CHAPTER16


   The hallway was long enough at first glance. It just seemed like the further he walked the further he had left to walk. Every step, every breath, the sights and sounds grew more into focus. He could see the chips of white paint on the walls. They made pictures of another place. They were places he dreamed of going and living, where the world was that he wanted it to be. The squeak of the hardwood floor came in a rhythmic and familiar way. It was comforting for his ears knew every step. Smell!  There was that smell again! Never before had he ever encountered such a strong, vile, and sickening aroma. It was lingering again, right in front of him!  

His hand was hurting. His mother held it tight. She looked down upon him, tilting her head, one frame at a time. Her words called out as if they were distant, slow, distorted. The sounds came but the words meant nothing. They turned the corner of the hall, past her cracked bedroom door. It was only a tiny crack but the frame by frame motion gave him all the time in the world to see.

The hand, the smell, it was in the room? He felt a small sense of relief as they proceeded to his door. Joey only wished that smell would not follow. The playroom door swung wide as his mother kicked it. Three-year-old Joey found himself standing in a field. There was a rifle in his hand. Cannon, manned by the crews in their black shirts, sat waiting behind his crib. They fired.

Joey sat up quickly as he gasped for air. He shook his head, wiped the sweat with his bandana, scratched his greasy hair, and ran his fingers across the stubble on his chin. He looked around at the canvas that was his small tent. It was barely large enough for one man to lie down in. That was fine for now because Joey could not get too close to Finny.

He could feel her warm flesh under the blanket. He reached down and touched her bare arm. It was out from under the covers. Joey ran his fingers down it lightly. She only stirred a little and the sound escaping her closed lips was one of satisfaction. Whatever she was dreaming was a far site better. Joey envied Finny if only because she was still asleep. He wished his dreams were as calm and peaceful too.  

That smell! It disgusting him down to the very essence of his being and now it was invading his dreams! Wide-awake, it was even worse though. Every time there was the slightest breeze those piles of severed limbs, the bodies in the woods, just the general stench from the field hospital, would send their odor down into the camp. It was worse than Joey remembered. Now if he could just figure out why he remembered that smell.

How did anybody ever want to do this for living? When this war was done, Joey had already decided that he was not about to stay with this army business. Jack and Pete had done it all of their adults lives.  How did they manage and not go insane? Joey had handled the academy all right. In fact that was the probably one of the greatest times of his life. But this? This war was something else entirely.

Finny stirred once more. Her hair was short now but she was out of uniform and looked as pretty as she ever had. Joey had a hard time dealing with her masculine side at the moment. Seeing her looking like a young boy, every day, made it hard for him to concentrate the few times they managed to be alone. That was hard but certainly not impossible. He laid back down and put his arm around her.  

Lying perfectly still she said, "I hope its not first call already. I need some more sleep."

"No," quietly replied Joey. "I just had a dream, that‘s all. You can go back to sleep."

"Your Mother?"

Joey sighed, "Ever since we found her. Every time I close my eyes, I.. I see her. What’s even weirder is I keep seeing the past but it’s not really the past, you know? They’re almost like memories but not.” Were they memories? Joey didn’t remember any of that stuff happening.  

With her eyes still closed and her voice rather passive she said, “that’s why their called dreams sweetheart.”

“I can't wait for you to meet her. I think you two would get along."

Finny was not so sure of this. In general she never got along with other women. The ones that were not fiercely guarding their men usually thought her arrogant. Julia might be different however. She was leading an army after all and if that didn‘t make her the most unique woman in history then Finny could scarcely imagine what would.  

It was a shock to find out but, it did rouse Finny's curiosity. The entire subject of women fighting seemed to be taking up more and more of her time lately. She was still constantly thinking about that other woman. She had not told anyone about her meeting in the deserted tent but, for the life of Finny she could not even figure out why. Was it done out of sisterhood? Finny thought not. It felt to her more like morbid curiosity. She really wanted to see what came next.

