The Mullinix Book 1: Ascension

  Chapter 55 - Insegniferro’s Folly

  "Has the line to LaPorte opened up again?" Insegniferro asked the young operator, "I need to know what is going on down there."

  "The operator in Taliaferro Village said the carrier signal just came back," the operator told him, "We should have someone down there in a few minutes."

  "Make it quick," Insegniferro growled, "I want to talk to LaPorte post haste. It has been down all afternoon."

  It was another five minutes before the operators made the necessary connections and a further ten before Ellis LaPorte actually came onto the line. Insegniferro did his best to keep calm when addressing LaPorte. It was a battle that he was having problems winning with himself.

  "Where the hell have you been?" Insegniferro demanded, "Where is Paulus?"

  "We had an attack earlier," LaPorte told him, "The base itself was attacked by a group of insurgents. Lost the lines, just got them up a few minutes ago."

  "How many dead?" Insegniferro asked him, "And did you stop the attack?"

  "Only about twenty dead on our side," LaPorte lied, "More than that on the other side. They’re still cleaning up."

  "What happened to my man?" Insegniferro asked, bracing for a response that he didn’t want to hear, "He was on the line when the attack started."

  "I don’t know," LaPorte lied again, "I’ll be honest, Insegniferro, I was more concerned about putting down the attack. I spoke to your man this morning, but haven’t seen him since."

  "Find him," Insegniferro told him, "I need to speak to him post haste."

  "I will do the best I can, Mullinix," LaPorte said, "There’s a lot going on here right now."

  "Do better than that," Insegniferro told him, "This is a high priority. We need to talk to him."

  "Everything is high priority right now," LaPorte told him, "We’ve still got a half dozen fires here. I’ll get a unit out looking for him before morning. Fair enough?"

  "It will have to do," Insegniferro grumbled, "There’s another issue I want to talk with you about, Ellis."

  "Certainly, Mullinix," LaPorte agreed, figuring that it was about the records, "What would that be sir?"

  "We’ve been reading through the records up here," Insegniferro said, "A lot of them are not matching what you’ve been telling me."

  "How so?" LaPorte asked, feigning surprise, "I’ve told you every bit of information I have, sir."

  "So far I’ve got records of at least two dozen murders and a few massacres you didn’t report," Insegniferro told him, "What the hell is going on down there, Ellis?"

  "It’s a war zone, sir," LaPorte told him, "I probably didn’t report it because the records had been sent back before I could get around to it. Didn’t the records keeper tell you about it?"

  "Anthony Stack had been withholding the information," Insegniferro told him, "For what purpose, I do not know."

  "I couldn’t tell you sir," LaPorte lied, a smile forming on his face, "I haven’t seen him since we were in academy together."

  "If you see him place him under arrest," Insegniferro told him, "He tried to have Medoferro assassinated. There’s a nationwide alert for him."

  "I will do so," LaPorte lied, though he knew it wouldn’t matter as Tony Stack was in the Mavelan capital city, safely out of Mullinix jurisdiction, "Anything else, sir?"

  "Just get my man to the line," Insegniferro ordered him, "And do not hold back anything even if it is in the records. Understand me?"

  "Yes sir," LaPorte told him, "I’ve got to get back out there. I’ll find your man as soon as possible."

  Insegniferro dismissed him and the operator closed the line. He stood up and walked upstairs to the common area, pacing around a little until Marianna walked into the room holding a couple glasses of brandy. Insegniferro took one and sat down, letting out a sigh as he sat down.

  "What’s wrong, Iggy?" Marianna asked him.

  "Something is bugging me about that conversation I just had with LaPorte," Insegniferro said, "I just don’t know what."

  "Nothing you can do about it now, Iggy," Marianna told him, "You need to relax a bit. Enjoy the quiet with Massy and Medo gone."

  "Marianna," Iggy told her, "Can you have someone bring up the records for the last three years out of Cirrus?"

  "That’s a lot of paper," Marianna told him.

  "I know," Massimaferro nodded, "I need to look through it though."

  "I’ll get someone on it," Marianna promised, "So long as you go and relax a bit before you wade into it."

  "Not going to give me a break, are you?" Insegniferro chuckled.

  "Not without anyone else to play with, no," Marianna smiled, "With Medo and Massy gone we have nobody else to boss around."

  "I run a country but can’t say no to the women in the palace," Insegniferro chuckled, "Ok. I’ll go rest before I start a reading session. Bring me some tea?"

  "Of course," Marianna promised, "Be there in a few."