Issue 22 – Cairo
- Cairo, July 15, 2039
What about the supplies? We need more water, food, fuel, everything. Even if we make it to the El Arish, we don’t even know who’s currently there.”
Blackwood nodded.
“First things first. Our friends,” he raised his eyebrows and everyone chuckled a bit, “provided us with some trucks.”
He looked around and continued.
“This airport hasn’t been used for civilian traffic since the early 2030s. Those who fly from here or to here can...,” he smiled, “spare things. Things they can afford and we need. Feel free to look around and take them. It’s not like they can do any worse than fire at us again.”
Everyone laughed at the remark and Seagrove once again found himself admiring Blackwood’s rhetorical skills. In another age, he would have made an incredible politician, he thought.
Blackwood’s face grew more serious.
“Now comes the hard part. Me and the bulk of the armor will go east immediately and we’ll take the base. Ibrahim’s people scouted it out – so he said and I trust him. There is one cargo ship still operational there. Suez Incorporated is repairing it and we’ll kindly relieve them of the burden of having to maintain it. We’ll take it, load whatever we can and head west towards the United States. Nobody will stop us.”
The people around were too tired to question his certainty, but Seagrove could see the doubts in their eyes. Blackwood continued.
“Joshua, Kathryn, your task will be to scour the desert. Fyodor will provide you with a map of local camps and settlements. Take some of the Credits we have left and try to negotiate with them for supplies. “
His face hardened.
“If they don’t sell, take it. Failure is not an option. Do I make myself clear?”
Seagrove watched Grey salute and leave towards her men and women with a grim expression on her face which made him feel uneasy. The rest of the group was now dispersing and he had to jog to catch up with Blackwood and Sokolov who were discussing their steps in Cairo.
“Sir.”
Blackwood looked back.
“Yes?”
“About the supply run. We can’t just take food from these people.”
The more he spoke, the more he was convinced of being right. Blackwood could see it in his face and sighed, waving at Sokolov to continue without him. Both men stopped at the hangar door, Blackwood leaning against the warm metal, watching the bustle outside while Seagrove feverishly explained, his previous tiredness gone.
“Sokolov said that Sinai is controlled by rogue mercs. I get it. But we can’t just leave them all to starve. They have families there. Every barrel of fuel we take, every well we pump dry, it all means one more dead. Is this what we are reduced to? If so, we might as well have stayed with Clayburn.”
He ended up almost shouting, but Blackwood seemed to pay no heed. When Seagrove was finally done, Blackwood responded, calmly, only with a slight frown on his face.
“Joshua, listen to me. This is about these men and women that bled with us these past months. They all want freedom from Clayburn, from the endless slaughter. We take the supplies, we take the base, we take a ship and we’re off. No more killing. We’re not monsters. We don’t do this out of spite or greed. We do what we have to survive.”
He leaned towards Seagrove and looked him straight in the eyes.
“Do you understand?”
Suddenly feeling the exhaustion again, Seagrove nodded.
“How do you even know that this plan will work? It seems like an awful stretch. ”
Blackwood reached out and patted him on his shoulder.
“Have faith, son. It’ll work.”
Somehow, Seagrove felt it would be nowhere near as easy as that.