If there were more than just her and this other girl then why were they all here? Were they following their masters? Were they just trying to get by or did they just want to fight? Maybe they were even trying to copy Joey's mom? After thinking it over, for days, Finny had decided that the closest she would ever come to figuring that out was examine her own reasons for being here. That was even more frustrating because deep down Finny honestly did not know. She could have thought up all kinds of reasons that covered everything from her Dad and Joey to just wanting to prove herself. The only problem was none of that was true.

"Leader Joey?" said a voice that was walking around the tents.

Joey tossed the covers over Finny's head and then stuck his own out of the tent, "Yeah here."

It was just a courier standing in the shadows, "Sir, General Joe wants you up at  Army now."

"Right with you."  Joey crawled back in and started trying to find his boots in the near total darkness. He stopped for a second as Finny grabbed him around the neck and began the passionate kiss goodbye. There was no telling when they would be able to do it again. Joey had to give it some serious will power not to stay for a while longer. His discipline won out. He slid out of the tent and was gone.

Finny laid her head back down and shut her eyes. She needed her sleep more than she needed to think. Now she might actually get some. No sooner had she started to drift off when she heard that nerve-racking sound of the drum beating the signal for stand to. It was kind of early for that but, the way the war was going there was no telling what might happen next. Finny groaned and sat up with the cover still around her. No sooner had she done so when a hand with a very furry palm clasped itself over her mouth and pushed her back down.

"Don't scream, it's me little one," it was the woman.

Finny wanted to be calm but, she just tried to steady her breathing, "You could try not scaring the shit out of me sometime."

"Who was he?"

Finny growled, "He was none of your damn business."

"You rat us out," said the voice, "and I can guarantee you a real short life."

Finny pushed the woman back and sat up. She found her shirt and slipped it on overhead, "I'm not going to rat anybody out. I don't even know your name, what unit you're in. I'm not sure I even care."

"Good," said the voice. The woman grabbed Finny's hand. She felt that fur again? The woman shoved whatever this furry thing was, in her hand. "Pin this on your hat. It's a buck tail. A lot of guys wear it but every woman in the group does for sure."

"Why?" Finny felt of it more carefully. It was long and soft.

"Cause you idiot. You go and get shot and wounded don't go crying out for no medic, you here? Just lie there till you see another buck tail. Most of us got big hats like yours. We see you we'll try and get you away from here. Don't want you getting caught that way."

It made sense. Being wounded was a sure way for someone to find out which sex you were. A doctor could hardly miss something like breasts or the absence of other parts. Finny had never thought about it before. All of a sudden she was actually glad to have met this woman.  

The woman began to crawl out but, then she stopped real sudden at the tent entrance, "One more thing. Get you a sidearm. Keep it with you at all times and especially when you go into battle. Don't get captured whatever you do. Shoot yourself first. Under the chin is a good place."

"What!"

"You sure is a green one. Never 'spected to see the likes of you here. If them Imperials capture you, find out what you are. Well they got rules bout catching a woman with a gun, and that's bad enough. They see you in that uniform too and they'll pop your eyeballs out and fill the sockets with sawdust. Just remember that." The woman left.


_____________________


Everything in town was pretty much closed now. The women from that Inn were right though. Dee had walked around to the backside of the religious store. She could see some light shinning through the cracks of the wall. She could hear loud boisterous voices, from time to time. It kind of did sound like a group of Baptists at a revival in there.  

The front of the store had a dim light on inside. The strange man who ran it was sitting in there at his little desk just reading. There was no question about the fact that something was going on here. Why was it called a prayer meeting? Dee couldn't quite figure that part out. What had Gary done, joined some local cult?

Dee had to see what was going on inside this place! She checked for a back door and there was one but, it was locked. Figures! There were no windows in the back and there was nothing to be seen from the front that Dee had not seen a hundred times before. She was pretty sure she wasn't going to get past the man sitting in there. Judging from what the old ladies had said, this was a man only kind of deal.  That left her with few options but, too stand around outside a while and just watch. Every now and then someone would leave. Every now and then some man would go in. Dee had seen no one but the clerk up front. All of the business must have been going to this "prayer meeting" in the back.

