Spiteri picked up Taylor’s pistol from the floor and pointed it at Jafar’s head. Taylor knew it was helpless to act, but Armand leapt in to try.
“You don’t want to spill blood here, Colonel!”
He turned around in shock.
“No? Really? Why would I not want to kill one alien, when I am happy to kill them all?”
“This can still be resolved peacefully. And even if the powers of the World agree to genocide, they’ll never condemn that one. He has been invaluable to us.”
“Probably because he’s working an angle! Getting at us from within.”
The Frenchman who had the gun to Armand’s head stepped forward to resolve the matter.
“No blood is to be spilled here!”
“But…”
“I have strict orders. We are to accomplish this mission, only if it can be done without any fatalities on either side. You will put the weapon down and come with us!”
Spiteri waved the gun around a bit with a smile, just to prove he had Jafar’s life in his hands before finally laying it down a couple of metres from Taylor.
“You should come with us, Taylor. A man like you should be on the right side. Leave this creature behind with his own kind and continue the fight you excel at.
“You know I can’t do that.”
“Why, because you swore an oath to some idiots, some of whom have put you behind bars, others have thrown you into an arena to slug it out with creatures that could rip you apart. Choose the right side before it’s too late, Taylor.”
He was helpless to act now and could only hope they’d make it out alive. Finally, the Frenchman ordered them all to load up. He dragged Armand across the rooftop to the entrance to his ship. At the last moment when all were aboard, he pushed the man forward to quickly shut the door.
Taylor and Jafar leapt for their handguns and took aim, but the craft was already lifting off the rooftop as they took aim. They looked to Armand for answers. He seemed surprisingly calm, despite the drama.
“Guess there’ll be no sentencing tomorrow?” asked Taylor.
“Never mind, we have larger problems now.”
“Ain’t that the truth?”
With his last word, the power to the building came back on. The three of them ambled back to Taylor’s room. The door was still open, and the entrance trashed from the fight. The only thing missing was the concierge who must have finally mustered the courage to leave.
“So what now?”
“Negotiations are still ongoing at the UEN, but with several key members missing. I should imagine all attempts are being made to get the Spanish back to the table. Now we wait and see if they really do cross over the sea and make their attempt at the prisons.”
“And we just let them? There are German soldiers defending those prisons now. Will we let two European, two human powers slug it out over this?”
“I don’t think we have a choice.”
Taylor turned to Jafar, “What’s your take on all this?”
“You are making a simple situation complicated.”
“And, what would you do?”
“Put them to work or put them to death.”
“Hardly humane, is it?” asked Armand.
“Is civil war?” retorted Taylor.
“So now it’s a waiting game? Waiting for what could be the start of a war between major powers, the likes we have not seen in a few hundred years? Have we not fought enough recently?”
“You like war though?” asked Jafar.
Taylor turned and looked pained, already wishing he hadn’t made those comments.
“I didn’t say I liked war. I said it wasn’t all bad, and some elements were preferable to the life I now had to lead. And anyway, I was talking about war with the Krys, not other human beings.”
It seemed Jafar couldn’t tell the difference, but he nodded in acceptance.
Chapter 7
0900 hours.
Taylor had barely slept waiting for the news. He’d been expecting a call from General White all night. He’d done his utmost to stay out of trouble, but it had found him that night, and yet, no call came.
Every news agency was focused on the gathering of Spanish forces and awaiting their next move. Five seconds past the hour, and nothing had happened. Taylor prayed for a moment that it had all been a sabre-rattling exercise, but then it started.
“We’re getting reports that the thousands of soldiers are boarding craft ready to cross the sea as the President warned. This is it.”
“Christ, Europe could be at war in a matter of hours, and what the hell can we do about it?”
Just as he said it, a message came through that interrupted the news. He accepted it and was pleased to see Captain Ryan before him.
“Sir, glad to see you’re all right, but damn, what the hell are you doing in Brussels? General White is livid and is after your balls.”
“Yeah, well, he can wait in line. We have larger problems. Where are you?”
“On our way. We’ll be putting down at a landing zone one klick south of your hotel. I am ordered to recover you and Jafar immediately, and return you to report directly to General White.”
“Yeah, well you can pick us up, but I’m not leaving Europe while there is still a chance we can make a difference.”
“Sir, I am under strict orders.”
“Do you not trust me, Captain? I knew I could always depend on Captain Reyes and his crew, and you have honoured him, will you sway from that path now?”
He shook his head. Taylor knew he had persuaded the man who had long called Taylor a friend.
“Sir, no matter what you do, the shit seems to slide off you. Can you extend that luxury to us when we get home?”
“I wouldn’t worry about getting home, Captain. We’ve got a war to stop.”
“One last thing, Sir. Just moments before I called, Tsengal woke up.”
“What? Is he talking?”
“Not yet, but his eyes are open, and something’s going on in there.”
It was the best news he had heard in a long time.
“Thank you, Captain. We’ll be there when you land.”
As the message ended, Armand stepped through into the room.
“My ship is en route, will you join us?”
He looked unsure, but Taylor continued in an excited manner.
“I have aboard a friend of Jafar. He’s the only survivor from Red 1. I have long believed he may hold some vital information for us. Before he slipped into a coma, he tried to tell me something important, who knows what.”
That seemed to get his attention.
“Of course, Colonel. If I may, I will have my personal staff transfer over to your ship where we can work from.”
Taylor was surprised at his enthusiasm, but it gave him a great excuse for not obeying White’s orders. Taylor couldn’t wait to see Tsengal, and it seemed forever that they stood at the landing pad awaiting the ship. Finally, the sight of it made Taylor feel the best he had done in days. The Deveron was an eternal sign of hope for the Colonel.
Captain Ryan came out to greet them in person, but Taylor did not stop for any pleasantries. He rushed inside and towards the room where he knew Tsengal would be. Jafar was close at his side but didn’t seem to share his enthusiasm.
“Have you not looked forward to this moment for all these years?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you don’t look it. Four years he’s been dead to the World and is now awake.”
“I always expected him to wake up, and I could wait as long as need be.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not that patient.”
He rushed into the room to see the ship’s Doctor at his side monitoring levels. Tsengal turned his head just a little to acknowledge their arrival and seemed to recognise the two of them.