Wind Riders 2.0, part 4

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Duncan, with Karen by his side, was tossing his personal gear into the rear of the new G-Wagon. It was dark flat green and was so new it still had the new car smell in it and the odometer showed less than a hundred.

Brett was tinkering or whatever under the hood.

“Man the paint isn’t even burnt on the engine yet,” he said. “Sweet. Never had a brand new G-Wagon before.”

The upholstery was brand new, not the usual cracked and duct taped together seats, the floor was clean, the paint on it not scuffed, scraped or missing and the hatch leading to the pintal mounted C-9 on the roof had all the paint still on it. The roof itself had not yet been marred by C-9 ammo belts rubbing on it and the exterior had not a scratch or dent. The C-9 itself was also brand new, it’s barrel still had the original bluing and the stock was not dented and scratched.

CT’s Coyote, was in the same brand new condition. Not a scratch or a dent anywhere on it’s dark flat green paint. The interior still a pristine robin’s egg blue and the smells of new machinery and upholstery, instead of old diesel fumes and sweat.

A ghostly grey silhouette of a wolf hound’s snarling head, was painted on the rear quarter panels of both G-wagons and on both sides of the Coyote’s turret. On the front sloping armor of The Coyote and the hoods of the G-Wagons, was painted a grey ghostly warrior, sword arm upraised holding a smoking sword, astride a Wolf Hound in full stride.

“Very artistic,” The Guild master said as he walked up to Duncan with the Guildsman in tow.

“One of my ladies in the intelligence section is very talented,” Duncan said. “We normally don’t show any identification markings at all. But this time, I want the enemy to know who we are.”

“We have just returned from informing your opponents that no peace is in the offing at this point,” The Guildmaster said. “I will reiterate what I said earlier, the Guild will not become involved between the two belligerents themselves, but will intervene should the Guild determine that its member is winning.”

“Yes,” Duncan said. “I heard you the first time. I also take it from the wording that you do not consider us as Guild members?”

“Technically, that is correct. But, you are considered associate members and thus must follow the same rules of conduct as full members. Would you have a place nearby where you, and we, could have a private conversation?”

“Step into my office,” Duncan said pointing at the Coyote. The three of them walked into the rear of the vehicle and Duncan motioned CT and his driver to leave, closing the rear door after they did so. He motioned both of the Guildsman to have a seat on one of the benches, while he sat opposite them.

“We feel it appropriate to double your contingent,” The Guilds master said. “We feel that you require a number of technical people to repair and service your equipment. We have located suitable personnel for this purpose and can have them here shortly.”

“Very considerate of you,” Duncan said. “Unfortunately, I have some problems with that. First, I do not have the time to train them properly in what our primary purpose is. Everyone on this squadron is a combat specialist as well as a technical specialist. It takes a lot longer than a month to train even combat soldiers up to a minim of competency. Secondly, I pick my own people. That way I ensure I don’t end up with unsuitable people and end up with a squadron full of people like my opponents have.”

“Very well, I understand Mr. Kovaks. We will supply you with a list of names to pick from. But you must pick carefully because of what I am about to say next.”

The Guild Master looked at Duncan intently for a moment and then told him. Earth was off limits for the recruitment of mercenary teams. His team had been an exception granted by the Interplanetary Council, because of the uniqueness of the circumstances. Everyone had assumed that the squadron had voluntarily agreed to the terms of the contract, which unfortunately had not been fully disclosed to them. Or more specifically, to Chinook Winds GMBH, in the first place and of course Chinook Winds had not disclosed anything to the Wind Riders or Duncan himself.

Unfortunately, the Interplanetary Council were insisting that the provisions outlined in the contract be enforced. There were several, but two were the most pressing. First, the Wind Riders had to become members of the Guild. Secondly, they would never be allowed to return to Earth. Because of the uniqueness of this situation and that the full terms of the contract had never been disclosed, the Interplanetary Counsel had agreed to double the original size of the squadron. In light of Duncan’s statement, the Guild was willing to wave the full enlistment membership requirement until after the current hostilities were finished and to give him a year to fill out his squadron strength.