Dee was about ready to give up finding out. There was no way she was getting past the front door. Jack was supposed to be getting back any time now and she needed to tell him. She was going to need help on this one. Dee sighed and got ready to go get her horse. She gave up that idea, real fast, when she saw Gary walking out of the shop. He quietly shut the front door behind him and lazily began walking down the street. Dee went after him.

She cornered him next to the hardware store. There was no one else around. Dee pushed him up against the wall rather violently.  "All right you son of a bitch! What are you up to?"

"Dee!  What are you doing here?"

"Watching you! You got a lot of questions to answer. Like why didn't you tell me that you knew this planet was inhabited, picture group forty whatever!"

Gary was a little bit surprised to hear all of this old hat stuff. He went with it however, as long as it took her mind off the shop that he had just left. He could hope that just maybe she had not seen him leave? There was always a chance, "I do believe it was under your threats that I did not say a word. Ring a bell? You know I promised your Uncle? What's the big deal? You had them? I do remember having countless conversations with you. If you recall I was the one urging that you tell everybody else."

"What! I didn't have those pictures! I didn't even know they existed until today!"

Gary shrugged, "I'm sorry, they told me you did. A safe assumption since I was told that it was all your show."

"Oh don't hand me that Gary. I've put it all together now. The bomb, who, where, when, why. Your buddies Gary!"

Gary crossed his arms, "Oh really. This is better than that time you hatched that crazy notion about..."

Dee got in his face, "Did you kill Larry you bastard! Did you set that bomb! They sent you here to do that! Don't try and weasel your way out of it!"

Gary laughed at her, "Dee, Dee, Dee, you know me better than anyone else here. Do you seriously think, for one minute, that I would set foot on a space ship that I knew had a nuclear bomb strapped to its hull?"

Dee stomped her foot on the ground. She growled in frustration. Gary was a liar, a jerk, a thief, and many other dastardly things including the proud title of coward. He had her there. "I don't believe you!"

Gary leaned forward and got right in her face, "Well I don't care Dee. I'm going to go home and get some sleep."

Did she reach for her gun? Dee was angry and she felt like shooting him but, then again, what else was new? If she pulled it then what? Gary turned to walk off down the street. Dee just stood there. What was she suppose to do now? She stomped her foot. "You ass hole!"

Gary stopped in the middle of the street. Had Dee finally gotten to him? She had been trying to do that for years and all the bastard ever did was walk away like she meant nothing. Nothing! That was all she had ever meant to him.  

He stopped now though. After all these years she had finally gotten his attention! She had made him do something instead of the reverse. He was walking towards her now! Dee thought about it one more time and suddenly realized that maybe it wasn't so good after all. She took a step back. He was looking right at her as he walked. He had this spooky sort of determined look she had never seen in him before. Dee took another step back.

His arm reached out and grabbed her. Dee pushed his hand away but, he just grabbed her again and this time, he pulled. His voice sounded sinister and even more determined. "Turn around and keep walking." Was he going to kill her? Dee gulped.

Another man stepped out of the shadows. He started walking towards them! He was very large, he was... Dee gasped. It was that guy that came into the Inn looking for Gary all those years ago. He was the one with really huge muscles! "Gary, that guy came to the Inn looking for you a few years ago."

He was nervous now and even scared. It was a small consolation.

“I know Dee.”

“Well,” she jerked her arm out of his grip, “well who is he?”

Gary grabbed her again and this time drug her along even quicker, "uh-oh, I think it's time to run."

Two more men stepped out from an alley just at the other end of the street. They started walking towards the big guy with Dee and Gary in the middle. Gary just stopped. His grip was crushing Dee's arm now. She finally yanked it free and told him, "I have my gun."

"You don't think I'm unarmed do you?" he replied. "Don't draw.  It won't do any good."

The three men stopped around them. The big man took one step closer.  "Gary, I thought we would never see you again."
"Hello Som, It was no great rush. We would see each other again eventually."

