The Storm Maker (28 page)

       “Colonel
Sthykar,” Krratyk said. “Supreme Commander Krratyk here. I am in the House of
War with Commanders Byter and Tybett and SPASI Chief Yucker.”

       “I
am glad that you have Chief Yucker there,” Sthykar said. “He will be very
interested in what I have discovered. A few of my friends and I were on a
hunting vacation and we stumbled on a dangerous scheme by a foreign power to
create a secret weapon.”

       “What
is going on?” Krratyk asked. “Are you inside Starfire nation?”

       “You
won’t believe it, sir,” Sthykar said. “This is happening right here in our
country. I am in a small town called Coldwoods; it’s in the far southwest.”

       The
commanders and Yucker looked at each other shocked. Yucker leaned in to the
radio. “Colonel Sthykar, Chief Yucker here. Is this foreign power Ranx nation?”

       “You
got it. I don’t know what your detectives know about it ,but my friends and I
were in a shootout with Ranx Rangers,” Sthykar said.

       “Ranx
Rangers! No wonder they got your guards,” Krratyk said to Yucker. “Colonel
Sthykar, what kind of a weapon are we talking about?”

       “I
think it might be Alpha Privilege secret what I have learned,” Sthykar said.
“Alright for me to go ahead and share it on the radio?”

       “Everyone
here has Alpha Privilege, who is listening on there?” Krratyk asked.

       “Colonel
Jontvyk, Capitan Relkyett and a few other army men as well as friends and a
retired policeman, all trustworthy men I would say.”

       “Alright,
now listen, whatever Sthykar says is not to be discussed with anybody else who
is not there right now without House of War’s permission,” Krratyk said to
everyone listening on the other side.

       “Yes
commander,” many of them in the Coldwoods police station replied in unison.

       “Then
go ahead,” Krratyk said.

       “I
broke into their compound as I found it suspicious,” Sthykar said. “I came
across a scientist who was attempting to escape, unfortunately he did not make
it. But he told me they were making a storm weapon, some type of machine that
can create hurricanes and tornadoes and such storms. I do not know what to make
of it except I know that our army as well as Narducat Empire’s army
experimented with storm weapons, but they have been banned from further development
in a mutual treaty.”

       “So
that is what they have been up to,” Yucker said, “All along we had been
thinking it was just a bank robbing syndicate. Unbelievable!”

       “Sthykar,
that is the strangest coincidence,” Krratyk said. “Yucker had come to us for
help precisely because a SPASI team was ambushed in Coldwoods by these Ranxian
men you tell us are Ranx Rangers.”

       “Well,
that explains one more thing that is not a coincidence,” Sthykar said. “The
entire Coldwoods town police is missing; I am certain they were kidnapped as
well.”

       “I
think we should tell him,” Yucker said to Krratyk. Krratyk thought for a moment
and then nodded his head.

       “The
leader of that SPASI team was your friend Sayett,” Krratyk said.

       “Did
he survive?” Sthykar asked distraught.

       “Kidnapped,”
Krratyk said. “But there is more bad news.”

       “What?”

       “They
have also kidnapped your wife, Constellar Slyntya,” Krratyk said and stopped.
He wanted to explain further but he waited for Sthykar’s reaction.

       Sthykar
suddenly felt his stomach go empty and he swallowed hard. He was more
distressed than angry, but he quickly collected himself. There were murmurs and
headshakes in the room. Relkyett placed his hand on Sthykar’s shoulder and
Colonel Jontvyk looked at him with sympathy.

       “How
did this happen?” Sthykar asked.

       “As
you know, she was on the House of Banks and SPASI believed till now this was a
bank robbing syndicate,” Krratyk said. “She was made the overseer of SPASI
investigation especially because she would work well with Sayett, as he is your
friend. Now they were opposed to her going on the field investigation, but a
Constellar has political authority to order herself in and she did. She was
ambushed earlier and kidnapped.”

       “Actually,
Sayett and a hundred guards were going there to rescue her,” Chief Yucker
chirped in. “but we underestimated the opposition; we had no clue that they
were Ranx Rangers.”

       “Commander
what are you doing to get them back?” Sthykar asked. He was still feeling ill
in his stomach, but he had composed himself. He had always accepted that
tragedies and villainies could happen anytime to anyone. One could only be
brave and bold and be always ready to fight against them in cold hearted
manner.

       “The
local warrior class, the 999
^th
reserve army has been ordered to
mobilize two thousand soldiers,” Krratyk stopped and then turned to Commander
Tybett. “Commander Tybett, now that we know they are Ranx Rangers and their
extremely dangerous plan, I want full mobilization.”

       “I
was thinking the same and was about to suggest it to you,” Tybett said, “I will
order Colonel Weltar to call for full and immediate mobilization.”

       Commander
Tybett picked up the table phone and dialed a number, meanwhile Krratyk resumed
his talk on the radio, “Sthykar, I have just ordered full mobilization of the
999
^th
Reserve, and I can’t think of anyone better to be the battle
commander than you.”

       “Appreciate,
but how long will that take? Five hours is standard full mobilization time for
reserve armies—the most disciplined ones,” Sthykar said.

       “Five
to seven hours for them,” Commander Tybett said. “Unfortunately, Colonel, large
areas, spread out homes and towns in that district so it might take longer.”

       “I
understand,” Sthykar said, “Commander I would like to go in ahead. I am sure
whoever the Colonel of 999
^th
is…”

       “Colonel
Weltar,” Krratyk said.

       “Yes,
Colonel Weltar will do a great job of leading his soldiers,” Sthykar said. “I
want to go ahead and rescue Slyntya, and if possible Sayett and others. She is
not a soldier nor a detective and deserves my first attention.”

