Black Guard, The (13 page)

"I object to a woman being in the
chamber and to a Guard being present."

"Although it is unusual for a
woman to be one of a prince’s allowed guests, there is no rule against
it."

"She’s… she’s a Black Guard. There
is a rule against armed guards attending," he said.

"I don’t believe she’s armed. Ma’am,
would you stand, please, so Frederic can ensure you are unarmed."

Since I was the only woman in the room,
he obviously meant me. I stood, raised my arms in the air, and slowly turned
360 degrees so the guard at the door, who was staring in my direction, could
inspect me. He took several steps in my direction, and a smile appeared on his
lips.

"Look but don’t touch. I
bite," I said, smiling as sweetly as I could. His smile faded, and he
looked towards the speaker, saying something which I assumed was on a private
channel. The speaker said something I didn’t hear and the guard stepped back to
the door.

"Ma’am, what is that around your
waist? Fredric says it appears to be a… whip."

"It is, Mr. Speaker. I’m a captain
in the Black Guard, and the whip as well as the stars and dragon on my sleeve
are symbols of my rank."

"There! She’s armed," Prince
Femin shouted.

The Speaker stood looking at me for
some time before speaking. "Prince Badal has had two assassination
attempts in the past several days so I believe his concerns are justified. And
although a woman or a Guard as a guest is unusual, neither violates our current
rules so long as the guard is unarmed. And according to our current definition
of armed, she’s unarmed. I doubt a whip would be very effective against the
conference guards’ multi-functional weapons. If you wish to submit a revision
to our current rules, we will take it up at the appropriate time, but for now,
she may remain." He nodded in my direction.

The next several hours were
interesting. Princes Femin and Hadarek appeared to be trying to delay the
voting on the current bill being considered, judging by the many attempts to
add or change wording that the speaker repeatedly overruled as against the
rules. My paranoid brain went on alert—high alert when it failed to
determine the possible problem. We were in a locked room with armed guards who
all seemed bored, and I doubted any of the princes would take direct action
since it would result in prison and possible execution. They would have one of
their loyal followers do the dirty work. So the hours seemed like days as my
mind labored over the itch it couldn’t reach to scratch. Around noon, appearing
as frustrated as I felt, the Speaker called for a two hour break. Everyone rose
except Hadarek and Fermin, and the guards turned and unlocked the doors.
Hadarek turned to Fermin and smiled, then spoke into his wrist unit, which I
assumed was a communication device.

I hit the emergency icon on my Mfi and
sprung towards the door. The guard had just released the locking bar and was
getting ready to open the door as I arrived. He watched open mouthed as I
slammed the bar back across the door, locking it.

"Don’t," I said, as his hand
went towards the weapon lying across his chest. He sneered as his hand gripped
it, and it swung upward. I dropped onto my left leg and executed a 360 degree
sweep through his legs. He went vertical, hung suspended for a second, and then
hit the ground with a thud and the air exploded out of him. I snatched his
weapon and scanned the room, waving Badal over to the guest chairs. Only one
guard still remained in the room, in front of the Speaker’s door, and he still
hadn’t realized what I had done. Before he could, alarms began blasting.

"Mr. Speaker, please inform your
guards I’m not a threat. The attack is coming from Prince Badal’s entrance, so
I locked the door," I said as an explosive charge hit the door. It held. A
second charge followed, which caused visual distortions in the door, and the metal
turned red hot. Meanwhile the guard on the floor was scrambling away like a
crab when a third explosive charge tore the door from its frame. I switched the
weapon to projectiles and waited. A second later, two men stepped through the
door, one swiveling his military grade weapon right and the other one left. I
shot the one turning right towards me through the eye and the other man in the
back of his head before he realized what had happened. Silence. The Speaker
must have notified the guards on a separate channel, because they were now all
in the room with guns pointing at the opening. I put my weapon on the floor and
stepped back. I didn’t want one of the guards to confuse me with those
attacking the room. Except for the Speaker, who I believe was giving them
directions, I would have been the target.

Just then my Mfi beeped. "Captain,
the attack has been neutralized. What’s your status?" Ceder’s voice said.

"Speaker, I’m informed that the
attackers are dead, and the immediate threat is over." I said loud enough
to be heard by everyone. He said something to the guards as he came walking
over to me.

"You responded very quickly,
fortunately for us. What warned you?" he asked.

"I doubt you were ever in danger.
It was a planned assault, timed to occur just as the noon break was announced.
The door would be unlocked and Prince Badal in full view as he walked towards
the door to his wing."

"But how did you know?" he
pressed.

