Echoes of War

by Cheryl Campbell

  Tonight, though, Curtis was busy playing with a new combat helmet.

  “Rowan! You must see this.” Curtis grinned as he pulled the helmet off.

  “I want weapons, Curtis, not toys.” Rowan took the helmet from his second-in-command and frowned.

  “You’ll like this one. Put it on.” Curtis turned to one of the technicians. “Cut the lights once he has it on.”

  Rowan pulled the helmet on. The soft padding auto-conformed to create a custom fit to his head, but left openings around his ears. He shifted his jaw; he liked not having a strap confining his movement. “The fit is nice. Snug but not too tight.”

  “It has enhanced audio so we don’t sound muffled,” Curtis said. “How do you like the night vision?”

  Curtis’s voice was indeed clear. Their current helmets slightly obscured voices from those not also wearing a helmet with a linked comm. As for the night vision … “Turn off the lights, and I’ll let you know.”

  Curtis grinned. “They are off.”

  Rowan didn’t believe him. He removed the helmet, swore in the darkness, and put the helmet back on.

  “Great, isn’t it?” Curtis said, sounding gleeful.

  “I can see everything.”

  “Yeah, and watch this.” Curtis put another helmet on.

  Rowan saw his face as though no visor existed. The helmet’s shell wrapped around Curtis’s head and his face appeared exposed, though it wasn’t.

  “Well done!” Rowan slapped his friend on the back.

  Curtis removed his helmet. “We’re shipping a prototype and plans to Boston tomorrow, but we have everything we need to mass produce them here. Our Wardens will be the first group to use them. It will take us some months before all our troops are equipped, since we are still getting new arrivals, but—”

  “Perfect!” Rowan took his helmet off. He congratulated each of the technicians in the room on their success before leaving with Curtis.

  “There are a few other things in the works to show you,” Curtis said as they walked.

  Rowan nodded. “I’ll come by tomorrow. Ana has ordered me home tonight. I want to talk to you about Bangor.”

  “Again?”

  “We need that town.”

  “The VR isn’t giving her blessing to move in.”

  “I know. And my contact botched his assignment. He hired Brigands to attack the MPs to stir up tensions there, but the Brigands went after MP families instead.”

  “Even better. Attacking family members would really piss off the police.”

  Rowan shook his head. “No. Another Brigand interfered, stopped the whole thing, killed one of the attackers, and the MPs let it all go. The police still should have retaliated, but they didn’t.”

  “Okay, so the Brigands are fighting each other now. This is still a good thing.”

  “Again, no. The Brigands caught the attacker that escaped and are still hunting for the other one. They’re more organized in Bangor than we realized. They have their own justice system in place for crimes against each other. I’ve given my contact orders to kill the two idiots he hired to sever that link back to us.”

  “What does it matter if they find out Wardens were involved?” Curtis shook his head. “They can’t come after us.”

  Rowan shook his head. “I want them to think their own kind are the biggest immediate threat. They can’t be allowed to organize like this, Curtis. We need to put them down forever. File another request to Boston in the morning. Send a request every goddamn day if you must. I want the green light.”

  “Will do.”

  Rowan nodded and left his friend to return home. If he hurried, Ana would still be up and waiting for him when he got there.

  CHAPTER

  27

  Dani straightened and stretched her back, stiff from leaning over the table of maps. She walked to the wall—covered with more maps—and rubbed her eyes before stepping closer to inspect the updated sketch of the Warden compound in Portland. Parts of the base were detailed with numerous small notes. Other parts were swaths of blank paper, waiting to be filled in.

  The lanterns in Gavin’s one-room home provided enough light for them to continue planning after dark, but after a few hours of studying the lines and notations, the low light was beginning to cause some strain.

  Gavin caught her rubbing her tired eyes. “Why don’t you take a break?” he asked. “Ale?”

  She recalled her latest experience drinking ale. “Water, please.”

