I Spy, a Lie

Part Fifteen

2 Months Ago, Rolanz, the Revival

            Landon walked into the salon called the Revival, he wasn’t sure why Viola had asked him to come to the run down part of Yalts out of nowhere, but when she’d called she’d sounded panicked.

            A tall red headed woman stood behind the bar to the side of the room. She was cleaning mugs and talking to another woman who was writing something down. Her brown hair was pulled back into a bun, and she had what looked like a camera around her neck. He walked over to the bar tender, who right away stopped talking to look at him.

            “Hello, what can I get you?” She was talking softly, not like she was asking him something private, but like she didn’t know how to speak up.

            He shook his head, “Nothing, I’m looking for someone.”

            The woman sitting at the bar, gasped as though realizing something. “Landon?” She jumped to her feet and put herself between him and the bar tender.

            She had a round face, just slightly pudgy, but not fat. Her brown eyes were twinkling, but she looked worried. When seeing her face Landon had no doubt in his mind about who she was. “Hey Viola, it’s been a while.” He looked around, almost no one was there, only a few men at tables gambling. “So what was so urgent? I mean we haven’t talked sense Dusty’s parents were killed and we moved.”

            She looked at the bar tender and closed the little pad of paper she’d been writing in. “Can we talk in the back?”

            The bar tender nodded and put the glass she was cleaning down. “Come this way.” She flipped part of the bar up and walked to a door at the other end, followed by Viola and Landon. She put a key into the lock and pushed the door open. “Go in.” She said her voice hushed.

            When all three were inside the bar tender closed the door behind them. The room was full of trunks, maps, pictures of important people in government, and body cabinets and a single desk and table. “Landon, I’m happy you could come. This woman is Nat Newell. She is and ex-militant, and one of my informants.”

            “It’s a pleasure.” He said holding his hand out to shake. She took the offer and shook his hand.

            “Same here.”

            He looked back at his old friend. “Now what is going on, Viola?”

            She took a deep breath and starred him down. “What I am about to tell you is something you aren’t allowed to tell anyone in the government. I’ve found some evidence that will change what you’ve learned about the Rolanz-Azanaky War.”

            Landon looked at her confused. “What are you taking about?”

            “I am talking about the truth behind the War.” She looked to Nat. “Get the file out.”

            Nat just nodded her head and went to the desk and pulled out a large file. She walked back and put it in front of Landon.

            Viola continued. “Go through that before I tell you anything else.” It was all she said.

            He opened the file, going through paper records, notes, and pictures. His mouth dropped in disbelief by the time he’d gotten through half of it. He sat down and leaned back. “Is this all true?”

            Viola looked at the pile. “Sadly, yes it is.” She took a seat nest to him. “That’s why I needed to tell you. We have to stop this mad mass murder! Nat has the supplies and weapons we need. She’s been gathering them for ten years, even sense she found out about this plan.”

            Landon looked over at the woman that had said almost nothing. “How did you find out about this?”

            She took a seat looking down. “I was good friends with a woman named Kristen Bardsley. She was a high ranking officer. When she asked to join Dawson Head in his plan, she refused. Before she went into hiding she told me about it. I would trust Kristen over anyone, even now. So I left. I started digging things up myself, and the pieces just fit together.”

            “You can choose what you want to do. I trust that you won’t tell anyone about this, unless you trust them, but I also want you to seriously think about this.” Voila said, her face sad. “Think about Dusty.”

            That was it. He didn’t have to think about it. Dusty was his life and he’d do what ever he had to do to protect her.

            “I’ll give you a couple of day. Let me get my card out.” She said going into her pocketbook.

            He answered her before she could even get a card out. “I don’t need a couple days. I’ll help you!”

            Everything made sense. The accidental shooting of Azanaky citizens was no accident. Dawson had foreseen the Azanaky government declaring war against Rolanz. It was a known fact that Rolanz military was one of the strongest and the Azanaky had almost no military or navy to speak of. As Rolanz own battles they could get more land, and as they got more land the more gold that Rolanz had access to.