The Black Guard: Book II: Evolution (Black Guard Series 2)

by C. R. Daems

  "We'll stay out of your way, Captain. We've heard … stories." Tubbs said.

  "Assume they are true, Officer Tubbs," I said with a smile. "Since you know the country and have Sharli's schedule, why don't you lead and we'll follow?" I assigned Elijah to Alani, Catz's team to Tami, and Cerff's team to Sharli. I accompanied Cerff, Volpe and Toch into the shuttle for the trip to a town meeting at Ozark.

  We arrived around noon and were taken to the local church, where slightly over a hundred people had gathered to hear Sharli speak. I was told that was close to eighty percent of the adult population. Volpe and Toch stayed outside while Cerff and I went inside along with the two policemen. Sharli wisely began by explaining that the SUC chairman had assigned the extra security as a result of Representative LaRoush's death, and after a few minutes, we were ignored. The discussions were predominately about local issues and proposed laws that were being considered in Calmet City.

  "The northern towns are unanimously against the alliance. The southern towns tend to be more interested in an alliance, particularly Calmet City. They like the idea of more trade with the other systems." Sharli said as we traveled to the next town on today's schedule. "I try to visit several towns each week and make sure I see each town every month or two. That way, when election time rolls around I know their issues and they know me." She gave a short laugh, which was the first time I'd seen a smile since we met.

  I knew I hadn't helped by mentioning her mother and daughter could be targets.

  The next stop was only a half hour away, and the discussions involved similar issues. Sharli seemed to be liked and to take a genuine interest in each issue, making sure she understood the residents' specific concerns. We arrived back home late in the afternoon.

  "Sir," Cerff said after we had entered the house. "Volpe reports that two men seemed a little too interested in the police skimmers, and one man tried to divert his attention away from his friend. Volpe didn't see them carrying anything, but the weather is cold up here and their clothing was bulky."

  "Alani and Tami stayed in and we noticed no visitors," Elijah reported.

  I had nothing to report but as promised, I used my Mfi to contact the Crouching Tiger. Captain Blatt and Colonel Berger appeared after a minute delay and looked to be sitting in the captain's office.

  "Glad you called, Sapir. A trader's ship, the Wanderer out of Valhall, docked this morning. They plan to stay in system for a couple of weeks. Half their crew has been given shore leave," Blatt said, sounding concerned. "They rented a couple of skimmers, apparently to conduct trade talks with various states."

  "Backup, I suspect," I said, doubting they would use Valhall crew except as a last resort. For now, they would bribe or pay for local help. "Thanks, Captain. So far things are quiet here. We did two town meetings with no trouble." I clicked off, glad for the warning and wondering how far Outpost and Valhall were willing to go to ensure the vote was pro-alliance.

  * * *

  The next day was a repeat of the previous one. So on the following day when Sharli had another town meeting up north, I chose to tag along with Alani, who had decided to go shopping and was taking Tami. Krebs and Paler accompanied Alani, and Alpert and Reti went along with Tami.

  Alani chose Denten, a city of sixty thousand with several medium-sized shopping centers. I left Alpert and Paler guarding the skimmer while Krebs, Reti, and I accompanied Alani and Tami into the stores, although I stayed back for a better view of the entire area.

  An hour into their shopping, I noticed a man watching Alani and Tami. He disappeared shortly afterward but reappeared twenty minutes later with four other men, who looked like locals, based on their clothing and features. The locals had a weathered look from the harsh weather and outdoor work. They didn't appear to be carrying weapons, but their loose, bulky clothing could be concealing almost anything.

  One man drifted away from the others and positioned himself behind me and slightly to my right, while the other four drifted toward Alani and Tami. Kidnapping, I mused, thinking Tami the likely target. Kidnapping both would be more difficult. Besides, Sharli's daughter would be the best bargaining chip. I concluded two would hassle the old woman while the other two isolated Tami—one to kill Reti and the second to grab her. The man behind me was there to ensure I didn't interfere.

