Dark Quest Page 5

  “Yes, they are.” The Colonel and General Clark looked quizzically at the Lieutenant. “Do you possess knowledge of these attacks that we are not aware of?”

  “Not information on attacks in Targa, Sir, but General Fernandez informed me of similar attacks in Cordonia.”

  General Clark’s eyes opened wide. “You’ve spoken with General Fernandez of the Cordonian Military Intelligence? When?”

  Alex hesitated and finally replied, “Just this last week, General. I attended Duke Dalek’s wedding in Kantor and he purposely took me aside to find out if I had information of any such attacks in Targa. He did identify himself properly and told me of the attacks they have been having in Cordonia. He also indicated that he had scouts observing our border forces to assure that they were not involved.”

  Confused, the General asked, “How could you have possibly been in Kantor when you only had a week’s leave?”

  The Colonel saw the concern etched in Alex’s face and quickly jumped in. “Alex, did you get any impression that the General might have been insincere or testing you?

  “No, Sir. He was amiable and open with me. I spoke with him for half an hour. He started the conversation by letting me know that he was in the Intelligence Branch. He did not attempt to get any information from me regarding troop strength or disposition. He did inadvertently let me know that his spy network in Targa is well stationed. He was well informed of the creation of the Frontier Division from the start. He indicated that Cordonian forces might have intervened had they determined that the buildup was to secure the Disputed Area.”

  The General was still concerned about the time factor of Alex’s trip, but this new information overshadowed it. “It would appear, Colonel, that we have a security leak somewhere highly placed in the Palace.”

  “Yes, General. May I suggest that I inform Lieutenant Tork of the changes in leadership of the Frontier Division while you alert the Intelligence Task Force of this problem? I will meet you in fifteen minutes in your office.”

  “An excellent idea, Colonel, bring Tork with you. I want to hear more of his trip to Kantor.”

  After the General left the room, Colonel Gregor turned to Alex and said, “Alex, you have some explaining to do. I could be brought up on charges for diverting the conversation from the General’s question.”

  “I’m sorry, Colonel Gregor, but I cannot explain what I don’t fully understand. By some force of magic I was transported to the Targa Sea and then proceeded normally by ship. I would prefer to keep that information within this room, if possible.”

  “I understand, Alex. My faith in you is complete and I can accept your story. General Clark, however, will not. Is Lord Habas aware of your transportation?”

  “Yes, Colonel. He accompanied me on the trip.”

  “Good. I am going to do something that I have never done in my entire career, Alex, and you had better back me up on this. If General Clark asks again, tell him that you actually had a month of leave and that I covered for you. The General spends so little time with his men that I doubt he could have seen you in the yard anytime in the last month.”

  “Thank you, Colonel. I am indebted to you.”

  “That you are, Lieutenant. Now, the Frontier Division has become too large to be commanded by a Lieutenant, so I am relieving you of that duty. Captain Jay Oren will assume command of the Frontier Division immediately.”

  Alex was disappointed. The Frontier Division had been his idea and he had created it by himself. The Division had grown to over a thousand men so Alex knew that the Colonel was correct, but that didn’t ease the sting.

  “Getting back to the matter at hand, there have been a string of attacks culminating yesterday in an attack in Klandon. Forty priests and acolytes were brutally killed in an attack and the entire library was missing. The unique thing about this attack, other than the massive number of casualties, is the portion of a Cordonian uniform found in the slaughter.”

  “Cordonian uniform?” Alex sputtered.

  “Yes. General Clark is convinced the Cordonians are behind these raids. That is why I feel that your trip to Cordonia will surface again.”

  “Excuse me, Colonel, but you don’t appear to share the General’s concern.”

  “You are observant, Alex. The people in Klandon were all slaughtered in one room with no signs of struggle. Without a struggle it is incredible that a well-trained Cordonian soldier would conveniently tear his jacket and leave us such a fortunate clue. I think whoever is behind these attacks wants us to focus our efforts on Cordonia.”