Seething in anger, Duncan only sat and stared at the two men. Then he closed his eyes and laid his head against the cold steel walls of the Coyote, his mind reeling. Finally he snapped his eyes open and raised his head.

“So, we have nowhere to call home, is what you are telling me?” he said.

“Every reasonable effort is being made to find you somewhere to base out of,” the Guild Master said.

“Before I commit to anything,” Duncan said. “I want a copy of this Interplanetary Council decision as well as a copy of the original contract signed by Chinook Winds and a copy of your Guilds membership duties, responsibilities and requirements.”

The Guild Master pushed a few buttons on his wrist consul and looked at Duncan eyebrows upraised. Duncan leaned over and activated the Coyotes computers and activated a temporary encrypted wifi connection isolated to one USB port only. Then he plugged a high capacity thumb dive into the USB port and gave the Guild Master the password. Once the information had been transferred, Duncan shut down the wifi connection and removed the thumb drive.

“I will need time to digest this information,” he said. “Then I will have to disclose this to my people and we will inform you of our decision, one way or another. Good day gentlemen.”

He waited until the two men had left, before he activated the squadron wide radio net from inside the Coyote.

“All deployments and training to stop immediately. All Wind Riders to report to the main mess tent ASAP.”

Then he flipped to the planets command and control network.

“This is Wind Rider One. Effective immediately, all deployment and training missions by the Wind Riders are suspended indefinitely. Wind Rider One out.”

Duncan slammed the off switch and angrily walked away to gather his thoughts.

He walked through and around the camp for over an hour. Acknowledging no one. Most of the time he was unaware of his surroundings, just walking and staring at his feet. He became aware of someone calling his name, repeatedly and came back to the present. He was facing the squadrons mess tent, about a hundred yards away. The Guild Master, his second, Tanya and Katerina were standing right in front of him.

“Duncan,” Tanya said. “I have just heard. Rest assured I…”

“At this moment Madam Horshack, I am uninterested in what you or those other two have to say to me. We undertook to help you people because it was the right thing to do and that is what we do. We help people. Now I have to go and tell all those people, that not only were we brought here without our knowledge or permission, but that we can never go home. Now don’t you worry your pretty little heads off. We will complete this mission. We always keep our word. What happens after?”

“Also,” Duncan continued. “I have two parents in there that I have to tell will never see their two young boys ever again. So Madam Horshack, Mr. What Ever the Hell your name is Guild Master, forgive me or not, but I don’t give a rats ass about your problems right now!”

Duncan walked straight at them, aiming for the gap between the Guild Maser and Tanya. The Guild Master was a little slow in turning aside and received Duncan’s shoulder and right elbow slamming him out of the way as Duncan rumbled his way toward the mess tent.

“Auchtung!” Duncan yelled as he walked in and all twenty nine members sprang to attention and stayed that way while he made his way to the front. When he reached the front, he smartly about faced.

“At ease!” he continued in German. “Be seated.”

That he was extremely agitated was very clear. From his stance at a rigid parade rest to the frown on his face.

“Not only have we been removed from our homes and families without our knowledge or consent, to fight for some damn planet and people we don’t even know the names of. I have just been informed that we can never, ever return home again!”

All of the faces before him registered shock to some degree at what he had just said. And as he knew it would, Barb bent down and grabbed her knees and began to cry. Dave remained stoic and Megan stared at her mother, before what he had just said and her mothers actions sunk in.

“Oh my God!” she said in English. “The boys!”

“Yes Megan, the boys.” Duncan said also in English as he saw the four planetary people standing at the back of the assembly. “The boy friends, the girl friends, the mothers and fathers, the sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts, cousins. We will see none of them ever again.”

