Free The Black Guard: Book II: Evolution (Black Guard Series 2) by C. R. Daems Page B

succeed in killing you and the Holy One."
Heydar's face flushed as he talked. Although he mentioned the Guard, his real
concern—rightly so—was the Holy One.
    "We won't, but it has to be clear that Colonel
Prakash is involved. I want you to tell your troops that although this was a
safety test, I had sent five Guards on each skimmer in case there was trouble. Tell
them the Black Guard plans to recover the bodies of their comrades and then
cancel the contract and leave. Consequently, you need to appoint army guards to
the palace."
    "But when the Gurk come ..."
    "Tell the guards not to resist. Let the Gurk
enter." I gave a small smile.
    After a minute, Heydar nodded understanding and the
tension in his face relaxed.
    * * *
    I called Elijah on my Mfi. "Elijah, get all the
Guard inside the palace and out of sight in the Holy One's quarters. I'll
explain when I get back. As far as everyone is concerned, we are canceling the
contract and the army will be guarding the palace."
    "Party time?" she asked, and I could hear the
amusement in her voice. Elijah had been with me on several assignments and knew
me well.
    "I'm hoping so." I cut the connection and
called the crouching tiger. "Captain Blatt, I need another combat shuttle.
Normally, I'd ask Nastya to pay for both, but I believe it's a Helix issue and
in the Jax's best interest. Unless I'm wrong, Outpost is involved in a plot to
replace Nastya with someone friendly to them and put the blame on the
Jax."
    "That's why Admiral Geller has me hanging around.
She has a feeling Outpost may want to interfere. So the candy store is wide
open." He laughed.
    "Lieutenant Douglas will give you the location of
two downed skimmers. I believe the Gurk are going to send one or more shuttles
or armored cars to attack the Black Guards who are supposedly clearing the
wreckage of their dead comrades. Seems unfair, bringing combat shuttles to
fight Guards armed only with Mfws."
    "I'll dispatch a referee or two. They should be
over your site within two hours. Need anything else, Sapir?"
    "No, The Gurk only have fifty troops," I said
before I cut the connection. But they weren't rabble, not that it mattered. The
Holy One couldn't afford to use foreign army or marine troops without drawing
criticism from the clans. The Black Guard would have to be enough. The trick
now was to minimize the damage to my family.
    "Sergeant Haber, I'll leave the four Guards with you
to help recover the dead bodies of the Guard in the skimmers." I smiled,
nodding toward the still burning skimmers. "Take five marine riot shields
from the shuttle and stay where you can find cover. If I'm right, the Gurk will
be back in combat shuttles or armored trucks to kill you. You're the bait. A Jax
combat shuttle or two will take care of the negotiations."
    "Yes, sir. And afterward?"
    "Have the pilot rendezvous with Douglas. We may
need you, but I won't know where until the Gurk show." I left Haber and the
others and bordered the shuttle.
    "Back to the palace?" Douglas asked.
    "Yes. You can drop me off and then find yourself
someplace out of sight to watch. A little advance notice wouldn't hurt," I
said, already considering how best to deploy the Guard.
    * * *
    "I can't believe one of the Omoms would consort
with the Gurk, and worse, an outside group to overthrow the rightful ruler of
Blackwood. Like Sanaz, I was designated by the Omoms when I was a child to fill
the position of Holy One, as is our tradition," Nastya said after hearing
the earlier events and my conclusion. Her daughter, Heydar, Elijah, and I sat
in her private study. "And you expect Colonel Prakash to come here?
Why?"
    "To kill me and ensure you resign. He will believe
the rumors. That his assault on the skimmers killed ten Black Guards, that I
have five at the site—whom he will have dispatched troops with orders to
kill—and that I'm left with only five Black Guards. I'm sure he and his
supporter have some story why they had to storm the palace to free you and why
I