Time War: Invasion (15 page)

"It's okay. They're ours," said Hotwell.

An officer approached them with several soldiers by his side, their weapons held at the ready. They were cautious, except for the officer, who was confident and unflinching.

Corwin lowered his rifle and stepped out with Hotwell to address the officer, who looked down at Corwin's attire and captured rifle, but seemed to show no expression at all. Then he turned his attention to the burning wreck of the C47. The flames rose high into the sky now, and he turned his attention to the German prisoners.

"Captain Hotwell, did any of the enemy escape your grasp?"

"No, Sir. With the assistance of Sergeant Corwin and his squad, we were able recapture Corporal Winter, their target."

He looked back and forth at the two of them and then to the hulking Rane behind them. The officer had a well-kept moustache, carried a swagger stick under one arm and a pistol on his webbing belt, but nothing in hand. He had an air of confidence about him but also looked to be a fair and just man, or so Corwin hoped.

"You were a prisoner in that camp, were you not?"

"Yes, Sir."

He looked over at the prisoners again and then back to Corwin.

"It rather suggests you were in the wrong camp. I am Major Williams, and I thank you for your efforts here," he said, offering out his leather gloved hand in friendship, which Corwin glad accepted.

"Captain, I suggest you sort these men some appropriate accommodation, and be sure to get them back to fighting fit. We need every man we can get in this war."

"Major, there is more at work here than it might first seem. Corporal Winter is a high value target, and also highly dangerous."

"We'll deal with him," he said, pointing for his men to detain the captured Germans.

Corwin turned to his squad, noting they were relieved to finally not be treated like the enemy. They loaded up into the vehicles and rolled on back to the camp. Several more trucks and British soldiers had got everything under control, but Major Williams wanted to inspect the scene for himself. He got out of his vehicle and addressed Corwin and Hotwell as they pulled up in the jeep beside where all the fighting had begun.

"Tomorrow morning I'll need you both to come with me to HQ. We're still trying to piece together exactly what happened here, and there will naturally be plenty of questions. But for now, I suggest you get some rest. Hotwell will sort you out. Captain. 0700, I want a full report."

But Corwin didn't look easy, and that surprised the Major.

"Sergeant, I would have thought you'd be all to thankful to get out of this place and sleep on a real bed?"

"Only when all of my squad is free and with me. We came here together. We fight together, and there is plenty of work ahead of us yet."

"Captain, have the rest of the Sergeant's men released immediately," he ordered.

"Sir, they're...they're.."

"They are what? Bring them here forthwith!"

"They aren't men," he finally replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Major, if I may?" asked Corwin.

He nodded for him to go on.

"Sir, we are not a conventional outfit, as you may have already noticed, and among our ranks were three females."

"Combatants?"

"Very much so."

The Major was shocked and lost for words for a moment, but then turned to Hotwell.

"Do you know the location of these three women?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Then take the Sergeant there, and you have them released immediately on my authority."

"Yes, Sir," he replied happily.

The Major carried on his tour as Hotwell turned to address Corwin.

“Well? Where are my girls?”

“We can’t reach them by night. I will take you there tomorrow and ensure they are released, just as soon as we have briefed the Major.”

Corwin said nothing. He only glared at the Captain until he gave in.

0600

The sun was in the sky, but they couldn’t see it for the thick grey cloud cover. They rolled up to the entrance to an old country estate in three jeeps, with Hotwell at the driver’s seat of the lead vehicle. It was still missing its windscreen; the latches that held it up smashed from the night before.

“There are so few females interned in this conflict that many of them are housed here. It used to be a private zoo owned by one of the richest men in the country."

Just two soldiers stood guard at the entrance, and there was little sign of any fences. Corwin knew the three women of his squad could have escaped it anytime they wanted to, just as he could have in their prison. He nodded in appreciation, knowing they had followed his orders.

The vehicles rolled to a halt, and he was quick to leap out and head for the entrance. He’d buttoned up his short and close fitting camouflage shirt that displayed his rank. It was looking more faded that ever now, as he had lived in it since arriving.

“Identification?” asked one of the guards.

He turned and looked to Hotwell. He simply waved them through, and the guards stepped aside. The Captain led them to the head office. It was quiet, and no one was waiting to see the Camp warden. Corwin pushed the door aside and strode in with the Captain by his side.

