Meeting Zamponia

Micah picked up the phone to speak to Lieutenant Hrath about Lavender when the last report was put away. It rang twice before she picked up the line.

"Lieutenant…."

An alarm screeched shrilly through the phone.

Lieutenant Hrath hung up

More alarms followed and Micah ran toward the medical building. What was Lavender doing? He had just turned toward the medical building when he caught sight of a silvery-white wolf running toward the trees. He felt a nudge to follow the wolf. A nudge he ignored. It was common to see wolves in the area while they trained. He burst through the door to see several confused medical officers. The bed Lavender would have been on was empty. Empty, but closed, shackles dangled from the bed rails. Cupboards and doors had been left open. There was no sign of Lavender in the medical building. No where she could have run to in such a short amount of time to evade being seen by someone.

He knew Lavender was resourceful. But not enough to escape on her own. Did that mean that she had help? Was she really guilty of withholding her knowledge of the mines from her squad? Was she really a traitor to her country? Micah shook his head. Something still didn't sit right in his gut. But something was going on. It wasn't like Lavender to run away. To back down from a fight. Waters, Lafleur, and ultimately Major Parvus had not given her a fair hearing. He had tried, but Waters squashed the attempt before he could hear Lavender's full explanation. Maybe now he'd have a chance to hear what she had been trying to tell them. Be able to provide evidence of her innocence to get a stay of execution.

Micah turned for the command center. Security footage was being reviewed, guard logs checked. Nothing had been captured or recorded that would explain how she managed to get out of her restraints. Or managed to get out of the medical building without being seen once the alarm attached to the pressure pad on her bed had been set off. Teams were sent all over the base to try and find her. Her bank account and phone records were being monitored. So far there had been no activity since her return to the states. Major Parvus grew frustrated as the teams started to report no sign of Lieutenant Lavender Brush.

"She couldn't have gotten off base this quickly," Major Parvus growled.

"Permission to search off base, Sir?" Micah requested.

"…I understand you and Lieutenant Brush were close, Captain."

"Yes, Sir."

"Do you feel betrayed by her defection?"

"Lieutenant Brush has not defected…, Sir."

"No?" Major Parvus turned to face him. "And what makes you so sure, Captain? Do you know something about the Lieutenant that we don't?"

"It's not her nature, Sir. There is much she can tell, and would have told, us if we had been willing to hear her full story," Micah explained.

"Her explanation could have just been a rouse to get us to release her so she could send information about us to our enemies," Major Parvus countered.

"Like I said, Sir, that's not her nature."

"And her disappearance from the medical building?"

"I can't explain that, Sir."

"You can't," he said, a little skeptical.

"No, Sir."

"Would I be wrong to assume that you would do anything to prevent her execution?"

"Are you hoping that by threatening me you'll get me to confess to something untrue?" Micah countered, unnerved by the Major's insinuation.

"Should I be threatening you, Captain?" Major Parvus asked. "Are you planning to thwart our search for Lieutenant Brush if I allow you to head a team off base?"

"No, Sir."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. But if I hear otherwise, Captain…."

"I understand, Sir."

"Take the dogs with you."

"Yes, Sir."

Micah left the command center to gather a team.

They left base and started in Allenmore Park near her apartment. The dogs would pick up her scent just to lose it again. She'd made it this far already? Did that mean that she had been able to gather supplies from her apartment? It just didn't seem possible with the amount of man power being used to ensure she did not escape. Micah sent part of the team to search the Proctor Business District while he took the rest of the team to her apartment.

As they climbed the stairs, Micah noticed that something looked off about the deadbolt. Her porch light was either off or burned out so it was hard to tell what it was until he was in front of the door. The key had been left in the lock. Micah tested the handle and found it unlocked. He pulled his gun out of its holster before bursting through the door. Private Hafglia and Corporal Huwtu stepped passed him as a heavily accented female voice called out.

"Is dhaud you, Lauv?"

