Ephialtes (Ephialtes Trilogy Book 1) (28 page)

Shaw’s office
was located on the second floor of the garrison building.  She had a
window overlooking the parade ground below.  The window was open, allowing
her to hear the bangs clearly.

She had been
seated at her desk discussing procurements and leave provision with her two
senior officers, Majors Bowers and Edley.  The two issues were pressing
since the disputed nature - disputed by them, anyway - of
the planet threw up many concerns in these areas.  Shaw had elected to
presume that the garrison’s personnel were effectively under house
arrest.  Venturing out of the compound and into the city seemed
foolhardy.  It could be read the wrong way by the MSS or lead to conflict
with overzealous Martian citizens.  All leave would have to be cancelled
and reallocated later.  Shaw was trying to figure some sort of additional
compensation and distraction as she didn’t want her charges going stir crazy.

Procurement
was the other pressing issue.  The garrison was in the habit of sending
transports out to the ports and warehouses to collect goods as necessary. 
They would now need to arrange deliveries.  It would also be worthwhile
stockpiling as much as they could in case any developing situation demanded
it.  Could they do that without raising suspicion?  And what about
the funding?  Payment was usually made directly from Earth.  What was
the situation with that?  There was lots to discuss and the meeting had
been dragging on for most of the afternoon.

Bowers was a
no-nonsense Texan, old for his twenty-six years and by the
book.  He thought in clear, straight lines and had trouble with the idea
of adaptation or flexibility.  He was great at executing orders, getting
things done.  Less so at thinking problems through.  Edley was the
more thoughtful of the two.  She could analyse and assess as well as
act.  They were of equal rank but Shaw thought of Edley as her number
two.  Bowers would follow an order like a dog would follow a thrown ball;
excitedly and with tunnel vision concentration.  Edley was much more
useful as a sounding board.  She could contribute to a discussion and
suggest strategies and alternatives.  She might notice an angle that Shaw
had not, and because of that she was a great second to have around. 
Bowers’ contribution that afternoon had mainly been to point out where the
disruptions to their current systems were.  Shaw and Edley had provided
the possible workarounds.

The first
bang had sounded suddenly and mysteriously, instantly superimposing the thought
‘What was that?’ over all others.  Maybe it was something falling over in
the stores, or an accidentally discharged weapon.  The subsequent bangs
came rapidly and immediately spoke of something unusual.  Shaw had
instantly snapped her head upright at the first sound, like a dog with its ears
pricked up, and saw the subtle flashes illuminate the room from the window for
a split second before each of the following reports.  “What is it?” said
Bowers.  Shaw and Edley were already headed to the window.  Shaw
gestured to Edley to keep low, and together they cautiously peered out.

“Stay down,”
said Shaw.

Shaw’s window
afforded them a view almost directly down the main tunnel entrance at the front
of the garrison.  Like the side entrance, the tunnel opened out into a
small patch of uncultivated land, beyond which was a guarded entry point to the
parade ground and the garrison building itself.  Shaw could see that the
guards had been overcome and were not at their positions.  She guessed
they had been sneak attacked with flash-bang grenades, bundled over and
tied up before they even knew what happened.  Shaw craned a little to try
to get a view of the side entrance.  She couldn’t see it clearly but
guessed the same had happened there.  She tried to think how many bangs
she had heard.  Five?  Six?  She couldn’t recall.

“Get everyone
together.  Seal the doors.  No one fires without an explicit command
from me,” said Shaw.  “Open coms.  Bowers, take two platoons to the
third floor refectory.  Cover the side tunnel.  Do not open fire.”

“Yes, sir,”
Bowers said smartly, and disappeared.

Shaw looked
at Edley.  “Take two more platoons to the entry hall.  Await my
command.”

“Yes, sir,”
said Edley.  “What about the admin offices?”

“Two guys per
office, all along the front.  No one is to shoot, okay?”

“Yes, sir,”
Edley said, then left.

