Free Savages by James Cook Page B

did not need to know that, but I wondered what Gabe would say.
    “If you’re sending us as a sacrifice play,” Gabe said, “then you better make damn sure the Alliance kills me. Because if they don’t, I’m going to come looking for you, General. And sooner or later, I will find you.” 
    General Jacobs’ expression did not alter, but I thought I saw something shift far back in the granite-colored eyes. One does not take a threat from someone like Gabriel lightly. Not if they like breathing.
    “As I told you, Mr. Garrett, this is not a suicide mission. Whether you choose to believe me or not, losing people really does hurt me. Badly.” He looked in my direction. “Mr. Riordan, how old do you think I am?”
    “I don’t know. Mid-fifties, maybe?”
    He chuckled sadly. “I’m forty-eight.”
    My eyebrows went up. He was not much older than Gabriel, but looked like he could be his father. When I said mid-fifties, I was trying to spare Jacobs’ feelings. “Christ,” I said.
    Back to Gabriel. “Does that satisfy you, Mr. Garrett?”
    “No. But I’ll accept the mission. I owe you. But after this, we’re square.”
    Jacobs nodded. “I may ask for your help again in the future, but you will be under no obligation to accept. If you do, you will be well compensated for any assistance you provide.”
    “Understood.”
    “And you, Mr. Riordan?”
    I shrugged. “Got nothing better to do. Count me in.”
    The corners of the general’s mouth creased into a smile. I could feel Gabe’s eyes boring into the side of my head. I glanced at him and said, “We’ll talk about it later.”
    “Yes. We will.”
    Jacobs said, “Now, on to the next matter. Task Force Falcon consists of eight operators. You two make ten. We have another man on the way from Central as we speak. I’d like at least one more. Do you have a recommendation?”
    “I do, sir,” Captain Harlow said. I jumped a little. He had been so quiet throughout the conversation I had forgotten he was there.
    “Yes?” Jacobs said.
    He slid a manila folder across the desk. General Jacobs took it and opened it.
    “The man you’re looking at, sir, is one of Lieutenant Jonas’ men. Specialist Caleb Hicks. His CO and his platoon sergeant both personally recommended him for promotion to sergeant. His service record is exemplary. He’s only been in the Army two years, but he already has a Bronze Star and multiple letters of commendation. Jonas thinks he would be a good fit for the mission.”
    “Awfully young, isn’t he? Says here he just turned twenty-one.”
    “He is young, but he’s very capable, sir. I’ve seen him in action myself. I would not want to be downrange of him.”
    Jacobs scanned a few more pages. “It also says his service in the Army is compulsory. A judge in the Springs offered him a deal to avoid a prison sentence on felony assault charges.”
    I had to strain very hard to keep my shock under control. Caleb was what one might call the strong, silent type. I had never asked him anything about his past, and he had never offered. Finding out he had a criminal record rocked me. Caleb was a friend. A friend I knew almost nothing about beyond what I had seen in combat and on salvage runs. He was dangerous, that was for certain. But he had always seemed so in control of himself. I wondered what could have happened to make him hurt someone badly enough to end up in front of a judge.
    “I’ve spoken to him about that, sir” Harlow said. “Apparently it was a drunken dispute that got out of hand.”
    Jacobs looked at him. “Any other incidents since he enlisted?”
    “None that I am aware of, sir.”
    The general looked dubious. “Just because you aren’t aware of it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, Captain. I started out as an enlisted man. Fights get covered up sometimes.”
    “Sir, if he had done anything like what’s described in that file, I would have found out about it by now. It would be extremely difficult to cover