Fourth Vector Ch. 29

"I know you do," said Roland as he looked at his watch. "All right, I guess I should get over to the colonel's building. It's about that time."

"Good luck in there, and remember—there's always a place for you in my company as a lieutenant if he axes you." Mark cracked a smile to show he was joking.

Roland gave him an obscene gesture. "How gracious of you."

He said goodbye to his friend before making his way over to the building that housed the senior officers of the regiment. It didn't take him long to find the office of Colonel Peterson, and he gave a swift knock five minutes before the meeting time.

"Come in."

Roland opened the door slowly to see the colonel sitting behind his desk. Peterson was a middle-aged man with a square jaw and a mostly bald head. He had piercing gray eyes, and he always gave off the vibe of someone that shouldn't be crossed.

Roland offered a crisp salute. "Captain Roland Smart reporting, sir."

"Sit down, captain," said Peterson, gesturing to the seat in front of him.

Roland did so in one smooth motion. Once he was settled, he noticed that Peterson had his eyes locked on him. He'd heard of quite a few enlisted men who'd been known to break under Peterson's withering gaze and it wasn't hard to see why.

"You're probably wondering why I've requested you," started Peterson, relaxing his glare slightly. "Especially considering how your company has seen so much action in recent weeks."

"If this is about the casualties I've suffered, then I have an explanation for that," started Roland, trying to beat the colonel to the gun. If he was going to get punished for it, he at least wanted to make sure his side of the story was out.

Surprisingly, the colonel raised his hands.

"I don't need an explanation, captain," said Peterson. "I know what your men are facing out there. If it were up to me, the entire regiment would be out there with you but it's not. Tyrol needs to be punished for all the Javan lives they've taken."

Roland nodded his head, unsure of what to say. He didn't think he'd be able to get out of that one so easily. It still begged the question—why was he here?

"No, the reason I've called you here is for something more important," continued Peterson. "Last night, Major Allenby was out with the men for a routine patrol. They were ambushed by a group of Tyrolean rebels and Allenby was shot in the thigh."

Roland's eyes went wide. Allenby was his direct superior, the man in charge of the entire battalion. He was the link between Roland and Peterson, and he had been a fair superior if not very imaginative.

"How serious is it, sir?" asked Roland.

"Very serious, I'm afraid. He died a few hours ago," said Peterson. "I'm told the loss of blood was the biggest factor but either way, he's gone. Which leaves me with another problem. I need a new major to handle 2nd Battalion."

Roland gulped. "How can I help you in that regard?"

Peterson's serious gaze returned. "I was told by Allenby, when he was still alive, that you're a good officer, Smart. He said that you might be a little unorthodox and rough around the edges, but you get results. Coming from a man like Allenby, I'm inclined to believe him."

"I always had a lot of respect for the major," said Roland. "He was a good officer."

"Indeed he was," replied Peterson. "And I need another good officer to fill his role. So that leads me to you, Smart. Think you're up to the task of running the entire battalion?"

That was a trick question if there ever was one. Of course, there was only one answer to such a question.

Roland nodded his head. "I can do it, sir. I can lead the battalion."

"Good, then effective immediately, you're being promoted to the rank of major. Congratulations Major Smart."

Peterson picked up a white patch off his desk and tossed it to him. Roland caught it, recognizing it for what it was—the major's insignia for his uniform.

"Wear that with pride, son," said Peterson. "Not too many officers earn them nowadays."

"I will, sir," said Roland.

"There's one more thing before you go," interrupted the colonel before Smart could leave the room. "I want you to take your new battalion and join forces with the 5th Battalion still here on base. I've already sent a message to the major in charge with these orders. Both of you are to do your utmost to bring these rebels to heel. I firmly believe that these Tyrolean scum aren't going to get the message until we bring the war to their doorstep. That means their little villages need to suffer. I want you to go on a rampage. Burn everything in sight in this sector."

"Everything, sir?" asked Roland.

"Everything," repeated Peterson. "Don't leave so much as an outhouse still standing. I'm giving you permission to be completely ruthless. I want you to do your best to destroy everything in your path as I believe that will give us the best chance to draw these rebels into one spot so we can destroy them."

