by S T Branton
Chin up, Victoria! Marcus said cheerfully. Your role is no less vital on the home front.
“Thanks, man. I’m good.” I took a deep breath and shook the tension from my shoulders. “But it sucks not being on the front lines. That’s all. I wanna see the action.”
Truly the noblest of desires. Fear not! Your hunger for battle shall not go unsated if I know anything about Delano and his ilk.
“Good,” I said. “I’m dying to see him again.” I took a step toward the door, only to be halted in my tracks by a young, spunky female voice.
“What in the hell are you doing here? And why didn’t anyone tell me?”
The tone of voice, though playful, immediately got my hackles up. I was not in the mood to be sassed by anyone. I turned, and the flat annoyance on my face was replaced by a grin I couldn’t possibly suppress. “Amber!”
Her smile lit up her whole face. “Long time, no see, captain,” she said.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
We stared at each other for a minute and grinned like loons until she finally motioned for me to go inside. “Please,” she said. “Don’t let me slow you down. That’s my way of saying it’s as cold as balls out here and I’d rather not freeze my ass all the way off.”
I laughed and retreated into the sanctuary. Amber stepped in behind me and blew into her gloved hands. Her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes sparkled as brightly as ever.
In the few minutes of silence that followed, I studied her. She was tall and sinewy, and even her face seemed chiseled. This girl was clearly as tough as freaking nails. But even that kickass aura did nothing to dim the sunny smile that radiated from her features. The first thing she did was grab me in a huge bear hug.
I gasped as the wind was knocked out of my lungs. “Shit, you’re strong.”
“Hey, thanks.” The girl beamed brighter yet. “As it turns out, weeks of cruising the woods will make you into a pretty formidable beast.” She pulled back to inspect me in turn. “It’s so good to see you. You have no idea how excited I was the first time I heard Namiko say your name.”
“Aw, shucks.” My mood had lifted a thousand notches in the few minutes I’d been blessed by Amber’s company. “Where the heck have you been, anyway? I’ve bummed around this place for the last couple of days and I haven’t seen hide nor hair of you.”
“That’s because I have a job now,” Amber announced proudly. “I’m the lead scout. Eyes of the camp. It means that more often than not, I run around outside and look for important stuff, collect whatever intel happens to float around, call the Weres to the places where they’re needed, and snipe for them if I can.” She quirked an eyebrow. “That last one’s my favorite. Are you surprised?”
I shook my head, impressed. She was barely breaking out of her sheltered shell when I left Washington to return to New York. In a matter of months, she’d blossomed into a completely rad, badass flower.
“That’s one hell of a dangerous job,” I said, suddenly the adult in the room. Uncool of me? Maybe a little, but I couldn’t help it. The girl wasn’t even twenty years old.
Her grandfather was the one to come to her rescue. He strode up behind her and said, “My granddaughter’s become a rather dangerous person.” He smiled. “And we’re all better for it.”
“Good for you, old timer,” I said and gave him a thumbs-up. “It’s nice to see you loosen the reins.”
“Tell me about it,” Amber said. “He drove me nuts.”
Smitty shrugged. “She had to grow up fast, and I had to choose whether to protect her or let her survive. I chose the latter. And along the way, I’ve come to understand that a little danger can be good for the soul.”
“I’ve told you that for years, Pops,” Amber said and nudged him in the ribs.
He winked. “Stubborn as a mule, your granddad is.”
I groaned. “A little danger sure would be good for my soul right about now.”
“I wondered why you were standing outside, but I didn’t want to come right out and ask,” Amber admitted. “It seemed like it might be a touchy subject.”
I folded my arms. “Oh, it is. But it’s mostly me being dramatic, I guess. I have to lay low so those guys can go undercover and do things all stealthily. I hope they pull it off, really. But it means I have to take one for the team and park my ass on the bleachers.” I pursed my lips. “Which I hate. A lot. They’ve been gone less than ten minutes, and I can already feel myself going stir crazy.”
