Operation Barghest - Part Four
Previously - Reporter Rebbecca Brenner and retired professor and former military adviser Dr. Douglas Telford meet the CO of the facility, Sir William and discover that he is a necromancer of the infamous Black Watch brigade. He examines their bona fides but has a problem swallowing the idea that there would be a leak amongst his men. Still, he decided that everything they said seemed plausible. Now on to the next entry in this dark mystery!
Douglas took his and nodded for Rebbecca to do likewise.
“A mana leak? Is that likely?” She slid the band over her sleeve and snugged it down via a clever knot.
Sir William shook his head. “No, miss, just an excess of caution.”
Douglas’ experience told him differently. Now that he knew what this was purported to be for and had put it in place, he knew precisely what it was. While Sir William was telling the truth as far as it went, the lozenge would also serve to absorb a certain amount of background energy and store it for later safe release. It was a sort of battery, and the charge it built up would also create the shield if it was ever needed. He had to admit it was all rather ingenious. The only problem was, the sort of mana it was designed to stop was incredibly dangerous to be working with in the first place. It explained why there was a necromancer in charge.
The only thing he could think of to explain the blithe look on Sir William’s face was either he knew Douglas was playing him false and setting them up, or he believed the elder magus was ignorant of the workings of necromancy. He hoped it was the latter. Death magic was a discipline that had only begun to be formally studied over the last century by anyone other than mad men. Whether they were mad at the beginning of the study or they were driven there by its culmination was still up in the air. The dark energies a necromancer dealt with twisted everything it touched and could explain how they were manipulating the Fae. Its practice was only legal under the strictest of licensure, usually only available to the Crown or its contractors.
They left the sitting room and made their way to the stairs leading up. “I’ll show you the tower room first. That’s where we’re doing some of the formulation and research. It’s where much of our reporting and research data is held.”
Douglas felt a twinge of annoyance, quickly followed by a bit of amusement. He was going to throw paperwork at them. The academic in him was certainly interested in seeing the library these men had. The practical mage in him wanted to get down to business. “Very well, Stuart. I’m anxious to get started.”
Rebecca followed behind without a word. The stairwell leading up was dimly lit by weak enchantment inside glass spheres. It was enough to see by and ascend the stairs without incident, but it did nothing to illuminate the tapestries that lined the walls. They were old, Douglas was certain of that much, but only from the last century. Anything older would be in a museum. They did help to downplay the chill walls and dampen echoes.
They passed a landing and kept going. “What’s on that level?” Rebecca pointed at the door as they went by it.
“Originally, ‘twas the private sitting room of the Lord and Lady of the Castle. Now we use it as storage.”
Douglas nodded, though he didn’t believe that it was simply a store room. He let it go.
At the next landing, Sir William placed his hand on the door and must have said something. Rebecca was closer, but it probably wasn’t a language she spoke. He would have to quiz her later. The signet ring on Sir William’s hand flashed red, followed by the sound of a bolt being drawn back.
Once inside, Douglas couldn’t help but let a low whistle escape. This operation had collected quite the library. There were scrolls, dozens of tomes and even a few metal and stone tablets. A woman, her chestnut and silver hair pulled back in a loose bun, sat poring over a scroll easily four feet long from top edge to bottom. A man sat across from her, his bald head shining in the room’s washed out illumination. Both wore the uniform of the Black Watch, though the woman wore trousers. He was shocked to see a woman in their ranks. She looked familiar, but he couldn’t place her.
The bald man looked up at their entrance and then immediately came to attention, saluting the officer and his company. The woman looked up from her work and then back down to her scroll without batting an eyelash.
“At ease, Sergeant. You too, Lieutenant.” Sir William’s tone was chilly. He turned to look at his guests. “Douglas and Ms. Tanner, these are Sergeant Edwards and Lieutenant Nicoletta.”
At the mention of the woman’s rather unique last name, Douglass felt a chill go down his back. Her face clicked into place along with the name, though last time they met she’d had no silver in that mane of hair, and she wasn’t in the Army. They had gone on a mission together for the Croix du Sangre involving some dragon riders in Austria. The Ministry’s Intelligence division, also known as just The Cross, was partly responsible for Douglas’ current status with the Ministry. If she were still with the organization that could spell trouble for their story.
Nicoletta looked up, her eyes narrowing. “Douglas?” She stood slowly. “Why, Dr. Telford, you haven’t changed in a decade.”
Douglas bowed slightly. “Douglas, please. And you have only grown more radiant, Marie. Or is it Lieutenant Nicoletta now?”
She nodded. “Yes. It’s a bit of a formality. One can’t work in this facility without being in the Queen’s Army. There are background checks and contracts signed in blood.” The last was said without a drop of sarcasm. “And so, here you have me. In uniform.” She chuckled. “Though you must call me Marie.”
Douglas caught Rebbecca looking back and forth between the two, but she held whatever question lurked there. “Marie it is. We must catch up, now that I know you’re in Scotland.”
Sir William cleared his throat. “So you two know each other then?” Realizing the stupidity of the question, he moved on, looking at Douglas. “These two and myself are the only ones with access to this level. I trust them implicitly. Ask them what questions you will.” He took a step back.
Douglas cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I’m here on behalf of the Ministry.” Nothing registered on Nicoletta’s face, but she was an accomplished actress. “It’s apparent to them that there’s been a leak of information about what you’re doing here. I’m here to look into it.”
Sergeant Edwards had sat down during the introductions and he slammed his fist on the table making Rebecca jump. “Impossible.”
“So Sir William has told me. If I learned nothing else in my study of magic it’s that the word has little place in our language.” He looked from Nicoletta to Edwards. “I have no reason to suspect any of you individually. The intelligence I have is very general. So this is a chance for me to get a feel of the situation and provide the Ministry with my report.”
Finally, the older woman smiled. “Won’t that alert the person who’d let the information slip?”
“As you may not know,” and she most assuredly did, “the thought behind this is that it will do exactly that and cause the person to do something rash making them reveal themselves. I’m not sure how efficacious the strategy will be, but I also believe I was put here to see if anything jumps out at my particular sensitivities. I would like to talk to each of you briefly wherever Sir William can accommodate us.” He looked at the officer. “Perhaps in that storage room if it isn’t too full?”
“Storage room?” The Sergeant echoed.
Sir William nodded crisply, “I think that can be arranged.” He didn’t look happy about it, though.
“I’d like to speak with the Sergeant first, if I may.”
Edwards stood, his face, really his whole head, still more than a little crimson. “Sir.” He snapped a salute.
Sir William nodded to the ladies. “If you will excuse us.”