  “That makes sense, Colonel. Does Targa have a military Intelligence Branch like Cordonia?”

  “Not really, Alex. We have a group called the Intelligence Task Force, but it is little more than some officers on General Clark’s staff who correlate information that we receive from various sources.”

  “Seems to me, Colonel, that intelligence like the Cordonians are getting would have great value to Targa.”

  “I couldn’t agree more, Alex. There are several special groups that Targa needs to create in order to keep pace with her enemies and deal with them properly. General Clark and I were discussing the need for a small force designed to react quickly to attacks similar to what we are facing. This is where you come into the picture. The General has agreed to promote you to Captain and have you create this small, highly trained force.”

  “I am honored, Colonel. How small a force are we talking about?”

  “You will be allowed to choose three hundred men from the ranks of the Red Swords, Frontier Division, or the Regular Army. Choose two men to be promoted to Lieutenant. Your rank of Captain is necessary for practical reasons, Alex. Your troops are not to be usurped by other officers. Your Lieutenants should be capable of leading the force in your absence. I suspect that, at times, your group will be split into three groups for logistical reasons. Choose one of your Lieutenants to be familiar with Sordoan customs and the other to be familiar with Cordonian customs.”

  “I have just the men in mind, Sir. May I choose the name for the group?”

  “Do you have a suggestion, Captain?”

  “Yes, Sir. I would like to call them Rangers,” Alex proclaimed.

  “Done,” accepted Colonel Gregor. “There is another group that I wanted your input on. I want to create a group of spies who work outside the military. I have not shared this vision with the General or anyone else and prefer not to. I am asking you because I believe the person most able to provide this would be your friend, Oscar Dalek. I understand that he has his own private army recruited from the less desirable ranks of society. Do you think he would help us and would his people be dependable?”

  Alex thought of Larc and his band of cutthroats. Their loyalty to Oscar and Larc was unquestionable, most having been saved from death by Larc. Oscar would gladly fund the operation and Larc was as loyal to Targa as Alex himself. “Colonel, I believe that I could set up such an operation and their loyalty would be assured. I think the funding would also be covered so that no one could trace royal funds to the operation.”

  “Excellent! Set it up. They will report only to you and myself, no other Targan officer. I need to know who the leader will be. I suppose you probably have a name for them, as well?”

  “If it is acceptable, a man from my original village named Larc will be the head of the organization. He is the man responsible for building Dalek’s guards. As for a name, I don’t know. Perhaps Spiders would be appropriate.”

  “Good. Set it up as soon as you can. We need to get to General Clark’s office.”

  Alex had selected his Rangers carefully. David Jaynes and Mitar Vidson, two of the soldiers who had been with Alex and Fergy during the penetration of the goblin Northlands, had been promoted to Lieutenant. Each soldier had been issued two uniforms, one camouflage and the other black. Black was the official color of the Rangers and Alex now had black bars accompanying the red and green bars on his shoulders. Rumors were rampant in the Army on the purpose of
the Rangers and Alex decided to remove the group from the prying eyes of Tagaret.

  The men who had been selected for the Rangers were already well trained. They were the best of the Army before being chosen to join the Rangers. Alex, however, was not satisfied. Alex set up teams that had unusual skills to train those who did not possess the skills. The teams were designed to teach unconventional methods of warfare. There was wide variety in the backgrounds and skills of his men and Alex tapped that knowledge.

  Classes were taught in the use of myric quills, forest and desert survival, use of the garrote, knife throwing, and the throwing of the Lanoirian Star. Alex was amazed at the accuracy that could be accomplished with the Star. It was an eight-pointed metal disk with the points finely sharpened. The Star could be thrown farther and more accurately than a knife because of its fine balance.

  Alex was still not satisfied. He wanted his men to be capable of any task put to them. Before heading to the Boulders for an intense month of mountain climbing, he wanted to cover role camouflage and stealth techniques.

