Triple Strength

279. Second Attempt: Tabitha

“What the fuck is this?” Colonel Roberts said.

“It is a bill for the cost of the training exercise for your troops,” I replied.

Wiremu was with me, dressed as Maia, as was Ruku. The Colonel had Captain Lee, Lieutenant Puriri, and a corporal taking notes. He wanted this meeting.

He looked at the bill. I had Itemised it for him.

“This bill says there were eight people involved on the day? The reports I have only say there were three.”

I just raised an eyebrow at him. He didn’t need to know five of them were bonds.

He kept reading, “Two days work for a Master Trapper?”

I replied, “It took Tama a full day to make the traps less lethal and then another day to reset them back. He also shifted some around.” That was a warning not to try again.

“Just how many people are part of Black Rock?”

“You have access to the official registration.”

“That doesn’t match with this bill here, nor the number of people Lieutenant Puriri has observed.”

I just shrugged, “We arrange to get the expertise we need like any competent Mercenary organisation.”

“Tama Forrester is the Master Trapper as well as a bond specialist? He is also a Free Republic Citizen. I did ask for him to be at this meeting.”

“It is best he is not,” Wiremu/Maia said. “The man is good at catching and communing with animals, but he is also an idiot and a fool.”

“Tama spends most of his time in the forests, and that is how he likes it,” I added. “He is great in his speciality area, but only in that area.” It's time to get this meeting on a different track, although, as far as the Colonel is concerned, this is the track he wants. Let’s see how good a tracker he is. “You called this meeting to discuss security. It must be apparent that we have it adequately covered.”

“Security is about the people carrying it out. I don’t know you, so I can’t trust you to protect someone who is potentially so valuable.”

“You don’t have to trust us, colonel, because you did not employ us. Our Employer trusts us, and that is our only concern.”

“Mayakku has proved she is close to success, and that goes beyond any individual. Her protection is a national security concern.”

“On the contrary, it is an international concern, which is why we were employed, so that no particular nation could interfere with her work.”

“And you say you were employed by Wiremu Hunter. If that is true, he is setting himself up as an international authority. International authorities must be recognised as such by more than one nation. We certainly don’t recognise his authority over us because he has none.”

“You would have to take that up with our employer. We are employed to provide security for Mayakku and the project.”

“Yet you are inside the Free Republic territory and subject to our laws.”

“I wasn’t aware we had broken any laws. We are also willing to remove ourselves from the Free Republic if we are not wanted here.” I am fully aware this is a direct lie. I am now a local crime lord and have knowingly broken multiple laws.

Wiremu/Maia broke into the conversation, “Are we not wanted here, Colonel?”

“You are very much wanted here. This project is something the Free Republic is very interested in seeing happen. The Senator is on her way back from the Capital as we speak to help facilitate this. My concern is security.”

Right, so that means the word is spreading about this. The Senator now knows and, therefore, many other people as well. We knew this would happen. Things are going to start getting dangerous. Speed is still our best defence. The decoy base at the quarry is only going to survive so long.

The Colonel continued, “It also makes sense that a known defensive position can be used to draw attention, and a secondary, quieter base is often useful.”

None of the three of us reacted to that, but it certainly raised some questions. Is this his thinking? Is someone talking to him? Captain Lee next to him might have come up with this, but the colonel seemed to be too straight a thinker.

“Are you offering us a secondary workspace?”

“I would, but it has been pointed out to me you probably already have a secondary workspace.”

“Oh? And who would suggest such a thing?”

“It is logical.”

Not to you, it is not. Somebody is talking to him. It may be the captain, but that will need some investigation.

“What do you want, Colonel?”

“I want to ensure the security of a national, perhaps international asset.”

“How do you want to do that?”

“I want to work with you, but you have so many secrets I can’t trust you.”

“And it is our lack of trust in governments that means we keep secrets.”

“Corporal, the meeting is over. Please prepare your report and have it on my desk by morning.” The corporal looked confused but nodded, packed up and left. He looked at Lieutenant Purir and said, “Lieutenant.” Puriri concentrated, and an extra layer of wood covered the walls and floor, significantly muffling the sound from outside, even with my Hearing Aid.

Then suddenly, a layer of Granite covered that, and I couldn’t hear anything. The Colonel looked at Wiremu/Maia and said, “Thank you.” I think he wanted privacy, but I don’t know if he realised they were now trapped in here with us, and no sound would get out.

“What is it you want?” I asked.

