The Last Mission Of The Seventh Cavalry

Chapter Seven

“I wish this damn thing had wheels,” Kawalski said.

“Quit your bitching, Kawalski,” Autumn said, “and pick up your corner.”

“Oh, I got my corner, and I’ll probably have to carry yours, too.”

The rest of the platoon fell in behind the four soldiers carrying the weapons crate.

“Where are we going with this thing, Sarge?” Lojab asked. He was on the left front, opposite Kawalski.

Alexander was on the back left end of the crate, with Autumn across from him. “All the way to the river.”

“I didn’t hire on to be somebody’s slave,” Lojab mumbled under his breath, but everyone heard him.

“We’re all doing the same crap,” Autumn said.

“Yeah, and if we would all complain, our fearless leader would do something about it.”

“Like what, Lojab?” Sarge asked.

“Like get us the hell out of here.”

“You have some idea about how to do that?”

“You’re the sergeant, not me,” Lojab said. “But I can tell you this, if I was in charge, we wouldn’t be following along behind a bunch of cavemen, stepping over elephant shit and carrying this big-ass box.”

“You’re right, I am the sergeant, and until you replace me, I’ll give the orders.”

“Yes, sir. Sergeant, sir.”

“Why don’t you just cram it, Lojab?” Autumn said.

“Hey,” Kawalski said, “look who’s coming.”

Liada rode her horse along the side of the trail, coming from the front of the column. Her mount was a spirited buckskin stallion. When she saw the platoon, she crossed over and cantered her horse toward them. She rode bareback, with her bow and quiver swung on a leather strap over the horse’s shoulder. When she came abreast of the troop, she slid off, leaving her reins across the horse’s neck. She walked beside Alexander, while her horse followed.

“Sarge?” she said, “goodnight.”

“Hello, Liada,” Alexander said. “How are you this morning?”

“How are this morning?”

“Good,” Sarge said.

“Good.” She walked beside Autumn. “Autumn Eaglemoon are this morning?”

“Good,” Autumn said.

“Good.”

She patted the side of the weapons container, and with hand signs she asked where they were going. With her free hand, Autumn made a water motion and pointed forward.

“River.”

“River,” Liada said. She made a lifting motion with both hands.

“Yes, it is heavy.” Autumn wiped the sweat from her brow.

“Heavy.” Liada used both hands to sign for them to put it down.

“Hey, guys. She wants us to put it down for a minute.”

“I’ll vote for that,” Kawalski said as they moved off the trail and lowered it to the ground.

Liada took one of the handholds and lifted. “Heavy.” She wiped her brow and made hand signs to Autumn.

“She wants us to wait here for something,” Autumn said. “I’m not sure what.” She spoke to Liada. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Liada said, then swung onto her horse and rode away at a gallop, toward the front of the column.

“What a rider she is,” Lojab said.

“And did you see the way she mounted that horse?” Kawalski said. “Two quick steps, and she swung her leg over his back as if he were a Shetland pony.”

“Yeah,” Lojab whispered as he watched her ride out of sight around a turn in the trail. “What I could do with a woman like that.”

“My God,” Autumn said. “Will you two stop drooling all over yourselves? Someone would think you never saw a girl ride horseback before.”

The men stared at the place where Liada had been a moment before.

“Oh, I’ve seen girls ride horses before,” Lojab said. “But all the ones I’ve seen had to have a guy help them mount, and that was with the aid of a stirrup. Then, as the horse runs, the girls bounce up and down like ponytailed basketballs.”

“Liada just swings up on his back,” Kawalski said, “then rides as if she’s part of the horse.”

“Autumn,” Kady said, “do you think these guys have ever had a date with an actual woman?”

“Sure, an actual inflatable woman,” Autumn said.

“Yeah, eight-ninety-five on eBay,” Kady said.

“Just blow her up, and she’s ready to go,” Autumn said. “No buying her drinks, no dinner; just jump in bed.”

“Oh, yeah?” Lojab said. “How about the way you girls go ga-ga over that tall, pig-ugly officer in the Little Red Riding Hood cape?”

