Mercenary Read online

  CHAPTER NINE

  Forward, Ho (Part Three)

  Patience of the Hunter

  “One mark of a great soldier is that he fights

  on his own terms or fights not at all.”

  Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

  Mission 283IEKR - Code name: Tall Grass…

  Eos

  Marginally habitable planet similar to Olde Earth, Standard Galactic Registry (SGR) 283. Eos’s star is G4V Spectral Class, smaller and a bit cooler than Earth Standard. The star’s official classification name in accordance with the classic Morgan–Keenan (MK) registry is Laberos, Greek for “bright”. In normal conversation and usage, it is simply referred to as “the sun”.

  The Laberos system consists of eight planets named after ancient Greek legend and genealogy; Gaia, Theia, Eos, Crius, Tethys, Pontus, Eurybia, and Heolis. Gaia, Theia (with its moon, Hyperion), Eos, and Crius are typical iron-core rocky planets, while the others are ice sub-giants, similar to Solar Uranus or Neptune.

  Eos’s tilt is more than that of Olde Earth, producing vast differences between seasons and restricting the habitable latitudes to approximately 40 degrees north and south. The soil of Eos is poorer than even that of Theia, the planet it shares orbit with.

  Eos’s small economy is supported by mining, manufacturing of high-tech items, and land grants for those wishing a more secluded lifestyle.

  Eos is smaller than Olde Earth, about 10,600 kilometers (6600 miles) in diameter, with lighter gravity and thinner atmosphere. The severe tilt of Eos has caused the atmosphere in the north and south poles to become too thin to support life.

  Eos revolves around Laberos closer than Olde Earth does Sol, shares its orbit with the planet Theia, and has a local year of 328 Standard Days.

  Eos was colonized in the mid-3100s (Olde Earth Calendar) and is considered a veritable “wild west” (Olde Earth term) of the Laberos system.

  Eos is primarily land, with less than 40% of its surface covered by oceans and seas. All are of high salinity and filled with native life which is harvested for food and other uses.

  Eos has two small moons, Sumeria, 800 km in diameter, and Nina, 450 km in diameter. orbital periods are sixteen and forty-two standard Eos days, respectively. There are theories that once the moons were a single body, split by a cataclysm early in Eos’s formation.

  The population of Eos is only approximated, as many of the inhabitants live completely off the grid. The latest estimate is forty million.

  Eos has two major urban locations, one at the mouth of the Serpentine River (called Riverfront) on the main continent, the other further inland on the same land mass, and known as Inland City. Neither has a population greater than one million (estimate as of this writing).

  Eos’s governmental structure is fragmented; each city or town is self-governing. With incomplete records and vast stretches of land having little or no population, much of Eos is uncharted and considered extremely dangerous.

  Eos has no standing army, centralized militia, or other form of security, other than what is deemed necessary in each city or town. Theian Marines have one Base, located close to Inland City, with a garrison of approximately three thousand. The Marines pay a yearly fee for use of the base and lands surrounding it.

  At this time there are no plans to further colonize Eos or involve Theia in any of its governmental workings.

  * * *

  They made orbit under full stealth, scanned quickly for a signal, finding nothing, then Talice assembled the team in the ready room again. She put the map of Eos on the screen and began her briefing.

  “This was our previous operation.” She pointed to a circled area, some distance from Inland City. “The mission was regarding Nemesis Corp. Before my discharge, the mercenary groups were getting military-grade hardware and becoming a real threat to the city. That’s when the Marines decided to drop in an operative and get as much intel as they could. But as the wheels of the Service are slow, they didn’t get him in until last year, a full three years after our raid. Now things are worse, his cover is likely compromised, and he’s on the run from assassins.”

  “So how does he know we’re here, or that anyone is coming after him?” Rory asked. He, Briggs, and Dosu sat on one side of the table; everyone else on the other. They probably still out-massed the others in the room.