"I’m a trained observer. The signs
were many, if you were watching."
Like Fermin and Hadarek preparing to
duck under the table
.

"It appears you are more dangerous
than one would assume," he said before walking away.

"He doesn’t know the half of
it," Badal said with a snort. "Is it safe?"

"Yes, I’m informed the
entertainment is over for now." I said as I approached the door.
Lieutenant Ceder was standing in the middle of the entrance talking with
Colonel Jarde when Badal and I exited the conference room.

"Prince Badal, thank God you’re
safe. Captain Sapir was right to have us on alert. Even with us on alert, we
were lucky the door was closed when they attacked. They were well organized and
overwhelmed us at first. Only the instant response of the Guard enabled us to
recover."

"The door was open. Captain Sapir
closed it," Badal said, shaking his head. "Her reputation is no
accident."

He entered his wing past Sergeant Zinn,
who had been waiting in the doorway, following behind him.

"What’s our status?" I asked.

"Private Toch was wounded in the
shoulder and he may have a cracked rib. Corporal Cerff was wounded in the thigh;
it’ll be painful for several days," Ceder said. I shifted my glaze to
Jarde.

"Three dead, three wounded, one
serious but they think he will recover." Jarde remained silent, looking
towards the floor. Then he looked up and gave a wry smile. "But the Prince
is alive so it’s a good day. He will make sure their families are looked
after." He looked a little older as his eyes scanned the blood splattered
across the floor and on the walls. "Tomorrow, Captain. I need to see to my
men," he said as he entered their wing. I turned to Lieutenant Ceder.

"I had Private Toch leave the door
into the foyer open and stationed the rest of Badal’s team in the reception
room because of your concerns." Ceder smiled, "Toch hit the emergency
code when he saw the outer door explode inward. That and your emergency signal
already had Badal’s team moving to take up positions at the door: two firing—one
high, one low on the left side back towards the entrance from outside, two on
the right facing towards the entrance to the conference room door, and two in
the hallway in case they rushed the entrance to the family wing. I also put the
other two teams on alert. It would have been much worse if they had tried to
breach the prince’s wing. As it was, they were intent on reaching the
conference room and only tried to keep us and the Surat troops from entering
the foyer. Jarde’s troops would have fared better if they hadn’t rushed into
the foyer. Typical army reaction—meet them man-to-man."

"Yes, tradition."

"After the conference room blew,
Glick, Ganz, Zinn, and I rushed the foyer and finished those remaining… except
for the two you killed." He laughed. "I could have told them they
didn’t want to go through that door."

The Speaker postponed the meeting for two days so the damage could
be fixed. He was concerned the damage to the doors provided too easy access to
the meeting room. I would have preferred they continue because it provided
Badal’s enemies time to plan—never a good thing. It was far better when
your opponents operated on impulse or emotion.

"What do you think, Captain Sapir?" Sophia asked the next
morning as she entered for breakfast with her husband.

"About what, Princess?"

"What will they do next? You seem
to have anticipated each of the previous… attacks."

"They probably feel that way also,
which means they will be more careful next time. And, no, I didn’t anticipate
their attacks. You hired us, so an attack was likely, which means giving in to
our paranoia. We succeed because we have been well trained. Every one of us
entered the Jax military before the age of eight. The Guard isn’t an occupation;
it’s our life."

"My God, you were only a
child," Jovana said, shaking her head in disbelief.
Yes, an unwanted
child,
I mused, surprised by how much the pain had diminished over the past
few years.

"So, you think there will be more
attempts on my life?" Badal asked, frowning.

"I would say you will hear from
your enemies again. Those who do things in God’s name do not recognize man’s
laws. They only believe in their right to achieve their goal by any means. In
that they are very predictable."

The rest of the day was uneventful. The
princess and her daughter stayed inside the wing reading, eating, and playing a
tile game. Everyone retired early.

* * *

The next morning, I was notified that
the Speaker wished to see Badal.

"Sir, the Speaker is here to see
you," I told Badal, who was in his upstairs study discussing the family’s
planned itinerary.

"Have him taken to the drawing
room," he said, rising from his chair.

When we arrived, the Speaker stood.
"Prince Badal. I am concerned about your safety and have been considering
how best to proceed. The recent events prove how desperate… your enemies are
and also the danger to the people around you." He gave a lopsided smile,
then looked to me. "Captain Sapir, would you have killed my guards?"

Badal laughed. "Yes, Mr. Speaker.
She would have."

