Fourth Vector Ch. 39

Thankfully, Aedan didn't pry.

"No matter then, I'll walk you out," said the Picard King.

The two men went to the front of the palace, trailed by their bodyguards. Aedan left the palace first, followed by Jack right behind him. The two men said a brief goodbye, vowing to eat dinner together that evening before Jack headed off in the direction of the harbor, while Ben and his team provided security.

Even though Jack had no way of knowing it, he was being watched for much of his movement upon exit of the palace. He couldn't feel the eyes on his back or the mind that was distinguishing a plan for his eventual demise.

No, the only thing that Jack could think upon that moment was what he was going to say to Kat and Abigail once he had them in front of him.

He arrived at the harbor only to find that theDestiny was one of only a few ships left in the harbor. Since it was officially his flagship, he'd asked that it stay here in Daban with him while the rest of the fleet went back to Naxos. Conveniently, it also kept Abigail here in Daban as well, where she could work on mending the relationship with her sister-wife.

Jack boarded theDestiny--the site of their meeting--and found that the two women had arrived before he did. He found them in their shared quarters, but neither woman was looking at the other. Kat was sitting on the bed, facing in the opposite direction of Abigail while Abigail sat at the desk with her arms crossed and her chin held high.

Tension was already high from the moment Jack walked into the room. Each woman looked at him with expectant eyes as if he were going to jump on their side and end the argument by the weight of numbers alone.

No such thing was going to happen. Jack had learned a long time ago that the secret to relationship bliss with multiple women wasn't to take sides.

Unfortunately, the secret ended there. It didn't exactly tell him how to resolve problems, which meant he would have to figure this out on his own.

"Good morning," he said more awkwardly than anything. He looked back and forth between his two wives.

They both mumbled something in reply, starting the situation off in a less than promising manner.

Seeing their response, Jack decided to cut out any fluff and get to the heart of the matter. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and used a firm tone.

"This needs to end," he said while looking at each woman successively. "You both know what I'm talking about so I'm going to spare you the explanation. I can't take you both being at each other's throats. Since we've all been together, we've never faced a problem of this magnitude and I don't know why it has to start now."

"You know why it started, Jack," huffed Abigail. "If she'd been more careful with her words, we wouldn't be--"

"Careful with my words?" snorted Kat. "You're one to talk!"

"You started this whole thing," shot back Abigail.

"Enough!" Jack yelled. Both women promptly shut up and looked in the other direction.

"I don't care who started this and I don't care who ends it," said Jack. "But this is a major distraction to me. It's a distraction from the war. And I can't keep dealing with this while trying to defeat the Swabians. It takes too much out of me. Can't you both find it within yourselves to remember why you were such good friends in the first place? Honestly?"

When no one responded, Jack looked directly at Abigail. "Abigail, what do you like most about having Kat as your friend?"

Silence. The brunette commodore wouldn't even give him an answer. Across the room, Jack could see that her lack of answer only seemed to harden Kat's resolve.

This wasn't going the way he'd planned.

"I'll tell you what I don't like," said Abigail finally. "It's being treated like I'm the inferior wife because I haven't had your child yet."

"That's not what I said, Abigail!" said Kat firmly.

"That's what you insinuated!"

"Well, if you would have let me have the chance to just speak--"

"I gave you plenty of chances to speak!"

There just didn't seem to be an end to it. Jack clutched his head as the two bickered back and forth, shooting accusation after insult and everything in between.

He was flabbergasted.

It was completely beyond him how two friends could act in this manner. Not to mention, two women that he thought he knew better than anyone else in the world.

"Well, if that's how you feel, I'm just going to leave then!" shouted Kat as she bounced off the bed and rushed for the exit.

"Fine, leave then!" shouted Abigail in return.

Kat pushed by Jack and was gone before he'd even realized what had happened. Near his desk, Abigail still had her arms crossed against her chest. Her gaze was wild and angry.

"There's just no talking with her right now," said Abigail in a quiet tone. "I can't even get a word in."

"You didn't exactly let her get a word in either," said Jack.

Abigail shrugged. "I don't know what else to do with her, Jack. I really don't."

