Chapter 9
It seemed that Dylan had not been able to reach his contact and he told Maddie that he would keep trying.
“You have not even attempted to contact Patrice, why are you lying to her?”
Lysette may not have liked the idea of running around the country with the two outsiders but she liked the idea of lying to them even less.
“You know I don’t like my conversations with Patrice, I guess I was just putting it off as long as I could.”
Dylan was not too thrilled at Lysette leaving either and that could be put off forever as far as he was concerned.
“If you don’t talk to him then I will leave with them anyway so do it now or we leave tonight.”
Dylan was well aware that his conversations with Patrice were becoming more strained but he felt he could not let Lysette and the other’s go without knowing if it was safe to do so.
The thought of losing Lysette was unbearable and he could not let that happen.
“It is good to hear from you Dylan.”
Dylan could not say the same but felt he needed to go with Patrice on this.
“Thank you for the info on the missing uniform, I know it must have been difficult for you.”
The response from Dylan’s old comrade was immediate and emphatic.
“You do not need to thank me and I am only too pleased to help you whenever you need me to.”
“It seems that whenever I call it is because I want something and I am afraid this time is no different.”
Again the response was immediate and positive.
“We served together, we sweated together, we are brothers and I like most of those that served under you would refuse you nothing.”
Dylan though gratified by these words felt a pang of guilt at leaving his comrades behind.
“You know I had to leave Patrice, I could not stay after what happened and there is no going back for me now.”
Patrice sounded regretful and sad as he replied.
“Let’s not talk of things that will not change and tell me what it is that you are in need of?”
Dylan wanted to explain his actions further but he knew that Patrice would never understand.
“I am sending Lissa and some friends to visit a work village……”
The abrupt interruption caught Dylan by surprise.
“Not now, I would give it a while, we are on high alert at the moment.”
Dylan thought he knew why but wanted to confirm that he was right.
“I have noticed more activity from the outer Academies, what is going on?”
With Dylan’s knowledge of the system he knew that for it to reach the 50th someone senior was taking things seriously.
“It is nothing apparently a girl attacked a Cadet and we should all run for cover. I think it is a huge fuss over nothing but apparently the Imps are making this girl into something.”
Dylan never for a moment doubted John’s word but his training informed him that it was Imperative to question the integrity of his information.
“What is known of this girl?”
“Nothing much, it seems that she dresses strangely and the parents of the Imp she helped thought she was a little different.”
A direct question to Patrice seemed like a good idea and Dylan thought there was little to lose by asking it.
“Who is directing the campaign against this girl?”
As soon as Dylan asked the question he regretted his decision to do so.
“Do you have information on this girl? If you do then you need to tell me and distance yourself from her. Please Dylan do not tell me that she is with you?”
They were really scared thought Dylan and there was no way that he could tell Patrice the truth.
“You have turned into such a bunch of old women worrying about a lone girl and if I knew where she was I would never tell you but I am not stupid enough to put my people in peril.”
“This is serious Dylan you don’t want to get involved with this girl, there will be nowhere for you to hide if you do.”
It was by his own leadership skills and the grace of the State that allowed Dylan to operate as he did and he could not deny this even to himself.
“I know that as long as we are outside of their influence and we do not cause them too much trouble we are left alone. Do you really think I would risk our freedom for some strange girl that could bring us all down?”
Dylan hoped that he had said enough to satisfy Patrice’s concerns.
“I know you Dylan and I know what you are capable of, on this occasion I am telling you that she is poison.”
“Keep me informed as Lissa has found a source of supplies closer to the Capital and she is as impatient as ever.”
Patrice felt the wall go up as Dylan said this.
“When I know it is safe you will know it is safe.”
There was no nee d for goodbyes and Dylan was grateful that Patrice no longer seemed to entertain the idea of his return to the 1st.
“You still believe in him then!”
Lysette’s words caught Dylan by surprise.
“I know that you two never saw eye to eye but he has always had our back.”
Lysette looked doubtful at the thought of Patrice having anyone’s back other than his own.
“He has always been a self-centred ass and he always will be.”
Patrice turned to the First Minister Jarod Holt as he ended his conversation with Dylan.
“She is there with Dylan I am sure of it.”
“Then he will deliver her right into our hands even if it is unwittingly.”
