Fourth Vector Ch. 50

That was why he was overjoyed when the guardsman next to Bancroft fell dead next, causing the emperor to scamper away from his position and move closer toward the truck.

At that moment, those men that were positioned across the stream raced across the open ground, stopping by Jack's position near the tree. They recognized who he was and set about trying to release him while several other members kept up covering fire.

"We'll have you released in just a moment, Your Majesty," said one Galician corporal as he pulled at the binds on Jack's torso. "We're sure glad to see you alive!"

"I'd like to stay that way, Corporal," replied Jack. "And check that dead man right there. He should have the key to these cuffs!"

The Galician corporal moved forward to check the dead guardsmen as two of the Galicians within the group caught bullets, dying not far from Jack. By the time the keys were found, the corporal double-backed his way to Jack, freeing him of his restraints.

"We're just a scouting force," informed the corporal to Jack. "The main body of the army is only about an hour behind us. We just need to get you out of here! We need--"

He never got the chance to finish his sentence. The corporal took a shot right to the temple, killing him instantly. Jack picked up his rifle from his fallen corpse, joining the only other surviving Galician there next to the stream.

Instantly, he understood why these men were getting picked off so easily. The only guardsmen remaining next to Clark had a dominating view of their position, and the longer they stayed here, the better the chance he was going to get them too.

Jack grabbed the other man and dictated that they move around the flank, where several smaller bushes would give them cover. Jack set off around the bush with the man right behind him until he fell as well, taking a shot in the right in the ass.

That left Jack alone near the stream. At this point in time, Clark and the guardsman had turned around to focus on the group closest to them, on the other side of the woods, while Bancroft had moved to a spot that Jack couldn't easily identify.

Even still, Jack knew he was armed with the very best in Galician weaponry. Bancroft only had a pistol, and he would be at a distinct disadvantage in any matchup.

The problem was finding Bancroft. Jack thought he saw him moving toward the truck, and he approached that position as stealthily as possible to avoid detection. Clark and the other guardsmen were still occupied when Jack reached the truck, using one of the tires for temporary cover.

In retrospect, Jack should have checked under the truck twice instead of the first glance that he gave it because he heard a shot go off, followed by a stinging pain in his foot. He nearly lost his footing in the process but as he recovered, he saw that he'd been shot right through the foot.

Bancroft had shot him under the truck.

The Javan emperor moved quickly too. He raced around the truck and used his pistol against Jack's head, sending him collapsing to the ground. In the process, Jack lost the grip that he had on the rifle especially as his senses dulled.

"You son of a bitch! I'll kill you right now!" raged Bancroft as he reared his foot back and launched it against Jack's ribs. Jack swore that one of them cracked in the process but all he could do was keep rolling to keep some distance between himself and the charging Bancroft.

"I'll fucking kill you just like your sister!" yelled Bancroft, kicking Jack again.

At the very mention of Jocelyn, Jack found a measure of extra strength. It was only as Bancroft stumbled on his way to close the distance that he was able to launch himself at the emperor's legs, pulling him down to the ground.

Bancroft's reflexes were quick. With one hand, he sought to temper his fall but with the other, he tried to bring the gun around to point at Jack. Using both hands, Jack was able to slam the pistol against the ground, firing the weapon but becoming dislodged from Bancroft's hand.

The only problem with that was that Jack had used all his strength on Bancroft's one hand. His remaining free hand then connected with Jack's jaw once, twice, and then three times, sending him reeling.

"I don't need a pistol to kill you," raged Bancroft as he tried to get to his feet. "I'll do it with my bare hands!"

Jack's mouth was bleeding now and his foot still ached but seeing Bancroft charge him sparked new life in him.

"Come and get me, I'm right here, you bastard," yelled Jack before the two men collided again, the pistol entirely forgotten. At that moment, nothing else mattered besides getting his hands around Bancroft's throat. The two men rolled in the dirt for several minutes as they each sought an advantage on the other. Jack got his share of punches in against Bancroft, blackening his eyes and making a bloody mess of his nose but the Javan emperor managed to crush Jack's wounded foot, making Jack scream in pain.

