The Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison: Call Sign Reaper (38 page)

The major was the first to go over the edge. His screams didn’t last long. The sergeant took four punches to the face and was about to black out when he went over the edge. The admiral started begging and telling him how many people she knew and how rich he could be. She went out with one punch and he threw her as far as could. Something jumped and snagged her right out of the air. It seemed the colonel had lost control of his bodily functions, judging by the smell. Ben stood looking at him as he took his helmet off. He sat it down on the walk way and turned to look the man who had ruined his life in the eyes. The light went on after a few seconds.

“You’re the Reaper?” Thomas gasped.

“No, dipshit, I just wear his armor,” Ben said. “Yes, I’m the Reaper. You are still stupid, and you smell like shit.”

“Maybe we can work out a deal,” Thomas said hurriedly. “I know who killed your family. It was no accident, that train wreck.”

“So you’re saying my family was murdered and you know something about it?” Ben said. “Does anyone else know anything about it?”

“Yes, there are a few who were involved that are still around,” Thomas answered, sounding relieved.

“Good, then I don’t need you,” Ben said. He hit Thomas so hard it broke his jaw. He hit him again and broke his cheek and eye socket. He beat his face to a black and blue bloody pulp. His teeth were mostly gone. One eye was closed, the other falling out of the socket.

Ben grabbed him, lifted him up over his head and threw him, almost going over the railing himself. One of the mantis flew up and picked him out of the air. It landed and the three ate Colonel Randolph Thomas. Ben stood and watched until the man had stopped screaming and thrashing. He turned and walked through the door to find E’Aria and Ronnie and Andrea. They were looking at his face.

“Oh shit, I forgot my helmet.” He opened the door and stepped through and picked it up. A mantis flew up from the floor and was three feet away. The women all took involuntary steps back. Reaper just stood looking at it.

Thank you for your parting gift,
it thought.
It is not often we get such a honor. We come and we feast but no one ever feeds us.

It was my pleasure,
he thought, meaning every word.

That symbol on your chest is powerful.

It is the symbol of death, and I am its warrior.

That I believe,
the mantis thought.
The Allith said to watch for the warrior with that symbol. They said you would bring our deaths.

The Allith are a foolish race. They are not intelligent like you. I can bring peace as easily as I can bring death. It is what you come seeking that you get from the Reaper.

Speak to the Allond. They may be your enemy but they are honorable. They will tell you how we found peace instead of war and death. The Allith are fools and they know it is true also,
the mantis told him.
I believe you are correct, and now our queen will think on many things. She did not know your race had taken the path of the warrior. This has now been added to her knowledge. She has a millennia of knowledge that is passed from queen to queen that she uses to guide the hive. She shares that knowledge with only a trusted few. These drones you see here are a army of fodder to throw at our enemies.

It turned and flew out into space and the waiting ship. E’Aria just stood and stared at Ben. Andrea kept asking her what happened. Ben walked up picked her up in his arms and carried her. She laid her head against his shoulder and cried.

They got everyone off the ship and onto the Warhammer. The captains organized provisions and bedding. They would be fine until they joined up with the battle group in a couple of days. Ben carried Andrea onto the gunship and put her to bed. They caught up with the Claymore six hours later. He carried her into an empty room and put her back in bed. Ronnie had given them meds to help her heal and sleep.

E’Aria and her aunt found a quiet place to talk while she filled her in on what Ben had done with the Cjittan. The prime minister looked at Ben funnily for the rest of the trip. He was used to people looking at him with odd expressions. He wasn’t sure what she was thinking.

They met up with a Trillond Corvette, who took the prime minister and Mr. Antonio off their hands. Ben never did get to talk to his lawyer. The prime minister hugged him again and said she would be in touch.

