Holding Their Own XI: Hearts and Minds (26 page)

The vast majority of the crowd were nodding their heads north and south, Bishop’s logic seeming to resonate with all but a few outliers.

Without another word, the Texan jumped off the wagon and hustled to catch up with the deputies and their gravely wounded cargo. “Put him in the bed. I’ll get a blanket.”

Returning a moment later with a poncho, blanket, and bottle of water, Bishop and the two lawmen did their best to make the captive comfortable.

Putting the water to the captive’s lips, he managed a single swallow and then his eyes seemed to focus on the Texan. “Who are you?” Bishop asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” the guy croaked. “I’m not going to make it out of this one.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Do you have any family? Is there anyone we should get in touch with?”

“No,” the sad voice replied.

“Why did you attack my team in the valley?”

There was a brief moment of confusion in the wounded man’s eyes before Bishop’s question finally registered. “That was you?”

“Yes, that was two of my teammates and me. Why? Who hired you? Why did you claim to be me… Bishop?”

The response was a coughing fit, a pink and red frothy foam draining down the captive’s chin. When the convulsions finally stopped, the man’s voice seemed weaker. “I was only following orders. My employer doesn’t seem to like your Alliance much.”

“Who hired you?” Bishop repeated.

There was no answer as the light faded from the injured man’s eyes. One of the deputies tried to find a pulse, finally announcing, “He’s gone.”

Bishop grimaced, a wave of sadness overcoming all other emotion. The dead man lying in his truck might have been a mercenary, and there was little doubt he would have killed the SAINT team without mercy. Yet, the man had also been a wounded prisoner, helpless, without any recourse or ability to impact his status.

Capture was every soldier’s worst nightmare. More than being wounded or killed, anyone who carried a weapon into a fight dreaded such an outcome. Bishop had experienced similar feelings dozens of times. 

“Shit!” Bishop spat, turning to look back where Katherine and her men were loading into their trucks. “Damn it! That woman is the one who should be arrested for murder. Now we’re back to square one.”

After a quick shower, fresh clothes, and an embrace of his wife and child, Bishop’s first priority was to check on Grim’s condition.

Nick and Diana met Terri and him at the Alpha medical clinic.

The doctors had removed two hunks of shrapnel from Grim’s leg and expected a full recovery. Infection, as was usual in the post-apocalyptic world, was still a serious concern. The patient was sleeping, his wife and daughter keeping watch and apparently handling the situation as best as could be expected.

Everybody scribbled a little message on a makeshift get-well card and left it by the recovering man’s bedside. All of them promised to stop by later.

“They knew we were there,” Bishop explained to Nick as the two couples walked back toward the courthouse. “I don’t know how, but I’m convinced that whoever hired those shooters was well aware of the situation and my team’s role.”

Terri wasn’t convinced. “How do you know that guy didn’t tell the ranchers his name was Bishop just to cause panic? No offense, my husband, but you do have a wee bit of a reputation.”

“I considered that, but these men were professionals, hired and equipped to do a job. They weren’t the sort to namedrop or bluff. They didn’t have to. If it had been some gang of vagabonds or drifters trying to snatch a prime piece of real estate, I could believe they would resort to such posturing. But not these guys.”

Nick scratched his head, trying to figure it all out. “Sheriff Watts and some of his men knew what you were doing. The guys over at Fort Hood didn’t know the location or mission profile, so they’re clear. A few of my guys and I were up to speed, but I can’t believe any of those folks would betray you or the Alliance.”

“Should we delay the rollout of the new property law?” Diana asked, her voice far away in thought.

“I wouldn’t,” Terri responded. “This is just one isolated example, and if Bishop’s is right, there was an outside influence stirring up trouble. Those rules are as fair and equitable as anyone could expect given the situation.”

Nick grunted, “Even if we wanted to, I’m not so sure we could stop that juggernaut now. There must be 2,000 people spreading out across Texas to communicate the new rules. We’ve got radio broadcasts, town hall meetings, a whole string of presentations, and even the military and police spreading the word.”

“Let’s hope the general public reacts a little more favorably than our friends in Fort Davidson,” Diana replied. “We can’t handle widespread public unrest. The whole ball of wax will come apart at the seams.”

The foursome continued their stroll, enjoying the cooler weather and clear night… all of them apparently deep in thought.

After a bit, Bishop paused and waited until his friends and wife gathered close. In a low voice, he said, “What bothers me the most is how believable Katherine Baxter’s spin job came across. She basically rewrote recent history with negative accusations of the Alliance’s role, and if I hadn’t pulled off my little stunt, it would have worked.”

“Why?” Diana replied. “To whose advantage is it to make us look like the bad guys?”

Terri nodded, “You know, I feel like sometimes I get the same reaction from Chase. It seems like our new ambassador looks at everything we’re trying to accomplish as some sort of threat. It’s almost like he expects the council to be these evil, power grabbing bunch of megalomaniacs.”

Bishop waved his hand through the air at the mention of the diplomat, “That doesn’t surprise me one bit. That inbreed is not to be trusted.”

“Maybe you are right,” Terri replied, ignoring the politically incorrect assessment about Chase’s lineage, “but we can’t discount that line of thinking. The more the recovery progresses, the less effort people have to spend on basic food, shelter, and security. The average Joe Nobody is going to have more time to dissect every move we make. I think Chase already expects us to be corrupt, probably because that is what he found in the world of professional politics before the apocalypse. Other folks might expect us to abuse our authority as well.”