“We have agreed to fight for these people,” he continued, now in German. “Because in our hearts we know that their cause is just. But we should be under no illusion that we are just tools for them. Tools that will be discarded the second they do not need us anymore. As for the so called Guild and Interplanetary Council? Like every bloated bureaucracy we have ever dealt with, they will change the rules to suit themselves, or to cover their asses. We cannot trust them as far as we can spit them.”

The reality of their situation was beginning to dawn on everyone now.

“For myself,” Duncan said. “Everyone who means anything to me is here. I do not know everyone else’s situation. It has been agreed that we can have a onetime allotment of thirty additional people. Mechanics and technicians to repair our equipment, they think. Barb and Dave’s two boys will be two of them. If any of you have someone really important to you that you want here, you let me know. But it will be a one way trip. They also will never be allowed to return home. So make your decision wisely. Remember what we do. Because for the next, for God knows how long, we will have to keep doing that until we have enough money to break off on our own.”

“Duncan,” Barb said. “Dave, Megan and I have to discuss this. It may be better for the boys to stay home.”

“Of course,” Duncan said. “All of you. Take the rest of the day to think about this and get back to me tonight with your decision. Because tomorrow, I plan to start killing. The planets people have been trained well enough. Now we do, what we do best and we do it without mercy and without let up. They wanted killers. I plan on showing them exactly what they bought! Dismissed!”

Every one filed out of the tent. Everyone but the four planetary people and Karen. Duncan gestured with his chin for Karen to leave, but she just came to attention and stood there. As Duncan marched by her to confront the four, she tuned and was by his side when he stopped. The Guild Master proffered a large brown envelope to Duncan.

“If you would review these documents and sign them Mr. Kovaks….”

“You can shove those papers up your ass,” Duncan said. “As for you Madam Horschak, we will be returning the fees we have already collected from you and we will not be requiring you to pay us the agreed fee after the completion of the deployment. You will however, deliver supplies to us at a place to be determined. The Guild will resupply us as agreed to and the Guild will not charge the people of the planet for those supplies. Also as agreed. And if the Guild should even think about changing that deal, I will be supplying Madam Horschakc video and audio evidence that will back up that agreement.”

He let them stew on that for a few seconds and then told them that the whole squadron would be leaving in the morning to begin operations against the enemy.

“I must insist that members of my planet accompany you,” Tanya said.

“If you insist, so shall it be,” Duncan said. “But only two small scout troops as we originally agreed.” Now he looked Katerina right in the eyes.

“If they are not here when we leave, to bad. If they cannot keep up, to bad. If they get in our line of fire, they will be dead.”

“You think long and hard about who it is you send us Madam Horschak,” he said looking Tanya in the eyes. “They will most likely be dead before this is over.” Then he and Karen left the mess tent.

“I am so sorry Karen,” Duncan said. They were sitting on their camp chairs beside the fire pit. Duncan had just started the fire and the flames were rising fast as the dry kindling caught and popped. They had a case of the local beer between them and Karen handed him one as he sat down.

“You don’t deserve this.”

“All the people I love are here Duncan,” Karen said. “You know that. There is just you, mom and now Bob.”

“Oh, I am part of the family now am I?” Bob was grinning as he and Jane came to the fire, their chairs in his hands, Jane with a bottle of what looked like the local version of wine in hers.

Karen gave Bob a quick kiss on the cheek as he put Janes chair next to hers.

“Just don’t ask me to call you dad, you old coot,” she said.

“What’s going to happen to all of our assets?” Jane asked. “I would hate for some low life relative I have never met or even worse, the government to get it all.”

“Ya, I know,” Duncan said. “For me, it will all depend on what Barb and Dave decide.”

“What do you need to decide?” Barb said. The three of them were approaching along with Dianne, Carol, Brett and Scott.

“You binging the boys or not?” Duncan asked.

“No we think it best they stay home,” Dave said. “They will inherit the farm and all the money. They will be all right.”

