5
“We got reps from each team?” Lieutenant Omestori asked as he came in and silently counted the assembled Marines. “Thirteen. That’s everyone.”
They’d been briefed that there could be a reason to meet before the assault, and without comms, that meant face-to-face. The message was passed through a dead-drop, the location previously designated. But for them to meet, it had to be something important. Just wandering around the city increased the chances of them being spotted.
Rev had left Tomiko behind to continue the planning, but he’d accepted the ever-helpful Lima’s guidance to get to the meeting place, a fabrication shop closer in to the city’s center. With his augments, he could find the place himself, but Lima had pointed out that he didn’t know the best route there, the one that would expose him the least. She was waiting in a small coffee shop across the street . . . even as captives of the Centaurs, some things continued on as normal.
So now, three of the platoon’s four teams had gathered with a rep from each two-person element.
“OK, as to why I needed to call you together. Things are . . . well, not quite as we were briefed.”
No shit.
“I need to get a better picture of what’s happening here and get that up to the colonel.”
Lieutenant Colonel Lynn “Bearmeat” Alomaha was the commander of the task force in the city. Rev didn’t know where she was or how to contact her, but it made sense that the lieutenant would.
“How many of you know about the kapos?”
Every Marine and Blue-Master Ting-a-ling, one of their Frisian augments, raised their hand.
The lieutenant nodded, then said, “I thought as much. And that interjects a new dynamic into our operation. We’re not only dealing with the tin-asses, but also traitors to humanity who we have to believe will actively oppose not only the invasion but our attempt to minimize civilian casualties. And it looks like the situation has already exposed our operation. Sergeant Krill?”
The Second Team member stood up and said, “We have two kapos captives, but in the process, another one got away.”
“And we have to assume that the woman is reporting it to whomever,” the lieutenant said, cutting the sergeant short.
“But, we’re all in civilian clothes,” Corporal Wesley “Bambam” Sinclair said. “Does that kapo know you were Marines?”
“Minnow” Krill looked embarrassed and half-mumbled, “They were part of our contact team. We told them what we’re doing.”
There was a low murmur around the table. The contact teams had been designated by OD and military Intel, and if three had been kapos, how many others might be across the planet?
Rev was suddenly glad that he and Tomiko had run into Lima.
“Should have zeroed the fucking traitor,” Bambam said.
Krill looked even more uncomfortable.
“It doesn’t matter what could’ve or should’ve been done. It is what it is now. What we need to figure out is how that’s gonna affect our operation,” the lieutenant said. “Before we go on, has anyone else run into a problem with them?”
Rev slowly raised his hand.
“Corporal Pelletier.”
“We kinda . . . kinda killed one.”
There was a chorus of “ooh-rahs” that the gunny had to quiet with a withering glare.
The lieutenant looked exasperated and asked, “‘Kinda’ killed one? I don’t know how you can kinda kill someone. And you didn’t think that was important enough to tell us?”
“I was going to, sir. But I didn’t want to interrupt you.”
The lieutenant dismissed the comment with one hand as if brushing away a fly. “You couldn’t avoid it? What happened?”
“We got stopped, sir. Miko and me. The kapo was the cordon captain, all officious and shit, and he was going to call the next cordon captain to find out if we were legit.”
The lieutenant considered that for a moment and said, “I guess you had to make the decision on the spot, so I’m not going to second-guess you.”
“I didn’t make the decision. Neither did Miko, sir. A civilian did. She was talking to the kapo when he stopped us, and as soon as he said he was going to contact the other guy, she slit his throat.”
“No shit?” Bambam asked, amongst several other comments by the others.
“A civilian did it?” the lieutenant asked, waving the others to silence. “Where is she now?”
“Waiting outside, sir. We figured that she proved herself, and she was capable, so we made her our Point of Contact.”
“Good choice. And what fallout has there been?”
“Not much, sir. Not that we can tell.”
“A kapo’s killed, and no reaction from the Centaurs?”
“Like I said, sir. Nothing we can tell, at least. No retaliation.”
“I guess the tin-asses don’t appreciate their acolytes much,” the gunny said to scattered laughs.
The lieutenant waited until the laughter died out and said, “That doesn’t mean there won’t be. If there is any retaliation, you’re to ignore it. We can’t tip our hand.”
That was a tough call, but Rev and Tomiko had come to the same decision on their own. It would be tough if the Centaurs started rampaging to punish the people, but their mission had a broader scope, as tough as that was to accept.
“So, anyone else ‘kinda’ kill a kapo?” the lieutenant asked.
