Chapter 15
Secret Message
Domizio Province, Adriano Region, Ilyria
You did not get much time to yourself in the Air Dragoons, especially when you were in the field on the hunt. However, while the riders and their mounts were supposed to be getting some rest, Captain Gernot went a short ways off so he would not be disturbed. Taking one last look around to ensure he was alone, he pressed one finger to his ear and the index finger and thumb of his other hand to his throat, saying, "Foxhound 716, this is Fox Hunter 318. Do you copy? Foxhound 716, this is Fox Hunter 318. Over."
He was speaking subvocally, so he should not have had too much to worry about, but you can never be too careful. Even though it was unlikely that any native could even begin to comprehend what he was doing, Zadok was extremely paranoid about spies and no rank, not even being the Melek himself, put you above suspicion. While you had some hope of extraction under certain conditions, if your situation was the result of some screw-up on your part, you were disavowed and cut loose. He knew the risks when he took the assignment.
Finally he got a response.
"Foxhound 716, have you made contact with the target?"
He had.
"Is Foxhound 721 with you?"
He was.
"Does he care to explain exactly what the hell he's been doing?"
Orders from Fairy Godmother. Keep the pieces in play as long as possible.
"Then why even bother to give us his location?"
Fairy Godmother wants the pieces in play, but she does not want to make it too easy for them. Keep up the pressure. It seemed that he would need to speak with Fairy Godmother himself to clarify his orders.
"Where are you now?"
Just crossed into Adom.
"Adom? Why in the hell—?"
Foxhound 716 did not need to tell him. It only took him a moment to figure it out.
"Snow White means to go to Ostivar..."
Was this what Fairy Godmother really wanted? Everyone knew she had a soft spot for Zadok and was not above tipping the scales in their favor, even if it compromised the integrity of the experiment. That was a large part of how they managed to end the last war on favorable terms. Zadok was brutally effective for what it was, but it was also overambitious to the point of skating toward self-destruction. If Ostivar and Aurea made a concerted push against Zadok and could turn the tributaries as they advanced, nothing short of direct intervention could save Zadok.
Whatever the case may be, if the tide turned against Zadok, Captain Gernot wanted to be somewhere else, but could he abandon his comrades so easily? Or the Colonel?
"I need a cover story before I can put Rose Red on the trail."
Foxhound 716 told him where to find the breadcrumbs.
"Okay. San Benito on this side of the border and Stefanadzor in Adom. That should work."
One of the trickiest parts of this work was maintaining plausibility for the string of good fortune that kept targets in sight rather than being lost to the four winds as would be so easy. Certain choice specimens were supposed to be fitted with trackers, but the Fox Hunters were not usually privy to such information. It would explain why Foxhound 721 and Foxhound 677 came across the target when they did. How else could you explain it? God does not play dice with the universe, they say.
"We should catch up to you in seven days. This should be the endgame, unless you've got some new surprise for us."
No promises, he says.
"Be careful that you don't exceed mission parameters, Foxhound 716," Captain Gernot warned. "There are consequences for disobeying orders, you know."
His usual blithe response. Did he appreciate the fact that he was playing with fire?
"Fox Hunter 318, out."
Captain Gernot had the distinct feeling things were going to get worse before they got better.
"Sir, what are you doing?"
It was Lieutenant Metzer, one of his men.
"Can't a man take a piss in peace?" he said.
"You shouldn't stray so far from camp, sir."
"I'm shy."
Metzer laughed.
"Pull the other one, sir."
"Oh, Radam's been musking. Mating season must be coming early this year. I need to clear my head a bit."
"Really, sir? I haven't noticed it with Wexer."
"Wexer's a lot younger. The young ones don't get started until later in the season. Age before beauty and all that."
"If that's so, sir, it's a shame we can't get him back to the rookeries."
"It won't be the first season he's missed. They have studs enough there."
"We may need all the new hatchlings we can get if the fighting heats up any more."
"Not too many people can take down a Dragon, Metzer."
"Don't you remember the briefing about the new cannon the Aureans are developing, sir? It's like a giant pepperbox."
"And about as reliable, I imagine. That thing'll kill more Aurean artillerymen than Dragons."
"It'll be a lot of lead in the air if it doesn't misfire, sir."
"We ride big flying lizards that breathe fire for a living, Metzer. This never was the safest line of work."
"All the danger, all the glory. Right, sir?"
"Right. Now let's be getting back to camp. We hit the skies again at dawn."
"Yes, sir."