Stealth devising codes

“We also received a message from your people at the Mount. The colonel asked that you get any such communications as soon as possible.”
Stealth glanced at the sheet of paper and handed it off to St. George.

Just checking in. Hope things are going good with our new friends. Dark clouds here since last night, might even rain. Otherwise all good.
—Hiram Eggplant Jarvis

“When was this received?” she asked. “About twenty minutes ago, I think, ma’am.”
“Thank you, sergeant.”
He gave her a polite bow of his head and left.
The blank planes of her mask shifted. “We have a problem, George.”
“I kind of gathered.” He held up the paper. “Unless eggplant is Jarvis’s middle name, I’m guessing it’s a code?”
“It is, as I am sure the military has already deduced.”
“And it means …?”
“The message is authentic. Jarvis was to use the name of a vegetable we do not grow in the main garden as his middle name, rotating in a new name for each communication. Zzzap did not return to the Mount.” She strode out of the mess hall.
He took a few quick steps to catch up with her. “What?”
“Before we left I instructed Jarvis in a series of phrases and compromise words to use in any communications. References to the weather deal with us. The mention of the sun, or lack thereof, tells me Zzzap has gone missing.”

Excerpt From Ex-Patriots, pg 363-364
Peter Clines
https://books.apple.com/us/book/ex-patriots/id585738393
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