head.
“The Mechs that we fought, they were like him,” he said, pointing to Jafar. He was standing at the end of the bed. “They were tasked with finding and killing you,” he added.
“How do you know this?”
“Because they told me, Taylor. They captured me. My people got me back, but at a great cost.”
“They were coming after me? Just me?”
Moye went blank and took a few more breaths before finally passing away.
“Shit… rest easy, my friend,” whispered Taylor.
He looked to White.
“That true what he said? That they’ve got teams hunting me down?”
“We’ve only got Moye’s word, but I’d have no reason to disbelieve him. He was an honest man, and while you hunt Erdogan, why would he not hunt you?”
Taylor had never given it so much as a thought. He’d always had the notion of Erdogan as an almost undefeatable foe who would never need to resort to hunting him down. Then he realised what that meant.
“He fears me? He fears me,” he stated.
It was a concept that he’d never contemplated, but it was strangely reassuring.
“He knows you’re onto him, he has to,” added White, “The fact you were close on his tail on that last mission cannot have gone unnoticed. That’ll put him on guard, but it has also rattled him.”
“Yeah, he’s rattled. He can see there’s a chance he can lose this now. For all the armies he has in the universe, he can’t threaten us here, and he can’t protect his assets from our lightning attacks.”
“I guess he tried the obvious choice, attacking us here. Now he’s trying the next one, kill you. He knows how valuable you are to our cause.”
“But this would go on without me,” replied Taylor.
“None of us could have come this far without you, Colonel. Something tells me that you have a vital part to play in ending all of this.”
“I won’t hide from him.”
The General shook his head.
“None of us would ever ask it of you. You are vital because of the work you do and what that means to everyone around you. We take you off the frontline and keep you safe, and all of that is lost. We have to keep risking your life to maintain what hope we have.”
Taylor looked at the body of Moye and then to White.
“I want information on where the Major encountered this enemy force. Where, when, every detail you can get me.”
“You’re going after them?”
“If they’re hunting me down, they’ll find me eventually, General. I’d prefer that happened at a time and place of my choosing.”
“We’ll have to run this by Admiral Lasure.”
“You can run it by him, but that’s what I’m doing.”
“You know you have a serious problem with authority, Colonel?”
“Yes, Sir, but just as you say, I was made this way for a reason, ain’t no way I’m changing.”
‘Then you’d better speak to the Admiral yourself. You may have placed him there, but he has proven himself up to the task.”
With that, he turned and left with Silva and Jafar at his side. When he got outside the hospital, he found Morris and King waiting for him.
“Is it true?” King asked, “Is there some kind of special unit chasing you?”
“Chasing us,” replied Taylor, “They know what a bunch of ultimate badasses we are and figure they can’t take much more of it.”
They all laughed for a moment, but it was cut short as King continued.
“Seriously, Mitch, they are coming for you, aren’t they?”
Taylor nodded. “Bet your ass they are. And we’re going to find them before they find us.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Form up the Regiment. We move out at 1500 hours. We’re going hunting.”
Taylor left them and headed for the HQ. Only Jafar continued on with him, but as they got halfway, Irala appeared beside them.
“You know how irritating that gets? Just appearing out of the blue?” Taylor asked and continued onwards.
“You told me,” Irala replied bluntly.
“Well you didn’t seem to get the message.”
Irala appeared to
“The Mechs that we fought, they were like him,” he said, pointing to Jafar. He was standing at the end of the bed. “They were tasked with finding and killing you,” he added.
“How do you know this?”
“Because they told me, Taylor. They captured me. My people got me back, but at a great cost.”
“They were coming after me? Just me?”
Moye went blank and took a few more breaths before finally passing away.
“Shit… rest easy, my friend,” whispered Taylor.
He looked to White.
“That true what he said? That they’ve got teams hunting me down?”
“We’ve only got Moye’s word, but I’d have no reason to disbelieve him. He was an honest man, and while you hunt Erdogan, why would he not hunt you?”
Taylor had never given it so much as a thought. He’d always had the notion of Erdogan as an almost undefeatable foe who would never need to resort to hunting him down. Then he realised what that meant.
“He fears me? He fears me,” he stated.
It was a concept that he’d never contemplated, but it was strangely reassuring.
“He knows you’re onto him, he has to,” added White, “The fact you were close on his tail on that last mission cannot have gone unnoticed. That’ll put him on guard, but it has also rattled him.”
“Yeah, he’s rattled. He can see there’s a chance he can lose this now. For all the armies he has in the universe, he can’t threaten us here, and he can’t protect his assets from our lightning attacks.”
“I guess he tried the obvious choice, attacking us here. Now he’s trying the next one, kill you. He knows how valuable you are to our cause.”
“But this would go on without me,” replied Taylor.
“None of us could have come this far without you, Colonel. Something tells me that you have a vital part to play in ending all of this.”
“I won’t hide from him.”
The General shook his head.
“None of us would ever ask it of you. You are vital because of the work you do and what that means to everyone around you. We take you off the frontline and keep you safe, and all of that is lost. We have to keep risking your life to maintain what hope we have.”
Taylor looked at the body of Moye and then to White.
“I want information on where the Major encountered this enemy force. Where, when, every detail you can get me.”
“You’re going after them?”
“If they’re hunting me down, they’ll find me eventually, General. I’d prefer that happened at a time and place of my choosing.”
“We’ll have to run this by Admiral Lasure.”
“You can run it by him, but that’s what I’m doing.”
“You know you have a serious problem with authority, Colonel?”
“Yes, Sir, but just as you say, I was made this way for a reason, ain’t no way I’m changing.”
‘Then you’d better speak to the Admiral yourself. You may have placed him there, but he has proven himself up to the task.”
With that, he turned and left with Silva and Jafar at his side. When he got outside the hospital, he found Morris and King waiting for him.
“Is it true?” King asked, “Is there some kind of special unit chasing you?”
“Chasing us,” replied Taylor, “They know what a bunch of ultimate badasses we are and figure they can’t take much more of it.”
They all laughed for a moment, but it was cut short as King continued.
“Seriously, Mitch, they are coming for you, aren’t they?”
Taylor nodded. “Bet your ass they are. And we’re going to find them before they find us.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Form up the Regiment. We move out at 1500 hours. We’re going hunting.”
Taylor left them and headed for the HQ. Only Jafar continued on with him, but as they got halfway, Irala appeared beside them.
“You know how irritating that gets? Just appearing out of the blue?” Taylor asked and continued onwards.
“You told me,” Irala replied bluntly.
“Well you didn’t seem to get the message.”
Irala appeared to
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