“I want to develop some trust between us. What is said now will go no further than those present,” he replied.

“Trust is not so easy to gain,” I said.

Wiremu/Maia added, “Especially not when I know you,” he pointed to Captain Lee, “have been talking to a Kirghiz spy.”

“Lee?” questioned the Colonel.

“I…” she stopped suddenly as Tāoke came out of camouflage near her leg with a hiss and poised to strike.

“He is very sensitive to lies,” I told her.

Everybody knew her life would depend on the next words out of her mouth. I don’t know how Wiremu knew, although I do know Tāoke’s sense of smell is unparalleled, which would mean he smelled someone he knew, like Rodion. A wolfkin’s smell would stand out here. We will see.

She started again, “The Kirghiz envoy approached me with some information about enchanting and the slave class that they should not have known about. I met with a Wolfkin agent of theirs. That was why I pushed for the raid, to try to verify the information.”

“Why don’t you tell us what the information was and how much you managed to verify,” I said.

“They knew about the enchanting to remove the slave class and wanted to make it clear they wanted you to succeed and should be given any and all assistance.”

“That's nice of them. Please carry on,”

“He said that if you have a known base that would just be a decoy, you would have two or more secret safe houses, and that was how you worked. In the raid, I definitely verified the quarry was a decoy. I pushed the Wolfkin for more verifiable information, and he said the Dire Bear was an obvious bond but that there would be a hidden snake bond. Lieutenant Puriri verified that Tama Forester had a snake bond, which is why I wanted him here to verify that. I see the snake bond is real, although I am puzzled why one of my people says he ran screaming from a gigantic snake in the raid.” Nobody spoke to that, so she continued, “He also said the two main people are very accomplished at disguises, and I will only be shown what you want me to see.” She paused and looked at Wiremu, “The snake is here. You are Tama Forrester, aren’t you?”

Puriri looked shocked at that accusation, but it was logical. The Colonel didn’t look shocked. This Captain Lee had my sort of twisted mind. The question is, did Rodion tell them any more? He knows that Wiremu is Wiremu Hunter, yet he hasn’t told them that, or she would not have stopped at that point.

“What do you think this wolfkin actually wanted?” I asked.

“I actually think he wanted us to help you,” Lee answered. “The Colonel wanted more proof. It appears you have the backing of the Kirghiz Kingdom, and that is no small thing.”

I looked at Wiremu and Ruku. Rodion has a lot more secrets than this.

“Where does the Free Republic stand?” Wiremu/Maia asked, ignoring the accusation about his identity.

The Colonel spoke, “The Free Republic also wants this to happen and as quickly as possible. There are slaves and the Slave Taskmaster on route here to work with you, but they will still be a few weeks away. Keeping people safe when they change identities is going to be difficult.”

“We don’t want your protection. The original plan was for you never to know we were here, but we needed access to the slaves.” I said.

Puriri spoke up and said, “If you are Tama Forrester you are definitely a local. Very few know how to put down a hangi. I saw your enjoyment as you ate it. Like it was a fond memory.”

“Your identity won’t leave this room, son,” the Colonel said, even though I was dressed as a woman. I figured the colonel probably knew I wasn’t a woman.

“I can’t trust that,” I said.

“I know you have a much greater input into the enchantment formation than anybody has let on. Why would you hide that?” the Colonel asked.

Ruku spoke up, and he was talking to Wiremu, “You are finally home. You can relax and enjoy it a bit. She might be your sister, but you are my son. We are with you no matter what. You are home, son,” he paused, “Besides if they betray us, we can burn them like we did Almaeadin.” He turned to the other three, “and that is a promise.”

They looked shocked at the revelation of Almaeadin and a little scared at the power that represented. Tāoke climbed up Wiremu’s body and settled in his usual place on his shoulder.

“Not a word, and that is more than an order,” the Colonel said to the other two.

Wiremu looked close to tears. The only other time I have seen him like this was when Kelda left. His Veneer Skill faded, and he took on a more masculine look. His normal look.

He finally spoke, “I haven’t been home for almost ten years, and there is no one to come home to. My real name is Wiremu Hunter, son of Bryan Forrester and Whetu Weaver from Kohekohe Village.” Then he just burst into tears. It was like a dam broke. Ruku stood and went over and just held him. I went as well, although I was keeping an eye on the other three.

All three were shocked, stunned even, although the Colonel may have suspected. Wiremu has been holding strong for a decade, and now he is home and not only is there no one here for him, he couldn’t even be himself.