The Breeding Chamber Ch. 04

"How was Telegraph Hill?" Madeline asked, shovelling eggs and bacon into her mouth.

"Mostly boring. The troop kept watch while I waited for the transmission. The data burst didn't come until around three AM," Virgil washed down pancakes with coffee.

Victoria Eglin had been given a communications schedule worked out by the intelligence team in the ops centre but it was a loose schedule. Victoria could only transmit the intelligence she had gathered when she was sure that it was safe to do so.

Initially the information that she sent was of little value because her access to sensitive information was restricted. Victoria's ransomed return had been treated sceptically by Pope Durden at first. It took a while before Victoria was trusted enough to be reinstated as Pope's confidant and co-conspirator in his 'girls for gold' scheme.

Once Pope was satisfied that Victoria could be trusted he put her back in charge of the Breeding Facility. He needed to keep his secret dealings with the other city states as close-hold as possible and Victoria knew how to conduct those transactions on his behalf. She knew how to cook the books, as it were, to make the breeding program appear to be legitimate.

Victoria needed to re-establish trust and she knew that Pope was watching her. She strongly suspected that Silvia Cornish had taken her place in Pope's bed while she was a prisoner in Freetown and had been Pope's confidant during her absence. Victoria maintained her love affair with Silvia but she no longer trusted her but she used Silvia to feed Pope information to verify that what she told Pope had happened to her in Freetown was the truth.

It was time consuming and often difficult for Victoria to extract the incriminating information she needed from the complex encrypted system and then to re-encrypt and compress it into packages that she could send as files via her mobile phone to the Revolutionaries. Keeping to the agreed schedule was difficult because she was seldom by herself in the evenings and attempting to do so in daylight was just too dangerous.

So the Revolutionaries kept a patrol on Telegraph Hill from dusk until dawn every night waiting for Victoria to send them messages from her phone.

"I dropped the phone off at the ops centre and went straight to bed. I was sleeping soundly until some sweaty floozy kicked me out of bed," Virgil gave Madeline a sarcastic smile around his sausage and egg filled mouth.

Madeline kicked him under table and he winced.

"Don't speak with your mouth full," she admonished him.

"You should take your own advice. You were quite verbal in the shower this morning darling," Virgil quipped which resulted in his being kicked in the shins again but Madeline was smiling.

"Benning, Smith, the Commander wants to see you in her office at noon," their Troop Captain barked as he approached their table, his tray loaded with own breakfast.

"What's it about sir?" Virgil asked.

"Fucked if I know, I'm not on the need-to-know list. Mind if I join you?" he nodded to a vacant chair.

"Sure, join us," Virgil replied.

It was not unusual for other troopers to want to join Virgil and Madeline. At first the troopers had been jealous of Virgil and sceptical of Madeline until she proved that she was just as good as any of them. She slowly and begrudgingly earned their respect out in the field performing as well as any of the other troopers and had shown nerve, tenacity and courage under fire.

Madeline also had an engaging personality, some of it came from her Comfort Girl training but the longer she was away from Durden City the more her own personality had developed. She was funny and intelligent and ready to give as much as she got when the banter became risqué and bawdy. It helped that she was easy on the eye and Madeline was aware that a lot of the camaraderie and admiration she received was from men who would gladly jump her bones if she let them.

"How was your shift Trooper Smith?" the captain asked, sipping coffee.

"Boring sir but I know its essential work," Madeline replied.

"We all have to pull our weight when it comes to guard duty. You're due back on the recon roster with Sargent Benning but I seem to think the Commander has another task for you. Not that I'm privy to what happens in the op centre mind you," the captain munched toast.

"Shit rolls down downhill sir," Madeline gave him one of the trooper's catchphrases.

"And gripes go up, not down," but you seldom whine Trooper Smith.

"I'd rather be out in the field than in the rear with the gear sir but I shut up and colour when I'm required to do so," Madeline smiled and stuck another pancake in her mouth.

Madeline spoke like one of the guys, using military slang when she was in uniform. Out of uniform she maintained her femininity and the men were courteous and polite to her at such times. Virgil kept a close eye on her but he wasn't possessive. The troopers liked the hardnosed Trooper Smith and respected her as one of their own but they also liked the attractive and engaging woman she became when off duty.

"I still can't really fathom you sometimes Madeline but I'll tell you this; I'm glad you're in my troop," the captain smiled at her and then nodded his head at Virgil.

At exactly twelve midday Sergeant Benning and Trooper Smith stood at parade rest in Commander Solister's office. She told them to relax and had coffee brought in.

"I'll get right to it Madeline," Susan began, surprising Madeline by speaking so informally to her.

"I need you to go back to Durden City, Victoria is in trouble and needs your help," Susan said solemnly.

To be continued