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"What in-"
"That's no way for a leader to talk. Especially not the Cleo Bloom who spearheaded Archangel."
"See here, Mister," she said, bristling.
Valentine's hand became a blur. The slap carried like a gunshot.
"I'm putting you under arrest for assault."
"You've lost your nerve, Bloom. Showing the whites of your eyes. And your teeth. All you need is a gingham dress and we'd have a minstrel show."
She gasped, swung for his jaw. Valentine took the blow. If anything, he was grateful for it.
"You couldn't do Morse code with a tap like that," Valentine said, tasting blood. "Try again, you alley ho."
"Motherfucker" she said, falling on him. They went down and it was a dirt fight of knees and elbows. He covered his face with a forearm as she rained blows down on either side of his head, right-left right-left right-left.
"Woo! Officers fightin'," someone called.
Cleo Bloom stood up, her eyes bright and alive. "Jesus Lord," she panted. "Jesus Lord."
"Feel better, Colonel?" Valentine asked.
Later, they talked about it in the dispensary as a nurse put cold towels on Valentine's bruises and dabbed his cuts with iodine.
"I figured pressure must have been building up in you somewhere," Valentine said.
"I don't remember feeling any kind of presence," she said. "I just had all these doubts all of a sudden. I thought it was because it was the first time I was in command."
"I'm sure that helped," Valentine said. "The Kurians know what they're doing. They attack when someone is most vulnerable. It's how they fight. No need to beat us if we beat ourselves."
"Boy, when it came out, it was like a firehose. I feel better than I have for weeks. I remember you were saying something about an operation?"
"We found the Kurian's temporary hideout. Dumb luck, really. It's in a unique-looking town, as seen from above. Of course there's a big radio mast, so it makes sense that he would be there."
"And we're waiting for what, exactly?"
"Your orders."
"Given. Let's get this brigade of ours back into the war."
"I'd like permission to accompany the Bears."
"No, I'll send that Duvalier. She's very good, and she knows the country. Besides, I need you here. I was looking at the map, and there's a nice notch in the ridge ahead. We could use a rest from moving, and I think with some flank security we could mess with the pursuit. The thought scared me before, but now I want to take a crack at them. They're so used to us running after brief holding actions, we might catch them strung out."
* * * *
Valentine passed a busy, sleepless night. While Gamecock and Duvalier, guided by a trio of Wolves, headed for La Grange, Bloom turned the brigade and launched an exploratory attack on Moondagger reconnaissance following them up the road.
Then Javelin took a much-needed rest while waiting for the Bears to return. Scavenging parties found green apples and early squash to eat. The fall's first bounty was coming in.
The hours dragged as Valentine experienced the doubts of a man who'd rather be on the job himself sending others into danger. He gnawed on an apple core, reducing it by tiny shavings, waiting for the parties' return. Bee sensed his mood and tried to comb out his hair and pick ticks.
They came in at dusk, one Bear short and Duvalier limping on a twisted ankle.
Gamecock, thick with smoke and dirt, gave a brief report, with Silvertip standing silently behind. Silvertip looked like he'd spent the morning wrestling mountain lions.
"Town had a Moondagger garrison, but they were living it up in the roadhouse at the edge of town," he said. "Sure enough, there was a little Kurian blister on the antenna, made out of whatever crap they use as tenting. They'd camouflaged it like an eagle nest."
