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"You said you have orders from Southern Command?" he signed.
"From the Lifeweavers. They're in hiding, naturally. No sign of Ryu, but your old man Amu's been passing stuff back and forth to me through some Wolves and Mantilla."
"Anything for me?"
She rested her hands for a moment. "Yes, I've got orders. They want you to raise a ruckus behind the lines once the offensive gets under way. Theirs or ours, whichever comes first. Cut the north-south line through Little Rock so they can't shift their forces south quickly. Tie down as many of them as you can for as long as you can."
"If they can hold out a few more months, it'll be a different story. Consul Solon's about to send more of his army back to where they borrowed it. Texas, mostly."
"I've thought they seemed in a big hurry. This is just a guess, but I think something's in the works, Val. Southern Command's going to strike back somewhere unexpected, at least I hope so. If you can gum things up here-"
"I'll see what I can do. What's my line of retreat? Back west to the Ouachitas?"
"I've got nothing for you about that. They said just cause as much trouble as you can, for as long as you can."
With no orders where and when to run? Sorry, Valentine, right place, right time. You're a pawn in a good spot to tie down the King and Queen until they maneuver to take you.
"Who's my superior?" Valentine asked.
"I've no idea. I don't think Southern Command knows much more than that you're in here with some men. They're leaving it up to you."
"Well, there's more. I brought back something, something that kills Reapers. I put that in the report that went out with Finner."
"If you've got something that kills Reapers, start using it. Mantilla might be able to get some to the rest of Southern Command."
"It's just wood. It's some kind of catalyst, acts on the thickening agent in their blood. They seize up and die."
Duvalier pursed her lips in thought. "Wood isn't much help against artillery and armored cars. Speaking of Reapers, that's the second thing I've got to tell you. They arrested a captain on Hamm's staff. I've been stealing papers and I planted some on him to string this out a little more. I think Hamm's getting set to get rid of me. He used to bring his briefcase and what have you when we were together. No more. Kur knows there's a spy in his division. He's taking precautions."
"Good. I'm the new guy; they'll look at me."
"I doubt it. It's gone on since Hamm's predecessor, and they know it. I took him out, by the way. It was business and pleasure. He tried to pass me around like a party favor."
"That house fire. I heard the sad story. Sounded like your handiwork, Smoke."
She smiled and said in a whisper, "That's better than 'funbunny." You know I wouldn't do the pillow recon if it wasn't for all this shit. The next incendiary device is going down Hamm's pants, then I'm blowing town."
"I'll try to light a fire of my own."
"Be careful."
"Sounds like the orders are to be destructive. That doesn't always go along with being careful."
"Well-"
"Ali, there's something you could do for me. Sort of a last request."
"Still Hornied up?" she said, incredulity written in block capitals on her forehead. "I thought that tall drink of water took care of you. Dream on."
He went back to sign language: "Get me whatever you can on Xray-Tango. He used to serve on the plains. He might even be semi-friendly."
"That'll be tricky," she signed back. "I don't even know who's got the intelligence archives."
"Anything you can get me would help," he said.
"I'll see if I can get a message out. Maybe some Wolf can find you with the answer. How important is this?"
"It's important to me. He's got some strange qualities. Makes me think a parent of his might have been a Hunter. Sometimes things get passed down."
