"Do you know what the penalty is for someone caught spying within the Georgia Republic?" a uniformed officer said as he stared at the man sitting before him. He had Georgian military field fatigues on his body with the standard issue black field style boots. His haircut was regulation as well. Even the green dog tags around his neck seemed to declare he was the real deal.
But Captain Steven Dearing was not convinced. He was the commander of counter espionage forces in the republic, which stretched from the northern border of what used to be Kentucky and North Carolina westward to the Mississippi and included the entire coast southward. It was a huge chunk of navigable water with no good way to defend.
His commander in chief counted on his diligence in doing his job, and doing it very well. That meant grilling anyone suspected of spying to determine whether they were a true threat to the safety of the inhabitants. The neighbors to the north, led by General Sebastian Monroe were a serious concern. He had imperial dreams of making all of the former United States into a Monroe Republic from sea to shining sea.
The prisoner sat without shackles in the chair, but trembled due to Dearing's well-earned reputation. He knew the penalty for espionage here. It was simple. They did not waste lead on traitors, they used the old west tactic and swung you from the gallows. He saw the single gallows out in front of the building they occupied now on the way in.
"So Mr. Cabot, I need your reply. Why were you found in Peachtree City near the armory?"
"I told you before I was sent by my commander to requisition some small arms for the purpose of securing the port at Savannah. You can contact my commander, Major Jack Ely. He did not give me paper orders because there was a miscommunication in the clerical service."
Dearing stood before him with his arms crossed behind his back. At six foot four with a girth of two hundred fifty pounds, Dearing was still as imposing as when he starred at linebacker for the Georgia Bulldogs. He stood staring at Cabot, similar to the method he used with nearly flawless success, allowing the man standing accused to sweat a confession. He knew of others who had a more physical style favoring torturous tricks to elicit their goal. He understood the concept that if your target hurt enough they would say anything to gain relief.
Cabot was proving to be a tough adversary. He had not wavered in the least from his original story. Repeated sessions, which usually tripped up others, had presented the same facts. He was sent from Savannah command to secure the small arms according to orders that had been verified earlier that day. Of course Cabot did not know that. If Dearing learned anything in the fifteen years since the blackout, it was to no longer believe anything on its face value.
Fifteen minutes passed before Dearing spoke again. Cabot stared at the floor, wondering if this would ever end. The larger man stepped forward and leaned down to speak softly to the other man.
"I suppose we better get you loaded and headed back over to Savannah since there is no proof you were doing anything wrong."
"What?" Cabot said, looking up to see him so close he could feel the man exhale.
"We got a confirmation this morning from Major Ely that you were one of his commands. He was about to declare you AWOL and initiate court martial action. I told him you were a solid soldier, one they did not want to lose. He expects you to return by nightfall tomorrow."
"So I can go?" Cabot asked.
"Yes corporal, you can leave at daybreak. Your horse will be ready at the Peachtree Livery."
"You mean that's it?" Cabot asked, unsure if he understood what was happening here.
"What more do you require? Surely you don't expect an apology from me for doing my job. If I allow every suspicious soul to pass without question what kind of leader would I be?"
"No sir, it's not that," Cabot said.
"You have heard I deal with suspected spies much differently? Yes, it's true, I do. But you are not a spy, are you Corporal Cabot?"
"No sir, definitely not sir!" Cabot said stiffening as he had when this interrogation began two days prior.
"Then we are done here," Dearing announced. He spun on his heel and exited the interrogation room, leaving Cabot with his mouth agape.
Dearing moved down the hall while listening for any sing Cabot was following. After he felt satisfied there was no one nearby he ducked in a room where three men sat at desks patiently awaiting his return. Neither soldier spoke, waiting for their commander to issue the next order.
"Activate the package. I want constant feedback on his location. Have you verified we can get what we need?"
"Yes sir. We ran a full diagnostic with it this afternoon. It is ready to do the job."
"We should have better success than the one we sent off to California," Dearing assessed. "Show me."
The lieutenants wheeled their chairs closer to their consoles and powered up their display. On a single large screen was a map of the former United States of America. There were heavy black lines that demarcated the borders between the different republics. Within the California republic there were two green dots. In the Texas Republic was four and within the Georgia Republic there was a dozen.
"Have you synced with the satellite?"
"Affirmative sir. We have 100% synchronization. I think we determined what went wrong in Phoenix."
Dearing frowned with the mention of his biggest debacle. Not that he denied his responsibility; it just chafed him because of an opportunity lost. With six chances to penetrate Monroe's defenses he expected much better success. If not General Jackson would replace him.