The Source of Corruption (Part 2)

He quickly zipped up, sincerely hoping his muddled head would clear.

Someone was walking toward him along the urinal trough, their figure illuminated by the dancing firelight from the camp behind them.

"Who's there?"

Mountbatten called out.

"Guard? Who is it?"

He hoped his orderly could hear him, but the soldiers around the bonfires were too loud.

"Why are you so nervous, Mountbatten?"

the man asked. He stood in the shadows, but when he smiled, his white teeth reflected the distant firelight.

Mountbatten knew him.

Stan, deputy commander of the special operations company.

"I'm fine,"

Mountbatten said. He turned to leave in the opposite direction, only to find another Internal Guard blocking his path.

"What is this?"

Mountbatten asked, though he knew perfectly well what this was.

He sobered up at once.

"You and Ersos, are you close?"

the deputy commander of the special operations company asked quietly.

"Of course."

Mountbatten answered warily.

"We've known each other for a long time, since he was still a company commander."

"So you know him well, then?"

"Yes."

Mountbatten answered with great patience, but the line of questioning was not what he had expected. He guarded against any verbal trap they might be trying to lure him into.

"Then you know about his connection to the Kaimon Church?"

Stan suddenly raised his voice.

"What about them?"

"You know."

The other Internal Guard sneered.

"The Church?"

The thought nearly made Mountbatten laugh.

"You've got it wrong. He is indeed a devout believer, but so are plenty of people."

"That's all?"

"What are you implying?"

"Perhaps the Ersos you know isn't the real Ersos—"

Stan said, stepping behind Mountbatten.

"We received word some time ago that part of our military secrets had been leaked to the Kaimon Church. At the very least, we believe he