The ambassador nodded. "I'm beginning to believe you, Renfred. Will you come back with me to the embassy?"
"Certainly, sir." They began hurrying down the street Galatea's constabulary would be along eventually to investigate the gunshots, though such attacks were relatively common in the less civilized parts of Galaport. Tor had no wish to be detained for questioning. "I am going to need a new samples case, though," he said.
* * * *
Grayson studied the screen of the palm-sized electronic instrument in his hand. "No listening devices that I can see," he said. "The 'TronicsTechs can take care of the mines."
Sergeant Ramage nodded and pointed northward. "I've got a small army checking out the caves. Funny. They took all the equipment, of course, but they didn't blow the place afterward."
"Maybe they figure to use it themselves sometime."
The Gray Death, with its entourage of rebel soldiers and ‘Mechs, had returned to Fox Island. Most waited at an encampment a few kilometers away in the jungle, but Grayson had detailed Techs and the sharpest of the rebel trainees to check out the old camp. In the meantime, Lori and McCall had taken their ‘Mechs up the Basin Rim Road to search for listening devices or booby traps.
It was beginning to look like Nagumo's people had done a halfhearted job here, once they'd finished with the assault itself. They'd burned the Ericksson mansion to the ground, of course, and leveled most of the barns, warehouses, and other structures as well. They'd taken all the electronics equipment, machine tools, electronics parts, computers, the pair of ‘Mech simulators—anything that could be moved—and the rest they'd destroyed. Nagumo's forces had stripped the island of everything. Everything, that is, except the one thing the Gray Death needed the most.
A secret and unexpected site for an advance base camp.
The surprising thing was that the enemy forces had not been more thorough. Grayson had expected the electronics and machinery to be gone, but he'd also expected to find the cave dynamited, the island stripped bare of trees, the ground scorched. They had probably been in a hurry, he decided. From the reports he'd been getting, Nagumo's forces were being stretched tighter and tighter. The units that had staged this raid must have had to return to Regis as soon as they knew that the rebel column was beyond their reach to the south.
The place hadbeen mined. The Dracos had sown both antipersonnel mines and anti- ‘Mech mines sown throughout the area, but the hand scanners his search team held were giving plenty of warning of the devices.
Khaled approached from the direction of the mansion. "We found them," he said, eyes dark and grave. "In the house?"
The Mech Warrior nodded. "Identification will be a problem."
Grayson turned and stared at the jungle, working to keep his feelings from showing. According to the muster books, eighteen of his own people had been at Fox Island when the raiders struck. Some might have been taken prisoner. Yorulis had been shot. The rest the Dracos had left in the burning house. Sixty-five rebels had been here as well. How many of them were still alive? Just counting the bodies left in the mansion would be a harrowing chore.
"We'll bury them in the jungle," he said quietly. "If we can't identify them then, well... that will be another we owe Nagumo for."
Khaled nodded.
Grayson turned to Ramage. "O.K., orders. When your people have gone over the area thoroughly—and I mean thoroughly—call them together. First off, deactivate all the anti-personnel traps and mines you can identify. We don't want our people forgetting where they are and blundering into them when they're out for a stroll. Next, I want...let's say two-thirds of the anti- ‘Mech mines left in place, including all those off toward the south perimeter, and on the approaches to the island."
Khaled's eyes lighted. "You want their patrols to assume we have not returned," he said.
"Right. And if they do, the remaining mines will have been moved."
Ramage grinned. "That ought to surprise them...unless they have their own detectors out."
"I'm hoping they'll be too busy for that Next, I want to set up a camp, a small one, just a few tents and lean-tos." He pointed north, past the ruin of the machine shop. "Let's put it over merc. Detail a watch to keep the place looking lived in. No fires yet...not until they're sure we're here. But have the stuff ready to make one. And plant a bunch of the mines you move in that area."
"Ah! So when Nagumo's ‘Mechs come to check on someone living here again..."
"They walk into their own surprise. Correct. Make sure you get good people for that detail, though. They'll have to be ready to move quick. They'll be volunteers, of course."
Ramage nodded.
"O.K. I don't see any reason to stay here. If the caves check out, we'll use that as a place to keep our ‘Mechs out of sight, and it'll be a good place for ammo trucks and supplies to rendezvous with us."
"Are you putting ‘Mech facilities in down there?"
"Some." He scowled. "We're short on Techs."
"Most of them were here when the Dracos came."
'Two of the rebel MechWarriors are pretty fair Techs, though. Olin Sonovarro and Vikki Traxen both worked with machinery and electronics before they opted for the outdoor life. Davis McCall may be an even better Tech than he is a MechWarrior. It's a wonder he didn't choose it in the first place. The money's certainly better."
"Unless you were crazy enough to sign on with a mercenary unit fighting a rebellion on a jungle planet"
"Yeah, well...Anyway, I may transfer them to the Tech department until we can scare up some more." "
Ramage rocked back on his heels, his thumbs hooked into his belt He paused, locking as though he were smelling the air, before he answered. "We're going to need all our Warriors pretty damn soon, Captain."
"I'm well aware of it, Ram. But first we're going to need Techs.McCall told me the other night that it wouldn't take too long to rig a couple of repair cradles down in those caves. Some of the bracing and mounting brackets for blocks and tackle are still in place."
"So? That's good news."
"Right, because it means we'll be able to re-arm our ‘Mechs right here, and not have to traipse clear back to Westlee to do it. McCall thinks we may be able to do some minor repair work here, too. Armor plate patches, circuit replacement, that sort of thing."
"Won't be too difficult," Ramage agreed, "if we can get the parts."
"Oh, we'll get the parts," Grayson said. "Governor General Nagumo will provide us with all the parts we need. I'm counting on him to provide us with some new BattleMechs, too."
Ramage lifted an eyebrow. "Getting cocky in your old age?"
"Nope. Getting tired of being shoved around by Nagumo, though. With this place back in operation as a base, we'll be able to shove himaround for a change."
* * * *
Sergeant Rodney Pallonby tilted his Phoenix Hawk'shead, scanning the horizon through the cockpit screen. The land northeast of Regis was a terrain of low and rolling hills capped by patches of light woods. Visibility here wasn't as bad as over the Rim in the jungle, but there were places that were ideal for ambushes. Not that an ambush was likely with thisconvoy, but the Verthandian rebels had done some crazy things in recent weeks. An attack certainly wasn't out of the question.
He canted the Phoenix Hawk'shead down to check the column of prisoners. There were fifty of them, all women, ragged and dirty and held in single file by lengths of rope draped from neck to neck for the column's length. Draco soldiers, some in the black of officers, others in the dull orange and brown of a line regiment, walked in columns to either side.