The group was silent, digesting this information.
“Who should go?” asked Lara.
“That, I haven’t decided yet,” replied Jason. “I know we need someone from my team, someone who can accurately assess their strengths and weaknesses. But my people don’t know the terrain or culture, so we will need someone from the village. Preferably someone who has traveled these parts a lot and knows how to move quickly and quietly. We will need to be as inconspicuous as possible, and yet be able to get to wherever we have to.”
Jason paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts.
“I was thinking of Pa’re. He seems to know the area well and he’s worked with us before. Despite his gruff nature, I trust him.”
“I am happy that you trust him,” said Ka’tel, “and I am sure he would agree.”
“Ka’tel, my friend,” said Mi’kol, “I would like to volunteer myself instead of Pa’re.”
All eyes turned to Mi’kol, puzzled by his request.
"Why you?” asked Jason. “What makes you better than Pa’re?”
“In spite of the fact that you do not trust my abilities, they do exist and they may be of immense help to you. If nothing else, I have traveled more extensively than Pa’re in the areas we are going.”
Jason was frustrated. He wasn’t comfortable with the old man, but he needed someone who really knew the area. Looking back to Ka’tel, he nodded his approval.
“And I will go too!” said Lara.
“Why?” asked Jason.
“An old man traveling with his daughters would be inconspicuous and will give us the ability to get into many areas.”
“Daughters?” queried Jason and Louise at the same time.
“Yes. You too Louise,” continued Lara. “We are a similar age, but not so close we could not be daughters. You have the skills needed to observe the Empire warriors and their weapons, something we do not have.”
She turned to Jason.
“Does this not fulfill your requirements?”
Jason had been caught off balance ever since Mi’kol suggested he go instead of Pa’re. Now he seemed to have been handed a fait accomplit.
“It does, but I don’t like it. No, we’ll find someone else.”
To his surprise, it was Louise that countered his decision.
“Why not us Jason? Surely it can’t be that you don’t trust two women and an old man? I thought I knew you better.”
A wave of anger went through him before he answered.
“You know me better than that Lou.”
“Then what’s the real reason?” she continued.
“I don’t want you or Lara to get hurt.”
“Really? Or is it you don’t want Lara to get hurt. Hell Jason, you’ve sent me into a lot more dangerous situations in the past. Compared with some of those, this will be a cat walk!”
“Okay,” he replied sullenly. “I don’t want Lara to get hurt.”
“Perhaps that is a decision for me to make, not you,” stated Lara flatly.
“I would have to agree with Lara,” said Ka’tel. “I know her, and I know she is very capable of making up her own mind.”
“That may be,” replied Jason, “but I doubt she’s ever been faced with something as dangerous as this.”
“In truth, friend Jason, none of us has. In this respect, she is no more ill prepared than anyone else.”
Jason could see he’d already lost this argument. If he continued, he would only create a rift between himself and the villagers, which was something he didn’t need right now. And what they proposed did seem reasonable.
“Okay,” he stated reluctantly. “We have the recon team.”
He saw smiles appear on everyone else’s face, and somewhere deep in his heart, he knew this was the right choice.
“So what are your defense plans?” asked Louise.
“They're all centered on the path through the mountains. Assuming the Empire forces are not advanced technologically, we can hold them there, at least for a while and maybe indefinitely. Ideally, I’d like it if they never came down the path, if they totally ignored us, but I don’t think that will happen. At the very least, they will send someone to see what resources this village has that may be useful to the Empire. From my perspective, I don’t see anything of use to a growing Empire except young men. Unfortunately, there are a few here and I suspect that even if they ran away and hid, the Empire would go after them.”
He turned to Ka’tel.
“Do you have any reason to believe there is something here the Empire would want?”
“Nothing in the physical sense,” Mi’kol answered. “But in the spiritual sense, much.”
Oh, no, thought Jason, here we go again.
Almost as though he could read Jason’s thoughts, Mi’kol continued.
“You may not believe in our capabilities Jason, but there are many in the surrounding areas who do. If we were to tell them to rise up against the Empire, they would. For that reason alone, we suspect the Empire will want to control us, and the only way they can do that is by being here and placing us under their direct control.”
Jason realized this was true. Even though he didn’t believe in the villagers’ capabilities, if there were believers out there, they would be a menace to the Empire, and the Empire would not stand for that.
“Then we'll need a way of ensuring that the Empire can't get to the village," Jason replied slowly.
He looked at the ground, trying to comprehend what could be done. After a few moments, he looked up.
“But I don’t see how we can defend against the Empire forever. Not unless they are a lot less capable than I believe they are.”
“I doubt that,” said Louise.
“Ka’tel?” asked Jason. “Just how determined are you to preserve your village?”
“As determined as we need to be.”
“Then it may be necessary to completely seal the pass; to seal yourselves off from the rest of the world. Are you prepared to do that?”
“Yes. That is an option we have discussed. But even if we seal the pass, how do we make sure the Empire will not still come after us?”