All the while, both men were inching closer to Bancroft's lost pistol. If Jack could only get to it, he would be able to kill Bancroft for good, and no doubt the emperor had the same idea. The only problem was that Jack failed to notice that there were no further gunshots as he scuffled with Bancroft. He had no idea the fighting was over as he got his hands around Bancroft's throat, squeezing with all his might.

"That's enough, let go of him!"

Jack looked over briefly to see that Clark was now holding a gun to him. He was standing in the clear, with no one shooting at him, telling Jack that they'd managed to kill off the rest of the Galician attackers.

Not far from Clark's feet, the body of the third guardsmen laid, unmoving and dead to the world.

Clark shook the pistol at Jack. "Get off of him now, Jack! Do as I say!"

Jack turned to look at Bancroft's bloody face of rage, finding himself so close to being able to kill off his old enemy but still so far. The gamble being up, Jack sat back on his butt and let Bancroft scamper out from under him.

Bancroft wiped the blood from his face and started to yell at Jack. "You stupid, arrogant fool! How dare you put your hands on me! I'll have you gutted and quartered for this once we reach Corsham! I'll have your name erased from living memory! No one will even know that Jack Easterbrook ever existed!"

As Bancroft continued to rage, Jack only sat on the ground. He held his foot with one hand, trying to keep it from moving so the pain ceased. No matter what he did, he didn't help. The pain still raged, and judging by the murderous look in Bancroft's eyes, he wasn't about to be concerned with just the pain in a few moments.

Bancroft gestured angrily to Clark. "Shoot him right now! Fucking kill him and send him to join his sister! All I need is to take his head with me to Corsham! That's it. Shoot him, Clark! Shoot him now goddamnit!"

Jack took a deep breath, waiting for the shot. He didn't close his eyes, not wanting to have to guess when the end would finally come. In some respects, he thought about the prophecy in that moment, wondering if this is what it truly meant. He was going to die but Bancroft's time was numbered. Was this the ending that they had in mind after all?

Even still, thoughts of the prophecy didn't last long. He thought more about Kat and Abigail and their children, and how he was never going to see them again. He wished all of them a long and happy life, hoping that they would be able to get over the sting of his loss.

It was as he was thinking about what else he'd miss with his death that he realized that Clark hadn't fired yet. Jack turned his head to look at the steadfast deputy to find that Clark was still watching him, his pistol still trained on Jack, but tears were coming down his eyes.

"Clark, what are you waiting for?" yelled Bancroft. "Shoot him right now, you idiot! End this once and for all!"

It was seeing the pained look in Clark's eyes that Jack finally understood just what was happening.

Admiral Jason Clark had finally reached his breaking point.

In a matter of seconds, he pivoted his arm so that the gun barrel was no longer pointing at Jack and was now pointing directly at Bancroft.

Bancroft's eyes went wide as he saw the change in Clark's disposition. His mouth fell open at seeing that he was now the target, and that his longtime deputy had finally had enough.

"Clark," said Bancroft in a more measured tone. "What are you doing?"

More tears descended down Clark's face. "How can you even ask me that?"

"Think about what you're doing, Clark. We're friends, brothers even," said Bancroft. "We've been together for decades. Just put the gun down, okay?"

It was Clark's turn to lose his cool. Jack had never seen the man show so much emotion before but the dam had completely burst.

"You were a brother to me, Percival," said Clark as he shook the pistol at the other man. "I used to look up to you. I respected you more than anyone else in the navy, no, the entire country even. You were the man I wanted to be, and that's why I went to work for you. At one point in time, I felt like the luckiest guy in the whole country to be the number two to Percival Bancroft, a man that everyone agreed was going to do great things someday."

Clark shrugged and looked around. "And now look where we are. So much for doing great things. You let your love of power twist everything and turn it to shit. Even the friendship that we once had doesn't exist anymore, not when you take every opportunity to put me down and remind me that I'll always be lesser than you. Is that what true friends do? Is that what true partners do, Percival?"

Bancroft put his hands up. "It's not, Clark. We can work on that though. We can still change things. There is still plenty of time to get back to the way things used to be."