“Oooo, Rocrainium,” the four women said together, then giggled.

“Rocrainium?” Kawalski said. “How do you know his name?”

“Oh, we have ways of finding out.” Autumn made some wavy hand signs, then the other three did the same thing, followed by more giggles.

“Hey,” Lojab said, “here she comes.”

Liada came toward them on the side of the trail, passing a herd of cattle. She was followed by a wagon pulled by a yoke of oxen. Soon, they stopped in front of the weapons crate and Liada dismounted.

Alexander went to look in the wagon; it was empty. He glanced at the woman in the wagon. She stood with her arms folded, glaring down at him. He then saw the gel bandage on her arm and remembered the deep gash they’d treated.

“The sword wound,” he whispered.

Kawalski came to the side of the wagon. “Hello.”

The woman looked at Kawalski, and her face brightened. She knelt in the bed of the wagon and held out her arm for him to see. She said something, but he didn’t understand.

“Yes, it looks good.” He ran his fingers over the bandage.

She spoke again.

“Hey, Apache,” Kawalski said, “come tell me what she’s saying.”

Autumn and Liada came to stand beside Kawalski. The woman said something to Liada, who motioned to her, then to Kawalski. Liada touched two fingers to her lips, then her breast, and pointed to him.

“She wants to thank you for fixing her arm,” Autumn said.

“How do you say, ‘You’re welcome?’”

“Touch your heart, then hold your hand out flat, palm up.”

Kawalski made the sign to her. She smiled and said something else. Kawalski looked at Autumn, who then looked at Liada.

Liada said to the woman, “Kawalski.”

“Kalski,” she said. Then without looking at Sarge, she pointed at him and asked Liada a question.

“Sarge,” Liada said.

The woman spoke to Liada, who laughed. The woman said the same thing again, along with the word “Sarge” two more times.

Liada shrugged and spoke to Autumn. “Cateri talk Sarge, um…” She made some signs.

Autumn smiled. “Cateri, I like that name. Sarge, Kawalski, meet Cateri.”

“What did Cateri have to say about me?” Alexander asked.

“Well,” Autumn said, “she said you can load your box in her wagon, then walk behind.”

“Wonderful. Just tell her the box belongs to Kawalski. Then she’ll jump down, help load it, then probably let him drive.”

“Okay,” Autumn said to Cateri. “Sarge said that will be wonderful.”

“Oh, whatever,” Alexander said.

“Okay,” Liada said, then she spoke to Cateri.

“Okay,” Cateri said. She motioned to Alexander, then pointed to the weapons crate.

“All right,” Sarge said, “you heard the boss lady, let’s load up.”

As they loaded the crate, Liada swung onto her horse.

“I think Cateri likes you, Sarge,” Kawalski said as they slid the container into the wagon.

“Really? If this is how she behaves when she likes me, how would she treat me if she hated me?”

Lojab walked over and took hold of the bridle on Liada’s horse. “How you doing, Sweet Thing?”

Liada smiled down at him, then looked at Autumn.

Autumn, standing behind Lojab, stuck out her tongue and made a yuck face. She then brought up her foot as if to kick Lojab in the butt.

Liada laughed.

Lojab sneered at Autumn’s smile. “Ask her where people go to have a few drinks,” he said.

“Okay,” Autumn said. “Watch her to see what she thinks.”

Lojab looked up at Liada. Autumn pointed her right index finger at Liada, then her left one at Lojab. She then placed her two fingers together, laying one on top of the other and wiggling them up and down. Finally, she made a motion of rocking a baby in her arms.

Liada wrinkled her brow for a moment, but then her face brightened and she laughed.

The others, who had watched the pantomime, struggled to keep from laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Lojab looked at Autumn, then at the others as they tried to control themselves. Even Cateri recognized the humor.

“Autumn,” Liada said and motioned for her to come to her.

She leaned down to ask her something, then Autumn whispered to her.