E’Aria turned the Claymore towards Anubis and they were there two days later. During the two days, Ben had Nick find them a suitable property with enough hangar space to keep two of the four ships inside. The Claymore and the gunship would have the hangers unless the freighter or shuttle needed major work done. He didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention. He knew some would eventually come, but hopefully they would be ready for it. Nick paid cash and the previous owner was happy to give him the keys while the paperwork was being drawn up.

Nick and Val, Gus, Cindy and Jen, and the Vander Hoyts were all at the new property. They put the Claymore down right next to his and Nick’s freighter. He introduced everyone to Lorelei, Natalia and E’Aria. They already knew Andrea. The Claymore almost didn’t fit in the largest hangar. They did have enough room to get the two smaller ships in the other if they wanted to. His friends were all in awe of how he and his life had changed in a matter of months.

They went to Gus’s for dinner and some drinks. Natalia went to the Vander Hoyts for the night. It had been love at first sight.

He ate a double cheeseburger. Andrea wiped the grease off his chin and cheeks and took some of his fries while he was distracted. Jen and Lorelei hit it off. They were up dancing, having fun.

E’Aria sat quietly on one side of Ben. She looked the menu over and couldn’t find anything to eat. Gus had disappeared for about 20 minutes then was back and at the bar. A few minutes later, the cook brought out a beautiful salad. E’Aria eyes lit up as she tasted it. The cook was still standing watching her.

“This is very close to a salad we have on Trillond,” she commented. “The dressing is almost perfect.”

“We are going to be staying in quarters on either the shuttle or gunship for now,” Ben told E’Aria. “I will start looking for us a suitable place to live tomorrow. I’m going to take Andrea for a walk, and we will be back in a little while. Get to know Nick and Val; you will be working with them a lot.” She nodded.

She has things on her mind too. She is scared right now for you and retaliation by the Military.
Her thoughts flowed so easily into his head; it was all very natural to him now.

I think there are a few things she doesn’t know. If it all goes sideways, though, what do you think about becoming a fugitive with me? Roaming the galaxy righting wrongs and all that?
Ben asked.

I think my family will publicly disown me,
she answered.

Yep, think about it. I’ll be back.

She could do nothing but shake her head

He grabbed Andrea’s hand. They moved through the tables and went out the front door. He didn’t say anything for the first few minutes.

“It’s a beautiful night,” he finally commented.

“It is,” she replied. “This planet has some beautiful weather.”

“I just needed some air and to hear the sounds of a peaceful night. It hasn’t been a very peaceful eight weeks.” He let go of her hand and put his arm around her. “You have been quiet since you woke up. I wanted us to have some privacy to talk.”

“Yes, I have been processing a lot about the last couple of days on the Warhammer and then the Morningstar,” she told him.

Ben looked around as she talked and thought they were in the right spot. He stopped walking. “You go first, then, and tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I’m sorry, Benjamin, sorry for every time I’ve been angry with you over your issues with authority,” she said. “They beat me, Ben, and they got a lot of good sailors and marines killed. They kept beating me and no one lifted a finger to try and make them stop. They just wanted to know your name. I decided they could kill me.”

“They were going to give you to the Cjittan to distract them,” he said. “I don’t know where they thought they would go, and they didn’t either because they put you in the cooler.”

She wrapped her arms around him and started crying. In between sobs she said, “You killed them, didn’t you? You took the four who were involved in hurting me and killed them.”

“They are heroes, Andrea. Their sacrifice may have stopped the Cjittan invasion. Even if it was unwilling, I was fair about it. I gave them each a few seconds to learn how to fly or for their god to grant them a miracle. Flying was too complicated, I guess, and their gods, whoever they are, must have been busy. The Cjittan were quite thankful and one told me so. It told me their Queen would think on all the facts before committing to a war.”

“E’Aria told me you killed a few of the Cjittan then faced three of them with no weapon.”

“Three of them tried to kill me and three of them didn’t,” he replied matter-of-factly, stroking her hair. “I have a reputation in the Galaxy, I found out. The Allith told the Cjittan that the one wearing the reaper on his chest was a bringer of death. I played that card with them, along with some gunslinger talk and they understood. My first question is simple. Are you staying here with me?

