Secret War: Warhammer 40,000, Ben Agar [list of ebook readers .txt] 📗

falling into that plan? The cruel, cruel shit he'd said was that to make me hate him, inspire me to stop him. But again, why?

Perhaps it was to dissuade me from hunting him? No, that couldn't be it; it seemed so strange, so illogical. But he did look quite insane, and the insane weren't known for their logical thinking yet, as much as I hated to admit it, his plan thus far had been brilliant, bloody brilliant.

Perhaps my first idea was right; perhaps if I tried to track him down, I'd be falling into whatever plan he had for me. Perhaps the best thing I could do was avoid it entirely? Runaway and live a solitary life back on Elbyra? I couldn't do that, I swore I'd bring him to justice, and after all the shit I'd been through, I was sure I couldn't live a normal life. If I tried that, people, innocent people might start mysteriously disappearing after I'd moved in.

I shuddered at the thought.

No, I couldn't avoid it; I had to hunt Etuarq; no matter what, I'd just have to be careful. Anyway, even if I did hideaway, I'm sure he'd just engineer something to bring me back into the fold.

"You alright?" asked the merc carrying the end of the stretcher.

I groaned and looked at the merc, recognising him from somewhere but couldn't recall his name.

"I'll take that as a no," said the merc. "Fair enough."

"Uh-huh," I sighed; I could barely speak; my throat felt like someone had torn it out and replaced it with rolled-up sandpaper. "Where are we going?"

"Outta the mansion," came the answer, but not from the last merc; it instead was said by the one carrying the front of the stretcher. I recognised the voice but again couldn't recall who it belonged.

"Back to the base, your part and ours by extension is over in this farce," he said. "Thank the Emperor."

My eyes widened at his choice of 'farce' in that sentence; what a fitting word to describe this whole situation.

"It...it isn't a farce that so many have died, taking this place, Roldar," said the other.

Roldar sighed. "Yeah, that isn't a farce, sorry, Jelket. Poor choice of words."

I couldn't help but smile at that.

Roldar and Jelket, I remembered them; they were two of the mercs sent by 'Olinthre' earlier to escort me from my hab block. Funny that these two just happened to be my stretcher-bearers.

"I'd say being downgraded from your being your guard to your literal carrier would be well, shit, Attelus," said Roldar. "But if it gives me an excuse to get outta this place and away from being shot at, it isn't quite as shit."

I cleared my throat. "Not 'literal' as you're actually 'literally' carrying a stretcher, that just so happens to have me on it. Now, if you were carrying me on your back, then you'd literally be my carrier. But otherwise, you're using 'literal' in the wrong context."

Roldar took a good few seconds before he said, "anyone ever told you that you're a smart arse?"

"Yes."

"And you say that like it's something to be proud of?" snapped Roldar.

I furrowed my brow; it was just a joke, lighten up.

For a long time, I laid in silence, just watching the marble ceiling pass above.

Finally, I heard Roldar sigh and say, "sorry, I didn't mean to jump down your throat like that, mate. Just tired of this shit is all."

"It's all good," I croaked. "I know exactly how you feel."

"I can't believe it," said Jelket. "Both the major and sergeant Garrakson, dead. That Brutis Bones fellow seems to be taking charge. But wheres Taryst? Shouldn't he take over? He is our leader."

"Either him or the colonel. Maybe Taryst will call him back from recruitment duties," said Roldar. "Although I'd rather not have that frug head back, especially now."

The corner of my mouth twitched; great one, Glaitis, your idiotic quest for vengeance, has now left the organisation effectively rudderless. How were we going to stop the Exterminatus now? I guessed this was all according to Etuarq's plan too. I also couldn't help wonder what happened to the mercs Hayden had left to guard Glaitis back at our tower. It must've been a bloodbath there; I was pretty sure.

There were a few who could take over from Olinthre, though. There were two or three captains who worked under the major, although I'd hardly had any interaction with any of them and had forgotten their names entirely.

I hoped one would step up and take charge, but I doubted it with everyone believing both Taryst and Barhurst were still alive. What a brilliantly convoluted mess we've got ourselves in yet again.

Brutis Bones was taking charge, though. I just hoped the three disparate organisations could work under him. He was once an enemy, and not many knew of the convoluted events which transpired into the creation of our desperate alliance.

I sure as hell didn't envy him.

"How long have I been out for?" I said, thinking that should've been my first question.

"That pretty boy, what's his name, Darrance?" said Roldar. "Had said you'd been out for a good five minutes before we'd arrived, and we've been carting your sorry arse for about two minutes since then. So not long, why were you unconscious anyway? It didn't look like you'd hit your noggin' on anything or anything."

I fought an urge to frown that I'd 'fainted due to severe panic attack' wasn't something to go around telling, especially to hard arse military types like Roldar.

"Blood loss," I said. "A cut in my side given to me when I'd fought off two Death Cult assassins."

"Yeah, we heard about that fight," said Jelket. "Falone said you'd saved their arses back there."

I sighed again. "Yeah, and I only made it through because my arse was saved in turn."

"Yeah, well, still, good work," said Jelket. "You guys also took out their boss, so again, good work."