"I thought so, after my talk with
Colonel Jarde. He indicated he is comfortable with the Black Guard being in
charge. He’s right, when the space doss hits the fan you must know who is in
charge. If it weren’t for her quick action, I’m afraid you and others would
have been killed, so I’ve decided to authorize Captain Sapir to be armed in our
meeting, and I’ve informed my guards to support her if trouble happens inside
the conference room."

"Thank you. I know that couldn’t
have been an easy decision," Badal said.

"No, it wasn’t and won’t be
popular. But I am more concerned about everyone’s safety than appearances. The
work on the doors will be completed today, so we will resume the conference
tomorrow."

After he left, Badal turned to me and
smiled. "Congratulations, you impressed the Speaker. He could have just
added twenty commandos to the meeting. Of course, that would have put twenty
more military grade weapons in the room." He laughed.

* * *

The first hour of the meeting the next
day was taken up with objections to me being in the room, then with me having
weapons, and when that didn’t work, the threat of walking out. The Speaker
pointed out that would still leave a quorum to vote. Those that left would have
their vote registered as "Declined to vote" and if the bill received
four votes it would pass. Then hours were spent arguing about the changes. By
the end of the day only one bill had been passed. I sat there bored, not that I
wanted another incident like the other day, but the arguments weren’t even
stimulating. "The followers of Azaria won’t accept…" I hadn’t even
received anything on my Mfi.

"Thankfully, we only meet in
person twice a year. All the decisions seem to revolve around Azarias versus
Nomiko with no effort to compromise," Badal said as we left the chamber
for the night.

"Would you?" I asked since he
brought the subject up, and I was interested in understanding the players. The
Guards were taught to do more than stand around armed, watching for something
to happen. Even the newest recruit was taught to observe not only the people
they guarded but those who interfaced with them and to share that information
with the other team members. Understanding the players could make the difference
between stopping an assassination or failing.

"Yes. I might be willing to
compromise, but I’m afraid Fermin and Hadarek have over the years endorsed more
and more extreme interpretations of Nomiko’s teaching, which leaves little room
for compromise. But even if I were willing to compromise, Galkin, who supports
a liberal version of Azarias, and Poloka, Atilio, and the Speaker, who support
a more liberal version of Nomiko’s teaching, wouldn’t. Galkin would vote
against any change Fermin and Hadarek supported since he views them as too
radical. So you see, we are locked into place until the players change."

"So Galkin, Atilio, Pokora, and
the Speaker have no apparent reason to kill you," I said. Badal laughed.

"No apparent reason… You are
paranoid, Captain."

"It serves you and your family
best if I trust no one. I’m merely trying to ascertain who ranks as the least
trustworthy of those I don’t trust."

The next day was more of the same mind
numbing boredom. Two more bills got approved. The Speaker designated the next
day as a day of rest, to everyone’s relief.

* * *

"Where are you going to be today,
Captain Sapir? I’ll be meeting with Atilio and Poloka for most of the day, and
Princess Sophia and my daughter are insisting on going into the city shopping,"
Badal asked at breakfast.
Well there goes boredom
, I swore. His wife and
daughter didn’t have a vote, but that didn’t mean they were safe wandering the
streets. In fact, there was little value in killing Badal at this point since
the really contentious bills that impacted Xintoism had been passed. But hate,
righteousness, retribution, and hope for the future were alive and well. As I
saw it, Badal wouldn’t be safe anywhere, just less so away from his estate. And
his family could be seen as an extension of Badal whether they were or not. I
called a meeting of Jarde, Ceder, Solow, Wahle, Zinn and the women from their
teams. When Jarde arrived, I began.

"Colonel Jarde, as you are aware,
Princess Sophia and her daughter are planning a trip into the city. That is not
normally the Guard’s responsibility. However, this is not normal duty. We don’t
usually travel with our clients. Our specialty is providing in-structure
security," I said, and waited for Jarde to comment.

"But you feel it’s your duty in
this case."

"Yes and no. I believe you should
provide your normal security; however, with your permission, I would like to
have a few of my Guard go along."

"That might cause trouble,
especially with women guards," he said, looking around the room.

"Agreed. I and three of the
princesses’ guards will come along dressed as their guests."

Jarde laughed. "You’re not only
paranoid but sneaky. I approve and would appreciate your company. I’ll have
some of the servants donate you clothing to wear."

"Thank you, Colonel. We both want
the same outcome—returning the Badal family home safely." Jarde
nodded agreement and left a room of smiling faces. "Zinn, Haber, and
Nadel. Wear your body armor and carry a laser, knife, and three flash stars. If
there is a next time, Glick and Volpe can have the honor."

