by CR Daems
"What do you think about our chances of finding the shuttles?" Mintz asked when everyone had left for their assignments.
"I'm hoping their previous success focusing the Jax attention to the Outpost, Lariw, and Valhall merchants, along with the natural cockiness of raiders, will make them careless. If they are smart and well organized, they will proceed to their destination as individuals. That would make finding them extremely difficult. But that tactic would be very time consuming and contrary to most raider's personality," I said, hoping my assumptions would yield results, as failure meant a loss of weeks between the arrivals of the two ships we were monitoring. In fact, I was gambling a lot on the Hermes and Iris being the link to the raiders.
Mintz and I sat in silence, lost in our own thoughts as we awaited Team One's reports. Several hours later, his Mfi buzzed. He listened for several minutes before clicking off and speaking. "Ganz said they have identified six groups. The rest are in small groups of twos or threes, tend to be too old, too young, or too out of shape." Mintz spent several minutes on his Mfi and then created a hologram with the information organized in a table:
1) A mixed group of twenty-eight individuals on a church pilgrimage.
2) A mixed group of six individuals who purport to be on business.
3) Six males who are on a guided tour.
4) A mixed group of seven who are meeting with the SUC.
5) A mixed group of eight who are entered in a winter sports competition.
6) A group of six male winter-sports competitors.
"Teams three and four could cover the identified groups, if we ruled out the sports groups or the mixed groups. The raiders aren't likely to want women on the team, too potentially disruptive," Mintz said after staring at the list.
"No," I said, eyes closed in thought. "I think we will use team two and leave team one to monitor the space station. The schedule is light over the next week. One Outpost and one Valhall merchant, just to keep our eyes off the real action. Besides, one of those groups may be spotters or collecting information for the raiders. I doubt the raiders are randomly choosing the cities to raid. Most likely cities or districts that are voting against the alliance or split on the issue. This is our best chance to identify the location of the shuttles, so I would hate to guess wrong and miss an opportunity. We also need time to identify who is providing the raiders and who is supporting them here on Safort."
Mintz nodded, and began notifying each team which groups to follow.
"Sergeant Krebs, the mixed group, designated one, of twenty-eight individuals on a church pilgrimage, and the mixed group, designated two, of six individuals who purport to be on business."
"Sergeant Reti, the six males, designated group three, who are on a tour, and the mixed group of seven, designated four, who are meeting with the SUC.
"Sergeant Glick, the mixed group of eight, designated five, who are entered in a winter sports competition, and the six males also entered in the winter sports competition, designated group six.
"What about me, Captain?" Lieutenant Mintz asked.
"I would like you to stay here and be the command center for the four teams. I'll be in the Widow, in case one of the teams needs support," I said, thinking this also an excellent opportunity to get my introduction to the Widow's capabilities.
* * *
"Where to Captain?" Chief Ericson asked as I boarded the Widow.
"I have teams following six groups who are potentially replacements for the current raiders or linked to them. Lieutenant Mintz will be updating us on their locations. I would like the Widow positioned high enough not to be noticed and central enough to support any team that might need help," I said while watching the four men.
"Support?" Ericson asked, frowning.
"Yes. If one of the teams is spotted, I would like the Widow to take over if possible. The groups will mostly be traveling by ground vehicle or shuttle but could leave their vehicle and walk."
"The first two are easy. The third would depend. We have very good optics and could track people walking if they are in the open and not in crowds."
"While we are waiting for something interesting to happen, you could educate me on the Widow's capabilities," I said, and was greeted with smiles. Over the next several hours, Mintz kept me aware of each team's progress:
Group 1: All 28 individuals went directly to the All Saints Church. Several hours later they left for Sandosk in a caravan of ten cars for a guided tour of state's religious sites.
Group 2: The six individuals rented a shuttle and flew to Dinkum, then were driven to Empire Communications, a major Safort communication's company.
