Shadow of the Knife

by Jane Fletcher

  “The wounded Rangers were killed in cold blood. The gang slit their throats. They killed defenseless, injured women.”

  “Slit their throats? So the bandits didn’t beat the wounded to death, like the Rangers did with the prisoner they captured?”

  “You don’t know for certain they did that.”

  “And you don’t know for certain they didn’t.”

  Ellen took an angry step forward. “Whose side are you on?”

  “The same side I’ve always been on. My own.”

  “And in the Three Barrels, when you were listening in on the Rangers, did you find out about their plans and pass the information on to the Butcher?”

  “Ah.” Hal smiled. “Is this what you came here to ask me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Now, if I was part of the gang, would you honestly expect me to tell you the truth?”

  Ellen stared into Hal’s eyes, hoping to see past the taunting and the games. The exercise was pointless, as had been the rest of the visit to the farm. Without another word, Ellen got on her horse and rode away.

  *

  Ellen sat outside her parents’ cottage, staring at the sky and watching the first stars show. The days were getting noticeably shorter, although summer was far from over and the evening air was warm. More than an hour remained before Ellen would want to think about sleeping. She could go down into the town, locate some friends, and have a drink, but then she might possibly run into Hal. Or she could go and visit Valerie at the barracks and see how she was doing, in which case the chances of meeting Hal would be nonexistent. Running into Hal, or not? If only she could work out which of the two possibilities she most wanted not to happen, it would be much easier to decide what to do.

  The visit to the ranch had been five days before and Ellen had not seen Hal since. Not an hour had passed without the conversation running through her head. Surely, if Hal were one of the Butcher’s Knives, she would have acted more upset just to maintain her façade of being an honest farmer. Did this mean, then, that Hal was genuinely so self-centered and callous? Ellen leaned her head forward into her hands and winced. Her second big question was, had the last five days been this much of a torment for Hal as well? Ellen knew just how strongly she was attracted to Hal. Did Hal feel a fraction of the same emotions for her?

  The sound of someone saying her name caught Ellen’s ear. She looked up. At the corner of the road a Ranger was talking to young Pat Simamora. The child raised her arm, clearly pointing in Ellen’s direction. Ellen’s first thought was that Valerie had come to see her, but Valerie would not need directions.

  The Ranger turned around, confirming that she was not Valerie Bergstrom. In fact, she was someone Ellen had never met before. Ellen stood up as the Ranger approached.

  “Are you Militiawoman Ellen Mittal?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re wanted at the barracks.”

  “The barracks?”

  “Yes. Now.” The Ranger’s tone was uncompromising.

  “What’s it about?”

  “You’ll find out when you get there.” She jerked her head, clearly intending to escort Ellen. “Come on.”

  “Er...” Ellen glanced through the open cottage door. “Do I need to bring anything?”

  “No. Unless you want a jacket.”

  Ellen shook her head. The evening was not cold enough to warrant it. She set off beside the Ranger on the short walk across town.

  The barracks seemed unnaturally quiet, as they had since the massacre. They had been designed to hold a full squadron. With just seven women released from the infirmary, the buildings had been less than a quarter occupied. Reinforcements had clearly now arrived—more unfamiliar faces were around and horses were tethered by the stables—yet the air of subdued emptiness remained.

  Three Rangers awaited Ellen in the inner office of the admin building. The oldest sat at the captain’s desk. The others stood to one side. At the sight of them, Ellen came to a frozen halt, before creaking into a pose that was as close to attention as her tense muscles could manage. She recognized none of the faces, but the combined stars on their shoulder badges put the sky outside to shame. They were easily the most senior officers she had ever been within shouting distance of.

  The seated Ranger said, “At ease.”

  Ellen tried to relax, with limited success.

  “I’m Divisional Commander Belinski. You’re Militia Rookie Mittal?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I won’t be staying in Roadsend long, but I wanted to see the state of affairs for myself and talk to everyone personally. I’ll be leaving tomorrow and for the duration of this investigation Major Kallim here will be in charge.”