"Yeah, but that ain't stopping the enemy remnants fighting to the last," said Roldar. "Frigging insane if you ask me. That also begs the question was this boss, this Edracian that was killed, actually their boss? I know a merc when I see a merc, and these guys are mercs; they should've given up already with their employer dead."

"Professional pride, perhaps?" I suggested but thought it more likely mind control.

"I doubt that," said Roldar with a sniff.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked, wanting to change the subject.

"The rest of them are going to help fight the enemy remnant," said Jelket. "Including that Brutis Bones fellow, I saw his injuries. Being still able to fight with them that takes balls of steel."

"Or insanity," said Roldar. "Wasn't he our enemy only a few days ago? Weren't Attelus here and the rest cutting a bloody swathe through the Moody Hammers he'd brought under him? And now he's our ally against this frigging Edracian guy? I don't get this shit; I don't get this shit."

I stayed silent, not wanting to draw any questions my way.

"You know, don't you?" said Roldar. "You know everything, don't you, Attelus?"

"No, no, I don't," I said; I didn't know everything like the future or how our galaxy became into being, so I was telling the truth. Again, it was the best way to lie.

"Don't lie," said Roldar.

"I'm not," I said with conviction. "I'm not lying, that I swear."

I paused as I realised something. "Well, I am 'lying' on a stretcher, but I'm not 'lying' to you."

Abruptly Jelket and Roldar stopped.

"You really should've worded your question better, Roldar," said a deep voice that I instantly recognised, and the realisation made my eyes widen, and I hissed through clenched teeth. "As he is telling you the truth, he doesn't know 'everything' about everything, but he does know everything about the why and the how we are here."

"Torris," said Jelket. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, naturally," said Torris. "Don't underestimate young Attelus, here. He's as canny as they get, or if one isn't generous in their words, as manipulative as they get."

"Torris," said Roldar warningly. "I don't like your tone, mate, now, please. Step aside."

"I just wish to exchange a few words with my good friend, here, sergeant Roldar," said Torris. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Torris, step aside," repeated Roldar, his voice like iron.

"Alright! Alright!" sighed Torris. "Just let me walk along with you; I'll escort you. Brutis Bones was pretty silly not sending you back with a guard."

"He didn't," said a fourth voice, another I recognised instantly, and Arlathan Karkin emerged from the shadows. His left arm in a sling, his right holding a raised laspistol. "Now step aside."

"There's no need for that, detective," said Torris. "Lower your gun."

"That's the thing, I may be a lowly Magistratum detective, and you were a high and mighty Arbite, but I've seen that look on your face, I can recognise your tone of voice, that's rage, white rage," said Arlathan. "You have no intention of guarding anyone, now step aside and let us through."

"But...!"

"I understand, Torris," interrupted Arlathan. "You've lost a friend, a good friend, and you're angry about it. You want to put all the blame of his death onto Attelus here. You want to take out your anger and grief on him."

"I...!"

"It's basic stuff, Torris," said Arlathan. "Taught to us in the academy, the stages of grief, remember? Surely the Arbitrators of Malfi would learn it too?"

"Of course, I did."

Arlathan nodded. "So now you know you're not thinking straight, right? You know you've thrown reason out the window right now. What you'd said earlier of Attelus manipulating Jeurat Garrakson into sacrificing himself may have some merit. I don't believe it to be true; I saw what happened, I saw all of it, and it sure as hell didn't look like he'd been manipulated to me. It looked like he knew what he was doing, that he was fully prepared to sacrifice himself to save us. To avenge the one he loved and his comrade."

Arlathan clenched his teeth and braced his pistol. "Now, please, Marcel Torris, step aside. You seem like a good person, Torris. Are you a good person, Torris?"

"I...I try to be," said Torris.

Arlathan smiled. "Well, then you're a better man than me. I am starting to try now, too, though. But no matter how many years I live from now on, I believe I'll never be half the man you are. Show us, Marcel, show us just how good you are by stepping aside and not letting your thirst for revenge, whether it's justified or not, consume you, so please, step aside."

"I...I...You're good at this," said Torris, sounding just as impressed as I was.

"I didn't make this rank for nothing, believe it or not," said Arlathan.

"Yeah, yeah, I see that, alright, I'm sorry," said Torris.

"Thank you, Torris," said Arlathan as Jelket and Roldar began to move again. "There's nothing for you to be sorry for; I'm just glad that you didn't do anything that did."

Arlathan fell in step beside my stretcher, and I saw Torris as we walked past him; the poor man looked at me with wide tearful eyes that made my heart sink.

"I'm sorry," I hissed. "I'm so, so sorry."

Then we left him behind, and his cry of anguish echoed down the corridor.

"Will he be alright?" asked Jelket.

"Yeah," said Arlathan. "He'll be alright; just give him time."

"Did you mean that?" I said. "Did you mean what you just said?"

Arlathan sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I did. Do you think that Torris would've stood down if I didn't?"

I nodded and let out a long relieved sigh, then quickly realised I could also move my fingers as well.

I hoped I'd be able to move soon. I had a bad feeling about the near future.

An awful feeling.

 

 

In silence, we moved through the corridors, the only sound the footfalls of Arlathan, Jelket and Roldar. At times we stepped aside to allow groups of mercs as they trudged past going the other way.

After much effort, I was finally able to move my left arm and my right leg along the way to the elevator. I