Traitors (Damned of the 2/19th - Book Five) - Finished

Relieved of Command

2/19th Special Weapons Group Barracks
Restricted Area - Western Germany
Early Winter - 1986
Day: Fifteen

Bomber, Nagle, Sergeant Tee, myself, and two others moved down the hallway through Titty Territory. Everyone was armed, the pistols and rifles taken from the LT's little minions passed out to make sure everyone was armed with firearms. Everyone but me, that is. Four of the other people helping had went to the generator room to take Oakes, Kebble, Nelson, and Marks into "custody" and lock them in Oakes' room. Sergeant Tee had sent four, when Bomber had told him that at least two of them would probably have to be carried, and that Kebble would need immediate medical attention at least. Since Pvt Raleigh was a combat lifesafer, she was the one who got to go. Nagle had more medical experience, more training (including an SF Medical correspondence course series), but Sergeant Tee figured it was better to keep Nagle away from Kebble.

Bomber and I walked into the CQ area, looking around. I moved around the CQ counter and looked at where the phones should have been. Nothing, just the empty sockets where they were supposed to be plugged in. According to the clock it was 0200 at NORAD, and I grumbled curses that not even the dedicated lines had been left plugged in. Using my key, which still doubled as a master-key for some weird reason, I opened up the closet and checked the gauges to see how much trouble we were in.

I didn't know what the shit the readings meant beyond the fact that the barometer was dropped, windspeed was up over 30 mph with 50 mph gusts, and it was 20 below outside. Killer weather. I knew that a barometer was measure of atmospheric pressure, but being at the top of a goddamn mountain made it so that I didn't understand how the low pressure mattered that much. I didn't understand that kind of stuff, give me good ol' Net Explosive Weight any day. According to the cheat sheet, though, the settings meant that if it wasn't snowing out there, then it was going to start doing it soon.

I popped back out of The Closet, and shook my head. "If it isn't snowing out there, it's going to soon." I told him. "We're stuck here still."

"Dammit." He growled, setting the M-16 on the counter and scrubbing his face with his hands. "I'd almost prefer being stuck in her with the psycho from last winter."

"Everything will work out, gentlemen." Sergeant Tee told us, checking the locks on the doors. Like most people who'd been in the company and believed rumor control, he avoided the bathroom door that was identical match for the one Tandy had disappeared out of. Sure, the barracks had been rebuilt once and refurbished after last winter, but the floorplan was damn near exact.

The lights buzzed and flickered, and two of the privates who'd arrived at the unit since September looked nervous.

"Anyone who doesn't want to take part in this, this is your last chance to return to your rooms." Sergeant Tee said, looking over everyone's face. "This might get really bad, and there's already been deaths and injuries. If you choose to return to your rooms, nobody will judge you for it." He looked at Bomber and me. "You two in?"

"Yeah." Bomber said.

"I'm in, Sergeant." I growled.

"Nagle?"

"On line, on time." She smiled, hefting the rifle in her hands.

Sergeant Tee checked with each of us, making sure that we were willing to go along with what we were planning.

"Remember, it is your duty, under the UCMJ, to disobey illegal orders. As of this time, we will attempt a peaceful resolution, and I will attempt to force the Lieutenant to step down. However, the UCMJ does make provisions for having no other choice than to use force to disobey illegal orders." He looked older, hell, all of us looked older. "All of us will undoubtedly undergo investigation" Nagle, Bomber and I laughed at that, but he ignored us and kept speaking "and possibly court martial to determine the circumstances and whether or not the orders that the Lieutenant has been giving are illegal."