“Well,” Duncan said. “They are about to become the richest men in Alberta and two of the richest men in the world. I’m going to give them everything I own. The companies run themselves mostly, except this one. Shelly will keep a good eye on them for the boys until they are old enough to take control themselves. Plus, they and you were not only already partners in most of the companies, but have substantial off shore bank accounts. All of you do.”

“Ah the Saudi job,” Dianne said. “I was wondering where all that money went. Count me in, I have no one back home.”

Both Brett and Scott said the same thing.

“Sorry Barb, Dave,” Carol said. “My brothers and sisters need the money. I’m the only one they had.”

“Well, with what the Colony will give them and from what they will receive from you, they will never have to worry again,” Duncan said.

“Worry about what?” CT asked as the rest of the squadron came up. Duncan told them what they planned to do.

“Well, I don’t think it’s right to leave my folks on the hook for all my student loans,” CT said. “So, I’ll give them half and the kids the other half. Yes I know about the Saudi money Duncan.”

“As well as all of you being shareholders in not only the Wind Riders, but all of my other companies, all of you have twenty million dollars in off shore accounts,” Duncan said. “The Saudis were very generous when they looked the other way. There was also a few dollars that went missing from two banks a few months before that. You see CT, some of us are a little better than others hacking into bank records.”

That brought a round of laughs, as everyone knew that try as he might, CT could never hack his way around Duncan and Karen’s security systems.

The four Marines and their wives said the same thing as Carol had. All of their extended families were below the poverty line back in the US and could use the help.

“As to how this is all going to happen,” Duncan said. “One thing that CT is very good at is hacking into communication systems. He cracked the Guilds codes weeks ago. All of you write out your wills and CT will send them to Shelly. I trust her completely, she will not let us, or your families down. I am sure the Guild will manufacture some disaster that will have us all killed.”

“So what are we going to do to make sure they don’t try that for real?” Amanda asked.

“Well it seems as though some nasty Trojan Worm was magically introduced into the Guilds computer systems,” Duncan said.

Then he explained how he had introduced the same virus into Karen’s dad’s computer system. It was buried in some minor program data. How it had worked in the back ground infecting every computer that it communicated with, eventually infecting almost every computer on earth. The same thing would be happening here, except on a much larger scale.

“Karen, Barb and Jane and to a lesser extent, CT and myself are going to be very busy over the next little while designing filters to sort out who and what is important.”

“Somebody grab a couple of more chairs,” Duncan said in English, they had been speaking in German. “And make room for our guests.”

“Welcome Tanya, Katerina. I apologise for my earlier behavior.”

“No Duncan it is I who should apologise,” Tanya said. “It was I who put you in this mess. I am truly sorry, all of you. I am very, very sorry.”

“Mam,” Dave said. “All you did was ask the Guild to send you some help. The best help you could get for your budget. It would seem as though the Guild took advantage of you as well as us.”

“Well I insist on paying you the full amount we agreed upon,” Tanya said. “It is the least I can do. Also, I will do all I can to see that you are settled in a suitable place after all this is over.”

“Now don’t you worry about the silver honey,” Jane said. “You are going to need it to rebuild. Besides, we already have double that amount of silver and we plan on adding to it.”

“The boxes!” Tanya said. “I was wondering why you went through so much trouble for stupid boxes.”

“Yes, well,” Duncan said. “Guild rules are very clear about plunder. It was just a shame we couldn’t get at the other armies payroll as well.”

“Now, I was not joking about tomorrow Tanya,” Duncan continued. “We will be leaving right after daybreak and we will not be returning until just before or just after the main battle begins, if at all. What we will be doing is very dangerous and could get your people killed.”

“How can we live with our selves Duncan?” Katerina asked. “How can we live with our selves when you are sacrificing yourselves, while we stay safe at home? No, I will be coming as we agreed and I will keep up and I will not get in your way and I will do my damndest to kill my enemies where and when I find them!”

“Real fire ball you’ve got there Tanya,” Barb said.

“Good genes,” Tanya said and smiled.

“Now as far as the main battle is concerned,” Duncan said.

