Two-Thirds Blue

Chapter Four: Rock Inspection

Dax leaned forward, his elbows resting on his desk. "Welcome back," he grinned. "What have you to report?"

"We found a campsite," Dusk said. "It was a mile or two northwest of the Resistance. There was nothing useful in it, but there were people nearby. We tried to stay out of sight, but they ran when they saw us."

Dax sat up straighter and scribbled a note on a sheet of paper. "The spies?"

Rade stood to Dusk's right. "Must have been," he said. "It was dark, though. Couldn't see them very well. We went after them for a while but they lost us."

"Where were they headed?" Dax asked.

"Farther north, I think," Syk said from Dusk's other side. "They didn't leave much of a trail. We headed in the general direction for a bit but we didn't see anything."

"But you at least got a glimpse of them," Dax said. "What did they look like? Could you tell?"

"Well, there were two of them, like you said," Dusk confirmed. "Pretty sure they were women. Dark clothing. At least one had a sword."

Dax nodded and continued writing. "What of the camp? Any details at all?"

"Not much. A small campfire, but it was a couple of days old. Simple tent, a few blankets inside."

"How far did you pursue them? Up to the river?"

"Just about. That was where we lost the trail."

"Understood," Dax said. "Let me confirm all the details with you." He cleared his throat and scanned over his notes. "Two individuals, likely female, both armed. Their campsite was approximately one to two miles northwest of the Resistance base, and they fled to the north, possibly past the river."

Dusk nodded. "Yeah, that sounds right."

"One armed," Rade corrected.

Dax looked up from his notes. "Hm?"

"Dusk said at least one had a sword," Rade clarified. "We couldn't tell about the other."

"Ah, of course, just one," Dax said, scribbling down the correction.

Dusk glanced at Rade. Had Dax's error been intentional? Was he checking to make sure their story was consistent? "What next, sir?" he asked.

"You will have to continue tomorrow," Dax said. "Naturally, it will be more difficult now that they have seen you, and they may already suspect that you're looking for them. This may require that you adjust your approach." He leaned back and stared at the ceiling, scratching his chin. "I wonder, what would be the best way to observe them now? Perhaps you could try to gain their trust."

"What do you mean?" Dusk frowned.

"No, I get it," Rade nodded. "If I were a spy, and I caught people looking for me, I'd assume there were really only two reasons for it. Either they're my enemies and my cover's blown, or they're allies and they want to talk."

"Exactly," Dax said. "Convince them that you're on their side, and they may be willing to divulge their motivations."

Syk rubbed the back of his head. "Could be tricky, but I think we'd be able to pull that off. Provided we can find them again, of course."

Dusk almost laughed. Yes, they would definitely be able to pull that off.

"I have faith in you," Dax said. "Do you have any questions?"

Rade raised a hand. "Yeah– suppose we can't find them?"

"In that case, I would have no choice but to send more men up north. I would prefer this to be an underground operation, however, so I ask that you do your best. Understood?"