The War Satellite

Chapter Thirty

Clara

I clicked my pen and turned to collect the notes I had made. The meeting was finally over. The only thing I had learned was how impressive the amount of time Hornet's men could spend talking about everything but the obvious holes in various plans.

"Can you bring a copy of the meeting minutes to my office?" I heard a voice ask behind me. I turned and my eyes narrowed.

"General Krum, the minutes are for Lord Hornet."

"Yes but I assumed since you had already written them up that it would be very easy for you to make a copy."

I opened my mouth to say something rude back to him but I stopped. He was one of the few who ranked higher than me. I forced myself to nod.

"I'll bring it to your office." I replied. Krum smiled widely towards me and moved away.

Krum was Hornet's chief advisor, he handled all conflict in the colonies. Whether it be moving guards, making decisions with prisons and prisoners, or dealing with spies, he was the man people went to. I had a growing suspicion that he did more than Hornet believed. Maybe I could use these notes as an excuse to get in his office and search it.

I sat back down in a chair and set to copying my notes. After I had finished I headed up the stairs to the second floor. I stopped a maid as she walked by me.

"Excuse me, do you know where General Krum's office is?" I asked. The maid shook and she pointed quickly before backing away from me nearly running into another room.

I watched her flee and looked down at my uniform. I wanted to call back to her and tell her I wasn't actually a hornet. That all I was here for was to help her get out of this prison. But I was locked up just like her. The bars were all around me.

Fear was a powerful warden.

I shook the thoughts out of my head and headed to where the maid had pointed. I knocked and after hearing nothing let myself in. The office was modest and it seemed almost empty, other than a Hornet flag hanging on the wall.

There wasn't anything on the desks. It was suspicious, maybe I should check it out. Maybe I could find some of the notes Hamilton had sent. After all, he would be the one to have it. Especially if Hornet didn't. Which I had been beginning to suspect.

I moved to the desk and searched through the drawers. They were all empty except for various writing utensils and extra paper. I searched the bookshelves and found they only held Hornet's Autobiography and an Arabic to English dictionary.

Next I searched the closet and in any nooks and crannies I could find. I sat down in the chair studying the office. There had to be something I was missing. I eyed the Hornet flag again. I pushed the chair to the wall and pulled up the flag.

"There it is."

Behind the flag was a hidden shelf piled high with files and papers. I grabbed one at random and flipped through it.

Lord Hornet,

We are pleading with you to send more guards to the prison of Ananke. The families sentenced here are uprising. No matter what restrictions and punishment we enforce they refuse to stand down. They continue to shout at us the serbian word for Justice. We believe they have allied with a rebellion. Please send more troops so we can contain them. We are becoming desperate.

Lieutenant Wister

I flipped to the next page and read General Krums drafted reply.

Lieutenant,