Amber eyed me, puzzled. “Wait, why do you have to lay low? I’ve seen you do tons of stealthy shit before. You sneaked all the way into the wolf lair.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek. “It’s a guys-only field trip,” I explained. “The easiest thing to do was to get in through the lumber gangs, and those are only men.” I patted the sword on my waist ruefully. “That, and I have this thing. I’m a freaking lighthouse to the gods right now.”
“That’s lame,” said Amber, with the infinite wisdom of youth. “It doesn’t make much sense to me, either. We have plenty of women out there fighting every day and night. And you especially would be so valuable.”
“Sword,” I reminded her and pointed dramatically.
She stared at me. “Just don’t use it, Vic. That’s what you said is the real tell, right? If you don’t whip it out all over the place, you should be good to go.”
I held in my shock at her suggestion. Partially because it seemed so simple once she’d said it out loud, and partly because not using the sword struck me as similar to not using one of my limbs. The Gladius Solis hadn’t been out of my reach since I’d gotten it from Marcus, except for one ill-advised decision to leave it in the general’s safekeeping. “I mean…” I finally managed to say something. “I guess that’s true.”
Under any other circumstances, I might be ‘freaking out,’ as you are wont to say, said Marcus. I must confess, the idea of going into battle with the sword restricted still causes me anxiety. However, I also understand your need to be in the middle of things, and as I implied before, it is a need I must respect.
“It’s the blade that identifies you, isn’t it? I would think you could move undetected as long as it’s not lit up.” She glanced at her granddad. “But if you’re not sure, you can always leave it here. Pops will take good care of it.”
“On my honor.” Smitty saluted. “You’ve seen how tight we run this ship, Vic. We’re not about to spring a leak now.”
“I trust you.” I unfastened the sheath from my belt and hefted it in my hand before I passed it to him. My heart palpitated a little, but the feeling of bare panic faded quickly and was replaced by a sensation of general nakedness. My belt hadn’t felt that light in a long time. “I think it will be nice to go incognito for a while.”
“That’s the spirit,” Amber cheered. “Man, you’re so cool. I can’t wait to bring you out there.”
I had to grin again. Her enthusiasm was infectious. “Where are we going?”
“Oh, you’ll love this.” She gave Smitty a kiss on the cheek and waved as we retraced our steps out the door. I almost paused and thought of Brax, who’d also been exiled from the lumber gang mission. Then I realized that if I was recognizable, he was a neon billboard on a moonless night. Merely the sight of one of the Marked would tell any discerning Forgotten that something was hinky. I kept my mouth shut and Amber went on. “I got word about an hour ago that there’s a supply caravan moving through the forest. Naturally, I tracked it down, spent a while charting its course, and then I called my people in. They’re waiting for us as we speak, so we’d better hightail it. We’re gonna rob this thing like it’s a steam train in the Old West.”
I cracked up. “You’re ridiculous, Amber. I missed you.”
“Didn’t you?” She shot me one more huge smile before she headed toward the edge of the forest, fearless in the face of the encroaching gloom. I followed gladly. The welcome rush of adrenaline pounded through my veins.
I was so happy to be back on the hunt.
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br /> Chapter Twenty-Eight
We ran for a long time before Amber showed any signs of slowing. She wasn’t a Were, but damn, the girl had stamina for days. She was like a laser beam homed in on her target location, which was a stretch of rugged forest path she clearly knew by heart. On the approach, she signaled for me to cut left as she went right and melted seamlessly into the trees. I found a good hiding spot, hunkered down, and waited for company.
The loss of their leader had not made Jerry’s soldiers more discreet. They ran up with all the grace of a herd of water buffalo and crashed single file through the woods. Most of their weapons were lit and poised to defend and threw flickering tongues of light ahead of them. I peered out from behind the cover of a giant, sturdy log and noticed that the fire Vikings weren’t alone. Humans were sprinkled in their midst and towering, bark-covered tree Goliaths trudged alongside. The human soldiers looked beaten down, hungry, and thin. They wouldn’t pose much of a threat.