  I knew Kreps and Reti were aware of the five men working their way into position while trying to look like they were shopping. It was almost comical, like killer whales trying to sneak up on a school of fish. I knew Reti would be the most vulnerable, so I clicked on my Mfi, which activated my microphone and Reti and Krebs's earpieces.

  "I think Alani is a diversion. Reti, you have the man behind me," I said quietly, noting slight nods of acknowledgment. When Alani placed a few items on the counter and prepared to pay, the whales moved in for the grab. As one of the men moved to bump into Alani, Krebs intercepted him with a leg sweep that sent him flying and then caught his companion with a back-thrusting kick to the chest as he tried to rush Krebs, who had his back to him. As the ruckus started, the man behind Reti began to draw a laser from his jacket as his partner moved to grab Tami. Krebs and I drew together—I shot the man behind Krebs through his right eye; Krebs's laser pointed to the side of me and flashed, which I'd wager had much the same result. As the man put his arm around Tami, my laser beam cut through his C1 and C2 vertebrae and he collapsed. When I looked to Kreps, he stood over the two men with his laser pointing in their direction. Alani looked toward Tami, who ran toward her and into her arms.

  "What happened?" Alani asked, hugging Tami while looking at the two dead men where Tami had been.

  "An attempted kidnapping, and not too badly planned," I said. "Just poorly executed."

  We spent the next hour with the police, who were reasonably receptive after they saw our SUC authorization and realized Alani was Representative Sharli's mother and Tami her daughter. It also helped that the local citizens we killed or injured had criminal records.

  * * *

  "Do you think because they were local thugs that means local interest is involved?" Sharli asked after having downed her third glass of wine. She had also finally stopped screaming, having gone ballistic when she heard about the attempted abduction. Now depression had set in and she was scared and trying to determine the potential risk.

  "Local thugs mean they were paid. That could have been by local or outside interest or both."

  "Both?"

  "You know based on the voting that Safort is divided. The question is whether there is someone or some group locally who has an overwhelming reason to want the alliance. Someone who might be willing to form a partnership to force the issue? Outpost certainly has an overwhelming reason and would be interested in partnering with local interests, paying for local support, or acting unilaterally if all else fails."

  "Won't today discourage further … attempts?" Sharli asked, looking toward Tami with misty eyes.

  "No. A few thugs were killed, so what? I doubt they know where the money came from, so no one is even embarrassed, much less charged with a crime. I'm afraid this is a high stakes issue where both sides want to win and where winning is all that matters."

  "So much for democracy!" Sharli shouted, filling her glass again. "What will they do next?"

  "They have several choices. Bribe you, scare you, threaten your mother and daughter, or kill you."

  "Which? You seemed to know they would try kidnapping."

  "Not all that clever. I just asked myself what I would do to make you change your mind if I were without morals. They scared you, so if I were them, I'd try a bribe. There is still time to kill you if that fails."

  "That would betray the people I represent, so you had better stick close to me." She laughed, topped off her glass of wine, and headed for her bedroom.

  * * *

  The next day, Sharli decided to go to her office in the capital. Senior Sergeant Cerff selected Volpe and Toch, and I decided he and I should also go, since it was the first time
she had been to the office and the danger would be accelerating as the scheduled SUC meeting date neared.

  The capital was a typical large city with both new and old sections. The capital building looked old, being the original built when Talula had become a state, but it recently had a face-lift, and the inside was new and modern. The lobby looked like any modern reception area, with comfortable chairs and couches to wait or to have introductory conversations. A reception counter controlled access to the offices of the Representatives, Governor, and major heads of the various governmental departments.

  Sharli's area was located at the back of the building: a private office, and a staff of three individuals who helped her prepare and evaluate proposals, handle calls from citizens, and keep up with invitations to local events. Toch stayed with the skimmer and Volpe stayed in the lobby while Cerff and I spent the day in her office suite.

