C510 She Made A Mistake

Back at the Border, news of Samson's death spread faster than anyone had anticipated. By the time the sun began to set, whispers about his murder had reached almost every corner of the First Family's territory. Soldiers gathered in small groups, discussing what had happened and trying to determine who had been responsible. Some claimed Samson had been ambushed. Others believed a professional assassin had been sent after him. A few even suggested that the killer had been someone from within the Gupta family itself. However, one crucial detail remained missing. Nobody had officially announced the killer's identity. The First Family might not have known the entire truth, but they were not foolish. They knew Samson's death was connected to Alicia. It did not take long for suspicion to turn towards her. The problem was that suspicion alone was not enough to make anyone brave enough to confront her. The memory of Cipher fighting two powerful men and killing them was still fresh in everyone's minds. Those who had witnessed the confrontation remembered how quickly she had dealt with her opponents. There had been no hesitation in her movements and no mercy in her eyes.

Now, with Samson dead as well, nobody wanted to become the next person to challenge her. Even those who had previously questioned her authority had suddenly become comfortable with keeping their opinions to themselves. For the moment, fear had accomplished what respect had failed to achieve. But fear was not the same as loyalty, and Cipher understood that better than anyone. While the First Family struggled to make sense of Samson's death, the work at the Border continued. Our soldiers had made considerable progress with the defensive walls, and the first stage of construction was almost complete. Men moved between the forest and the construction site, carrying timber and securing the remaining sections. Leaving only one big entrance. Every hour brought us closer to having a proper defensive position. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the safety of our families. And that was the problem occupying my mind. Inside our tent, the Lions had gathered to rest after another exhausting day. I sat quietly, my hands clasped together as I stared at the floor. For a long time, I said nothing. My mind kept returning to the same question. What would Hanna do next? She had already taken our son from us. Now, after Samson's death, she had another reason to come after Cipher. And if she discovered that Pixel and Silver had been responsible for killing her father, I had no doubt she would want to kill us all. The worst part was that Cipher had taken responsibility for the killing.

She had done it to protect Pixel, but that decision had created a dangerous situation. The moment Hanna find out that Cipher had killed Samson, our families became her potential targets. I lifted my head and looked at the others. "Cipher made a mistake by taking the blame." The conversation around the tent stopped. Everyone turned towards me, including my wife. I could tell from their expressions that they already knew what I was about to say, but none of them wanted to be the first to say it aloud. I straightened in my chair. "She should have denied everything. By now, everyone knows the killing was connected to us. We might not know exactly what the First Family has discovered, but Hanna will eventually hear about it. And when she does, she'll believe Cipher is responsible for her father's death." I paused, allowing the words to sink in. "That means all our families are in danger. What if Hanna has already started planning attacks against them? What if her people are already watching our houses, waiting for the right opportunity?" The atmosphere inside the tent changed immediately. The exhaustion on everyone's faces gave way to concern.

Cipher slowly nodded. "You're right, Cracker. I have been thinking about the same thing. But what do you suggest we do? Should we call our families and warn them?" I shook my head. "That isn't enough." Her eyebrows drew together. "What do you mean?" "Think about it. If we call our families and tell them that Hanna might attack, what happens next? They'll become frightened. They'll increase their security, lock their doors, and wait for something to happen. But what if the people coming after them are better organised than their guards? What if Hanna sends a group that knows exactly where to strike?" I leaned forward. "Warning them is only the first step. We need to do something that gives them a real chance of surviving an attack." I glanced at the table, thinking through the possibilities. We had limited resources at the Border, and most of our trained people were already occupied with the construction and preparation for war. Pulling soldiers away from Cipher's command would create another problem. Then I remembered something. "Can someone remind me how many groups we have back at Lucia Goods?"

Bighead looked at me curiously. "You mean the four platoons?" I nodded. "Yes." Kiddo sat up straighter. "The Highlanders, Ravens, Wolves and Falcons." "Those are the ones," I replied. She tilted her head. "Why are you asking about them?" I looked around the tent. "I think it's time we deployed them." For a moment, nobody spoke. Those four platoons had been organised and trained through Lucia Goods. Their members had volunteered to help protect us and our families if the need ever arose. Until now, we had kept them away from the conflict. But circumstances had changed. "Now we need them. Our families are exposed," I continued. "They signed the volunteer forms because they understood that there might come a time when we needed their help. That time has arrived." Cipher's expression softened. A small smile appeared on her face. "Husband, why are you so smart?" Despite the seriousness of the situation, I couldn't help smiling at her. "Because somebody in this marriage has to think ahead." Bighead chuckled. "Careful, Cracker. Keep talking like that, and Cipher might assign you to carry timber for the next three days." "At least I'll know the timber won't argue with me," I replied. A few of them laughed, briefly easing the tension in the tent. But Survivor soon brought us back to the problem. "There's something we need to consider," she said.

We turned towards her. She continued. "Even if we deploy all four platoons, will they be enough? Each platoon has seven or eight people, depending on the final number. That gives us thirty-five volunteers altogether. We have several families to consider, and we cannot assume that everyone is equally vulnerable. Also are we forgeting that they are working. What will happen to Lucia Goods then?" She looked around the group. "There's the Wood family, the Mooney family, the Chambers family, the Gomez family, the Capsey family, the Stokes family and my family, the Heaps family. That's seven families. We have four platoons, but we cannot simply divide them without thinking about where they're needed most." She had a point. We could not afford to spread our resources so thinly that nobody would have enough people to defend a house if an attack occurred. Cipher folded her arms. "Then let's narrow it down. If Hanna decides to attack, she won't necessarily send her people to every family at once. She'll choose targets she considers vulnerable, or she'll strike somewhere that gives her the greatest advantage." Bighead nodded. "The Wood family and the Chambers family could share one platoon. Our homes can be covered by the same group, and security guards were hired for both families when we left. The platoon wouldn't be starting from zero."

He looked at Cipher. "That would give them extra protection without leaving either family completely dependent on our volunteers." "That makes sense," Cipher replied. Kiddo spoke next. "The Capsey family should be fine without a platoon. My family already has plenty of security. Nobody can easily mess with them." She paused, her expression becoming more serious. "Unless someone manages to launch a surprise attack. But my father assured me that nobody would be foolish enough to start a war with my family." "Let's hope he is right," I said. Kiddo nodded. "Besides, my father knows how to handle himself. If he believes the situation is becoming dangerous, he'll take the necessary precautions." Cipher considered her words before turning towards Pixel. "What about your family?" Pixel's expression changed. Until that moment, she had remained unusually quiet. "My family needs protection," she said. Her voice was firm, but I could hear the emotion underneath it. "After what happened, I don't think Hanna will see us as ordinary people anymore. And if she discovers that I was involved, she could use my family to get to me. I am sorry everyone to put you all in this situation." Nobody responded, the tent became even more quieter.