Ch. 25 - Free City of Gdansk
”None taken Tosh.” Walsh replies to Lines comment about not intending offence with a trademark grin before turning to Jake Ward, his face altogether more serious. For some reason he wishes he wasn’t wearing his Stetson right now, and after a moment’s thought takes it off before speaking to the guy who’s not only a fellow countryman but a fellow Pennsylvanian.
”Jake…I hear what you’re saying buddy. But - and I really don’t want to say this - but DIA have not only been killing American allies but they’ve been killing other Americans. For months. Maybe years."
You know there’s two Governments back home yeah? Or at least two groups claiming to be the Government. You got the Joint Chiefs in Colorado and the President in Omaha. Now some people say nobody voted for the President. I dunno man, I dunno. But for me, yeah, we’re all Americans. Especially those of us overseas.”
“But there’s some people in DIA that don’t see it that way. They’ve got these teams. They call then Orion. Like the Hunter, from Greek myth. That’s what they do. They hunt. Before I came to Gdansk me and another CIA operator were embedded with some Polish partisans. We set up a meet, with another group of Poles. Plan was we were going to join forces. Only when we got to the meeting point we were ambushed. The other group had sold us out. Not to the Russians. To the DIA. They killed my partner and most of the Poles. Me and one guy got away. He died on the way here.”
He stands up, fixes his eyes on the wall. He’s not talking to Ward specifically any more. He’s just talking, letting the jumbled thoughts that are competing for the ascendancy in his head come to the surface and spill out. . ”Let’s not talk about fucking neutralising anyone eh? Let’s call it like it is. If they wont hand over the nuke we’re supposed to kill them.” He might have quoted Corporal Hicks but that doesn’t seem appropriate right now. It’s the only way to be sure.
”I’m pretty sure that’s what our new friend is going to tell Michael later. Because if we don’t who the fuck knows what genie gets out of the bottle. Like the man says, maybe Ivan nukes our guys on the coast. That’s thousands of Americans. And why? Why the fuck do the DIA want to nuke fucking Malbork? Is that fucking important to national security?”
“Maybe this DIA crew aren’t like Orion. I know people in the DIA." Wouldn't it be a fucking thing to run into Lizzie Kane again. Even in these circumstances. "Some of them…most of them…are good people. Same as us, trying to do the best that they can. Maybe we’ll get lucky and these guys will listen to reason.” He turns back to Ward. ”I really really hope that you’re right Jake, and that they’re reasonable people. But if they’re not, well, we’ll all have to look ourselves in the mirror afterwards. One way or the other.”
He lthen turns to Schenker. ”Like Tosh said, I’d also like to know what you’ve brought with you that you think that you can trade for a nuke.” There's no warmth in his voice when he speaks. Nothing personal, he's just finding it hard not to shoot the messenger that has dropped this problem in their laps like a live fucking hand grenade.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:26, Fri 29 Mar.