CHAPTER 17


        The almost constant barrage of guns made Joe wonder how much ammo his adversary had brought with him. Pascal had led an Imperial Force up onto good high ground. The eight thousand Imperials had been there for several days already. They had made good use of that time by digging in. There were fresh dirt mounds, ditches, pikes, and good cover for the artillery crews that were firing down on the advancing army of the United Peninsular. Joe was now starting to understand why it was that Pascal had thought himself strong enough to offer terms. He was gambling on a safe bet. He obviously thought he could hold this position until Daltop could send him relief. All the while his cavalry would be driving deeper into the Zeat's unprotected homeland and destroying the UP’s ability to make war along the way.

"This is almost like being in a siege," said one of Joe's chief advisors. "We're not going to drive them out of there."

Time was slipping away. If Joe did not manage to drive them off this ground then he could not move his army and use it to break up the cavalry formations moving east and south. If Joe disengaged, then Pascal could combine his remaining columns and pursue Joe in force. Every inch of ground Joe gave the Imperials was unlikely ever to be taken back. He had to hold as close to the border as he could.  

"We don't have a choice. Send in the next wave. We have to make sure that the attacks are well coordinated."

"Yes sir," the advisor rode down from the vantage point to find a courier.

Joey was standing with a group of junior officers. He, like everyone else, listened and hung onto every word that Joe exchanged with his staff. He heard the orders given and knew that the next wave would include his unit. He was here and he did not need to be. Finny was down there and about to march right into those guns. Joey stepped forward, "General Joe! Sir may I rejoin my unit?"

Joe looked over his shoulder, "You might be a bit safer here Joey. I might not be needing our secret weapon now son but, that could change real quick like."  

There was determination in the boys face. Joe recognized the will to fight. He had seen it in men before, just as he had seen the opposite in cowards. If it was impossible to keep a man from running it was even harder to stop him from fighting once his mind was made up. The boy had that gleam in his eye.  "All right son, go. Oh yeah, and Joey. When you get home. You can tell Finny that I think you two would do real good to be together."

Joey nodded, "Thank you sir."


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"How much longer is this going to take," Dee was just a bit frustrated. They had been at this game for hours. She sat on a box by the wall and watched as the men kept rolling the bones. Gary cheered after the last spread. It was some sense of relief anyway.  "Well?!"

Gary looked up from his rib, "We're doing ok Dee. Just a few more tosses and we'll walk with the pot. This is a lot of money. You've never seen the Dottish coast have you? You'll love it."

Win the pot!  She was the pot!  "I'm not going anywhere with you buddy! Not after this! Never again!"

The door leading to the front cracked open letting a bit more light into this shady place. Dee had to let her eyes adjust. She suddenly realized it was daylight outside now. She couldn't make out the man walking in past the bouncers. The rays of light were just too strong. The door shut and when Dee saw who it was she wanted to get up and run. It was Jack! What was he doing here? How did he find her? Who cared? He was here!  

Dee stood up but a guy near her pushed her back down, "Jack!"

Jack took his jacket off and tossed it beside the door. He walked down onto the floor. Gary glanced up and saw who was standing over him. He then looked back to the game but, suddenly did a double take. "Uh... Jack."

The big Dottician, Som, growled, "Roll Gary. You not beat me this time. You not walk away till I win."

Gary replied, "That's not exactly sportsman Som. Not real fair if you ask me."

"I don't care about fair. I'm going to win."

Jack lightly kicked Gary with heel of his boot, "You don't worry about him. You got bigger problems Gary."

The crowd was yelling, "Roll! Roll! Roll! Roll!"

Gary shrugged. What else could Jack do at the moment?  

Apparently Jack knew this too. He pointed to the gaming floor, "Go ahead."

"Don't worry Jack," said Gary. "This should do it and we're out of here." He picked up the cup and shook the little sticks inside. With an excited joyous smile, like that of a man enjoying a fix, Gary tossed them out on the floor. The crowd went wild.

Dee stood up. When the guy tried to push her back down she shoved his hand out of the way. She looked at the sticks on the floor like she actually knew how to read them. It didn't matter about that since she could read Gary's face. He was very pale! The big guy, Som, was laughing. Dee yelled out in frustration, "What happened! I thought we were winning?!"

Gary bowed his head, "Dead mans rib."

The two goons with Som grabbed Dee by each arm. They stopped just like everyone else at the sound of shots fired. Jack put three holes in the ceiling. For a second there was nothing, no sound, no voices, no cheering. That did not last long. There was clicking coming from every corner of the room.  They were the sounds of a hundred pistol hammers being cocked. Jack suddenly found a battery of guns pointed at him from every direction.

