Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  “They’ll know we’re coming,” Braden said darkly.

  ‘Wasn’t that our plan?’ Loper asked. Braden felt the Wolfoids’ heads against him. He stroked Zyena’s chest feathers absentmindedly as he looked at the ‘cat riding on the King’s head and nodded.

  “Yes. Everything is going according to plan,” he agreed.

  No Road Ahead

  Braden had used Bronwyn’s communication device to let Micah know they made it to Dwyer mostly without incident. He asked her to tell Patrice and Delavigne that Ferrer looked great and that the two Rabbits insisted on coming along. He also told her of the humans and Amazonians who were joining them. Micah wasn’t surprised that Braden had gathered an army around him. She expected nothing less from her mate. He attracted people and creatures like flowers bring the bees.

  It had been two turns since they talked, and Micah had her own group that was heading toward the rainforest. Dr. Johns and the others would make sure that New Sanctuary functioned exactly as it had been to fool the Overlords into thinking that only Braden was coming. The group gathered at the lake for one last time.

  Micah watched the stars as they disappeared into the sunrise. A Hawkoid and a Tortoid, Wolfoids and Aurochs, Lizard Men and a human. They were finally taking the fight to the Overlords. Her plan was to walk west until they reached the spot where the group would enter the forest. It wasn’t far. They’d walk it during the daylight, make camp, and enter first thing with the next sunrise.

  Holly insisted that a Security Bot go with Micah to protect her as the President, but she talked him out of it, using the logic of why they removed their implants. They couldn’t let the Overlords know they were bringing technology otherwise they’d know and the Lizard Men would disappear. The rainforest was far too large for Braden, Micah, and the companions to search. Even with the help of friendly Amazonians, they could never find the Overlords if they wanted to hide. They had already disappeared for four-hundred cycles of the seasons.

  At daybreak, they walked away from the oasis. Chrysalis walked with them, leading the horses who carried extra water to keep Pik and Dal hydrated and wet, along with food for a feast that night. She wanted everyone to be at their strongest when they started the difficult hike into the swamp and tangled undergrowth of the rainforest.

  The Aurochs traveled easily, jogging around the group on occasion to keep themselves active. The Wolfoids pulled Aadi along as the others set their pace at a slow run. They covered the open ground quickly and were in position well before the sun set. They made a small fire near the edge of the rainforest, while Aadi, Pik, and Dal ventured inside to make sure that there were no hostile Lizard Men watching them. They returned later, having found no signs of any Lizard Men, either recently or in the past.

  They settled in and ate well, while Chrysalis rode Max, pulling Speckles behind him, back to New Sanctuary. They made short work of the return trip, arriving at the oasis at nightfall, where he turned the horses loose to roam the fields as they were used to doing.

  When the sun rose, Micah was tired as she hadn’t slept well. She figured she wouldn’t sleep well until the war was over. As she watched her companions rise, they all looked rough, except for the Lizard Men and the Tortoid. They seemed unaffected by what lay ahead.

  With the Lizard Men in the lead and the Wolfoids close behind, Micah walked with Aadi while the Aurochs brought up the rear. Although smaller than Brandt, they traveled loudly, crashing through the underbrush and ripping apart vines and small trees as they passed. Skirill flew ahead, weaving in and out of the trees, but spent most of his time trying to avoid flying into an obstacle. He apologized for his inability to watch where he was going while also looking for the enemy.

  It was still early morning when Micah called a halt. She turned around and looked at the two young bulls. “This isn’t going to work. I need you two to turn around and go back to the oasis,” she ordered.

  ‘No. We stay. We help,’ Malo pleaded. Micah shook her head.

  “You are too big to travel in the rainforest. We have to go much more quietly, leave no trace of our passing.” The young bulls hung their heads, devastated. They never considered that the Aurochs wouldn’t be able to travel through the Amazon. “You have tried your best, and it isn’t you. It was a bad plan where we forced you into a place you can’t go.”