  One of the officers to the side nodded to acknowledge her name.

  “We’re co-opting your services. Until further notice, you’ll be reporting directly to Major Kallim.”

  “Ma’am, Lieutenant Cohen has—”

  “Lieutenant Cohen will not be a problem. She has already received due notification of this from the proper Militia authorities.”

  Ellen swallowed. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Belinski leaned forward over the desk. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how seriously we take what happened to the 12th. We’ll track down this so-called Mad Butcher and her Knives and make every last one pay for her crimes. Fort Krowe will be mustering every available Ranger for the job. However, that will take some time, and before we can act, we need more information. Not least, the location of the bandits’ hideout. I don’t suppose you have anything you can tell us about this.”

  “No, ma’am.” Ellen frowned. “I thought the captured Knife had told Captain Aitkin.”

  “Yes. Apparently she did. Unfortunately, the only people Aitkin shared the information with were her lieutenant and her four sergeants, none of whom survived the massacre. And on that subject, the first task we have for you is to spread the story as widely as possible. We want news to get back to the Butcher that we don’t know where she is. You can do that?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Ellen’s bewilderment must have shown on her face. Belinski smiled at her grimly. “The reason is so she feels safe in her hideout and doesn’t return to Eastford. Out here is where we’d prefer to tackle her. At the end of the day, it won’t matter where she goes. We’ll get her. But the Wildlands are our home ground. In order not to alarm her, we’ll not make any great show of force in Roadsend. Only two temporary patrols are going to be stationed here. However, they’ll be two of the best patrols we have. They’re still going to need some help, though, which is where you come in. You have the local knowledge and the local contacts. A member of the Militia is going to attract less attention than a Ranger asking the same questions.” Divisional Commander Belinski looked to the women at the side. “Major Kallim, you had some things you wanted to say.”

  The major nodded and looked straight at Ellen. “Yes. Have you heard that an informer leaked details of Captain Aitkin’s plans to the gang?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Before she set out, Aitkin sent a favorable report about you to divisional headquarters. You were the one who handed over the note that resulted in the prisoner being taken to start with. The rest of the Militia here have been ineffective to the extent that collusion with the gang cannot be ruled out. At the moment, you’re the only one we trust. So, you will not discuss anything concerning this investigation with the other Militiawomen. If Lieutenant Cohen or anyone else tries to question you, or put obstructions in your way, you’re to tell me immediately. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “You’ll be receiving a full briefing tomorrow morning. But in short, other people will be pursuing other goals, which you needn’t concern yourself with. What I want you to focus on is the source of the leak. It has to be someone in town, which is where you have the contacts. So, do you have any ideas to start with?”

  “Um...”

  Ellen opened her mouth and th
en closed it. She knew she ought to mention her doubts about Hal. Yet doubts were all they were. The three Rangers looked stern, uncompromising. Hal claimed the Rangers had ill-treated their previous prisoner. What would they do to someone who was no more than a suspect?

  “The only person I...I...” Ellen’s jaw clenched as she tried to force herself to speak. She failed. She could not hand Hal over to them—not until she had something more than doubts.

  “Well?” Major Kallim did not sound impatient, but she clearly wanted an intelligent reply.

  “Er...no, ma’am. No suspects. But the...the only person I’d ask an exception to be made for, concerning talking to the rest of the Militia, is my sergeant, Sergeant Sanchez.”

  Judging by the instant response on the three faces, they were about to reject the appeal. Suddenly, Ellen was struck by the realization of just what she was in for, and how much she would need Chris’s advice and help. Raising the request had been the first impulsive idea to come to mind when evading Kallim’s question. However, the more she thought about it, the more Ellen knew that getting an exemption for Chris was essential. She went on quickly, before anyone else could speak.