Standing his ground and keeping his weapon pointing up, Jack declared to the room, "That's not his woman to gamble away. She's mine and I aim to take her back."

Som laughed and then replied, "That's between you and Gary. She goes with me."

"Then me and you got a problem now, pal. Only way out of this room is right through that door. You try getting out of here with her and you won't make it alive."

He laughed some more. Som stepped into the middle of the floor and kicked the gambling paraphernalia aside. The man took his shirt off, and flexed? Jack thought that it kind of curious as to why somebody would do that. Then Som snickered, "I like you. Not a little tunnel rat like Gary. I make a deal with you. I'm a gambling man."

"What kind of deal would that be," asked Jack.

Gary jumped up and pleaded, "Uh Jack, I don't think that would be such a good idea you see..."

Jack pushed him aside and lowered his weapon, "What kind of deal?"

"A game mister funny pistol. The only kind of deals there are."

Jack shoved the forty-five in his belt.  "I win, I take the girl. You win you take her.  Is that it?”

Gary pleaded, "Jack!"

"I got girl already," said the man. He raised his right arm and tensed it. The muscles rippled causing the crowd to roar. "Only I got no use for her. Can't really sell if you say she stolen. Can't really use her. She's too skinny for my tastes."

"Hey!" said Dee.

"Shut up," replied Jack and Gary.

"Just have to get rid of her when I leave here anyhow. I like playing games though. So I tell you lets have some fun. We play Rasacoma Assur with her for the crowd. That is if I win. You win I let you take girl back. Only your knee no hit the floor. Every time that happens, we play Rasacoma Assur."

Jack looked at Gary, "What the hell is that?"

"It's an Assur game."

Jack growled, "I figured that much out!"
Som pointed at Jack, "Me you, we fist punch. Your knee don't hit no floor. You get knocked out. Game over, we finish Rasacoma Assur."

The crowd went wild with screams. They would have looked right at home at a Redskins game. Jack almost expected somebody to breakout doing the wave. Crowds like this one were the reason why he stuck to golf.

The two goons tied Dee's hands to the end of a long rope that they tossed over a beam. She bit one of them in the arm and kicked the other man in the shin. The two goons did little about it. There was nothing they could since the crowd seemed to like it. They got on with their business as best they could and pulled on the rope till her feet came up off the floor.

Jack grabbed Gary by the arm and yanked him over to the corner.  "What is all this about?"

"It's a game that the Assur play with their whips for practice, only these guys use knives. Som over there wants to box you. What he's saying is every time your knee hits the ground they're going to cut her. Jack you can't win. Som does this professionally. He’ll clean your clock and then they'll kill her. We've got to think of something else."

Jack could see the logic in that. Only there was no way of stopping this now. Som could put a bullet in her just as fast as slitting her throat. He would probably even kill her if Jack left. There was nothing to do but get on with it. "We don't have a choice. He might have size but I got speed and endurance. I'll wear him out first."

Gary winced, "Jesus Jack, that guy could lay out the Incredible Hulk. I saw him punch out a horse once.”  

Jack gave Gary a curious and quizzical glance, “you’re kidding?”

“It was a charity benefit thing he was doing,” Gary mumbled along with trying to explain, “long story. That’s not the point. This is his game Jack. You don't seem to understand that this is a test of pure punching power. You won't..."

"Come on you little one," yelled Som. "You no come down here I just shoot her and go home."

Gary plead one last time, “Jack you don’t understand. It’s not like… Hell what difference does it make you don’t even know how to box.”

Jack just shrugged, “I’ll show this guy how we used to do things back home.”

Gary slapped his forehead, “in the PGA?!”

Jack grunted and took his shirt off. He reached into his pockets for a second and looked around the crowd as if he were reconsidering. Another call from Som prompted him so he walked down onto the main floor. He raised his hands in a defensive posture. Som just stood there. Jack winked at Dee. One of Som’s henchmen raised his sword and placed the tip under her neck.  

Dee was naturally not happy with the turn of events, "Jack!"

"You ready big guy," said Jack.

Several of the cheering spectators ran out onto the floor. One of them carried a rope and began to bind Jack's left ankle to Som's right ankle. There was less than an arms length in between them.

"Well so much for dancing around," muttered Jack.

A man on the side yelled above the roaring crowd, "begin."

Som smiled as he looked down on Jack, "You take first fist to punch."

Jack shrugged, "If you insist."  