  Oscar and Larc had agreed to the Spiders idea and many of the original Spiders came from the ranks of Oscar’s guards. Larc opened a business in Tagaret called the Pawn Shop and a shipping company called Continental Shipping. Oscar fronted Larc the funds to get the business operations started with the understanding that half of all profits would be his. Larc would run the business operations separate from the government or Oscar.

  Larc set up Will Staton as the owner of the Pawn Shop. Will was a scrawny black man whom Larc had bested in Oscar’s first year of operation. Larc and Will had become good friends over the years and the other Spiders respected Will.

  Terris Orba was Larc’s choice as the front man for the shipping company. Terris was a tall redhead who had been part of the bandit gang with Will. He was garrulous and a personable fellow. People would probably give him shipping contracts just to shut him up. His eyes missed nothing, though. All the time he was talking, his eyes were roving over everything in sight. Terris had provided valuable information on bandit gangs for Larc over the years. People had a tendency to ignore Terris because his mouth was always going.

  Colonel Gregor was at his desk when a Private came in with a message. He took the message and dismissed the soldier. The note was from Oscar Dalek requesting the Colonel’s presence at his room in the Palace Shadow, an upscale inn not far from the Palace. He requested the meeting to discuss the shipping needs of the Red Swords. The Colonel told his Sergeant that he would be out for a while and left the Royal Palace. The note seemed innocuous enough, but the Colonel did not want to advertise the meeting. Colonel Gregor took the long route and entered the inn from the rear. He would have access to the stairs without passing through the inn’s main salon. Oscar’s note indicated a room on the third floor and he started up the steps. Before he reached the second floor, the Colonel heard a laugh that he recognized, Duke Nelson, the King’s Advisor, was coming down the stairs. The Colonel quickly backtracked and slid into the hallway that led to the kitchen. Duke Nelson came down the stairs escorting a young girl with auburn hair and left by the rear door. The Colonel regained the stairs and hurried to Oscar’s room.

  Colonel Gregor knocked on the door and Oscar opened the door and let him in. “Duke Dalek, you wished to speak to me about a shipping contract?” The Colonel looked around the room as Oscar closed the door.

  “Colonel, how good of you to come.” Oscar signaled and Larc appeared from the wardrobe. “I think we’re safe here, Colonel.”

  The Colonel sighed and sat in one of the chairs. “I didn’t want to be seen coming in. It is quite unusual for a Colonel to be summoned from the Palace by a freight executive. Someone might think that I was receiving payment for directing business your way.”

  Oscar sat next to the Colonel. “I understand, but if you are concerned about it, you needn’t tell anyone the purpose of the meeting.”

  “I didn’t, but your note could have been read by anyone.”

  “Not unless they opened the envelope,” stated Oscar.

  The Colonel’s face grew dark. “There was no envelope. Just the folded note. It would seem that someone is checking up on me. If it’s the Intelligence Task Force, I can live with it. If it is someone else, I have to know.”

  Larc joined the group. “My people aren’t going to find out much inside the Royal Palace, Colonel. I’m Larc Gart and I’ll be heading the Spiders.”

  The Colonel shook Larc’s hand. “Alex speaks very highly of you, Larc, and that is an excellent recommendation as far as I’m concerned.”

  “All of this highlights the need for a way to get you two together in the future,” added Oscar. “You can’t be coming to the inn whenever you want to meet and Larc can’t march into the Royal Palace.”

  “I rent a room above the Sword and Shield and eat breakfast and dinner there practically every day. Perhaps you could get a man employed there,” suggest the Colonel.

  “Consider it done,” stated Oscar. “Larc will appear there the first day that we have someone in place and indicate who the person is. Is there any particular information Larc should be looking for other than the book bandits?”

  “Nothing important. One curious item, though. On the way here I almost bumped into Duke Nelson. I managed to hide before he saw me, but he had a young woman hanging on his arm. Now, I don’t care much what his relationship is with his wife, but I think she may be worth checking out. It may turn out that our leak springs from a pillow.”

