The Lotus Eaters

Building 232, Fort Williams, Balboa Transitway Area, Terra Nova

Chapayev drove the captured vehicle at breakneck speed, squealing tires at each turn. Muñoz didn't object. Indeed, his only comment was "Faster, Victor, faster!" right up until the thing appeared ready to careen right into the battalion's headquarters. At that point the cry became, "Stop, Victor, STOP!"

The auto did, with a few feet to spare and smoke pouring from the tires.

Muñoz-Infantes was neither a particularly small man nor a weak one. Once he got out of the car, and pulled a corpse from the trunk, he effortlessly dragged that corpse by the scruff of its clothed neck. It was the body of the one man among his recent assailants that the colonel recognized from his own organization. He was still holding the leaking corpse when the sergeant of the guard, jerked awake by the shriek of brake pads, came out of the guard shack under the headquarters.

"Coronel Muñoz," the sergeant greeted, while standing to attention and sketching out a salute. "If you don't mind my asking, sir, what are you doing here? I was told you had been kidnapped by locals and that we had received a demand for ransom." The sergeant's eyes moved down to the body. "Local . . . ummm . . . kidnapper?" he asked.

The colonel released his grip on the corpse, which flopped bonelessly to the concrete. "Summon my staff and company commanders and—"

"They're all already here, sir," the sergeant interrupted. His finger jabbed upwards, in the general direction of the battalion conference room. "The XO called them all in when we got the report."

"Fine. Have someone see to this corpse." Muñoz used a booted foot to flip the body over onto its back. "Do you recognize him?" he asked.

"By sight, sir. I don't know his name." The sergeant of the guard scratched at his head for a moment and then answered, "I think he worked in the S-2 shop, sir. Odd . . ."

"What's odd, Sergeant?"

"It was the S-2 who told us you had been kidnapped."

"I see." Muñoz stormed off in the direction of the stairs that led upward. On the way he muttered, "I smell those bastards Janier and de Villepin."

"What are you going to do, sir?" Chapayev asked, following close behind.

Muñoz pulled out and checked the load on his pistol. "Shoot my S-2 and lead my battalion against the stinking frogs. Then ask the Balboans to take on my battalion, on spec, so to speak."

"I don't know if they will," Victor said. "But . . . maybe."

"I think it likely," the colonel assured him. "But there's also something I want you to do."

"Sir?"

"I'm going to send a detail to relive Maria of the prisoner. I want you to go with them and after they do, to take Maria to the Academy at Puerto Lindo. Will you do this."

"Yes, sir. Of course, sir."