First Strike, - [best free ebook reader for android TXT] 📗

bringing bridging equipment forward and pre-positioning for a planned river crossing. 

The cold winter day turned to night. 

With Garcia and Roberts on sentry, Sheridan decided that it was time to question Andrews. He took a syringe from Garcia, walked over, grabbed hold of Andrews and thrust the needle into Andrews’ neck. He emptied the syringe into Andrews before dragging him over to the fire. The gag was removed.

“What the hell did you just inject me with?” asked Andrews.

“I’m not sure what its scientific name is, but you know it as truth serum,” Sheridan replied.

“You can’t do that, it’s against the laws of war to use drugs on a prisoner!”

“So is murdering civilians, but I don’t see you up in arms about that.” Sheridan knelt down beside Andrews. He placed his lips near the man’s ear. “Now, Andrews, or whatever your Chosen name is, you can try to resist the effects of the drug, but trust me on this, you’re going to lose. I’ll leave you alone for five minutes to allow it to work on your brain. After that, you’re going to tell me what your friends are planning and how you managed to successfully infiltrate the armed forces back home on Earth.”

The truth serum had been a last minute addition to Sheridan’s wish list of equipment they would need for their mission. It was hard to find, but Leon knew where to obtain some and did so willingly after Sheridan said that he would try to get his sentence reduced further.

After more than an hour of questioning, Sheridan looked over at Cole and said, “I think that’s it. Can you think of anything else?”

Cole shook his head. “We’ve got what we came for and then some. The information on the Chosen infiltration of the military is going to give the counterintelligence boys at Fleet HQ nightmares.”

“You’re not wrong there. We should get going.”

“The prisoner?”

Sheridan looked down at Andrews. “We can’t risk taking him with us and as much as I’d love to put a bullet between his eyes, I don’t think that’s really an option, is it?”

Cole shook his head. 

“Okay then, strip him naked and tie him to a tree. We’ll let nature decide if he lives or dies.”

Cole grinned. He roughly grabbed Andrews by the collar and hauled him over to a tall pine tree. He quickly tied him to the tree, gagged him and ripped off the man’s clothing. He stared deep into Andrews’ eyes for a moment. “I doubt they’ll find your body until it begins to rot in the spring.”

With Roberts and Tammy in the lead, the team skirted the woods, avoiding any contact with the refugees as they headed back toward the tunnel entrance. At the pre-arranged hour, Sheridan cautiously made his way to the iron grate and checked in with the MPs who were guarding the passageway. He waved his team over. As they made their way back through the darkened passage, Sheridan wondered if the fleet was aware just how deep the Chosen deception had become. With no way to transmit the information off the planet, he hoped that the damage had not been too severe and that the armed forces would discover what was afoot before too many more lives were lost.

Chapter 31

After returning to their ship, Tarina and Wendy found themselves inside Colonel Wright’s office. He had just sent an encoded message back to the forward elements of the Sixth Fleet, now less than a couple of day’s jump from their location.

“Okay, all of the information you brought back from Derra-5 has been sent. Your proposal, to land a battalion of Marines inside the capital, was also included,” said Wright. “Now we sit and wait for their reply. It’ll be at least forty-eight hours before they either say that you’re both out of your minds or a landing craft miraculously appears out of nowhere on our doorstep. Jump-capable landing craft are far and few between. They could modify one, but that would take time and that’s something the Marines on Derra-5 are short of. Either way, it’s out of our hands. You two are to be commended for your work.”

“Thank you, sir,” replied the women.

“I want you to go with the assumption that they will want to reinforce the beleaguered garrison. After a decent meal and a few hours of rest, I want you to work on the calculations for the jump. I want to see both by noon tomorrow.”

Tarina and Wendy exchanged a nod and saluted Wright before leaving his office. They were both far too excited to think about putting their heads down. 

“Do you think they’ll go for it?” Wendy asked.

“Yes,” replied Tarina. “They have to. I can’t believe that they would allow Derra-5 to fall.”

“I guess we had best get to work. We can grab some sandwiches and a couple of drinks and then find ourselves a quiet corner of the hangar.”

Tarina nodded. Wendy’s drive never seemed to abate. She began to wonder if her friend ever slept. She was more like a robot than a human being at times. Tarina hoped that she could keep up with her determined friend.

Billions of kilometers away, the division’s intelligence staff were busy debriefing Sheridan and his team. Several officers and NCOs furiously scribbled notes or typed away on computer consoles trying to record every word. Everything they had seen or heard was meticulously recorded. Sheridan was surprised to hear that while they were away the fleet had finally made contact with the garrison. It was welcome news.