Clark started to shake his head. "Don't you understand, you fool? The game is up. We tried to change things and it blew up in our faces. And in the meantime, you became someone that I don't even recognize. Every once in a while, I see shades of the old you but it's almost completely gone now. Replaced by a tyrant who lusts for total domination over everyone."

Clark gulped heavily and threw his head back. "At one time, I would have followed you anywhere. I would have done anything you asked me to but that time is now over. I won't follow you anymore. I won't go to Corsham with you. I won't continue to let you desecrate this country that I love so much. You've been the worst emperor that Java has ever had, and it's time your reign came to an end."

It was as if Bancroft sensed the shift in the balance of power because he stopped being so docile to Clark and started to turn malicious toward him. He started to sneer as he looked back at Clark with total disdain.

"I always knew you were weak, Clark," he snarled. "That's why you were never anything more than a number two man, a deputy. You never had the stomach to do what was necessary which is why you will never amount to anything else. If you want to dissolve our friendship, then fine. You were the poorest excuse for a deputy that I've ever seen."

A moment of clarity seemed to pass over Clark's face after that statement, almost as if he'd finally accepted what needed to happen. Jack found himself holding his breath as Clark opened his mouth to speak.

"Maybe I'm not the best deputy," said Clark in a clear, low tone. "But I'm no longer your deputy, Percy."

With that statement came the firing of the pistol three times. Jack turned his attention back to Bancroft to find three distinct holes in the man's chest, the force of which sent him toppling back to the ground. Finding his adrenaline spiking, Jack crawled over to examine the body of the Javan emperor, finding his eyes already lifeless.

Bancroft was dead.

There was something oddly climatic about seeing his old rival dead on the ground in front of him. Perhaps it was the fact that now that Bancroft was finally gone, the war could be ended, allowing so many people to return to their lives of peace. Perhaps it was the danger of not knowing what fate had in store for them the longer the war went on.

One thing was for certain--a major roadblock toward ultimately going home was now removed.

Jack heard the sounds of ground crunching under Clark's boots as the older man made his way closer to Bancroft's body. Upon looking at his face, Jack was surprised to see that Clark was still weeping, looking more distraught than he thought he might be.

"He changed, Jack," said Clark finally. "He's not the same man he used to be. I could never have done that to the man I used to know."

Jack found himself nodding. "I agree with you, Clark. He's caused so much pain and trouble in the world. Things are better off this way. It was a long time coming."

To Jack's surprise, Clark extended his hand, pulling him to his feet. Once Jack was standing (well, limping would be more accurate due to his foot), Clark surprised him again by handing the pistol to him.

"I figured you should probably hold onto this," said Clark, using his sleeve to wipe his eyes. "I wouldn't want any more of your forces to get the wrong idea when they come upon us."

"That's a good idea," said Jack. "But you have nothing to fear from my people. Not after this. You've done a very brave thing today, Clark. Very brave."

Clark swallowed and looked down at Bancroft. "He's done so much wrong to so many people. And yet, when I look at you, Jack, you remind me of what he used to be like. A good officer but a good person as well. I took an incredible risk doing what I did just now, but I'm willing to gamble that you can make good on the promise that you made. I know you're serious when you talk about putting an end to this war and putting things back to the way they once were. Will you do that for everyone, Jack? Will you put not only Java back together, but the rest of the world? Will you make right all the things that Bancroft made wrong?"

It was an incredible question to ask. Even with Bancroft dead, putting the world back together wouldn't be an easy task for anyone, let alone the Western force, who would want to get back home as soon as possible.

And yet, Jack felt an obligation to Clark's request, only because of how many years of his life he'd been loyal to Java. The best thing he could do was make sure the country was in stable hands before departing for Galicia.

It wouldn't be easy but it was one obligation he was determined to honor.

Jack held out his hand to Clark. "You have my word on that, Clark. We're going to put Java back together."

The tension went out of Clark's shoulders and he took Jack's hand willingly, shaking it with all the force of a grateful man.

At that moment, the sounds of commotion came from the nearby woods as more Galician scouts came out into the clearing.

