Truthseer

by Jay Aspen

Raine helped Evie get him covered in blankets, very aware of the empty space she was holding around herself.

  Luc noticed it too. ‘Evie? I feel I should try again to say I’m sorry for all the lies, now you’re not actually throwing things at me.’

  She handed him a mug of hot soup, her eyes full of regret for what might have been.

  ‘I know you mean it. But it’s not really about the past. It’s about being able to trust you in the future. Let’s just get you through this. Then maybe we think about starting over.’

  He squeezed her hand. ‘Better than I expected. I know you want more than words.’

  Raine left them to sort themselves out and went to move his gear back into his old office, wondering why an apparently straightforward objective like overthrowing a corrupt regime always got complicated by relationships and personal disasters.

  Parry called from the city park. The transmission image had a deal less interference now it was connected direct to the Warren instead of via precarious relays to the Tarn. And the news was better than it had been for a while.

  ‘It’s Michael. They’re out, heading north, and I’ve blocked a couple of leads to their whereabouts. But I’m under strict orders to go after them soon. We need to meet.’

  Raine sensed that this next encounter would be critical to their ongoing collaboration. If it continued at all. ‘Name your place and time.’

  Parry had already thought this one through. ‘First light tomorrow. An hour north of Freedom City––’

  ‘You may have noticed we never call it that. And we won’t till the day it lives up to its name.’

  ‘Fine, keep your own traditions. There’s a ruined castle on the edge of the forest. Before the chaos wars, part of it was renovated as a hotel. All abandoned now. It’s still called Plessy Castle.’

  ‘I know it. I’ll be there.’

  Raine hung up and went to find Karim. He was sitting alone at one of the empty tables in the great hall.

  ‘Karim, I need to check a few details with you.’

  Karim looked round. ‘Why is it when you walk over all purposeful like that my mind immediately runs through all the things I might be in trouble for?’

  In the crisis of dealing with rapid events, Raine had almost forgotten his chief technician’s inability to stay serious for long. ‘You’ve not been back an hour! Surely you’ve not had time to cook up any of your terrible practical jokes yet?’

  Karim made an effort to look apologetic. ‘I confess I’ve plenty of somewhat incriminating loose ends left over from before we all got out of here. But, I’m a reformed character! I’ve pledged to get to basic training and first aid every morning.’ His grin faded. ‘I’ll always be haunted by the thought that I nearly lost Luc because I didn’t know enough first aid.’

  ‘It needed a lot more than first aid, Karim. But if the thought finally gets you to basic training, I won’t persuade you otherwise.’

  ‘Oh. I nearly forgot. Jac’s registered handset. She thought we might need it and it saved our lives in the city.’

  Raine took the offered silver and stared at it pensively. Jac’s generosity had also saved her grandfather and their adopted family from instant identification when she was arrested, but it was a stark reminder she was missing.

  Too many people at risk. At least Parry managed to erase photos and DNA from the arrest records...

  He forced himself to concentrate on what he had to do in the next twenty-four hours.

  ‘Karim, I need to catch up on a few things. Did you and Luc send that last decoy message about the east marshes?’

  ‘No. We were getting ready to do it when Burton decided he didn’t need Luc any more...’ Karim shivered at the memory of Luc’s arm suddenly pouring blood into the grimy back street. ‘I’m glad they arrested Burton, even if it was for something he faked instead of the whole list of horrible things he actually did.’

  ‘So am I. But... let me think. That means Burton still believed all Luc’s messages from before the day we left the Warren, which included the fake base in the east marshes. But at some point he figured that the messages after that were false-trails, decided that Luc had switched sides and hit the terminate key. So he ordered the east marshes raid thinking that information was genuine.’

  ‘I guess so. Why?’

  ‘Because Parry continued with the raid when he took over as head of security forces. When he asked me for information to help free Fin and the others, I could tell he already knew it was a false-trail. I’m trying to figure out how he knew.’

  ‘Parry actually agreed to help us?’