"True," said Som, "but I think the time is now."

Now Dee was grabbing Gary's arm. "What's going on here?"

He nudged her and responded to Som, "Well I will have to return to my residence first, seeing as how I have no more funds on my person."

The man's big finger came from his cloak like a weapon. He poked Dee right below the shoulder blade. A fire of pain shot through her body. The spot he poked was actually sore! He looked right at Gary as he did it, "You got all the stake you need right there."

"Gary?" said Dee.

In English Gary responded, "Shut up, we're in trouble."


_____________________


Ulumack was tired of all the paranoia. Being an Assistant Constable, Junior Grade, he was the one with the not so enviable night hours. Right now it was hard for him to believe that at one time he actually thought it was a blessing in disguise. Even in a city as big as Tallos, most people slept while the sun was down. Anyone on the streets at this time of night was subject to a beating simply because it was easily assumed that they were up to no good. This had all changed now. There were numerous people running down the street trying to find him, most of whom were blabbering on about women plotting this or doing that. Some of them were so delusional that they actually thought they were seeing groups of females running around with knives. All that Ulumack had seen, so far, was the same old beggars and scum that normally hide in the shadows of the city night.

This time, the center of the disturbances was down near the docks. The tension was worse than ever too. Riders were streaming into the city from the south now and all bringing reports of a developing battle. No one was really afraid that this Virgin Mary would ever seriously threaten the city. They were more worried about what their own women were going to do. So with the slightest of provocations Ulumack found himself running from one house to another, or a street, or a back alley just to find all well. It got very old very quickly.

After one such report he strolled down to the lakeside road and found the night was very peaceful.  The gentle waters of the lake were slapping against the seawall and wooden peers. The street lamps were reflecting against the water. There was no one around anywhere to be seen. Ulumack was refreshed by the silence. It was as the city used to be this time of night. Finally he could get some rest! He strolled down the street, whistling, swinging his arms. Maybe he would just hide out down here for a while.

Ulumack stopped. He looked behind him. He looked at the dark buildings. The docks had only a few empty berths. Ulumack walked further down the waterfront only now he was no longer whistling. Why was it so quiet down here? Not that he was complaining but, something about that was not right. He looked at his timepiece to see if his internal clock was giving him accurate impressions of the hour.

The Sun would be rising very soon and only a few of the boats had already gone out? It was always possible. If the fisherman were expecting a storm or it was another one of their special holidays a great many would be taking off but, that was only if. Where were the fishermen? No matter if some slept late, a storm was building, or there was a holiday, some of them should have rose long ago to start work. Where were the guards...  the guards!

The military had sent several guards down here to watch the docks. They were not here. Maybe they were recalled? That was it! Ulumack began walking again feeling a little easier. He stopped two blocks down and hunched over. He watched, he waited, and then he began slowly approaching a nearby dark alley. From the shadows, jutting into the light, was an arm! Ulumack bent over the body and found it belonging to a soldier. What was he to do? The armory was near here. He would go for help.

The Iron gate was locked. Ulumack looked up and down the brick wall that surrounded the lot. He looked at the two-story building. It was closed down? There were no lights on inside and the doors were shut. Why would it be closed? There was a battle going on.  

Ulumack had seen this place manned and guarded twenty-four hours a day since the....   the guards! There were no guards! Ulumack had to go for help. He turned to run just as bullet, traveling down from the second story window, smashed into the stones in front of him. Instinctively, and in a panic, he ran the other way and that took him back towards the docks.

They were crawling out of the water like some kind of creatures in a fireside tale!  It was just the way so many of them were coming over the seawall, covered in wet, sloshing, baggy clothes. The dock’s empty berths were now occupied by vessels that were as infested as the water. They were all armed and they were women!

Ulumack let out a scream. He had to go for help! Who? Where? After he realized that he had no clue, a better idea crossed his mind. He could find a dark alley then hide, ditch the uniform, steal some civilian clothes, and vanish. If they took the city he didn't want to be identified as someone in charge. With thousands of them coming out of the water Ulumack realized that they probably would seize the city. The Army was forty miles south of here!