Jack could only shake his head. His disappointment was immeasurable and the last thing he wanted to do right now was be near either woman.

He left theDestiny without another word. As soon as he was on the main deck, he saw Ben Torben waiting with the rest of his security.

"How'd it go, Jack?" asked the bright-eyed Ben. "Make any progress?"

Jack growled. "Don't even ask."

The hopeful expression disappeared from his young friend's face and Jack instantly felt bad.

"I'm sorry, Ben. No, we haven't made any progress," said Jack. "I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Thankfully, Ben wasn't the kind to hold a grudge. The boyish smile soon returned.

"They'll come around, Jack. The queens can't stay mad at each other forever."

Jack resisted the urge to laugh. Could they stay mad forever? He knew quite a few people that had taken a grudge to obscene levels, often not speaking for years. Could the same thing happen to his wives?

And what would that do to him? Would he always be caught in the middle?

Jack needed a friendly ear. Truthfully, he just needed to vent his frustration. Before he even realized what he was doing, his feet were already moving in a certain direction, making his way back to Aedan's palace. Ben trudged along behind him until they came to a wing that contained several residences. Jack knocked on the door firmly and waited for a response.

Bill answered the door. One look at Jack's face told him everything he needed to know.

"You look like hell, Jack," said a very candid Bill. "What's wrong?"

Jack growled. "My queens are what's wrong."

Bill didn't have to say a word to that. He already knew about the spat that formed. He also knew how hard it was on Jack.

"Come inside," said Bill.

Jack entered the Calland residence and instantly saw Lisa near a small stove making some tea. She offered him a mug and a sympathetic smile.

It appeared that Bill had spared his wife none of the details.

"Care for a drink, Jack? You really ought to try this tea," she said. "It's just fabulous."

Jack found himself nodding. "Sure, that's fine. Thank you, Lisa."

She poured him a cup while he sat down in a comfortable chair opposite Bill. Jack reclined all the way, leaning his head against the rest behind him.

"Neither of them will listen to a word I have to say," muttered Jack. "I might as well be speaking to the walls."

Bill looked over to make sure his wife was out of earshot. "Such a thing will happen with women sometimes," he said quietly. "They can be quick to temper and to finger-pointing but it often doesn't last. At least not in my experience."

"That's the thing though, Bill, I thought this would have been over with days ago," said Jack with some exasperation. "They just don't let me mediate the damn thing. As soon as I encourage them to open up, it's not long after that they're at each other's throats again."

Bill continued to listen while Jack went on, describing the encounter that he just had with both women. At one point, Lisa set down the cup of tea in front of Jack and he grabbed it with both hands. It was just what he needed in the moment and he thanked her profusely before she could return to the kitchen.

"Jack, I hate to even say it," said Bill in a low voice after Lisa had gone. "But have you thought about really taking charge of the situation?"

"What do you mean?" asked Jack. "I thought that's what I did just now."

"No, no, I mean really taking charge," said Bill. "Get mad and angry at both of them. Yell at them. Tell them under no circumstances are you going to tolerate their behavior anymore. Maybe even throw in a threat or two, but nothing too serious. All I'm saying is to show them you mean business."

"I don't know, Bill. I've never had to do anything like that with those two. To be honest, our relationship has almost been too perfect up until now," said Jack. "This is kind of a stark reminder that we're all human but it's the last thing I need right now. I have enough stress on me right now."

"That's exactly what I mean," said Bill. "You need to show them what their fighting is doing to you. Show them how much it hurts you. But you need to get mad about it. Get their attention. You might be surprised at what might happen then."

If Jack was being honest, he didn't like the idea one bit. That wasn't how his relationship with Kat or Abigail typically went. Sure, he'd had his fair share of dysfunctional relationships in his life--ones that revolved around petty drama and insecurities but that was far removed from what he had experienced with his wives.

Bill seemed to sense his hesitation.

"You're thinking that I've gone off the deep end this time, aren't you?" joked Bill.

Jack couldn't help but crack a smile. "Perhaps. I understand what you're trying to say, it's just that I'm not used to that level of... theatrics when it comes to the two of them."