"Draw them to us into one force," said Roland.

"Exactly," said Peterson. "I want them raging mad at the level of destruction, almost to the point where they can't think clearly. Once they get too emotional about it, they'll start making mistakes, and we can beat them more easily. The orders for the top of the command are crystal clear right now. End the Tyrolean revolt by any means necessary. So here you go, Smart.Any means necessary."

Roland let out a small smile. "I understand perfectly, sir."

*****

It didn't take very long for the newly-promoted Major Smart to link up with the 5th Battalion. They set out within the next day while Roland gathered the remaining companies of his 2nd Battalion to concentrate in one location. With both battalions at his disposal, Roland set out on the path of destruction that was supposed to bring Tyrol to heel.

The first destination was a place that Roland had been before. The central valley of Tyrol was surrounded by mountains on either side. Tucked into that valley were three different Tyrolean towns—Bushing, Vonnom, and Amboy.

Amboy was familiar to him personally, being where he'd lost one entire platoon from Alpha Company. It was also where he suspected a good portion of the rebels were located, or rather, where they had homes prior to becoming rebels.

That meant it was the first place to feel his wrath.

"Take your platoon and go down that street right there," instructed Roland to one of his lieutenants not long after arriving in Amboy that summer day. "I want you to take all the women and children into custody. Shoot any of the men that can bear a rifle."

"All of them? You actually want me to shoot all of them?" asked the lieutenant, a worried look on his face.

"Isn't that what I said?" asked Roland, giving a firm look at the lieutenant. "Kill them all. Once the people are dealt with, torch the buildings. Leave nothing standing."

The lieutenant gulped heavily before he rejoined his platoon and started to carry out the orders.

That morning, the early tranquil was disturbed by the sounds of screaming, followed by gunshots ringing out in all directions. Soon, the smell of fire was thick in the air as the town of Amboy burned around him.

Roland looked on with grim satisfaction. The Tyrolean rebels would get what they deserved.

It was time to end this conflict once and for all.

*****

It was another bright and sunny morning when Abigail led the task force back into the Bay of Daban after their circumnavigation of Picardy. It had only been a few days since their destruction of the Swabian convoy, and Abigail was anxious to get back to the city. She'd already shared the news with Kat about Jack being in Swabia, and now she wanted to be there to formulate a rescue plan.

Unfortunately, that rescue plan was bound to be complicated if it could even get off the ground. Getting Jack out of Swabia would be an ordeal on its own, more complex than if he'd been taken to Apulia or elsewhere.

Still, she wasn't about to abandon him right now when he needed them the most. Abigail vowed she would think of something to get back to the man she loved. She just wished there was an easier option.

"What's on your mind?"

Abigail turned to look at Lindsay who was sitting calmly by her side. She'd been surprised by how much she'd enjoyed the Galician woman's company during the mission around the island. In a way, she filled a role that was usually reserved for Kat, being someone that Abigail could talk to about just about anything without judgment.

"I was just thinking about a rescue mission," admitted Abigail. "And how futile it might be. I have to hope that Kat has a better idea than I do about how to get to Jack."

"More heads are better than one," said Lindsay. "Maybe they can figure out what to do. It's not like we can just go blasting into Swabia to get him. We're going to have to use a little more strategy than that."

"That's what worries me. I doubt we can bargain for his life with the Swabians. Not with our forces being engaged here in Picardy," said Abigail. "What other options do we have left at this point besides sneaking someone into Swabia to steal him back?"

Lindsay shrugged. "Maybe that's an option in itself. It sounds like that's how they got to him in the first place so who says we can't do the same to rescue him?"

"How would we get him out without them realizing it? It would be a lot harder than them just sneaking him through Picardy. We'd have to get out of Swabia which would be a lot more challenging. That's also assuming we can find him. Our only option would be bringing you, Will, Vera or Kat with us to use the bond. And that's not a great idea if we get captured."

"We would be put to death instantly," said Lindsay in a hollow voice. "Galicians aren't allowed in Swabia. It's akin to a death sentence to go there."

"So I doubt we'll be doing that anytime soon," said Abigail with a small sigh. "None of the options I can think of are any good."