"Zamtha," said Julia as she ran up the streets, "round up about a hundred girls and go help Tish at the armory. Then start handing out powder and ball to anybody who wants it. Go!"

The city was only lightly defended at the moment. That would change quickly enough. The city defenders probably already knew that they were here by now. They would naturally send for help and it would outnumber her people greatly. If she had any hope of holding them off it was going to be from the tops of those city walls. With command of its gates, and giant siege cannon, they could stand off any attack from any army on this planet. The down side was that if they failed to take any one section of the wall it would be all over.  Shlendon and his army would move through holes in their defenses and get into the city.  

In the distance Julia heard some shots ring out into the early dawn. The sounds were bouncing around off the multitude of buildings, making it impossible to know exactly where they came from. It was a very brief exchange of gunfire at least.  No sooner had it ended then there was another somewhere else. It was sporadic fighting, not heavy from the sound of it but, it just kept popping up in random places.

Julia ignored it and just kept running as she would keep doing so as long as they were following her. The gates, they had to reach the gates and wall! Julia found herself running into a city square with a park and beautiful water fountain. The water was spilling down an intricate set of bowls and dumping into the pool below. With the sun just rising, and the rays of the first morning light shining, through the falling streams, it was a sight to behold. Julia thought it so strange that she would notice such details at a time like this.

The shot rang out from another street running into the square. The bullet cracked past Julia's head and her mind snapped back into the present. Julia jumped up on the fountain railing and began shooting her pistol as both sides crashed into each other like two giant waves of people. No lines formed, there was no order, the fighting was nothing more than wild and desperate brawls fought by a mass of individuals who were all just trying to just stay alive. The shooting only lasted for a few brief seconds and, afterwards, there would be the pop of an occasional pistol discharge. The fighting had degenerated into a contest of bayonets and swords. There was no time to reload as both sides intermixed.  

Julia emptied both of her pistols in a matter of seconds. She drew the sword out and began wishing that she really knew how to use it. She carried it around because she thought she was supposed too but, until now, had never even drawn it from the scabbard. A soldier took notice of her as he had finished running some girl through with his bayonet. He charged screaming with the long triangular blade jutting a full two feet from the end of his weapon. Julia held the sword out as far as she could and it was not going to be long enough. There was nothing she could do but close her eyes and hold her breath. She didn't know how to fight with this thing!

A hand fell on Julia's shoulder. Several explosions went off right next to her head. A pistol! Julia opened her eyes and saw the soldier rolling around on the ground in pain. His weapon was lying next to Julia's feet. She grabbed it, rushed over to the man and began jabbing the bayonet into his back. When she wasn't satisfied with that she turned the weapon around and began clubbing him in the head. Tish stopped her.

Julia tossed the rifle to the ground and fell to her knees. She looked up at Tish, "what are you doing here?"

"Saving your ass. Now come on! We have to get moving to the wall!"


There was no waiting in the lobby now. The large doors were wide open and the panic in side the grand hall was obvious. Shlendon placed his helmet under his arm. He nodded to Rizen who, in turn, waived on the squad of troopers behind them. The dismounted cavalrymen lowered their bayonets and followed their leader past the door guards who were unwilling to stop them.

The General Staff was busy giving messages to a horde of couriers. Maps of the city streets were posted on boards all around their tables. Pins were constantly being moved and removed as couriers came and went. The first old man that noticed, "Shlendon! Where is your army! You have failed to protect us from these bitches! They have already seized parts of the wall, the armory, the city hall! They are on the way here, right now!"

"You will be shot for this incompetence!" yelled yet another High General.

The large room, the hordes of clerks, the gathered couriers, the High Generals and their gathered cronies were all silent.  It was an eerie silence too. Here were all of the men that Shlendon detested. They were the old bastards of an old way. Here were all of the members of the national government to whom Shlendon had not warned of the attack in advance. Here were the military leaders and unit commanders that were not with him, and still alive. They watched him, and his detail of troops, and only then did some of them start to understand. It was only a few of them too. That made Shlendon want to chuckle.  

