Wine of the Gods 05: Spy Wars Read Online Free Page A

studying them again.
    The third boat they tried, the captain was happy to take a fast run to the west, and do his fishing on the way back, with money in his pocket.

Chapter Three
    30 Shawwal, 1362yp / Late Fall 1360 local
    Fascia, Auralia n Empire, Target World Forty-Two
     
    Ajha tried to concentrate on the noisy recording, and ignore the hand-wringing and apologetic tech behind him.
    ". . . so much static on this world we don't use, nor regularly bother monitoring the radio frequencies. We just use a few high frequencies for our own communications."
    Ajha jacked his computer into the replay, got his own selection of filters lined up and tried to pull the information from the background static of the recordings. He still could only distinguish the occasional word. But as more and more 'occasional words' built up, so did the inescapable conclusion. "Sir, every single word I can distinguish is English, French, German or Russian derived. The Earthers are here. Somewhere."
    "One! That's a complication—no, it's a nightmare. We have absolutely no desire to have another armed confrontation with those people."
    Ajha looked over at the tech. "Can you get any direction from this mess?"
    "No, Info, it's bouncing off the ionosphere. 'Not near' is as good as I can do."
    Idre and Egto bustled in, then. They looked irritated to have been out of pocket when something happened.
    Ajha clued them in quickly. "Radio transmissions, poor quality, probably Earther." Then he returned his attention to the recordings and tried to draw conclusions from the collection of words. The assortment was unlikely to be random, in fact directions and distances stood out. A lot of " They are " They, not it. " Beat " " Capture ," or maybe recapture.
    "Do you know, I think they grabbed a native and he's escaped. More than one. They've escaped."
    "Did they recapture them?" The Ambassador looked over his shoulder.
    "Maybe, the transmissions cut off several hours ago. Ah, wait . . . I need a time of detection for this one. ' Almost Dark ' at six hundred hours? They must be in the eastern hemisphere." Looking around he found that the leaders of both the Action Teams had joined the crowd.
    "Yes, and they auction off the rights to new worlds to competing private companies. This will be some fumbling civilian excuse for security. We should take them out quickly. Before their military takes over." It was rare for a woman to lead an Action Group. This Kael just dripped aggression and violence, possibly a deliberate public show to keep the male wolves at bay. She was tall, whip thin, and shaved her head. Her large team had just arrived from the military training site.
    Where Edmo had a bare c ompass—eight men, including himself—Kael had two compasses, a junior leader for each of them, and a personal aide. No love was lost between Edmo and Kael.
    The Ambassador frowned. "For this we'll consult both the Princess and the Priest. We'll see if they want information or elimination."
    His assistant shifted. "The Princess is meeting the Amma tomorrow."
    "Yes. Well. Perhaps I'll speak to the Priest first, and the Princess once I have Ygti's recommendation."
    Ajha leaned over the tech's shoulder; the static was clearing a bit.
    " . . . retrospect, I think holographic illusions concealed a high bridge across the canyon. The low bridge was undermined. Ten vehicles and thirty-eight men crossed before it . . . "
    "One! That sounds like more than an escape."
    " . . . orce of high tech trained and armed soldiers—possibly Oners in person—used lasers and other weapons . . . cealment, while . . . . . atives put on a show to hold our attention. "
    A noise that might have been a derisive snort answered. " . . . tech includes these force fields and weather control? We'll get . . . . . .  check your recordings and then . . . . ur wounded back to the Gate Camp, and maintain your . . . tion. Putatively waiting for a diplomatic mes . . . haps you are competent to hold that side of the