  “Okay,” replied Oscar. “Larc, Duke Nelson will be easy to spot. He’s a very distinguished looking gentleman with gray hair and a gray mustache. A little on the heavy side, but he always carries a gold-tipped, red walking stick. Very distinctive. You should probably leave now. Oh, Larc, the Sword and Shield -- buy the whole building. I don’t want to take the chance of your man getting fired. We don’t want to have to go through this all over again.”

  Larc said goodbye and left. Oscar walked to the window to see if anyone followed Larc. “Colonel, I will be out of this loop from now on. I certainly will help you and Targa in any way that I can, but as far as the Spiders go, I never heard of them.”

  “Duke Dalek, it has been a pleasure dealing with a patriot. I know Duke Whitley probably keeps you advised of what’s going on in the Kingdom, but a little advance notice won’t hurt. General Clark is going to be seeking approval for a major garrison in Tice soon. It’s very likely to create some healthy trade along the coast between here and there.”

  Oscar smiled. “Colonel Gregor, we could get to be very good friends. I’ll watch for any tails when you leave.”

  After the Colonel left, Oscar left for the Targa Shipbuilding Company and his old friend, Daryl Downs.

  “Oscar, how good to see you,” greeted Daryl. “What brings you to my shop?”

  “Hello, Daryl. I’m looking to buy some more ships. What’s your inventory look like?”

  “I’ve got three that are finished, but we’re expecting a contract from Sordoa for six, so it depends on how things work out. What do you need?”

  “Well,” answered Oscar, “I’m thinking along the lines of twelve to start with.”

  “You are talking about large galleons, aren’t you?” Daryl queried.

  “Certainly. Our contract for the Dalek Shipbuilding Company doesn’t allow us to build your design for them. I was hoping that I could buy them from you, but it looks like I might have to go to the competition.”

  “Now, Oscar, there’s no need for that kind of talk. I’ll try to find some way to accommodate you.”

  “I’m sorry, Daryl. I thought you were telling me that you had too much business to handle my order. I should’ve realized that you would give my order priority. Okay, I’ll take the three that you have and the other nine within a year.”

  “Oscar, you can’t be serious. If I sell you the three, there will be no way to salvage the Sordoan contract. Even if I did that and put my crews working night and day, I couldn�
�t get you another nine ships in a year. It’s impossible.”

  “All right, Daryl. I don’t want you to lose the Sordoan contract. Let’s do this. You agree to amend the contract for the Dalek Shipbuilding Company and allow us to use your galleon design. I’ll still take the three that you have so if the Sordoan contract falls through, you will still have a hefty profit. If you need to get ships out quickly, Dalek can help with the output.”

  “But, Oscar, we specifically left the galleons out of the contract because that is our main business here in Targa. That would put Dalek in the position of directly competing with me.”

  “Of course it would, Daryl, but you own half of Dalek so you would be competing with yourself. My only other alternative would be to buy out your competitors here in Tagaret and then we really would be fighting each other.”

  “Why is it every time you come to town with an offer, I feel like I’m cutting off another finger and enjoying it?”

  “Daryl, Daryl, Daryl, haven’t you become very wealthy since we met? Hasn’t your business here boomed while you’ve gotten fat rewards from Dalek with no need for worry?”

  “You win again, Oscar. I’ll get the ships ready and we can revise the contract, but I want another of those fine dinners to seal the deal.”

  Oscar put his arm around Daryl and steered him towards the door. “I’ve discovered an even better place to eat this time, Daryl.”

  Chapter 5

  Commerce

  Colonel Gregor was ready for bed, but he would have a visitor shortly and sleep would have to wait. He poured two glasses of brandy and peered out the window. Life was simpler when he had known whom to trust. The awaited knock came and he opened the door. “I’ve poured a glass of brandy for you. It’s on the table.”

  “Thanks,” replied the visitor. “Have you found out who is checking up on you?”

  “Yes and no,” the Colonel sighed. “General Clark, for sure. I haven’t been able to figure out if it’s the Intelligence Task Force or if the General has someone else checking for a different reason. What about Duke Nelson and the girl?”