  “Really?” He knew she loved ale.

  “It didn’t sit well with me the last time I had it.” She tapped her finger against the largest blank spots on the compound sketch. “We need to bring in Miles and Jace on this. Miles has knowledge of what’s in the barracks, and Jace knows Portland like the back of his hand. I, meanwhile, can’t remember a damn thing.”

  “Their information is fifteen years old, Dani. This is the best current intel we can get, short of going down there ourselves.” Gavin handed her a mug of water.

  She took the mug and stared at him.

  He shook his head. “No. No!”

  “I like that idea.”

  “That’s what terrifies me. No, Dani. Jace will kill me, literally kill me, permanently, if I take you to Portland to snoop around.”

  “Take me? I don’t need your permission.”

  “But you do need my help.”

  Dani sipped her water; he had her there. She returned her attention to the wall maps. “Your contacts are confident the terrain maps are accurate?”

  “Yeah. Topos are good. There’s been some additional construction; they’re still researching what it’s for. They’ve been trying to keep track of weapons shipments, but stuff is constantly moving in and out, as are transport trucks and helos. The guy who runs the place makes rounds every day. He’s always making changes to schedules, troop rotations, everything.”

  “The inconsistencies could be a problem.”

  Gavin nodded. “Yeah, which is why we need this map.” He stared at the mostly blank piece of paper, three feet long and two feet wide, lying on the table. “The sewers will likely be our best way in and out.”

  “Mmm, can’t wait to be crawling around in shit.”

  Gavin chuckled.

  Dani frowned. “If trucks are going in and out, could it be a manufacturing site?”

  “It’s possible. My people found the demo area where they’re firing off new weapons, but they can’t get close enough to see what the weapons actually are.”

  “Damn. It would be nice to know what they’re up to. Other birds?”

  Gavin moved to stand next to her and took a drink from his mug. He pointed to the runways, indicated by long lines on the compound diagram. “They have at least three fighter planes that stay armed with bombs, but my contacts have never seen the jets leave. The Wardens are holding them in reserve—or, if we’re lucky, they simply lack the fuel to put them in the air much.”

  “What kind of firepower do they carry?”

  “Long- and short-range missiles. Dual high-caliber-round guns on the front and four incendiary bombs strapped to the belly.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Yeah.”

  “We need to assume they’re operational.”

  “Yep.”

  “Guards?”

  Gavin shrugged. “They have regular patrols, but overall the base isn’t swarming with people on the outside. Hell, they don’t even bother trying to encrypt on-base communication anymore.”

  “What about guards around the planes?”

  “Light. Why?”

  “Just thinking. Security is light, and they don’t care who intercepts messages. They don’t fear an attack from anyone, which means they’ll never see us coming.” Dani had an idea about how to immobilize the planes without destroying them. Warden fighter planes in CNA hands would be a nice win.

  Gavin disagreed. “We’ll show up as bright little dots on their radar miles before we arrive.”

  “Not if we�
��re wearing CNA skins.”

  “CNA tech lags behind the Wardens’, always. The suits may not work if the Wardens upgrade their radar.” He stopped and looked at her. “Wait. How do you know about skin tech?”

  “You’re not the only one who steals from the CNA,” she said, echoing his words to her the day he revealed he owned a MedPanel.

  “You’re assuming the CNA will agree to meet with us.”

  “We don’t need them to agree.”

  Gavin placed his mug aside and turned his full attention to her. “What are you talking about?”

  “The CNA meeting will happen whether they want it or not, Gavin. I’ve been inside the MP barracks, many times. You and I both can slip in without being caught.”

  “So if they don’t agree to us joining their meeting, you plan to crash it. Great.” Gavin sighed and shook his head. “Now I understand why Jace looks much older than he is—and he probably doesn’t know half the shit you do on a daily basis.”

  “No.” Dani laughed. “Hey, why have we stopped hand-to-hand training for so long?”

  “You needed time to heal.”

