Chương 93: CHAPTER NINETY-THREE: THE GROUP

The intelligence came through Jin's expanded northeast network in November, relayed through two heliograph stations and decoded by Marcus himself at the east tower receiving station. It said: Merchant contact reports knowledge of organized group of unusual persons in the northern territories of the adjacent march — approximately twelve individuals, operating together, establishing unusual settlement practices for three years. Contact has direct knowledge through trade relationship. Details available.

Recommend priority follow-up. Marcus read it twice. An organized group. Twelve individuals. Three years. He had known, in the abstract, that the search might find groups as well as individuals — that some of the FOB's personnel might have found each other independently and might have been building their own organizations without contact with Greyhold. He had planned for this possibility in the search strategy without being able to project what form it would take. Twelve people, operating together, for three years.

In the northern territories of the adjacent march, which meant not in Greyhold's territory and not in Hargrove's territory but somewhere between them, in a region that the heliograph network's northern axis reached at the edges. He went to Jin.

"The merchant contact," Marcus said.

"How reliable?"

"Very," Jin said, without hesitation.

"He's been a network contact for fourteen months. He's produced accurate intelligence on five previous occasions. He does not embellish." He paused.

"He's also, I think, genuinely curious about these people rather than specifically trying to sell me information. He mentioned them because he thought I'd want to know, not because he was pitching a valuable lead."

"He thought you'd want to know," Marcus said. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"He's figured out that I collect specific kinds of information," Jin said.

"He doesn't know why. But he knows the profile — unusual people doing unusual things. He's been tuned to notice that pattern." He paused.

"Twelve people for three years in a settlement that's doing things that don't fit the regional context. That's exactly the profile."

"Who leads them?" Marcus said.

"The contact doesn't know that specifically," Jin said.

"He described the settlement as organized — good buildings, efficient agriculture, some kind of manufacturing operation he couldn't identify. He met with two of the people when he stopped to trade. One of them negotiated effectively and knowledgeably."

"Effectively and knowledgeably," Marcus said. He was running assessments automatically. Twelve people, three years, organized settlement, effective negotiator. Someone had woken up in that territory and had started building without waiting to find anyone. The way Marcus had built without waiting.

"I want to go," Marcus said.

"I know," Jin said.

"But I'd recommend the heliograph reach precedes the visit. If they've been building for three years without contact with us, they've built their own thing. Arriving unannounced with the Warden's party is—""A power move," Marcus said.

"Yes." He paused.

"Send the signal first. Through the textile channel — use the northeast version, it's designed for exactly this situation. See if they respond."

"And if they don't respond?" Jin said.

"Then we go anyway," Marcus said.

"But we try the signal first." The signal went out through the northeast merchant network that week. Marcus gave it three weeks before he would make the decision to travel. The response came in two weeks. It was encoded in the full cipher, correctly, with the internal notation that indicated the responder had been a primary user of the system rather than someone who had absorbed it secondhand. It said: Received. We have been aware of you for eight months. We have been deciding whether to make contact.

Your signal has provided the occasion. We are fourteen, not twelve — the merchant's count was incomplete. We are in good order. We have a question before we proceed: who leads you? Marcus wrote back himself: Marcus Cole. Sergeant, 35F. I have been building in this region since the first week. Who leads you? The response came in four days, which was fast for the merchant channel: Captain Reena Patel. Army Aviation. I have been building in this region since the second month. I know your name from the FOB roster.

I have been watching your work. Send coordinates for a meeting.