* * *

Colonel Jarde provided a detail of six,
which he said was normal. In the end, we decided to cast Haber and Nadel as
friends of Jovana and Zinn and I as servants. We left just after lunch. The
colonel and his troops rode in a military vehicle and the Badals and us in a
limousine. The city was very modern although the buildings seldom exceeded ten
stories and were predominately stone. The cathedrals were many and beautiful
with their multiple spirals jutting fifteen to twenty stories into the sky.
Their white marble surfaces glistened in the sunlight like beacons. We were
dropped at the entrance to a large three-story shopping area that looked
several times larger than the House of Princes complex. Inside, four-person
carts were available for shopping on the ten-meter wide walkways along the
shops on the second and third levels. The first floor was wide enough for eight
lanes of traffic and had trees, fountains, and food stands with a variety of
snacks.

Sophia rented four carts: one for
herself, Jovana, and me; one for Zinn and the other two Guards; and two for her
official security. We immediately used the ramp to the third level, which I was
told contained the high-end stores. In each store, I followed Sophia while Zinn
tagged along behind Jovana, acting the dutiful servants there to fetch and
carry. Jarde’s troops either remained in the carts or at the entrances, while
Jarde walked along with Sophia.

I continued to speculate where a
possible attack would most likely occur, if one were to happen while they
shopped. Inside a store seemed unlikely. It could only be one or two people,
and it would be a suicide mission with so many troops outside. A mass attack
was more likely to occur on the walkway, but that would be conspicuous because
of the numbers and difficulty in concealing their guns, especially military
weapons. Speculating kept me alert while I played the dutiful servant, fetching
her selections and carrying them to the dressing room for her.

"You make a good servant,"
Sophia said, smiling. "I haven’t noticed one strange look in your
direction. Must feel strange being out of uniform."

"Very, except for my workout
outfit, I don’t own any other clothes."

"You’re joking… No, I guess you’re
not. Do you regret the life?"

I laughed. "I had no choice, but
to answer your question, I’m content."

"That’s more than most people I
know. I had my doubts at first, you being a woman, but I’m glad you’re
here." Sophia lapsed into silence as she tried on the outfits she had
selected. After a half hour in front of a mirror, she bought two silk outfits,
and Jovana bought one after consulting her mother. As we started towards the
exit, two men entered, stopped, and stood to the side waiting for us to pass.
Politeness? I doubted it based on the way the men’s eyes were tracking Sophia
and on the group of men milling around just outside and looking in our
direction. Zinn was a couple of steps behind with Jovana and couldn’t get to
either man in time to help, so I stumbled, lurched ahead of Sophia, and dropped
the bundles I was carrying. Sophia froze.

"You clumsy—" She
blurted in reflex. After a second’s hesitation, knives appeared in the men’s
hands, and they lunged in Sophia’s direction. I pushed her backward towards
Zinn with my arm and stepped into the closest man with my shoulder. His knife
glanced off my body armor as I drove him into his partner. I stopped to draw my
laser as they stumbled backward, which proved unnecessary. Multiple laser
strikes from Zinn, Haber, and Nadel obliterated the men’s heads. Outside, the
troops were under attack by the group I had noticed milling around. Two tried
to enter but between the four of us, they never got off a shot. Jarde rushed
out, but by that time it was all over and bodies lay everywhere.

"Why didn’t you help them?"
Jovana’s voice was harsh, and her eyes misty.

"Because we would have had to
leave you unprotected," Zinn replied.

"We weren’t in any danger after
you shot those men," she persisted.

"Enough, Jovana," Sophia
said, clutching her hands to stop them shaking. "The Guard is here to
protect us, not the soldiers."

Smart lady,
I mused. "Harber, Nadel, see if
Colonel Jarde needs any help."

The city police arrived several minutes
later and shortly afterward medical personnel. We remained in the store while
the wounded were attended, loaded into a medical cart, and taken away. Jarde
entered as the city police were loading the dead onto carts.

"What is your status,
Colonel?" Sophia asked, concern evident in her face and voice.

"Two troopers dead and two
wounded. They will recover." He paused for a deep breath to steady
himself. "Six of the attackers are dead and two wounded, one probably won’t
recover. The other one said they were here to punish Badal for his sins against
Azarias."

Sophia walked past her packages
scattered on the floor and directly to the troopers. There she spent several
minutes talking with the men and ensuring them their wounded comrades and the
dead men’s families would be taken care of. Jarde had them collect her
packages, and we returned back to the House of Princes.

When we arrived back, Badal, Sophia,
and Jovana retired to the upstairs drawing room, and I brought the team up to
date on the day’s activities and made sure the teams were in place for when the
Badals exited the room.