After three hours of back and forth with the staff, the debriefing wrapped up. General Gruber thanked them personally. He told Sheridan and his people to get some rest. They were told not to go too far as they were probably heading out again in the next day or so to gather more information. 

“Mister Sheridan, I’d like a word,” said Gruber. 

Taking that as his cue, Cole rounded up everyone else and led them out of the office.

Gruber took a seat across from Sheridan. “Son, the information that you brought back with you is invaluable. I now know where and when the enemy intends to hit me, and I now know all about their sleeper cells spread throughout the armed forces. It’s a chilling thought just how successful they have been at slipping their people into our military and government agencies for the past several decades.”

“Sir, it’s nothing short of genius. Undoubtedly, they were planning this war right after the last one ended. It was just a matter of timing.”

Gruber smiled. Sheridan was a bright officer with potential. He resolved to keep an eye on the young man and help shepherd his career. He thanked Sheridan, who stood and left to join his comrades.

Gruber sent word for his chief of staff to join him.

A couple of minutes later, Colonel Anne Robbins walked into the room looking as if she had not slept in weeks. There were dark rings under her puffy, bloodshot eyes. 

Gruber said, “Anne, I want you to order the guard around the headquarters and the ammunition dumps to be doubled, effective immediately.”

“Yes, sir.” replied the colonel.

“Also inform the staff that our latest plans are not to be released to the regiments without my expressed order. I want to keep them close hold for now.”

Robbins nodded as she took down her notes.

“Also, I’m ordering you to get some sleep. You’ll burn yourself out, and I can’t afford to lose you.”

“Sir, I’ll get some sleep when you do.”

Gruber grinned. “Anne, I’m older than you, I can go with less sleep. Now please do as I ask. The staff can work without you for six hours.”

Colonel Robbins relented. “As you wish, sir, but not one second more than six hours.”

“I’ll make sure you get woken up,” replied Gruber, lying through his teeth. He did not intend to wake her up until her body was good and rested.

Robbins saluted and left to give the new orders to the staff.

Gruber stood up, walked over to the wall and studied a map hanging there. His mind was playing out the enemy’s probable courses of action for the coming assault. He would have to pull a couple of battalions away from their place in the line to meet this new threat. However, if he got it wrong and they were attacked from another direction, there would be nothing to stop the enemy from taking the capital. It was the biggest gamble of his life. With a grin, he decided that unless something new came to his attention that they would go with his plan as it stood. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a fresh cigar. He lit it and savored the taste before exhaling. “Come on, you sons of bitches, try forcing your way across my river and I’ll kick your ass all the way back to Kurgan space.”

Chapter 32

Admiral Sheridan wrapped up his briefing to Admiral Oshiro on how he intended to defeat the enemy fleet in orbit around Derra-5 and asked for questions. When there were none, he stepped back and turned over the lectern to Lieutenant General Denisov, the ground force commander for the invasion. The general was his usual gruff, succinct self and concluded his presentation in under five minutes with an observation that there was an insufficient number of landing craft currently available for the assault to be conducted in one wave. He made sure everyone in the room understood that he would have to sequence his attack based upon the availability of the landing ships. He did not see it as a showstopper, just something that the planning staff needed to keep a close eye on. Both men took their seats at the table across from Admiral Oshiro.

“Gentlemen, I will take your proposals with me and present them to the federation president when I see him in two days’ time,” explained Oshiro. “I have no doubt that your plans will be approved. Therefore, you are to move ahead with your preliminary preparations. Admiral Sheridan will be overall in charge of the operation. I want you both ready to go when the order is given.”

Denisov nodded. There could only be one person in charge and it made sense for Sheridan to be that man. As long as he kept the Kurgan Fleet away from his landing craft packed with men and equipment Denisov would be more than happy just to lead the ground assault.

The meeting soon concluded. As always the staff officers who had quietly sat through the briefings at the back of the room and would have to do all the legwork rushed to ask their counterparts a million questions.

Oshiro took Sheridan by the arm and together they walked to a window looking out into space. Oshiro handed Sheridan a note; he took it and read it over. With a stunned look, Sheridan stood there grasping for words to articulate how he felt. Oshiro smiled and patted Sheridan on the back. He was about to say something when the door to the briefing room opened and a Marine captain entered, his face was ashen.

Sheridan waved the officer over.

“Sir, we’ve just received word that the Aquila has been destroyed,” reported the captain.