While the brothers were sleeping, the day we returned, Lin, Fatso and I chatted with the German. It was after breakfast, while the rest of the patrol learned about the work to be done.
I was there because the brothers were asleep and Lin wanted me to note the conversation down. I would call it an interrogation, but for Lin, it was a conversation.
Mac and I went to get the German, Karl. He had dried off, changed and was patiently waiting for time to pass, sitting on his bed. Mac was fully equipped, EMA 7 at parade rest, ready to fire, I was in uniform, that means ocher fatigues, with sweater, crested jacket, dried-blood colored keffiyeh and beret. And, of course, my Behemoth in its holster.
Once in Lin's office, we closed the door and Mac stood guard outside. She's a real warrior, that woman. She's had a tense, night-time operation, and she still had enough energy to beat the crap out of the Kraut if he gave her the slightest chance. She's the one who volunteered to watch him.
There was coffee in Lin's office, which she offered to Karl. She served us, while I prepared my tools for note-taking. This discussion would also be recorded, just in case, but Lin found it easier to read the paragraph rather than unroll the audio file to the right place.
He didn't introduce himself, Lin didn't ask him. The interview was conducted in English, Karl not speaking French.
- Well, I think you know who we are, since you saw Litzer in the copter. I have to thank you for sending her to us, by the way, she's a good element.
He didn't want to look at her, he turned to me, I gave him a smirk. His deed bit him back in the ass, and that made me laugh.
- Back to you, now. I have several solutions, from the most lethal to the gentlest, but I am not a woman of extremes. So if I let you go, what will you do?
He looked at her with wide, surprised eyes.
- Karl, I believe in second chances. That's what the Foreign Legion taught me and that's the reason why I'm here, by the way.
He was watching her. Lin was sitting at her desk, I was behind her, on the micro desk that had been used during the Dotard's visit, and Fatso was standing against the door, arms folded, his metal prosthesis prominently displayed.
- You were in the Foreign Legion?
His voice was quite low, a bit hoarse, and his German accent almost inaudible.
- Exact.
- One of the few women to have been there.
- Still exact.
- So, with a thorough search, I could find out who you are, by elimination, especially with your rather unique physical characteristics.
Karl slid his gaze over Lin's shape. I refrained from reacting to the admiration visible in his faded blue eyes. How dared he detail her like that! Jealous, me? Damn, could be.
- I hope that's a promise, Karl, not just a threat.
She was smirking and her voice was pure velvet. He looked her in the eye and returned her wry smile.
- Fine. So, what happens if I let you go?
- I would like some time to think.
- I can't give you any. I have two men off duty because of you, three counting Litzer, so no, I can't give you that time. And you might argue that all of your men are off duty, and definitively, but you're on the short end of the stick.
He withdrew into himself. I observed him a little better while he took stock. He had very short light chestnut hair, silver at his temples, wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He sure was muscular. Although there were signs of age on his neck, he was in superb physical shape.
I saw five black bracelets on one wrist. He had lost comrades in battle. If he truly was one of the remaining German soldiers, then he had been in Afghanistan for over twenty years. With no support from his country. Left to his own devices.
- Karl, I said, how long have you been in Afghanistan?
- Too long...
He looked surprised that he had let this information slip.
- But still?
- More than twenty-five years.
- Were you here during the attacks of December 2096?
He straightened up, pain on his face. Very gently, I asked:
- Did you lose someone there?
He swallowed, looked away. Then closed up. Okay, I had tried. Lin gave me an almost grateful look. I had given her an opening that she would exploit at some point.
- So, Karl, what would you do if I let you go?
- I don't have anyone anymore. I... think you should have killed me.
- And make Cassandra cry? I uttered, I couldn't help myself.
And I saw that Lin got it. Karl closed up even more. Well, that was to be expected.
Lin let some time pass. Karl scratched his hand, drank lukewarm coffee with a grimace. Lin topped his cup. Fatso, impassive, unperturbed, stared at the German's nape. The latter, from time to time, rolled his shoulders, as if to loosen them. He must be feeling the weight of the Lt's gaze.
- Why would you give me a second chance, Captain?
- Call me Lin. Because I have a vague idea of what you've been through and think it would be a shame to throw your experience away. Because the ECHR gave me the opportunity to save a few guys here, and for other reasons that belong to me.
- How would you know the ECHR condemned me, in particular?
- I understand that the raid of December 12, 2096, on Fairouz's eyrie, was not really legitimate the day it took place. Even if it was validated a posteriori...
The Kraut looked down into his empty cup.
