Ringed Love
Page 3
“Do you believe the stories sentries tell about spirits and monsters?” Trey asked after another few minutes.
“Oh, sentries tell lots of stories,” Nick said. “Some more believable than others.” He hoped this guy’s belief the supernatural didn’t exist would remain intact. It would make their lives much easier if they didn’t have to avoid both humans from West Caldera and preternatural creatures in the tunnels.
“What did you mean before when you said not really?” Trey asked.
Nick sighed. Nick wished this guy would decide it wasn’t worth the effort to talk to him. “I haven’t seen any people.”
“Exactly what does that mean?” Trey pressed. He was more annoying by the minute.
“It means seeing signs that people went through this area doesn’t mean there is anyone following us,” Nick snapped. “If I need to, I’ll make sure you and everyone else in this group is protected.”
He and Todd had shifted most of the tools and weapons they used to the wagon Nick was riding in now. If needed Nick would have quick access to silver edged knives, sacrosanct oil, salt, and iron. Those items were the most portable and, in many cases, the most effective weapons in their arsenal.
Todd, with a second saddle horse in tow, rode up on Nick’s side of the wagon and waggled two fingers at Nick, saving him from further conversation with Trey. Slung across the pommel of his saddle were two small satchels. Nick knew exactly what was in those satchels, their supplies.
“Slow them down for a minute,” Todd said to Trey. Nodding, Trey pulled back on the reins and the team dropped to a walk.
Nick stood on the bench and used the rail for a brace. He slipped onto the spare horse’s back. After making some adjustments to the stirrups, he took the reins from Todd. When Todd held out a hip holster and sidearm to Nick, Trey sat straighter and glared. Next Todd handed a rifle in a scabbard to Nick. That was fastened to his saddle under his right calf.
Once Nick had the weapons secured, Todd handed off one of the satchels to him. That Nick fastened to a loop behind his left thigh.
“He’s carrying guns,” Trey grumbled. “Slaves aren’t supposed to carry guns.”
Nick grinned and pulled up a shirtsleeve, exposing the knife sheath strapped to his arm. “And knives. Actually I prefer knives.” He narrowed his eyes for effect. “Knives are quiet.”
Faye did slightly intimidate Nick; she was a tutor. Though slave tutors didn’t strike the fear in him they once had, he’d probably always be leery of them and feel the need to obey one. Trey, on the other hand, simply irritated Nick, and he wasn’t above a little harmless mocking to put a burr under Trey’s metaphorical saddle.
“Adorable as I think my mate is, I highly doubt if we’re under attack his dimples will slow them down much. I suppose he could try harsh language, but honestly, he’s horrible at cussing,” Todd said. “What did you expect? We’re sentries.” Trey opened his mouth, Nick reasoned to argue, but Todd waved him off. “Arguing with me is useless. Where is the entrance to this thing?”
“It should be about a mile ahead. According to my map, there is an access road off this one on the west side,” Trey said.
Todd nodded. “Pick up the pace. If they’re going to come at us, now is the time, unless they don’t know about the tunnels, but let’s presume they do.” He turned his horse so he could get farther from the wagons. Nick waved at Trey and mimicked Todd’s actions.
Once they were a few yards from the wagons, Nick asked, “Did you see those little glints in the trees?”
“Yes. I don’t see a way around it. We’re going to have to split up. Leaving Faye at the end of the train as lone lookout is too risky. I don’t have high hopes that anyone else in this group would be helpful. They’re farmers and textile workers, a cook, and a few administrators from the slave compound,” Todd said. “At least farmers as a group are self-sufficient and tougher.”
“And one of us has to go in the tunnel first in case there is something odd to deal with,” Nick finished. “Not great odds.”
Todd shook his head. “No.”
“If the shooters’ friends have been watching, and I’m pretty sure we agree they have been, they know which wagon those guys are in.”
“Agreed,” Todd said. “I’ll take up position in the back with Faye. You lead the wagons into the tunnels.”
“Trey won’t listen to me,” Nick pointed out.
