Black Guard, The (27 page)

"What do you think they will try next?" Sergeant
Cerff asked.

"An all-out attack either in the valley or more likely…"
I left it hanging, wanting to hear their opinions.

"A diversion in the valley and a large scale attack
here," Lieutenant Solow said.

"Destroy the compound, kill anyone with a gun, and
take hostages," Sergeant Catz said, echoing my previous scenario.

Sergeant Judt put in, "Within a day or two at most."

"Yes, that’s what I think." I was pleased with
their appraisal of the situation. "If we get notice of an attack in the
valley?"

"Leave the compound with Shin’s family…" Solow
said, but gave no further suggestion as to where, nor did anyone else.

"I believe we will have at least four to eight hours’
notice. Four if Shin’s troops in the valley are overrun; eight if they were
just attacked," I said and waited.

"Four if the survivors are being chased by Daiki’s
force and eight if it’s a diversion," Catz said.

"Correct. I want your teams updated and prepared to
leave with all our equipment within one hour of my order." I left the
barracks and wandered out into the yard intending to visit Shin’s house.
Outside, I noticed five men digging a pit six by eight meters, so I walked over
to them. I recognized the stocky man with a full beard from the senior officer
housing.

"Lieutenant?" I asked, since I didn’t know his
name.

"Haru," he said, thoughtfully. "We’re
building an underground shed to store the explosives. Last night’s attack shows
how unsafe the weapons building is."

"That’s good. I’m afraid the walls around the compound
tend to create an illusion of safety that’s not true."

"Many of us were angry with Warlord Shin for hiring
the Black Guard and more so when we found their captain a woman as well as many
of your Guards. We… I owe you an apology. You saved a lot of lives last night.
Your… people are very deadly."

"I’m glad we could help, Lieutenant." I gave a
small bow and continued on to Shin’s house. Iseul was in the kitchen with
Corporal Rong.

"Sir," Rong said in acknowledgement to my
presence.

"Captain Sapir," Iseul said, bowing to me.
"My husband is very grateful to you, although his pride might not let him
acknowledge it in words. So, let me thank you and your team for saving our
lives and apologize for being… unreasonable last night. We wanted to run like
panicked cattle. I and my children will listen from now on."

"Thank you, Iseul. The Black Guard are not infallible,
but we will always have your best interest in mind. Whoever is with you or your
children is in touch with every other member of the Guard, and we are
coordinating our actions." I raised my arm to show her my Mfi. "I
would appreciate it if you would put together a bag of things you might need if
you had to leave your home for eight to twelve hours."

"You think…"

"We survive because we anticipate possible trouble and
are prepared if it happens. If it doesn’t, it costs nothing."

She slowly nodded. I was a little surprised when nothing
happened the rest of the day and night. I hoped that didn’t mean I had guessed
wrong and Daiki had a surprise for me.

* * *

After breakfast the next morning, I walked over to check on
the progress on the new explosives shed they were building. To my surprise,
they had finished the digging and had the floor and the walls halfway bricked.

"You’ve made good progress, Lieutenant Haru," I
said, looking down into the pit.

"Captain Sapir." He gave a small bow. "Yes,
it should be complete tomorrow, although I guess there is no rush now. I doubt
they would try that again."

"Assume the worst and hope for the best." I
smiled. "Better to look the fool than be fooled."

He stared at me for a short time before speaking, "You
saw the potential weakness and prepared for it. Clever and fortunate for us.
Any other observations?"

I nodded. "If you hear of an attack on your troops in
the valley, come see me after you have finished your duties." He stood
mouth open but said nothing as I wandered away.

It was mid-afternoon when a jeep-like vehicle raced into
the compound. Two men jumped out and headed for Shin’s house and a few minutes
later Haru and two other officers came running as Shin exited his house. They
stood talking for a few minutes, then the officers ran off in different
directions, and Shin came running over to me.

"Daiki has attacked my detail in the valley. I’m
taking half my troops to reinforce them. Haru said you expected this.
How?" he asked.

"It was logical after the other night. Daiki has
declared war on you. It’s no longer a border dispute."

He stared at me. Then shook his head like a dog out of
water. "Watch after my family," his voice a whispered plea.

"We will protect them with our lives, Warlord
Shin."

Over the next hour, men arrived, weapons were retrieved
from the weapons building, cars and trucks assembled and loaded, and they raced
off down the road leading to the valley. As they left, Haru and Iseul, followed
by Sergeant Nadel, came walking over to me.

"Lieutenant Haru, I suggest you may want to distribute
the explosives among your men and desert the compound. I think you are going to
have company in the early hours of the morning." I said. "Iseul, you
and the children need to be ready to leave by sunset, and I’d appreciate any
suggestions you might have on places to take you."

"What are you anticipating, Captain?" Haru asked.

"About forty or fifty in cars and trucks armed with
heavy machine guns, around one or two in the morning. Probably drive into the
compound and start shooting soldiers and looking for hostages like Shin’s
family."

"How can you know that?"

"Better to look the fool than be one." I smiled.
He nodded and ran off.

Iseul nodded. "Come Sergeant Nadel, let’s go get the
children ready to leave.