“Captain Hotwell, good morning!” the warden behind the desk said cheerfully.

But Corwin interrupted the welcome.

“You have three of my team here. Release them now,” he stated firmly.

“I am sorry, Sergeant, but I am not sure quite who you mean, and neither do I have the power to release prisoners,” he replied, smiling.

“Start getting helpful,” spat Corwin.

“Excuse me…”

“These are the orders of Major Williams,” interrupted Hotwell.

The name drop brought him to silence as he turned back to Corwin.

“I don’t even know of the inmates you speak of,” he pleaded.

Corwin shook his head.

"Look at me, and realise that you do know. Came in from Dieppe engagement, bit weird and off, won’t take any crap. You know exactly whom I am talking about. Trust me, they’d stand out here. Get them out here now,” he said calmly.

“Sergeant, I cannot help you.”

Corwin’s calm nerves were gone. He smashed his fist down on the desk. The thick hardwood top cracked and split down the centre. His hand went right through, and either end rose up, splitting it in half. The warden rose back out of his chair and crashed into the bookcase behind him. He was red in the face, and his heart was pounding in his chest.

“Please do as the Sergeant asks,” said Hotwell.

“I won’t ask again.”

The man nodded shakily and led them out of the room.

“Major Williams has already given me permission in person to remove the three prisoners from your facility that are under Sergeant Corwin’s command.”

He led them to a room where they found Chas and Vi playing with a deck of cards. They were as calm as anything.

“Where’s Lecia?” Corwin asked sternly.

“She is in isolation. She has not got on well here.”

“No shit. You cage a girl like that, and she’ll go crazy. You ever try that with me, and I’ll rip your head off.”

The man looked terrified. He could see it was the truth. He led them on down a corridor, and out through the back of the building into the rear gardens, to a concrete structure with five doors. They were small cells.

“Oh, she’s gonna be pissed,” said Corwin.

“How do you mean?”

“Captain, how’d you think you’d feel spending a day in one of those?”

“Rather unsatisfied, I’d say.”

Corwin smiled.

“Yeah, you don’t want to even imagine how she’ll be thinking right now. It’ll be a miracle if she doesn’t kill someone before we get out of here.”

The warden signalled for a guard to open the locks of one of the cell doors, and it creaked as it slid forward. It was totally dark inside, and they could only just make out the silhouette of a figure sitting in the corner.

“Esperon, that you?” Corwin asked.

“You know how long you have left us rotting here?” she replied in a sullen tone.

“Too long.”

She suddenly leapt forward and stopped just a few centimetres in front of the warden. He froze in fear, but she only glared at him without a word. There was murderous intention in her eyes, and she looked ready to tear him apart.

"Lecia, stop fucking around. Let's get out of here."

Her gaze turned to him before finally leaving the warden and heading towards Corwin's side.

"Weeks! Really?"

"Did the best I could do."

"Not good enough."

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I know."

They got out quickly and were in the vehicles in no time.

"You know the Major will never believe your story? You may have won his favour and his support, but it will be quick to diminish if you share stories of time travel with him. He has no tolerance for lies, and that is exactly how it will seem," said Hotwell.

"You still don't believe it, either?"

"I believe you are here for the right reasons, and I cannot see why you would fabricate such a story, but neither can I find any reason to quite believe it yet. I am just satisfied to accept you as allies and leave it there, but that will not fly with the Major. He will want answers, or you may well find yourselves behind bars once more."

"Got any ideas?"

"We're going to have to pass you off as an American Special Forces detachment. It is a semi truth that we might just pull off. Are you familiar with the OSS?"

Corwin shook his head.

"Office of Strategic Services, an American outfit started just last year. Their job is mostly intelligence and espionage, but still little is known of what they actually get up to. It would explain the females in your team, and stop the Major pressing you too much on the facts."

Beyett piped up from the back seat.

"And us being in that camp was no accident at all. It was part of our ongoing investigation into genetic enhancement of German soldiers, and you were aware of our operations from day one."

Corwin approved. "Truth woven into a pile of bullshit, I love it."

"Yes, that's good. Be sure your people all know the score, and this might just work."

"We're going to need you, too," added Corwin.

