Chapter 54: Engaging the enemy
I now have an editor, so you all shouldn't need to put up with my typos and poor/dyslexic editing skills anymore.
:)
* * *
Sarah stared out across the immense Bolavine River as the barge that she, Amy, and Ellis were on sailed towards a dock at a port city along the river. She had found herself spending rather a lot of time on the deck watching the peaceful lapping of water against the barge's side, or the tiny little waves made by the wind, or the wakes left by a large ship passing. She found it peaceful, serene, and a great comfort with what was going on in her life right now.
"Illuminar -- blessed be You -- thank you for taking care of me." She looked up at the bright blue sky dotted with a few white clouds that only accentuated the blueness and vastness of the sky. "Now please, please protect Fiona and Conner. Take care of them and make sure that Lady Ekthros can't hurt them. Please do something so that she'll never be able to hurt them ever again. I don't know what, but I know you can come up with something. Please?"
She closed her eyes, savoring the gentle breeze that was drifting in from the river. It smelled wonderful. The boat was gently rocking and she found the motion both calming and relaxing.
"Sarah?" Amy's voice came from behind her a few minutes later.
"Hey." She smiled at her traveling companion and possibly her future co-wife if the artistic girl had her way. She wouldn't mind that.
"You've been up here a lot the past two days." Amy pointed out as she joined Sarah at the railing.
"Yeah, I've been thinking and praying." She replied. "I like the wind and the motion of the ship, plus this is quite a sight." She indicated the Bolavine River, which was narrower than usual at this spot at 'only' half a mile wide. It was a bit wider if you included the natural bay that they were sailing into though.
"It is nice; I wish I had enough supplies to paint it properly." Amy smiled as she looked at the river. "Do you usually spend so much time praying?"
"Um, I used to." Sarah frowned at herself. "I guess it was easy to forget in Karnas because life was easy. I think I got out of the habit but I want to get back into it."
"I admire that. I always forget to pray unless something really bad happens. I kind of feel bad about that."
Sarah gave her a sympathetic smile. "I can relate. What happened..." She wanted to say 'with lady Ekthros', but couldn't with the woman's threats. "...in Karnas made me realize that I need Illuminar's help more than ever right now."
"I think it's ironic that the most devout person I know is... well, you know."
"Possessed?" Sarah whispered so that no one would hear, even though almost no one was around.
Amy nodded.
Sarah got a small smile on her face. "But wouldn't someone with my problem need Illuminar more?"
Amy nodded slowly and then cocked her head to one side. Her dark brown hair fell straight down, though it was kept out of her face by a cloth ribbon that she'd tied like a headband with an artistic knot. "You're different."
"Oh?"
She nodded. "You seem... peaceful. Relaxed."
"I'm really not right now." Sarah replied, thinking of her concerns about what Lady Ekthros might do to both Fiona and Conner.
"But you look like you are." Amy replied. "I remember when we met and you seemed almost as scared as I was." She hesitated. "I'm still that scared sometimes."
"Hmm." Sarah thought about that for several moments before replying. "I am different than I was, aren't I?"
Amy nodded. "Very."
"Good different?"
Amy nodded again.
Sarah thought about that for a moment. Her talk with Ethan a few weeks ago had given her a new way to see herself so that she didn't think she was worthless anymore. Fiona had pointed out that she didn't need to be afraid. And then everything with Lady Ekthros... Hmm, she had been through so much lately that it didn't seem real.
"I'm not sure why." Sarah said honestly. "I should be a mess right now, but I'm not."
"I'm glad." Amy said and then added hesitantly. "I've... I've never done anything like this before. Leaving everything behind, especially with someone I just met, and traveling to another country to meet someone that I've never met but might marry. It's scary."
Sarah put her arm around her friend and smiled. "Don't worry, Rindrin isn't so bad."
Amy chuckled nervously but seemed to take comfort from having Sarah's arm around her. "I'm not worried about him, just..." She bit her lip. "Thank you for being so strong; I don't think I would be okay if you weren't."
Sarah couldn't help but laugh. "Strong? Me?"
Amy nodded.
The innkeeper's daughter slowly shook her head, wondering what strange world she'd found herself in where someone was calling her strong. Her of all people.
"Well, I'm glad I can help." She smiled at Amy.
"Oh, I forgot." The artistic girl said after a moment. "Ellis says that we should be ready to disembark soon. He's getting the animals ready."
"Okay, let's go then." Sarah slipped her arm off Amy's shoulder and offered her hand, which Amy took. Together they headed back to their hammocks to collect their things.
* * *
"So basically, we're just here to drop me off." Selene summarized to Luminar Kossel after Ethan had explained the orc situation and how Lord Kalus was taking a week to train the orcs in preparation for the upcoming battle. Most of the crew was there listening as well.