Liada smiled. “Kawalski,” she said and patted the horse’s back, behind her. “Ride?”

Kawalski looked up at her, pointed to his chest, then at her.

She nodded.

“Here.” Kawalski handed his rifle to Autumn. “Hold this.”

He tried to throw his leg up over the horse’s back but couldn’t do it. Liada offered her hand. He took it and pulled himself up behind her.

“Catch,” Autumn said, tossing the rifle to him.

Liada looked back at him as he swung the rifle over his shoulder.

“Okay,” Kawalski said.

She kicked her heels in the horse’s sides. When the horse sprang forward, Kawalski almost rolled off backwards, but he grabbed Liada around the waist to hold on.

“That skinny son-of-a-bitch,” Lojab said. “What does she see in him?”

Autumn shrugged, then flipped the switch on her comm. “Hey, Kawalski.”

“W-w-w-what?”

“You’re bouncing.”

“No s-s-s-s-shit.”

The others laughed.

Alexander watched Liada and Kawalski ride out of sight, around a bend in the trail. “Cateri,” he said.

She looked down at him.

“I think this belongs to you.”

He pulled her whip from his hip pocket and tossed it to her. She caught the whip and unrolled it from the handle while keeping her eyes on him. Alexander then stepped back, and she grinned and popped the whip over the heads of the two oxen. When they didn’t move, she slapped the reins against their butts. The oxen lowed in protest but then plodded forward. The platoon fell in behind the wagon.

* * * * *

Liada slowed her horse as they came to the wagons loaded with supplies.

“What’s in those chests?” Kawalski said, pointing to five heavy wooden boxes in one of the wagons.

Liada looked at the boxes and said something to him.

“Hey, Apache,” he said on the comm. “How do you say, ‘What’s in those boxes?’ in sign language?”

“Sorry, White Man, you’re on your own.”

“Gee, thanks. Whatever it is, it must be valuable. They’ve got six soldiers behind it, and six in front.”

Liada continued to talk and point out things as they rode past a wagon filled with sides of meat, jars of date wine, and bales of hides. When they came to the wagons loaded with earthen jars of grain, they heard three short blasts from a trumpet. Liada kicked her horse into a gallop, and soon they heard shouting and screams up ahead. Rounding the next curve in the trail, they saw the baggage train was under attack.

“Buffalo Dogs!” Kawalski yelled on the comm. He and Liada slid off the horse as she grabbed her bow and arrows, then he unslung his rifle and opened fire.

“How many?” Alexander asked as he and the others ran forward.

“Too many!”

Kawalski fired on a bandit running toward him, swinging a sword. The bullet hit the man in the chest, spinning him sideways and knocking him to the ground.

Liada said something, and Kawalski looked at her. She arched her bow and let the arrow fly. He followed the flight of the arrow to see it hit a bandit in the chest. He went down, clutching the arrow shaft.

More of them poured out of the woods, all along the trail. The foot-soldiers ran to attack the bandits, using their spears first, then at close quarters, swinging their swords.

“Kawalski!” Liada shouted.

He saw more attackers coming from the woods on the other side of the trail and shot two men who’d climbed onto a wagon. He jerked his rifle to the left, aiming at three more running toward him, but when he pulled the trigger, the magazine was empty.

“Liada!” he shouted. “Over here!”

He ejected the empty magazine and grabbed another from his belt. Liada released an arrow, piercing a man’s neck.

Kawalski hit the bolt, shoving a cartridge into the chamber, but the two men were almost on top of them. So instead, he dropped the rifle and grabbed his Sig pistol.

Liada shot her last arrow, hitting a man in the side, but he kept coming.

Kawalski got off one shot, killing the other man.

Liada grabbed the rifle from the ground and used it to block the sword coming at Kawalski’s head. Kawalski then grabbed the bandit’s sword arm, shoved his pistol into the man’s stomach, and fired. The man stumbled backward, clutching his stomach.

