Black Guard, The (16 page)

"Thank you, gentlemen. Now
that I know the area and the current situation, I’m going to have a look around
for where the Guard can best help. If you will tell me what channel to use, I
will keep you informed."

"Jax channel six," Feber
said. I gave a slight bow and walked back to my detail, who had stayed near the
entrance.

"Look around and find
yourselves a change of clothing," I said as I approached. My old team from
Lanzhou smiled and began wandering the store. The new members hesitated, until
the others waved to them. "Ceder, Elijah, join me." When they did, I
briefed them on the current situation. "I’m going to split the detail into
two groups. Ceder, you take your group to the right around the Presidential
Building and Elijah and I will take the area to the left around the Assembly
Building. Use channel thirteen to communicate between us and channel six if we
need to get in touch with Colonel Feber."

"Why the civilian
clothes?" Elijah asked. Ceder smiled.

"I doubt we are going to be
able to force our way in without heavy losses. The army has already tried that.
I’m hoping we can find a way to slip into one of the buildings with other
rebels. They control the area between the buildings, which gives them access.
Captain Latner is going to be creating a bit of excitement in a couple of
hours, and I thought our uniforms might not blend in with the rebels."

"At least the men get to play
this time," Ceder said. "Come on, Elijah, let’s go find some slumming
clothes. I’ll explain as we dress."

I found myself some non-dressy men’s
clothing and rejoined the group, who were laughing and joking when I arrived.
"We need to dirty our outfits. Better yet, exchange them for a dead rebel’s
clothes if you can." I looked around the group and saw only professionals
getting ready to go to work. "No heroics. Getting killed serves the rebels,
not the Jax. The idea is to obtain entrance without being noticed and then to secure
it. If you see a reasonable opportunity take it. If not, wait for my orders.
Clear?"

"Yes, sir," Elijah and
Ceder said, while the rest nodded.

"Last chance. If any of you
see someone you can’t recognize instantly, now is the time to introduce
yourself." I looked around and didn’t see any blank stares. "Okay,
Lieutenants, let’s go see if we can join the game." As we left the
building, I clicked on channel six. "Colonel Feber, this is Captain Sapir.
Would you notify your troops you have Guard dressed as civilians moving towards
the Assembly and Presidential Building. Lieutenants Elijah and Ceders are in
charge."

"Good hunting, Captain. Keep
me appraised of your whereabouts," Feber said.

We jogged through quiet streets of
destruction: shattered windows, doors off hinges, small fires, and dead bodies,
which we partially stripped to replace the new clothing we had taken from the
store. We were challenged twice, but waved on after Elijah identified herself.

"Halt and be identified,"
an army sergeant called out. He was only partially visible behind a burnt out
vehicle. Another eight or nine weapons were visible within doorways and
windows. I let Elijah take charge as it was her group and no reason for me to
interfere, and it helped for me to get to know her.

"I’m Lieutenant Elijah, Black
Guard," she said, halting the group with a hand.

"Lieutenant, from here to the
Assembly Building is rebel territory. And this area is going to be jumping
before too long." He smiled. "If you’re caught out there, I doubt either
side is going to stop to ask for identification."

"Thanks sergeant, sounds
exciting. Have fun," she said, and waved her group on, laughing as we
continued on down the street. "Any preference, Captain?"

"I thought we’d swing wide of
the Assembly Building and come around from behind it. Colonel Feber said the
rebels controlled access between the buildings. If we could insert ourselves
there before Captain Letner attacks, we might be able to join the rebels that
will be fleeing toward the Presidential Building and enter with them."

"If the commando can flush
them out."

"They will. But the cost will
be high, so let’s make sure it isn’t wasted."