Lindsay gave her a sympathetic smile. "Don't lose hope just yet. Maybe Katherine will have an idea."

The two women continued to chat back and forth until the city of Daban came into view. It was also still guarded by theCenturion, which was anchored in the same spot that it had been in when Abigail left the city originally. She had almost forgotten about Captain Buttface in the interim, and the reminder that he was still here waiting for her was a grim one. She didn't look forward to seeing his face again.

As theDestiny settled in against the dock, Abigail was amongst the first to get off the ship and touch dry land, with Lindsay directly behind her.

Thankfully, she had a visitor already waiting for her upon arrival.

"Abigail!"

Standing a short distance away and waving her hand was Kat. Abigail hurried to see the other woman, already noting how much more pregnant she looked after just a short time away. She seemed to be really showing a generous bump now, much more prominent than it was over a short week ago.

The two women collided together into a warm embrace. After it was over, Kat gave another hug to Lindsay in a clear demonstration that the earlier tension between them was all but forgotten.

"I'm so glad you're back," said Kat with a relieved expression. "Ever since you sent the message that the bond strengthened when you neared Swabia, I've been worried about you getting back in one piece."

"There was nothing out there that theDestiny couldn't handle," said Abigail with a hint of pride. "But with him being in Swabia, I don't see what we can possibly do about it."

Kat bit her lip. "I'm afraid that you're right. When you sent the message, I went to speak with Aedan about our options in getting him back."

"Did you come up with anything?" asked a hopeful Abigail. There was a distinct possibility that Kat or Aedan would know of another way they could get back to Jack.

Kat shook her head in disappointment. "Unfortunately, no. It's the one place in the world where we'd have the hardest time getting our hands on him. I almost wish he'd been taken back to Java or something. At least then we might have an easier task than getting him out of Swabia."

The frustration was apparent in Abigail's eyes. "There has to be something we can do."

"We don't have any bargaining chips right now with the Swabians," said Kat. "And I'm not sure they'd give him up if they knew how important it was to us to get him back. Besides, what could we offer them? Daban? That would never happen."

Abigail turned desperate. "What about Andalucia or Sorella? They wanted those badly enough. We could always take them back after we got our hands on Jack again. But that might be tempting enough for the Swabians."

Kat gave the other woman a sympathetic look. "I want him back just as much as you do. If I thought those were actually on the table, I might even suggest it. But we can't just bargain countries away like that."

Abigail felt a tear slide down her cheek. "It almost sounds like you've accepted that we have to abandon him right now."

Kat shook her head. "I'll never accept that. We'll never abandon him, okay? I just don't know the best way forward right now. He might be on his own for a little while."

Abigail closed her eyes and pressed into Kat again, embracing the other woman. They both felt the pain of his loss equally and it frustrated them to no end. With the hopelessness of Jack's situation in hand, it was the worst possible time for them to receive further bad news.

But that's exactly what they received at that moment.

"Well, Commander Wainwright, welcome back to Daban. It'sso nice to see you again."

Abigail looked past Kat to see none other than Captain Buttface of theCenturion there himself. Barnabas was looking exceptionally pleased with himself, something that always worried her.

"I trust you had a pleasant voyage?" he continued, the sarcasm and snark dripping from his mouth.

"I wouldn't call it pleasant at all," she said with an angry glare. "We've determined our enemy has taken Jack to the land of Swabia."

"And how did you do that? With that voodoo magic that these savages keep referring to as the bond?" asked Barnabas with a sneer.

Surprisingly, it was Lindsay who was the one to speak up. "The bond is real. All Galicians feel it. It's how we feel our link to Jack."

"Oh, but of course," said Barnabas with an exaggerated nod of the head. It was like he couldn't contain himself, and the longer that he played the act of fool, the more Abigail became worried about his motive.

"What is this about, Barnabas?" she asked finally, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Why did you come over here?"

"First of all, it's Captain Barnabas to you," he stressed as his smug superiority came roaring back. "You will need to address the commander of this task force with the proper respect to the title."

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Jack is the commander of our task force."