Pulling back with his right Jack drove an upper cut right under Som’s chin. The big man's head went flying back. A second passed with total silence in the room. Som’s head rolled back around and their eyes met. Som growled just before he fell to the floor with a thud. The crowd went wild. Jack reached down and slid his ankle out of the noose.

He walked over to the rope and pulled out his knife. When Dee's feet hit the floor she wasted no time kicking one of the goons in his other shin. He doubled over and then she slammed her balled fists down on the back of his head. "Punch that out!"

Jack cut her hands free and she tossed her arms around him. Jack held her, "It's ok, but don't you run off like that again."

The crowd stopped roaring and both of them looked to see why. Som had staggered back to his feet and had his arm outstretched with a revolver in it. Dee squeezed Jack even harder as she said "He's a sore loser Jack. That's how we got into this mess."

Jack leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Close your eyes sweetheart."

"One last kiss?" asked Dee.

“God I hope not," Jack held up his right hand high into the air.  

For some reason, what was left of his explosive ordnance was all underwater type stuff. The small round detonator in his hand was made to withstand a very high pressure of water and as such was cased in lead. It substituted real well as brass knuckles. Now Jack used it for its intended purpose. He flipped the safety off and depressed the button.

The Jacket by the door exploded with a thunderous clap that shook the entire room. Anybody with their eyes open found themselves temporarily blinded, with a strong ringing in their ears, and stunned. The first blast was followed by a second on the wall behind Jack. Harry and Saiid rushed in the new hole and began firing M-16 rounds in the air. Jack pulled a smoke grenade from his back pocket. He pulled the pin and dropped it on the floor. A purple mist began filling the room and the crowd stampeded for the one and only tiny front door.

Just on the outskirts of Luftmot they all stopped by their horses and took a breath of fresh air. Jack chuckled, "You two did real good. Almost as good as Marines. Only next time when I'm in there longer than I'm suppose to be, improvise, will you? You didn't have to wait for the signal then."

Harry cocked his head, "Save the guys ass and look what kind of thanks you get."

"Yeah," replied Saiid.  "Next time we'll improvise and go home."

Dee looked around, "Where's Gary? Jack we got to find him, he's the..."

Jack raised his hand, "I know. We found your notes and stuff."

"You saw the message too?"

The three men exchanged glances, "What message?"

"They're coming guys. Somebody sent us a message and it said they would be landing within the month."


_____________________


Chree went running back inside the armory building screaming, "Close the doors! Barricade the windows!"

The other rebels guarding the armory exchanged looks of confusion. Several shots were fired just outside the building and that ended their questioning glances. Chree picked up a rifle and ran to a window. She saw several green jackets climbing over the wall via a tree growing just outside the compound. She slid the rifle down on the windowsill, took aim, and fired. One of the soldiers grabbed his leg and then fell off the branch into the armories courtyard. Another soldier, already on the ground inside, fired back. Soon he fell from another shot taken from the second floor. Shortly after that the entire area erupted in a hail of gunfire.


Shlendon broke his horse’s trot just before the street corner. A soldier ran up to him and his party and saluted, "General, we have the armory surrounded, but they're well barricaded in there sir. It'll take quite a bit to get them out sir."

Shlendon bit on a fingernail and looked over his manicure closely. Another call for instructions got him to finally reply, "We really don't need the powder stores there. Set the building on fire and be done with it."

Rizen leaned over in the saddle, "but sir, if that place goes up it'll take two city blocks with it."

"No matter Rizen.  It might even help put out some of the fires. Do try and be optimistic will you. Now we must turn our efforts to the real job here. That of bagging the rebels. We have the force from the old Palace augmented with our troopers, and our gathering army outside the gates. Time to grip these women in a vice."


Julia sat in the burned out ruins that littered the streets below the crumbling walls. She held her head in her hands. The powerful pain she was feeling was ripping her skull apart. She could no longer even walk or at least not until the pain died down a little. Tish hovered over her at the moment, taking messages as they were coming in from runners, and then personally issuing orders in return. There were fewer and fewer messages coming in now. Tish took the new note handed her by the most recent runner.

"Julia, they've breeched the wall in another location. My god, they're pouring in from outside. We got a major force that was at the palace working their way towards the breeching force, building by building. Julia!"

Julia raised her hand, "I hear you!"

Tish crumbled up the note and tossed it to the ground. She felt a tear in her eye, "We were so close!"

Julia sprang from the ground. She grabbed Tish by the shirt and threw her to the ground, "We are not finished yet!"

The ground shook. Charred rafters from above fell to the ground and burst into kindling. Julia realized that whatever this explosion was, it did not come from the cannon. It was too large and felt almost like an earthquake. Julia ran outside and looked into the skyline of the city where she saw a pillar of dark smoke rising high into the sky. It was in the direction of the waterfront. Tish stopped just behind her, "The armory! Oh my god! Chree was there!"

