“I want to use myself as bait to lure out New World, and then we can wipe them out,” I explained. “I’ll need your full cooperation to make this work.”
The captain looked at me with distrust, but I had no intention of stopping now.
“The first step is to secure the weapons, ammunition and other supplies we’ll need to put up a fight,” I went on. “I’ll need your help with this. The existence of Serp is top secret, right? That means you can’t purchase weapons through the usual routes. Do you know how to buy from an arms dealer on the black market?”
“...I might. If we had the money, we could get hold of whatever we need. Though I obviously can’t get hold of military-use powered suits so easily because of international regulations.”
I knew it. In my past life, I saw movies and novels that showed well-known arms dealers with ties to government institutions. Looks like that was accurate. Now that weapons aren’t a problem, the next thing is...
“The second step will be to take our weapons somewhere where we can put up a fight. Then we’ll provoke New World. I doubt I can provoke their leader, Dr. Sandra, but her followers and her financial backers are another story. I doubt her financial backers are motivated by faith. They’ll want to get some sort of return. We can exploit that weakness.”
They’ll probably — no, definitely — come at me in rage and try to kill me. Sandra’s fanatics see her as some kind of god, and her backers will pressure her to show some results after her successive failures. New World won’t be able to ignore us.
A lawful organization like Noa could be able to show some self-control, but it wouldn’t be so easy for New World. The only thing holding them together was Sandra’s charisma.
They’re going to regret trying to hurt Alice, Anton, and everyone else important to me!
“If they won’t come out and face me I’ll force them into it,” I added.
“You want to force their hand? Where would you make your stand?”
“I’m expecting large-scale urban warfare, so I was thinking of Old Moscow.”
Roughly 40 years ago, Russia’s capital had been moved 20 kilometers east from Old Moscow to a new city. The government had lacked the funds necessary to maintain the old city, so it had simply been left standing, supposedly as a historical site. No one would mind if it was damaged in battle.
What’s more, entry to the old city was forbidden to stop the site being used by criminals. That meant a battle there wouldn’t cause any civilian casualties. Any sane person that might still be there would run away the moment a large armed force showed up in the area.
“I see,” she pondered. “The underground railways and sewer tunnels could be used as makeshift war tunnels. You’ve really thought this through.”
I haven’t thought this through at all, Captain. I just want to avoid any civilian casualties. The details of how we fight are totally up to you. Still, if she thinks otherwise, that misunderstanding might make her more willing to consider my ideas, so I’m not going to disagree. Judging by what she just said, the captain and her soldiers specialize in guerilla warfare, unlike Macho Man. This battle will suit them perfectly.
“The third step is to request support from the Russian government,” I said. “There are two reasons for this. First, unless something changes, President Shumsky will be forced to resign when all of this is over. That’ll invalidate the pacts he formed with Noa, and that’ll cause problems in the future. The other reason is that this is best for you and your people, Captain.”
“For us?”
“If you all leave quietly and seek asylum now, people in Russia will think you betrayed your own country. Regardless of whether that’s true. I’m sure there are people in high places who know that Serp did nothing wrong, but a lot of people won’t realize that. Instead, you could leave as patriotic heroes who saved Russia from a terrorist organization. Until now, you’ve always been fighting behind the scenes, but if you’re going to leave the country, why not do it in style? Give the people who betrayed you a reason to regret it.”
“Heroes...?” she asked slowly. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
All right! We’ve almost hit the ten-minute mark, but I’ve got her interested. She just needs a little more encouragement, and then I’ll be able to escape together with Anton and all of Serp.
I can do this. I just need to remember those speeches I gave in G-88 as a Noa representative.
✦ ✦ ✦
Arakawa was done talking.
True, if everything went according to plan, his influence and his mother’s authority would make it possible for us and for our country to be the heroes. But I still had my doubts.
“Arakawa, why would you do any of this? What do you get out of it?”
“To tell you the truth, it’s for my own self-satisfaction,” he shrugged. “When someone asks me for help, it feels good to help them out. That’s enough for me.”
“And you think I’ll trust someone with such vague motives?”
“Would you feel better if we made a contract? I promise you’ll all be given asylum in Japan and with a future where you can live how you please. In exchange, I’m asking you to serve as mercenaries until we’ve wiped out New World.”
A future? That’s something that’s always been just out of reach. He’s offering us the thing we want more than anything else, and at a fair price.
I glanced over at Joseph who sat in the corner of the room. His arms were folded and he was deep in thought. I wanted to hear the opinions of everyone else, so I called in my subordinates who were waiting in the next room.
“Everyone! Get in here!” I ordered.
The door to the neighboring room opened and my subordinates entered the room.
Seeing them enter, Arakawa looked surprised for the first time. I felt a little better seeing him make a face that better suited to someone his age.
“You all heard the conversation,” I told my subordinates curtly. “What do you say?”
“It’s worth a shot,” said one of them. “Even if we seek asylum in Japan, we could still be assassinated. I think the only hope we have left is to put our faith in Arakawa.”
“I agree,” another put in. “I don’t know whether we can trust him, but I think he’s the only hope we have left.”
So be it. We’ll take a chance on Arakawa. I don’t trust him... but if he’s willing to enter into a contract, I’ll give him the same respect I’d give any client.
“Joseph! We’re moving to Old Moscow! Achim, take two others with you and go round up everyone still here in the city. Engage the enemy if you have to, but keep the fighting to a minimum. Everyone else, make a list of equipment. Get moving!”
In the corner of my eye, I saw everyone rush off to carry out my orders as I turned to face Arakawa. He noticed me looking at him and smiled.
“I know an arms dealer named Vladimir Stolyarov who can give us the equipment,” I said. “Can you get us funds?”
“I have money, if dollars will do. But I’ll need a device that can authorize the payment.”
“We can arrange that. We don’t have any funds of our own, so you’ll have to pay for everything. Leave all the dirty work to us. We’re used to fighting. Just be ready for whatever might happen. Think you can handle it?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
I doubt this brat has ever seen a battle, I thought skeptically. But if he can prove that he’s better than the pigs that make up the higher ranks by not running away when the fighting starts, then I’ll believe in him.
If he doesn’t run, maybe I’ll even offer to work for him. Don’t let me down, kid.