“I don’t know. There may be no way to prevent it. It all depends on how well we can seal the pass and what capabilities the Empire has.”
“In that case, we should get going,” commented Louise.
“Agreed,” replied Jason. “Lou, gather what you need. I’m sure Mi’kol and Lara will be able to outfit you with something that will pass inspection. As soon as you’re ready, let me know.”
Louise nodded and left with Lara. Mi’kol stayed behind. Jason looked at him questioningly.
“Questions?”
“Yes.”
Jason had a feeling Mi’kol knew something and wanted to keep it secret, but at the same time needed Jason’s knowledge to confirm or deny it.
“And?”
“I was wondering how you planned to seal the pass?”
“We have explosives. Hopefully enough. If not, then I don’t know how we’ll do it. Yet.”
“Hmmmm. That would be a problem. But one I’m sure will be solved when the time comes.”
“And what do you mean by that?”
“Just what I said. The problem will be solved when it needs to be.”
Jason was getting angry.
“What do you mean? I know that you know more than you’re letting on, so let’s have it.”
Mi’kol smiled, which infuriated Jason. He turned to Ka’tel.
“I don’t know what’s going on here,” Jason said angrily, “but I’ve just about run out of patience. Now tell me what’s going on.”
Ka’tel looked extremely concerned. He turned to Mi’kol and said, “Please tell him.”
Mi’kol stopped smiling.
“I’m sorry Jason. I have behaved badly. When you mentioned blocking the passage, I had a vision. I saw the mountainside coming down on the invaders and sealing the pass.”
Jason shook his he
ad and answered.
“I had the same vision. But mine was the result of the explosives we have. What does yours involve?”
Mi’kol looked surprised. It was the first time Jason had seen him so shook up.
“You have that much power?”
“Yes, we do,” Jason responded smugly. “And we are going to use it. So your ‘vision’ doesn’t help us.”
Mi’kol was silent. Jason could see that he truly didn’t understand the amount of power he could bring out, but he also knew it might not be enough. The fact that Mi’kol had “seen” the mountainside coming down was something he couldn’t explain. But right now it wasn’t important. If anything, it only proved that the “mysterious” powers claimed by some of the villagers were probably not very useful in a fight.
“Do you have any other information we can use?” Jason continued.
Mi’kol shook his head. Jason turned to Ka’tel, who also indicated he had nothing to add. He returned his gaze to Mi’kol.
“Then, I guess you’d better get ready to go.”
Mi’kol said nothing and left the hut.
“You were hard on him,” Ka’tel said as he watched Mi’kol leave.
“Perhaps. But he had it coming to him. I don’t believe in his mumbo-jumbo, and he was so smug with his ‘knowledge.’ All I can see is that, even if it’s true, it’s not much help.”
“I do admit that sometimes our visions are cryptic until after an event happens, but they do happen and are true. I know you do not believe it yet, but I am sure that sometime in the future you will see this truth.”
“I sincerely doubt that, but at the present time, it’s irrelevant. What we need right now is to know what we're up against, and good old-fashioned reconnaissance is going to accomplish that.”
“Yes. You are right. In the meantime, is there not something we can do?”
“Yes, there is a lot we can do while they are gone. But that can wait until after I speak with Lou.”
* * *
Jason found the recon team at Louise’s hut. Both Lara and Mi’kol carried small packs that, to Jason, looked like they were going on an afternoon picnic, not a many days journey. He was about to ask them if they had everything they needed when Louise spoke.
“Boss. Maybe you should go over what you want us to do on this mission. I’m sure Lara and Mi’kol would appreciate it.”
“Okay. First, we want to find out what capabilities the Empire forces have. By this, I mean how many soldiers there are, what types of weapons they have and how many, how fast they can travel, and what sort of communications they have. Basically anything that can tell us what we are up against.”
“Second. You are to avoid getting caught at all costs, even if that means not getting any information. We don't want them to know they're being watched. If they find out, then we may not have time to do anything. And I don’t want to lose you. Any of you.”
“Third. We need this information quickly. I know the longer you are with them, the easier it will be to gather the information, but we need as much time as possible to get ready, and we can only do that when we know what we are fighting.”
Lara and Mi’kol looked at each other. There was a fleeting look of concern on Lara’s face, but it was gone by the time she turned back to Jason.
“So, we are to be as inconspicuous as possible, while getting at their deepest secrets?” Lara mused.
“That’s right,” responded Jason with a smile. “Nothing too difficult.”
“And what happens if they discover us or we get caught?” asked Mi’kol.
“If you're discovered, clear out as fast as you can. And get back here as quickly as possible. With a little luck, they won't know who is spying on them, and that'll give us some time. If they do know it’s us, then we need that information quickly.
“If you do get caught, all I can say is try to escape and don’t give them any information. If not all of you are caught, then send one person back with the information you have.
“In this operation, it is information that is important.”