“If there is nothing to deal with, it won’t matter. And if there is, I bet his attitude adjusts radically.” Todd rested a hand on Nick’s shoulder and let it slide down to his wrist, squeezing. “Remember they asked us to help them. Trey in particular insisted. Don’t be afraid to remind him of that fact, or that you don’t need to follow his commands.”
“We would have anyway, or followed them,” Nick said and grinned.
“They don’t know that.”
“Todd, if I take the back, anyone following us isn’t going to expect me to fire on them,” Nick said.
“How much farther to the tunnel entrance?” Todd pulled his horse to a stop.
Nick stopped beside him. “Shouldn’t be long. Trey told me there’s an access road up ahead on the left, about a mile more to the entrance.”
“Alright, you ride ahead, make sure the road is clear and the tunnel is open. It won’t do us a lick of good to get there and we can’t get in.” Todd looked at his watch. “Back here in thirty minutes.”
Nick winked. “I’ll make it less.” He clucked, leaned forward, and squeezed his calf muscles. His horse leapt forward into a gallop.
Beating the wagon train to the fork in the road wasn’t difficult, especially moving as fast as he was. Keeping an eye on the woods lining the road, Nick headed straight for the point where the minor road would converge with the main drag. He almost missed the access road. It was obvious it hadn’t been used in some time. There were branches littering the road, and tall grass had closed all but the very center. It wasn’t anything wagons couldn’t get through, but it would slow them down.
Slowing his horse to a trot, Nick used an arm to push branches from the encroaching trees to prevent them from slapping him in the face. The road was fairly straight and easily navigated. The track made a sharp turn to the right, and from there he could see what looked like the entrance to the tunnel.
Nick pulled the horse to a halt right in front of the entrance. He looked up, then left and right.
“Well, damn,” he sighed. “This has to have some sort of way to open it.”
There was a metal door covering the entrance. The tunnel opening was wide enough for at least two, maybe three wagons abreast to get through. It was a good fifteen feet high and set into the mountainside. Dismounting, Nick held the horse’s reins as he examined the edges of the tunnel and door forming a barrier to the inside. This close he could see it was a series of horizontal panels and not one solid piece. He ran his hands over the tunnel’s edge. There were tracks the door fit into. Following the framework on the left side, he found no obvious way of opening the door.
He led the horse to the right side and repeated his examination. A few feet from the ground, there was what looked like chain embedded in the earth holding the frame. Taking his knife, Nick dug it from the surrounding dirt. Pulling the chain free, he followed it up.
“Yes!” The chain stopped at a latch mechanism about the size of Nick’s fist. It took more prying with the knife, but Nick got the cover open. Inside was a switch. He flipped it open, extended a handle, and began to crank.
There was creaking; the metal probably hadn’t moved in years, decades maybe. Dust, dirt, and rust crumbled from the top, and the door began to ease up. When it was high enough Nick could see inside, he stopped the door’s upward motion. The tunnel looked innocent enough. The walls were brick halfway up and cement the rest of the way. Along the ceiling there were holes Nick theorized had been for some sort of lighting that was long gone.
The path ahead was clear as far as he could see. Just inside the tunn
el was another latch. That meant the door could be opened from both sides and likely locked if needed. If not, it would certainly not be difficult to jam. It was a simple switch and crank. Nick reversed the switch and the door slid back down on the track.
Nick remounted the horse and galloped back the way he came.
Chapter 3
Todd swiveled his horse around and headed to the end of the wagon train. The man driving the last wagon, one belonging to Todd and Nick, was a burly guy Todd judged to be in his early fifties. He said he was a farmer. What Todd liked best about him was his no-nonsense, don’t-give-him-crap sort of attitude. Kells sat on the bench seat beside him, staring at the woods. Todd scrambled around trying to remember the man’s name—Jeremy or Jason, something with a J.
He waved at Faye and met her a few yards behind the wagons. “Nick is scouting ahead. Have you seen any people following us?”
Faye shook her head. “No, but I can’t shake the feeling we’re being watched. A few times I thought I saw something shiny through the trees, but couldn’t get close enough to tell.”
