CHAPTER 34

   It was not something that Bob had expected to see and it was obvious that it rattled the young troopers, that were surrounding him. As he walked in the compound, Bob actually had to reach out and put his hand on the forward guard of the M-4 that was being held by Gordo Lewis. He nodded for the kid to lower his weapon and then told him, "it's all right they're with us."
This drew a puzzled look from everyone, including Snake, who nervously asked, "you sure about that Bob, they don't look like nobody I'd have over for dinner."
While this might be true, Bob had been told to expect them and he felt it was kind of rude to walk in another guys place and start shooting.  It only took a single look at the elves for Bob to know that his intelligence was correct. They were packing up and leaving, not paying the two orcs any mind at all. Bob had been told that Karlean-Erc was a different world, even in Feyland but, until now he had never experienced it for himself. Now he really believed that.
It did not help the disposition of the Americans when one of the two orcs paid them attention and walked over. It had a giant grenade launcher hanging on its belt, bands of large caliber ammunition strapped across its chest, and a nasty look on its face. Bob had to ask himself if orcs had any other expression. He tried to act nonthreatening as the orc pointed to the main house and said, "you."
Even if it was clear that Snake had a nervous twitch, he still sounded like a smart ass when he told Bob, "I think he means you."
"Thanks for the Intel first sergeant," Bob replied.
"What," Snake told his general, "I ain't fucking going with him."
Once inside the main building the orc indicated for everyone but Bob to stay in the dining area. He gestured to Bob and then pointed to a back door as he grunted once more, "you.” Bob told his guys to stay put and remarked to Snake, "I guess he means me." Snake was not happy with the situation but, Bob nodded for him to stay put anyway. All Bob could say to that, as he walked off, was, "stand down First Sergeant. This is friendly territory," with a quick look at the orcs he added with a mumble, "or so I have been told anyway."
Bob found Ian Balfour in what must have been his office. Even if Bob did not show it, the normality of it made him feel a little better so he ditched his helmet and weapon on a battered looking couch and waited for the Camelonian to speak. Balfour was busy putting things back on shelves and straightening up. When he finally acknowledged the Americans presence, he did not sound too happy as he went along, "Mont has a lot to pay for here."
"I hope they didn't raid the wine cellar," Bob remarked in an almost humorous way.
That actually caused Ian to pause as he thought about it. He then gave up on his housecleaning and settled behind his desk as he told the American General, "no, the elves are not that stupid. Mont knows damn well I would make them pay for that and, unless you are unaware, the elves are a little strapped for cash these days. The sorry cocksucker owes me too much as it is."
Bob did chuckle at that and, even so, his response was serious when he noted, "what? I thought you were the one who told me that elves didn't shop."
Ian took the question with a grain of salt and merely shrugged as he answered, "that don't mean they don't need things. The real trick is knowing what that is and being the only one who can provide it..."
Bob remained lighthearted as he made himself more comfortable and pointed to Balfour as he asked, "I guess you are that guy, huh? Tell me Sir Ian, how does a human, in a world run by elves, get to be so powerful." Bob gestured to the rest of the compound like they could see it, and noted, "I don't think them guys would have left any other place like this without a fight."
Ian was very serious and locked eyes with the American as he replied, "you get that way by being, what you call, a dirty mother fucker.” When it was obvious that Bob did not accept the reply, and then added, "and it doesn't hurt being Camelonian either.” Again it appeared as if Bob would not accept that, so, Ian's eyes narrowed and he became very serious when he told the soldier, "I don't really have time to go into the intricacies of inner species politics with you. I don't think you have the time either, so, can we just dispense with the bullshit please."
Bob took that as the only answer he would get. He began walking around the room looking at the pictures hanging on the wall and he asked his next question which was, "they told me you had something for me."
Balfour seemed a bit more relaxed as he replied, "I do, even if I am not sure how interested would be. The truth is, I'm only acting on a rumor here. The real reason I wanted you and your men here was because I need a garrison and you are likely to be the only cock sucker in two universes that can give me that, and not want anything in return."
Bob seemed almost amused as he said, "well you know how that works Sir Ian. Everything comes with a price and, me and my men, have other places to be."
"Well," Ian continued, "at least you're not like the other free loading ass holes that normally come calling at my door. You have things you can offer me."
Bob finally settled down and looked to the man, "you got information I can use? I would think any Intel you have would be mutually beneficial?"
"If it were of a military nature," Ian responded, "then I suppose you could look on it as a public service. No, General, this is of a more personal nature. It has come to my attention that you and that sexy looking reporter woman have, what we call in Feyland, a thing." Ian could see that this was true just by the expression in the Americans face. He laughed and then mumbled to himself, "lucky bastard." Then he continued with, "you know she came to see me a few days ago. At the time, I didn't think much of it. Course now," he gestured to Bob.
Bob was no longer humorous, "so what? You knew where she was a few days ago. How is that worth anything now?"
Balfour responded in a matter of fact kind of way, "it wouldn't be, except, I also happen to know where she is now. Would that be of interest to you, General.?"
Bob tried to sound disinterested as he answered with, "I am going to need a place to put my headquarters."
"I thought as much," Ian replied with an air of amusement. He seemed almost proud of himself as having guessed the right buttons to push.