  Micah slogged through the water until she could rest a hand on their foreheads, scratching around their ears. They leaned into her hands. She hugged their necks, careful of their horns, then patted them gently. “Go on back to the oasis now. We’ll be safer moving quietly, but thank you for trying. We’ll be back as soon as we can.” She waited while they turned around and walked deliberately back the way they’d come.

  Once the group could no longer hear the Aurochs, they moved forward, far more quickly and more silently. Micah’s relief was short-lived as they slopped through the puddles and muck of the Amazon, and a light rain began. By midday, it was a deluge. Everyone who had a cloak or a covering hugged it tightly about them, dreaming of a time when they would be dry again. It rained so hard that Skirill couldn’t fly and settled for riding on Aadi, squinting in the rain ahead, trying to see anything that needed to be seen.

  They plodded forward behind Pik and Dal, who relentlessly followed a path they said was there. No one else saw anything.

  The Army Moves

  Braden only had one Aurochs who would trample the undergrowth and knock down small trees as he plowed into the Amazon. The twenty humans wanted to follow the young bull as that would be easier on them. The Lizard Men didn’t want any of that going on anywhere near them. The humans were loud, but the Aurochs created a cacophony of sound. The sensitive hearing of the Amazonians made them feel actual pain from the sounds behind them. They called a halt to talk with Bronwyn and Braden. Braden waved at Lomen to stop and the humans quickly followed.

  They’d only gone one hundred paces into the rainforest, and it was only going to get harder.

  Without moving, Bronwyn talked to the young bull, informing him that he was too big and damaged the calm of the rainforest. He started to protest, but Bronwyn told him it wasn’t negotiable. He needed to go back to Village Dwyer. He turned without another word and jogged from the woods.

  As the traders fiddled with the wagons, the other Aurochs grazed, so when Lomen left the Amazon, he almost ran into Brandt, but Bronwyn had already told the King what had happened and that it was not Lomen’s fault that he was too big, which Brandt found to be quite humorous.

  Akhmiyar said he preferred the humans leave the rainforest, too, but Braden couldn’t agree, because they wanted their chance to contribute, to help bring the peace. He needed them to fight for themselves, earn the victory that they desired, even if it was only to conquer their fear of the rainforest.

  The Amazonian conceded, as long as Braden talked with the humans to get them to take more care as they moved, walk as the Lizard Men, and be absolutely quiet. They’d learn as they went, but he challenged them to watch how Akhmiyar and his people navigated the obstacles. They nodded, though some verbally agreed, to which Braden put a finger to his lips. Absolute silence from here forward, no matter how long it took.

  Akhmiyar started again and appreciated the efforts of the humans to move quietly, although they were still far louder than any Amazonian. Over time, they’d learn or they’d be dead, picked off by the enemy from their positions in the shadows.

  Braden liked having such a large force, but didn’t yet know if it was a benefit or a detriment. Akhmiyar had no idea where the enemy was. He could only keep his men fanned out to cover a broad front as they headed south, always south until they found the place that the Overlords called home. The ‘cat had pulled its location from the mind of the Bat-Raven. He’d shared it with Bronwyn who shared it with Akhmiyar and his people. None of them had ever been that deep into the rainforest.

  The Overlord stronghold was a long way from anywhere.

  The rains started soon after the young Au
rochs departed. It was steady, not too hard, but not light. Zyena found that she could fly in it, racing forward then circling back. Bronwyn walked with Akhmiyar and shared what the Hawkoid could see, even if she’d seen nothing. Braden walked with the Wolfoids, who he found to be nimble and able to walk as silently as the Lizard Men. They concentrated on their movements, using their spears as walking sticks while also having them ready to return fire in case of an attack. They were wet and looked miserable, but Loper and Sunny didn’t complain.

  Unlike the Golden Warrior who delivered a long dissertation regarding his discomfort and Braden’s complete failure in keeping him dry and well-fed. He also suggested that Braden should have gathered the friendly Amazonians, given them all blasters, and turned them loose against the Overlords and their forces. Braden thought that was humorous, but after ten more turns of being wet, he suspected he might find himself agreeing with the ‘cat.