  ‘Within limits. Keep that between ourselves, Karim. Less people know, less risk he’ll be discovered. And less risk for anyone who might trust him only to find he’s decided to commit to his career instead.’

  ‘Sure. But I think he knew the east marshes trails were fakes because he’s just smart. Like you. He’s figured out how you think.’

  ‘You’ve never met him.’

  ‘I know, but Evie’s been telling me how he saved her from Burton’s thugs just because he felt it was right. It makes sense that someone like that would understand the way you do things.’

  ‘Maybe. The east marshes set-up was close though. We only managed to get over there a few days ago to back up the online disinformation with some decent trails on the ground. Let’s hope they’re good enough for Parry to get credit for an impressive result on his first day in command. Now he’s got more power he could be a valuable asset. We have to make sure he’s not compromised and discovered.’ Raine hesitated. ‘I need to think about all this. What happens tomorrow affects us all.’

  26

  Daylight was fading and Jac was finding it harder to spot potholes under the mat of brambles covering a wide swathe of cracked tarmac. The trees had thinned now they were closer to the barrier, perhaps due to incursions of colder weather or maybe the acid soil of the original moorland limited growth.

  She saw another collapsed overhead bridge in front of them and slowed the jeep, detouring precariously on crumbling access ramps to reach the other side of the pile of shattered concrete.

  She glanced at the battery levels. ‘Ten minutes before it dies.’

  Fin checked the map tablet. ‘Next junction. We leave a false-trail going east and then head northwest through the trees on foot. We’re not far from the barrier now.’

  Jac glanced at Fin’s face in the rear-view mirror. Calm, controlled, thoughtful. The elderly medic seemed to have quietly taken the lead and was making everything sound so matter of fact.

  As if she’s taking us on a plant-hunting expedition instead of running for our lives with who knows how many guns behind us.

  She stopped at the next junction and waited while the others heaved their gear out of the jeep. Bel wedged her shoulder under Kit’s arm, steadying him as he climbed painfully out of the back seat, frowning anxiously at his slow movements. Jac could see this was more than just broken ribs and a head injury. He seemed to be getting weaker.

  No time to rest or deal with it...

  She swung the jeep to the right, heading uphill. The wet moorland stretched into the darkness either side of the road, with clumps of gorse and heather invading the pocked surface. When the power died she pulled the juddering vehicle over onto rough tussocks of sedge and abandoned it, taking care to leave a mess of footprints in a patch of mud, all heading north.

  She ran back down the empty road towards the junction, watching for signs of pursuit until she saw lights in the south and scrambled into the shallow ditch beside the road. She crawled under a tangle of brambles, relying on her dark forest camouflage to blend with the shadows while the line of military vehicles passed. By the time she caught up with Fin she was sucking some long scratches on her hands.

  ‘They’ve gone ahead. If they assume we’ve crossed the moors on foot from where I left the jeep, they’ll drive to the top of the pass in the hope of cutting us off.’

  Fin seemed relieved. ‘The frost damage
is bad enough at the summit to stop vehicles driving further, so they’ll either turn around and come back, or else head off on foot. Either way it gives us a head start. How many of them?’

  ‘I counted five jeeps and seven transporters, all heavily armed.’ Jac hesitated. ‘Fin, I can’t believe they’ve sent all that just for the four of us. I thought they were supposed to be getting short on resources?’

  Fin frowned, puzzled. ‘It does seem like overkill. It’s even more than they used to attack the Warren.’

  ‘Maybe they think one of us has key information?’

  Fin was silent for a moment then shrugged as if determined to focus on more immediate problems. ‘If they don’t suddenly show up in the next hour I think we can assume they’ve gone to the end of the road and laid an ambush up there. Might be our only chance to rest. It’ll be a long day tomorrow.’

  They headed west for a few miles. It was a relief to be back in forested country again with plenty of cover. They still didn’t know if the military had brought spy-drones but if the hunt caught up with them, they would soon find out.