“Yes,” she said, drying her eyes. “I am transmitting my resignation tomorrow to General Grey.”

“Look around,” he said. “Does this spot look familiar?”

She looked around. “It looks different when you’re standing,” she said. She laughed figuring out what he was doing. “You brought me to the exact spot of our first kiss.”

“That first kiss started everything,” he said, “but this kiss is sealing the deal.”

                                      The End

It has been two months since the Morningstar attack. Ben’s friends were settling into life on Anubis. They had not heard a word from any of their friends they had left behind. Andrea’s resignation was signed by the general and she received digital confirmation and documentation. Ben was hoping to hear from Emily. If they were still friends, he wanted her to do some off-the-record searches for him.

The Colonel’s last words were stuck in his head. Not just his family, but many other people were killed in the train wreck that took his family from him. He was surprised that Matt or Gunny or any of the misfits hadn’t tried to contact any of them.

E’Aria walked into the kitchen. She sat down at the table next to Ben. She poured herself a coffee. She was trying to develop a taste for it. Lots of sugar and cream was the only way she could drink it at the moment.

“I talked to my aunt,” she told Ben. “She hasn’t heard anything, but I am not so sure that is true. She hears everything. She is the prime minister. She has more spies than the admiral had and they are twice as good.”

“Well, we had our 15 minutes of fame, E’Aria. They evidently think they can do things better than us.”

“There is no us, Benjamin,” she said. “You did everything and let us ride along. I bet the next time we meet the Allond they will give you a Battle Cruiser. Even the Mighty Allond have not stopped the Cjittan with words.”

“I haven’t stopped anybody or anything,” he said. “They will come if they want to, and I hope we are ready when they do.”

“Where are your almost-wife and your child?”

“They went shopping for clothes and food. I think they are getting you something,” he said with a smile.

“What are they getting me?”

“I don’t know. Do you think I was paying attention?”

Natalia had sat down one day about a month ago and made a family tree. She had Ben as her father and Andrea as her mother. E’Aria was her sister. She had Grandma and Grandpa Vander Hoyt and a whole bunch of aunts and uncles: Jen, Lorelei, Aisling, Matt and Bill.

“How are you doing, E’Aria? Do you like this better than being in the navy?” Ben asked. He slipped his arm around her and pulled her into a hug.

“I do,” she said, leaning into the hug and smiling. “Your business is starting to really come together and we are a small crew. I stay busy all the time with a lot of different things.”

“I’m not sure if you even need money,” he said. “Do you feel you are compensated enough for all you do? Whether you need it or not, you have earned every penny. I just want you to be happy with everything.”

“Nick was quite generous and because the shuttle and gunship are half mine, I get a larger share from any job we do with them,” she said. “I am saving most of what I earn, plus you and I still have credits left from what we took from the pirates.”

“Set up an account for Natalia and put the remainder of my share in the account. When she starts working next year she can put her own money in with it,” Ben said.

“You know Mr. Antonio is still working on the lawsuit for your illegal incarceration.”

“I forgot all about that. Who is paying him for that, E’Aria?” Ben asked. She paused uncomfortably before answering his question.

“The Trillond government is paying for it.”

“E’Aria?”

“The Princess E’Aria Aok is paying for it.”

“Well she can call it off. There is no need—”

“End of discussion,” she said with a small smile.

“Brat!”

“Why are you two arguing? I could hear you outside,” Andrea yelled from the front door.

“Yeah, we could hear you outside.” Natalia mimicked Andrea’s tone.

They each had multiple bags from clothing stores on their arms and in their hands. “We have to show you everything we bought,” Natalia said.

“I have work out in the barn,” Ben said quickly, “but E’Aria will want to see it all, every piece.”