- What you did later, after the German troops repatriated, was not very clean either...
Once again, he looked away.
- I'll make you an offer, Karl. You see, my men were impressed not by your sentries, but by you, how, despite their numbers, you stumped them for so long. Not having been there, I cannot judge your professionalism, but I trust my men. I understand, too, that you are a former KSK and I know the value of these men. That's why I'm going to make this offer to you.
Karl looked up, staring straight into her dark eyes.
- At some point, I thought about offering you a position in the Company, but, apart from your age and your old soldier's habits, I'm not sure I can trust you that much. So I'd rather you acted as a franc-tireur.
Karl slowly straightened. Interested? Surprised? Only then did he turn to Fatso behind his back. The Lieutenant got off the wall and came to stand to the German's right. Acknowledged, he showed himself openly.
- What exactly do you mean by franc-tireur? That I should obey you without actually belonging to the Company?
- In a certain way. I would like you to act more or less as you wish, within the parameters of the objectives I would give you, because, at your age, you have the experience and the wisdom to act the right way, but I would also like to offer you a... how shall I call it... A haven. A safe place to rest, heal your wounds, take a hot shower, eat good French cuisine... anything you might need.
- And what would the price be?
- Karl, answer my very first question: if I let you go, what would you do?
- I would disappear, I...
He shrugged.
- You would go, I said, again unable to hold back, hide in a hole and wait for death, right? Croak, like a dog, tits up and in general indifference?
- Yes. No one will lament my death.
- I wouldn't say that. There is someone who will miss you.
- How can you know that?
- Karl, you don't know how to cut hair, but I'm willing to bet you took care of Cassandra like she was your own daughter, the one who died on December 12, 2096.
I had dropped a bomb. He stood up abruptly, upset, white, overturning his stool.
- Ho... How?
- He has brilliant insights, sometimes, Lin said with a smirk. And your reaction tells me he's right. Karl, this life you no longer want, give it to me. Live it for me, help us clean up here, come back to see us. Or rather, come back to see Cassandra, while she's with us. Live so she can live serenely, in peace.
- I...
He shook his head, he looked so lost.
- I would like to think a little, is it possible?
- Yes, now it is. Mac!
The Italian opened the door, a questioning eyebrow raised.
- Take Karl back to his room, will you?
- Aye aye, Lin.
We all went out behind them. There was a lull in the rain, Cassandra was running outside, chased by Tito who had a huge smile on his face. He looked so happy, my buddy! The little one saw the German and stopped dead, only to start running again.
- Karl!
- Kätzchen...
He bent down, she threw herself into his arms, he closed his eyes. Mac didn't do anything, Lin didn't say anything. But all of us present, Tito, Mac, Fatso, Lin and I, were very attentive.
- Are you leaving, Karl?
- Yeah, I can't stay here, you know.
- Why?
He didn't know how to answer. Like all children, she quickly changed the subject.
- You know, I'm not mad at you for lying to me, Karl.
- Danke, Cassandra. I'm sorry I did. I... I needed Alyss to do something for me and...
- That wasn't very nice, not at all, you know, Karl.
- I know, kätzchen, I know. It was very very mean. That's why I'm leaving.
- Okay. I think I get it. A little. Grown-ups stories are really complicated.
We all smiled at that. Karl stood up, putting the little one down on the ground. He turned to Mac, ready to go back to his room. And then:
- Karl, will you come back to see me?
He stopped, his face ravaged by a very strong emotion, which may have been pain, in part, and maybe something stronger than mere affection. He opened his mouth, swallowed several times. He seemed to have a hard time getting himself back in control.
- Yes.
Three letters. The question of a child and three letters. Karl had just linked his destiny to us, thanks to this little girl.
He recovered, walked over to Lin and whispered:
- I had lost sight of many things. I accept your proposal.
Then, turning to me:
- Her name was Laura. She was six, loved pink and ponies. With her mother, my Clara, they were the center of my life, my reason for living, my reason for fighting.
* *
In the end, we let Karl go, with spare clothes, rations, one of our wonderful blankets, a smartphone that could call only the number of the Ops room, a Behemoth and a EMA 7, both with built-in GPS chips, of course. Lin also gave him dog tabs with the Company's Lily, like ours.
She asked him to get intel on Duranni and the Dotard.
When the brothers woke up, he'd already gone.
* *
That evening, after dinner, Lin grabbed my hand and took me to the infirmary to see the boys, as she calls them.
