Stories Thread

[AussieGiant]

Cairo 1124

Apionnas sat at his desk scanning the work he had completed to date. The place was a hive of activity as usual. It was a fully operational field headquarters now and had been operating as such for well over a year.

Years of infiltration, bribery, interrogation, observation and direct contact with members of his former regiment and the new Amir himself, had resulted in no direct evidence.

He could not prove to his lord what he had been sent to find out.

But, there was certainly more than enough evidence to confirm a number of things.

He had in his possession a copy of a letter sent directly to the Caliph. It clearly proved that the harsh and out of character response by the late ruler against all Christians was in fact a direct reaction to outside influences. The latest discussions with his former Amir had been revealing enough. Some sections of the Caliph's council and the Grand Vizier himself had privately warned against religious attacks and that such actions could be a trap as part of a wider plot. Unfortunately that had not stopped the command being given and the deaths of thousands.

He had not been able to determine what that influence was, but Vissarionas ek Lesvou had been identified as living in Cairo for many years as was clearly implicated in the events leading up to the back lash against the Christians in the area and the subsequent Orthodox Crusade. He had multiple eye witness accounts and direct interviews to prove that.

The prodigious amount of money made available to him had allowed a vast network of informants and spies to report back to him on nearly everything that was, and had, gone on in the city all those years ago. The amount of back ground information was damning to a great extent, but most of it was just that, background information.

Ignatios, had also been partially successful. The Organisation was certainly here. But in what capacity and to what extent was still unknown.

Now, there was another threat. Slowly but surely it was clear that another group was tightening its grip on them. First it was simply a few scuffles. Local thieves and thugs was the assumption. However recently the situation had became far more dangerous. Some of his agents were now being found dead and there was real pressure being placed to counter their work here. That in itself proved beyond doubt that they were getting closer. He had not made his thoughts known to the others, but it was time to leave before all their work was destroyed.

Temptation. Stay and risk everything they had collected to date, or leave, but with the job still incomplete.

Apionnas leaned back in his chair gazing up at the ceiling.

After a few moments he stood. The decision made. It was time.