  “Presumably through whoever he’s sending other info through. Which brings me to the next little thing.” Talice switched the picture on the screen to a plain-looking man and woman. “These are Evans’s contacts in Inland City, Thel Brayson and his wife Nil. They’re native to Eos, both born some forty years ago. No family ties currently, no children, no major social or political contacts. They have a small fix-it shop in the city. Very nondescript, very low-key.”

  “And they’re coming out, too, right?” Mac nodded. “I wondered when the other boot was gonna drop.”

  “I received this info only in the last few hours. Our contact on Theia is really playing this close.”

  “Are they coming out, or do we go in and get them?” asked Briggs. “In a small city, a bunch of strangers running around in a group would probably stand out.”

  Talice nodded. “No doubt. So we’ll play this carefully. Phase One is get Evans. Phase Two, the Braysons. At this time, there’s no indication they’re are in any danger.”

  “Then why bring them out?” Junior looked around the table. “What if they don’t want to leave? This is their home.”

  “Because it’s the right thing to do,” replied Mac, before Talice could answer. “They may be in no danger now, but in a year or two, who knows?”

  Briggs straightened in his chair. “What about this merc group? When we faced them in the Corps they weren’t so tough.”

  “Nemesis Corp is getting their stuff from somewhere. That’s the info Evans has, and likely the mission that will follow.” Talice paused for effect. “And that one will likely mean Marines.”

  “They’ve got a base here, why aren’t they involved now?” asked Ollie.

  “They like paying us to do the job,” joked Rory, and everyone around the table chuckled.

  Talice nodded. “We’ll get info from Evans when we retrieve him regarding the best way to extract the Braysons. But Junior raised a point, Mac, even though I agree with your answer.”

  “Regarding…?”

  “What if they don’t want to come out?”

  Mac considered for a moment. “I guess it’s really their choice. Somehow, though, we still have to contact them and make the offer.”

  “Send in Nikolay and Bělinka,” suggested Ollie. “If the mercs are watching, they’d likely less suspect a couple.”

  “Really?” Rory narrowed his eyes. “Explain.”

  “Spies usually don’t operate as a mixed pair,” said Ollie. “Too much chance for fraternization, if you understand my meaning. Entanglements.”

  Talice listened, feeling a small tug on her heartstrings. She still had a soft spot for Niky. So to say.

  “None of this happens unless we can locate Evans and get him out safely with his current intel,” said Mac.

  “Which is interesting to me,” said Niky. “Why has he not gone to his contacts to send this information? This says he is being watched and does not want to involve them. Therefore, they may be suspected as well at this time, or if not, Nemesis hopes to find out how this Evans person is getting information off Eos. Yes?”

  Talice looked to Mac. They both nodded.

  “Makes sense,” said Briggs. “So… if he’s being watched… and decides suddenly to leave town…”

  Talice frowned. “He’ll be followed for sure. Damn. We’ve got to let him make the first move. If we, as strangers, approach the Braysons, that might tip off Nemesis. Damn for sure.”

  “We can set up our own surveillance of the Braysons,” said Rory. “Make sure they’re not in danger.”

  “Good idea,” said Mac. “While Bird One and the rest of us wait for Evans to make his move.”
>
  Talice shook her head. “I hate to split our forces, but yeah, that at least will give them some cover if they need it. Niky, Bělinka, are you up for this? May take a few days. Mac, check out short-term accommodations in town.”

  Mac nodded.

  “Okay, what else?”

  Everyone passed glances around the table.

  “One other thing,” said Talice. “Evans didn’t make his last contact. Certainly not a good sign, but might be as simple as equipment malfunction or lack of opportunity. So our first move is getting you two on-planet. Second is wait for Evans or if possible, you find him. Somehow, my contact is letting him know we’re here.”

  “Then search for his signal,” said Mac. “We should talk to Abie about a synchronous orbit above the coordinates you gave her.”

  “Right. I’ll do that. Anything else?”

  No one raised their hand.

  “Niky, Bělinka, get ready for your excursion. Say twenty-four hours from now if we don’t hear from Evans. Don’t go unarmed.”

  * * *

  The hour was late. Abie had lowered the lights throughout Bird One, not only to conserve power, but give everyone a break from the constant brightness of reflected illumination from the inner walls of the ship.