Group 3: The six males were picked up by two tour vehicles from Sportsmen Tours and are following the Snake River in Ayasha
Group 4: The seven individuals were picked up by a shuttle and flown to the SUC headquarters building in Central City.
Group 5: The eight individuals were picked up by the Ice Sports Association and flown to the Winter Haven Sports Center in Poloma.
Group 6: The six males were picked up by a private shuttle service and also flown to the Winter Haven Sports Center in Poloma.
The rest of the day proved uneventful, as the groups found accommodations:
Group 1: They stopped at several religious sites, then spent the night at the Sandosk Regent Hotel.
Group 2: They spent the day at the Empire Communications headquarters building, and the night at the Dinkum Spa and Resort complex.
Group 3: They spent the day driving to Segus City in Ayasha, and spent the night at Segus Towers.
Group 4: They spent the entire day at the SUC headquarters, partied most of the night, and had rooms at the Royal Suites.
Group 5: They were delivered to the Winter Haven Sports Center which had lodging and eating accommodations.
Group 6: Were delivered to the Winter Haven Sports Center, but were almost immediately picked up by two ground vehicles and driven to Segus City, where they partied until late into the night, before retiring to the Travelers Inn.
"What do you think?" Mintz asked after giving his report. "Group six is the only one that looks suspicious, since they didn't stay at the sports center."
"If my conjecture about the Iris and the Hermes is correct, they will be rendezvousing with the raiders tomorrow, since the Iris is due back to Safort, and it is the raider replacements’ ride home."
* * *
The next day did prove very interesting.
Group 1: The ten-car caravan headed into Jasten but near noon, three cars broke off and drove into Ayasha. They arrived at Vegus City around eighteen hundred hours and went directly to the Travelers Inn, where group six were staying. The five cars began leaving several hours later, one car at a time, taking different routes through the city, but they all exited on the north side of town heading toward the Snake River and the Tulua border.
Group 2: They stayed in Dinkum the entire day.
Group 3: The two tour cars also left Vegas City late that night exiting the same direction as group one.
Group 4: They left SUC headquarters with Geraldo and two other men, and were flown to Segus City, where they again partied late into the night. They ended up at the Segus Towers.
Group 5: Remained at the Winter Haven Sports Center all day.
Group 6: Rendezvoused with groups one and three, then crossed the Snake River into Tulua early that morning.
"Very sloppy," Mintz said as he concluded his report. As the early indicators predicted, Segus City was becoming the focal point. I had the Widow positioned to follow the cars exiting the city.
"True, but normal behavior for raiders, who are not noted for their patience or subtleties," I said, grinning as I watched one vehicle after another pull into a side road not much more than two ruts of a car's wheels width apart. There twenty men exited the thick brush and trees to meet the cars. They spent an hour talking before the twenty men entered the seven cars which exited in the direction of Segus City.
The t
wenty-two arrivals were loaded into three vans and driven further down the dirt road, stopping several times to place obstacles in the road before proceeding. An hour later, they reached a well camouflaged area that contained two combat shuttles and three small buildings. Without having followed the cars, I doubted we would have found their camp, even had we flown over it.
"Ma'am, you want us to destroy their base?" Sergeant Christin, the weapons officer, asked with an ear-to-ear smile. "Bing, bang, boom and no more raiders."
"No, Sergeant," I said. "They are only part of the package. They are the Outpost cabal part of the plot. We need the Safort cabal before the package will be ready for delivery to the SUC. Let's park some place where we will be able to detect if one of the raiders' shuttles leaves their camp."
Chief Ericson nodded and headed north for several minutes before landing in a clearing in a copse of ice-covered trees.
To my surprise, nothing happened the next day, and I began to worry they would stop the raids until after the SUC met; but that would not make sense as the raids were intended to get a favorable Outpost vote. If Geraldo felt he had the votes, he could stop the raids rather than risk me discovering anything. It gave me a headache thinking about it. My Mfi buzzed just in time to keep my head from exploding. Mintz's face appeared.