"Yup." Ethan agreed. "After that, we're heading right back to Dotmier to finish dealing with the orc situation while Selene can hopefully deal with Gonorran and the portal situation."
"Efficient." Luminar Kossel nodded once. "I'll wait in this area for you to return from Dotmier. As Elder Goman wrote in the letter, I did bring Gonorran's portal and its control podium in case Miss Dawson is successful so it can be used to return all the men and equipment to Earth once the portal on Earth has been destroyed."
"Good." Selene said. "I wouldn't want all the Earth tech to stay here, not to mention the stranded people."
"Yes, it can be quite disconcerting to suddenly be stranded so far from home." Luminar Kossel replied.
"So, Kendra tells me that you once worked for the agency that's behind this?" Selene asked.
"Indeed." He replied. "Tell me what happened to bring you here and I'll help to prepare you for your mission as best as I can."
She did.
She recounted the story, giving as much detail as she remembered.
By the time she had finished, Luminar Kossel had a wry smile on his face. "Smithbond eh?"
"Yup, though I don't know his real name."
"I think I know the man." Kossel stroked his chin. "He was a newer recruit serving under me when I left and it sounds like he's just as incompetent as ever."
Selene cocked her head to one side as her mouth fell open. "You're kidding."
Luminar Kossel leaned an elbow on the railing of the Argo and looked back at her, an amused smile on his face. "He's not too tall but he's well built, he likes taking off his sunglasses dramatically not long after meeting someone, he seemingly has no conscience but does have a brutal streak, and he incessantly quotes movie lines?"
"That does indeed sound like Smithbond." Selene replied. "You're saying he's incompetent?"
"Yes." Luminar Kossel stated matter-of-factly and then slowly shook his head. "I can't believe they put that bungling fool in charge of anything, much less a major operation. That's a perfect example of someone being in the right place at the right time."
Selene stared.
"Incompetent?" Ethan said. "It sounds like he got everything he wanted and he took Selene apart in hand-to-hand combat. I've seen her fight and that's impressive."
Luminar Kossel shrugged. "Maybe he's gotten better, most people do after so many years, but he's only slightly better if he is at all." He looked at Ethan. "Based on what Selene has said, he's still utterly incompetent."
"How do you know?" Beth asked.
"Yeah, I'd like to know too." Selene added.
"First, let's start with his attempt to onboard you, and remember that I used to work for them." He looked at Selene. "Instead of having you kicked out of the FBI, why didn't he have your boss call you and tell you to work with him? Wouldn't you have done so eagerly with orders from your boss?"
"Absolutely." The former agent nodded.
"Then after the mission was over, he could've offered you a chance to work with them by
promoting
you from the FBI with an honorable discharge. If it would've been framed that way and he had been decent about it, wouldn't you have wanted to work with him?"
"I would've jumped at the chance." Selene nodded. "Again, assuming he had been decent."
"That's how they recruited me from the Special Forces and how I recruited others." Kossel said. "I think you can see it's a better way to handle it."
"I can." She agreed again.
"That's strike one." Luminar Kossel continued. "The second strike was sending agents to pick up your friends, Jason, Melinda, and Hailey. That would've been
far
better handled with a soft touch. A single agent, maybe two, and a phone call personally from the governor asking them to cooperate would've done the trick."
"From the governor?" Ethan stared.
The luminar shrugged. "It worked every time I tried it."
"How many times?" Ethan asked.
"How many governors?" Selene added.
"Enough." Their guest smiled. "Beating Selene senseless to bully Hailey into revealing what she knew was, well, senseless. Yes, he accomplished the objective, but at the cost of alienating
all
of his most valuable sources of information. Besides, threatening a pregnant woman?" Kossel shook his head. "That's out of line unless she's an enemy asset, and even then..." He shook his head again. "Clive overplayed his hand."
"Clive?" Selene asked. That couldn't be Smithbond's name... could it?
Luminar Kossel smiled. "Special Agent Clive Eustace Humphrey."
Selene started chuckling, then laughing. "No wonder he pretended his name was something else."
Everyone else was chuckling as well.
"Do you have any operational advice?" Kendra asked.
"Perhaps, Mrs. Ejder." He winked at her.
She blushed.
"Although, I must admit that the sight of you in a dress is something I never thought I'd see outside of an undercover mission." The luminar continued. "Marriage suits you."
"She's a wonderful wife too." Ethan said with undeniable pride in his tone.
Kendra blushed even deeper. "The mission. Do you have any advice?"
"Same old Kendra." Luminar Kossel replied with something not unlike fatherly pride in his voice. "The mission always comes first."