Shaw peaked
out of the window again.  She could see the outline of a transport in the
tunnel.  She guessed there were more behind it.  Foveaux’s troops had
streamed down the tunnel, neutralized the guards and were now massing behind
the perimeter wall.  Foveaux was putting her plan into effect.  But
that was madness.  Would anyone really show their opposite number their
plan of attack, then put that plan into effect hours later?  Was it a
bluff?  If so, which part?  Shaw could hear muffled sounds from
behind the wall; soft footfalls and whispered commands.  Louder were the
shouts in her own building.

‘You, yes
you!’

‘Keep
moving!’

‘Stay low.’

Distantly she
heard Bowers and Edley issuing commands.  Their voices carried
authority.  They did not sound panicked.  Good.  That placid
concentration would be transferred to the soldiers they were commanding.

As Shaw
watched the barrier at the main gate rose into the air.  She first heard
and then saw a small armoured transport rumble down the tunnel into the
scrubland then continue through the gate.  It moved slowly and came to a
stop in the middle of the parade ground.  The engine cut out and there was
silence.  Shaw looked on, waiting for the next play.  She spoke to
her comdev.  “Major Edley, are you in position?”

“In position,
Colonel.”

“Major Bowers,
are you in position?”

“Yes,
Colonel.”

“Hold you
positions and await further orders.”

There was a
crackle and a short whine of feedback from the lonely transport on the parade
ground.  “This is Commissioner Maya Foveaux of the Martian Security
Service.  I would like to speak with Colonel Katrina Shaw.”

Shaw
stood.  She thought about shouting from the window but quickly realised
the moment called for something more dignified.  She moved to the
stairwell and rapidly descended to the ground floor lobby.  The lobby was
filled with silent troops.  Some of them were not in uniform but all were
bearing arms.  Edley approached Shaw.  “Are you going out there?”

“I am.”

“We’ll have
you covered.”

“Thank you,
Major Edley.”

Edley walked
with Shaw and opened the door for her.  Shaw stepped out and, turning
back, said, “If they try anything cute let ‘
em
have
it.”

“Yes, sir,”
said Edley, closing the door behind her.

Shaw walked
at a deliberate pace to the armoured transport.  She glanced right to
confirm what she already guessed about the second entrance.  There were no
guards.  She stopped in front of the transport.  “Here I am,” she
said.

The door
opened and Foveaux stepped down.  She walked around to the front of the
transport and held out her hand to Shaw.  Shaw looked at the hand and then
back up at Foveaux’s face.  “Commissioner,” she said, “until yesterday we
had only exchanged the occasional message.  This is the third time in
twenty-four hours you have approached me directly.  Are you stalking
me?”

Maya withdrew
her hand and concealed her disappointment.  “Just doing my job,” she
said.  “Could we go inside?  I have something I need to show you.”

Shaw stared
at her, not betraying any emotion.  Without breaking her gaze she lifted
her comdev to her face.  “Major Edley, we’re coming back inside.”

“Yes, sir,”

Shaw gestured
toward the garrison building and they set off towards it.  Edley opened
the door to let them in.

The heavy
armoured door closed behind them with a solid clunk.  They made their way
through the crowded lobby.  All heads followed them as they walked to the
stairs.

“Would you
please come with us, Major Edley?” said Shaw.  Edley nodded and the three
of them ascended the staircase to Shaw’s office.

From the
third floor refectory Bowers was listening in to the coms.  “Listen,” he
said to his second in command, “you stay here and await my orders.  I’m
going to the colonel’s office.  Watch the perimeter.”

Shaw took her
place behind her desk.  She gestured for Foveaux to sit.

“I prefer to
stand,” said Foveaux.

“What is it?”
said Shaw.

Foveaux
pulled a sheaf of papers from inside her body armour.  “It’s the articles
of surrender.”  She placed them on Shaw’s desk.  “I’d like you to
sign them and then address your troops explaining the surrender.”

Shaw eyed her
carefully, looking for any signs of weakness.  “If I don’t sign?”

