The Last Raid by Michael Stephen Fuchs

Author:Michael Stephen Fuchs [Fuchs, Michael Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Complete & Total Asskicking Books, London UK
Published: 2022-06-23T04:00:00+00:00

We’ll Consider Your Bullshit Proposal

JFK – Bridge

Drake said, “Or maybe somebody else signaled Berkut to warn them – someone who’d just been released from the brig. And had free run of the ship.”

Something deep in Yaz suddenly just got tired of having to apologize all the damned time. Of always being the bad guy. Looking Drake in the eye, then touching his cheek, he said, “Hey, sir, I just got half my face shot off. Isn’t that proof enough of my innocence?”

For the first time, Fick spoke up: “But did you die?”

Despite himself, Yaz laughed out loud, flashing back to that Presidio rooftop, on the first day of the end of the world, and the first day he ever met Fick – who welcomed and tested him by leaving him alone with a dozen dead guys in an enclosed space. Then, shortly after, when Yaz complained, asked him that same question. Unfortunately, only the two Marines had been there, making Yaz’s laughter sound inappropriate at best, and insane at worst. Not laughing, or even smiling, Drake said:

“What I really need to know right now is: how were you the only one to escape that perfectly laid trap?”

To the others, it appeared Yaz had no answer to this.

In reality, he did, but unfortunately it was: I sensed it coming, so hung back and let the others walk right into it.

And saying that wasn’t going to help his case at all.

* * *

“Figured as much,” Dave said, about the loss of the frigate. “Just didn’t expect to find you with the Kennedy’s raiding party.” When Uron didn’t respond, he said, “Also always figured Katya would outlive you – outlive all of us. That chick was a fucking badass.”

Uron smiled sadly in acknowledgment, but changed the subject, not wanting to think any more about Katya’s death than he already had. So he raised the issue that had been tickling at his brain, the elephant on the platform.

“Speaking of badasses. Where is Colonel Utkin? Wagner himself?”

Dave, with his feet still up, chuckled, still totally unruffled. In Uron’s experience, the man never let anything get to him. “Afraid he and I had a little falling-out.”

Uron didn’t really need to hear more. But he was going to.

“Let’s call it a leadership contest.”

“Dominance contest, you mean.”

“That, too. Either way, it was short, nasty, and decisive.”

“I bet,” Uron said. “One wolf pack, two Alphas.”

Dave smiled again. “Something had to give.”

Uron kept his cards close to his vest, but he wouldn’t have picked the lethal Russian commander and warlord to be the one to go down. The man had come out on top of a hundred dominance contests, with rivals who had killed and knew how it was done. So for him to lose one now was remarkable. It said a great deal about the man in front of him, the former DEVGRU CMC – and what he was capable of.

“Man is mortal,” Uron said. “Even Wagner.”

“Yeah,” Dave said, taking his feet down. “Even that guy.”

Uron took a look around the room, at the men around him.

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