Julia fell to one knee.  "Chree... dear sweet Chree. Oh god I did this. It‘s all my fault."

"No," protested Tish. "They did it!"

Zamtha came running up. She had just arrived with a wagonload of ammunition, "Was that what I think it was? We'll run out of ammo in less than an hour the way we've been using it!"

Tish laid her hand on Julia's shoulder and said to the new arrival,  "Zam, not right now please."



_____________________


Their faces showed the fear.  Joey understood it well enough because they were not the only ones. He felt it too but, he was just not in a position where he could show his own apprehension. It was not his place to do so. He was their leader and that meant he would be the difference between a group of individuals being fired at with no mercy, and a unit of men (and one woman of course) that could take the punishment, and deliver some of their own. Their ranks were not the first in line as they marched up the hill towards the wooden pikes of the Imperial defenses. There were three more files of brown jackets, long lines stretching for a mille or better in each direction, in front of them. That would give his people some kind of chance of actually reaching the top.

Those in front were of small comfort once the first cannons roared to life. The first file disappeared in clouds of smoke. When that file of men marched passed the dust Joey could see large holes in their line.  Wounded and mangled bodies of their dead comrades were being stepped on by the following ranks. Another volley came crashing in with the same scene acted over once again. The brave officer who walked in front of them all raised his sword high, "At the double! Charge!"

Joey raised his sword, turned his back to the enemy fire so as to face his people. He saw Finny in the line. She was easily recognizable now with that deer tail was flying from the back of her hat. Joey put her out of his mind. A lot of lives were at stake now. He commanded, "At the double!  Charge!"

There was a roar of voices screaming insanely as the Zeat’s charged forward at a trot. Wisps of gray smoke began to rise with the crackling roar of small arms. All of it was coming from the dirt mounds up at the crest of the hill. Men began falling from the brown-coated ranks once again. Now the screams of the wounded were starting to be heard over the other noises of battle. The cannon shifted fire. Shell began crashing in on Joey's people now. He looked behind him and could still see the buck tail flying behind her hat. He felt relief as he pushed on.


General Joe put his binoculars down and wiped a tear in his eye. They were paying a cost beyond anything that should be rightfully expected. Even with the pain of seeing all of his young men dying in droves, as they moved up the slopes, there was a strange sort of pride burning in his soul. The lines of brown were just reaching the fortifications and engaging the enemy in hand to hand. They had made it!  

Joe pointed, "Do you see that Captain! Now order our boys at the bottom of the hill to..."

A cannon shell burst on the hill. Men and animal alike screamed. As the smoke began to clear ZeGress found he had fallen from his horse. He waived at the smoke and the arid smell around him as he looked around to see the damage. He was not the only one who had fallen. No one in the group of Army staff officers had managed to stay on their horse. He felt himself and there didn't seem to be any blood. ZeGress stood up and brushed himself off as he staggered through the mayhem. On the ground were blood soaked lumps of flesh from at least six men he had known.  

ZeGress called out, "General! General Joe!"

There was a sense of relief when he got a response. It was not a healthy response but, it was one none the less. The Intelligence officer found Joe with his leg pinned under his dead horse. There was blood smeared across the Generals face. ZeGress dropped down like a panicked animal, "General! You've been hit!"

Joe growled, "take it easy ZeGress, it's not mine damn it."

Soldiers gathered around and pulled the General from under the horse. He screamed as they moved him. Joe slapped and even began swinging fists until they left him alone. He grabbed ZeGress by the collar and yanked him down. "My Leg is broke. Get a doctor up here and splint it now."

"Uh... General Joe, I think you better go to the hospital sir."

Joe spat out, "I got a damn battle to fight!"


Joey tossed his empty revolver to the ground and picked up a rifle from a dead Imperial. He used the bayonet to force another enemy soldier in retreat. They were retreating! Finny ran up beside Joey and fired a shot at the man he had just forced to flee. She screamed in joy, "they're running! We got them on the run!"

Lee came stumbling back to the deserted cannon. He was holding a gushing wound in his arm. "Sorry sir! I got shot without orders."

Joey discarded the imperial weapon and took the one from his sergeant. After getting Lee’s cartridge bag too, Joey pointed to the rear, "Get back down the hill and go see the surgeon."