  “I’ve been healed.”

  “There isn’t much more I can teach you.”

  She realized he was avoiding the topic. “Can I beat you?”

  “No.”

  Dani took a long drink from her mug before setting it on the table. “Then there is more to teach me. Let’s go.” She headed for the door.

  Brody trotted out behind her, and headed off toward the trees. Dani stretched her arms and shoulders, waiting for Gavin to emerge. They had decent light from the moon, and tonight would still be a good warm-up after time off from training.

  Gavin started by throwing light attacks at her, each of which she easily defended, though he effortlessly swatted aside her more aggressive counters. His punches to her side when she failed to protect her ribs landed with enough force to make her stumble, but he didn’t work her as hard as he had the last time they trained.

  Dani dropped her hands after he landed another soft hit. “What the hell is wrong with you? You’re pulling your punches.”

  He shrugged. “Your movements are still stiff. How’s your back?”

  “Cut the shit, man. I’m fine.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “When did that change? You kicked my ass at the Standpipe. You had no issues leaving me in pain that day.”

  “And because of that, you had a difficult time when those men attacked you later.”

  Dani shook her head. “That wasn’t your fault. I was fine by the time I ran into them. Granted, you never taught me how to fight with a child attached to my leg, but we can call that one a fluke. The stairs falling apart in the Standpipe wasn’t your fault either.”

  He stepped closer and touched her cheek. “When Jace and I arrived and saw you like that, it killed me. You were in so much pain. I never trained you to deal with that kind of fighting. It is my fault you were injured that day, and I’m sorry.”

  He leaned toward her, and she put her hand on his chest and lowered her head. He was going to kiss her, and she wanted him to—God, she wanted him to—but she couldn’t let him. The feel of his chest beneath her palm weakened her resistance; all she wanted was to kiss him and drag him back into his house, all the way to his bed. She let her hand fall and took a step back.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Miles.”

  Gavin tightened his jaw. “You remembered your life with him.”

  “No. I don’t remember a damn thing. That’s the problem. You were there; you saw his reaction when I told him I didn’t know him. It ripped his fucking heart out. If anything happens to me, I’ll forget you. Do you really want that heartache too?”

  “I’m already in that boat, Dani.”

  Her brow creased. “What does that mean?”

  “I love you.”

  Dani stared at him for a moment before blinking. It took her another moment before she could speak. “I care about you, Gavin. I do.”

  “But?”

  “I want to wait.”

  “Why?”

  “Can we revisit this after we retake Maine?”

  “After retaking Maine?! Jesus, Dani, we don’t even know when we’re going to Portland.”

  “This winter,” she said without hesitation, “six months or so. We need to attack around January, worst part of the season. It’ll be stupid cold and a perfect time to hit them—when they’re freezing their balls off. Plus, I need the extra time to focus on becoming as good a fighter as you, or at least as close as I can get.”

  Gavin shook his head and frowned.

  Dani took his hand. “You’re not understanding me. I need you to teach me everything you can in that time so we’re both still around after Portland. Let’s get past that part first.”

  Gavin squeezed her hand. “It won’t be easy for me to wait.”

  “Please trust me when I say it won’t be easy for me either.”

  “Okay.” He released her hand. “So we’re back to just business for a while.”

  “Yeah, but you have to work me harder than before.”

  “You don’t understand what you’re getting yourself into, Dani.”

  “I never do, but I intend to be neck deep in the fight.”

  “I’ll make sure you’re ready.”

  Dani smiled. “Thanks. I’ll come by in the morning to start.”

  She went inside his house to grab her pack. When she came back outside, she whistled; she heard Brody’s heavy feet thundering through the brush long before she saw his form emerge from the trees. He arrived panting and wagging his tail.

  “He’s got some basic commands down, but he needs more,” she told Gavin. “Can you work with him too?” she asked.

  “No, but I know the MP who runs the Bangor K-9 unit. We were in the marines together.”

