The Crystal Warriors Read Free Page B

some quick orders in Japanese. His men stood, loaded their weapons, and laid down a pattern of fire that slowed the Chinese column. Kochanski came up behind Mark.
    "Damn it, Captain," Kochanski whispered to Mark, "there's less than twenty of them. Once we get out of this scrape they'll finish us off or hand us over for interrogation. Let's jump them while we have a chance."
    As if sensing their conversation, the Japanese officer turned away from the firing line and came up to Mark.
    "Don't even think about it. You're in trouble just as bad as we are."
    Mark eyed his captor closely. He was taller than Mark had expected. His deep-set eyes seemed to look straight into Mark. The officer had a casual, almost relaxed stance, strangely different from the accepted image of an Imperial Army officer.
    "Where did you learn such good English?" Mark asked, "When I first heard you I thought you were one of us."
    "I studied at MIT before the war. My name is Ikawa Yoshio―Captain Ikawa to you."
    "What the hell is going on here?"
    "The Chinese are a renegade band left over from the old civil wars. They cut off my garrison six days ago. I had to pull out, and was trying to withdraw to our lines, but they flanked me this morning. We were being pushed into a pocket when you so conveniently arrived to divert them, giving us the time to gain this defile."
    "Why didn't you just kill us or leave us to them?"
    Ikawa looked at Mark for a moment. These Americans were the enemy, the same as the Chinese. Maybe because he was the hunted, and these Americans were the hunted as well... He just couldn't answer that one. Perhaps it was simply that he had lived with them for several years, and in spite of the war he felt an empathy with them.
    He started to turn away.
    "Why?"
    Ikawa looked back at the American. "Captain, you are my prisoner," he said coldly. "If we get out of here, and I truly doubt that, I shall turn you over to army intelligence for whatever information they can get out of you. But for now we are in this together. If your men make any move, I shall execute all of you at once. If you give me your word that there shall be no action against me, I shall treat you honorably."
    Mark nodded his agreement.
    Ikawa went back to the firing line. His lieutenant, Okada Mokaoto, came up to his side.
    "Captain, if I might speak."
    "Yes, Lieutenant."
    "Kill them now. They are the enemy as well."
    "We might need them. I have less than twenty men; we may need these Americans to carry our wounded, or even to fight, if we are to survive,"
    "Captain, don't let it be said that you are soft towards the enemy."
    Ikawa scowled at his lieutenant. "Mokaoto, I don't care if your father is a general," he hissed softly so that no one else could hear. "I am your superior; it is not for you to question my commands."
    Mokaoto glared defiantly. Ikawa could well imagine what would be reported, but he didn't care―he had just about had it with this man who had connections because he was the spoiled son of a general.
    "Captain." Sergeant Saito was peering out towards the enemy line, which had stopped several hundred yards away. "Captain, they're bringing up that captured 37mm cannon."
    The gun had been lost when the garrison was overrun. He knew the enemy had it, but didn't realize they had manhandled it all this way in the pursuit.
    "Mokaoto, have you scouted up that trail yet?" Ikawa pointed up the narrow defile that weaved up into the heart of the mountain.
    "No."
    "As I thought." Ikawa's voice was icy. "Mokaoto, take Sergeant Nobuaki and four men. You are to stay here and delay their advance."
    Mokaoto looked at him with hate-filled eyes. The orders were an invitation to die for the emperor, but he had to obey.
    Mokaoto looked at his men. "Nobuaki, Denzo, Kurosawa, Teruzo, and Takeo."
    Ikawa looked at Mokaoto and said nothing. He knew Mokaoto picked Takeo as revenge. Takeo was the go master of the company, and Ikawa had actually broken the barriers between officer and