  “You say you trust me because I’ve proved I’m willing to oppose the Butcher’s gang. So has Sergeant Sanchez. She’s only just returned from sick leave, recovering from injuries she got in a fight with the gang. She nearly died. And you can be sure she’s nothing to do with the leak, because she’s still not able to get out and about. She’s confined to desk duty at the moment.”

  “So she won’t be any use in pursuing the investigation.”

  “She would be great for advice, ma’am. She’s really the one with the local knowledge and experience. I’m just a rookie. She won’t be doing any running around, but I know it’d be useful talking things over with her. With the letter, it was her advice I was acting on. She said to take any information on the gang straight to Captain Aitkin, rather than giving it to Lieutenant Cohen.”

  Major Kallim looked surprised. “Did she now?” She glanced at Belinski. “I tell you what. I’ll review what we know about Sergeant Sanchez and give you an answer in the morning. You can go now. Be here for five o’clock tomorrow.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Ellen slipped from the room. She guessed she ought to be feeling proud and excited, but the only emotions going through her were anxiety, confusion, and guilt. Why had she not been able to say Hal’s name? Ellen thought of her oath to uphold the law to the utmost of her ability, without favor. Maybe she had not totally broken that oath, but she had withheld information—and for the sake of a woman she had only kissed twice.

  *

  Chris herself answered the door. She was in uniform and obviously preparing to go to work. Seeing Ellen standing on the step, her initial smile turned to a worried frown. “Is something wrong?”

  “No. Not exactly. But I want to talk to you.”

  “Here or at the station?”

  “Here. I can’t risk being overheard.”

  Chris stepped back. “Come in.”

  As Ellen passed, Chris reached out and caught hold of her arm to examine her shoulder badge. “Hey. Now that looks like good news. Except I thought it wasn’t due until—”

  “It’s a few days early. It’s part of what I want to talk to you about.”

  Rhonda was in the cluttered front room, feeding the baby. They exchanged smiles and a few words of greeting, and then Ellen followed Chris through to the kitchen at the rear.

  Chris shut the door and then waved Ellen to a seat at the table. “Okay. So why the early promotion and the secrecy?”

  Ellen shrugged self-consciously. The embroidered badges on her shoulders felt heavy. Surely the tiny amount of stitching, forming the single bar of a patrolwoman, could not weigh so much. News that her probation period was officially deemed over had greeted her at the Ranger barracks that morning, along with a new black shirt already bearing the badges.

  “The Rangers have co-opted me to help them find the Butcher, but they don’t want anyone else from the Militia involved. I had to get special permission even to talk to you.”

  “What do they want you to do?”

  “Anything I feel like.”

  “Pardon?”

  Ellen grimaced. The morning’s briefing had basically amounted to telling her she could do what she wanted, when she wanted, and pursue whatever line of inquiry she thought best. It left her even more relieved than before that she had thought to ask permission for talking it over with Chris, and that the request had been granted.

  “They want me to discover who leaked the information about the raid, and anything else useful I can find out. But they didn’t seem to have any ideas about how I could do it, so they’ve left it all up to me.”

  “Nice of them.”

  “I’m not the only one on the hunt, but they wouldn’t tell me who the others are, or what they’re doing.”

  “At least they’ve promoted you to patrolwoman.”

  Ellen sighed and peered down at her shoulder badge, trying to catch sight of the embroidered bar. “Yeah, the promotion. Now I’m not a rookie, I can patrol on my own, without needing Terrie as a puppy walker. I guess that’s why they did it.”

  “And it makes you harder to push around. Jake Cohen will know you have official approval, and she’s likely to come out worse if she starts mucking about and getting in your way.”

  “If only I knew what I was doing.”

  “You’ve got a free hand. What do you think you should do?”

  “That’s what I came here to discuss with you.”

  Chris grinned. “It’s your investigation, Patrolwoman Mittal. Why don’t you tell me your ideas, and I’ll tell you what I think of them?”