Amber crept up to my position while I scanned the incoming train. “Looks good,” she whispered. “Everything’s going to plan so far. When we go in, focus on the Vikings and the trees, okay? The regular people won’t be a problem. They’re all half-starved as it is.”
Her analysis and target selection were spot-on. A tidal wave of pride swelled in my heart. “Right on,” I said. “Will everyone else come from the same side as us, or are there allies across the track? I want to know what to expect.”
Amber pointed up and down the thick underbrush lining our edge of the narrow passage. “We’re all over here. The idea is to overwhelm them in numbers, and either stamp them out or chase them away. I’d feel better if they were dead, but as long as we get what we came for, it doesn’t much matter what happens to them.”
Another more excited whisper cut into our conversation. “Amber! It’s Jayna. Am I late?” The question was followed by a slim figure which dropped into place on my other side. She looked at me with huge golden-brown eyes. “Oh shit, sorry. You’re not Amber.”
Amber suppressed a snort of laughter. “I’m right here, Jayna. That’s Vic, and she’s super cool. She’ll help us with the operation.” To me, she said, “Vic, this is Jayna. She’s newish, but she has a ton of potential.”
“I can’t wait,” Jayna whispered. She was hidden like us, but every fiber of her being practically vibrated with anticipation. “This is my first big attack. It’ll be terrifying. And so much fun!”
I bit my tongue. This kid couldn’t have been more than in her late teens, and the roundness of her face made that seem like a stretch. Her bouncy demeanor was totally at odds with the task at hand, but that was what she’d shown up to do, and if she had qualms about it, I couldn’t tell.
Jayna quieted and settling into a calmer, more intent state as the convoy drew level with us and began to rumble by. I listened for Amber’s cue.
It didn’t come until the last crate-loaded cart was past our hiding spot. She pulled a radio, pressed the button, and said, “Go time.”
An ear-splitting explosion rocked the woods. Up ahead, a whole mess of dynamited trees cascaded into the convoy’s path. The carts bumped to a halt amid a hail of colorful curses. The human soldiers swiveled in a panic and searched for the ambush they knew would come. In these parts, attacks were rarely random.
Amber leveled her trusty rifle and pulled the trigger. A swarm of Weres had already poured in from the tree line to choke the convoy and its guard. Jayna leapt from my side with a shrill howl.
I fought every instinct and stayed beside Amber, taking potshots with my own gun. My bullets made way less of an impact than hers. I was fairly sure I could count the real hits on one hand. It wasn’t a great feeling, but I pushed through it, determined to do my best. The shots continued to go wide, ricochet wildly, or occasionally, find a target in an enemy.
“I miss my sword,” I muttered, but I made a mental note to suck up my pride and maybe ask Deacon for some shooting lessons later. He’d almost certainly make fun of me, but at least I’d know how to handle myself in the future and not waste ammunition.
It was fucking hard to hit moving targets.
I fired much slower than Amber too, and in the lull between my reports, a high, fearful yelp cut through the chaos. I snapped my head in that direction and caught a glimpse of the young Were Jayna squared off with one of the mammoth trees. The monster’s branches were hooked at the ends and razor sharp. They’d make total mincemeat of a werewolf’s flesh.
“Fuck, cover me!” I shouted to Amber.
“I got you!” she answered instantly. No questions.
I waited for an opportune moment to make my break through the furious melee, and when it came, I lunged out of cover and raced across the frosted ground. A couple of fire Vikings dove toward me. I flattened as low to the ground as I could, and they crunched together at full force directly above my head. One of their flaming weapons seared a patch of skin on my shoulder and burned through my jacket before it clattered to the ground. Both the smell and the pain were completely ignored. All I saw at the end of my vision was the tree bearing down on Jayna, its branches poised for violence. She coiled to spring in its shadow, but it was easy to tell she didn’t have enough time to launch herself.
Not without help, anyway.