  The Rabbits, on the other hand, seemed more suited to movement in the rainforest than either the Wolfoids or the Hillcat. Once they were wet, Braden saw how sleek they were. Their big feet allowed them to stay on top of tree roots and out of the ponds and the mud. They hopped and skipped from one spot to the next, making it look almost like a game. Once Braden mentioned how the Rabbits were adapting, G-War became more agreeable, although he remained in the trees, running along the limbs and staying above the others.

  They continued through the rest of that daylight and when the Lizard Men would have continued into the night, Braden had to call a halt. The humans were exhausted. Braden and the companions were tired, and although he could have kept going, would have preferred to keep going, he didn’t want to split the force. With Bronwyn’s help, they established a perimeter guard consisting of two Amazonians and two humans. Braden picked people at random to stand the watches, giving himself first and last watch.

  The humans sat with their backs against the trees, falling asleep sitting up before eventually sliding downward until they were resting in the water. The Wolfoids curled up in a spot where Bronwyn could rest in between them. They threw a flap of their armored coats over her to keep her from the rain and keep her safe. The Rabbits squeezed in, snuffling and sneezing, slightly ill from having never been this wet before.

  Zyena perched on a low branch above Braden’s head. Another branch close above acted as a roof. G-War was next to his feathered friend, staying out of the majority of the rain. The Lizard Men found trees to lean against and disappeared into them as they settled back to rest.

  Braden walked back and forth, trying to make no noise, and looked at the spots where he knew an Amazonian rested. He started to pick out slight differences between a place where there was only a tree and a place where an engineered creature’s natural camouflage worked to conceal it. When it was too dark for further study, he was happy with his progress in learning to protect himself by seeing that which wasn’t meant to be seen.

  Fighting Their Way South

  The sun rose and Braden’s group roused itself to prepare for another long daylight of travel. They’d barely gotten started when the first human took a spear to his side. Some others ran after the thrower, only to find themselves in the middle of a second barrage. Braden screamed for them to return, but it was too late. He hustled the others into a hasty defensive position, but by then, there was nothing to defend against. The attackers were gone and five of his people were dead.

  They tried to bury them, but gave up as every hole filled with water. They leaned them against trees, passed out the food they carried, and wished the dead well on their final journey.

  Braden was furious. He had the volunteers who were willing to fight for what they believed in, for what he told them was important, but they weren’t trained to fight like this. The enemy would continue to pick them off until only Amazonians, Braden, and his companions remained. He pulled the humans together and told them in case of future attacks, everyone stops where they are and takes cover. Anyone running into the rainforest would be turned loose to find their way out of the Amazon on their own.

  Braden cooled quickly as he stood in the rain, looking at the anxious faces of the volunteers. He hoped that he made his point and that while they walked, they’d think about what to do during the next ambush. There’d be one, he was certain. He figured there’d be at least one a day as the enemy whittled their numbers down.

  There was one more attack that day, but G-War alerted Braden a couple heartbeats before the spear was thrown. At his command, the humans dropped to the mud and looked for the nearest tree to hide behind. Braden was pulling his blaster as the spear appeared. He watched the thrower try to hide by blending in with a large tree, but Braden saw him because he knew what to look for. He carefully took aim and with a short, narrow-beamed blast, he reduced the enemy’s numbers by one.

  One human had been hurt, but it was only a glancing blow. Braden sewed up the wound, letting the rain wash it clean before slapping on numbweed.

  Akhmiyar complimented Braden on his improvement in seeing the Lizard Men when they were trying to hide. He still had more to learn as there were seven of the enemy watching them, six now. Braden asked Akhmiyar to tell him next time, but Akhmiyar said he’d tell Braden when the human could do something about it. They were too far away and it would have only wasted the energy of the blaster.

  They continued the rest of that daylight and all the next without another attack. By then, Braden and the companions were thoroughly disoriented. Everything looked the same, but Akhmiyar assured them that they continued to travel a straight line south.