Standing between their two beds, she watched them sleep for a while. Kris was on his back, peaceful, still. She stroked his cheek, he didn't flinch. Erk was on his stomach and hadn't moved since Nanny pulled the blanket over him. She also stroked his cheek but he reacted, his breathing hitched. « Sofðu, litla mín. » He fell back to sleep immediately.
We got out, went to sit on the bench in front of her office. As always, the non-necessary lights were out and, with the rain clouds over, it was quite dark.
- They both scare me sometimes, you know.
- How that?
I couldn't imagine Lin being scared of anything, less alone her compatriots, whom she had known as babies...
- Erik, because he's unable to pace himself, especially when Kris's life is on the line and Kris... Tugdual, you need to know that they're not true brothers.
- Yes, I know that, Kris told me a certain number of things. That, and his love for Erk.
- Fine. So... if we lose one, we lose both, you know. I have guessed that Kris's love for his brother isn't purely brotherly, and I wonder how far Erik's love for him goes.
- You think it could be... yet Erk...
- Oh, it's not sexual. I think they are soul mates.
- Funny, that's what Tito told me.
- Which proves that he's very sensitive, our favorite Albanian. How's he, by the way?
- He's been very quiet, ever since he's massaged Erk's back. And... Oh, fuck.
- What? Oh! Forget it, I got it.
We both fell silent, not knowing how to continue, how to deal with what Tito was feeling for the Nordic giant.
- Tugdual, what do you know of the... sexual orientations of your comrades?
- If it's to find someone we could hook up Tito with, forget about it. The only gay men are already in relationships. If you want to find a distraction for my lil' buddy, you'll have to recruit.
She sneered.
- I imagine the ad: 'Mercenary Company stationed in Afghanistan recruiting, heterosexuals abstain. Very good physical condition required and...' What are Tito's preferences, for the physical characteristics?
- No idea, but seeing as he's fallen for Erk, I'd say tall, blond, blue eyed...
- Can you imagine that, Tugdual?
I smirked, I found the idea to be a lot fun.
- And then, where would I put them, eh?
- Ah, for that, I have an idea. We could move your lab, that gives us another room for six more guys.
- And where would we put the lab?
- For that too, I have an idea.
- Oh, so you're not just a pretty face, you're a smart brain too.
She was a little sarcastic, so I turned to her, took her chin between my fingers and asked her if she thought me handsome.
- Next to Erik, everyone is a toad, you know, Tugdual.
- That's not what...
- Tugdual, it's not your physique that attracted me to you. It's all the rest. Your physique is not unpleasant at all, it's the icing on the cake.
I kissed the tip of her nose.
- I think that's a compliment, I said.
- Indeed. If Erik wasn't the smart, dedicated man he is, I wouldn't give him two seconds of my time, despite his great beauty.
She snuggled up against me, I put an arm around her shoulders. I was tired and she could feel it. I held back a yawn.
- Tell me, my sweet man from Bretagne, how did you know about Karl's daughter?
- Oh! I asked Cassandra a few questions about Karl, wanting to know if he'd taken good care of her, if he'd been nice. Her answers gave me a good idea of the man. She also told me that every now and then, he would look at a discolored photo, carefully fold it up and put it back in his left breast pocket.
- I see. Elementary, my dear Watson.
- Absolutely. You know, I picked up after a little pause, he's been here for twenty-five years and looks like he's reached the end of the line. I wonder if that's not the reason why we were able to get the sentries so easily.
- How so?
- I know I'm going to have nightmares about it, which is reassuring since it means I'm neither a sociopath nor a psychopath, but I felt like I was at the shooting range. And while I'm awful glad it was so easy, I have a bit of a hard time believing some ex-KSK operatives fell for it so easily.
- What if they too were at the end of the line, darling, and just waiting for someone to put an end to their suffering?
- Uh... I hope that doesn't happen to me...
- You know, I think the fact of not having any more opponents worthy of their training made them... a little rusty.
- I see. And the compliments you paid Karl were a little too thick, no? It didn't take us that long, if we ignore Erk's adventure.
- Let's say I needed a guy like him, a free electron. Kind of like the UN needs a troop like ours, I need a guy like him. Without ties to us... You see?
I wanted to answer but yawned, putting a hand in front of my mouth just in time.
- You're tired and I'm keeping you awake... sorry, my darling. Go to bed, sleep well. Sofðu, Tugdual. It means 'sleep', she translated with a smile.
She kissed me and I left to get horizontal, to join the brothers in their competition against Sleeping Beauty. I was sure to arrive last, but I was going to give it a shot anyway.