  "Well, Captain Sapir, your crystal ball is still working. As you know, my family owns a small hardware store in town. Grego used to manage it, but after his … accident, we hired a full-time manager. I was just offered two million credits for the store if the Helix Alliance is approved." She smiled as she walked out of her office and prepared to leave for the day. "I told him it was worth a quarter million today and would be worth a quarter million at the end of the month."

  "You should have told him yes, maybe even suggested that you wanted more." I held up my hand. "It might have stopped their harassment of you."

  "I was so mad I just reacted without thinking. Do you really think that would have stopped them?"

  "No. They would have wanted some kind of assurance you'd deliver, but it might have delayed whatever they are planning for a few days."

  "More thugs you think?

  "Yes, but not local. People with money who are willing to kill usually don't repeat strategies that fail, and they are running out of time."

  We walked down the hallway and through the lobby, which was now empty, since the building had closed for the day. Volpe led the way out of the building with Cerff trailing and me walking by Sharli's side, slightly behind her.

  As we approached the skimmer, two men could be seen pulling a struggling woman toward a commercial skimmer some fifty meters ahead. We could hear her pleading for them to let go. When she noticed us, she screamed for help.

  "Aren't you going to help?" Sharli asked, looking to me with an angry frown.

  "No." I said as we reached our police skimmer, where Toch stood with the door open and the engine running.

  "But there are only two—" she stammered as I half lifted her into the skimmer and shut the door. Seconds later, Toch was in the air and racing away from the area.

  I grabbed the microphone from the police radio and held it out for her.

  "The registration of the Skimmer is CS2954," I said.

  She gave me an angry look, snatched the mike away from me, and then spent the next few minutes reporting what she had seen. "That was wrong … You could have helped that woman. They were hijacking her skimmer and no telling what they will do to her."

  "As I told the SUC committee, we are only concerned with our client's life. That may sound hard, but it is based on years of experience and intended for the client's sake." I held up my hand to stop any comments. "You think you know what you saw back there—two men hijacking a skimmer and kidnapping a woman. And many solutions jumped into your mind." Before she could react, I continued, "Volpe?"

  "Sir, the police's long-range viewer indicated they let the woman go after we had climbed to two thousand meters.

  "Let her go?" Sharli asked, looking bewildered.

  "It was a staged hijacking to divert our attention. What the idiots don't realize is that any Guard could have shot both men dead at that distance. That was a practical demonstration of one of many reasons we don't interfere."

  Sharli sat quiet for a long while. Finally, she gave a choked laugh. "Since my family and I are still alive and unharmed, I guess I shouldn't tell you how to do your job."

  "Ms. Sharli, your instincts are admirable and what you should expect every good citizen to do. But the rules have changed and what used to be the right thing to do yesterday can no longer be assumed the right thing to do today. You have to trust that although our rules may appear heartless, they are intended for your safety."

  "Alright. Let me apologize now for all the nasty things I'm going to say and think about you over the next couple of weeks." She laughed.

  * * *

  "I've been invited to a town meeting in Lahore," Sharli said as she sat down for breakfast. It wasn't a question, but it was—should I go?

  "I don't think you are in any more danger at a town meeting than at home. Here, you put your family at more risk, whereas away you potentially put others at risk."

  "Why?"

  "Because those that want you dead aren't concerned about collateral damage. And it's not like they can just walk up to you and shoot you," I said. "So they will need several gunmen and automatic weapons. Therefore, when the shooting starts the result will be confusion and panic, which is a recipe for disaster."

  "Damn them," she mumbled. "I can't give in to them without betraying those that voted for me, not to mention Safort, but I don't want to see anyone hurt." She turned toward me with a look of desperation.

