Sergeant Silva appeared at the scene, having heard the gunshot. Two military policemen were close behind, but he held up his hand to stop them.
“Major, this isn’t the way!” he yelled.
She spun around in shock to hear a friendly voice. It was almost enough to make her put the gun down, but then the memories flooded back into her mind.
“Do you know what this man did!” she cried.
Tears were coming from her eyes, and her cheeks were red. Silva had never seen Chandra in such an emotional state.
“I know. I was there, and I know exactly what he did. But that doesn’t give you the right to be the judge, just as he had no right to do so with Jones.”
She stumbled over the Mayor and knelt down beside him with the gun barrel resting on his chest.
“I could kill you, right now. I would if I could. Don’t you know the pain and suffering you have brought?”
Legrant nodded in panic.
“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t have known.”
“You knew what you were doing was wrong! You detained friendly forces in a time of war. That is treason, and you should hang for it!”
“Major, this is not for us to decide,” stated Silva.
“Why? He did!”
She broke down into tears but didn’t let the gun go. She could handle the pressure of her job, but she could not understand the betrayal of her own people.
“What can I do? Anything?” whispered Legrant.
She looked up with fiery red eyes and a hateful expression.
“I don’t want you to do anything. This isn’t about me. Can’t you understand that?”
The cop she had shot at spoke.
“Major… Chandra, is it?”
She peered up scornfully at the man.
“I am truly sorry for your loss. But you should know the reason for us being here.”
She stayed silent and continued to glare at the man with utter disgust. She remembered the town’s police and their role in it all. To her they were just as complicit as Legrant.
“We came here to volunteer…to fight.”
“What?” she muttered.
“The Mayor, Legrant, has organised many police forces from the eastern French provinces. We have volunteered to fight under his command.”
She looked down at the Mayor to study his response.
“Is this true?”
He nodded with sincerity.
“Why? Why would you do this now?” she asked.
He lifted his sleeves and whipped off his brown, sliding back so he could rest his aching back against the nearest wall. Chandra stayed on one knee with her pistol in one hand awaiting his response.
“I was wrong. I know that now, but you have to understand, I thought I had no choice. But I can see now that it was wrong, and I would do anything to make up for my mistakes.”
“You can’t bring soldiers back from the dead, and you can’t remove weeks of horror from a man’s mind.”
“No, but neither will I put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, for what would it achieve? I came here to offer up everything I have to give. We will fight alongside you and die if that is our destiny.”
Chandra lowered her gun and dropped her head into her left hand. Everyone watched and waited in anticipation. Nobody made a move against the Major. They already knew how quick her reactions were. Silva broke the silence.
“You are really doing this? You will fight beside us?” he asked.
Legrant nodded, and the other policeman spoke up.
“We know we have shamed ourselves, and that shame may never be taken away, but let us do something to help.”
Chandra lifted herself up onto her feet and holstered her pistol. The MPs didn’t move. They knew the reputation of the Immortals all too well. They also knew they couldn’t afford to detain a key officer before the imminent fight. Silva breathed a sigh of relief as the situation was cooled. The Major strode up and stopped a few centimetres before the Mayor’s face.
“I’ll never forgive, and I’ll never forget. God save you, if you lied about this. You have a debt to pay, and don’t forget it.”
She turned and strolled off towards the Sergeant. The MPs stood silently as she ignored them. They wanted to avoid trouble as much as Legrant did.
“You okay, Major?” asked Silva.
She strode past him without a word as she wiped the tears from her face.
“Fuck,” he whispered as she left.
Silva knew that Legrant was the last thing they needed right now. Chandra was a tough officer, more so than any, but he knew it could be enough to finish her off. They needed a reason to keep fighting, and the French Mayor was a reminder of how little they were appreciated. He considered pursuing her, but he knew it would be a mistake.
“Captain!” yelled Monty.
The two brothers rushed to their feet to greet the officer who they had all but lost hope in ever seeing again. He still looked gaunt compared to when they had last seen him and with a paler face. He smiled briefly as they rushed towards him.
“Welcome back!” shouted Blinker.
Jones nodded. It was good to be back with his unit, but he could already see that it was a shadow of its former self. Silva appeared in the doorway to their billets and stepped towards him with a smile.
“Good to have you back, Sir.”
Jones ignored the three men as he peered around at the billets and saw far fewer familiar faces than he would have expected. Many of them enthusiastically got to their feet, but he continued to look confused.
“Where is Captain Friday?” he asked.
Silva shook his head with a woeful expression. Jones’ face barely changed upon the news as if it no longer affected him.
“How?” he asked casually.
“On some bullshit mission we were sent out on.”
“Some shit never changes.”
Silva smiled, he was glad to see the Captain still had some sense of humour, despite his ordeal. He rushed forward and grabbed Jones in a strong bear hug and pulled him off his feet.
“Damn good to have you back, Sir!”
He planted the Captain back on his feet. Jones gasped to get air back into his lungs and smiled at the welcome he had gotten.
“Honestly, we’ve taken a beating, and we need all the help we can get right now.”
Chandra appeared at the doorway and looked in with both curiosity and concern. Jones could see the worry in her face, and the sign of the recent tears she had shed.
“Reporting back for duty, Major!” he shouted.
Despite her concerns, Chandra was overcome with excitement at seeing her friend among them once again. She stepped cheerfully down to see him and shook his hand.
“Welcome back. I am sorry to say there will be no time for pleasantries. The Krycenaean armies are coming down the road from Saarbrucken with everything they’ve got. We’ve got little air support and still no access to Reitech equipment.”
“So apart from that, all is good?” he jested.
Chandra smiled, and for a moment, she saw the old Jones before her once again. He was always a light in the dark, and a cheery face when all was miserable. She was reminded how much he meant to her and the Company. With Friday gone, and Taylor still detained, it was good to have him back.
“I’m attaching you temporarily to Silva’s platoon, and he will remain in command. I hope you can understand the importance of maintaining the status quo this close to combat?”
Jones nodded in agreement, but she could see the disappointment in his face that after all he had been through, he was not getting his command back. There was little she could do about it.
“Got it, Major, I’m here to help wherever it’s needed.”
“You sure you’re ready for this?” she asked.
“No place I’d rather be.”
That’s what concerns me, she thought.