Smiling. Shlendon walked lazily forward. He placed his helmet on the table that these men used to sit behind in contempt and judgment of others. They were all of noble breeding. Shlendon was the son of a poor farmer. These men were all of white and of western descent. Shlendon’s family had rode with the great eastern plains horsemen of old. He had earned his rank, his respect, and his rights. These men were given everything and for that reason alone they were nothing. "Gentlemen, you are all under arrest for high treason."

A few of them actually laughed at him. One of them pointed out, "you and what army are going to do it Shlendon. Have you gone mad?”

"My army High General."

They were not stupid. They were not so blind as to the political divisions of their own army, some of which, they had even helped create for their own personal gain. Games of playing one side against the other was all that allowed them to maintain power. They also knew the scoreboard, or so they thought, "You could never muster enough support Shlendon. The cavalry might hold you in high esteem but we dominate the more important branches of..."

"Your supporters are all long since dead. Thanks to that dear sweet girl known as the Virgin Mary. She did me the favor of killing them off one by one. Now she will do me one last honor of getting rid of the likes of you. Those soldiers guarding this building are my soldiers. Those soldiers who are fighting the futile battle of holding the city walls are yours. They will be all dead very soon and you will be without an army. All the while my forces remain relatively unengaged."

There were shouts and some confusion as Shlendon's troopers rounded up his political enemies and herded them out the doors in chains. Shlendon happily climbed up on the platform that was now his. He planted himself in the center seat of the high table. He tossed his feet up on it, leaned back in the chair, and crossed his arms behind his head. "Rizen, send word to Sub General Horst. Tell him to move his forces against the city now. Clear the walls and secure the town."

Rizen nodded. He found even himself fearing this man. There was no telling how strong a fear he would generate in those not as close to him. "General Shlendon, what of the prisoners? The General Staff?"

There was a wide smile on Shlendon’s face, "I do recall at one time you noted that the numbers of stakes at the barracks were far more than we needed for the rebels. Now you know why. Impale the old bastards and do it at once. Think of it, kind of as, returning Mary the favor she has done me. She can have the credit for their deaths of course.” He thought about the situation with a smile, “The old days of the Empire in our lands are finally at a true close."



_____________________


Admitting failure was something that Vitosk could normally handle. He saw it as just one step closer to success. Such as it was with this transmitter thing of Dee's. He had managed to forward the latest pictures to Joey but, now he was stuck. The light kept going off and he couldn't figure out why. He had to go get Gina who confidently sat in the chair and began tapping at the keyboard. She smiled, "See what happens when you let a woman do it?" She hit the enter button. The printer hummed to life and began spitting paper out of it. Gina tried to turn it off but, for some reason it did not stop.  She did take some satisfaction that it was at least printing now.

Vitosk looked at the sheets coming out, "No I do not see what happens when a woman does it. I do however see what happens when you do. We're getting the back log of reprints from the past week."

Gina muttered something in Japanese and began trying to figure the machine out. Vitosk looked over his shoulder at her, "What was that?"

"Something my grandfather used to say. You have to be Japanese to really get the full impact."          

Vitosk got back to looking at the printouts and figured that just maybe he would get those he had been looking for all along. So far, all he saw were Joey’s most recent messages. As he watched the top of the pages for dates and numbers one particular printout caught his attention. He yanked it out before it was covered by another. Vitosk read it. He stood there speechless. Gina poked her nose over his shoulder and so he went ahead and handed it to her.  

Gina was shocked, "oh my god. They're here. We're going home!"

"Hardly. Dee must have known exactly what that meant. Someone had used her machine to transmit our coordinates to them."

"But that's great!" replied Gina.

He turned to face her, "Don't you see. If they were trying to get rid of us before they will surely kill us now."

"No," she said silently. "I want to go home. I want my children..."  Gina almost choked on her own words, "my little girl to grow up in Seattle. I don't want..."