"Sir, team four is reporting that Geraldo and his entourage just left Segus City, and team one reported four cars left their camp site," Mintz said.
"Chief, get us in the air. I want to follows the cars leaving their camp. It sounds like a meeting." I had just finished when I felt the slight rumble of the engine and saw the tops of the trees as we rose. We followed the cars from well out of eyesight for about thirty minutes to a secluded area where a large ranch house sat in a heavily forested area well off the main road. They parked just as three other cars entered and parked. Although the area was only dimly lit, the Widow's optics were good enough to identify Geraldo.
"Mintz, let the men on the ground know I would like as many pictures and conversations as possible, but be careful. I don't want them discovered," I said, wishing I could be a salamander roaming in and out of the rooms…with a mini video recorder. I laughed at the image, gaining a quizzical look from the sergeants. "Just wishing I could see into that house and get a first-hand look at what was going on."
"A fly on the wall," Master Sergeant Peters said, smiling.
"I was thinking a newt or salamander, quick, quiet, and able to scale walls and squeeze through narrow openings," I said to grins and snorts.
My Mfi buzzed close to noon when the cars began to leave. It was Mintz, looking like a cat who had a mouse trapped under each paw. "Captain, it's a brothel. An exclusive one since the only cars were raiders…and their friends. The teams searched the area during the night and concluded that there were no vehicles available for the residents, and there appeared to be a couple of men living there. That doesn't bode well for the girls."
"No, it doesn't. Leave a team to watch the place, and a team to follow Geraldo," I said, while pondering whether to invade the house now or wait. I assumed they visited the house often as part of the raiders' benefit package, and closing it down would alert the raiders that they were vulnerable. Leaving it open, subjected the women to more violence, given the teams' conjecture that at least some of the women were kept there against their will. But when all was said and done, I had to consider the consequences of acting too quickly. If the SUC vote went for an alliance with Output, it could be the destruction of the Jax in a decade or two. At least, that was the opinion of the senior Jax leaders. With all the Helix nations providing war ships, the Jax couldn't hope to match the alliance fleet nor win a war, which Output would eventually incite. I suddenly wished Choje Abhaya was here, although it was not a decision he could make for me or even give advice. I reluctantly chose the long view but vowed to close the house as soon as possible, whether the team’s conclusions were right or not.
* * *
"Here is the plan," I said into my Mfi to Mintz and the four team leaders on the conference call several days later when nothing had happened. I hoped Geraldo wasn't closing down operations. "Actually, two plans. One if it looks like the raiders are planning to shut down their operation–"
"Captain, why would they do that?" Sergeant Ganz asked, a question that appeared was on at least two of the four team leaders' minds.
"The objective behind the raids was to convince the Upper Chamber delegates to vote for the Helix Alliance, Output and, by extension to get rid of the Jax. If you look at the cities and towns raided, the vast majority are in states which have consistently voted against the alliance. So, if Geraldo believes he has sufficient votes to win, he may choose to stop the raids and thereby avoid the risk that we will discover his and Outpost's involvement." When I saw nodding heads, I continued. "In that case we will need to attack the raider's camp and take control of the brothel. Because," I added. "If they decide to stop raiding, they will begin cleaning up any and all loose ends, which would include the brothel."
"I wonder if the women know they are expendable?" Sergeant Reti asked.
"I would imagine some of the women know, but they have limited options with their isolated location, guards, and no available transportation. The guards and people managing the women have probably been told they are part of the team and will be well rewarded," I said.
"That will be the day when it rains gold coins," Sergeant Click snorted. "If they aren't part of the Outpost mercenaries, they are more loose ends."