  They found a level patch of grass in the trees above the road, with cover to watch for approaching vehicles.

  ‘I’ll take first watch.’ Kit dismissed their protests with a wave. ‘I can’t sleep anyway so I may as well make use of it.’

  Fin stopped him, gripping his arm. ‘Kit. You don’t have to push yourself like this. If you’re injured you need to focus on surviving.’

  He didn’t answer for a few moments and as Jac’s senses reached out to him she felt him trying to push aside the recurring flashback images of the explosion, the dust, the flying debris battering his head and back. Trying to force sleep-deprived thoughts into some kind of coherence.

  Finally he looked up. ‘Fin, I should have made the decision to pass command to you. I just left you to take over by default. If there hadn’t been anyone here with your experience and skill––’

  Fin cut him off impatiently. ‘Yes. Sure. It could have been a mess. But you’ll get it right next time.’ She saw him shake his head, as if even the thought of a next time was too much. ‘Kit, I’ve watched you over the last couple of years trying to live up to Raine’s expectations. Pushing yourself to breaking point. Then you learn your best friend’s been killed, you get injured almost the same time––and you’ve no reserves left. You have to learn to take care of yourself as well as everyone else.’

  Kit was silent for a while. When he spoke he sounded weary. ‘It’s more than that, Fin. I was fine while I was strong, good at everything, in control. Now that’s all gone...’ He keyed the video archive on his handset and passed it to her. ‘Luc used to record some of our training sessions. I didn’t guess at the time it was to avoid deep communication in case we found out who he was, but anyhow it was useful. We’d collect copies of anything we felt we needed to work on. This was the one I never managed to deal with.’

  Fin angled the screen so Jac could watch the sequence as well. The Warren training ground. Twelve of their best rangers on unarmed combat practice and none of them a match for Kit’s agility and skill combined with his height and strength. After a few sessions he was inviting them to attack him two at a time––and he was still winning. Then Raine’s voice from off camera, quiet but compelling.

  ‘Kit? Tell me what you’re doing.’

  Kit stopped, breathless, thought for a moment, lowered his eyes, embarrassed.

  ‘I was showing off.’

  ‘Sure. We all do that sometimes. Why?’

  Kit took longer to figure this out. Finally he answered, visibly shaken by the sudden understanding. ‘Because without it I don’t have the confidence to lead.’

  Luc had managed to get Raine on camera for the end of the exchange. ‘Good. Now you’ve seen it, you can get rid of it and make space for something useful.’

  The screen went dark. Kit took the handset back from Fin. ‘Every time I think I’ve got that one sorted, I find I haven’t. I should be able to get out of this exhaustion but I can’t seem to focus on anything.’

  Fin stood up, her tone severe. ‘It may not seem like it, but this is useful. While you’re on watch get back into the mind training, figure out how this affects you. Then deal with it.’ Her voice softened a little. ‘And when you’ve done that, come and wake me for second watch.’

  ‘Thanks Fin.’ He held out his hand. The blue phoenix on its leather cord shone faintly in the dusk. Fin took it, slipped it round her neck.

  ‘Yes. It was time to make that decision. Till you’ve recovered enough to take it back.’

  Kit moved to the edge of the clearing for a clear sightline back the way they’d come and sat leaning against a tree, watching the road.

  Jac knew he’d found admitting failure much harder than he’d expected. What she couldn’t work out was why Fin had showed her the video, making sure she learned what was happening with Kit.

  As if this was something she would need to deal with. Soon.

  27

  Parry powered the jeep up the last hairpin bend to the flat area of overgrown gravel in front of the old castle. The grey light of early dawn had yet to reach into the deep shadows around the crumbling building and the air was cold. There was no sign of Raine, yet Parry had the feeling he was already here.

  He looked around, taking in the wooded hillsides and the weathered stone walls with their arched windows and doorways. It seemed strange that the remains of the ancient fortification had changed little during the years it had taken the renovated hotel to fall into ruin.