Kawalski wrenched the sword from the dying man’s hand and swung it to ward off another bandit who swung an axe at him. He heard Liada yell, but he couldn’t respond to her—the man with the axe came at him again. Kawalski raised the sword, aiming for the man’s neck, but hit his arm instead, knocking the axe to the ground. As the man scrambled for the axe, Kawalski felt a blow to his back. He stumbled, dropping his pistol.

Liada gripped the rifle by the barrel, and using it for a club, she fended off another attacker.

A bandit came at Kawalski, swinging a bloody sword. Kawalski raised his sword to ward off the blow. The two swords clanged together. Kawalski lost his grip on the sword and fell to his knees. He reached for the knife on his belt as the bandit raised his sword for another blow.

Liada swung the rifle, hitting the man in the back of the head.

Kawalski rolled away from the falling man. As he got to his knees, he saw a bandit coming at Liada from behind her. He snatched his pistol from the dirt and fired twice, hitting the man in the leg with his second shot. When the man stumbled and fell, Liada clubbed him with the rifle.

More bandits poured from the woods, yelling and swinging their weapons.

Liada dropped the rifle and grabbed a bloody sword from the ground. Without time to get to his rifle, Kawalski grabbed Liada by the arm, pulling her to him.

“Back to back,” he said and held her back against his. “We’ll take a few of them with us.”

Liada said something, and he knew she understood.

As the bandits came at them from all sides, Kawalski shot two more with his pistol. He ejected his empty magazine and shoved another into the receiver, but before he could chamber a round, he heard a volley of gunshots.

“Here comes the cavalry!” Kawalski shouted.

Liada screamed. Kawalski fired over her shoulder, killing a man who was almost on top of them.

“Kawalski!” Alexander said on the comm. “Hit the dirt!”

Kawalski wrapped his arms around Liada, pulling her to the ground. Bullets whizzed over their heads as Alexander’s platoon cut down the bandits.

The attackers weren’t so fearful of the gunshots as they had been on the previous day, but when they saw so many of their men falling to the deadly sweep of gunfire, some of them ran for the woods. Soon, all of them were in retreat, with a few wounded bandits limping after them. These were cut down by the foot-soldiers who swarmed onto the battlefield from both directions.

Kawalski got to his knees and lifted Liada from the ground. He pushed back her hair and brushed the dirt from her face.

“Are you hurt?”

She smiled as he inspected her for wounds. Many cuts and bruises were on her face and arms, but nothing serious. Her hands were bloody, but it was from the bandits. The skirt of her tunic was ripped on the side from her waist to her knee, but her leg was only scratched.

Kawalski tried to stand but fell back to his knees. “I guess I’m a little dizzy.”

Liada placed her hands on his neck, checking for wounds. She ran her hands over his shoulders, then down his arms and around his waist. She uttered an exclamation when she saw fresh blood on her hand. She examined his back.

He heard her say something as she put her arm around his shoulders to lower him to the ground. She helped him onto his side, leaned close to his mouth, and spoke into the mic in his helmet.

“Autumn, Autumn!”

“I’m coming,” Autumn said as she ran toward them.

She dropped to her knees, placed her fingers in the bloody rip in Kawalski’s camo shirt, and tore it open. She caught her breath. “Damn it, Kawalski.”

“What is…” He passed out.

Chapter Eight

“Anyone missing a web belt?” Sharakova asked on the comm.

“No.”

“No.”

“No,” Alexander said. “Why?”

“I’m looking at a web belt on a dead buffalo dog.”

“What kind of web belt?”

“U.S. Army issue,” Sharakova said. “Just like the one I’m wearing.”

“Where are you, Sharakova?” Alexander asked.

“A hundred yards up, on the left.”

“Don’t let them strip him before I get there.”

“You got it, Sarge.”

A few minutes later, the others watched Sarge pull the belt off the dead man.  He examined it, then passed it to Joaquin.

“It has to be the captain’s belt,” Joaquin said.

“Do you think they’re holding him captive?” Kady asked.

Alexander stared at the belt for a moment. “I have no idea.”

“We need the Apache,” Joaquin said.

