Chapter 15

Rasida's rage was such that her vision appeared to narrow, darken, and there was room for only one thought in her head. She strode quickly across the central clearing of Twin Olives seeing nothing, except what was immediately in her path. The sun dimmed, as if an eclipse was in progress. A figure blocked her path and she thought she heard her name called. She made to go around the obstruction when there was a blur, her head snapped back so she had a momentary glimpse of the blue sky above, then her legs gave away. She fell on her arse not knowing where she was or what she was doing.

There was a voice in her ear and someone was beside her putting an arm around her shoulders. Now, there was another on the other side and she again, recognised her name being called. She looked to her left and saw the Euro woman, Megan Sion. The other was her baby sister, Sian. Together, they drew her to her feet and guided her to the tree, by which, they were sitting. Her legs were rubbery and she felt the urge to be sick. They sat her down among them and she felt arms around her. Still struggling to figure what happened, she saw the tear stained face of Gina, Rada's daughter, in front of her.

"What happened, what?" she mumbled.

"Roger socked you, dear," she heard Megan say.

"Oh," she replied, confused. "What for?"

"Um, well..." Megan started to explain.

Roger watched Rasida for a while, as Megan and Sian got her back under control. "Nor?" He called. "Take four, no, six, of the guys and place Schecter under guard. Tel him it's, ah, pending an enquiry. That should square with Euro practice. Needless to say I don't want Rasida within 100 metres of him. I don't want anything to jeopardize de la Perriere's mission."

"Sure, Roger," he said, and went in search of some troopers.

Roger glanced anxiously at his chrono and then up into the sky. Sighing, he walked to the base station his signalers had set up. He called up Delios and learned he'd be at Twin Olives within the hour. He called George and confirmed he was on the way with Pfeffer Diep. Mikele at Bluefields took a little longer because the message had to be relayed. He was reassured the floog had arrived and was on the way again with Mathew Kohn. He'd nothing further to do than wait on de la Perriere.

Way down South, in the idyllic little valley they called Bluefields, Mikele of the Durrutti, waited on word from the scouts he'd sent out to try and establish contact with the Bakhunin host. Already he'd worked out a plan, and a party was busy placing explosives along the narrow mountain road that was the only way in or out.

He'd few defenders left except the elderly and children. Most everyone else had gone with Roger to Twin Olives. Kids would be his snipers in the hills and old people would be firing up from the windows of their own homes. Terrain was the only thing in their favour. That, and the determination of Durruttis to defend their home.

He sat on his porch gazing up at the mountains, lost in thought, as if trying to acquire inspiration from the tree covered peaks. He thought of the lower valley, and the narrows that were a perfect defensive position. Some 15 years ago, they'd made a stand there against Religionist mercenaries and prevailed, despite Roger being blinded by a burst from a plasma rifle. That time, they had the support of the Montseny's and their autocannon. They couldn't depend on that this time, as Delios was with Roger.

If he blew the road, it would take weeks to repair and that would take them into the rainy season. It would be a difficult decision and he hoped there was another way of holding up the Bakhunins. In any case, the Bakhunins would be well aware of the steps he would take to defend Bluefields. They would also be aware of how few defenders there were.

Another course he contemplated was to evacuate with their stock and caravans. They could slip unseen around the Bakhunins and head North. Of course, that would leave them in possession of Bluefields and he'd little doubt they'd smash the place up as much as they could. Such a thought sent shivers down his spine, but what other course had he?

At Twin Olives, de la Perriere made it back in two hours 40 minutes. He had, indeed, 'hammered the engines until they screamed.' Mathew Kohn quickly left the cockpit and headed towards the aid station. Other's helped unload the medical supplies and, when they finished, Roger came and shook his hand.

"Put him under guard," was his next instruction, and a confused de la Perriere suffered a squad of six troopers who firmly led him away.

Heather watched miserably from a distance. There would be few at Twin Olives who were now unaware of the allegations against Schecter, de la Perriere, and the Fladomir. Heather was heartbroken her lover was a clone, a spy, and a saboteur. Even the understanding of her mother, Megan, who described the affair as 'ironic', didn't relieve the pain she felt.

Everything about Armin, what he'd ever told her, was untrue. He'd hadn't fought in any land war, he hadn't been born or, 'gestated, ' when that conflict took place. Things he'd said about his family, siblings, and parents had been planted in his memory. Armin had no family, nor parents. He was an organic robot and whatever he'd recalled had been programmed into him as you would a computer.

Heather learned these 'Q'-Plasma clones could both receive and send information. It was devastating to discover his 'controllers' had been able to observe their most intimate moments as they would a porn-holo.

If there was anything positive to say about her life, it was her new friendship with these Black Guard girls. As horrible as it was, she felt a strange kind of elation after the battle. Despite the dead and wounded, the destruction of some of the Garcian's homes, the battle had established a bond between all of them. Heather had never felt so close to another human being before.

Far to the North lay the small town the Bakhunins had renamed 'Novgorod.' Nearby, was an ancient river valley, the river long dried up. Below the riverbed, however, was an extensive aquifer and a number of bores pumped water to the Bakhunin's pastures. They were famed horse breeders, and the wooden stockades surrounded the town.