He spoke about how the main commander knew all the plans, but that he would upload everything to their computer data bases just in case and for reference. To work her people hard, just as the Wind Riders had, because in the end it would save lives. This plan had worked successfully many times before. But it would not be easy and many lives would be lost. The troops had to be able to do the moves in their sleep. Endless repetition and practice and everything would become second nature. Every officer and senior non-commissioned officer, needed to know all the commands. That they should not only practice together, but against each other. Make a competition out of it. Give them an incentive to win. Something like the losing platoon or company had to make diner for the winners. Split the army in half and once a week have a mock battle and the winners receive a trophy of some kind. Nothing fancy, preferably something cheap and gaudy.

“Like that stupid oversized cheap tin bear mug we all competed for at the academy,” Megan said. “God how we competed to win that stupid thing. It was old and dented and full of holes, wouldn’t hold any beer anymore. But it held the place of pride in every winners mess.”

“It was like that when your mother and I went through all that as well,” Dave said. “We had some right good brawls over that stupid cup. It was probably something some commander’s wife was going to throw away in any case.”

“Yes,” Tanya said. “I understand. Like those stupid ribbons we competed so hard for in in university sports. They are cheap and gaudy, but we competed hard for them and I still have all mine displayed in my trophy room.”

“Unit pride and pride in their accomplishments,’ Duncan said. “That is what means the most. All of the Wind Riders have personal achievement awards. But the awards that mean the most to us, are the ones we received as a unit. Because in the end, I am not fighting for God, or country or an idea. It may start off like that, but when the shit hits the fan, I am fighting for my comrade to the right and my comrade to the left, nothing else. I will do everything I can to keep them safe, so that they can go home. The worst thing I could ever do, would be to let them down and I will die for them and they for me.”

Heads were nodding all around the circle, agreeing to his comment.

“We will be doing our best out there,” Megan said. “We will try and wear them down as much as we can. But in the end, you will have to stop them, not us. There just are not enough of us.”

With her words, Duncan rose and collapsed his chair nodded to everyone and walked to his tent. Karen took another beer out of the case and popped the top.

“Command is a heavy burden,” Jane said. “None more so than just before commencing operations, or in a group such as ours where we know each other so well. He will feel each loss and injury personally, for we are all he has. We are his family, his children if you will. He will never tell us, but he loves us all and we him. And he is right. I will never, ever, let him down.”

Then she stood, grabbed first her chair and then Bob’s hand and they walked away. Soon other couples were leaving, to spend their last hours together. Leaving only Karen, Tanya, Katerina and the single people beside the fire. Tanya was looking at Karen.

“He needs his time alone,” Karen said. “If I went to him now, he would just not be there anyway, if you know what I mean. His body would be with me, but his mind would be a million miles away. I will be there for him when he needs me and he will be there for me, when I need him. Good night everyone.”

“They have a strange relationship,” Tanya said.

“Duncan loves her more than he loves anything, including himself,” Dianne said quietly. “He thought she had betrayed him, a long time in the past and it almost destroyed him. Even when he got over it, he was a hard and cold man after. I will die for him.” Then she walked away as well.

“Yes men take a woman’s infidelity very hard,” Tanya said.

“Oh it’s not like that at all,” Megan said. “Duncan understands that all of us are human beings that have wants and needs that need to be satisfied. No, he thought she had betrayed his trust. He had given her his all, he can do no less and he thought she had just been using him. Karen’s father had a company much like ours and he wanted Duncan badly. So he encouraged Karen, well I think she had the hots for him anyway, so it wasn’t much of a push. Then when Duncan was doing some charity work in a far off poor country, he had some of his men murder Duncan’s friends and the whole village that they were staying in. He had hoped that Duncan would think it was a very radical insurgent group that had been operating in the area. But he didn’t know, that Duncan had put hidden cameras all over the camp. That even though Duncan was getting out of this life, he was still very, very good and had spotted the men, before they made the attack. He was alone and only armed with a hunting knife and could do nothing to stop it.”

