War Everlasting

“You’re right. And before you try to deny it, I know about the—”

“I hate to interrupt,” Grimaldi told them, “but shouldn’t we maybe beat feet out of here before the cops show up? I mean, you just got out of one scrape with them, Sarge. I don’t think we can afford another one right now.”

Bolan nodded and looked at Corsack. “Is there some place we can go that won’t draw attention?”

“That would depend,” she said. “You got any wings?”

Grimaldi smiled. “Funny you should ask.”

* * *

WITHIN AN HOUR, Grimaldi had Bolan and Corsack off Unalaska and headed to the port city of Adak.

“So, maybe you should explain this to me,” Bolan suggested.

“What’s to explain?” Corsack asked, batting her eyelashes.

“I don’t do coy, lady.” Bolan frowned. “You picked me out of a crowd. You had me pegged as out of place right off, and that’s not something that would be easy for anyone to do who didn’t have a real practiced eye. And you seem to know a lot more about what’s going on around here than even military officials. So spill.”

“I’m not with them, if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

Bolan shrugged. “I never suggested anything. But you have to admit that I’m right.”

“You’re right,” Corsack said. “Okay, I’ll level with you. Something really strange has been going on in Adak for the past year. And let’s just say your assessment of my insider knowledge of the military and what’s been happening is correct. Although I promise you I didn’t come by my information dishonestly. Or at least I didn’t come by it with the intent to use it for harm. Just the opposite, in fact.”

“That much I can believe,” Bolan observed. “But I inferred from your earlier remarks about the plane that disappeared that you were taking this a bit personally.”

“My husband was killed in the line of duty.” Corsack took a long pull from the beer Bolan had given her, just one of the few refreshments stocked in the jet’s onboard refrigerator unit. “He was a signals officer at Elmendorf-Richardson.”

“How long ago?”

“Not long enough.” Her eyes glistened. “Damn it, but I miss him.”

Bolan cleared his throat. He understood, although he didn’t say it. He knew it didn’t make a bit of difference if he understood or not, because it didn’t assuage the grief and hurt. The men and women of America sacrificed a lot to serve in the military, especially in this day and age, and Bolan felt they weren’t appreciated nearly as much for their sacrifices as they should have been. “Okay, here’s the straight story,” Bolan said. “I work for the US government in an unofficial capacity. Call me a freelancer with connections.”

“The White House?”

“Could be. So that’s what I can tell you. Hell if it’s not all I can tell you.”

“It’s enough,” she said. “After being married to a military man for so many years, I’ve learned the details aren’t nearly as important as the people willing to do the job, day in and day out.”

“So, what was your idea?”

“I’d guess you were at Mookee’s trying to break in,” she emphasized the last words with midair quote signs.

“I figured if anyone had the information I needed it would be local residents,” Bolan said. “The military has competent investigators, but they’re outsiders. The people who work up here aren’t going to let them in easily.”

“You’re right about that. My plan had originally been to take you to a guy I know who could have gotten you a cover working the docks at the Adak port. Now it looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way.”

“I’m not sure I like the sound of that,” Bolan said.

Corsack frowned. “I wish there was another road to go down, but I’m afraid there isn’t. I just hope you’re as tough as you look.”

Bolan’s eyebrows rose. “You want to read me in?”

“Most of the guys who work and live on Adak are natives, or they know somebody with pull. Everyone who wants to work there who isn’t related to someone in the Onalash Corporation has to earn the respect of those who serve on Haglemann’s union.”

“That’s what I was originally shooting for,” Bolan interjected. “Until we got picked off on the way to wherever you were taking us. So who’s this Haglemann?”

“Davis Haglemann. He’s the local union boss.”

“I can tell you don’t particularly care for him.”

“Now that would be an understatement,” Corsack replied, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Haglemann’s not exactly someone you want to run afoul of. He’s nothing more than a thug—well, maybe more like the boss of thugs. The guy doesn’t have enough gonads to do his own dirty work. He puts that into the hands of his union reps.”

“Sounds like an awfully big organization when you consider the population on Adak Island. What does it run these days, about two thousand?”

“And some change. I see you’re well informed.”

“I try.”

“Well, whatever else you might know, you probably don’t know that everything happens in Adak on Haglemann’s whim. If he says jump, everyone asks how high, and nobody questions him. Except a select few of us, and he just tries to either bribe his way out of it or simply ignore those of us who protest conditions. Truth be told, things are actually pretty good on the island. We all have nice houses, and nobody’s homeless or starving.”

“Poverty and social disorder isn’t good for business,” Bolan said in a matter-of-fact way.

“Right,” Corsack agreed. “That’s why he does his best to keep up appearances and keep any widows or less fortunate appeased.”

“And how exactly does he manage that?”

Corsack snorted and executed a dismissive wave. “How doesn’t he manage it? Everything from big-screen TVs to low-interest loans to cold, hard cash.”

“You mean bribes.”

“Yes, I do mean bribes.”

Bolan’s eyes narrowed. “Sounds like someone who likes to exploit the less fortunate.”

“He’s a bastard—real son of a bitch.”

“Tell me more about him.”

“He owns the only exclusive country club on the entire island. It’s right there at Nazan Bay, which is where all the main docking and port facilities are located. The weather’s only good enough between April and October for freight services. The remaining months are basically down time where people mostly stay indoors, drink and screw each other by a roaring fire.” She added quickly, “Not to sound crude, just telling you like it is.”

Bolan nodded. “And it’s exactly that kind of seasonal rotation that gets you a city with a lid on it.”

“Or a whole island. It also keeps out any of the undesirables, or so that’s what Davis calls them.”

“Any thoughts about whether he’d sell out his own people to a terrorist group?”