       “I
certainly won’t stop you, Colonel,” Krratyk said. “Your decision. All army
units in that region will be under your command as of this moment. Keep me
informed; I will be in here at the House of War till we have seen this
through.”

       “Will
do,” Sthykar said.

       “Colonel
Sthykar,” Tybett said. “I just told Weltar of your presence as well as what you
have told us. He will catch you on the radio on our army frequency as soon as
he is fully mobilized and ready to attack. I have ordered him to storm their
compound.”

       “I
will try to get the hostages before that,” Sthykar said. “Alright.”

       “Alright
then,” Krratyk said and shut off the radio.

       Sthykar
shut off his own radio and looked at his friends.

       “Terrible
to hear that,” Jontvyk said.

       “She
didn’t deserve it at all,” Relkyett said.

       “I
know she is my wife, but right now we have an operation to execute and that is
what we are going to do: in a cold, disciplined and ruthless manner. Life is a
tragedy, we all accept this, I won’t dwell on it more.”

       “We
are all behind you,” Kartar said. “What are our orders, Colonel?”

       “You
are not even in the army Cap Kartar,” Sthykar said using his formal title, “and
I can’t order an aristocrat.” Others laughed lightly and that reduced the
tension in the room as the rest of them relaxed and some of them sat down on
the chairs and the tables of the police station.

       “Now,”
Sthykar said, “I am going right away to rescue Slyntya. The warriors under
Colonel Weltar’s command will come in hard when they are ready. So far Ranx
Rangers seem rational, but I don’t know how they will react and how they will
treat their hostages once they are surrounded and their defeat is certain. You
don’t have to come with me; you can wait till Colonel Weltar is ready and
attack with him. I leave the decision to each one of you because my attempt is
very risky and specifically for my wife.”

       “I
am in,” Kartar said.

       “Count
me in,” Jontvyk said.

       “Me
too,” said Muftar.

       Sthykar
heard almost all of them trying to shout over each other to join him.   “Glad
you are all coming,” he said.

       “Colonel,”
the retired policeman Rydar spoke when everyone had become quiet. “I would like
to come, too. I know I am not part of your group of friends. I was never in any
army and I am old. But I am a Starfirian and I want to fight as well. I also
know the lay of the forest like none of you—been running around these old cold
woods since a kid.”

       “Delighted
to take you with us,” Sthykar said. “Could always use an extra gun.”

       “I
can get a few more,” Rydar said.

       “We
don’t have much time,” Sthykar said.

       “Just
from around nearby, fifteen—twenty minutes drive,” Rydar said, “Many folks here
are avid hunters just like all of you. Most will be willing to fight for their
town and country.”

       “We
could use some locals,” Relkyett said. “I am the only one who knows the way. If
I get shot, the rest of you will be lost.”

       “Alright,”
Sthykar said turning to Rydar. “We need time to plan our attack as well. I will
give you half an hour; get whoever you can within that time to this police station.”

       Rydar
nodded and hurriedly exited and rushed to his car. Sthykar looked around the
police station, found a large map of the town and the forest on a wall, tore it
off and spread it flat on the police chief’s desk. He picked up the pen the
chief had left uncapped. Rest of them crowded together to lean in on the map.

* * *

       “Now
we know what we are up against,” Supreme Commander Krratyk said in the House of
War.

       “Yucker,
we need to find out about Ranx Nation’s involvement in this, and to what extent,”
Byter said. “If they unleash a storm on us and if the Ranx government played a
role, then I can get the fighter planes ready to hit them back hard.”

       “Commander
Byter, let us deal with the matter one at a time. The highest priority is
dealing with the Ranx Rangers in Coldwoods,” Supreme Commander Krratyk said.
“We can deal with Ranx at our leisure later.”

       “I
will put my detectives from the Counter-Spying department on this matter of
Ranx involvement,” Yucker said. “Actually getting spies in there to get
personal information will take time, but we can start analyzing their politics
right away.”

       “Alright,”
Krratyk said. “We need to start making calls. I am going to call the King and
have him use his authority to call the Constellation into session immediately.
He can also give them news about Constellar Slyntya’s kidnapping. I am going to
call from my personal office.”

       “I
will alert the Army Investigations,” Commander Byter said. “They can start
creating a current profile of the Ranxian army if we decide to go to war.”

       “Alright,
but order them not to share the preparation for a thorough analysis with anyone
except the top level officers,” Krratyk said. “Now we all have calls to make,
events to set into motion, let us meet here in one hour and we will have the
King and the rest of the army commanders with us as well.”

       Krratyk,
Byter and Yucker exited the conference room while the reserve commander Tybett
stayed back. He picked the radio from the side and made a connection to Colonel
Weltar’s camp to update him.  

* * *

       “Mark
the location of your land on this map, Relkyett,” Sthykar said and handed the
pen over to his friend.

       “Roughly
there.” Relkyett made a square on the map and handed the pen back to Sthykar.

       “And
here is approximately where that compound is,” Sthykar made a small circle to
the south of Relkyett’s mark. “And this is the Coldwoods police station,” he
made a check over the police station, which was printed on the map.

       “We
can go straight from here to there, barely any rivers or canyons in between,”
Colonel Jontvyk said as he traced his finger from the police station on the map
to the circle Sthykar had made to indicate Ranxian compound.

       “I
am just worried about the tower wall,” Sthykar said, “They know soldiers are
coming for them. We won’t be able to climb the wall like I did before and we
won’t be going there at night either, because that would be too late.”

       “We
could storm the gate,” Felptar said. “Fifteen of us plus whoever the retired
policeman brings. A handful of guards can’t withstand that much firepower.”