Private Paris (Private 10)

I skidded to a stop, threw up my good hand, and said loudly, “I’m unarmed, Major.”

“Don’t know what you think you saw back there,” Sauvage said quietly. “But I just can’t let you go telling any lies about—”

“I am unarmed, Major!” I bellowed.

“I don’t care.”

Chapter 108

MAJOR SAUVAGE WAS going to love this moment.

I could see it in his expression as his finger began to squeeze the—

“Stand down, Major!” a man shouted through a bullhorn. “Stand down and drop your weapon!”

Multiple headlights flashed on from out on the road, catching us in profile, Sauvage ready and willing to end my life and me just frozen there, wondering if this was the end of everything.

The major began to swing the gun toward the blinding lights, as if he meant to snuff them out along with whoever was demanding his surrender.

“This is General Anton Georges. I order you to drop that gun, Major. Now!”

Sauvage took that like a slap. He glanced at me, but then calmly set down the gun on the pavement. He stepped back, stood there. Engines started. Three sets of headlights came toward us, and stopped.

The lights dimmed, revealing General Georges climbing out of another Sherpa while soldiers on foot came in behind him, their weapons at the ready. Then Louis Langlois limped up out of the shadows behind Sauvage.

I nodded to him that I was okay.

“Pistol on the ground too, Major,” the general said.

“Sir,” Sauvage replied, calmly removing the pistol and setting it down. “This man was inside my perimeter without authorization, abetting the enemy.”

“That’s bullshit,” I said.

General Georges glared at me, and in surprisingly good English said, “You, sir, defied my direct orders.”

I said, “General, you can put me in chains and you’d be right to do it, but I witnessed an atrocity here just a few minutes ago.”

“He witnessed ten armed members of AB-16 confronting me,” Sauvage said. “They killed my driver and were trying to kill me when I opened fire.”

“They had dropped their weapons and surrendered,” I said. “All ten of them. He gunned them down in cold blood, and then took that rifle there from one of the dead guys and used it to shoot his own man, again in cold blood.”

“He’s delusional, Genera

l!” Sauvage cried. “This American fool has no understanding of war, of combat, of la pagaille and what the chaos of battle can do to your perceptions. Either that, or he is an AB-16 sympathizer.”

“General Georges,” I said. “I was honorably discharged with the rank of captain from the United States Marine Corps. I did two full tours in Afghanistan as a combat helicopter pilot. I know an atrocity when I see one.”

Before Sauvage could respond, I kept right on going, poking my finger at the major. “AB-16 is a charade, General, just like I told you. I’m betting AB-16 was his idea from the start. I’m betting he orchestrated the entire—”

“This is a fucking outrage!” Sauvage roared. “I will not have my unblemished reputation destroyed by—”

Two soldiers dragged Captain Mfune onto the scene, his wrists cuffed behind his back. He stared at Sauvage as if he were his only hope now.

“I don’t know what they’re thinking, Major,” Mfune said.

“What have you done, General?” Sauvage demanded. “Captain Mfune is an outstanding, decorated, and battle-tested officer who—”

General Georges held up his hand and said, “Investigateur Hoskins? Juge Fromme?”