“Later that night,” Carol continued for her. “He tracked them down and killed all eight of them. Then he just disappeared. He found out it was Karen’s father who had done the deed and that he had used Karen to get at him. He pretty much self-destructed at that point. Only a young, poor neighbor of his, she was studying phycology at the time, saved him. She didn’t do much, just was there and made sure he ate properly once a week, things like that. But it was enough. Duncan got his shit together and over the period of a year, he killed every single one of Karen’s fathers men, discredited him from every prospective employer. Karen’s mom divorced him and he basically had nothing but his government pension left to him by the time Duncan was finished.”

“Meanwhile,” Megan said. “Karen had never given up on him. She never believed he was dead. She kept looking everywhere for him. She was calling mom every week asking for information. She started the company Duncan had wanted to start and had moved from her country to ours to be closer to him. But Duncan did not know she was innocent, that she had not known what her father had done. He still loved her, but he was going to kill her just the same.”

“It took three years,” Carol said. “In that time Duncan had set up a number of investment companies around the world and was making a lot of money from them. He had decided that Karen’s father had been correct, that he could make a difference, just not the same way. So he started the Wind Riders. His first employee was the young woman who had helped him when he was down. She had become a lawyer by then, so Duncan started a law firm. We, and he, are her biggest clients. But he insisted that she also charge reasonable rates for regular people in the neighborhood and that they only hire the best people. And they have. The law firm does very well on its own without our business and has an excellent reputation.”

“Then he came home,” Bob said. “For the first time in three years he used his own identity and our government picked up on it, like he knew they would. I was a member of the original Wind Riders and the only one still in the Army. So the government sent me and a security agent to interrogate him when he came into the country. The first person he talked to when he landed was Dianne. She was a customs agent at the time. She was the only one, me included, that treated him with dignity and respect. The rest of us were a bit hard on him. I drove him home after that and we had a long talk. I quit the army right then and joined him. Scott and Brett came right behind me.”

“At first it was just the four of us,” Brett said. “Duncan had inherited his family farm after his folks died and we set up shop in an old barn and lived in the old farm house. Barb and Dave were his neighbors and he had grown up with them. He leased the land to Dave and Barb looked after the house for him. Then she kind of became our den mother and unofficial fifth member.”

“Duncan did surveillance on Karen for six months,” Scott said. “By then, Jane had moved in with Karen and Duncan bought the apartment right across the hall from them. He had set it up, so that the both of them would watch him kill the father and then he was going to kill them.”

“When Karen saw him, she was over joyed,” Megan said. “But then she saw the gun he had pointed at her head. Jane stepped between them. She had known what her husband had done, but had never told Karen about it and she let Duncan know that Karen had not known about it. To kill her, but leave Karen alone.

“Karen was devastated, broke down and ran into her room. Duncan calmed down and listened to what Jane had to say to him. Then he took Jane to his own apartment, hooked his computer up and remote detonated bombs he had set up all around Karen’s fathers house, killing him. After that, he went to Karen’s room, threw the gun on her bed, apologised and told her to kill him. She was very angry at the time and Duncan couldn’t live with himself after what he had put her through. She pulled the gun on him and forced him to marry her and here we are.”

“Duncan has and will put his life on the line for us,” Amanda said. “He was the only one who saw the potential Dianne had. He brought the best out of her, like he does with all of us. Like he will with you Katerina. Don’t think for a minute that just because you are Tanya’s niece is why you are with us. If he didn’t want you here you wouldn’t be here. He and we, see something in you, you do not see. Just like with Tanya and your people as a whole. He will die for you. We will die for you. Don’t you let us down.”

Then as a group, the rest of the Wind Riders left, leaving the camp fire to the two women.

“For the first time I have hope,” Tanya said. “Right now, this night, they have given me hope. If they are willing to sacrifice so much for us, how can we do any less? How can I do anything less. Come my love, I have much work to begin in the morning .”