After hearing this fresh news, Vinc slowly shook his head in disbelief, looking between Kalam and myself. “Are you saying the Mujadeen can still use that missile against us?” he asked skeptically.
“I don't know what their intentions are,” Kalam answered honestly. “I only know that they may have sacrificed this town in order to save that accursed weapon. You will have to send someone to investigate before you return. Perhaps the Mutans have already overrun the silo and now possess the weapon. The Council will want to be sure.”
Vinc answered, “If this place is heavily guarded as you say, then how can I examine it for myself? You are asking the impossible out of such a small force as this. We would be cut to ribbons if we tried to enter.”
Kalam shrugged. “I cannot say. You are supposed to be a soldier, so you must figure something out.”
“I will do it,” I volunteered. “One man, if he is careful, can slip inside anyplace, provided he is cautious enough.”
“I got close enough to see the silo,” Kalam said in agreement. “I'm sure someone else with more agility could slip into the silo itself if they tried.”
Vinc stared hard at me, weighing the possibility of my success. “But what can you tell us about this weapon? You are no expert on the weapons of the Ancients.”
I replied, “And you are? No one here could truly say how this missile works, could they? But anyone could assess the possibility of it still being operational. Such devices are complex; any sign of decay would certainly stop the missile from being successfully fired.”
“But what's in it for you, Mikel?” Vinc asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. “My business has been destroyed and so has my town. If this weapon is as dangerous as the Council says, then it must be stopped at all costs. I'm the obvious choice since I have nothing left to lose.”
After another moment of reflection, Vinc answered. “You can go. It is a foolish venture, but it is best that we know before returning.”
“I want to go too,” Suvan suddenly said. She had been watching this conversation without saying a word. I was surprised when she finally spoke up, but glad that she wanted to share the danger with me.
“I forbid it!” Vinc said after the initial surprise of her statement had worn off. “It won't be safe for a woman to venture there.”
Her eyes blazing with anger, Suvan spat out, “You can't tell me what to do. I will go with Mikel, and there is nothing that you can do about it.”
“It's too dangerous,” Vinc shot back, his bronzed face turning red.
I said to her, “I will gladly accept your assistance, Suvan.”
My words only aggravated Vinc further, his words filled with vitriol. “Go ahead and get yourself killed, but I wash my hands of the entire matter.” He then stalked away, his back stiff with anger. I couldn't help notice with some satisfaction that Suvan looked at his retreating figure with nothing but pure loathing.
Turning my attention to Kalam, I said, “What is the best way to get into the silo?”
He took a stick and drew a map in the sand. When had finished, he said, “You see the two hills here. They are rocky and very difficult to climb. The silo resides between them. The Mujadeen have built two tall walls between the hills, enclosing the silo within. There is also a barracks made with mud which holds the soldiers and workers. Rasid has a tent nearby for his own use.”
“What does the silo look like?”
Kalam laughed. “It's nothing like a corn silo. From my vantage point up on one of the hills, it looks like a low, circular hole made out of cement that looks as fresh as the day it was poured. There is a large cover on top to protect the missile inside from the elements. There is a second, man-sized door in the base of the cement that allows access to within.”
Suvan asked, “When you saw it last, how many soldiers were there?”
“Only a dozen, but that was before the Mutan invasion. There could be many more Mujadeen there, trying to find a place of refuge from the last battle.”
I asked, “So what is the best way in?”
He shook his head. “The walls are guarded night and day, as is the gate on the western side. It would be foolish to try that way. I saw everything that I described to you from the vantage point of the northern hill. Perhaps you could find a way down from that side, but doing it at night will be quite dangerous.”
I had the glimmer of an idea. I turned my attention to Suvan and said, “We scaled the cliffs of the valley with the help of ropes. Do you think we could do the same going down? It would be better than trying to find a foothold at night.”
“If we had some rope, “ Suvan earnestly replied.
“I have some in my basement,” Kalam said, his eyes shining with excitement. “If you tie two of them together, it should be just long enough.”
Chapter 30