Redemption (The Alliance Series Book 1) (23 page)

              A man began walking towards us. We hadn't noticed his approach having been distracted by the gryphon. He was close enough for me to see that he was very fit. He had the kind of body that wasn't overly muscled, but that you could tell would stretch out shirts. He moved with a kind of calm reserve that I instantly recognized as a shooter.

              On a two-man sniper team, one is a lookout. He I.D.s the targets and keeps track of possible threats to their position. The other is the shooter. He's the one that actually pulls the trigger, hence shooter, also known as triggerman. Most shooters carry themselves in a particular way. They have power over life and death and aren't afraid to use it. They also have to know when to exercise that power. That sort of thing tends to leave a mark on a man. This one carried that mark.

              Walking to within ten feet of us, he reached out his hand toward me and said.              

"So, these are the wizards everyone’s been talking about?"

              I shook his hand, as he turned to Nathan, I said jokingly. "It's a real tight ship you run here Peotr."

              "It's not his fault. After your fight at the archery range, it wasn't hard to figure something odd happened. You left a nice little circle of fully-grown trees embedded five feet deep in the ground. Was hell to get them out, by the way, my name’s Roberts, Master Sgt. Roberts United States Air Force." He finished.

              "John Adams, former P.S.F." I said.

              "Nathan Blackcrow." He said nodding.

              "I guess we did leave a mess. Sorry about that." I said.

              "No worries, I was glad to do it, seeing as how you saved Peotr’s life." He answered.             

              "Gentlemen, this is our operations leader. He is heading up the defensive measures being employed. He knows all areas of likely approaches and is spearheading our defensive strategies." Peotr explained.

              "So your basic idea is to try to funnel the forces to controllable points, keep their advantages of numbers and superior firepower to a minimum, while allowing your men to enact the most amount of damage possible?" Nathan asked, taking the lead in matters of defense.

              Nathan was the defensive master on our team. He loved to strategize and plan defensive maneuvers. I usually didn't give him time to really plan things out. I think deep down he resented that. When he gets a chance to really get involved in strategies I stay out of the way. I have a tendency to just ignore all plans anyway.

              "Yes, exactly." Roberts said, surprised.

              A loud horn disrupted the discussion. Peotr turned to me as Roberts and Nathan had already begun walking off, fully engaged in defensive strategies.

              Nathan’s magic was great at keeping me protected. He did a fantastic job at making sure nothing killed me. When he had time to engineer magical constructs he really shined. He could make traps, land mines; alter terrain and all kinds of neat things. Given the time, Nathan’s magic was much more valuable than mine was.

              "Come, let’s go eat. Let everyone get to see you. That way they won’t shoot you when the time comes." Peotr said.

              We walked off following Nathan and Roberts. They were deep in conversation, new options were being explored, and Roberts seemed as excited as Nathan did.

              We passed the neighborhood and came to the main building. People were already gathered at the entrance, slowly making their way inside.              

              The cafeteria was as you would expect. A long serving line handed out food to people who carried their plates and drinks on trays. There were communal tables with bench seats on both sides. People were already sitting and eating while others were getting their food.

              I stood there waiting in line when I saw Chen and Lijuan in front of me. Lijuan looked back and saw me, shocked surprise evident on her face. She grabbed her mom’s arm and tugged on it, turning her mom and pointed at me. Her mom looked at me and then at Peotr. She nodded in recognition then turned back to get her food.

              "I thought you said all the children were gone?" I asked Peotr.

              "They just got in this morning. We were going to let Lijuan eat before we sent her with the others." Peotr said.

              He looked at me and then at her and said, "She knows you let her go after you were ordered to kill her. You did the right thing."

              We went and sat down, eating in silence.

              These people needed all the help they could get, so after lunch I went to work. I assisted with the building of the fence around the Compound. Peotr thought it would be a good idea if I helped there. It was good, hard work. I watched the Gryphon set the trees in the ground. She would bring a log and drive it in the ground like a telephone pole. Then drive another a few feet next to the first, creating a channel in which to lay the horizontal logs. I did what I could, shoveling out areas that were too high, allowing the logs to lay somewhat flat. It didn't have to be perfect. I quickly felt the sting of blisters as I worked.

              I didn't mind. I lost track of time.

              The sun set behind the trees and the shadows began to creep slowly over the ground. I heard the blast of the dinner horn and watched as the gryphon landed near the fence, then slowly walked into the forest. Clearly letting me know she was done.

              I thought about following her or trying to talk to her, but I was beat. I decided on a break instead. I walked over to a stump and sat down, too tired to do much else.