Barnabas shook his head and raised a dispatch that had been hidden in his breast pocket. "Not anymore. I've managed to get a message through to the Admiralty. It was exceptionally curious that I had to send it four times before it was actually delivered, and then it was only because I had it disguised inside a routine medical report. It almost leads me to believe my messages are being intercepted."

Barnabas gave her a cruel smile before he continued.

"In any event, Admiral Bancroft agrees with my assessment."

"What assessment is that?" asked Kat.

"That Jack Easterbrook has been missing long enough that we can presume that he's dead," said Barnabas.

"He is not dead," yelled Kat. "He's very much alive. Ask any Galician in the city!" She turned to look at Lindsay. "Tell him you felt the bond when you were close to Swabia!"

"I most certainly did," agreed Lindsay. "He's still alive."

Barnabas rolled his eyes at their continued protests before he settled back on Abigail. "I don't really care for what these savages have to say. My message is for your ears alone. Since Jack Easterbrook is presumed dead, Admiral Bancroft has seen it fit for me to take over this command. I will be leading the task force from now on."

Abigail seethed. "You can't do that. Jack is alive!"

"Then he can simply show himself and take back his command," said Barnabas with a casual shrug. "The minute that he does so, I'll gladly relinquish the force back to him. But until then, I'm in charge. And I have my own plans for what we're going to do next."

"You bastard," swore Kat as her anger grew. "You couldn't wait for the moment until he was out of the way so you could do as you pleased!"

"I'll be looking forward to getting away from these uncouth people," said Barnabas as that cruel smile returned while his gaze went back to Abigail. "For now though, you will be following my orders, Commander. You should prepare the task force and the marines to leave Picardy. We won't be here for much longer."

*****

The scar on Jack's back was close to being healed. A rubbery keloid has now formed around the spot where he'd been stabbed in Daban on the night he was captured. It no longer pained him to touch the area but his body was still stiff in other places.

Most of the new bruises had been from Avila's coronation parade, when Jack had been dragged behind a vehicle in chains while the people of Dagobern jeered at him. Quite a few of them had managed to throw things at him—mostly produce but sometimes it was something thicker or heavier. Several of them saw it fit to throw their shoes. One deranged man threw a hammer which had cracked against Jack's knee and sent pain shooting up his leg. That one had left quite a bruise.

All together, it was a terrible experience, one that he was sure he wouldn't forget. Now that it was over though, it left him wondering what would happen next. Since that last visit from Eric Rosdahl, Jack had no further interaction with either the Galician regent or the Swabian emperor to know what his fate was likely to be. He couldn't see the Swabians giving him up willingly to Rosdahl no matter how much he wanted to get his hands on Jack.

Jack also didn't know what it would mean to stay in Swabia custody. Would they let him linger in the dungeon like King Gaius of the Nax? Or would he still be met with a swift death like Avila had promised him?

That question seemed to answer itself that afternoon when Jack heard the telltale sounds of footsteps in the dungeon. Once again, the dim light in the cage grew much greater as someone approached.

Just like the previous time, Eric Rosdahl emerged from the shadows and stepped up to the bars that separated him from Jack.

"Enjoying your tranquility?" asked Rosdahl with a glib smile as he rattled the bars.

Jack didn't bother to respond. He glared at the man while he turned to look at the Swabian guard.

"You there, unlock the cage. My men will watch him."

The guard moved to do as he was told as Jack noticed for the first time that there were more guards behind Rosdahl. Judging by their features, they were Galician as well.

What's going on?

Rosdahl stepped into the cell and looked around. "I heard that you made quite the spectacle at the coronation ceremony. Did you enjoy having everyone throw their turnips at you?"

"I thought to ask you the same question but they didn't actually throw anything at you, despite your Galician qualities," said Jack. "Must be Avila's influence. How does it feel being so far up the man's ass that you can still smell what he had for dinner?"

Rosdahl let out a thin smile. "You have some mouth on you, don't you? I think I'm going to miss that the most once my men execute you."

Jack didn't respond which caused Rosdahl to start to chuckle.

"Oh, that's right. No one has told you yet, have they?" continued the regent. "I'm a little surprised that the emperor hasn't mentioned anything to you but then again, he may have felt like it wasn't worth the effort now that you've been exchanged."