yes, ma’am. We’re ready.”
“Mommy?”
“It’s okay, Jake.” She smiled at him. She ought to put him down but she couldn’t. Not yet at any rate. “We’re going to get out of here real soon and then you’re going to get meet some of the nice Marines Mommy has been working with.”
“Ash?”
“Mom, I’ll explain everything just as soon as we’re out of here. But believe me when I say this has been an even bigger surprise to me than it has been to you. A certain family friend has a lot to explain to both of us.” She didn’t need to name Tremayne for her mother to nod, a look of understanding lighting her hazel eyes.
“You home now, Mommy?” Jake asked.
“I hope so, baby. I sincerely hope so.”
Chapter Eight
“You can sit up now, Captain.”
Careful not to move too quickly, Ashlyn levered into a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the examination table. As she did, Dr. Samuel Ahern watched closely. She didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking. She’d heard it often enough over the last few days. He didn’t think she needed to be anywhere except in the hospital where all her injuries, old and new, could be treated.
And where the head-shrinks could delve into her darkest nightmares and decide if she was fit to return to duty.
Not that he had ever come right out and said that last part. He didn’t need to. She had seen too many of her fellow Marines face the same situation during the war. It usually happened after they had been seriously injured or their unit had suffered major casualties. Sometimes it happened after a particularly bad battle. Full psych evals were always required if a Marine, or any member of the armed forces, fell into enemy hands and then somehow managed to get free. After all, no one – meaning no politicians – wanted to risk them going rogue and hurting innocents or damaging governmental property because they’d cracked under the pressures of being held captive or had been indoctrinated or changed loyalties.
