The Fall of Bonn

[DarthBindo]

Sherman was checking his wristwatch for the umpteenth time when one of the security chiefs finished the rollcall.
"Sir, twenty-seven of twenty-eight high-value individuals accounted for, and all office sectors reported full completion of assigned purge and burn duties. The only missing man is a high-level accountant in Financial R&D, and he called in sick today."
Felix nodded absently.
"And the supplies?"
"We've distributed pistols to all the HVI's with training, sir, and all ten of us officers have civilian grade rifles and body armor, but.....power armor is going to be a tough nut to crack, sir."
"All right then, we best get these people.....well, the upper security office for now. That should hold out the longest...."
He sighed and shook his head. The lockdown would work against them.
He raised his voice to the crowd.
"Okay, everybody, form up into a group and follow me, we've got to get-"
He heard the slight hiss of the heavy locking bolts receding into their slots from the door behind and spun around almost instantly.
As the foot thick reinforced alloy door slid apart, his first thought upon seeing the almost comically oversized barrel pointed directly at his head was that his death was not only going to be immediate and very very painful, but extremely messy to boot.
Even as he mind raced through the possibilities of any of his ex-wives giving him a half-way decent burial (slim to none on all fronts, mind you), he realized he wasn't going to die.
Not yet anyways.
"Tammo!"
Tammo McIllheney, Admin Waterloo Station, Member of Parliament, son of the famed Rush line, and Trade Captain Extraordinaire lowered his rather large rifle and smiled.
"Good tae see ye in one piece, sah. How's the work going?"
"Items 1-7 have been taken care of, I was just going to escort the HVI's to the upper security post and then start on the Rheinland uplinks. But you, I thought you were going to ride this one out on Waterloo and deal with the politics afterwards."
"Heh, I thought ye'd need soom heavy backup, so I pulled some family strings and stooped by Belfast..."
He motioned to the two men standing behind him, both of them also sporting rather large and fierce-looking weapons
"Sae I came back to drop em off, and, fool tha' I am, overshot my departure point. The bloody Rheinlanders dropped the lockdown ten minutes intae the warm-up sequence fer the Courage and I got caught. So, I thought I'd come give ye a hand, sah. And uh...bit o a change in plans, see. The HVI's'll be goan on up to the executive docking bay, takin' shelter in my ship. She's got smuggler's spots and diplomatic immunity, dontcha know, may not do much but it'll be a far sight better than hunkering down and gettin run o'er by die Kriegsmarine. And Sherman.... you'll be going with them."
"Tammo, you'll need the hel-"
"Felix, Mr. Sherman, sir, you're the most valuable individual on this station. You get captured, e'ery single one of Interspace Commerce's secrets will lie at the Rheinlander's feet. Tis not a discussion, Mr. Sherman."
Sherman slid the rucksack off his shoulder and handed it to McIllheney.
"Thrice-damn you, Tamm, you're always right."
He turned back to the crowd.
"All right everybody, we're moving out. Stick together, don't make noise, and make sure you follow a security officer at all times. Drockh, Eberhardt, you two get rear guard, Sensicle, you're on point with me. The rest, keep these civilians safe."
Even as he shouldered his carbine, he felt the Rheinwehr training, now thirty years in the past, kicking in, for all the good it would do him.
Tammo nodded in approval.
"My niece is on board, keeping the engines warmed up. She'll get ye all into hiding and safe. Once the lockdown ends, head for Waterloo. I'll meet ye there when I can. Luck, mate."
With that, McIllheney signaled to his two companions and they started down the auxiliary corridors towards the maintance stairways.
With a sigh, Sherman turned the opposite direction, and as he stepped out for the elevators, he grimly gripped his gun.
This is definitely going to suck bad.

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gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|