A new mission - Part 3

Even once the meeting began the mood didn’t get much lighter. Pages was still fairly ruffled by Hardy’s earlier comments, Blur was quietly ashamed of herself and Chief was continuously bad tempered because some girl had been taken. That was another thing that put a bee in Pages’ bonnet; Chief blaming Blur for this. She had a lot of confidence in her friend; she would trust her with her life, but Kel was a bit of a challenge for one person. The rest of the group were constantly dodging subjects which might provoke more yelling, but they needn’t have bothered because they were all on their best behaviour and, themselves, trying to avoid more confrontation for the time being.

 

Once the usual matters were cleared up (have the lookouts noticed anything unusual? Not particularly. How has moral been? Will improve when people have seen Chief. Who clogged up the toilet this time? Still unknown) everyone, even the wound up ones, wanted to learn what Chief had been doing.

 

He explained about him gaining knowledge of a changeling training centre and it’s whereabouts and his plan to... to...

 

Liberate all the children?

 

“Are you crazy!” Kadnap shrieked, standing up in alarm, “The most we can do is take down a few trailers of the children here and there and even that’s risky. Let alone a whole training centre of them. Remember what happened to Liberators Crew 3.” To emphasise her point she threw her beefy arms out wide, causing Open-eye and Gadget to break out of the shocked trance and duck down low.

 

“And even if we managed to get in,” Gadget wheezed, sitting himself back up, “and out again, we’d have nowhere to put them.”

 

“That’s only if we made it back alive,” Pages reminded everyone, “it’s going to be pretty far away if you ask me.”

 

“Yes,” Huegei said, quiet as a whisper, “Hauling a truck load of young children across the country isn’t suspicious at all.”

 

Tut stood up, of course, in Chief’s defence, “Perhaps we should let him complete his proposal.”

 

“I don’t know,” Ram said, childishly, “I’m rather enjoying the reactions. You should see your faces. Especially yours, Crème; it’s all melted!” He erupted into little giggles before he composed himself, “But yes, please continue dear leader.”

 

Pages rolled her eyes; Tut was a wise old elf, sporting long greying hair obscuring all but the tips of his large pointed ears and a small moustache playing on his upper lip. He had bright, almost electric green eyes, accentuated by the sharp eyebrows. These, combined with his thin lips, gave him a very stern look. Pages got on with him immensely well. On the other hand, Ram, who was just as wise, had a youthfulness way behind his years, even though he was the older of the two. His hair was shorter, his face far more wrinkled and the colours of himself more faded, but although his eyes were duller in colour, they were still more light and alive than Pages’ own, even if they were centuries more aged.

 

“Thank you,” Chief said, rubbing his temples with irritation, “I’m not saying we should just storm the place a see how it goes. I’m talking about a series of well timed missions leading up the big one. I agree, it will be a challenge, but if we have all of you at your best for the next year or so we have a chance. It will be tough. It will be hard. But if it improves the lives of numerous children, isn’t it worth it?”

 

Pages was extremely sceptical of the plan, “Not if we all die in the process.”

 

“I can’t promise there won’t be fatalities,” Chief said, steady and sure, “but if we keep to the stages exactly, we have a good fighting chance.”

 

A gurgling came from the right of Pages; Crème agreeing.

 

One by one, everyone else concurred and finally Pages gave in, “Okay,” she said defeated, “but if we end up dead I’m kicking your eternal soul’s arse for... well, for eternity.”

 

A smile almost showed on his lips, even if he was still frowning, “Glad to know you’re on board, because I’m going to need you for the first mission. This one’s for the girls mostly.”

 

“What do you mean?” Huegei asked, softly.

 

“I have information about a guard of the establishment; he’s off duty for the next three months and I hear he’s very fond of an inn near his house and I have the idea-”

 

“That a couple of us girls should flirt with him until he reveals something we can use.” Everyone turned towards Pages; this was not something they would’ve expected her to say and she knew it. The last time someone had tried to flirt with her they had ended up a little worse for wear, “What? It’s the same everywhere, and don’t try to deny it, show a man a pair of b***s and he’ll say anything you want him to.”

 

The looks went from shocked to offended for most of the men, but none of them objected, except Hardy, “Had a lot of experience with that, Pages?”

 

Before Pages could retaliate (or take away his manhood, like she wanted to), Chief stepped in, “Stereotypical, but that’s the theory we’ll be counting on in the mission. It’s a little more complicated than you say, but you are going to be my main girl.” He said plainly.

 

“I get the feeling I’m not going to like it.”

 

Throughout the description of the future mission, Blur had been quieter than usual, but the reason for this became clear when the meeting ended and she turned to Pages and said, “I’m going to call it a night. Or a day. Or two,” she looked troubled as she pulled Pages into a tight hug and whispered the next part almost inaudibly into her ear, “You know those four bottles of Chief’s favourite wine in the high cupboard?” Pages gave a small nod, “Tonight, one is going to go missing.”

 

The two girls broke away from each other and shared an understanding look, then Blur squeezed Cocoa goodnight, as she had been waiting there for them, to which she received an ‘I love you’, and then went to her room.

 

“Okay then,” Hardy said, annoyingly cheery, “are you going to tell me where Chief’s bad mood came from?”

 

Pages clenched her jaw, “Maybe he saw you; that usually puts me in a bad mood.”

 

“You’re always in a bad mood,” Hardy retaliated, “I know Blur told you something about it.”

 

“I don’t know where the anger came from,” Pages snapped, “but I know where it’s going; into a bottle.”

 

That started Cocoa’s singing of ‘ten green bottles’ off until Chief stomped passed them and Cocoa clamped her hands over her ears as though there had just been a huge explosion, “ITCHY!” she whined.

 

“What did you feel?” Pages asked, curious.

 

“Anger, guilt, remorse, shame, self-loathing, love, responsibility, aching, hollow, humiliation, resentment, hatred, disgust, affection, uncaring, loyalty, heartbreak, pride and... itchy, itchy, itchy!”

 

“Alright, Alright!” Pages took her little sister’s hand, “Come on let’s put on some more ointment to sooth those sore spots,” sadly knowing that Chief was using drink to calm his own pain.