              The exercise helped keep my mind off recent events, but my mind kept going over and over the fact that my whole life had been a lie.

              I sat there for a while. Long enough for the night to fully take hold. The stars shone bright against the clear night sky. I let my mind wander. Looking to the sky, I traced the path the thickest band of stars in the Milky Way charted across space. I watched as an occasional shooting star would race across the vast blackness, only to be destroyed as it entered our atmosphere, releasing its gases in a quick but beautiful display of destruction.

              I heard footsteps and looked back to see Miss Jones approaching. She was as beautiful as ever. Her dark hair swayed slightly in time with her hips. She walked over to me and indicated the empty log next to me.

              "May I?" She said.

              "Sure." I responded, wittily.

She held out a canteen to me offering a drink.

              "I heard you were over here working on the fence, thought you might need some water."

              "Thanks." I said taking the canteen and drinking deeply. The water was cold and refreshing.

              We just sat there for a while, enjoying the peace of the night. There was comfort in it. There was none of the awkwardness usually associated with silences like that. It was natural and easy. I found it oddly relaxing. Finally, Miss Jones said,

              "I hope you don't mind, Peotr explained to me what happened. He thought I might be able to help."

              I started to get angry. Peotr shouldn't have been running his mouth. Then I took a deep breath remembering he was just a big ole fuzzy bear. He wanted only the best. I sighed deeply. "I'm fine, really. I just need some time." I said.

              Miss Jones nodded, saying. "It is true that time can do a lot to heal the wounds caused by influencing. That alone will not do it. You see, when a person is influenced it is usually a small thing. They are pushed to do something they are already inclined to do. That is what makes it so powerful. Take a slimy politician and make him even slimier. Have a violent person act out greater violence on a target. For example, what was done to you Mr. Adams was more extensive and against your nature.

              You are not a needy man. You are trained in self-sufficiency. You are also a decent person." She said.

              "You can tell all that by two meetings?" I asked, interrupting.

              She smiled, not having been offended at all. "I questioned Peotr about you, getting an idea about who you are. I am also a very good judge of character. It is a gift."

              "So, when the Col. made you rely on him for answers, it ate at you. When he tried to have you kill innocent women that also hurt. Years of this type of manipulation has slowly created a tear in your spirit. That is why you were so prone to losing it after the initial shock of his betrayal. These things do not just heal over time. If there is no real meaning in your life, nothing to help fill the void that is in you, you will not recover. You will eventually succumb to the darkness and embrace a path that gives you quick gratification and a surcease of your misery."

              I didn't say anything. She was right and I knew it. I realized she was describing exactly what had been bothering me for the last day. My intuition told me she was right.

              We sat in silence again, each deep in our own thoughts.

              Changing direction, she said. "I bet it was hard growing up all alone, with no real family, no one to share your struggles with?"

              "The only person you trusted and cared for growing up turned on you. Lied to you and tried to kill you. I cannot imagine how hard that would be for you. I know his betrayal has left you with a sense of aimlessness. You feel everything you worked so hard for was for naught." She said.

              "I can help you with this. I can give you a purpose. Right now, you are with us because you feel responsible for what will happen. That is good. You have a resolve and sense of honor that is strong. I want you to consider joining us after all this is over." She said.

              I sat there thinking about what she said. I didn't know what I was going to do. I knew she was right. I was in a state of flux. My immediate goal was to survive the next few days. After that who knows?

              I looked over at her, studying her profile in the starlight. She truly was stunning.

              "What about you? Do you have any family?" I asked.

              She remained quiet. I thought she wasn't going to answer.

              "I have a large family. I grew up surrounded by brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles. They are too wrapped up in their own pursuits to understand what I do or why I do it. It has caused an impasse between us. I haven't seen or spoken to them in years." She finished, somberly.

              She looked at me and smiled. Saying, "You never know what the future may bring."

              She stood up and started walking off speaking over her shoulder. "Think about what I said. Good night, Mr. Adams."

              I stood up, intent on following her. My legs cramped and I yelled at her sitting back down, "Still not going to tell me your first name?!"

              "Goodnight Mr. Adams." She said in her precise British accent. I couldn't see, but I had the feeling she was smiling as she said it.

Chapter 20

I sat there for a few minutes before attempting to get back up. Standing up reinforced all the work I had done that day. My legs were sore, my back ached, and my hands were crusted with blood from broken blisters. All in all, it kind of felt good. Knowing I had done an honest day’s work.

