Children Of Fiends - Part 2 A Nation By Another Name: An Of Sudden Origin Novella by C. Chase Harwood

your captain. We are going to carry on with our mission. Going back is certain death. As of this moment, I am taking command of this operation.” He looked at Corporal Kelly, who shrugged in acquiescence. He paused to let Green break in if he was going to, then continued, “As before, Chief Hernandez will be responsible for maintaining our military readiness. To put distance between us and the pucks, we will risk travel by night. I intend to reach Tucson and hopefully more water by first light. Any questions?”
    Blakely keyed in, “Uh, yeah. We’re hungry up here. What’s Cookie got going?”
    People laughed in the observation room and the tension dissipated like the smoke they left behind. Without being asked, everyone returned to his or her individual duties.  
    Eliza stepped close to Dean and said, “I’m so sorry. I mean about before, trying to bite you. I had no control. That wasn’t me.”
    “I know. I get it.”
    “I don’t know who Arthur is, but I had an insatiable need to eat.”
    Dean smiled, “Trust me, I got it. It’s okay. We just need to be really careful about letting them in. Now, about that other thing.” He was still covering his only slightly receding erection.
    She gave him a warm smile and squeezed his hand with meaning while mouthing, “Wow.” She turned to Hansel and Gretel. “Let’s go downstairs kids. We need to eat.”
    Dean watched Eliza descend and she turned and mouthed, “Wow,” again. He chuckled and smiled back; nodding his head with continued astonishment.
    He gave Hernandez time to collect herself before seeing her. The woman sat in the corner that she had made into her bunk and stared at nothing. Kile and Boonmee sat nearby, giving the soldier the room to cool down. As Dean approached her, Dez remained focused on nothing, her body language not even acknowledging him. He sat about three feet away and said, “Chief. This was always going to be a difficult trip. You knew that. You knew that it had a high probability of being one-way, yet you signed up. Like you, I come from a marshal culture of leaving no one behind, but I also believe in success over doctrine. Unlike any mission you or I have undertaken before -”
    Hernandez held up a hand and cast her gaze toward him in a lugubrious manner. She held it for several seconds before finally stating, “Captain Dean, in front of these two witnesses, I am formally charging you with mutiny. I will provide a written statement within twenty-four hours. Under grave protest, in the best interests of the crew and this mission, I subject myself to your authority until such time as you are either dead or we have returned and you can face court marshal. In the interim and through the duration of this mission, as you suggested over the comm, I will maintain the military readiness of our team.”
    “Dez, you’ve been under personal duress since this mission began-”
    Her eyes hardened. “Don’t patronize me, Captain. You will refer to me as Chief or Chief Warrant Officer Hernandez. If we were home, you would already be in prison. You will respect my authority as well as my training. You may have been a decorated Seal, but I’ve been out here. I’ve observed these mutant fucking things. My fellow soldiers and I have trained hard for this mission. We know what we’re supposed to do.”
    Dean kept his mouth shut. He wanted to say something like - If that’s the case then you should have known better than to order the train to reverse into a clear death trap. But he didn’t. She needed to save face. So instead he said, “Very well, Chief.” He turned to Kile, “Mr. Kile will you please return Chief Hernandez her wea-”
      KK urgently called from the top of the stairs, “Captain, you need to take a look at this.” All of them quickstepped it topside where Kelly pointed out the rear window. The horizon behind them was lit up as though from a summer heat lightning storm. She said, “That’s gun fire.”
    Dean zoomed with