  Ellen sighed, but she felt a smile tug at her lips. She was starting to like the sound of her new rank.

  “Well...the leak. As Mel Ellis said, the gang knew the route and the timing. Since we don’t know where the final destination was, maybe the route was obvious. It might be the only sensible way to get there, but the timing?” Ellen shook her head. “By coincidence, Jake Cohen finally got me doing something useful yesterday. I tracked down other people who’d passed the ford earlier that day. The road was clear an hour before the ambush. So the gang definitely had inside information, and it’s not simply that someone saw the Rangers acting excited and drew conclusions.”

  “What ideas do you have about who might have passed on the details?”

  “I can’t believe any of the Rangers did it deliberately, but those in the Three Barrels were drinking heavily. One of them could easily have said more than she should. As for who might have overheard, the name that...” Ellen’s voice died.

  “The name?” Chris prompted, after a few seconds of silence.

  “Hal. I caught her once, trying to eavesdrop on the Rangers. And then she dashed off very suddenly and left me.”

  “Did she give a reason?”

  “She said she was playing hard to get.”

  “Is that in character?”

  “Oh yes.”

  Chris threw back her head and laughed. “It sounds like you’re in trouble there. If you’re lucky it’s just that she’s a Knife.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Ellen ran her hand through her hair. “Admittedly, I wasn’t paying too much attention, but apart from her, I didn’t see anyone acting oddly, or recognize any known troublemakers.”

  “How about strangers?”

  “There was one woman who looked like barge crew. She was making out with Jay Takeda.”

  “Ah.”

  Ellen nodded. “Yup. Jay was pretty drunk, and she was bragging about getting the Butcher. Maybe the stranger was a Knife, who latched onto Jay as a way to get information.”

  “It won’t be a popular result, if you end up blaming her.”

  “I know. But...” Ellen sighed. “I’ll talk to the innkeeper, ask her what she remembers of who was there. And talk to survivors. Only about half the squadron were in the
Three Barrels. I need to find out where the rest were.”

  “Right. What else?”

  Ellen frowned. “What sort of thing are you thinking of?”

  “For ten months, Jake has had us doing absolutely nothing. Now you’ve got a free hand. What do you think we should have been doing?”

  “Oh. The sheep.”

  “It’s where it all started.”

  Ellen drew a deep breath. “Okay. What I don’t understand is how they’re getting past us. In order to sell that many sheep, they have to get them to Eastford or Landfall. They can’t be loading them into barges downstream of Roadsend because of the marshland, and if they do it upstream, they still have to come through town. They must have found some way around the ear-stamp and paperwork.”

  “Forgery.”

  “Maybe. But it still means that somewhere the numbers won’t add up. It might give us a lead. We’ve got the cloning records in the Temple. I want to tally up the figures from the docks and compare them.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Another thing is to see what gossip I can pick up in town. I’ll visit all the inns early in the day when it’s quiet, and see if the innkeepers have noticed any suspicious new faces. It would also be interesting to have a little chat with some of our local troublemakers, and see if I can squeeze anything out of them. The Knives might have tried to recruit a few. I doubt we’ll see anything of Ade Eriksen, though I’ll ask after her. And Fran Paparang skipped town as soon as her mother paid her fine. She can’t have been involved in the massacre, but she has to know something.”

  “Does Valerie know where she is?”

  “No. I’ll ask their mother, but I doubt she’d admit it, even if she does.”

  “Oh, I’m sure her mother does. Else she wouldn’t know where to send money whenever her poor little Fran is broke.”

  Ellen grinned. “Of course.”

  “Well. You better get to it. Looks like you’re going to be busy.”

  *

  Ellen decided to get the visit that was bound to be the more unpleasant of the two over with first. Not that either was going to be fun. She rode the short distance out of town, to the run-down cottage where the Eriksens and their relatives lived.