Patrice had other ideas and made the mistake of voicing them.
“We should take the 1st and go in now or we might lose her and it will give us the opportunity to set an example to Dylan and his little band of Imps.”
Jarod Holt had been First Minister of Valeria for over twenty years and was not one to tolerate his decisions being questioned.
“You are a fool Patrice and you are only in command of the 1st because Dylan deserted, remember that when you have the audacity to offer up your opinions to me.”
It was a dismissal which left Patrice angry and frustrated.
“Remember boy you exist only because I allow you to exist.”
Jarod was not a patient man but he had learned through long years in office that it sometimes paid to wait and that was what he would do.
“Get me an audience with the Chancellor immediately.”
“Yes sir.”
Jarod was a big man that could intimidate just by his size but it was the power of his voice that really gave him the air of authority that told those around him he was in command.
“Chancellor I think we may have found the girl that has so inspired the Imps and it is my opinion that we should make an example of her.”
Helene Berghoff had come to power at the same time as her First Minister and though in name she was the head of State it was common knowledge that Jarod Holt was the real power in Velaria.
“She is just a young girl Jarod, is it really necessary for us to go that far?”
“I believe she is a threat to the State and as such should be taken seriously.”
Helene did not have the strength to argue with her head of justice and also knew that if she were to do so there could be dire consequences.
“Very well Jarod I will leave it to you all that I ask is you are merciful in your dealings with the girl.”
Mercy thought Jarod was just another word for weakness and he would show this girl his strength of purpose in its stead.
“As you wish Chancellor.”
The audience was over and Jarod would do what was best for the State and that meant preventing anything from changing.
Jarod would make preparations and inform Patrice when to set the trap for the girl. It would not need the StatePol to handle this, no that would be over-kill. Just as he and Patrice planned they would utilize the 1st to capture the girl and anyone who was foolis
h enough to join her.
Lysette’s stomach was still hurting as she went to John with news from Dylan.
“It is not yet safe to travel; they are still looking for your woman.”
“You might want to be careful saying things like that in front of Phoebe after all you are not fully recovered yet.”
Lysette hated the fact that John could see she was still in pain from his kick.
“Even on my worse day I could defeat her and you to if it came to it.”
A smiling John could not resist teasing the solemn Lysette.
“It seems to me that you were close to defeat on your best day and by a non-citizen at that.”
Walking away from these fools was becoming a habit thought Lysette.
“You can believe that you are skilled enough to defeat me if you choose but I think we both know the truth.
“What was that all about Lissa seems mad and all I can see is her back?”
“Nothing much, it seems that we are not going to see my friends just yet.”
Maddie was relieved as she was enjoying spending time at the camp with John.
“Did our great leader give a reason or is he just afraid of the bogey man?”
“You are the reason Phoebe, they are looking for you and I think they are scared of you.”
It was crazy thought Maddie how could she have caused such trouble in so little time?
“I do hope that I am not a huge disappointment to your friends after all I am just one girl.”
“You still don’t get it do you? Look around you, take a close look at George, Lana, Lysette and the others.”
Maddie looked around and still could not see what John was talking about.
“I see what I have always seen and nothing new so just please tell me what you want me to see.”
“You’re different Maddie it is not just your clothes it is your attitude, the way that you carry yourself and the fact that you are not afraid. If you really look at these people then you will see fear in their eyes even Lissa is afraid.”
Maddie did not want to ruin John’s little speech but she had to be honest with him.
“You think that I am not afraid then you are wrong. I am afraid of being stuck here, afraid of never seeing my mum again and scared of how I am beginning to feel for you.”
That last bit was not supposed to come out there was such a thing as being too honest and Maddie was not ready for that yet.
“Just forget the last bit John we have more important things to think about than how we feel about each other and I sometimes still see the rotten boy that hounded me out of his house and not the man you have become since then.”
John was not about to forget what Maddie had said but he would reluctantly give her time to work things out.
“You are right there are important things to think about here but the most important thing to me is to know that you are beginning to feel as I do. I will not mention this again and I want you to take as much time as you need but you should know that I will never give up on there being an us.”
Maddie was pleased that John was willing to put things on hold for now and elated that he was not about to give up on her.
Tumbledown Page 9