  He saw Raine standing above him, silhouetted in one of the arched windows. A brief signal of recognition before he disappeared from view. A few moments later he walked out of the stone doorway and approached Parry. They shook hands, formally.

  ‘I notice you didn’t come unarmed.’ Parry indicated Raine’s full quiver of arrows.

  ‘Not much point. I could have. With fifty archers hidden in the trees.’

  Parry laid his own handgun on the stone table by the castle wall. ‘That’s mine. And I haven’t brought backup.’

  ‘I know. I watched you drive up here.’ Raine handed the gun back to him. ‘I also know you won’t use it because that wasn’t why you asked me to come here.’

  Parry took it, acknowledging the compliment.

  When will I find people like this to work with in my own organization?

  ‘The hunt for Fin––Magdalene Mareschelle. Smith took twelve armed vehicles and I’m under orders to arrest her within a few days. I’m sorry Raine. I admit I wanted their help at the market but I warned you I couldn’t protect them for long.’

  ‘I owe you for what you’ve already done. And they’d have gone in whether you asked or not.’

  ‘The five others identified on the market camera. I held off the arrest order and pulled their files to keep them under surveillance and track down their contacts.’

  ‘So you’re letting me warn them?’

  ‘Yes. They’re safe for now and doubtless skilled at keeping their contacts untraceable, but if Moris decides he wants them arrested, I’ll have no choice.’

  ‘There were outlanders taken because they were near the route of Lucas Tyrel’s tracker as he came into the city.’

  ‘All released. No evidence.’

  ‘Did you check Burton’s records on the other undercover agents he was running?’

  Parry hesitated. This was new ground. ‘My obligation to your people doesn’t include sharing all our information.’

  ‘Are the others so easily disposable as well?’

  Comparison with Burton hit a raw nerve. ‘All right. I checked.’ Parry hesitated again, considering how much to divulge. ‘Burton decided Tyrel was a liability. Forced into sending false intel.’

  ‘True. To clear the source of the epidemic. You got the credit for that. I believe that’s what your promotion was based on.’

  Parry drew in a sharp breath. Why do I always feel I should justify my actions to this outlaw?
But even as the thought came to him, he could see the answer. Because he’s not under constraint to compromise his integrity.

  He avoided a direct response. ‘From what I found, only four others completed the undercover training. Three infiltrated small paramilitary groups. None in your network.’

  ‘And the fifth?’

  ‘Is... a member of F2.’

  There was silence over the implications in that statement before Parry continued. ‘Frankly, now he’s in there I see no point pulling him out again. I feel the same as you about what he had to do to be accepted by them but it’s done now and his information could save lives in the future.’

  ‘That’s how Burton knew so much detail about the bomb.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And put people in harm’s way so he could discredit us. Then he’ll arrest whoever’s convenient for his election PR. We’re becoming too well-known for showing up the failings of his administration.’

  ‘That sort of arrest-with-fake-evidence won’t happen on my watch. I’m setting up a new military unit. The abuses will stop. You’ve achieved what you wanted. Your campaign is over.’

  ‘Do you really believe that?’

  ‘Raine, I’m trying to say, turn yourself in. You and Pendrac. I’ll do all I can to get you a fair trial and an amnesty for your people. It’s over.’

  ‘You’d call off the hunt?’

  ‘Of course.’

  Raine looked steadily at him. ‘Have you any idea how many had to go under the wire and run these last few years? Do you have the power to protect them if their leaders are gone?’

  Parry wanted to say yes but he knew it wasn’t true. ‘Look. I’ve tried to do the right thing by you, but it can’t go on indefinitely. I can only make reforms if I stay in control.’ He watched Raine carefully, hoping he’d see sense. ‘I won’t last long playing both games at once.’

  ‘Michael, think about it. Are you really in control? What happens when Moris figures out what you’re doing? Have you asked yourself why he didn’t go after F2 but went to all that trouble to implicate us instead?’