              I made my way back to my room. Entering the cabin, I noticed that the urgency of the day was not as pronounced. Many had gone off to bed or retreated to an area of work that kept them from moving about. There was still a lot of work to be done, but getting hurt during the night wasn't going to help anyone.

              As I passed near the dining room I could hear voices in a discussion. Peotr poked his head out, seeing me he said. "There you are. Come, John. We need to go over our defensive strategy with you, maybe get some insight into what the Col. may do."

              I turned, walking into the room knowing strategizing was almost as important as the actual implementation. The first thing you have to have is a plan. The second thing is action.

              I entered the room seeing the table was empty of any silverware; instead, it was laden down with maps and reports. There was a large map in the middle that Nathan, Peotr, Sgt. Roberts, Miss Jones and a few others that I didn't recognize, were gathered around.

              Nathan looked up at me, seeing the stiffness in my walk, and smiled slightly. I guess there are perks to being a defensive genius.

              I was introduced to the two other people in attendance. One was a man who the Alliance rescued from a raid on one of the trucks going to the Cols. labs. His name was Sgt. Henry Miller. He was a platoon leader who was injured when an I.E.D. went off while transporting food and supplies to soldiers in Iraq. His truck was destroyed, and when he came to, he was in the transport trucks. Peotr’s crew saved him, and he chose to stay and fight here with the rest of those that had been betrayed. He was in charge of supplies. Making sure everyone had what they needed, food, ammo, etc... An army that has no supplies dies. I shook hands with him and introduced myself. He finished his report to Peotr, detailing the amount of food on hand and the needs and requests of the people in the Compound. Peotr acknowledged his requests and assured him he would make sure they got what they needed. Peotr took his forms and filed them with other papers. Sgt. Henry then nodded to us and left the room.

              The other person present, that I hadn't already been introduced to, seemed somewhat familiar. She was conventionally pretty. Short, blond hair and blue eyes, she seemed more cute than beautiful. She was slightly taller than most women were and seemed to hold herself as if she was always being watched. She rose from a seat in the back and came over to me.

              "So, you're the one that threw the centaur into a diner?" She asked with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

              "My name is Gale Stevens. I am the media specialist here. I was a journalist, started off small time, covering zoning issues, stuff like that. I got a shot at the big time and was sent to cover the war. Saw some nasty stuff. My reports weren't always seen as positive for our troops. Some things you can't keep your mouth shut about. That's when they took me. I wound up in the truck with Sgt. Miller. Now, I'm here. I coordinate all Intel leaks and try to get them into the most useful hands."

              "I also helped feed reporters the story that the centaur that landed in a breakfast buffet was a man in a costume, playing a prank. You would be surprised how fast that story was accepted. I mean who is going to say it was a real centaur? Reporting on unlawful use of government funds to operate a soldier manufacturing program is one thing, but telling the world magic is real is another."

              She said all this in a rush. As if she was bursting with it. I guess being off the scene and having to do secretive reporting tended to make a journalist hungry to tell a story. Even if it was her own.

              I had to say I liked her though. She seemed smart and quick. Even though she wasn't able to report in a legitimate manner, she was still doing her best to keep the world informed. She came off as aggressive, but measured.

              I shook hands with her, "It's nice to meet you, Gale."

              She smiled at me quickly, then went back to her seat, apparently content to sit and listen to us. Maybe she was planning to write a book?

              I stood over the map that depicted Peotr’s property. It was a military style one. Having grid squares with latitude and longitude, the sections could easily be cut into smaller areas using a military style scale. We used these kinds of maps to call in artillery when needed. They are very useful. The map also showed elevation and gave us a good representation of the lands different topographical features.

              Peotr’s cabin was drawn on the map along with the Compound and other buildings spread out among the property. The archery range was just outside the property line, explaining how the centaur had found us. There were symbols for defensive measures all around the cabin and some near the Compound. The barrier the gryphon and I was building was going to have to be the main deterrent there.

              Peotr looked up from examining the map and asked, "You know the Col. the best, John. Given his history and your knowledge of him, what do you think his strategy would be?"

              "We have already anticipated his most likely approach would be from the flanks. A head on attack would be suicide. We have concentrated most of our resources to defending the cabin from an approach based on this reasoning." Peotr finished.             

              Everyone looked at me expecting an answer. I took a deep breath and looked at the map, examining the defensive positions and their placement.

              I looked up at Sgt. Roberts, "I assume you have already established your interlocking fields of fire?"

              "Of course, that was one of the first things we did." He answered, unfazed by my question.