She nodded. She put out two scouts
ahead of us as we made our way pass the building and to the rear of it. Then
she had her team moved in twos, leap-frogging between hedges, trees, and
statues, with orders to shoot only with lasers and to avoid confrontations if
possible. The going was slow. We encountered two small groups of three and four
men sitting around small fires eating but gave them a wide berth. We had
reached positions behind the Assembly Building when all hell broke loose.
Explosions from grenades and small missiles shattered the quiet of the
morning—probably the rebels because of the contract restrictions. The
rebels behind the Assembly Building immediately took up positions to block any
incursions into the area between the three buildings. Since we were already
inside that area, we settled down to wait. Watching the windows, I could follow
the progress of the battle as it moved from the center of the building
outward—left and right. The struggle went on for hours with periods of
intensive fighting followed by long periods of quiet. The rebels were well
armed and led, judging by the slow progress the commandos were making. Just as
the light of day was fading, rebels began leaving the rear entrance and heading
for the Presidential Building. Elijah smiled at me. I held up a finger to wait.
When the next group of five exited, I nodded.

"Just one group," I said,
and she pointed to Mintz, her senior sergeant, who followed with his five team
members. Ten minutes later another eight left the building, and I signaled
Elijah to follow and drew my hand across my throat. She nodded. Halfway to the
Presidential Building she said, "Now." Their deaths were quick,
silent, and over in seconds. I turned to the rear and saw three following us. I
killed two and Elijah the third before they realized what had happened. Two
minutes later we reached the building and found the door open and Corporal
Markov smiling. Beyond him, bodies lay scattered around the floor of the
medium-sized room used as a security entry and exit for employees. The door to
the hallway was closed, which I assumed meant no one was aware we were in the
building.

I clicked my Mfi onto channel
thirteen. "Ceder, this is Sapir. Where are you?"

"We’re wide of the
Presidential Building facing the open area between it and the Administration
Building."

"Within the next hour or two,
I believe there will be rebels leaving the Presidential Building and heading
for the Administration Building. It would be nice if you could join them."

"Yes, sir. I’d like
that." He clicked off. I clicked onto channel six. "Colonel Feber,
this is Sapir. We are in the Presidential Building. I’d appreciate it if you
could send someone to guard the entrance between the Presidential and the
Assembly Buildings so I can free up the people I have securing it."

"Do you need help,
Captain?"

"No, thank you. I’m sure
Captain Letner’s troops have earned a rest. Just someone to guard that entrance
into the building." I clicked off and turned to face my team. "Does
everyone remember the leap-frog technique you learned in training and never
used again?" I asked. Slowly blank looks turned to smiles and nods.
"This building has two hallways. This one runs to a blank wall. It is
intersected halfway by a longer hallway which runs from the front foyer to a
rear door which provides access to the Administration Building. The foyer has
stairs which lead to the personal sleeping quarters of the residents. We will
use that technique to clear first this hallway then the other. I’m hoping a few
of the rebels will flee by the rear exit and Lieutenant Ceder and his team will
be able to slip into the Administration Building with them. If he can, we will
leave the second floor to the army and will join him. Everyone strip down to
your body armor." I stood by as Elijah set up the leap-frogging positions.
Solow’s team would go first. Four of the Mintz team would provide them cover
from the doorway: two standing, one on each side, and one kneeing next to each
of them. They would shoot anyone in the hallway or peeking out of a door.
Sergeants Judt and Catz would begin the attack. I nodded to begin.

Elijah opened the door, and Judt
and Catz began running down the center of the hallway, ensuring the shooters
could see anyone looking out a door. Multiple hisses and two men fell dead at
the other end of the hallway as several laser strikes seared through their
heads. As Judt and Catz approached the first two doors, they threw flash-stars into
the room and continued a few meters past before stopping to watch the hallway
for anyone to appear. By now, Corporal Cerff and Private Polak were running
hard. As they reached their assigned door, they slid on their asses into the
room firing. Privates Toch and Alpert were now sprinting past Judt and Catz on
the way to the next set of rooms where they threw flash-stars… beginning to
repeat the next set of leap frogging. Lieutenant Elijah followed with three of
her team, checking the evacuated rooms to ensure no one had been left alive. I
waited with Senior Sergeant Mintz and the remaining two members guarding the
entrance. Ten minutes later, Captain Letner arrived with ten commandos. He
looked like hell: his uniform torn and smeared with blood, dark circles under
dead looking eyes.

"Bad?" I asked. He
nodded.