“Before you run outside to take a nap,” Andrea said, “Lauren told me that there is a large party arriving and the rooms were paid on a military purchase order.”

“Did she say when?”

“Tomorrow. They have ten rooms booked.”

“It seems my aunt will be here tomorrow as well, with six in her party,” E’Aria added, looking at her com.

“Did she just tell you that?” Andrea asked.

“No, my cousin on Trillond sent this message before my aunt departed. I got the message an hour ago but was busy arguing with your almost-husband.”

“Okay, slacker,” Andrea said to Ben, “you can go to the barn now to do some imaginary work. Harold and Janet will be home soon and we will start dinner.”

“You want to come out and help me work?”

“No, that hay itches,” she said. “I will make you work later, you can count on that.”

“Sounds good,” he said. “On a serious note, we need to have a round table about these visitors. I’m not showing the Claymore to just anyone, and if they try pull some kind of crap, then I see bad things happening.”

Ben took his com with him out to the barn. “Hey Nick, you got a minute?”

“Hey Ben, what do you need?” Nick asked.

“We have company tomorrow. Colonial and Trillond. Can we put everything but the freighter in the hangars and lock them up?”

“If you’re worried about the Claymore, I say we take it tonight somewhere and hide it and fly the shuttle back.”

“That sounds like a great idea. Any idea where?” Ben asked.

“I bet if you asked Mr. Washburn, he probably has a farm near the jungle where we could hide it and have a clearing where we can land and take off in the shuttle,” Nick said.

“Let me do that right now.”

It took all of three minutes to get coordinates for a place to hide the ship. The Washburns were good people and good customers. They were back four hours later and sitting on the deck he had built so there would be room for everyone that would be living there soon to sit outside.

“Did you hear anything else from Lauren while we were gone?” he asked Andrea.

“No, she said she would contact me when there was something definite.”

“Well, no sense sitting around worrying,” Ben sighed. “I’m going turn in. I think I’ll go to the office tomorrow morning early.”

“What are you worrying about?” Andrea asked.

“The usual. A big shot runs their mouth and I shut it for them. There may be 16 people bothering us tomorrow. Do you think there isn’t going to be a button-pusher?”

“I think you should let me and E’Aria do the talking,” Andrea said. “Who knows if they are even here to see us.”

“Let’s say the Trillond are here to take home their wayward princess and the military is here to take you, dear. What would you like me to do?”

“Kick their asses?” Andrea smiled.

“Right. Sweet dreams, I’m going to bed.”

“I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Ben woke up. Andrea was already out of bed and he could hear voices downstairs. He pulled on his shorts and walked down for some coffee. Andrea had his cup ready and put it in his hand. He yawned and looked around the kitchen.

He saw the prime minister of Trillond sitting at the kitchen table.

“I think I know you,” he yawned. “Did you bring breakfast?”

“No, I didn’t,” the prime minister responded. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you going to cook breakfast?” He heard a gasp.

“The prime minister does not do servant’s chores for the likes of you!” There was a pompous-looking Trillond male standing in the doorway. Andrea put a stack of toast on the table. Ben grabbed the butter knife and went at him.

“I haven’t killed anything in two months,” he said, “but today I think I will.” There was a flash of shiny clothes as the pompous ass ran right through the screen door and kept going.

He sat back down next the prime minister and buttered some toast with the knife, put it on a small plate and gave it to her. “For you, ma’am. Would you like something to drink? Some juice perhaps?”

“That would great,” she said. “I love this product you call butter.”

“Have you ever had bacon?”

“No she hasn’t, and what is going on in here?” E’Aria walked into the kitchen with a knife in her hand but still in the sheath.

“Bacon is wonderful,” Ben said to the prime minister. “Remind me to get you some.”

“Ben, I asked a question,” E’Aria fumed.

“Some guy from your planet got lippy with me before I’ve even finished my first cup of coffee. He owes us for a screen door, by the way.”

