"We did. They are all clean."
She nodded. "That's what I thought, but it's good to hear you confirm it."
She sounded so tired, and he wanted to wrap his arm around her so she could rest her head on his arm, but he resisted the impulse.
"I have an idea, and it has to do with Burda," he said.
"What is it?"
"Since she's staying, we can use her to organize future operations, but to do that, she will need a communication device we can reach her on. We can give her the one we have when we leave, and then ask the clan to deliver a new one for us. Ours is paired with a transmitter that is located on the water tower behind the resort. It's too far from here to work effectively, but we can move it closer."
"It's dangerous for her to have something like that," Sullha said.
"It's very small. She could hide it easily. Burda would be our eyes and ears inside the enclosure, and if we mount another rescue, she can organize the women."
Sullha let out a breath. "Do you really think there will be another rescue?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "But if we can arrange for means to organize one, we should."
"Even if it's risky?"
"We can leave it up to Burda to decide."
Sullha nodded. "She'll want it."
He thought so as well. The woman could be the lifeline that connected the enclosure to the outside world, and her decision to stay behind could become an act of long-term resistance rather than surrender.
"She is staying behind because she wants to be useful," Sullha said. "You are offering her a way to be helpful that's beyond anything she could have dreamt of."
"You will need to be the one to ask her, and I need the answer before I leave. We need to know whether to ask the clan to deliver another device."
Sullha nodded. "I will ask her right now."
"Thank you."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you, and by that I mean all eight of you. You are doing a good thing."
Yaaf swallowed. "We hope so."
She cast him a smile before heading back to where Saphira and Burda were tying up the bundle of mats.
"I have an idea," she said to Burda.
It was his idea, but she was right to present it as her own to hide the fact that he'd been present throughout the meeting.
Saphira was going to hear it as well, but that was okay. She was a co-conspirator now.
Burda narrowed her eyes at Sullha. "What's your idea?"
"Since you've decided to stay behind, you could become even more useful to the women and children of the enclosure. The soldiers can give you the communication device that they use to talk to those who will help us once we are out of here. You can be our point of contact in the enclosure and help organize future rescues. The device is very small, so it's not going to be hard to hide."
Burda stilled, then she sat down on the stack of mats as if the suggestion was too big of a shock for her to remain standing. She looked at Sullha with an expression Yaaf hadn't seen on her face before. It wasn't just hope, it was purpose, a call to arms.
"Is that how you have been communicating with the outside?" Burda asked. "You have such a device?"
"No. I have a different method. Why?"
"I just wanted to see that communicator. But it doesn't matter. I will do it."