Bill shrugged. "It might work. And it might not. Maybe I'm just an old man who doesn't know what he's talking about. That's always a possibility, Jack."

"Usually, you have only good things to tell me," said Jack with a hint of a smile. "You've never led me wrong before."

"Nor will I ever, at least consciously," quipped the older lord.

"If only women came with instructions," said Jack after a few moments of silence. He made sure that he was out of earshot of Lisa on that one too, not wanting to upset her. "Things wouldn't have to be so complicated."

"Ah, but life can never be so easy," replied Bill. "Besides, I seem to remember you saying the same thing about babies at one time."

"True, but I eventually figured out my baby problems," said Jack.

Bill grinned. "And you shall figure out your women problems too. Eventually."

*****

The captain kept looking at him.

It was the look of a man who saw some kind of spark of recognition but nothing more beyond it. It was a look that said "I know you but I can't place you" and it caused Colonel Tavish to turn his back on the man lest he figure out who he was.

After all, any recognition these days of his identity was tantamount to a death sentence.

Tavish moved to the other side of the room, limping his way along as he dragged his right foot. The limp was more exaggerated than the actual injury itself, conjured to help him blend into his current crowd. In this room, everyone was injured in some form or another--the result of wounds sustained fighting for Picardy.

I've done my fair share of fighting for Picardy, haven't I, mused Tavish.I've done my best for the country of my birth.

Those words could have made any other man laugh. The truth of the matter was that Tavish was a traitor and nothing more.

He never thought he'd end his career with the Picard Army so dishonorably. In his eyes, he should have been the top general, leading the army to greatness over the Swabians. It was the denial of that position that led him down this current road. From his insubordination to his carefully-designed sabotage, Tavish became a scourge to the people he once called his countrymen.

What made him different from other men was that once he was finally caught, he didn't fade into silent retirement.

No, instead he went directly to the enemy and offered them his services. He became an advisor in the Swabian Army, and it was only Tavish's advice that led to the fall of Daban and the last evacuation of Picard forces.

From there, his star continued to rise. He was placed in charge (nominally, of course) of the country. The Swabians figured that the Picard people would be more docile if one of their own was seemingly in charge. Of course, a starving man is anything but fractious, and the Picard people seemed to not even care who was running the country when starvation was so rampant.

To that effect, Tavish was at the height of his power. He occupied a residence in the royal palace in Daban and he had the power of the Swabian Army behind him.

Life couldn't have been better.

All of that changed one day with the news from General Ferberg that the Swabians were pulling out. It occurred after the fall of Naxos, more than a couple months ago. Suddenly, the Swabians were overstretched in Picardy and the move came to bring their army home.

In doing so, they left Tavish on his own without the backing of their forces to maintain order.

In effect, it was a death sentence. The country would certainly fall once the Allied Army came rushing back, which it did. And the same people that Tavish had once so callously betrayed would become lord of the entire country.

He knew this day would come. That was why he pleaded so hard to have the Swabians bring him with them.

But they'd laughed at him.

"No, your place is here on Picardy," said Ferberg, brushing him off. "Only Swabians will be going back to Swabia."

"But I'm one of you," protested Tavish. "You can't leave me here. They'll kill me!"

"Better find a good hiding place then," said Ferberg, without an obvious care in the world.

That was what brought him here of all places. This center was for wounded veterans of the war--those that needed help getting food or a place to stay because of their disabilities. Tavish had thought to come here when he twisted his ankle last week, and he had hammed up the disability to help him fit in.

It occurred not to Tavish that many of the men in this room were in here because of his duplicity. Such internal inspection was not possible for a man as vain as Colonel Tavish.

However, he wasn't so dense as to expect kindness if they figured out who he was. That was why he used a pseudonym--Private Walsh--whenever he was asked for his name.

The only problem was that he'd commanded many of the men in this room at one time. His face was known to them and so he had to make some alterations. He grew a beard to hide most of his face and took to wearing a hood around the rest of his head. That helped for now as winter hadn't entirely gone away just yet but sooner or later, he wouldn't be able to wear the hood anymore due to heat.

