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message.
    “Ma’am, your presence is urgently requested.”
    “By whom?” she calmly responded.
    “General Schulz. He wants Major Taylor also.”
    Taylor’s eyes widened at the prospect. He couldn’t imagine any reason why Schulz would want to see him, other than incarcerating him once more. Schulz had tried to ease the conflict between them, but Taylor firmly believed it was only to ensure the morale of the troops stayed high.
    She nodded in agreement and turned to Captain Jones.
    “Get a party together to start work the other side of this blockade, but I want you to personally scour the buildings. Be prepared for ambush. Take Yorath’s platoon with you, but be certain to leave protection at both sites.”
    “You expect more trouble?” he asked.
    “Most certainly. We’ve got lazy since we drove their forces back. Let’s keep everyone safe. This country has a chance to rebuild, so let’s not allow anything to get in the way of that, not least our own negligence.”
    She turned back to the driver. “You ready?”
    The man nodded and ushered them quickly into his vehicle.
    The two Majors sat in the back of the jeep as they tore through the streets. There was little traffic going east. As the wind rushed through the open topped vehicle and they hit the open road, the two of them were able to speak without their driver listening in.
    “I don’t like this at all. Schulz has fucked us before, what makes you think he’s honourable enough to trust?” asked Taylor.
    “He isn’t. He may be a bastard, but he isn’t stupid. Now that the fighting is over, he’ll have the whole of your Marine Corps on his arse if he dares touch you. Think what your President would have to say if he learnt that one of its greatest heroes was being arrested?”
    “It didn’t stop the bastard before.”
    “We were at war. Times have changed,” she replied.
    “You told me the war wasn’t over.”
    She smiled. “True, it’s merely on hold.”
    They arrived at a temporary air base on the eastern edge of France that had been established since the war had ended. It was a hive of activity as vehicles came and went between the multitude of fighters and transport craft lined across the strip. They pulled up beside a concrete structure that had only the letters ‘HQ’ upon it. Outside were military police guards who wore impeccable white webbing over their perfectly pressed uniforms.
    Taylor and Chandra leapt off the vehicle under the gaze of the guards who looked at their filthy uniforms with disgust. Taylor glared back at them and could not resist a taunt.
    “Those rifles look as clean as a whistle, ever fired them?”
    The two men stared back, and he could see they were desperate to confront him. One of them who wore sergeant’s stripes moved a single pace forward and saw the Major’s rank crowns hidden beneath the black soot that still coated him. The Sergeant hesitated and stepped back into position. Taylor grinned in satisfaction.
    “Enough taunting them, we’ve got real work to do.”
    She knew her comments would only infuriate the MPs further, which served to entertain Taylor.
    “Please, follow me!” shouted the driver as he rushed into the HQ building.
    They followed him through and into a room with a large planning table and a dozen high-ranking officers sat about it. They all wore their service dress and were belittled by the two filthy officers in their bulky armour and exoskeletons.
    “How dare you step into our presence in such a state!” declared Dupont.
    Taylor shot a wicked glance back at the General and stood defiantly before him.
    “You’ll excuse our attire, for we were informed we were to get to you with all haste. Nor do we currently possess any uniforms besides these. As combat troops, we only carry what we need,” explained Chandra.
    Dupont was infuriated by what she was insinuating but knew it was worded in such a way that he could do nothing in return. He spun around to address Schulz who was sat