A knock at the door gave Bob a welcomed diversion from this conversation and when Ian invited the knocker in it turned out to be Captain Patterson with a nervous sounding, "sir a courier found us and it requires your immediate attention."
On the way out the door Bob remarked, "we're about to push up the yellow brick road. Most of my armor is going that way."
Ian chuckled to himself and remarked, "and that is why we're doing business general. Anybody else would've charge me for that little bit of info."
After meeting with the courier, Bob felt another one of those frustrations coming on. If this had been back home, he would have gotten this message via radio and could have issued immediate orders by the same. Here, someone had to find him, and then, his reply had to go by the same inefficient means. Bob was actually surprised to see the helicopter arrive in only a couple of hours. If something had gone wrong, like the courier being killed, there was a fair chance that no helicopter would have ever arrived. When Bob was boarding the chopper he noted to Patterson, "I don't see how these people ever get anything done."
Once they were in the air, things began to speed up and Bob found himself at an impromptu landing zone in the middle of nowhere. It was obvious that the five-oh-duce had come to some grief here. There were a few burned-out choppers sitting in the perimeter and, as Bob walked across the field, he noted some odd looking drag marks. Patterson commented on them, "I was told that the orcs had drug a few Blackhawks off."
Bob was not sure what to make of that and, as a result, he had no comment. When he met up with Colonel Kirkland, the battalion commander, he did get something of an explanation. Kirkland tried explaining, "when you guys lifted the siege at Merlin, we were a little tired of getting pounded by those big ass orc guns. The elves had no luck taking them out, so, we decided to take matters into our own hands."
Kirkland, and his staff, led Bob and Patterson towards a grove of trees that was situated on a small hill near the landing zone. Bob could guess what Kirkland meant by his explanation. Once he no longer had to defend the perimeter of Merlin he decided to become more aggressive and, by the sound of his voice, he felt he had to apologize for doing it. That told Bob that he had no orders from Hammond and Kirkland had yet to find out that Bob did not give a damn about such things. As far as Bob was concerned, an aggressive commander was a good one. Hammond obviously had different ideas on the matter and Bob could guess why. The guy was a consummate micro manager.
Bob decided to stay off the subject of the Major General and gestured back towards the wrecked helicopters while asking, "I take it some of your recon teams got ambushed."
"Yes sir," Kirkland sounded a bit angry about the matter but he continued with his report, "two to be exact, however, this action, here, turned out to have a silver lining. We think we found what we were looking for."
At first, Bob thought they were entering a cave. After he got a better look he realized that the cover was all over growth, although, he had never quite seen anything like this before. It looked natural and artificial, all at the same time. It was like someone had ordered the trees to bend over and form an arch. The thing sitting under the canopy looked similar to its cover. All Bob could say on the matter was, "so what the hell am I looking at?"
Kirkland felt a lengthy explanation was in order and he tried, "well we thought we knew where some of the guns were. Every time we got there, all we found was...” It was obvious that the colonel was not exactly sure how to put it. He finally came out with, "a slag heap of wood?" When it was obvious that the general was not pleased with the explanation, Kirkland gestured to the strange looking thing in the middle of the wooden cave and said, "we think we surprised them here sir. This one was intact."
The wrecked helicopters, outside, would argue that the orcs were not completely surprised but, Bob let that go. He gestured to the weird tree and said, "okay, it's intact. What the fuck is it?”
It took Kirkland a second to realize that Isaacs did not seem to realize what he was looking at. For Kirkland's part, he supposed that he could not blame the general. He sounded almost humble as he stated, "this is how they got so many guns so far south, sir. We believe, this is why we can't neutralize them either."
Bob took a second, and third, look at the thing in front of him. Even if it looked alien it still had a very distinctive shape that finally sunk in. It was anchored to the ground by what he could only describe as roots but, the big, round, hollowed out log was most obviously a barrel. Bob walked up to it and knocked on it and despite looking like it was made of wood, it was not. The strange part was that it was not made of metal either. Bob soon realized that he was not sure what it was made of.
Kirkland could read the question in his boss's face and he remarked, "we think it might be some kind of carbon filament but, to be honest, that's over our heads. It might be the same material that the orcs use for their ax heads."
What could Bob say? He became completely shocked as he pointed to it and asked Kirkland, "are you saying this is one of those big fucking guns?”
"Yes sir,” Kirkland replied with a hint of pride, "that is exactly what I am saying sir." He pointed towards another cave looking place and further stated, "the ammo supply for it is right over there."
Patterson was walking along the base of the gun and running her fingers over it very carefully. She noted mechanisms that could be used for elevation and also saw what she thought could be a place to load it. If it was what she thought it was, then the ammunition for this thing was as big as they suspected. Sharon looked to her general and noted, "it's almost like this thing is a plant. I mean, it's like they grew up here. That would explain how they got them down here and how they can replace them as fast as we knock them out."
Bob had to chew on that for a minute and he sounded almost angry when he exclaimed, "are you trying to tell me they grow these damn things?"
It was Kirkland who replied, "that is certainly what it looks like sir. I mean, I've never seen anything like this so any guess is a good one."
What could Bob say to that? The man was right and he knew it. All he could do about it right now was to command Patterson, "Captain, you know who to call about this better than I do. Get on it."