“And Liada,” Kady Sharakova said.

“Hey, Eaglemoon,” Alexander said on the comm. “Where are you?”

No answer.

“She must have her helmet off,” Lojab said.

“They put Kawalski in Cateri’s wagon,” Lori said, “and took him to the main camp, by the river.”

Alexander looked around, watching the women and children strip the dead bandits of their clothing. “Let’s get out of here before they start on us.”

* * * * *

At the main camp, Alexander counted heads and found everyone present.

“Don’t wander off, people. Let’s stick together until we find out what’s going to happen.”

He walked into the shade of a tree and sat next to Kawalski, who was wrapped in a Mylar thermo blanket. Autumn was there, kneeling beside the unconscious Kawalski, checking his blood pressure. Liada and Tin Tin Ban Sunia knelt beside her, watching everything she did.

Lojab took a pack of Marlboros from his inside jacket pocket and slouched against a tree as he lit up. He exhaled smoke from his nose as he watched the people around Kawalski.

“What do you think, Eaglemoon?” Alexander pulled off his helmet and rubbed a hand over his buzzcut.

She took the stethoscope from her ears and handed it to Liada. “He lost a lot of blood, and the wound is deep. We cleaned it and stitched it up, and I gave him a shot of morphine.”

Liada placed the stethoscope earpieces in her ears as she’d seen Autumn do, then she opened the blanket and slipped the endpiece inside Kawalski’s unbuttoned shirt. Her eyes widened at the sound of his heartbeat. Autumn had become accustomed to using her hands as she talked, for the benefit of Liada and Tin Tin. Both women seemed to be able to follow the conversation, at least to some extent.

“His blood pressure is good, and his pulse is normal.” Autumn was quiet for a moment as she watched Tin Tin try the stethoscope. “I don’t think any of his organs were damaged. It looks like the sword went under the edge of his flak jacket and pierced him all the way through, just above the hip bone.”

“You’ve done all you can do for him,” Alexander said. “Probably when the morphine wears off, he’ll wake up.” He handed the web belt to Autumn. “We need Liada’s help with this.”

“Whose is it?”

“We took it off a dead buffalo dog.” Alexander watched her as she puzzled it out.

“Oh, my God! The captain.”

“They could be holding him prisoner, or–”

“Liada,” Autumn said.

Liada looked at her.

“This belt,” she handed it to Liada, “is like mine.” Autumn showed her the one around her waist. “And Kawalski.” She pointed to Kawalski. “And Sarge.”

Alexander showed her his belt.

“But this one, our man is lost.”

“Lost?” Liada asked.

“Yes,” Autumn said. “Our man, like Rocrainium.”

Tin Tin removed the stethoscope from her ears. “Rocrainium?”

Alexander looked around at his troops. “Spiros, give us some help with Tin Tin.”

Private Zorba Spiros knelt beside Autumn. “What’s up?”

“I’m trying to tell her about Captain Sanders being an officer like Rocrainium.”

Spiros spoke to Tin Tin in his broken Greek. She took the belt from Liada.

“You man Rocrainium?” Tin Tin asked Autumn.

“Yes.”

“He lost to you?”

Autumn nodded.

“Belt come where?”

“One of the bandits had the belt from our Rocrainium.”

She tried to use hand signs and motions to indicate the battle and dead bandits. Spiros helped as best he could.

“Vocontii,” Tin Tin said to Liada, then something else.

Liada agreed. “Vocontii.”

Tin Tin and Liada talked for a minute.

“Um, that bandits there…” Liada tried to sign what she wanted to say.

“The bandits are Vocontii?” Autumn asked.

“Yes, yes,” Liada and Tin Tin said together. “Vocontii.”

Autumn watched the two women as they talked something over.

“Autumn wait by Kawalski,” Liada said as she and Tin Tin stood.

“All right.”

Tin Tin handed the stethoscope to Autumn, then the two of them ran toward the other side of the encampment.

“Autumn,” Alexander said, “from what I’ve seen of those…what are they called?”

