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"Anything here indicate there's more men here than usual?" Valentine asked.
"No, sir."
Rollings nodded and Valentine hit the button marked "call."
When Valentine didn't get a response in ten seconds, he pressed again, long and hard, the way an impatient Quisling ringwearer would when he wasn't getting service to his liking.
It took a full minute for a crackly voice to answer.
"Yes?" the voice crackled through the tarnished, oil-smeared speaker.
"This is Colonel Sanity Marks, Combat Tech Service. I've got a wiring team broken down three miles west of here and I need transport. I'll require one of your trucks and a motorcycle for at least forty-eight hours."
"Tell it to the Coastal Marines, sapper."
Valentine raised his eyebrows to Rollings.
"Is Sergeant Nelson in there?" Rollings said.
"Who wants to know?"
"Tell him it's Rollings, late of the River Road Light. This colonel is steamed, I shit you not, and he's got a brass ring and a crapped-out truck full of guys with computers and fiberoptic line."
"Someone will be out in a moment."
Valentine snapped: "I had a harpy swoop overhead not five minutes ago. Get out here before the damn thing comes back and shits on me. I hate those fucking things."
A corporal and a private appeared, looking like they'd just yanked their uniform shirts off of hangers: The shoulders were riding ridged and high.
"Sir," the corporal said. "I'm going to need to see some orders and identification."
Valentine shoved his ring fist through the bars. "I've got a broken-down truck and a wiring team that's six hours late now. Get us the hell inside."
The corporal bussed the ring with his lips. Valentine had made the obeisance often enough during his sojourn as a Coastal Marine in the Gulf. On a ring belonging to the proper wearer, it gave off a slight tingle.
"Not the Grog," the corporal protested.
If he folded once, he'd fold again. Valentine turned his gaze to the silent armsman.
"Private, you want to speed things up for me? You can have this corporal's stripes. I think by the time I've written my evaluation, he won't need them anymore."
"Sir, no disrespect, but I'll get into more trouble by not following procedures than you could ever bring down."
"I wonder. You know anything about distributed secure networks?"
"Uh-no, sir."
Which was just as well. Valentine didn't know anything about it either. The corporal silently allowed the group inside.
uGas up two trucks. Put batteries in or whatever you have to do to get them going."
"Thought you said-"
"I'm going to listen to the engines of both," Valentine said. "I'll take the truck that sounds healthier."
Valentine didn't wait for an answer and headed toward the main office door between the two bigger buildings. Bee trailed behind.
He opened the door and wiped his feet. Two men in undershirts were lacing boots up.