Another corporal was the first to walk up to Jack, seeing him alone with Clark. He eyed the Javan warily before looking at Jack. "Everything okay here, Your Majesty? Your position was radioed to us just a little bit ago. There was word of a fight here."

Jack looked over at Bancroft's body and found himself nodding. "Everything is just fine now, Corporal. I think the war is just about over."

The corporal looked over to Bancroft's body. "Is that him, Your Majesty? Is that the Javan emperor?"

"That's him, Corporal. Or it was him at least."

The corporal grinned at Jack. "I guess it really is all over then. Let's get you cleaned up, Your Majesty. You're covered in blood and dirt."

Jack allowed himself to be reunited with his men, bringing Clark along behind him. Before he could so much as have one spec of blood removed, he looked at the corporal again.

"You know, there's something else I'd like before getting cleaned up, Corporal. I would very much like to be reunited with my wives."

*****

"Jack! Jack!!"

It wasn't much more than a half hour later that Jack found himself in the middle of the same field, being attended to by several fussy Galician medics as they sought to get him bandaged and cleaned up. In the interim, they had gotten word to his wives and the other leaders that he was alive and well, and their force made with all possible speed to his location.

There was something that put a smile on his face about seeing his two wives dashing across the field to him. Kat was the first to arrive, nearly taking the wind out of his chest when they collided. Abigail was a few steps behind her, the result of running with a pregnancy bump and her wounds from the naval battle.

"Thank the gods you're all right," said Kat as she smothered his face in kisses. "Oh, Jack, I was so worried! We were so worried."

Jack clutched both of them against his chest. "Are you both well? You're not hurt, are you?" He was mostly looking at Abigail, knowing the precious cargo that she carried.

Abigail smiled and kissed him passionately. "I'm just fine and so is our baby. Nothing to worry about, although I do have a few more scars on my rear end than before."

Jack found himself grinning. "I always found that I liked the way you looked with a few scars. It only adds to your beauty."

She nuzzled her face against his chest. "I missed you so much. You have no idea."

Jack just clutched them tighter. He was still hugging them when Greg, Vera, Ambros, Aedan, Santino, and all the other Western leaders showed up moments later.

Vera was the next to collide into him. "You're alive! Jack, we were so worried about you!"

He grinned and hugged his sister. "It will take more than that to kill me. Although, I can't say the same for Bancroft over there."

He gestured to the emperor's body, which was already beginning to attract flies.

"So that's him, is it?" asked Aedan, going for a closer look. "That's this Bancroft fellow that we crossed half the world to fight? He doesn't look all that imposing now."

Ambros swatted at Aedan's arm. "That's because he's dead, Aedan."

The others laughed at the joke before attention resumed to Jack.

"What happened to your foot?" asked Santino. "Get in a bit of a scuffle?"

"You can say that," said Jack, showing off the bandage. "He shot me right through the foot. Hurts like hell but it'll heal at least. I might need to use crutches for some time."

"Good thing we're using some trucks to take the army south," said Kat with a grin. "You can ride all the way to Belfort if you like."

"Now that sounds like a plan," said Jack before remembering something that Bancroft said. "Although, we should probably make a stop in Corsham first. We might need to deal with the remnants of Bancroft's final army."

"That shouldn't be too hard," said Greg. "Every Javan that we come across is surrendering to us. We've already taken thirty thousand prisoners. How many more do we need to take?"

*****

It turned out they only needed to take another ten thousand prisoners. The advance units of the Western Army were able to reach Corsham that evening, just like Bancroft had predicted. What he failed to predict was how quickly the word would spread about his death. Not only were Jack's soldiers carrying the word, but it seemed like several villages in the nearby vicinity of the fight that morning had learned what happened as well.

By the time they reached Corsham, the city had already raised the white flag, offering no resistance whatsoever. The even better news that evening was the surrender of the last contingent of Zander's army that was moving north. The ten thousand battered veterans of the Tyrolean campaign were the last enemy force of any size left on the continent.

With the threat against them diminished, Jack gave the only orders he wanted to give.

"Let's make for Belfort with all possible speed. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can put Java back to normal."