  Talice and Mac sat together at the closed and sealed ramp, seeking a bit of solitude in which to talk about the upcoming mission plans.

  “Not like anything we’ve done before, Mac.”

  “And…?”

  Talice sipped tea as she stared away. “Splitting forces in combat is never a good idea, you know that.”

  “This isn’t combat, but espionage. Nikolay and Bělinka won’t be doing anything but watching. We can have them report back on a secure channel as often as we’re comfortable with.”

  “We’ve got to avoid contact with anyone associated with Nemesis Corp. That means Evans has to contact us, to be sure he’s clear. We’ve got no backup and no official connection. If he goes down, I don’t want this team to go down with him. Our job is to find him and bring him out safely, not save his ass from assassins.”

  Mac gave her a hard look. “That doesn’t sound like a Marine. If he’s in trouble, we let him die?”

  Talice sighed after a moment. “Look… he’s likely in the city and knows to get out safely. He has to leave. Okay, so if we can locate him and escort him out, fine. If they’ve got him, is it our job to go in after him?”

  “I’d say yes. And you know it is.” Mac moved her hoverchair closer. “What’s up with this? Second thoughts? Shakes again?”

  “I’ve just got to keep my concentration on the meds. It’s not like me to forget anything, yet I’m forgetting. It’s like my brain cells are dying.”

  Mac sat back, thinking. “I’ve got some stuff in my medikit that might help. Interested?”

  Talice shrugged. “Let’s see how the next twenty-four hours go. But I’ve got to get on the ball with this. I’m ready to try just about anything.”

  Talice’s wristwatch buzzed. “Holy crap, I’ve got an incoming message.” She looked back upship. “I’ve gotta take this in private. I’ll let you know what’s going on.”

  Mac stared at the watch. “What is that thing?”

  Talice grinned wickedly. “A gift from someone who loves me.”

  Without waiting for Mac’s surprised reply, Talice headed back through the deployment area and disappeared through the hatch.

  * * *

  Talice sat in her cabin, reading the commtext from Fawkes once again. Their time schedule had just been blown to hell. She hit the in-ship intercom button. “Abie, how quickly can you get into synchronous orbit above the coordinates I gave you?”

  “We need about twenty minutes to complete our current orbit, then a couple of hours to establish position. What’s up?”

  “New orders. Get on it quick, I’ve got to brief the team again.”

  “Will do.” Abie clicked off.

  Talice punched for Mac’s cabin. “Mac, Talice. We need another briefing in one hour.”

  “… Okay. Something to do with that message?”

  “Everything. Get it done. I’ve got to acknowledge and get a bit more info from my contact.”

  “Got it. See you in one hour.” Click.

  Talice sat back, willing herself to calm. She typed out a message to Fawkes. What about target’s contacts? Status and orders? Talice.

  She waited, checked her chrono for her meds, and filled her water flask. She drank half of it, waiting.

  The watch chimed, and she read the incoming message. Act on your discretion. Don’t endanger target or your team. Fawkes.

  Holy shit. Okay, so we can bring them out if they’re willing and we think it’s safe. Good enough. Niky and Bělinka can probably get a feel for that in a day. First priority is Evans. Things must be worse than we thought. One more thing to check.

  She typed in another query. Status of target? Latest news? Talice.

  The watch chimed a few moments later. Condition unknown, but likely injured. Comm damaged, possibly due to firefight. Fawkes.

  Fuck, if his comm is damaged, how do we find him? Talice punched Abie’s number again. “Abie, how long to get the infirmary ready to receive customers?”

  “It’s ready. Standard procedure is to have medical facilities optimal before lift. Got wounded coming in?”

  “Possibly. Thanks. Just be ready to receive in case.” Talice clicked off. Shit. Okay, looks like we’re on search and rescue. Injured, not “wounded”. But a firefight? Damn, I wish this was a real comm unit, not a bauble!

  She shook her head as she typed. Does target know he has friends in the area? Talice.

