Issue 32 – Picking up the Pieces (Part 1)
- El Arish, October 19, 2039
In the days of old, monarchs would make a spectacle of executions. The crowd cheered when the criminal was hanged, stones were thrown and snacks were sold. The death of Peter Clayburn, even though it happened in front of an audience, was no such thing –a few words, one gunshot and the lingering feeling that nothing changed mirroring in every face present.
In the instant, before Blackwood pulled the trigger, he whispered something in Peter Clayburn’s ear. Clayburn’s eyes went wide with shock, an expression his face retained even when his lifeless body fell to the ground. Blackwood holstered his pistol and then it was all over.
Or was it? The exchange didn’t escape the attention of Seagrove, Grey and other senior staff members. Later that evening, Blackwood found himself challenged by a group of his own officers. He calmly regarded them as they presented their accusations of misconduct and collaboration to bring the death of them all.
Grey was, as was her way, more vocal than the rest. His face didn’t betray any emotions but deep inside, he was genuinely amused by the fact she was the one to accompany the group when the plans for the desert operations were hers and hers alone, despite Seagrove’s objections. He forced himself back to reality to listen to another enraged tirade of one of the technician section chiefs, ending with...
“....and what are we supposed to do now? The Clayburn navy is still in the area, we just finished the repairs and Altalena won’t be ready to depart until Monday. That’s almost a whole week for Clayburn to get us all killed. And the desert is still swarming with angry mercs.”
Blackwood raised his eyebrows, seemingly ignoring the last part.
“Altalena?”
The technician’s cheeks flushed red.
“One of the locals named it. It caught on. What of it,” he added angrily, “a name as good as any.”
Blackwood felt once again amused and wondered if the others knew why. Finally, he rose from his chair and softly said:
“Gentlemen, that’s enough. You too, Kate.”
His face expressionless, he stared them down until they grew silent.
“Let me address your concerns one by one. First, the mercenaries. Why do you think we went with Kathryn’s plan?”
He nodded her way and continued calmly after a short pause, his hands behind his back, like a professor in front of a class explaining this year’s study plan instead of matters of life and death.
“We needed those supplies. You all know that.”
He nodded, as if to himself – a gesture they were all already familiar with.
“After that, there was no going back, so we used the situation. The locals – they wouldn’t have trusted us anyhow after the first shots were fired. It was inevitable – you can’t get along with everyone. Sorry, Josh,” he smiled apologetically at Seagrove.
To be continued...