“I thought we were handling things, Andrea?” E’Aria asked.

“I didn’t know we would have a dignitary here at 630,” Andrea said. “We have the rest of the day to handle things.”

“Actually, you don’t,” said the prime minister. “There are a lot of people here to see him, not anyone else.”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea, Prime Minister,” Andrea said. “If the one who just left here in a hurry is the kind of individual who will be at your meeting, it may end really badly.”

Ben slid his coffee cup to Andrea. “Would you fill that up for me while you talk bad about me?”

“Well it’s true, Benjamin, and you know it.”

“People change,” he said. “They grow and mature.”

“I know, love, but you’re not one of them.”

He, stood up and headed for the steps. “I’m going to get a shower and get dressed. Leave the itinerary with my secretaries.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing, ma’am,” Andrea said to the prime minister. “I think you should have us very close by just in case.”

“Yes, I think you’re probably right, Andrea,” the prime minister said. “I will make arrangements for you two to join us.”

Ben came down a little later dressed in his usual ensemble.

“You don’t have any weapons, do you? This is a diplomatic conference. There will be some guards and that’s about all.” The prime minister looked concerned.

“E’Aria,” Ben said, “you will be my guard. Change clothes and get your weapons.”

“Ben, I don’t think they will allow that,” Andrea warned.

“I don’t care. They started playing head games by showing up here unannounced, and they act as if our lives don’t matter. I have something they want and they will work with us or they can leave.”

“What was in that shower?” Andrea asked. “You sure changed in the past 15 minutes.’

“I like E’Aria’s aunt and I know she’s a career politician. But even she didn’t give us any warning. It was E’Aria’s cousin who sent the message.”

“I told you to go change.”

“If what they want is the Claymore,” Ben said, “it goes nowhere without our crew. Let’s you and I agree on that right now. It’s the only thing I have they could possibly want, except for you and E’Aria, and they can’t have either of you.”

“Are you done?”

“Yes, I think so. Do you have anything to add?”

“No, I think you’re right. Please let me do the talking if tempers get out of control,” Andrea said.

E’Aria went all out. She put on her black armor with her twin Trillond short swords and a rail pistol. “How is this?” she asked.

“Perfect,” he said. “Not too much to carry and plenty of close-quarter firepower.” They went outside and got in the hover car. It was only 10 minutes to the hotel.

“Andrea, fly over our hangars. I want to take a look before we go to the hotel,” Ben said. They flew by, and in broad daylight there were four individuals trying to get into the large hangar. There was a hover car parked on the back side of the small hangar.

“Okay, so what do we do about this? I know what I would do, but you two decide.” Ben couldn’t see E’Aria in the back seat. Andrea looked back and nodded. The window went down and Ben heard the rail pistol whine three times. They flew on towards the hotel. Andrea called Sheriff Kilroy to report a theft in progress.

They walked into the hotel and everyone gave them a wide berth. They young lady at the counter wasn’t bothered; she knew them. E’Aria opened her visor to smile at her, then lowered it again.

“Nice outfit,” the lady said.

“I designed it,” Ben said, smiling at her.

“Come on, Romeo,” Andrea said as she pulled him towards the hallway leading to the conference room. Part of the building’s lower level was all conference rooms. E’Aria walked behind them. Ben could see two armed guards standing outside some double doors.

“So that’s six,” he said. “Four at the hangar and two on the door. That should leave four inside, not counting the Trillond. I wonder if she even brought guards. I hope the one who owes me a screen door wasn’t a guard.”

Ben was smiling and relaxed as he walked up to the guards. E’Aria managed to stay mostly hidden behind Ben. They saw her at the last minute and the guard on the right decided to take action.

“You can’t go in there,” he said, reaching for a laser pistol. Ben grabbed the arm, reaching by the wrist while his fist buried itself in the guard’s midsection. He took his pistol away. E’Aria had the rail pistol pointed at the other guards head.