Vitosk put his hand on her shoulder, "Child, life is seldom fair to any of us. We go on however. Not because we are strong, or weak, or anything, but simply because there is no other choice. I learned this through experience Gina. You were not the first to lose a child. You will certainly be far from the last. Be thankful that you did not lose everything."

Gina turned away, "That's easy for you to say. I wish I had died instead! I would have changed places in a heartbeat! I'd do it now if I could!"

"But you can't Gina," said Vitosk. "I too lost my child. I lost my wife as well. I know the pain. I cannot share it with you beyond my own grief for your son. We each must shoulder our own personal losses in life. It makes us who we are. In the death of your infant the only comfort that I myself was able to find was in that of his sister and Father. They, unlike me, did not have to miss the child's mother as did I."

Gina turned back around. Her head hung low. She released a tear, "Saiid, I've been terrible to him. I didn't mean..."

"I know Gina. He does as well. It takes time for you cannot repair the damage over night."

Gina looked up and pointed at the paper bin, "Doctor Vitosk, what's that?"

Yurgani took the new sheets coming out of the printer. Unlike the others, these looked like pictures. Vitosk quickly realized they were scans of newspaper sheets. They had been laid out and scanned into the other transmitter that was up with the army. Vitosk picked them up and began reading. He saw the picture, the sketching of the dark haired woman known only as the "Virgin Mary." Once again Vitosk handed it to a very curious Gina.  

He pondered what it was he had read. Vitosk asked, "What do you make of that?"

Gina read the note Joey sent with it, "this isn't Julia.  Her nose is too big."

"The Virgin Mary. I find it a little too coincidental. Like too much that we have found here."

"This... this woman..." Said Gina pointing at the article, "this isn't Julia. I mean this chick is bad ass. Hell I feel like going out there and helping her. Julia was always… well she was... a wimp. Remember how all she used to do was just follow Pete around panting like a dog. I thought it was sick."

"Gina, can you download from the satellite. I admit that my skills with that confounded machine are a bit weak. It's not like the one I used at Ninvey. You know the one that Joey has now."

"Well sure," said Gina. She looked at the transmitter and it was not unlike many systems that she had been trained on in the air force, "What do you want?"

Vitosk thought about it, "let us start with our personnel files and work from there."

_____________________


Pam grabbed Pete by the arm. There was another set of soldiers walking down the street from the train station. "I don't like this."

"Relax," Pete said as he nodded at the green jacketed officer walking by. They bothered Pete as well but, for different reasons. The last time Pete had seen this many Green Jackets, they were all shooting at him. "Just think of us as kind of tourists. We don't mean them any harm."

"Oh sure," said Pam, "we just accidentally crossed their border with..." She remembered not to say that in public, "and we’re going sight seeing through the war ravaged lands of the east."

Pete stood up from the crate he was sitting on. It was time to leave the train station. Getting tickets for such transport, further east, was impossible now. The trains were not even running that way at the moment. "Tell you the truth, I wouldn't mind seeing this whole country burned to the ground. Let's go see if we can buy a couple of horses."

They walked across the street and just stood there unable to read the signs. Then a voice called out to them. Pete looked through the passing crowds until he saw the man leaning against a wall. The man wandered forward in a very easy manner, "You are looking for a stable no doubt."

Pete nodded, "Yeah we are."

"I think that I may see you to where it is you wish. At a far more rapid pace than you were expecting as well."

What did he mean by that? Pete didn't figure it could be good, "You don't know where we're going."

The man reached into the large bag that was slung over his shoulder. He pulled out a canvas and showed it to them. Painted on it was a woman with a fiery sky line behind her and holding a rifle high above her head. There was a cheering crowd of women doing the same. "You are looking for her are you not?"

Pam squeezed Pete's arm, "Who are you?"

"My dear lady," he looked at Pam with a twinkle in his eye that made Pete scowl, "I am your guide."



_____________________


Dee stopped when she got in the back room of the store. She slapped Gary in the face when she saw what this prayer meeting was, "You sorry bastard! You lied to me! You never stopped!"

