Starting to get to the final action!
“Well, trouble,” Jimmie said. “And I think that it’s aimed at all y’all. Whoever bound that elemental wanted it to go after Alliance troops. Specific kinds of troops.”
“Like those in the river garrisons?” said the major. “That’d explain why it didn’t make a beeline for Gladstone. The big garrisons are strongholds. We’re more like a tripwire here.”
“And that doesn’t bother you, Major?” asked Leo.
Major Pine shrugged. “Somebody has to be. And we look more vulnerable than we are. The Dominion comes over the river, we’ll know early enough to get reinforced. And then the fun starts. Oh, it’d be hot work at the battlements for a bit, but the enemy would break a few teeth on us, too.” She smiled. “And when we punched back, we’d break more than teeth.”
“You’re supposed to get reinforcements?” said Jimmie. “Why aren’t there any now?”
“Well, Mr. Waterblossom, there you got me. The elemental came out of nowhere, so the reaction force wasn’t ready – SHIT!” The major straightened, said “Excuse me, gentlemen,” and ran out the door, calling for an orderly.
Leo looked at Jimmie. “What just happened?”
“The major realized something about the same time I did,” Jimmie replied.