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Valentine had learned to run and think in his years with the Wolves. He ran to his tent, grabbed his gunbelt, and stuck his fighting claws in the cargo pockets in his pants. He took up the flash-bangs and his bolo knife, putting the first in his pocket and the second on his belt. What else, what else? He grabbed a few pieces of wax-paper-wrapped gum from the little box of luxuries beside his bed.
As he pulled his tunic back on, Ahn-Kha, Post, Styachowski, Nail and assorted faces gathered outside his tent, all in various states of undress.
"What's going on, sir?" Post, a flare gun in his hand, asked as he emerged.
"We've set a new record for things going wrong in an operation. It's started to fail thirty-six hours before the jump-off hour. Our masquerade is over."
"Miracle it lasted as long as it did," Nail said.
"No miracle," Narcisse said, appearing from the darkness. "Magic of the right hand."
Valentine took the gun and a satchel of flares from Post. "We're going to start Boxcars in thirty minutes; you all are going to be occupied. First thing is to get everyone up and ready. Don't go yet. I've got to run down a renegade. I'm taking Ahn-Kha. If you see a red flare from Xray-Tango's headquarters, we're aborting; head west into the mountains and do your best. A green flare from the Kurian Tower means commence Boxcars. Just hit whatever you can as soon as you can. Nail, your team has farthest to go, get your team to Alpha and I'll catch up. I've got to go confuse the issue. Post, get the pikes and stabbing spears, and the spare guns; I hope we'll need them. Make sure Ahn-Kha's platoon gets to the ferry. Styachowski, set up operational HQ at Alpha. You're in charge. Remember, red, run; green, go."
"Make it a go, sir, I've been running for near a year now," Hanson said.
"You're the best hope of the Ozark Free Territory. Act like it." Valentine gave them all a salute. "Ahn-Kha, let's go. Good luck, everyone."
The Golden One slung Valentine's old PPD-Ahn-Kha had made a few hundred Mauser reloads for it by hand- and trotted into the darkness.
"By now Smalls has had time to tell his story," Valentine said as they ran together, Ahn-Kha moving at his Grog canter using both hands and feet. "Xray-Tango's been woken up. Will they come for me or call an alert?"
"They'll ask Smalls more questions."
"Hope I can get there before Xray-Tango makes any decisions."
Ahn-Kha slipped the red flare into the gun as they approached the old bank. "My David, let's just fire this. We can get away clean into the hills. Much better off than when we walked up to the Ruins. We'll still cause them trouble in the mountains."
"Old horse," Valentine said, sticking a piece of chewing gum in his mouth. "I want them mad as hornets. I want Solon so peeved that he won't rest until I'm hanging from a gallows. I don't want to just be a distraction; I want to be an obsession. Put a green flare in. I'll be out in a couple of minutes."
Valentine left Ahn-Kha well hidden with a view of the headquarters building. With the gum softened he pulled it out of his mouth, shaped it and stuck a piece in each ear. He trotted out to the street, and came up to the guards in front of the building.
"Did some civvies just run in here? Man and a woman?" he asked the corporal.
"Yes, Colonel Le Sain; they-"
"Thank God. They don't come out the door, and if you see them climb out the windows, you shoot."
"Uhhh-"
"Surround the headquarters with your men. Right now, Corporal. I don't want them getting away with this."
Valentine ran up the stairs and into the light of the headquarters. One of Xray-Tango's staff had a field phone to his ear. He tapped the lieutenant on the shoulder.
"Yes, a security detail. Something's-" the man began, and then turned, recognizing him. "Just a moment," he said to the phone.
"There's been a murder in my camp. A sergeant is dead. I need to find General Xray-Tango."
"Downstairs, Colonel. Ummm... a man and a woman came in ... it's rather confused, sir. You're to be taken for questioning."
"I've got some angry answers. Where are the Smalls?"
"Downstairs, with ... Wait, sir, you can't go down there with your weapons."
Valentine took off his pistol belt and hung it on the chair in front of the lieutenant. "Easily done. Send the security detail downstairs, too, there's someone I want arrested."
He didn't wait for any more protests. He descended the stairs and listened for voices in the quiet of the basement offices. Even through gum-clogged ears he could hear questions and crying coming from a room down the hall, in a different direction from the one where he had his conversation with Mu-Kur-Ri's avatar. A military policeman stood outside the door.
"That was quick work," he said, looking behind Valentine expectantly.
