Coffee Break Read – Missing Piece

What happens when the hunter becomes the hunted…

“Up to the last day they were in the ‘City I had people in their organisation, in deep cover. And I even met and talked to Chola a few times. I have one question, sir, if we are talking about these supposedly dead people having relevance today — why are we not at least mentioning Avilon Revid too?”
There was a long, awkward pause.
Grim was in no hurry to break it. He heard the name and felt a frisson of genuine curiosity. Revid was the man who had come closer than any to single-handedly destroying the Coalition. Before his arrest a decade ago he had spent almost twenty years working with the insurgent terrorist organisation known as The Legacy, which had one item in its mission statement — the overthrow of the Coalition. For most of those years, Revid had consistently been topping the CSF’s most wanted lists and Grim could still recall, vividly, sitting in a bar on Kabros when the news broke that Revid had finally been tracked down and arrested.
The last Grim had heard, Revid had been condemned to serve in the Special Legion, and he would have died there long since. In the unlikely event he might have survived the first five years, the nature of his crimes would have placed him outside any criteria that could qualify him for release. It was hard to see, though, what that man might have to do with the people they were being told about here.
But even as he was thinking that, Grim’s mind was off on its own looping back over the briefing so far and linking a few interesting facts. Baldrik had been arrested for taking part in a terrorist attack and had also been in the Specials. Coincidence? Doubtful. Baldrik was getting more interesting all the time. Always assuming he was still alive — and this whole briefing was looking incredibly pointless if there was not at least some outside chance that he was.
“Avilon Revid is relevant here,” Cista Tyran repeated tenaciously when no one replied. “Without him, we don’t get the whole story. So why isn’t he being mentioned?”
The politician gave a small cough and moved in her chair. Jecks’ mouth had straightened into an unyielding line.
“Right. Dugsdall — your first thoughts?”
Jecks was acting like Cista Tyran’s question was rhetorical but Grim was very sure it wasn’t. Since subtle was clearly not going to work, Grim decided to try for the throat.
“I think we’ve been given an incomplete briefing so far, sir. I am assuming that means there is some evidence — or at least a strong suspicion — that these people are still alive. I am also assuming they are seen as posing a major threat to Coalition security quite a bit above and beyond that of running a criminal syndicate in the ‘City.”
It didn’t get the reaction he had hoped.
In fact, it got none.
Jecks merely nodded and in acknowledgement not confirmation. That was hard to swallow. It was pretty obvious to Grim they needed him for this or he’d not be here. From what he’d seen so far this was going to be an urgent, tough and dirty job. Grim didn’t mind that, but he did mind starting out feeling like his own side were playing games with him. He bit back the urge to say so and deadpanned.

From Iconoclast: Mistrust and Treason a Fortune’s Fools book by E.M. Swift-Hook – which is only 0.99 to buy for a limited period.