“Vocontii.”

“From what I’ve seen of them, I don’t think we should hold out a lot of hope of finding Captain Sanders alive.”

“You won’t leave him behind, will you, Sarge?” She reached to touch his arm. “Even if there’s the slightest hope.”

“Leave him,” Lojab said. “He can take care of himself.” He spat in the dirt. “We need to get the hell out of here.”

“No.” Alexander glared at Lojab for a moment, then looked at Autumn. “I would never leave anyone behind, just as the captain wouldn’t leave us. But these Vocontii are so primitive and brutal, I can’t see them having any reason to keep him alive. If they were holding him for ransom…” He looked over Autumn’s shoulder, then pointed that way.

“Oh, no,” Autumn said. “It’s Rocrainium.” She stood and dusted herself off. Tin Tin and Liada walked on either side of him. “They thought I was talking about him.”

“Well,” Lojab said, “this should be interesting.”

The two women almost had to jog to keep up with Rocrainium’s long stride. Soon, they stood before Alexander and Autumn.

“Autumn, Sarge,” Liada said, motioning to the two of them. “Rocrainium.”

Alexander was tall, a little over six feet, but he still had to look up to Rocrainium. He held out his hand.

“Sarge,” Rocrainium said. He smiled and reached to shake hands. He then said, “Autumn” and shook her hand also.

“Um, Rocrainium,” Liada said, “go…” She tried to sign but couldn’t get it right. She asked Tin Tin Ban Sunia something.

“Rocrainium,” Tin Tin said, “go foot-soldiers you Rocrainium.”

“You mean,” Autumn said, “your foot-soldiers are going to look for our Rocrainium?” This was done with hand signs as much as with her words.

“Yes, go now.”

“Oh, good.” There was obvious relief on Autumn’s face. “Thank you, Rocrainium.” She took his hand in both of hers. “Thank you very much. I can’t tell you how relieved I am. Our captain—”

“Eaglemoon,” Sarge said, “you’re gushing.”

“Oh.” She pulled away her hands. “Sorry.” Her face reddened under her dark tan. “Very sorry. I don’t know what–”

“Just shut up,” Alexander said.

He touched his heart, then held out his hand, palm up. Rocrainium responded with a word, then looked around for someone. Six of the scarlet-caped young men had come along behind Rocrainium, and now they stood nearby. He pointed at two of them, and when they came forward, Rocrainium gave them some instructions.

The two men took a quick look at Autumn, then saluted Rocrainium with their fists to their chests. They hurried away to carry out his orders.

“They must be junior officers,” Alexander said.

“Probably,” Autumn said.

“We go,” Tin Tin said, “find you man.”

Autumn touched her heart, then held out her hand, palm up. “Thank you.”

“That Tin Tin is very bright,” Alexander said as he and Autumn walked back to Kawalski.

“Yes, they both are.” Autumn knelt beside Kawalski. “They learn our language and ways much faster than I’m learning theirs.” She checked the dressing on his wound.

“Do you think we need to change the dressing on Cateri’s arm?” Alexander asked.

Autumn looked up at him. “Yes, I think you should check it.” She grinned.

“That smirk is uncalled for, and I would check the bandage if I thought she wouldn’t use her whip on me.”

“She only hit you yesterday because she thought you were trying to take her wagon.”

“Hey, look at that,” Alexander said.

Autumn saw two columns of foot-soldiers and cavalry leaving the camp; one heading south, the other north. Each contingent was led by one of the young officers.

“Wow,” Autumn said. “They’re serious about finding Captain Sanders.”

“I think Rocrainium is second in command,” Alexander said. “And that other officer we saw yesterday on the black charger must be the headman.”

“I wonder what his name is.”

“You’ll have to ask Tin Tin that question. Those Vocontii must be a constant threat. They’ve attacked twice in the last two days, and each time we beat them back, they melt away into the forest, then regroup for another assault.”

“Like guerilla fighters.”

“What would have happened in that battle today if we hadn’t been there?” Alexander asked.