“Private property has always been the touchiest of subjects,” Nick added. “Machiavelli wrote about it over 500 years ago. His book,
The Prince
, basically stated that a ruler could get away with murder, war for profit, consignment, outrageous taxation, and sleeping with every female in the village, as long as he didn’t seize private property.”

Sighing, Terri continued, “I dunno. I think it’s more than just that. It’s almost as if Chase is waiting for the power and authority to go to our heads. He keeps looking for proof that the Alliance is becoming authoritarian or some sort of brutal dictatorship.”

“Power corrupts,” Bishop added. “Always has and always will. The difference with the Alliance is that its authority is tenuous as best. I worked with Diana day and night the last few weeks, and her role is about as far away from a dictator as you can get. You poor woman,” Bishop continued, smiling as his friend, “Anybody who thinks your office is the pinnacle of political desire should walk a mile in your shoes. I’m sure they would be rambling lunatics in a matter of days.”

Diana smiled warmly, a twinkle of appreciation in her eyes.

The conversation was interrupted, the sound of a racing car engine drawing everyone’s attention. Around the corner squealed a police car, its red lights flashing their urgent warning.

The two couples watched as the deputy raced down Main Street, the responding officer pulling a hard right turn at the next intersection. Before anyone could react, another squad car followed.

“Wonder what’s going on?” Nick said, glancing at his mates. “Anybody want to walk over and be nosey civilians for a change?”

“Sure,” Bishop replied. “I’m always up for a little excitement. My life is so routine and mundane, ya know?”

The foursome found the two flashing police cars parked outside a small office building that Nick recognized immediately as his doctor’s office. “What the hell… I was just here yesterday.”

The two officers then appeared, both of them holstering their weapons after clearing the interior. “No one is inside now, Doc. It looks like he left via one of the back windows,” one of the lawmen stated. “Did you get a good look at the guy?”

“No, not really,” replied the frightened physician. “I returned to get some forgotten paperwork off my desk. I heard a noise in the back and saw the burglar walking down the hall. It was dark, and he had his back to me. I ran over to the courthouse and asked one of the security men to radio for help.”

“Come on inside with me, and we’ll see what is missing,” the deputy replied. “They were probably after prescription meds. We’re seeing a lot of that lately.”

“But I don’t keep any medications here. Those are all down at the pharmacy in the safe.”

“Yes, sir,” nodded the deputy, “But criminals are stupid. They probably don’t know that. Let’s go check to see if they took anything. My bet is that you scared them off before they could dig around for anything valuable.”

Terri subconsciously moved closer to Bishop, her hand checking the pistol at her belt. “Should we help the officers try and find the culprit?”

Bishop shook his head, “Naw. I’ve not had a lot of luck lately helping out law enforcement. We need to let the cops do their jobs. Besides, somebody might get shot if a bunch of us start poking around. They’ll find him.”

“I hope so,” Diana shuddered. “Nothing worse than some creepy guy stalking around at night.”

Nick remained silent, staring at the doc’s office with a far-away look. His thoughts were being carried back to his last visit and the issues associated with his condition. It was a reminder the big man didn’t need or want.

“You okay?” Diana asked, sensing his unease.

“Yeah… yeah, I’m good,” he lied.

She started to challenge his statement but then reconsidered. Hooking arms, she said, “Let’s head home. It’s been one hell of a day, and tomorrow is going to be worse.” 

Nick’s coffee seemed extra strong for some reason, the ex-operator frowning as he swallowed the first sip. It wasn’t a good omen.

He was about to water down the steaming brew when a rap on his doorframe sounded. Looking up, he was a little surprised to see Chase McGuire standing at his office’s threshold.

“Sorry to drop by without an appointment,” the ambassador greeted, “but this visit is of an unofficial nature anyway.”

“Oh?”

Chase entered Nick’s small enclave, closing the door behind him without seeking approval. Nick decided, for the advancement of diplomatic relations, to let it go.

“I heard about the break-in at the doctor’s office last night, and… well… I was out walking about the same time and spotted something quite troubling,” Chase began.

“You should inform Sheriff Watt’s department immediately,” Nick replied, despite having his curiosity piqued.

“Normally I would, but given what I witnessed, I thought it best to come to you first.”

“Go on.”

“The big guy who works with Terri’s husband… the same man I saw the night of our confrontation… I’m pretty sure I saw him running away from that office building last night, right before I heard the police cars responding.”

Nick grunted at the absurdity of Chase’s statement. “Butter? Seriously? You think that kid broke into the doctor’s office?”

“I can’t be 100% sure given it was dark and I only got a quick glimpse, but there aren’t that many men walking around Alpha, Texas who are that big and that fast. I’m pretty confident it was him.”

Nick rubbed his chin, trying desperately to control the belly laugh fighting to escape his throat.
No need to cause an international incident
, he thought.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Ambassador, but I’m having a little trouble believing that. Any of my SAINT team members could walk up to the doctor’s house, day or night. Butter, or any of those men, would have no reason for breaking and entering.”

Chase shrugged, “I’m just trying to be helpful. I’m afraid I’m in no position to speculate as to the reason why that man would do such a thing. What you choose to do with this information, however, is up to you.”