Leonid
They came for us before the dawn. Our presence requested by intelligence. Escorts with guns make clear the alternative. This is where they pump me for everything I know and shove the Ivan out the gate. If I'm lucky.
My debriefer, a Major Jones, is the worst sort of rear area apparatchnik. White flesh, soft hands with a commission granted by his party father. He scowls to see me. Points me to a chair.
We begin. Questions, many questions, many hours of questions. I am given water only so I can speak. The gnawing in my belly spreads to my head with pin pricks of pain about the temples. I shrug it off. Answer him as best I can. I give him truth leavened with gristle and gore. Soft man won't have the stomach for it.
I've gone through the story three times, triplicate is magic in both our services, when the headache peaks. His demeanor shifts. He apologizes for the rough questions. We all have jobs to do. Am I supposed to like him now?
He has just a a few more. He knows they are hard ones, but we have to know. I agree.
He asks for personal feelings. I'm distracted for a moment by the incongruity. How do I feel about the Captain? A fine officer, well suited to command in difficult circumstances. He frowns.
Why didn't I act when she refused Colonel Stark's direct orders? You were alarmed, weren't you? The temple pain increases. Damn, I need something to eat. No, he never gave us an order. He suggested courses of action.
You know he ordered here. You were there, remember? No, he never ordered us. I remember this pain. A basement in Warsaw and a large grey Zver. What are you Major Jones?
He asks more "questions" with leading and provided answers. I tell him more truth. Let him choke on it. I know his game. He leaves, frustrated.
I am allowed a meal and to stretch my legs around the building. I do not see any of my comrades. I returns to a different face. This one, Captain Walsh, is happy to see me. He acts like he has crush on first girl. He walks me through the events since Kalisz. I can tell some of the questions is is cross checking against one of us. I give him the same, truth, until evening.
Miller
Early morning spent with my personal interrogator. Whoop-de-doo. Wait, he's shaking my hand, telling me what a fine job I've done, and how proud everyone is? Where's the bad cop? Nope just him.
He gives me a bowl of hot slop and a couple primary colored Flintstones chewable vitamins. He'd rather it had been fruit, but nothing's fresh. And we talk. He wants the story in my own works. He takes copious shorthand notes. Asks a question here and there for clarification.
We spend mid-morning going back over it. He made a few mistakes and I correct them as best I can. He's nice. No ring.
Charles stays with me through lunch. He talks about Bremerhaven and living on base. If the military drops him he's going to Philly. He has a son living with his parents. No ex, he's a widower. I talk about Jana, my adoptive.
Afternoon, I get the bad cop. Major Jones is angry and lean with a face that would have been handsome if it wasn't so pinched. He barks questions at me. I can feel a headache rushing on at the treatment. I give it back to him with sharp, choppy answers. Fuck him.
He stops after an hour. The disgust is plain on his face. He dismisses me and flees the room.
Nobody knows what to do with me after that so I leave for our barracks wondering if the rest of the team had an asshole encounter.
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They are clouded and resistant to suggestion. Very strange. Dangerous. Will attempt alternate tact.
--J
Sic Omnia Pati
Paterson
We're taking the long walk home, a pair of MPs pulling escort, in the dark. There's lights elsewhere, and the chug of generators, but not down here, strictly battery or fire. We get stopped by patrols and waved on through.
At the barracks Leo pulls me aside. "We need to talk. All of us."
I've already laid claim to the warehouses offices for myself, Doc and Jana as the girl's clubhouse. Leo grabs the others.
He lays out his interrogation ending with, "Major Jones was telling me what he wants me to say. That you directly undercut a superior officer, usurped command, and refused orders. He wanted me to help set you up."
"But there's more. The whole time, there was pain in my head, right here," He rubs at his temples. "And behind the eyes. Just like that thing in Warsaw."
"I saw a Major Jones in the afternoon," adds Doc. "We was rushed and frustrated. I started to get a head ache as well then he just quit and left. So I left."
Alphabit wants to know what this guy looks like so Leo and Doc give us all a good description. Once he gets it he asks, "Can I kill him?"
"Not yet," I answer, "we need to know more. Stay together, stay close. I want one of you on watch at all times in case he or his friends show up. I'll take first, you get some sleep."
Damn, maybe we should prep some of the guns.
Alphabit
Daylight filters in through the cracked window. Rex is playing with the dust sparkles while I watch. In a moment he goes from playful to alert tracking something across the wall. Nothings there.
His back arches as he stares, mouth open in a soundless hiss, and ears pinned back. He's ready to fight as I realize he's not looking at the wall. He's looking past the wall tracking across the front of our building as something goes by. I pull the hatchet from my belt and trot to the door.
Behind I hear Leo curse. I pretend not to hear. Hatchet held low along my thigh. Next door, that Major we talked about last night, or his eviler twin, is being admitted. I walk over to the alleyway between our two buildings. They're identical in layout. Here is the air venting for the offices. I can just hear Jones and Emowitz speak.
