guard outside.
After that, it was another grueling flight back. She’d rather have a firefight than a decrepit aircraft, but at least it was objectively brief, even if it felt like hours.
Alex appreciated the casual event. If only more could be like that, but then of course, they’d not be employed.
Nothing. Not even a handful of protesters with signs outside the gate, and it was obvious who’d be on that flight, given its departure point.
In several ways, that was more disturbing than the violence. It implied both an outside agent, and that a single one, or one that had significant influence over the others.
The pattern continued.
Tuesday was a summit on “Environmental Compassion” at the conference center. That afternoon, they met with interest groups to answer questions. Highland spoke like a politician, and gave vague answers. She was professionally competent at raising morale and causing smiles, though how long those lasted after the event he couldn’t gauge.
Wednesday was a forum debate in the National Parliament, which all groups sent representatives to, but it seemed to be a contest to see who could send the least important flunky with the most impressive name.
After a week with no threats, Alex was more disturbed than ever.
“It’s an indication of something, but what?”
The team was in their armory, being the most secure room. He had a chart up on their secure system, showing the events, locations and which groups were involved, incidents, her running popularity figures, and whether or not they’d had military support. They gathered around in an arc. This was a war council.
Elke said, “Her popularity increased after each unsuccessful attack.”
“Yes, which makes me anticipate a successful one.”
Aramis said, “That, or obscurity as a tactic.”
From behind a tall glass of raspberry juice, Bart said, “Have her supporters also reduced their actions? There have been no low-level attacks as they do. Those boost her popularity.”
“They ran out of money,” Aramis said.
Jason said, “No, I suspect collusion.”
“Sure, but how?”
“Okay, let’s go through it. She’s arranged some low-level harassment for PR. Some of her fans picked up on the riff. She’s refused to coordinate that with us, but gets upset at our response. She may have asked them to back off, fearing we’d actually kill someone. Again.”
“Yes,” Alex said. “Her conflict was between coverage for bravery and headlines, and the risk of us being stuck to her.”
“But she managed to stick us on Cruk.”
“Right. So she was benefiting anyway.”
“Which suggests her random fanbody activist attacks were coordinated by one of her people.”
Elke said, “It would make sense. They all had the same goal in mind, and were all relatively low-scale, and similar. Random attacks with nonlethal stuff.”
Aramis said, “And this recent attack, again, not enough to be lethal, but certainly to look so.”
“That’s aimed at us,” Jason said. “They want us to overreact, to try to bring her ratings down. So that is hostile activity, not propagandist.”
“Hostile against us, but dialed back against her,” Bart commented.
“Yes,” Jason agreed, looking thoughtful. “So, all her propaganda seems to have one source. Attacks against us seem to be a second.”
Alex said, “Which leaves the rioting that increased, then stopped suddenly.”
Aramis said, “Hostile attempt to either intimidate her, or provoke over-reaction from us-meaning overreaction from a press perspective, not reality.”
Jason said, “I understood you. So that’s a possible third source.”
Alex said, “Which leaves a potential fourth aspect or source, if ignoring her doesn’t lower her popularity, which it seems to not be doing.”
“You expect a bonafide professional hit.”
“That’s why we’re hired. Someone is spending a lot of money on us, from both her campaign and the administration, to keep her away from her regular security. Part of that is political. She can’t use them while campaigning. But they’re splitting the cost due to some accounting method. So who insisted on us?”
Jason said, “It comes back to Huble, her adviser.”
“Is it that simple? He’s a plant trying to drag her down?”
“I’d say all the promotional attacks are through him.”
“So why wouldn’t he tell her of the others?”
It was Bart who said, “Because they’re intended as intimidation against her. They’re more embarrassing, less heroic, and act to work against her campaign.”
“He’s a double agent then. Strong suspect. But so far, nonlethal.”
Elke pondered, “The administration runs him? They get benefit in close, and intel. Which explains how he can have the inside information, and manipulate her.”
Aramis said, “Wait, she orchestrated some propaganda against Hunter, yes?”
“Yes.”
“And Cruk likewise benefits from that, out of her campaign, without anything attachable to him.”
Jason said, “So he backs off to let her wreck the opposition, and himself.”
Alex said, “That all adds up. So the attacks aimed at us are likely from the left-factions who want us out of the way. No logical reason, they just hate us generally.”
Elke said, “They hate anything with a profit motive. Wars are bad, if for assets, like Salin. But this war is pure and clean and ideological, for peace, except for filthy mercenaries like us.”
“If they hurt some of us, they win. If they get us sanctioned, they win.”
“Are we ruling out local threats?”
Alex chuckled. “No, I suspect every faction here would like to take us out. We’re either filthy mercs, or guards of the harlot, or poisoning her purity.”
Elke asked, “And attacks against her?”
“Amala definitely, when they have the money and capability. They will continue to be third raters. Sufis don’t like her, but aren’t antagonistic to us other than we’re her shield. They’ve hired their own contractors at times. Shia hate her guts. The Faithful whatever Christians hate her for talking to Muslims.”
Aramis said, “You know, I was disgusted that she wore a glove to shake hands with Bawani. But that gave her some deniable distance from the Muslims.”
“She still had a riot outside.”
“Yes, and that’s just par for this place. We’ll go crazy trying to sort that out, then it will change.”
“So, unscripted local attacks, scripted harassment for PR and intimidation, from the administration. Attacks against us by opposition to hurt us and discredit her, and potential nuke if and when they decide she’s too popular.”
“The result of that is a wave of sympathy for the incumbent who’s worked so hard, and the party, and without any internal opposition, he goes up five to ten points and wins regardless of any issues.”
Bart asked, “When do we need to pull her out?”
Aramis snickered. “The question is ‘can we without tranking her? ’ ”
“I am prepared either way,” Shaman said, with a nod to his medical pack.
“So, we watch the news, her ratings, major events, and gauge the ongoing lack of attacks and any resumption.”
Alex said, “I assume we’re past this stage. The next attack will be a killer.”
CHAPTER 18