              "You are concentrating the heaviest fire on the two flanks?" I asked.

              "Yes, we have a 360 degree range, two 180 fields on either side of the road, leaving it to be defended by the shooters on the top of the cabin." He said.

              "Given what I know about the Col. he will do the exact opposite of what you have planned. That is why we must prepare for everything. We have to beef up our defenses in case of a frontal attack." I said.

              Nathan looked at Sgt. Roberts with a look that said, “I told you so.”

              "We only have so many men, if we try to defend every avenue of attack; we will be stretched too thin. Our defenses would be irrelevant." Sgt. Roberts said.

              "That is why I have to come up with a better solution. I have to find a way to allow our men to be able to react to whichever path the Col. takes." Nathan said.

It seemed like my idea wasn’t something they hadn’t already considered. It appeared I might have been brought in to settle something they had been debating for a while now.

"John is right; we have to prepare for everything." Nathan said. He looked at Sgt. Roberts who seemed resigned to a decision that only led to a lot more work. I knew the look.

              "How are we going to do that? We only have a few days until they arrive and we have spent our time preparing for a side attack." Miss Jones said, her accent as crisp as ever.

              "I have some ideas. We have concentrated the bulk of our physical defenses on the North and South flanks.” Nathan said.

              He turned to Sgt. Roberts. "I might be able to have some things ready for the Col. when he comes and if he decides to hit our front. I need you to brief your men. Tell them to be ready for a frontal attack just in case. In all likelihood he will come from the areas we have planned for, but we need to be ready."

              Sgt. Roberts nodded at Nathan. "Sure, what do you have in mind?"

              "I'll tell you on the way."

              They both left the room. Peotr and Miss Jones were the only ones left at the table. Gale sat in her chair, absorbing the scene. Miss Jones turned to Peotr. "I must retire as well. I have much to do, there were a few injured today and I need to check on them, if you will excuse me?"

              She nodded to Peotr and me. I was too tired to try and get her name.

              I stood there leaning heavily on my arms at the table. Peotr looked at me and said. "You are no good to us in this condition. Go to sleep, get some rest. There is still more work to be done. We all need to be ready."

              I couldn't argue with that. I looked at the clock as I left and saw it was nearly one a.m. The sun came up around five. I needed to get all the rest I could before I grabbed that shovel again.

Chapter 21

I woke up the next morning stiff as a board. Apparently, the exercise routine I usually followed to keep me in shape didn't cover shoveling dirt.

              As I slowly got dressed and made my way around the same guest room I stayed in last time I was here, my body warmed up and my muscles loosened enough to fade into the background.

              I put on my shirt and then my bandolier, intent on fully charging it today. I somehow had the impression I was going to need it before the Col. arrived tomorrow.

              As I finished dressing and started to move towards the door there was a knock. I went to it and opened it. Nathan stood outside, "Can I come in?" he asked.

              "Sure man, what’s up?" I asked.

              "Well, as you know, I have been busy supplementing the Compound’s defenses and have a lot more work to do today. I wasn't sure I would get the chance to see you again and wanted to give you something while we are still waiting.” Nathan said.

              I was surprised; Nathan has never given me anything. We were great friends but we never gave each other gifts.

              "Okay." I said, letting him in.

              He shut the door and reached out holding a piece of jewelry.

              "Take it. It’s an anticipatory shield." He said.

              I reached out and held what he had given me up, looking at it. It was a leather bracelet about three inches wide. It was hand stitched with long thin strips of leather cord. There were dozens of small turquoise and multicolored stones worked into the piece. I placed the bracelet around my left wrist and it snugged up on me automatically, fitting perfectly. After a second, I forgot it was there. I moved my arm around testing to see if it would dangle or slip. It stayed as if it were glued.

              "Anticipatory shield? So whatever I need, this will anticipate it and shield me?" I asked.

              "Basically, the stones store enough juice to give you protection for a limited amount of time. It can stop bullets or claws. It won’t last forever but when you need it, raise your hand and think about it, it will manifest a proper defense to help you. In case I’m not around to save your skinny ass." Nathan explained.

              I didn't know what to say. It was amazing. Some people would have gotten all soppy and emotional, seeing as how much this meant to them.

              Not me.

              "Awww, I didn't get you anything." I said extremely sarcastically.

              "You're welcome." Nathan said smiling. “By the way, Peotr asked me to see if you could go to the range this morning, there are about ten people who want to fight, but have never fired a weapon before. The wall is coming quite nicely and he figured helping them to not kill themselves might be more important. Give them some basic rifle marksmanship lessons.”