Page 46 of Cade

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“General Reinhardt, I don’t think you understand what I’m offering to you,” smiled Hausman. “This device will ensure that your troops don’t retreat unless you absolutely order it. They will pursue and not stop, no matter what.”

He grinned at the rotund German, leaning back in the chair. There was a tray with four devices lying on it. The General looked down at them, then back at the other man.

“You must think I’m a fool,” he snarled. “The Koreans attempted this and lost their men.”

“The Koreans were inept,” he said confidently. “They didn’t understand the complexities of the device. I’ve perfected it.”

“To what end, Dr. Hausman? You put this in the soldiers, and they have no fear. They continue to move forward despite the odds. But to what end?” Hausman was starting to get pissed. To what end? To win, that’s to what end, you fucking idiot.

“They don’t stop, General. Do you have any comprehension of what that means? Men won’t leave because they’re scared. They won’t turn around because they see the odds as too great. They won’t leave a mission before it’s done.”

“And they don’t come home alive, Dr. Hausman,” he said, pushing the tray toward the man. “Do you have any idea of how much it costs to train a soldier? Twenty-two to thirty-six thousand in your American dollars. That’s a lot of money to lose just to prove that we can order them to move forward without fear.

“No, Dr. Hausman, what you’re proposing is far too costly. It won’t save lives. It won’t win wars; it will lose them. Men will push forward and die. We lose troops; we lose money; we lose everything. You are a fool if you think this is the answer. It is not. Take your childish toys elsewhere.”

He pressed a button on the big conference table, and a young officer walked in, staring at the General and the American. Hausman was fuming mad. His system would work. Eventually, it would work perfectly. You have to take risks to be great, and this fool wasn’t willing to take any risks.

“You’ll regret this, General,” said Hausman.

“No, I will regret nothing, and in case you haven’t been keeping up, we are allies, the Germans and Americans.”

Hausman left the room, furious. He had other appointments, but he needed one of the big nations on board with all of this. If the Germans didn’t want it, he’d find someone else. Someone far more likely to get on board with it all.

“Did you follow him?” asked Reinhardt.

“Yes, General,” said the young soldier. “He went directly to the airport and caught a flight to Mogadishu, connecting through Paris.”

“Mogadishu? We have men in that area,” said the older man, filled with concern. “Why would he go there?”

“I’m not certain, sir,” said the young man. The General picked up the phone, dialing the number.

“Thank you. Leave me for a few moments.” The phone rang several times, and just as he was about to hang up, he heard a familiar voice.

“Hello.”

“Captain Neil? Captain Max Neil?”

“Retired Captain Neil, but yes, this is Captain Neil. Who is this?” he asked.

“You don’t remember me, old friend, but we had some good times once upon a time,” laughed the General.

“Holy shit, Tomas Reinhardt, how the fuck are you?” he laughed.

“I am well, old friend. Past my prime, but they let me sit in this cushy office and make decisions. I’m a general now, although that means nothing anymore.”

“It means everything, Tomas. Shit, it’s so good to hear from you, but I suspect there’s a reason behind this call.”

“You were always wise,” he laughed. “We spoke many years ago, and you were working for REAPER, now REAPER-Patriots. Are you still with them?”

“I am. Do you have a problem?” he asked.

“I think we have a problem, my old friend. Both of us.” Reinhardt relayed the details of the visit with Hausman. Max remained silent on the other end of the line, taking down notes but knowing that the team in the comms room was probably recording the conversation as well.

“Is he still there, Tomas?” asked Max.

“No, he left, but my man followed him. He caught a flight to Paris with a connection to Mogadishu. This does not feel good.”

“It’s not, trust me in that,” said Max. “Was he alone?”

“He was, and he was not happy when I instructed him to leave,” said Tomas. “I can send one of my men to follow him. We have men stationed in Paris.”

“Much appreciated, Tomas. I’m going to get a team together and head that way, but if your man could keep tabs on him, that would be amazing. We owe you one, brother.”

“You owe me nothing, Max. You saved my life. Twice that I remember,” he chuckled.

“We saved one another, Tomas. Keep this number, and text me if you hear anything. I’ll be in touch.” He hung up the phone, turning to look at the room of people in the cafeteria. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he bellowed.

“Listen up!”

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