Rise of a Valkyrie

Part 40

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A video call notification flashed up on her monitor, and Rayker slammed her desk in frustration. How dare someone disturb her without warning? The caller was Cardinal Merris, but what could he want? She took a moment to calm her demeanor before opening the line.

Merris' face popped up on the display. "Rayker, hello. It's been a while since we last spoke," he said.

Rayker blinked. "I believe my updates have been delivered on schedule. What is the reason for your call?"

Merris fidgeted for a moment. "What's the progress of the project?" he asked, eventually.

"As detailed in my last report on the subject," Rayker said and cocked an eyebrow. "Did you read it?"

"I understand you hired only six researchers in the fields of biology and genetic engineering?"

Where was he going with this? "Correct."

"Only six?"

Rayker exhaled slowly. He could not possibly know about the team's corporate cover stories already. "Merris, we are making substantial progress on the project and that means, obviously, we are all very busy. If you have any more of these administrative queries, I suggest you direct them to Captain Reed."

"I ask the question," Merris said as he fiddled with his pen, "because it seems that a good deal more than six researchers in a variety of fields are currently not present in their usual posts in Rackeye."

Rayker drummed her fingers on the desk. Could one of Reed's soldiers be a traitor? Unlikely, but nothing was impossible. "I haven't heard anything about this."

"You aren't the only one with sources on Caldera."

"Well, then, perhaps you should be contacting whoever is responsible for those individuals?"

Merris paused again. Rayker suppressed a smile when she saw that the effort to speak seemed to cost him greatly. "We've also been getting some unusual calls from the Chief of Staff for the Army. It seems that personnel assignments are being made against the usual procedure..."

Rayker silently cursed. Reed had obviously not covered his tracks well enough.

"Merris, I'm sorry," she said, adding an edge to her voice. "I obviously haven't been making myself clear. I simply cannot divert my resources into helping you chase down interdepartmental administrative blunders. I'm in the middle of a revolutionary project which will provide immense benefit to the future of the Helvetic league, not to mention the Adjudicate. Frankly, I think that what you're asking would fall under Captain Reed's purview, and if you would be so good as to put your concerns in a memo, I will make sure he receives it. If you have no other pressing concerns, I certainly do, and I need to get back to them."

"Well, not pressing concerns, but if we could find some time to discuss—"

"Thank you, goodbye, Merris," Rayker said, and disconnected the call.

Her first step was to go and see Reed, and as usual she pushed through the door to his office without bothering to knock. He was alone, working, and didn't react to her entrance.

"The Army is asking questions about the soldiers you transferred here," Rayker said.

Reed looked confused for a moment. "I thought you were able to deflect—"

"And someone has told Merris about missing researchers in Rackeye. I thought you were keeping track of his agent's communications?"

Reed was silent for a moment. "What if it's not the Adjudicate? Graduates talk quite freely amongst themselves, and their parents have connections. Maybe someone got jealous of their friend's nice new job and decided to have Mommy and Daddy start asking questions?"