Leo and Cap are coming up, I signal for silence. Jones' voice drones, Emowitz is first questioning and then fades to a dull monotone. Jones bewitching Emowitz. He dully echoes Jones' accusations. How Cap usurped his authority. How he was afraid for his life. How angry he is and wanting to press charges.
Leo and Cap murmur to one another. What to do. What to do. I raise my hatchet and slam the blunt side of the head, hard, against the air vent, one, two, three. Jones' voice halts. There are cries of alarm from Emowitz' men. I hustle my officers away.
"Why'd you do that! We could have learned..."
"Nothing good, he was casting a spell, didn't you hear."
Jones leaves in a rush propelled by angry soldiers. I should have stayed near. Cold Iron is a cure for many ills. Rex curls in the sunlight.
Moments later, Lt. Sonders, rushes over yelling for Doc. Emowitz collapsed. Doc grabs kit and runs over. Leo and I flanking.
We end with the Major at the infirmary. They think he's had a stroke. I know better, man's elf-shot.
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Options have narrowed. Too many witnesses to cloud. May have to pass to brothers in America.
--J
Sic Omnia Pati
Eddie
At least I'm not cleaning toilets. Cap's keeping herself closeted while the rest of the team is running after Emowitz. They left in a hurry. I get to be Mom and pick up.
Rex only likes Alpha, so that was a treat with extra scratches. Jana's sitting guard with Doc's gear. That leaves Leo. Shaving kit, bowl, spoon, and junk, it all goes into the bag. What's this? Letters home? I probably shouldn't. But you know I will. In English too.
Comrades,
I just wanted to make mark to leave behind in case everything goes to shit for me when I'm presented to the Amerikan command at Bremerhaven.
We are now two days out from Bremerhaven. I am scared. I am even more afraid than I was while making my escape after deserting the Soviet army. Its funny to feel this way considering all the things I've faced: nuclear attacks, being hunted, shot at, "monsters". I think it is probably because I have no control here, no amount of training or skill will help me. I keep thinking what if... what if they don't believe I am who I say I am, or why I deserted. What if they think I am a Soviet plant and this is my cover. Considering my original training was to infiltrate the US and neutralize launch facilities I find that a reasonable fear. I do not want to have come all this way just to end up a POW.
All of you, I have been living, working, and fighting with for the last four months Kat, Alpha, Doc, Eddie. At first you were just insurance, an insulator between me and those that would like to see me locked up just because I am a Russian. You were "other targets" for when the shooting started because I knew that you were not truly combat troops, you would draw more attention than I would. Now you are my friends, no not friends, you are my семья, my family. The thought of being separated from you terrifies me.
Not much I can do now but wait. You are going home, I have no home now. I would go with you if they had let me.
---Leonid
Shit, damn, fuck. I should not have read that. I fold it back over and stuff it well down in his pack.
Paterson
One more day to go. I haven't been arrested yet. Emowitz has been returned to his barracks. The doctors can't find anything wrong with him with the tools available. No X-Rays, ultrasounds or MRIs anymore. I saw him briefly in the morning.
He looks at me with confusion. "Have we been fighting?" he asks. "I should be furious with you, but I don't know why."
"No, we haven't. I was worried about you. How are you feeling?"
"Tired, very tired." Irritation flashes over his face then fades. "I'm sure we fought. In Warsaw?"
"We fought together against Czarny. We did a lot of good for a lot of people."
"Yeah, I keep thinking about him. I hated him." He looks away, eyes dull, "supposed to hate you too."
"But you don't."
"No, I get angry. Angry just seeing you. You should go. Now." Not a request.
"I am. Get well."
He doesn't answer.
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"Give me some answers George."
"No answers, Cap, just more questions. I have a friend in the intel section. He tells me they are quite happy with you and the others. Inventive, tenacious, and unyielding are only some of the words that got added to your file. The officers of record for Leo's debriefing were Captain Jeremiah Smith and Captain Charles Godwin. They flipped order for Doc. There is no Major Jones working for DIA. I wasn't able to speak with Smith, but I'll put money down he remembers conducting the interviews."
"Thank you. This sucks!"
"No argument there."
"Any good news?"
"They, whoever they are, can't have infiltrated that deeply. We haven't been disappeared yet."
"You're a font of welcome observations."
"I try."
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Fratres
Enclosed are debriefing accounts concerning subjects K. Paterson, L. Padgorny, M. Miller, D. McGillafry, E. Cutter. Pay attention to records of Warsaw. Subjects are opaque and immutable. Secure one for vivisection.
--J
Sic Omnia Pati
Eddie's Journal
We're aboard and heading out to sea. All of us! All of us! All of us! I really didn't.......
Alphabit
"C'mon, Eddie, lets get you to the rail."
Credit to Mike for Leo's letter. I trimmed it up and changed some tenses. Sentiments are all his.
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