The Sleeping Army Awakes

Part 38 Who guards the guards when they are not guarding you?

When Samuel reached the wide entrance, he found two men in ragged yellow and black Zeli Corporation uniforms, wielding the guns that he had found. He could have kicked himself. How could he have been so stupid as to leave the guns there?

"You've got food and we've got guns!" The smaller of the two men observed.

"Put those weapons down gentlemen." Samuel said in his calmest, but most authoritative voice possible. The larger one of them complied but the other one seemed reluctant to release his weapon.

"You don't need them here!" Samuel assured, showing no sign of being intimidated. "The wolves will protect us from any intruders."

The smaller man still seemed loathed to drop his weapon.

"Of course you are welcome to food!" Samuel said, "You do not need to threaten me with a rusty old gun!"

"Put gun down Pawel before you hurt yourself! strumpet!" The larger of the two whispered.

"After you leave then you are welcome to the guns if you need them," Samuel offered, "You are safe in here but you may need them for self protection outside. There is a very evil man on the hillside."

Pawel still clung on to the gun.

"Pawel I advise you not to try them until you have stripped them down and rebuilt them." Samuel advised. "I'd be careful if I were you. Those things haven't been fired in over a hundred years. They could end up exploding in your face. I can show you later how to strip the gun down and rebuild it... if you are willing to wait until after your meal. If you want me to show you now then your food will have to wait."

The two men looked at each other, at the guns and then at Samuel.

"We eat first!"Pawel said.

"What would you gentleman like to eat?" Samuel asked, nonchalantly changing tack. "So far we've found corned beef, goulash, peaches and spaghetti bolognese!"

"Why does he keep on talking about gentlemen?" laughed Michal the larger of the two men, "I can't see any!"

"I would like all of food even in the same bowl!" Pawel said, ignoring his brother. "I'm so hungry that I could eat several horses and not spit out hooves!"

"I am Lord Admiral Samuel Wellington!" Samuel said. "We're looking for new recruits. Are you two gentlemen currently unemployed?"

The pair looked mystified.

"Would you two like a job?" He rephrased, seeing their look of incomprehension.

"Simply can we have food first and then talk later," The taller one said. "I'm Michal and this is Pawel!" He gestured to his companion.

"Well I'll go and get the cans and you gentlemen just stay here!" Samuel said, "I'll only be a couple of minutes. Light that little stove and half fill the pan with water and that will speed things up a bit."

He didn't even check to make sure that they had agreed to this before setting off for the store chamber. There was a click as one of the semi automatic weapons was put into rapid fire position.

"How can we trust you?" Pawel asked. "How do we know that you won't return with little squad of soldiers armed to arse with working guns?"

"I don't have a little squad of men here and you and you will just have to trust me!" Samuel replied without turning, "Because if you don't then you will starve!"

"You forget that I'm one with the gun!" Pawel said.

"Oh yes you scare me holding a gun that will jam and will probably blow up in you face!" Samuel challenged defiantly."Go ahead! Fire and starve because you don't know where the food is!"