The Last Day of the War - Part 3

Once inside we finally did split up. Tille and Tora glided down the dimly lit hallways in search of any other occupants of the one story building while I led the Sergeant Major straight to the office of the enemy general. As I expected, he was behind his desk surrounded by stacks of paper and a few scattered datapads. He was so engrossed in his work he remained unaware of our presence until the Sergeant Major threw him to the floor. The older man rose to his knees and looked up at me in open shock.

"Irisa." His surprise turned to distaste. "Why couldn’t you have been a good girl and just died like the rest of the Galine Volunteer Force?"

"Sorry to disappoint you Uncle Vel." I struggled to keep any emotion from entering my voice. I did not want the Sergeant Major to see me emotional.

"I’m sorry Angel." The Sergeant Major did not look at me as he spoke. All of his attention was focused on the former head of State Security. He quickly lashed the man’s arms together behind his back and then stepped back. "I think the Questioner will have a little extra fun with you Velvel."

"The Questioner." Velvel looked up at the Sergeant Major and smirked. I adjusted my grip on my rifle as he chuckled quietly for a moment. "I will tell you everything you could want to know about the operation here. There is no secret to it really. We simply plan to send wave after wave of barbarians against your defenses until you collapse. Kaarl hired me for my knowledge of the defenses protecting Galine, not for my military brilliance."

"The defenses protecting Galine?" My efforts at hiding my emotions failed that time. I felt a wave of nausea growing in the pit of my stomach. Velvel surely would not have…

"Yes, Irisa. Kaarl’s forces should have landed an hour ago. By now they are pouring into Galine and making their way to the capitol. Not that they will ever take it of course. The defenses around the capitol are more than any barbarian army could ever hope to overcome." Velvel sneered at the Sergeant Major but quickly turned away from the cold look on the soldier’s face. "Kaarl plans to execute one village a day until the government surrenders."

"You are twice the traitor then. A pity my father could only damn you once." I adjusted my stance as the expression on Velvel’s face slowly changed from confusion to understanding and finally to horror as he realized what I had meant. Up until a mere century ago one of the duties of the First Born of a Noble House was to carry out any assassinations ordered by the leader of the House. I came from a very traditional Galine family.

The thrust of my bayonet took Velvel right beneath his chin and I drove the blade mercilessly up into his skull. When it progressed no further I used the rifle and bayonet as a lever to quickly twist Velvel’s head to break his neck. Unnecessary to kill him, but it did provide me with an easier angle to withdraw my bayonet from his corpse. Velvel’s body fell forward to the floor with a dull thump that was mostly masked by a sudden gasp at the door. Tora stood looking in open mouthed shock at the growing pool of blood on the floor while Tille looked quizzically at the Sergeant Major. The expression on the Sergeant Major’s face eloquently expressed his displeasure with my actions.

"Sergeant Major, wasn’t the plan to bring the enemy general back with us?" Tille brushed a loose strand of hair back behind one ear and tilted her head to one side.

"Yes. It was, but Tetyana decided she had a better plan than the General who is saving the free world." The Sergeant Major’s tone was devoid of anything even remotely resembling warmth. I wondered it he intended to kill me. I raised my chin in a gesture of haughty indifference and turned to look at the twins.

"Oh, well, if Angel decided to change the plan…" Tille glanced over at her sister and grinned.