"While we wait," I said, claiming everyone's attention. "Team One will continue monitoring the space station, Team Four will monitor the brothel, Team Three the camp, and team Two will join me on the Widow. If I send Activate Plan Stop, Team One, and Three will join me for an attack on the camp, while Teams Two and Four secure the brothel." I looked at each man's face to ensure they understood. "If I send Activate Plan Go, Team Three will invade the Camp, Team Four will secure the brothel, and Team One and Two will join the Widow to attack the raiding party. The specific details will be developed as we are taking our assigned positions, based on the circumstances at that time. Lieutenant Mintz, your assignment in either case is the raiders' camp."
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Safort: Geraldo
"Have you decided?" Hendrick barked impatiently. "The men are getting restless. A trip to the brothel if nothing else."
"Two more raids, I think," Geraldo said, looking off into the distance. "Picrun and Oberton. Representatives Arthorn and Pettro are on the fence. Another raid in their states should push them to our side. That would give us sixteen of the twenty-eight votes and a clear majority." He hesitated before continuing. "A week apart, then begin cleaning up loose ends. The Iris will be waiting to transport you and your men home."
"Any instructions for the raids?" Hendrick asked, with no expression.
"Make them memorable," Geraldo said. Hendrick just nodded.
"And the brothel?"
"A bonus party for your men, then make it disappear as if it had never existed."
Hendrick nodded and cut the connection. Geraldo gave a shudder. The man was as cold as dry ice. He at least felt a twinge of…guilt at having the women, girls, abducted. Killing them was a mercy, since they would be scarred and shunned for life…and able to identify him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Safort: Plan Go
"Captain Sapir," Master Sergeant Peters said, standing in the doorway to the flight deck. "One of the raiders' shuttles have just launched."
"Thanks, Peters. It looks like the waiting is over." I clicked on the Mfi's General Channel which would be heard by every Black Guard. "I am activating Plan Go. All teams should assemble at their pre-assigned location immediately and wait for my orders to begin operations," I said. "Peters, keep Sergeant Krebs appraised of our position and possible destination."
"Yes, ma'am. They are currently heading due south towards Jaston," he said checking his tablet, which was linked to his navigational board
. I checked my annotated political map on my Mfi. "I doubt it. Jaston is pro-alliance. The pro-alliance will want an anti-alliance state. More likely Picrun or Oberton at the southern end of Safort. Either would be a good choice since both representatives in each state are anti-alliance."
"I'll let Gantz know our probable destination based on what we know now," Peters said and returned to the flight deck. Six hours later, Peters appeared again. "Looks as if you were right, ma'am. We are in Picrun and the raiders' shuttle is descending rapidly, which would indicate they are close to their intended landing area. I've notified Ganz. He's only about fifteen minutes behind us."
I rose and entered the flight deck. "Chief, let them land and depart their shuttle before we descend. We are not trying to stop the raid. A shoot out in a town full of civilians would be messy, and I'd like to capture the shuttle intact," I said. "I will need as much corroborating evidence as I can accumulate. The SUC is divided at present, but I suspect a third are hard core pro-alliance and another third hard core anti-alliance. It's the one-third on the fence we need to influence. So, the more proof the better."
"Sounds like the Black Guard is evolving. This is more of a problem-solving assignment, rather than protecting some VIP."
"The Jax is also evolving. This assignment is about avoiding a future war with a Helix Alliance, since it will be controlled by Outpost, Lariw, and Valhall ten years from now."
Peters gave a low whistle.
"Captain Sapir, the raiders' shuttle has landed, and men are leaving the shuttles," Ericson said.
"Get as many pictures as you can, faces if possible. Also, look for a good landing area. Not too far from the shuttles but far enough not to be noticed. Also, let Ganz know the location," I said. Ten minutes later we touched down behind a small hill.
"Captain Sapir, we are about a half klick from the raiders' shuttle. Ganz's shuttle is about five minutes out," Erickson said.
"Excellent," I said as we disembarked to give Ganz room to land. "I want you overhead, high enough to avoid detection, and close enough to give us support if we need it. I won't mind the shuttle escaping as we will have the camp under Black Guard control by the time it returns, but not shooting at us."
