Fullmetal Alchemist: The Way To The Top

Chapter 45: Helping the Enemy

"I heard you did an amazing job." Kate smiled at Riza. Riza smiled back. "Really?" Cate nodded. "The Colonel said he did control if you have done it." Riza nodded. "Yes, he told me when we met on the border."

Cate watched Riza carefully. "Maybe you should ask the Colonel if he would give you a day off. You look very tired. And I am sure it wasn't easy in Amestris." Riza shook her head with nicest smile she could do. "No. I am alright. I am a bit tired but I can handle it."

The Colonel waited in his office. "Both of you will get a day off tomorrow. You can go now and do your work, Warrant Officer." He looked at Kate. She saluted and left. Then he looked at Riza. "I think you can be very helpful, Warrant Officer. You will give me all the information I need." Riza nodded. "Yes, Sir." The Colonel pulled a paper in a roll out from the drawer in his desk. He straightened it to show a map of Amestris.

"Now, I want to hear everything about the Amestris military. And about the exact position of everything in the country." Riza nodded. "On the top of the military, the Fuhrer King Gruman stands. He is very popular but he is getting old. Soon he will most likely retire and one of the Generals will reach his position. The Fuhrer King has his office in the Central Headquarters. They are in the center of the Central city." Riza pointed on the map. "The Central Headquarters have many security levels. It is impossible for someone who is not in the military to go inside."

Riza thought very hard about what she should talk about. She had to give the Colonel enough information to look as if she would tell him everything. But on the other side, she had to be extremely careful not to talk about anything what could cause Amestris any problems. She could lie about some things, but she couldn't lie about anything the Colonel could find out from another resource. Riza was sure there were Cretan spies in Amestris. Some of them had already been found but there were sure many others hiding somewhere and gaining information. Riza hoped only that they weren't infiltrating in the military.

"Before you left Amestris, were there any conflicts which would cost the military many soldiers?" Riza shook her head and answered without hesitation: "No, Sir. The only recent conflict was in Ishval, but it was nothing serious. When I left Amestris, the military was in a good condition." The Colonel seemed to have taken the answer. Riza wondered, how was it possible that he wasn't informed about the conflict in the North. Maybe Gruman managed to keep it secret. Maybe even Amestris citizens knew nothing about that.

The Colonel watched the map. "How strong is the West city?" Riza looked at the map, too. She had to hide the fact that there was only a small crew in the West city. Though he could know that. "Currently not very strong, Sir. There are only a few men there, who take care of the city." "How fast would be their backup if we would attack the city?" Riza knew she had to lie. "Very fast, Sir. There is a train in the Central city, which can go to the West city anytime. It is a secret information. Only the highest ranks know about it. It would be able to depart with full crew in less than one hour. I think it could be in the West city in about six hours. Maybe even faster if it would be helped by some alchemist. In the West city, there are about five hundred men. It wouldn't be enough to withstand the whole attack, but the strategy is made up to keep the city safe until the backup from the Central city arrives." The Colonel looked very angry about the answer. Though his face didn't change its look, Riza could tell that based on his movements. He didn't seem to doubt her words. Riza sighed with relief in her thoughts.

The dialogue was very long and very exhausting for Riza. She had to very carefully consider every word she would say. Though the Colonel seemed to be satisfied with her answers. She followed her own tactics: she tried to lie on the spots, where she could, so that she would prevent an attack on Amestris. She was very careful not to be suspicious.