Fladomir's 'palace' was a rabbit warren of buildings, set low, and made from a variety of materials. The walls were predominantly hewn granite blocks. Weathered cinderblocks had been salvaged from the ancient town that had once stood there. On the roof was a mixture of old slates, wooden planks and old sheet iron. In front of the gabled entrance, Fladomir had erected an old 155mm howitzer - no longer operable - as a visible symbol of the Bakhunins military consciousness.

Fladomir, himself, reclined on his bed as the girl came back into the room. She was young, barely 13, and naked. Her long dark hair fell about her shoulders and snagged on her small, pointed breasts. Her bronze skin was flawless and her cherubic smile aroused the chief of the Bakhunins as she had the night before.

Fadomir's head pounded, and he concluded he'd had a little too much wine last night. His hangover still fogged his brain as he tried to remember the carnal pleasures he'd enjoyed last night. His erection need attention, and he called to the girl as she sat brushing her hair by his antique wall mirror.

"My dear, ah..."

The girl turned around and smiled. "Don't tell me you've forgotten my name?" she teased.

"Of course, not, ah..." 'What was she called?' he wondered.

"Fladomir? Are we going riding up into the hills, today?" she asked.

"Ah, later, perhaps," he replied. "I don't feel so well."

"Aw, poor baby," she grinned. "Are you coming down with a cold?"

"Too much wine last night," he confessed.

"What wine?" she asked, confused. "Were you drinking? I didn't know you had wine? I couldn't smell it on you."

"Um, of course I was drinking, ah..."

"Devo," she said. "My name's Devo. What's wrong with you? Shall I get a healer?"

Just then, the door burst open and one of his aides stepped through. "Fladomir?" he said, concern in his voice. "We have just heard the false Fladomir of the North has signed a pact with Cityplex. Already, armoured forces are crossing the border and gathering for invasion. We must recall Piet."

"Piet?" Fladomir, blinked.

"Blueforce?" the aide told him. "The men you sent against Bluefields. Our forces are scattered. We must concentrate to defend our Ride."

"Piet? Ah, sure, we must do that."

"Are you all right, Fladomir?" the aide asked.

"He's getting a cold," the girl, Devo, told him helpfully.

The aide glanced at the girl with a look of disgust. "We haven't time for this," he said. "We must call an urgent council meeting. There is talk Suetonius is preparing the Black Guard to march into the Northern Ride. It appears they mean to join with them..."

"Join with them? Why?"

"Perhaps they didn't like your attack on Twin Olives? There were Black Guard kids there," he told him, sarcastically. "Your cold must wait," he added. "Our forces are in disarray. There is no time for colds."

"Ah, of course, we must assemble the council."

"There's more," the aide, said, urgently. "Unconfirmed reports that the Nins and Connollys are assembling in Iberica. They have Kegresses and towed artillery. I believe they mean to march on us from the West."

"Are you sure?"

"This is serious. If this proves true, we are totally outnumbered. Fladomir, we must call for talks. Blueforce will take over two weeks to come back. In the meantime, we have only 25 eskadres with which to defend Novgorod. We must immediately draw back those on the Northern border and concentrate. Even so..."

"Okay, okay," Fladomir put up his hand. "Can this wait till after breakfast?"

"Breakfast?" the aide's eyes bulged. "It's past lunch time. You think of eating when the future of the Ride is at stake?"

Fladomir glanced again at the girl, who smiled and twisted her hair in her fingers. "Later!" he said. "I will attend to this later."

"There will be no later," the aide raised his voice.

"I am the Fladomir and I say this matter can wait!" he yelled.

"Tomorrow morning you could be the Fladomir of a six foot trench!"

"You're fired!" Fladomir screamed.

"I quit!" the aide yelled back.

"Guards, arrest that man!"

"The guards are quitting, too," the aide said, as he left.

Much later, at Twin Olives, Roger of the Durrutti called a 'council' meeting of his own. Delios was there, after arriving and em-placing his artillery. Nor was also present. If the Durrutti host had been Black Guard, Nor would be Roger's 'second.' Rowl represented the Garcians.

The Black Guard kids were, at present, without their 'Officers.' Rada was at that moment being operated on by Mathew Kohn. John was in no condition to lead anybody and Rasida was enduring the ministrations of Megan Sion, who'd been 'instructed' by Roger to get her 'good and drunk.' A hurried vote by the kids accepted Roger as temporary 'first' unanimously.

Stavros, Roger's 'third', was out in the field scouting for possible Bakhunins. To represent the Euros was Herr Schepke, the German businessman who, according to his own account, had performed many heroic deeds in defense of Twin Olives. Roger was thus satisfied he'd as many different opinions present as practical.

"I will begin," Roger opened the meeting, "with our latest signals. We have a report from Suetonius that he is leading the Black Guard into the Bakhunin's Northern Ride. Reports have been received of Cityplex armoured formations crossing the border. The Black Guard have with them a dozen Kegresses, towed artillery and APM launchers. Clearly, the man has taken the situation seriously - at last!" Roger looked around the room for effect.