  Wait, wait, wait, I’ve never been good at waiting. Except in the field, where if you don’t wait, you could die. Unless you move quickly. Damn, I hate being in the dark…

  The wristwatch chimed its cheery tune once more. Yes, but approach with caution. Fawkes.

  Great, like a wounded animal. Skittish and likely to shoot first and ask questions later. Damn…

  She laid back on her bunk, closed her eyes, and focused on willing her body to heal. She didn’t know why, or what had brought this on, other than the fact she knew she was dying, and needed something to work. Come on, Babs, don’t fail me now. Too much stuff to be done, too many people depending on us. I need another couple of years. I’d love to live to be thirty-five, at least. That’s when Dad said he began to feel like an adult.

  Dad. She thought about him occasionally; not worry, just in the background of her thoughts. Mom, not so much; not because she didn’t love her, but Mom was stronger than Dad in ways Talice had only come to realize in the last few years. Brilliant, fiercely independent, didn’t need the support structure Dad always craved from the Corps, and Talice loved as well.

  What’s it like to be that… alone? I know she loves Dad, and he worships her, mostly for that very independence she shows. Knows he doesn’t have to prop her up. Knows she’s always there if he needs her, and she him. Damn… kinda like he treats me. She chuckled to herself.

  Her wristwatch chimed again, and her eyes snapped open. She read the message. Target on the move, contacts likely as well. Trouble in Paradise. Fawkes.

  Well, that takes care of that. Talice rose and headed for the ready room.

  * * *

  The mood in Bird One had changed.

  Talice ordered Abie to find a suitable landing place where they could drop off Nikolay and Bělinka close to Inland City, but far enough away they wouldn’t attract attention.

  “Oh, that’s easy,” Abie had replied, with more sarcasm than Talice really needed.

  “Just find it. Our schedule has been advanced.” Talice shut the hatch and made her way back to the ready room.

  She waited at the screen, though it was blank, as Briggs, Rory, and Dosu arranged themselves on one side once again, everyone else on the other. They watched her, questions in all their eyes of her stern attitude.

  “Okay, team, things have gotten inte
resting over the last hour or so. Evans is on the run, the Braysons probably with him, or at least moving as well. So we need intel we can only get from the ground, and that means you go in as soon as possible.” She met Nikolay’s and Bělinka’s gazes.

  “Evans is likely injured. Not wounded, but injured. And his comm is damaged or out of commission, so he can’t broadcast his location. So…”

  Talice paused for questions, but there were none. She looked to Mac for an instant, then continued. “Bird One will drop you off,” nodding to Niky and Bělinka, “then hide and wait for a signal. If we don’t hear from Evans in twenty-four hours, we’ll deploy and search. He’ll likely head that direction, so we might meet him on the way.”

  “Bělinka, Nikolay, all we need is minimum intel on the Braysons,” said Mac. “Don’t get too snoopy and don’t draw attention. If they’re compromised or on the run, their shop is being watched.”

  Talice nodded. “The rendezvous is about an hour outside Inland City by aircar, so if they’re in a ground transport, it could be two or more. If they’re on foot, no telling how long, with weather and terrain.”

  Again, she paused. “It’s our job to bring Evans out alive, and the Braysons if possible. But… we don’t want to engage these mercs if there’s any way to avoid it. We don’t know their capabilities now, if they’ve got aircars or ships that might even be able to engage Bird One. The absolute last thing we want to do is get stranded here with no way home. We have one job, so let’s be sure that’s done before anything else is considered. Clear? Okay, any questions?”

  “I’m wondering if we can bring home souvenirs, Captain?” Nikolay’s question brought a peal of laughter around the table. Talice smiled.

  “Not if it’s going to slow you down, but that’s a good point. Do a bit of shopping, take your time. Go to the Braysons’ shop, and if it’s closed, ask around if anyone has seen the proprietors.”

  “What about entering and searching?” asked Bělinka.

  “Only if you can do so without suspicion or detection. Don’t take any chances. And I mean any.”

  Bělinka and Nikolay nodded together.