Hotwell looked surprised.

"You're the only one who knows and trusts us. We will need you to open doors for us. I want you attached to my squad."

"If you think you can make that happen, then I will be more than happy to provide my services."

They arrived at Headquarters with just two minutes to spare, and Hotwell leapt out of the vehicle and rushed to the door. It was clear he feared the Major as much as the enemy.

"Beyett, with me. Rest of you stay put, and make sure everyone knows the back story."

Corwin followed Hotwell into the house. It was a vast English manor and lavishly decorated, filled with uniformed staff slaving away at administrative work. He shook his head, imagining the boredom of what that must be like, and couldn't help but feel it looked much like their time in prison.

They reached Williams’ office, and Hotwell knocked before entering. Corwin had been expected some collective of officers, but it was just the Major awaiting them. He sat smoking a pipe with a newspaper in hand, and looked as calm and relaxed as any man could hope to be. He put the paper down and pointed for them to take seats before his desk.

They sat down, and he studied each of them for a few moments as he smoked his pipe, quizzing them with his eyes.

"Sergeant Corwin. I know every Allied serviceman that operates in this district of mine, every one of them, except for you and your team, which is rather unorthodox. Please, fill me in."

Hotwell started to sweat and looked terrified, but Corwin was calm and quick to respond in a polite and courteous fashion.

"My apologies that we were unable to announce our presence to you earlier, Major, but our mission was, and still is, of the utmost importance and secrecy. No one since we departed the United States has known of this mission, except for Captain Hotwell, who was instrumental in discovering the identify and capture of Corporal Winter."

"And now that your mission is successful, what are your intentions?"

"It is not complete. There is no going home for us. But I cannot disclose any more of our intentions at this time."

"And who do you report to?"

"In England, nobody. We work alone, and report only to the OSS directly."

"And I suppose you want my help?"

Corwin nodded. "I cannot begin to explain how vital our work is."

"Weapons, uniforms, transport, this I can provide for you, but I think you need far more than I have to offer."

"We will take anything we can get, and we will need some staff, capable researchers and analysts. People you know you can trust one hundred percent. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we need a team that can back our corner."

Williams thought on it for a while.

"Officially, this should be taken a long way up the chain of the command. I don't have the authority to back such an endeavour. Unofficially, we need all the help we can get in this damn war. Tell me, will your work help us win?"

"We may be more vital than you will ever know, yes."

"Then I will give you everything I can. I don't expect to know operational details, but I do expect to see results if I am to continue assisting you. I want Hotwell to act as liaison between us."

"Thank you, you won't regret this, Major."

He got up and led them out of his office and down a corridor to a large set of double doors. He pushed them open and stepped inside to reveal a spacious games room with a billiards table in the centre.

"From now on, this room is yours. I will have all those I select for you to report here, and I will ensure that all staff are made aware of your position here. You will only answer to me."

Corwin nodded in appreciation.

"Then, welcome to the 7th Parachute Battalion. Officially, you will be part of my command staff. That will keep you out of trouble, but we'll have to get you looking the part," he said, smiling as he turned and left.

Corwin couldn't believe his luck. They'd just bullshitted their way into the good graces of a competent and decent officer. Twenty minutes later the whole squad were sitting about the billiards room. They’d waited so long to get free that none had given any great thought as to where to go next, but Beyett broke the silence.

"Villiers...let's stay on target. We need to know where he is, what he has been up to, what he plans to do next, and how we can get to him."

They all looked to Hotwell for answers.

"You're the intelligence officer," Corwin said, "Time to earn your pay."

Hotwell took in a deep breath, feeling the extent of the pressure and responsibility being placed on his shoulders.

"Who exactly is this Villiers?"

"Maximilian Villiers," replied Beyett, "One of the most intelligent, brilliant, and dangerous men of our generation. Once a key weapons developer for our side, he defected after the wrongful killing of his family."

"That is all you need to know of his back story," added Corwin, and Beyett continued.

"Villiers went on to become the key leader of the enemy forces, an axis of evil, much like those who are now here. He almost turned the tide of the war, but on the eve of his defeat, travelled back here to this time."

"But why? Why now?"

Beyett smiled and pointed to Corwin.

"What is it?"

"Well...let's just say it wasn't intentional."