The contractors made sure their fort was capable of holding back all but the larger

xenos before they had Em Arr Eees for dinner and summoned bottles of water. They

set a watch for the night. They had crossed miles of distance while fighting at full

blast. They needed the rest.

The contractors across the gap had also settled in for the night. Har gave them a force

wall option on their menus to help protect them from climbers trying to get into their

cave so they could finally relax.

The weapons and bird drones would push anything off the wall of the mountain for

the original duo while the separate groups tried to think of a plan to get them both out

of there.

If the cave was on the same level as the lower mountain, Harry would have risked a

bridge and got them out of there in the dark. The visors on their equipment allowed

them to see in the nighttime easily. An uneven crossing would give the xenos free

shots at them while they tried to merge the two teams.

They didn’t want to lose anybody when they were so close to succeeding with just

minor injuries.

“That was an impressive blast you created, Harry,” said Detrac.

The group had claimed corners as their sleeping spots inside their hideout. A single

door was blocked by Howitz’s mech. When they got ready to go, the smaller alien

would have to climb in and rip the machine out of the ground so they could move.

“I used it before on Wallens to clear the first temple we found,” said Harry. He pulled

a blanket around him. “Nick thinks I will be reviewed unfavorably for what I did.”

“I think diverting attention from us and killing a vast number of the enemy will help

you out,” said Yema.

“You guys are supposed to have been involved in heavy fighting,” said Harry. “Why

volunteer for this?”

“Why did you?,” asked Har.

“I always knew I was going to come here,” said Harry. “I just planned to come alone.

I had Fort Honey on Wallens and had to look after contractors there until the planet

was cleared. Once the planet was clear, I was going to come here and start trying to

clear this planet. I planned to use a random gate like Xin and Hei, but with more

firepower directed on target.”

“You are not allowed to have my title as the demon of death,” said the listening Milla.

“I think we have done enough to claim such a title as our own,” said Detrac. “This

expedition has maxed out my points.”

“I am about halfway,” said Howitz. “Building the armor took a lot of points, but I

earned a lot of them back.”

“We have worked hard on this planet,” said Yema. “It has been a while I have had to

shoot so many enemies at once.”

“I have done some things, but nothing like this,” said Har. “I think it is time for me

to retire.”

“Have you cleared a planet before?,” asked Detrac.

“No,” said Har. “I have almost lost one like Yema, and I have been on a couple that

looked like they were going to be lost, but we turned the tide at the last second. I have

never been on a planet where the air smells like the enemy.”

“Beekeeper?,” asked Xin. “You said you helped clear Wallens. How did that start?”

“We were figuring out the random gate stuff, so I hitched a ride,” said Harry. “Then

I started building a force of mobile guns.”

“Do you really think we can get out of here?,” asked a new voice. He sounded

younger than the rest of them. This was probably his first time off planet.

“Hei?,” asked Harry.

“Yes, Beekeeper,” said Hei. He sounded frightened and tired after everything he and

his partner had undergone.

“The Bernies assembled a team of volunteers who have collectively killed more xenos

than people murdered throughout the history of the Earth to come all the way over

here from their safer homes to murder even more xenos to save you,” said Harry. “We

didn’t do that with plans to lose. One way, or the other, we’re going to get you out of

here so you can heal up and adjust back to a life where you only have to face the

enemy once in a while instead of constantly. As soon as I hear from my support crew,

we’re breaking out of here.”

“Americans,” said Hei.

“Nice speech,” said Yema.

“It could have used a bit more metaphor,” said Detrac.

“I don’t think I have killed that many xenos,” said Howitz.

Har shook his head in his corner. It looked like he was smiling but his simian face

was harder for Harry to read.

“As the demon of death, I agree with that statement,” said Milla.

“All right, guys,” said Harry. “Some of us need to get some sleep while our watch

keeps an eye out. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get through the night without problems

with the xenos. If not, we might have to figure something out on the wing.”

“I am watching over here,” said Milla. “I will trade with one of the humans at the end

of my watch.”

“I will stand watch here, Harry,” said Yema. “As long as the enemy doesn’t know

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

we’re here, we should be fine.”

“They know we’re here,” said Harry. “They just don’t know how to get at us.”

“It will be fine,” said Yema. “Take some time off. It will clear your mind so you can

think about the strategy we need to finish the job.”

“I’m hoping that John will come up with something outlandish enough we can use it

for cover to finish the first part of things,” said Harry. He closed his eyes. “Then I can

head back and use Junior to clear the planet.”

“Everything will have stayed the same while you slept,” said Yema. “Then we will

see what the morning brings.”

Harry nodded as he closed his eyes and relaxed one piece of his body at a time.

He listened to the fort. Things shuffled going on outside, but they had covered the

outside with dirt and branches. Har had put in a wall and roof on the inside so the

xenos would have to come through the mech before they could get to the contractors

where they rested.

He felt Milla would have a harder time of it, even with a force door in place. The

xenos would still try to clear them out. They were singleminded in their pursuit. They

weren’t going to let three contractors just sleep through the night without trying to get

to them.

Harry wondered how many bees he was accumulating while he lay on the hard

ground. He had explained they should remain under cover until the contractors

moved. Then he was going to need them to help cover whatever motion the

contractors undertook.

He expected them to discover the fort and start pounding on the walls, or send for

their bigger fiends to try to cave the thing down. That’s what he would do.

Grunts were dumber than rocks. They might be milling about out there, trying to

figure why there was a pile of logs sticking out of the mountain. At least Har’s wall

would keep them out until guns could be used.