As soon as he had said that, Jason regretted the words. These were words he could, and had, given to his team members, but Lara and Mi’kol were not his team. Yes, they had volunteered for this, but they were civilians, not military.
“I know what I just said sounds harsh,” he continued, “but I can’t jeopardize the whole village for just one or two people.”
Lara held up her hand, interrupting Jason’s next sentence.
“We understand completely, Jason. We know what the risks are, both for us and for the village. Do not fear. We will not disappoint you.”
Jason was surprised. Once more, Lara had shown she understood far more than he had given her credit for, and now demonstrated a level of courage and commitment many people never could. He admired her and felt sorry that he had to send her on this mission.
Lara felt Jason’s pride in her, and gave him a smile. She did understand what was involved, and that was much, much more than Jason realized. She knew Jason was looking at this solely as a military exercise, but she knew it was the nexus of an event that would change the world. Ever since they had returned, she knew events were unfolding along a path that would eventually lead to that change.
“Lara?” Jason asked. “You and Mi’kol seem to be traveling rather light. Do you really have everything you need?”
Lara gave a quiet laugh.
“Actually, we have more than we need. We are carrying extra so as not to appear too different. On a trip like this, we could just travel with what we are wearing, but that would make us very conspicuous.”
Louise looked at what Lara and Mi’kol had and then looked at her pack.
“I guess I’d better cut my stuff down.”
“That would be good,” replied Lara, “but you need not take out all that much.”
Louise was thankful for that. She thought she had only packed what she really needed, but seeing how light the other two traveled made her feel like a pack rat.
As Louise repacked, Jason went to Mi’kol.
“Do you know how long it will take you to reach the Empire advance force?”
“It should take us about five days to get there, then maybe two or three days to gather the information, then another five days to get back. We should be back within two weeks. Is that quick enough?”
The manner in which Mi’kol asked his last question brought an alert feeling to Jason.
“Okay,” he replied cautiously, “but can you do it faster?”
“Only if you believe we can.”
“Don’t do this to me, Mi’kol. What do you mean by that?”
“Only that we can get the information back more quickly, but you must believe that we can.”
Mi’kol paused for a moment before continuing.
“I’m sorry. I am not explaining it well, and I do not know the words to use.
“Please accept that we will be back in time.”
This time, Jason believed that Mi’kol was at a loss for words. He could easily see that Mi’kol was struggling with what he had said and suspected Mi’kol wished he had not made the statement. He decided to let the matter drop. There was no use in causing a problem right now, and maybe Ka’tel would be able to explain it better after they had left.
“Okay,” Jason continued, “is there anything else you need before you depart?”
“I’m fine now,” responded Louise.
“I am ready,” said Lara.
Mi’kol just nodded to Jason.
“Good. I wish you luck and a safe and speedy trip.”
“We’ll be back as soon as we can,” said Louise as she left the hut, followed by the other two. Jason stood quietly for a few moments. It had been a long time since he had sent anyone on such a dangerous mission, and he didn’t want to watch their departure. He hoped things would go well, but part of him feared for the worse, knowing that no matter how confident the members of the recon team felt, it was going to test them
as they had never been tested before.
Chapter 13
The trip to Manztlan turned into a full-time learning session for Louise. Both Lara and Mi’kol gave her an almost non-stop course on the history of the region they were in, along with the local culture and customs. In addition, they had ample chance to practice their cover story with the many people they passed during the trip. Louise was happy about that. With all the practice they were getting, they were almost starting to believe it themselves. It would prevent a lot of accidental slip-ups.
Louise also had a lot of time to observe Lara and Mi’kol much more closely than she had in the village. No matter how many miles they walked in a day and how little they ate, neither one showed any sign of fatigue. Louise was sure the amount of food they consumed was too little for the human body to survive on, yet they seemed to not only survive, but also thrive on it. This puzzled her, especially on the days when all the walking got to her. After four days of travel, she could no longer hold her questions back.
“Lara. How is it that you can eat so little and yet put in a long day of walking without showing any signs of fatigue?”
Both Lara and Mi’kol stopped walking. Lara looked around and then motioned them to the side of the road to a grassy area. Louise looked as well and saw there was no one in sight.
“I was wondering how long it would be before you asked,” Lara replied smiling.
“Okay,” said Louise. “I’m listening.”
“We gather the energy we need directly from the environment around us.”
Louise looked at her quizzically.
“I don’t understand.”
“What happens to the food you eat?” asked Mi’kol.
“It gets digested and converted to elements the body needs to function,” replied Louise.
“And what happens then?”
“The elements are incorporated into the body tissues.”
“For what purpose?”
“To create new cells to replace the ones that have died.”
“And anything else?”
“To give energy to existing cells, I guess,” Louise replied as she shrugged her shoulders.
She was starting to get annoyed. This didn’t seem to be leading anywhere.
“Why is it important that I know what happens in the body when we eat?” she asked, exasperated.
“I wanted to see just how much you did know, both on the physical level and on the energy level.”