Issue 44 – The Black Eagle
The Seahawks make their way across the ocean and land near Jacksonville. The locals are more hostile than usual due to the word of Seahawk actions in Al Arish getting ahead of them, but they eventually manage to convince the citizens of Jacksonville and the local mercs that they mean no harm. Bolstered by a few recuits from the ranks of American mercenaries, they fix an old cargo train to take them and their vehicles to Texas to attack and loot a Clayburn Industries facility before dispersing into the desert.
- Southern England, late Autumn, 2040
“And now,” Clayburn declared almost theatrically, “we’re getting to the really good part. Of course, my friend Sebastian here knows how it went down. Don’t spoil it, Basti,” he added, mockingly. Strom noticed another strange look Grimm gave him but Clayburn either didn’t care or decided to ignore it.
“Now, gentlemen,” he continued, scratching the scar on the right side of his face absent-mindedly, “where were we. Ah yes, the Seahawks left Jacksonville using the ramshackle train they had salvaged earlier. It wasn’t much, but their ship had bought them enough fuel, spare parts and help to get it moving. They loaded what they could and headed west.”
“Of course, we had to get there first and we did. Care to guess how?”
The man was in the best mood Strom had seen him in during the entire visit, almost grinning with excitement. He wasn’t sure what Clayburn was aiming at so he merely shrugged. Clayburn nodded as if he had expected that kind of reaction.
“The Black Eagles.”
Strom looked genuinely confused.
“The mercenary outfit led by that arrogant Cuban? I have heard of him. Didn’t know he operates in the U.S.”
“Cocky son of a bitch,” growled Grimm. Strom wasn’t entirely certain who he meant.
“No,” Clayburn rejoined the conversation. “The C-17 squadron from Istanbul that had taken the Seahawks to Cairo months earlier. Same name. Different unit,” he shrugged. “I worked with them before and they were more than happy to take a crack squad of Crimson Reavers to Texas in a fraction of the time it would take a ship to make the voyage. When the Seahawks – or what was left of them at that point – found the base, their vehicles were barely holding together, they were hungry and tired. Their only hope was what had been waiting for them inside the bunker. Caught between the Reavers who had arrived before them and my landing force that was already on its way, they were out of options.”
“Wait... wait,” Strom interrupted him. “Sir,” he added respectfully, seeing Clayburn raise his eyebrows.
“This makes no sense. If the C-17s could have taken them to the USA, why didn’t the Seahawks just sell all their vehicles in Istanbul and escaped to some badlands, or anywhere else? They didn’t know about the bunker back then if I remember correctly. Why would Blackwood even risk going to Africa? He was clearly a smart man.”
Unexpectedly, Grimm chuckled and shook his head at Clayburn.
“Told you. Lack of imagination.”
Amused, Clayburn shrugged again and gave Strom a long, pensive look before responding.
“Greed is a powerful thing, gentlemen. So is anger. If unchecked, both can make you blind. Greedy people make mistakes. Angry people do not see what is in front of them. But people who are greedy and angry at the same time... they are the worst.”
“Like your nephew was, sir?” added Strom quietly.
“Yes,” nodded Clayburn. “Just like Peter. The fool threw my name around as if it meant something but we were never close. He used his heritage as a shield when we had in fact met only once and he was three years old back then. We hardly had any ties. Besides, I cannot abide nepotism. It disgusts me.”
“Why put him in charge of the Balkan operation then?”
Clayburn waved his hand dismissively.
“He could have surprised me. At least a bit.”
“And did he?”
“He did not.”
“But how do the Seahawks fit in? What was really in the bunker? They did get through, didn’t they?”
Grimm and Clayburn suddenly both grew serious.
“Yes. Eventually. Some of them.”
Strom sighed, nodding.
“So they won. They got the grand prize.”
“Perhaps. But it wasn’t what they had expected.”