Harry fell asleep, and actually started to dream. He was halfway through a race

through a Speed Racer track when Nick butted in and asked him to wake up. He

rubbed his eyes as he pushed off his brain cloud.

“A review board has been called,” said Nick. “Let’s go.”

“Do we have to do this now?,” asked Harry. “I’m trying to get a nap.”

“Come on,” said Nick. “We have to face the music.”

Harry followed his agent through a hall made of bubbles. He smiled when he saw

Gauntlet was in action somewhere on Earth. Then he frowned. He needed to do what

he could to let the older contractor enjoy his retirement.

“Review Board?,” asked Harry. “Shouldn’t have used the bomb, eh?”

“This is a lot of trouble, Harry,” said Nick. “Your neck is on the line, savvy? Don’t

try to be smart. You’re not good at it.”

“I guess that’s fair,” said Harry. He folded his hands behind his back as he followed

his agent into a large room. He paused at the minds disguised as human actors in their

roles filling the room that Nick crossed to reach the center. The Bernie gestured for

his contractor to join him.

Harry cast a wave at Steve and Lora when he saw them as he crossed the room. Steve

nodded back. Lora gave him a half-wave.

“Greetings,” said a Bernie disguised as Peter Falk wearing a raincoat over a battered

suit. He sat at a raised desk. He was flanked by two other Bernies that Harry didn’t

recognize. “Harold Jordan, do you know why this board has been called?”

“Nope,” said Harry.

“You have used a weapon deemed too dangerous for your species twice,” said the

judge. “We are considering revoking your station. Do you have anything to say?”

“You hired me to kill xenos,” said Harry. “You didn’t put down rules of

engagement.”

“Really?,” said the judge. “There was a pact of paperwork. Did you not read it?”

“I was under the influence when I joined up so I can truthfully say I didn’t see any

such paperwork,” said Harry.

“So when you accepted your contract, you were under the influence?,” said the judge.

“I had just lost my pinkie toes,” said Harry. “I think Nick took advantage to offer me

a crappy deal when he knew I would die otherwise.”

“Is this true, {screech}?,” asked the judge.

“Is that your real name?,” asked Harry. “It sounds like dial up mixed with a cat being

raped.”

“There were some extenuating circumstances,” said Nick. He glared at Harry. “I

assure you the contractor was given a fair choice.”

“We will have to review that as part of the proceedings,” said the judge.

“Contractor Jordan,” said the judge on the right. She was a slender brunette with

a chin and short hair. “How have your dealings been with your agent?”

“He has been an important part of the mission that you asked me to carry out,” said

Harry. “I haven’t dealt with your people much, but the ones I have dealt with have

been fairly decent and straight with me.”

“How many of our people have you dealt with, Contractor Jordan?,” asked the judge

on the left. He was a guy in a tux. Curly red hair had been pushed back from his worn

face.

“Four outside of you three,” said Harry. “There’s Nick, of course. Bubba, Box’s

contractor. He helped us test the gate theory Marques and Guy came up with. Steve

and Lora, who let me talk to their contractors to let them know we were going to try

to rescue them.”

The other three agents stepped forward. Bubba was dressed like a musketeer. He

tipped his hat back, and smiled.

“You three have direct dealings with Contractor Jordan,” said the head judge. “Why?”

“It was relevant to the discussion of a major threat to Earth, as well as to the home

world,” said Bubba. “That threat must be stamped out before we are attacked here

in the center of our power.”

“Agent {screech and rumble} and I agreed that we needed outside help to rescue

our contractors from the accidental use of a gate from Earth to Delgas,” said Steve.

“Contractor Jordan has done everything he can to succeed. We feel that he will rescue

our contractors with the other contractors that volunteered to help them.”

“Contractor Milla is watching out for them,” said Harry. “They were holed up in

a cave across from us. We were going to figure out a way to get them out when

I got out of bed. But I am here.”

“We are aware,” said Steve. “She has a good reputation among us.”

“Harry?,” asked the voice of John. “Are you there?”

“I am being court martialed,” said Harry. “Can you wait for the judgment?”

“No,” said John. “We have a plan. We need you to get it together and get your guys

ready.”

“Who is this?,” asked the chief judge.

“John Stuart, commanding the Michael Jordan,” said John. “I’m going to need my

contractor back.”

“Really?,” asked the judge.

“I’m a simple man, your honor,” said John. “Harry said he would back your insane

objective to clear Delgas. We said we would back his stupid play. I used to deal in

lead, and in twenty minutes, I am going to have a fire sale. I need my crew back

now.”

“You heard the man,” said Harry. “All a marine needs is a ride and a gun. I got

a gun, and it looks like my ride is coming. Got to go.”

Harry toggled his menu, and then he snapped off the communication link. He woke

up with dizziness trying to force him back down. He shook it off and stood up.

“Everyone get up,” Harry called. “John is on his way. We have to be ready to move

out. Up and at them.”

“My agent seems dismayed,” said Yema. “It is the first time I have heard him like this

ever.”

“I am ready to assert my dominance,” said Milla.

Harry smiled as his group got everything together. He ordered himself a cold coffee.

He wondered what insane scheme John had come up with now. He had probably

figured out a way to turn the light of the sun into a laser.

“Milla, make sure Xin and Hei have our helmet and network stuff,” said Harry. “We

might be doing a lot of fighting in the next few minutes. I don’t want them wandering

off on their own after all this.”

“It will be done,” said Milla.

“What’s going on, Harry?,” asked Detrac. He stretched with the popping of his joints.

“John said he’s coming to get us,” said Harry. “We need to make sure we’re armed

and dangerous.”