"They are more like a well-trained
army than rebels. And they are well armed. I have twenty-nine down. Hopefully,
ten will live. What’s your status? Do you need help?" he asked, hesitantly
and holding a breath while he awaited my answer.

"No, just watch this door for
us," I said, and waved for the others to join me as I jogged down the
hallway. Elijah and her three were waiting at the intersection and Solow’s team
had now reached the last two doors.

"The tenants are awake,"
Elijah quipped as I neared and Mintz took her place watching the right side of
the hallway leading to the foyer. Corporal Narkis had the left side, and
Privates Markov and Reti had the right and left side of the hallway facing to
the rear.

Feeling a vibration from my Mfi I
clicked it on.

"Captain, I’m in place,"
Ceder said in a whisper.

"Good, they should be exiting
in the next fifteen minutes or less." I clicked off.

When Solow’s team made it back to
the intersection, they replaced Mintz’s hallway shooters, so he and his team
could organize their leap-frogging teams down the hallway to the foyer. I didn’t
want the hallway to the back cleared, hoping some would flee to the
Administration Building, so I had ordered the shooters not to shoot anyone
running for the exit. Ceder would need people to follow into the Administration
Building.

Mintz signaled and Narkis and
Geller began running. As they did, several rebels stepped out from doors along
the hallway and others appeared in the foyer, all firing with automatic rifles.
Geller’s forward motion stopped as several slugs hit her, and Narkis’s head
exploded as bullets scored a direct hit to his head. At the same time, rebels
were dropping one after another as the Guard’s shooters switched to projectiles
and were firing in bursts. Markov and Behr rushed to replace them, racing down
the hallway which was now clear of live bodies. Flash stars flew into the first
two rooms, and they took up positions a few meters past, watching for anyone to
show a face down the hallway or in the foyer. Mintz and I followed right behind
them. I shut my eyes and slid into the room on the left. The room was filled
with the sound of automatic fire. I opened my eyes to see several men firing at
where they thought the door was located, which in most cases wasn’t close. They
shot two of their own as I began killing silently with my laser. I killed five.
A sixth man had dropped behind a massive wooden desk while waiting for his eyes
to clear. I lay in the middle of the room with no cover. I loosened my whip,
freed it as I rolled towards the desk, and lashed out just as the man rose. I
was a half-meter off, but the crack of the whip as it hit the top of the desk
and sent splinters flying as it recoiled back caused him to jump backward,
spraying the ceiling with projectiles. My next slash caught the rifle and came
away with the weapon and half an arm. A laser to the head finished him. I
jumped up and headed for the door.

"Corporal Cerff," I
shouted as I dragged Geller into the room. Cerff was the team’s trained medic.
She flew through the door seconds later. I pointed to Geller as I exited the
door into the hallway looking for something to shoot. Nothing. The
leap-frogging team was just attacking the next to last set of doors. Toch and
Polak had just thrown flash-stars into the rooms as they passed and Reti and
Elijah were beginning their slide into the room when I reached it. I continued
running past the last two doors, which were shut. Short of the foyer I stopped,
flung a flash-star into each staircase, shut my eyes, counted to five, and then
rolled into the foyer towards the left staircase. Men were lining each
staircase, rubbing their eyes, shooting blindly, and shouting. I switched to
projectiles and sprayed the stairs on the right side. Hearing the sound of my
weapon, several started blindly shooting in the direction of the sound and
succeeded in killing a few of their fellow rebels, who began shooting back
towards the sound. I felt two hits, one to the arm and one to my side. The body
armor stopped it from penetrating but I’d have a nasty bruise if not internal
damage from the impact. I slid back into the hallway and waited, using my laser
to kill those I could see on the lower steps. As their eyes cleared and they
could see the carnage, there was a mad rush up the stairs to the second floor.

"The hallway’s clear,
sir," Elijah said from behind me. I nodded and we made our way back down
the hallway collecting the members and checking status: Narkis was dead; Geller
was in serious condition, and Behr and Toch, who had replaced Narkis and Geller,
were wounded but functional. Most, like me, had taken one or two hits and were
favoring some part or another.