  “Echo?”

  “Human. He’s in his seventies, but don’t let his age fool you.”

  “Noted. Handy contact on the inside. See you in the morning.”

  CHAPTER

  28

  Miles inched closer to hear the conversation between Xander and Al. The moonlight helped him identify each man by their silhouette, but the overall darkness of the night made it difficult for him to clearly see their faces.

  “Where’s my money?” Al asked.

  “Money?” Xander spat back. “You’re as stupid as the rest of the Brigands. You weren’t supposed to leave any witnesses, and you left plenty. How’s life in Hell? It must be as shitty as it smells down here. Fucking Brigands.”

  “You hired us to provoke the MPs, and we did.”

  “Hardly. Dani took one of you out, and your other partner was caught. The Brigand council promised to handle the issue on their own, and they will once they find you.”

  Miles tilted his head. It seemed odd to him that Xander would know Dani by name. Sure, Brigands knew her, but he was an MP.

  “You can’t do anything to me, Xan. You’ll be shot for treason when the MPs find out you’re working for the Wardens.”

  Xander’s arm arced out in a blur of motion. Al stumbled back, clutching his throat. Blood sprayed out from between his fingers. He made a few gurgling sounds before collapsing under the tree.

  “Not if they don’t know,” Xander said with a shrug.

  Xander had attacked the Brigand so quickly, Miles hadn’t had a chance to stop him from killing the other man. Miles reached for his service weapon and realized it wasn’t there. He’d dressed as a Brigand to meet Jace, so he didn’t have his pistol. They were impossible to conceal when wearing threadbare and tattered civilian garments. He gripped the hilt of his knife and emerged from the darker shadows, Jace beside him.

  “Drop your weapon, Xander,” Miles said.

  Xander’s eyes widened with momentary surprise that turned to a sneer. He turned the knife in his hand and wiped Al’s blood from his face with his other hand. “Always the pain in my ass, Miles.”


  Miles stalked closer. Jace held his own blade ready as he knelt to check the fallen man.

  “Dead?” Miles asked without taking his eyes from Xander.

  “No, but he will be in a few more seconds,” Jace said. “An MP killing Brigands is bad news for MPs in Brigand territory. Good luck getting out of this one alive.”

  “Drop the knife, Xander,” Miles said. “You’re under arrest.”

  Xander laughed. “For killing a Brigand?”

  “Murder and treason.” Miles really wished he had his plasma pistol instead of a knife. He’d killed the last MP he’d caught murdering Brigands, and he wanted to avoid having to kill another one.

  “Treason? You’re taking the word of this piece of shit?” Xander pointed his blade at Al.

  “I am.”

  “You’re pathetic, stupid—and alone.”

  Miles flicked his eyes to the side. Al’s corpse remained at the base of the tree, and Jace had vanished. Shit.

  Xander lunged forward, and Miles darted aside. The blade still sliced through Miles’s shirt and caught the skin on his ribs. He winced at the injury, hating Xander more for his youth and speed. He wanted him arrested, not dead, but if forced to kill him, he would.

  “Add slow to that list,” Xander said.

  When Xander attacked again, Miles moved in to close the distance faster. He caught Xander’s wrist and twisted it to lock the joint, immobilizing his arm. Then he drove the grip end of his knife into the side of the younger man’s head. Miles kept his hold as Xander stumbled from the blow.

  Despite being off balance, Xander managed to swing one leg out and clip Miles’s knee. Both men toppled into each other. Xander righted himself first, and Miles cried out in pain when Xander’s blade cut across his left jaw, leaving a deep gash. Miles rolled away from the follow-up attack, and Xander’s knife stabbed into the ground, all the way up to the hilt.

  Miles rolled back toward Xander and drove his blade into his thigh.

  Xander howled with pain. He growled and yanked his knife from the dirt. The pair tumbled on the ground, kicking and punching each other when able, and both men lost their weapons in the struggle.