“We can hold
you under siege indefinitely.  Don’t make this difficult.  Sign the
papers and you and your officers can see out the next two years at a comfortable
Venkdt secure facility waiting for the next flight home.  It’s the only
reasonable option.”

“Whoever told
you I was reasonable?” grunted Shaw.

Bowers slid
his body along the wall, stopping at the half-open door to Shaw’s
office.  He craned his head over his left shoulder and looked sideways
into the room.  He could see Shaw, Edley and Foveaux.  He’d missed
the start of the conversation but managed to catch Shaw saying to Edley, “Hand
me a pen, would you?”  He drew his pistol and a bead of sweat ran down his
temple.

Shaw had just
taken the pen when Bowers turned into the room.  Shaw looked up at him
then down at the pistol in his hand.  Foveaux saw the pistol too and
instinctively put her hand on her own side arm.

“Stand easy,
Major,” said Shaw.  Bowers glanced at Foveaux and, seeing her hand moving,
swung his pistol toward her.

 Edley
moved toward Bowers and held her arm up across his chest, saying, “
It’s
okay, stand down.”  In the moment it took Bowers
to shake her off Foveaux’s gun was pointing at him, and his at her.

“Put the
weapon down, Major,” said Shaw.  Her voice carried a calm authority, but
Bowers didn’t waver.

“What’s going
on here?” he said.

“We’re in
discussions with the commissioner.  Put the gun down,
Major,
that
is an order.”

“What’s the
pen for?  What’s she making you sign?”  Bowers seemed panicked. 
Foveaux held her gun pointed precisely at Bowers’ head.  She could see he
was wearing body armour.  She could see he was nervous.  She was
waiting for the slightest sign he was going to act.  She felt an intense
concentration.

“Put the
weapon down,” said Shaw.  Bowers just stared at her.  He couldn’t
quite comprehend what he was seeing.  The commissioner who was leading the
attack on his garrison was now in the commanding officer’s office.  What
was happening?  Was Shaw a traitor?  Did the commissioner have her
acting under duress?  What was happening?

Shaw flicked
a look at Edley.  She was well placed to wrestle Bowers to the ground, but
it would be a huge risk.  Foveaux to her right was an unknown
quantity.  Might she think the whole scene had been orchestrated? 
Would she think it was a trap?  Or would a woman with balls big enough to
assault a USAN barracks in broad daylight have the stone-cold level
headedness to evaluate the situation correctly and do the right thing?

“Major
Bowers,” said Shaw, “Commissioner Foveaux has been asked by the new Martian
president to take control of our garrison.  Though she is prepared to do
that by force she has offered us generous terms of surrender.  Since we
are in no position to resist, and to avoid needless violence, we will be taking
her up on that offer.  I am about to sign the instrument of surrender, so
I’ll thank you to put your weapon away, and we’ll proceed.”

“We can’t
surrender,” said Bowers, with true panic in his eyes.  He moved his gun
now between Foveaux and Shaw.  “What are you talking about?  This
woman attacked us.”

“Put the gun
down,” said Shaw.  At that moment Edley launched herself at Bowers,
crashing him into the wall.  There was a deafening bang as he discharged
his weapon.  Foveaux felt something hit her head but she maintained her
aim on Bowers, who was half slumped against the wall.

He cracked
Edley in the side of the head with his elbow and was semi-righting
himself when Foveaux shouted, “Drop the gun now!”  Even as her words faded
he was re-extending his arm in her direction.  She fired, the
deafening sound filling the room and the ‘smokeless’ charge giving its
distinctive smell.  Bowers fell back, blood trickling from a single hole
just below his right eye.

Foveaux kept
him covered with her gun as he hit the floor and stopped moving, a small pool
of blood spreading behind his head.

Edley was
already shouting into her comdev, “We need a medic up here, now!” and moving to
Bowers body.  She quickly checked for vital signs and though he was still
alive she knew he would be dead very soon.