“I cannot contain this any longer,” said the Colonel. “Two of my men are dead, one is so badly injured he might not make it through the day.”
He was glaring at the Captain who was standing up to his gaze with a marble face. His lips looked thinner than ever, sealed shut, and looking so pale they were almost white. It was evident that he was under pressure but made a fine job containing it, giving no other observable sign of emotion.
“And you, you have failed for the last time! Two more soldiers are dead! How do you expect me to explain this?” The Colonel’s voice began to rise into a roar as he let the anger engulf his mind.
The Captain remained silent. His face was set, his eyes two spheres of ice.
“Damn it!” shouted the Colonel. “Goddamn!”
He punched the heavy wood of his desk top with an enormous fist. It hurt, but the wood gave an audible crack. This calmed him somewhat. There was no need to damage anything, neither the furniture nor their chances to sort things out. He had made the mistake of putting the Captain under so much pressure he had almost cracked. Of course, the whole point was breaking the man that looked unbreakable, but this was not practical now. He needed him now, needed his calm mind and professional conduct. The Captain was a fine commander, and he needed this skill now to organise the remaining units into solving this situation as soon as possible. The illegal and the trafficker had to be stopped at any cost. It would take him quite a bit of explaining and mopping up of bloodstains before the whole mess was cleared up. If it could be cleared up at all before the investigations reached the border. He had always estimated getting rid of all the accumulated evidence to take months in any case, but the suspicion this incident would raise was just too much to overlook.
“Give an order of engagement at will. This has to be cleaned up as fast as possible,” he said in a calmer tone.
And so, thought the Colonel, I have failed. His wife was at stake, his marriage, and now he felt that he was losing the game. Still, if he were to continue playing, there was so much more that he would risk.
“Use all your units, and mine. I’ll brief them before you reach your command room.”
“Yes, Sir. With your permission…” The Captain was reaching for his communicator.
“Sure, just do whatever needs to be done. Oh, and one more thing. Sorry about being so blunt. It wasn’t your fault.”
But the Captain wasn’t listening. He was giving orders in his cold tones even as he left the room.
“OP-20D, this is Command. I want all data on my personal screen immediately, tunnelled through a secure channel. Engagement is imminent, but I want those visuals first. All units—”
The door shut behind the Captain. Bright kid, thought the Colonel. Could have been mine. Too late for that now. He went to his drinks cupboard and, despite his lifelong habit of never touching alcohol on duty, he poured himself a large glass of brandy. He emptied it in one gulp. Damn the wife! Damn her stupid gifts! Damn the whole thing! He just hoped to get out of this mess with his rank and pension.