  It was the third turn into their travels that Akhmiyar held up his clawed hand and called for a stop. His warriors melted into the rainforest. Braden wanted the humans to gather closer around him and stay down, but they were spread out, fighting their way through the swampy footing. He waved for them to get down. They stopped in place and most faced one direction. He couldn’t get their attention to have every other person look the opposite way.

  The Rabbits readied their weapons and the Wolfoids pointed their spears into the murkiness of the rain. Braden held one blaster, more confident firing one at a time. The loss of two fingers limited what he could do. He wanted each shot to count.

  The attack came from all around. The biggest surprise was from the Lizard Men who dropped from the trees onto unsuspecting humans. Braden’s group found that they were outnumbered with nowhere to run. The women with swords were better trained and equipped to fight this battle, especially since the enemy targeted the men with their first wave.

  Most of the men fell to the onslaught, while the women slashed the attackers from behind. Braden picked his targets carefully, firing short, restricted beams. The Rabbits fired at the targets closest to them, while the Wolfoids hesitated because they couldn’t be as accurate with the lightning as the others were with their pistols.

  As the fighting grew close, the Wolfoids charged the nearest Lizard Men, spearing two and saving their intended victim. They jerked their spears free from the twitching bodies and engaged two more. The Wolfoids were far quicker than the Lizard Men. They appeared to effortlessly knock aside the attacking spears, parrying to tear into the green flesh. A quick blast of lightning and the dead bodies flew away from them. As they waded into the fight, they put humans at their back and fired again and again into the enemy’s ranks.

  Braden changed position, but kept Bronwyn between him and a stout rainforest tree. He had to protect her. They all needed to protect her. The Rabbits flanked him, firing to the sides so he could shoot Lizard Men when his line of fire was clear.

  He called to Loper and Sunny when they started to get too far away from him. They were trying to reach the end of the human line to join a small group of humans in a desperate fight. The Rabbits moved behind Braden to protect Bronwyn. A Hillcat screamed from the other side of the tree as G-War held that side against other attackers.

  Braden bolted through the swampy footing as he headed down the line of humans, shooting as he high-s
tepped over roots. Those he passed were dead or terribly wounded. The Lizard Men had moved on and were concentrating their efforts on those left in the rear. Braden dialed the flame setting and scorched the backs of a dozen Lizard Men lined up to charge the surviving women. The enemy broke as the swords sang and lightning crackled.

  The enemy ran into the rainforest, disappearing after only a few paces. Braden dialed a tight beam and fired after them. He looked the area over carefully to be sure they hadn’t remained close by. He walked slowly backwards toward the women, keeping his eyes on the rainforest as he tried not to trip.

  The six women from McCullough were mostly uninjured, having held their own against the Amazonian enemy. The Wolfoids were uninjured, but panted heavily in the warm rain.

  “Survivors,” was all Braden said and the group started to fan out, checking the humans for life. Those who weren’t dead would die soon. It grated on Braden’s soul to prop them up and give them a drink of water, knowing that there was nothing he could do. His supply of numbweed was limited. He couldn’t use any of it to provide them even the least bit of comfort. He did the only thing he could and that was to thank them for volunteering, praise them for how far they’d come.

  In the end, it didn’t matter. Braden didn’t feel any better and they were still dead.

  Bronwyn was safe, as were the animal companions. Zyena hadn’t seen the Lizard Men until it was too late. She was able to get her claws into one as he jumped from a branch, but it only made him land awkwardly. He resumed his attack after shrugging off the deep scratches to his shoulder.

  Zyena felt helpless. She hadn’t seen the trap even though she flew through the area heartbeats before. And where was Akhmiyar and his people?

  Braden asked Bronwyn, who told him that they fought a large group of the enemy to the front. The plan was to stop Akhmiyar’s advance while the rest of the enemy force attacked the line of people. Akhmiyar saw the enemy before they sprung the trap and engaged. He lost three of his men this day as well. Braden added the nine humans. They were down to the six female swordsmen from McCullough who survived because they trained together to fight. Braden wished those in the north could see the power when you gave any intelligent being an equal chance.