The Adventurers

Chapter 5

Sax stared at the Captain thoughtfully. He was the current commander of the Trask mission, that was true, but recently his ambitions had begun to show in ways that suggested a break from that loyalty. He knew without asking that Forrester was already committed in his own mind to taking up the offer and that argument would be futile.

All he felt he could do was hope it didn't cause him and the others a large headache.

"Are you suggesting we pursue this?"

The Captain stretched his arms out in a gesture of camaraderie.

"Surely we are obliged to investigate further, Sax."

"In whose interest?" .

Forrester dropped his arms and studied his second in command silently It was in his interest, so in his mind, of course it was also in the interest of his men. Having to tell Sax that meant he was declaring a personal pursuit ahead of the best interest of his current responsibilities. He wavered, weighing friendship with desire and in the end set his jaw firmly as he made the request into an order.

"I hope your reasons are well founded."

"Are you questioning my authority?"

"No."

"Good, then there will be no more discussion. Go and tell her we accept her offer." Forrester dismissed him with a curt wave his hand.

* * *

"I can't begin to tell you how this pleases and excites me, Saxon. To think that you and I will be—"

"There is no you and I. I'm just doing what Forrester wants and for the record, I don't agree." He slapped at a fly on his face harder than he intended.

"So committed, Saxon. It's one of the qualities that drew me to you in the first place." Chessery smiled and rose from her seat on the verandah.

"Let's get something straight, Chessery. The only reason Forrester—"

She swished nearer to him, eyes locking with his. "The reason dear Sax, is because Trask reneged on his end of the deal with you guys and now, for all your wasted time and loss of pay, your boss finds my offer a means to compensate that loss. Don't kid yourself that you're just doing what Forrester wants. You never in your life did anything you didn't want to do." He kept silent but her words were like arrows to the bull's eye of a target.

"How do you maintain such rigidity, Saxon, doesn't your neck get stiff?" She leaned toward him, smiling, sending a whiff of her perfume across his face.

"Let's just stick to the matter at hand."

She returned to the table and sat again, pouting coyly "Very well then. If it must be strictly business." She tried one more futile smile and then pouted for real, miffed that her wiles had no apparent effect on him.

"The Lake of Green Mist, you've heard of it?"

Sax nodded. "Somewhere in the mountains to the north."

"In those mountains near the lake lies an abandoned city... well it's supposed to be abandoned. There are rumours of a small tribe that have taken it over but they are just rumours. Somewhere inside that city is a fortune in precious gems and metals."

"And you know this how?"

"My business, Saxon. Let's just say my knowledge is as solid as your distrust." She threw him a teasing grin.

"You know the location of this city?"

"Only that it lies in the mountains on the north side of the lake."

"That's it? There are hundreds of miles of rough hard country around that lake. It could take years to search."

"Ah, but it is the lake itself that holds one secret of the location." Chessery's eyes glittered as she spoke. "From the air the lake is shaped like a boomerang with one end pointing nearly due north. That's the key to locating the city"

"How?

"I told you, my business."

"So why do you need a team of men to do this? Why not rent a plane and just fly up there to find your city?" Sax leaned back against the wall and raised one foot against the boards for support as he watched her.

"C'mon, Sax, let's not play dumb. Obviously 1 couldn't go alone, and with a team of men it would require a larger plane than practical."

He straightened up slowly "Are you saying that you intend to actually go on this hunt?"

She smiled again and looked up at him. "I must."

"Oh no. No, no, no!" Sax jerked his hat straight and headed for the steps.

"You think Forrester would object?"

He spun around and pointed at her. "You'd do that too, wouldn't you ? You'd go straight to him with your deal knowing right now he'd snap it up in a minute."

Chessery leaned back and kept her eyes on his as she answered. "Of course, why wouldn't I?" She got up and followed him to the top of the steps. "Why do you think I came here to this mission in the first place? There are plenty of villages closer to the lake than this one. I knew you were at las Almenas working for Trask, and I knew he'd left you all high and dry I also knew that you would come to check me out."

Sax clenched his jaw so tight it hurt. "Then why not just come to me in the first place?"

"So naive for such a worldly man. I couldn't start with you, you know very well you would have refused outright. My little plan required the threat of competition; something to stir Forrester's curiosity and dare I say, ambition?" Chessery smiled pleasantly, bringing a flame to his cheeks. "So what do say, Saxon, do you accept?"

His options were none, when he mentally reviewed them.

"Against all common sense and past experience." He hated how easily she could manipulate situations; it was too reminiscent of the past.

"Gee, it wasn't that bad was it?"

In his following silence he wondered just how she knew what Trask had done.

* * *

Father Gordo de Montcleefe was beside himself and his native manservant took the brunt of his ire. Chessery had announced her agreement with the las Almenas mercenary and that she would be accompanying him on the search. He had begged and pleaded for her to lead his men in the quest—for the church, for the Lord—but she declined with a less than gracious response, referring to his men as a level below her requirements for the task.

"Who does she think she is?" He screamed at the trembling servant. "She comes here, accepts my generous hospitality then slaps my face? I go the trouble of accommodating her, feeding her, and get nothing in return!" He stormed about his lodge, stopping to glare at the native every few turns. "Fetch the Katopi chief to me at once and send up Pazzo."

He tugged his robe and then leaned on the railing, glaring down at the compound. A pair of children were leading a small goat on a rope to where the women were gathered, gossiping and he felt a sudden pang of conflict between his desires and his calling. The servant scampered from the room, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He skittered down the stairs to the compound and delivered the order to the leader of the mission's huntsmen then sped through the jungle to the Katopi village.

* * *

Sax went about his preparations with rigid silence. Jed avoided any direct questions beyond the details of supplies and such. The trip back up to the mission and then the return with the woman, lounging in her dugout like it was a holiday cruise, had almost tipped Sax over the edge of civility whenever he was approached and when they reached las Almenas he had ignored Forrester and gone off alone to his quarters.

Jed was left to introduce Chessery to his captain and arrange for her quarters. She shared a meal with Forrester that night and went to bed early; they would be assembling their supplies and leaving at first light.