* * *

Lieutenant Haru returned an hour later with thirty men, and
we spent the next hour discussing what I expected to happen.

"What do you suggest?" Haru asked.

"I would position half of your men in the houses
surrounding the compound. Arm them with rifles and grenades. The rest hidden in
the houses near the gate to the compound. If they come, I think they will ram
the gate and drive most of their trucks inside. When they do, destroy with your
grenade launchers any cars left outside and any car or truck attempting to
leave. When the men in the surrounding houses hear the explosions, they can
begin throwing their grenades over the wall. Between the men in front of the
gate and the men stationed on the roofs of the houses around the walls, the compound
will be a prison."

I waited for questions. After much discussion, I agreed to
stay with Sergeant Judt’s team with those responsible for the front gate, to
handle the launchers, and to direct activities. Iseul and her children would
stay at her sister’s house guarded by Lieutenant Solow and the other two teams.
As a precaution, I had charges buried under the gate. The compound was deserted
and everyone in place by ten that evening.

* * *

"Do you think they will come tonight?" Haru
asked. Sergeant Judt and I had elected to handle the launchers and the three of
us were lying in the shadows some fifty meters from the front gate in between
two one story houses. It was partly cloudy but a half moon, when it wasn’t
blocked by clouds, provided good visibility.

I looked down at my Mfi. "It’s just after midnight. If
it were me, I’d want to enter the city around two or three when the least
number of people would be up and any guards asleep or fighting sleep and
therefore slow to react."

Haru nodded and I could tell he was fighting to stay alert.
I hoped Daiki was crazy smart rather than crazy stupid. Smart would mean the
valley was a diversion; stupid would mean a messy brute force approach. The
Guard had no structure capable of being defended and little advantage in open
terrain.

* * *

I shook Haru awake just after three when the first truck
slowly approached the compound. It was soon followed by six other vehicles.
They began closing the space between them as they got nearer the compound, and
the last hundred meters they accelerated. The lead truck smashed into the front
gate, tearing it off its hinges, and four vehicles followed it. Men began
pouring out of the trucks and heavy machine gunfire erupted within the
compound. Two vehicles, small trucks with heavy machine guns mounted in the
backs, blocked the entrance.

"On my count, three… two… one… fire," I said, and
pulled the trigger. A second later both trucks exploded, followed shortly by
explosions within the compound as grenades arched over the walls from every
direction. For the next hour, sporadic gunfire could be heard as Daiki’s troops
attempted to escape over walls or through the gate. They attempted to use one
of their trucks to clear the gate area, but I set off another charge, disabling
the truck. Around dawn, a white flag could be seen at the front gate. Haru
looked to me.

"Your show, Lieutenant Haru." I didn’t care
whether they wanted to fight to the death, take prisoners, or negotiate a
truce. My only concern was the safety of Iseul and her children. I was only
helping because it was the best solution to protect my client’s family. Haru
stood as a young man came walking out. When he saw Haru, he approached.

"Warlord Daiki is dead. Lieutenant Paek wishes to
surrender," he said, as his eyes darted back and forth between us and the
houses. Haru looked to me.

"I’d leave enough men around the walls to ensure no
one tries to escape while the others are surrendering. Have them all come out
and lie down while you have a few inspect the compound to make sure it’s
clear," I said.

Haru laughed. "You aren’t very trusting, Captain
Sapir."

"Better to look foolish… "

* * *

The next week was busy. Shin and the new warlord of Semuc
Province met and worked out an arrangement for returning the prisoners, an
agreement involving the disputed valley, and I was told a mutual support
agreement. And the Black Leopard returned and waited as the Guard services were
unlikely to be needed if the two warlords came to an agreement, which they did.
We left two days later.

"Your report was very interesting," Commander
Wexler said. He had invited me to lunch along with Hada, Dobrin, and Tzadok.
"Certainly a very non-traditional assignment handled in a non-traditional
way, which appears to be your signature style. I’ve had a long discussion with
the Jax Contract Committee. They feel that the role of the Black Guard is
evolving and are as nervous as I am. Like me, they are very satisfied with your
solutions and results but wonder if other dragons would achieve the same or
similar results. They also agree with you that if we are to continue to accept
these more risky assignments, duty must be expanded to include the risk to the
Guard team." He paused to take a drink. "Your last assignment is a
good example. Using the local troops kept the contract safe and minimized the
risk to the Guard. The other question is whether we can teach the future Guard
leaders to think in those terms?"

"Like all evolutions, I would suspect it’s a hit and
miss trial by error," Dobrin said.

"Yes, that is what the Committee fears. So Sapir, they
are taking you off assignments for a while.
Attali
, Dobrin, and Tzadok will get
the assignments I might normally give to you. That will answer the Committee’s
first question. For the second, they have asked that I assign you to design
exercises for the new students to get them thinking in those terms." He
sat back waiting our reactions. I wasn’t sure how I felt about those decisions.
I didn’t like the fighting, but I loved outsmarting our opponents, protecting
our clients, and most of all, minimizing the risk to my family—the Black
Guard. I would lose that. It would help if I could ignite that same fire in our
new crop of team leaders. And someday be put back on assignments.

To Be Continued… The Black Guard: Evolution.

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