“There must have been over five hundred of them, and with the foot-soldiers and wagons spread out in a long line, the bandits are very effective.”

“They just grab what they can from the wagons,” Alexander said, “and when the foot-soldiers and cavalry charge in, they run with whatever they can carry.”

“Did you notice these people use some kind of horn to alert everyone?”

“Yes.” Alexander watched Autumn adjust the blanket around Kawalski’s shoulders. “I guess three blasts on the trumpet means, ‘We’re under attack.’”

* * * * *

They heard no news about Captain Sanders for the rest of that day.

The platoon settled into a routine, and, staying in small groups, they explored the camp. The camp followers had set up a rudimentary market in a section near the center of the encampment. After lunch, Joaquin, Sparks, Kari, and Sharakova set off toward the market to see what was on offer.

“Hey,” Lojab yelled from behind them, “where you guys going?”

“To the market,” Sparks said.

“Shut up, Sparks,” Sharakova said under her breath.

“Good,” Lojab said, “I’ll come with you.”

“Wonderful,” Sharakova whispered to Karina. “God’s gift to the Seventh Cav will regale us with his sparkling personality and dazzling wit.”

“If I just shoot him,” Karina said, “do you think Sarge would court-martial me?”

“Court-martial?” Sharakova said. “Hell, you’d get the Medal of Honor.”

They were still laughing when Lojab caught up with them. “What’s so funny?”

“You, Bull Donkey,” Sharakova said.

“Up yours, Sharakova.”

“In your dreams, Low Job.”

They walked through a section of camp occupied by the light cavalry, where the soldiers were rubbing down their horses and repairing leather tack. Beyond the cavalry were the slingers who practiced with their slingshots. The bulging bags on their belts contained rocks, chunks of iron, and lumps of lead.

“There’s the market.” Sparks pointed to a grove of trees just ahead.

Under the shade of the oak trees, the market was crowded with people buying, selling, haggling, and bartering bags of grain for meat, cloth, and hand tools.

The five soldiers walked along a winding path between two rows of merchants who had their wares laid out on the ground.

“Hey, guys,” Karina said, “check that out.” She pointed to a woman buying some meat.

“That’s our brass,” Sparks said.

“No shit, Dick Tracy,” Sharakova said.

The woman counted out some spent cartridges the platoon had left on the ground after the battle.

“She’s using that stuff like money,” Karina said.

“Three,” Joaquin said. “What did she get for three shells?”

“It looks like about five pounds of meat,” Karina said.

They walked on, watching for more brass.

“Look there.”

Sparks pointed at a man haggling with a woman who had some cheese and eggs spread out on a white cloth. He offered her one cartridge for a large block of cheese. The woman shook her head, then used her knife to measure off about half the cheese. The man said something, and she measured off a bit more. He tossed a cartridge on the white cloth. She cut off the piece of cheese and handed it to him with a smile.

“These people are a bunch of idiots,” Lojab said, “trying to turn our brass into money.”

“Looks like it’s working pretty well,” Karina said.

“Hey.” Lojab sniffed the air. “You guys smell that?”

“I smell smoke,” Sharakova said.

“Yeah, right,” Lojab said. “Somebody’s smoking pot.”

“Well, if anyone could detect marijuana in the air, it’d be you.”

“Come on, it’s over this way.”

“Forget it, Lojab,” Sharakova said. “We don’t need to be looking for trouble.”

“I just want to see if I can buy some.”

“We’re on duty, you numbskull.”

“He can’t keep us on duty twenty-four hours a day.”

“No, but right now, we are on duty.”

“What Sarge doesn’t know won’t hurt nobody.”

Lojab walked down a slope toward a small stream. The other four soldiers stood watching him for a moment.

“I don’t like this,” Joaquin said.

“Let him go,” Sparks said. “Maybe he’ll learn a lesson.”

Lojab walked along the stream, then around a bend and out of sight.

“Come on,” Sharakova said, “if we don’t watch his back, he’ll get his balls handed to him.”