They stepped down onto the main floor where they were surrounded by cheering crowds from the rafters on down. These men were pitching money in a pile at one side of the floor. They were throwing bones! This was a gambling hall! It conjured up the same feelings that Dee had the day she came home from a trip to see her uncle, only to find her car gone. Gary couldn't be like most schmuck husbands. No! He couldn't just fool around. He had to gamble away his savings, her savings! Everything they had worked to get.  

"This is not the time and place for that same old discussion," replied Gary under his breath.

"I can't think of a better time you asshole!" Dee was not interested in being quiet.

The big man grabbed Dee by the arm and slung her towards the money. She pointed at him, "I've had about enough of you." Dee reached into her skirt and unsnapped her holster, "oh shit."

Gary told her in English. "It'll be all right. Som's just pissed because he's never beaten me. It's a point of honor with these guys. A couple of hands and we're gone."

Dee took one step forward. She was leaving now! She stepped back to the wall when several different men drew long blades and guns. "Uh Gary, sweetie, are you any good at this game?”

He knelt into the crowd as a pile of bones were being dealt by a toss from the cup. "Real good.  A lot better than black jack believe me."

Dee whined, "Gary you couldn't hit twenty one if somebody tattooed it on your chest. That's not saying a whole lot!"

He smiled, "Trust me."

Dee put her hands on her hips, "I was living in California Gary, do you know what that means there?"



_____________________


Julia climbed the ramparts to join her troops who were now screaming in joy as they looked down on a city that was all but theirs. There was still a lot of smoke and shooting going on but even so it had been done! The most important part of Tallos, the walls, were in their hands. It was only a matter of time before the remaining pockets of resistance would have to surrender. Even the well fortified places like the barracks, the prison, and the old Imperial Palace would run out of food sooner or later. They could no longer get out and, more importantly, nothing else could get in.

Tish had stayed next to Julia the entire time. She was not going to let anything happen to this lady. The woman had just brought them a victory beyond their wildest dreams. The center of authority of the east was in their control! They could sit back behind these walls, with their giant siege cannon, and dictate terms to whatever authority was left to do so. They would be free! It was all they wanted and it would be such a simple thing to grant. Once word of this got out there would not be a woman in the world that would not rise up and demand it. The men would no longer have a choice. The day was at hand!

Looking down the wall Tish suddenly realized something. The gun pits, that jutted out from the wall like bumps on smooth skin, did not quite look right. Something was wrong with them and Tish could not believe she had missed it up till now. There were no guns!  

"Julia! Where are the siege guns?”

Julia snapped around and looked up and down this section of the wall. The big black cannons were nowhere to be seen. She slapped Tish on the arm, "Send runners and find out if there's any on the wall anywhere. Now!"


General Horst lowered his binoculars. He could see the women rebels on top of the city walls. They were still cheering. Horst looked at the clump of trees behind him. The large diameter bore of the siege gun was well hidden and only to be seen standing as close as Horst was. A messenger came riding up on horse and quickly handed off a dispatch to him. He read and nodded, "excellent, the rebel army to the south has been dispersed. Their guns captured, their baggage trains overrun. All that is left to do now is flatten the wall. Then, when the army arrives by train, this afternoon, they can march right in. Captain! Tell all batteries to commence fire at once!"



The crack in the distance caught Julia's attention. She stopped what she was doing and looked out towards the noise. The wall shook violently and Julia was thrown from her feet. When the shock wore off she pulled herself back up while waving smoke from her face. She heard screams now, not cheers. The spot where she had just been standing, rallying her victorious troops only moments ago, was gone. There was nothing there any longer but blasted debris. Bodies were lying all down the ramparts.

That one shot, that opening belch of smoke and death, was now repeated and this time it came as a thunderous roar of many guns. The fields beyond the walls were filled with rising wisps of dirty gray smoke.

Tish tried to pull her leaders head back down but, Julia pushed the girls arms away as she watched the bombardment. Her spine rippled with a flash of electricity, "Oh god, we've walked into a trap."