The three of them stopped, hearing the shower water coming from the bathroom. Micah stepped through the kitchen with Corporal Huwtu and her Beligian Shepherd, Kita, right behind him. He opened the door then pulled the curtain back. A naked woman stood with her back to them. Her hands tangled in hair so soapy it was hard to see what color it was. Micah opened his mouth to speak when Kita growled.

"Shud up," the woman commanded.

Kita whimpered. Ducked her head and pulled her tail between her legs.

"Insolend pup."

"Who are you?" Micah asked.

The woman didn't seem to hear him as she stepped under the water to rinse the soap from her silvery-white and dirt brown hair.

Private Hafglia wedged his way into the tiny space and grabbed one of the woman's hands. He wiped off then scanned one of her fingers.

She took her hand back when he loosened his hold and continued to rinse off. Her build was similar to Lavender's, but her facial features were sharper. And there was no way Lavender would have had time to dye her hair to achieve the near perfect peppering this woman had.

"No match," Private Haflgia said.

"No maudch do find," the woman said.

"Who are you and what are you doing in Lieutenant Brush's apartment?" Corporal Hutwtu asked.

The woman turned off the water and twisted her hair. "I could ausk dhe saume of you," she replied, opening her eyes.

Micah was startled by the bright blue eyes that met his without fear. There was a knowing in those eyes that puzzled him.

She stepped out of the tub and Kita scrambled backward to get away from her.

"Kita, heel!" Corporal Hutwtu commanded.

But Kita only pulled harder until Corporal Hutwtu followed her down the hall to keep her from dislocating a shoulder.

"What is wrong with you?!" she yelled at the dog.

"Naudhin' is wron' widh Kida," the woman said as she passed through the kitchen and stepped into the front room/bedroom. "Smaurd dau's know when nod do mess wid aun Aulphauh."

She knelt beside a dresser and opened the bottom drawer. She pulled out an unopened package of underwear. She ripped it open and pulled out a pair.

"That's…," Micah started to protest.

"Mine," the woman said.

She picked up a folded card and held it out to Micah. Then she proceeded to get dressed.

The card read, "Zamponia's things."

He turned back to her as she pulled on a pair of pants and a billowy tunic top. Then she pulled a highly decorated satchel from the drawer. She hung it over her shoulder then turned for the door. Private Hafglia tried to grab her wrist as she passed, but Kita lunged for his sleeve and pulled his hand down to prevent contact.

"Kita, release!" Corporal Hutwtu commanded.

Kita released Private Hafglia's sleeve, but kept him from approaching Zamponia again.

She stopped in the kitchen and opened the cupboard. Micah stepped up to her again, grabbing her arm as she started to remove food items from the cupboard.

"My food," she said.

"You never answered Corporal Hutwtu's questions," he said, not letting go.

"You hauve my naume. Aund aus you've observed, I caume in for auh shower, chaun'e of clothes, aund food."

Micah stared into her eyes a little longer.

"If you aure lookin' for Lauv, you've wausded much dime." She pulled her arm from Micah's grip then proceeded to tuck a can of jerky into the satchel. She tucked a second can and a few snack items in the satchel from the shelf labeled, "Zamponia's food." Then she turned and stepped out the door.

Kita's head came up once she was gone. She shook off and held her tail high.

"Who is she, Sir?" Corporal Hutwtu asked.

"I wish I knew, Corporal," Micah replied. "We should continue our search."

"Yes, Sir."

They searched Lavender's apartment for other signs that someone, other than Zamponia, had been in the apartment. Micah felt a nudge from The Spirits when his mind wandered back to Zamponia. Why hadn't he been able to take charge and ask the questions Corporal Hutwtu and Private Hafglia could? Why did he do nothing to stop her from taking clothing and food from the apartment? Things that Lavender was likely to need, though Zamponia had taken nothing more than the clothes she put on and a small amount of snack food. He shook his head, trying to get his thoughts back on the reason they were out here. The three of them left Lavender's apartment and headed for the Proctor District to meet up with the rest of the team.