No one said anything.
“OK, then. We’ve got some work to do now, and not much time. Aside from the kapo issue, we’ve got a good portion of the population working as slave labor at any given time. They’re usually guarded by the automated tin-asses, but still, if we’re smart about this, we can use that to our advantage. We don’t really know yet too many details yet of how the citizens are controlled while they’re working, but . . . uh, yes, Pelletier? You’ve got another surprise for us?”
Rev grimaced, then said, “Yes, sir. I kinda . . . I mean, I went into the old emitter station in my AO as if I was one of the workers. They’ve got about three hundred people working inside setting up some automated mini tin-asses assembling a crystal . . . hell, lieutenant, it’s kinda hard to explain, but I’ve got it all recorded for a Priority Three broadcast.”
“You just went in like a worker,” the lieutenant asked. “No thought of being compromised?”
Rev felt like when he was back on New Hope, seeing the judge who sentenced him into the Corps after his traffic ticket. “I thought it was important, sir.”
“Fuck me royal, Pelletier. You were taking a big chance.” He hesitated a moment, then sighed and said, “Well, like the 18th Century wet-water Navy hero said, ‘He who will not risk, cannot win.’ You took a risk, but it sounds like a win.
“We’re taking a short break. Everyone jack into Pelletier here and download his Priority Three. Once we see what we’ve got, then we can come up with a working Frag Order.”
* * *
“Any saved rounds?”
Everyone’s hands shot up at once.
“Nix,” the lieutenant said.
“What about our weapons?”
Which was exactly what Rev was going to ask, and from the looks of the others, was what was on their minds, too.
“I knew you were going to ask me that.”
Then why aren’t you answering?
A Marine without a weapon felt naked. Rev had hated staging the weapons back at the assembly area, but no one knew, at the time, what the situation was like in the city. With the lax security, and the fact that there were several armed groups in the other cordons, it made sense to arm themselves . . . at least, to his mind.
Even without a weapon, Rev was more than capable of handling any human. That wasn’t his concern, however. He and Tomiko were tasked with getting their two cordons to safety, and one single Centaur paladin, or even a riever, could wreak havoc on that.
The lieutenant pursed his lips, then said, “I can’t have any of you leaving now. We’ve got too much to do.”
Rev’s heart fell.
“But if you have someone who can retrieve them, someone who can do it surreptitiously, then I’m authorizing it if you think you need them.”
I think I do.
There was a collected sigh of relief.
Rev didn’t have anyone in mind, but Lima would. Given the timeline, whoever went could make it to the assembly area and back with a couple of hours to spare.
“Sir? Uniforms?” Gunny prompted the lieutenant.
“Ah, yeah. I guess you’re right. If you’re armed, I want you in your singlet.”
Each Marine and corpsman had a Marine Corps singlet. Formfitting, they were worn under the PAL-5, but they provided no armor capability on their own. But what they did have was the Marine Corps anchor and crossed swords in gold and their name and rank on the chest. There had been discussion if wearing them would make them targets, concern that was heightened with the knowledge that many of the citizens were Children of Angels. It made sense to Rev, though. Carrying their weapons was enough to make them targets, and at least this way, the people should recognize that they were there to help them.
“Any more saved rounds?” the lieutenant asked, scanning the two teams.
No one said a word.
“In that case, you’ve all got the frag. Our overriding mission remains the same, but between the kapos and the slave labor, I think the changes increase our odds.
“Bottom line is that there’s a good chance we no longer have the element of surprise, and like Sergeant Nix pointed out, the tin-asses and kapos might be implementing plans to take care of their slave workforce like the Nazis did in WWII. It’s our duty not to let that happen. And with that, let’s go. You’ve got a lot to do and not much time to get it done.”
“Ooh-rah,” the assembled Marines yelled.
Rev got to his feet when Hus-man grabbed him by the arm. “That was good shit you gathered.”
“I just recorded it all.”
No one had time to watch the entire recording, but a few minutes was enough to give each Marine an idea of how the people were being utilized.
“What do you think it all means?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a weapon. Miko thinks they’re gonna put out more oxygen.”
“I think she might be right.”
“Quit the gabbing. You heard the lieutenant,” the gunny said, looking at the two.
“Gotta go,” Hus-man said. “See you back in the rear with the gear.”
Rev clapped his friend on the shoulder, then filed out of the building. He still had a good half an hour to go to get back, and that wasn’t considering some nosy kapo becoming interested in him.
And come hell or high water, he needed to get back in time to find a runner to go and pick up their weapons.