District 42-Chapter 152: Casper’s past part 2

Casper walked inside the Headquarters as if he was a ghost. His serious and stiff expression made that the other soldiers didn’t try to talk with him. His strong steps echoed for each room that he crossed.

That day, the atmosphere inside the place wasn’t the better one. All the personnel from the Yanke Forces were working in the operation, which didn’t have a name yet, and probably never would have. They were feeling guilty for taking part in such a project. The truth was that no one there willed to work on that, they were completely against it since that project came up. Casper was a colonel that people always respected for his feats. And being a high-ranked soldier, with so much made inside the army and in the Yanke Forces surely was something to be impressed for.

The man was a genius, after all. He seemed to be born to work inside the military. It seemed to be his destiny. His body, soul, and mind were attached to that organization completely. Every operation that he participated in succeeded completely, and, what was more incredible on that, the casualties until that point were always zero.

Nevertheless, the last meeting had proved that Casper’s loyalty towards the Yanke Forces could be his major defect as well. Inside that huge hall, when the meeting was being made, hundreds of people were gathering while hearing the absurd that the marshal had to say to them. When everyone was protesting to go against the decision he made, Casper didn’t hesitate to raise his hand in favor of that operation and to take the responsibility to make it succeed.

The Yanke Force’s team had faith in Casper. They knew that the guy was powerful and intelligent. He had passed for hell a lot of times and he got out from there unscathed. But what they were planning there was just a bad chess movement, a non-sense sacrifice of a lot of pawns.

The hero of the Yanke Forces had turned to be as crazy as the marshal. He was willing to bear the lives of dozens of people on his shoulders.

As Casper was passing through those lots of rooms and different departments, facing all sorts of people that he worked with and got along in all those years inside the team, he realized that he was being treated as someone that didn’t belong there. No one really bothered to look at his eyes for much time. He felt that all the bonds he had effort so much to built with those people were cut.

At the same time as he felt dejected and helpless, he also held his head high and didn’t let any regret dominate his heart. He took responsibility for that because he wanted to, he could have had let everything on the marshal’s hands, but he didn’t.

Casper had his own reasons to do that, and now just a few people would understand, but he didn’t want to be a hero. He didn’t mind being called a villain, a murder. The colonel would do whatever it takes to accomplish his objectives, even though it could ruin his career, and end with his reputation.

With that in mind, the soldier didn’t let himself down. He acted as a high-ranked soldier was supposed to act. And he would do what was better for those people, although they could judge him for that.

He arrived at the door of the marshal’s office, knocking on the door. People behind him that were around the room started to mutter, spreading gossip, sarcastic and hateful comments. Casper was with his expression darkened, his hands were trembling with frustration, but he kept himself calmed down, and waited patiently for his call to be answered. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

A deep voice sounded on the other side of the door. A clear, strong, and imposing voice. Whenever Casper heard the marshal’s tone of voice, which didn’t fit the age he had, he shivered, and his hair stood to the end. Everyone there said to feel the same effect as him, and even worse.

"I am here. You can enter."

Casper slowly opened the door, making sure to show himself totally before he could enter the room. Once he stepped inside there he saluted and kept in position, disciplined. He stayed like that until the marshal waved his hand slowly.

"Rest, soldier." Immediately, Casper returned for a more casual position.

The marshal was sitting in a chair behind a desk. That was the most organized desk that you would see, even among the military. The papers were well disposed, everything was separated and selected in groups, even pens were in groups of different colors, in a specific part of the desk.

From the most important things, until the ordinary ones, that entire room had its furniture and objects detailedly arranged.

The old man was wearing his uniform, with all the medals of his past feats and achievements there, as well as his name: Napoleon.

"What do you want, colonel? Shouldn’t you be preparing yourself for the upcoming operation? Don’t say to me that you are here because you want to reconsider your previous decision..."

He was talking calmly with Casper, with a voice that showed how much wise and powerful that man was, but there was intimidation there as well, and he nearly gulped.

"I am here because I have a request for you, sir. It’s not about to reconsider my decision, though."

Napoleon leaned his body on the desk, taking care to not mess with anything that was on top of it. His face got even more serious. Casper had the feeling that the old man knew what his request was.

The marshal seemed to be a cold and frivolous person most of the time, but he was aware of the individualities of the most ordinary person under his command. The memory of that man was just crazy, and so was his tact when dealing with people, even though he had that bossy and sovereignty look and personality.

At the same time as a lot of people there could hold a grudge against him, no one could deny that he was the type of person who would never forget your name, your biggest weakness, and your strength. That was where his leadership was based from.

That said, Casper’s weaknesses were already exposed to Napoleon, and, because of this detail, he probably knew what the colonel wanted to discuss, and his answer was already prepared.

"I want to go to this mission alone." He didn’t point any reasons as to why he wanted to do it, and why he was dispensing so lightly an entire troop of trained soldiers with almost 50 of them.

"You are a mad man, Casper. That’s what I like about you. Your determination is never showed through words but always appears in your actions. Throughout my entire life, I had the opportunity to know just a single man that had the same will like you, who is me, by the way." He put hands together, interlacing the fingers. Those imposing eyes looked at his face, and he lasted a few seconds analyzing his expression.

"I need to say that I understand your reasons. I am sending you and fifty of your friends for a mission where, in the minimum, forty-five will be dead. It’s basically a suicide squad. Those people are being sent to the battlefield to die for the country, doing a mission almost impossible. That’s not just inhuman, but disgusting, and even frustrating for someone like you, that care so much for your friends and their safety, and that could pull through dozens of missions without any casualties.."

Casper looked to be willing to say something, Napoleon saw that he was struggling to hold it. That colonel was disciplined, and he knew that he couldn’t talk until the marshal allowed him to do so.

"Go ahead."

"You are saying all these points as if you agree with them. Those people out there are saying that we are being sent to die, and you just affirmed it, sir. Are you implying that you know and agree with all of this?"

Napoleon was relentless in his reply, he didn’t take one second more to respond to his question.

"Yes, colonel. They are all right. It’s a suicide mission, everyone is being sent there to die, just you and five more men will get alive from there, that’s the plan, and the only way to accomplish this crucial mission. I am fully aware of all of this, and I can make a meet right now just to show all the graphics and schemes again while explaining why this Operation is so cruel and dangerous if you want. Got it?" The colonel lowered his head, gritting his teeth. His head was about to explode.

"May you be the monster they say you are, sir?"

"I am. Maybe a monster isn’t compared to me when I am doing something that is needed to accomplish my goals and to contribute to my country. That’s something we have in common." Casper gulped.

"Will you accept my offer, sir?"

Napoleon giggled, standing from his chair, and looking at the colonel. Just by staring at his eyes, Casper knew what the response he got was.