Archie looked over at Hayes, "We got word Carter sentenced Pole's gang. Now that the deal has been cut, you've got all of your information and a warrant, how do you plan to use it? You can break into the Castle with the Army, but Ray is going to take his essential records, destroy the rest, and be out through the caves before you get near him."
"We need to think of a way to get to Ray and all the information, and capture him before he gets wise to us," Hayes replied.
"We?" Archie said raising an eyebrow, "My cover has been broken and I would kind of like to stay alive. I don't know if Pole will help you any more by giving you ideas or not, but his sentence has already been delivered, so don't count on it."
"Pole already gave all the useful information he had about how the Castle recruits, and named some of their recruiters. We'll see who we can find to be recruited, but we do know someone who has been approached." Hayes handed the page of translated telegrams to Archie.
Archie looked at the page, then protested, "You're not thinking of sending the Coatsworths! Perry knows Ella as a deputy marshal. He wouldn't let them near anything sensitive. You can't send civilians like Dr. Alan and Ella into that kind of danger!"
"Perry spends a lot of time away from the Castle. And Phillips sent that Ella is no longer a deputy."
"Perry was intrigued by Ella when he met her at Fort Fetterman. Most of that might have been the challenge of taking something others had failed to take, but there was an attraction that would greatly increase the danger to her."
"I have no doubt in Ella's abilities to handle herself, she has a good reputation." Hayes replied.
Archie looked at Hayes, "How many innocent lives are you willing to gamble for this?"
Hayes retorted, "How many innocent lives are lost every time the Castle operates? How many lives will be lost when the Castle makes its move and uses all those munitions it has been stockpiling? But the decision to go will be left to the Coatsworths, after they hear everything you can tell them. Even if they agree, it wouldn't be just the two of them. They can take Lily as a lady's maid, and Eddie Washington as an assistant to Dr. Alan."
"Don’t strong arm the Coatsworths into doing this or Lily and Eddie." Archie paused, "Lady's maid, doctor’s assistant? Just how long have you been planning this?"
"The idea of involving the Coatsworths only came up when I saw those telegraph messages on Friday. The idea of including Lily and Eddie came up when they were out here on Saturday. You were taking a nap while they were getting knife-fighting instruction from Johnny Longknife and Scarlet. I believe you have seen Scarlet in action. Lily has the potential to be every bit as good. Eddie pulled out an Indian trick that surprised Johnny." Hayes paused before confessing, "They each beat me soundly."
"Their survival in the Castle would depend on acting ability. If they are suspected, fighting skill will not get them out. "
"Dr. Alan is going to get the most attention, and his role is straight-forward: he's a doctor considering a post. He hasn't read the collected information, which is probably good, because he doesn't have knowledge he would have to hide. Eddie will probably be mostly overlooked because he is young. Lily will be overlooked because she is young and a woman."
"No chance that Perry would overlook Ella!"
"But she can act the role of doctor's obedient, subservient wife amazingly well. Eddie told me about the times Marshal Phillips has come to dinner. The core of the plan is for those four to go into the Castle, find what needs to be found, and send a telegram out. Once we get the telegram, your job will be to lead the Army to the Castle."