  "Ms. Sharli, best to ignore the thugs and let the Black Guard do the worrying. You cannot control their actions or anticipate what they will do or when." I knew that was easier said than done, but I hoped it would ease her mind somewhat. I decided to accompany her detail and stay close to Sharli, because I thought time was getting short and killing her the logical next move. We left later that morning: Sharli, Cerff and his four-Guard detail, and me.

  "I notice you brought additional Black Guard. That's good. Lahore is in the southern part of the state and leans toward the alliance," Sharli said during the flight.

  "Leave the worrying to us." I smiled.

  She gave me a weak smile in response.

  When we arrived, Cerff left Corporal Preis outside with the skimmer. Inside, the hall was crowded, with at least a couple hundred seated on portable chairs to the left and right of a two-person-wide central aisle. As we drew even with the back row, I noticed an assortment of spacers who looked like ex-raiders—eight were obvious, judging by their dress and posture. They each wore an Mfw and were strategically placed to provide maximum crossfire: two each in the middle of the seated audience to the left, two to the right, and two leaning against the walls on the right and left sides. Their configuration would also produce chaos and result in excessive collateral damage.

  Sharli was in the center of the crossfire.

  I stopped her with a hand on her arm as I tried to decide on a defensive plan to save her and minimize the killing that was sure to follow. Before I could decide, a tall wiry man pushed away from the wall he had been leaning against.

  "Well if it isn't the black bitch who murdered seven innocent guards at Outpost." An evil smile appeared on his face and his eyes lit with excitement at the upcoming confrontation. The other seven I had identified either stood or moved away from the wall they had been standing against.

  Duty and its ramifications flashed through my mind.

  My first duty is to my client and my detail, not to these innocent people who have shown up to hear Sharli speak. However, if I shoot first, I'll have the advantage, and surprise could possibly minimize the collateral damage. But … I have a duty to the Jax, which means, like at Outpost, I can't shoot first without throwing blame on the Jax for starting the fight and throwing their motivation into question.

  As Cerff and Ganz moved ahead of Sharli, my focus became the man baiting me and the other man standing to his left against the back wall. My mind was at peace with my duty.

  "Did you enjoy killing them while they were distracted by their leader's welcoming speech? The Jax are cowards!" he shouted, warming to his rant.

  Unfortunately, he was also making the audience restless.

&nbs
p; "And deviates who—" the man on his left screamed and thrust out his left hand like a gun while his right rested on his Mfw. Simultaneously with the shout, the wiry looking man drew his Mfw as did the man on his left.

  I swept through Sharli's legs as I slapped my Mfw release and fired as Sharli went airborne, and my momentum began me moving right. Unfortunately, the contact with Sharli caused my first shot to miss the center of his head, ripping through his cheek instead and spinning him around to the left. My momentum continued me rotating right and I shot the man who had just shouted, hitting him dead center between his eyes.

  His weapon had just cleared his holster and it dropped to the floor as he was thrown back against the wall.

  As I continued through what would be a 360-degree sweep, I saw the man who had been in the opposite corner crumbling to the floor with blood spurting from a face wound. The two who had been in the audience were crashing over chairs as people were either diving for the floor or rising to flee.

  As my sweep finished my 360-degree rotation, I rose in time to see the wiry man had recovered and was bringing his Mfw to bear on me. We fired together. He hit me in the shoulder and arm; my shot hit him between the eyes. He flew backward and crashed into a window, where he hung draped backward over the sill.

  By now, everyone was on their feet and ready to stampede like terrified cattle.

  I fired several rounds into the ceiling and shouted, "Stop or I'll shoot." I fired twice again before the gunfire overcame their panic.

  "Please, calm down. The danger is over. Panic will only get some of you injured or killed." I looked to the camera crew near the front of the room and pointed at them. "Did you film what just happened?" I asked, and it seemed to distract the audience and calm them somewhat. At the same time, I helped Sharli up off the floor.

  "Yes. We had our cameras going the entire time," said a young man, grinning. I couldn't blame him. This was going to be the scoop of the year.