With the Sergeant on his way, Joey tried putting his disordered troops into some kind of order. They needed to turn the captured cannon around and get ready for the inevitable counter attack. They needed to cover the most likely avenues of approach with small arms. They needed to collect ammunition and weapons from the dead. Most all, they needed those sorry bastards standing at the bottom of the hill to get up here! The woods to their front were clear just this second and that meant they could push on into the Imperial rear area.

Several men in the line yelled, "here they come!"

It was the wrong “they.” The woods were filled with line after line of black shirts. They were fresh troops coming up in nice neat orderly lines. They raised their weapons and fired into the Zeats. Joey jumped to the ground as the volley crashed in all around them. He got back up quickly as the enemy line rushed forward. There was yet another line behind them and probably another behind that. The brown coats fired into them and then charged forward to meet the enemy rush with one of their own.

There was a scream, "Joey!"

"Finny!" Joey didn't bother to use her fake name now. He ran to her and dropped by her side. She was rolling on the ground holding her hip. Her hat was lying on the ground not far away. Her head was tilted upwards and her face was in agony. Blood was rushing out from between her fingers.  Joey pulled her hands back. There was large caliber hole right through the hip. Joey felt for an exit wound. There was none. The bullet was probably lodged in bone.

She let out a scream.  "Joey! I can't feel my legs! My legs!"

The brown troops were breaking up as another line of Imperial Infantry surged forward to relieve their tired comrades. Joey felt tears streaming down his cheeks. They couldn't hold the ridge! The black shirts would be on top of them any second. He screamed in anger, "Where are our reinforcements!"

Finny reached up and took his hand. She squeezed it as hard as she could. Finny felt fear like she never had before in her life. She looked into his eyes and felt tears running from her own. She asked with a quiver in her voice, "Kill me. Please Joey? You have too."

"I can't," the brown jackets were now giving way to a sea of black.  More and more Zeats were running back down the hill for the safety of their own lines. "Finny, I can carry you!"

"No! It's too far," she cried. "Please Joey. If they capture me. They'll find out. They'll torture me to death. Don't leave me like this please!"

Joey grabbed a pistol from a nearby body. He checked the cylinder and found one round in the chamber. He put it to her temple and pulled the hammer back. Joey pressed his thumb lightly against the trigger. Finny shut her eyes tight.  "I love you Joey."

"No!" Joey tossed the pistol aside and picked her up. She protested wildly as he ran with her. They crossed over the pikes, the ditch, and back into the field. "I'm not leaving you."

Bullets began knocking at the dirt around Joey. He could see the lines of brown at the bottom of the hill. They were cheering him on as he ran. He was all that was left fleeing from the hill.  

Another volley fired from Imperial lines. Joey felt his left leg fly out from under him. He felt a blow to his back. He dropped her and she rolled a little further down the hill. Joey got his balance back and grabbed Finny's arm. He began dragging her along as he could not find the strength to pick her up any more. She had been right, they wouldn't make it. He didn’t really care either.

Joey counted in with his breaths. When he reached five there would be another volley, "five!"  

There was a long rolling crash of small arms. Joey fell to the ground and found himself looking up into the blue skies above. It wasn't so bad. He had thought death would be scary. What did god look like he wondered? Joey was sure that whatever the all mighty looked like, it was not like Sergeant Lee. That was who was in Joey's face.

"We got you sir," said the old man.

Several men picked up Joey. He screamed at them, "Don’t leave her!"

Joey yelled all the way back down the hill until they were safe behind the ranks of brown jackets. A medical orderly got right to him. He had a gash in his leg but, nothing more serious. The medic rolled him on his side to look for the second wound. He found a slug wedged into the cartridge box that Joey had taken from Lee. The Sergeant nodded, "well that would be two you owe me sir."

The pain had over run Joey's senses. He could hardly remember how he got here. Joey looked around. Sergeant Lee was still right there over him with a torn sleeve and bandaged arm. Joey grabbed at the man but couldn't reach him, "Lee! Where is she?"

"She sir?"

"Uh, ZeKe, where is the... corporal at?"

Lee bowed his head. "Brave thing you did sir. He didn't make it though. Sorry sir. Was dead before we got there."      

Joey's head collapsed back on the ground as he tried to slow his breathing. He closed his eyes and realized the pain from his wounds were nothing to match what was tearing at him inside. "Sergeant, direct order.”

When Joey reached out this time, he did manage to grab Lee by the jacket and yank him down, “Take me to General Joe now. No if’s, ands, or buts. Anybody get in your way club ‘em. Understand that I have to see the General. NOW!"

They took their leader to the hospital instead. Joey cursed them the entire way. He only stopped after having been there an hour and finding out that the man he sought, the father of his wife, was there too. General Joe ZeTan took the news in silence.