Less than thirty feet away from her, my view was suddenly blocked by another Viking soldier who attacked with a glowing mace. I ducked, and a bullet zinged over my burnt shoulder and buried itself right between his eyes. He dropped like a meaty sack of bricks. I vaulted over his body. The tips of the tree’s vicious branches came within inches of Jayna’s bristled fur.
“Jayna!” I hollered and slammed into the side of the tree. I hit it so hard that fiery shocks of pain rocketed through my arms and I clenched my jaw against them. “Get out of the way!”
I clawed my way up the trunk. The branches swung wildly and scrabbled to slice at me instead. The rest of my jacket tore free from my torso. It landed on top of one of the carts.
Jayna’s eyes went wide. “Vic!” she barked and sprang from her coiled stance to lash at our shared adversary.
Her mass and our combined strength rocked the tree backward and forced its branches to spread into a stabilizing formation. The beast staggered.
“Get the bark!” Jayna yelled. “It’s like armor. Get the bark!” She ripped at it furiously, and the tree screamed. Its branches pinwheeled in a desperate attempt to pry us off before she could inflict permanent damage.
Around us, the Vikings raised a cry. The leaders of the caravan lifted their weapons and shook them so the flames danced. Righteous anger burned in their eye, alongside the promise of vengeance. But the Weres refused to be deterred, and Jerry’s comrades were forced to retreat.
The tree-beasts lumbered with them in great, long strides through the woods. Jayna released the lattice of deep scars she’d made, and we stood together to make sure no one turned around. Bodies—mostly Vikings and humans—clogged the trail. Off to the side, at least one of the trees had been felled. It sprawled among its brethren, twisted and grotesque. The bark flaked off in black sheets.
Jayna looked at me, still in Were form. “Thanks,” she said. “You really helped me out there.” Her ears folded down timidly against her great lupine head. I resisted the urge to pat her muzzle.
“It’s what we’re here for,” I told her. “There’s no way I could’ve gotten to you if Amber didn’t cover my ass the whole time. Never forget, we work as a team when the fight’s on. You’ll come out fine as long as you remember that.”
I waded out of the brush and beelined for the cart with my shredded jacket draped over it. A tarp had been tied down for some added protection over the contents. I peeled it back to reveal a pile of heavy-duty crates.
“Well, well,” I mused. “What have we got here?” I wedged my fingers into a space in the slats and pried the top of the crate apart.
Christmas had come early. With a massive, shit-eating grin on my face, I peeked into all the othe
r crates in the cart. Each one was full to the brim with assault rifles and the corresponding ammunition.
“Woohoo!” Amber whooped. I glanced down the line at her and saw she’d unearthed similar loot. “We hit the mother lode, you guys!”
“No kidding.” Carefully, I closed my crates as best I could and retied the tarp on top. The remains of my jacket adorned my shoulders as a badge of honor after a successful supply outing. “I have a feeling this stuff will come in very handy.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
We walked the convoy and its hard-won contents back to the church after hauling the bodies into the woods off the trail. Several of the carts had been damaged in the fight, so the going was slow, but the crates survived, and that was what mattered. I cringed a little as I considered how much fire had been thrown around inches away from live ammunition, but we’d all made it out in one piece. Amber practically danced the whole way home. She couldn’t wait to take inventory.
“They’re gonna be so pissed when they find out this cargo isn’t coming through,” she said gleefully.
I looked at the array of boxes. Now that they were in our hands, I could be thankful there were so many. But the sheer volume concerned me. “I’m not sure I want to know why those fuckers needed to be so well armed, though.”
“Don’t sweat it,” Amber advised. “This stuff’s ours now.” She crowbarred the nearest crate open and lifted out boxes of ammo. “Oh man, this is going to help so much.”
“Do you know where I can find the radio room?” I asked. The size of our spoils meant that sorting through it would likely take hours, and I didn’t want to get caught up in it. I’d left poor Luis hanging long enough.
“Huh?” She blinked at me and processed the question. “The radio? It’s up in the bell tower. The door to the staircase is right behind the main altar. Go straight back through the sanctuary.”