Deathwatch (The Faded Earth Book 1)(9)
“Yes, sir,” Fine replied.
Together they moved further into the badlands.
*
Seven hours later, a dejected group of armored figures clomped back through the lock and into the Rez proper. Their usually gleaming suits were marred, but not by the blood and viscera of defeated Pales. Only dust and grime covered them, finding its way into every joint and seam.
Eshton bid his farewells and moved toward the chapterhouse. He had about thirty percent power left, but much higher on his list of priorities was a meal, a shower, and sleep. Guard as a rank came with privileges like not having set duty hours. So long as the administrative work was done in a reasonable time and he responded to any emergency calls, Eshton was free to flex his time as needed to fit whatever situation he found himself in.
Of course, the reality awaiting him at the chapterhouse evaporated those mundane hopes at once. Before he could take care of the needs clawing at his brain, he had to clean off the suit. Allowing the abrasive dust to sit and potentially wear the seals simply wasn’t an option. Yet he and his team had come back well after the rest of the off-duty Watchmen who’d been awakened were released back. As a result, every suit bay was occupied. And there was a line.
So Eshton gave up. He sat on a reinforced bench on one side of the room, accessed the intranet, and added himself to the queue for the bays. Then he took off his helmet and opened one of the storage panels on his left leg, producing a meal bar.
“You must be desperate to eat field rations,” said an amused female voice as Eshton took his first bite. He looked up, swallowing as quickly as he could, and found Fiona Stein grinning down at him with her own helmet removed. Eshton scrambled to rise, but she waved him down. “Uh, yes, Warden. I’ve had a long day.”
The older woman—though he knew this to be relative only to his own meager years—raised an eyebrow. “Son, you’ve been in that suit for eighteen hours. That’s not a long day; it’s masochistic. I rely on you and the other Guards to keep this place running, and I won’t have you making stupid mistakes because you’re exhausted. Why didn’t you pass on the call tonight? Enforcement had people off duty you could have sent instead.”
Eshton frowned. “Ma’am, I couldn’t have done that. How would it look if I refused to do the work and made one of them do it instead? There might be a time when they have to decide between working tired or sending someone else off into danger. I wouldn’t want them to think of me and figure being a leader is about shifting responsibility.”
To his surprise, Warden Stein burst into gales of laughter, leaning over and resting her hands on her knees. “Oh, stars, Brogan. You really should read the histories. Practically the entire world used to work that way.”
Eshton bristled. “You’re kind of making my point for me, ma’am.”
She straightened, wiping a tear from her eye. “I needed that. Look, whether you like it or not, you’re more important to how this place runs than just going out and doing grunt work in the field. Yes, there are times we all have to, even me, and that’s as it should be. But you’re not doing anyone any good if you’re too exhausted to do your job.”
Stein tapped a finger against her jaw. “You know what? Take a day off. Get some sleep, have a good meal, read a book. Whatever you do when you’re not brooding all day.”
“I don’t brood,” Eshton said.
Stein fixed him with an even look. “I’m your boss. I say you brood. Now go wash that suit clean, find a decent meal, and don’t even think about working for a full day. Understood?”
She was trying very hard to lighten his spirits, but the order was still an order. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”
“Good man,” Stein said, wandering off to a bay to wait in line.
It was only after she was no longer standing in front of him that Eshton realized she had to have put in at least as long a day. Yet where he came home exhausted and frustrated at their inability to hunt down the cluster of Pales, she made sure to stop and speak with a subordinate who looked like he needed a boost.
Someday, he thought, he might be a tenth the leader she was.
The meal bar vanished in a pair of bites, then a chime from his helmet caught his attention. He locked it in place as he stood, checking the notification as he ambled to the bay. But that wasn’t the only notification waiting for him. There was a message from Beck.
Eshton blinked at that. It should have been impossible. The message was plain text and sent on the internal network used by the Watch.
Thank you for the offer, it read, with no salutation, I’m going to have to decline. I don’t think it’s for me. But if it matters to you, I’m not angry. I think you were trying to help. I made a new friend who talked with me about it. Stay safe.
That was it. No signature, but who else could it have been from? Eshton had the basic tech courses required of him, but beyond that his knowledge of system architecture and security programs was virtually nonexistent. How had she managed it? He tried to imagine a mind that would casually dissect the sort of layered security their Mesh worked behind just to send a message. Technically it was a crime, but a Small one. His discretion allowed him to ignore the violation, which he did.
It was, he thought, a damned shame. A brain like hers would be invaluable in Science division. She’d have to do the standard year in Defense, but Eshton thought it a waste. Beck could do so much good there.