By that point, he was hoping to escape to the countryside and do what he should have done after being dismissed from the army--retire.

"Excuse me."

Tavish pivoted out of the way as a man in a crude wheelchair sought to get by him. Tavish turned his head away from him, but it wasn't nearly quick enough. The man in the wheelchair seemed to stare at him a moment longer than necessary.

Did he recognize Tavish?

Tavish was on high alert for being made within the facility. Any inkling that he might be identified meant that he would have to leave immediately. So far, he hadn't gotten that spine-tingling feeling that he'd been recognized but that didn't mean it couldn't come at a moment's notice.

Tavish continued limping away to the other side of the room. He sat down on a bench that was occupied by a few more veterans. Out of instinct, his eyes went across the room, looking for the man in the wheelchair.

He found him easily, now talking to another veteran on the other side of the room. Tavish continued to watch him, wondering if he would look in his direction. To his fear, wheelchair man looked over at Tavish a handful of times. Each time, the look was sustained for several seconds, as if trying to place him too.

That made for two men now that seemed to have the spark of recognition--wheelchair man and the captain.

Tavish felt uneasy. He wasn't far from the exit but he was far enough that someone could block his path.

Now the wheelchair man was openly staring at him and pointing him out to his friend.

It was time to go.

Tavish pushed up off the seat and started heading toward the door, maintaining the limp so as not to give off his disguise.

He hesitated on looking at the man in the wheelchair again lest he appear guilty. No, this was just about getting some fresh air (which he would use as his excuse).

Unfortunately, Tavish's tunnel vision didn't permit him to see a rapidly converging trio on his position. Before he knew what was happening, he was blocked off by three people--wheelchair man, the captain, and another tall Picard soldier with a missing eye.

"Where are you going so fast, soldier?" asked the captain as he looked at Tavish.

Tavish sought to avoid eye contact. "Just getting some fresh air. I don't like closed spaces, not after all the fighting."

The excuse was tailor-made for a veteran but neither of the three men seemed to buy it.

"What's your name, soldier?" asked the wheelchair man. "I know your face but I can't remember where I've seen you before."

"Private Walsh," answered Tavish. "Part of 4th Regiment."

One Eye seemed to jump on that. "I was in the 4th Regiment. What battalion were you in?"

Shit, thought Tavish. Of all the bad luck in the world, why'd he have to use the 4th Regiment?

"2nd Battalion," replied Tavish evasively.

"Funny, you don't look like a 2nd Battalion man. I know you from somewhere else," said One Eye.

"I've never been around the 4th Regiment," said the man in the wheelchair. "Yet I know your face. How is that possible?"

"I get around, I suppose," said Tavish as he tried to push his way through the men. This situation was getting more dangerous by the minute. He needed to get away from these three before they made him.

"Some limp you have there. What happened to you?" asked the captain.

"I took shrapnel in the leg from the last Swabian attack," answered Tavish. "If you'll excuse me, I really need that fresh air."

"Wait just a minute now, soldier," said the captain. "Surely we can have a conversation here like old friends."

"I'm telling you, I recognize this guy," said One Eye.

"So do I," agreed the man in the wheelchair. "You kind of look like an old officer I used to know."

"Maybe it's just the face that I have," suggested Tavish, trying once more to push his way past.

The captain gave him a hearty push back. Tavish wasn't going anywhere as long as these three were blocking him off.

"You wouldn't happen to be just using the name of Private Walsh, would you?" asked the captain, as a small smile parted on his lips. It was a dangerous smile, one that told Tavish his worst fear had come true.

They knew who he was.

"That's really my name," he said helplessly.

"That's funny, because you don't look much like a Private Walsh to me," said the captain with a careless shrug. "In fact, you look more like a colonel to me."

One Eye snapped his fingers. "That's where I know you from. You're a colonel, aren't you? What the hell is your name?"

"I'm just a simple private," protested Tavish. "Will you let me go now?"

"No, no, no, I know exactly who you are," said the captain as he took an intimidating step forward. "I can't forget a face, especially not one that used to be in charge of the city a short while ago. Isn't that right, Colonel Tavish?"