“Me, too. Nick mentioned he saw the same thing. Whether they want these people or simply those two men, I’m betting they’re going to hit before we cross into Yellowknife or get near the glacier.”
“So about now,” Faye said.
“Yep.” Todd glanced at his watch. “Nick has fifteen minutes before he’s due back. Let’s slow whoever is following us down, and at the same time get the rest of this group going faster.”
“You have an idea?”
“Maybe. Nick’s right. We don’t need to drag those two snipers along with us. It’s risky. Eventually they’ll get loose or someone in this group will become a problem because of them.”
“You never intended we take them with us, did you?” Faye asked.
“Not really. Not unless absolutely necessary. As soon as Nick gets back and we know we can use those tunnels, I suggest we dump them. I still think if whoever is following us wanted us dead, that’s what we would be. My thought is they’re simply making sure we don’t stick around this area,” Todd said.
Todd rode up and down the line of wagons a few more times and glanced at his watch every couple of minutes. He tried to keep a close eye on the surrounding woods, but his gaze kept wandering to the path Nick had taken. Holding the reins in one hand, he rubbed his jaw and then forehead with the other to try to ease the tension.
Returning to his wagon, Todd motioned for them to stop. “Let’s make it harder for someone to use this road and get close behind us.” He jumped off his horse, tying the reins to the wagon, and motioned to Kells. “Get to the trees over there, and I’ll take this side. Drag whatever you can onto the road. Don’t go far enough you can’t be seen by the rest of us, and make sure you can see us as well.”
“Yes, sir!” Kells was off the wagon and sprinting toward the woods in no time. It was obvious to Todd the kid was happy to have a job to do.
Fortunately there were broken branches and decaying logs littering the ground near the woods’ edge. Gathering as much as he could carry in his arms, Todd kicked a thick log in front of him, rolling it to the brim. He scattered the branches across the road, then went back and moved the log to the middle. It wasn’t a permanent barrier or even an impressive one. However, it would take someone on foot or horseback a few minutes to navigate, and the debris would have to be removed completely for a wagon to pass through.
Kells had busied himself dragging larger chunks of fallen trees into the road a few yards from where Todd was working. He’d found rocks so large he could barely move them and managed to dump those onto the road as well.
Finally Nick appeared. He took the turn from the access road at a good clip and kept on going past the leading wagons. As soon as his horse was even with their wagon, Nick came to a stop.
“What did you find?” Todd reached out and ran a hand down Nick’s arm for a second before taking his own horse’s reins and remounting.
“There’s a tunnel entrance at the end of the access road. I couldn’t see far into it without going inside. We’re going to have to be sure any Faraday lights are charged before going in. There’s a door, so once we’re inside, it can be closed,” Nick said. “If we move fast, we can be there in ten or fifteen minutes.” He spent a minute scrutinizing Todd and Kell’s handiwork. “Good idea.” He pointed to the simple roadblocks.
“Let’s do this thing and get it over with,” Todd said. “We need to have…” He waved at the man driving their wagon.
“Sal,” Nick said. “That man’s name is Sal.”
“Yeah. Let’s make sure he can handle this.” Todd stood in his stirrups and looked back at the lead wagons. “Faye, you and Trey lead the rest to the access road and keep going, no matter what.” “What are you going to do?” Faye asked.
“We’re going to create more of a diversion and slow whoever is following us down,” Todd said. Nodding once, he nudged his horse forward. “Ready?”
“Ready,” Nick confirmed.
They rode to the front of the wagon. Todd explained their plan to Sal. “We need to hang back and make sure anyone following us is stopped. You in?”
Sal nodded and grinned. “I sure am. You have a plan?”
Todd motioned to Faye. “She’ll keep the train moving as fast as possible and protect the front. Nick and I will deal with whoever is following us, and you’re going to use this wagon as another roadblock if needed. That’s a last resort.”
Nick waved Kells back and said, “I need you to be the lookout. Make a lot of noise if you see anything.”
Kells grinned and nodded, then climbed back onto the wagon bench. The wagons pulled away, and Faye rode along the side and closer to the front of the train.
When Todd signaled, Sal moved the end wagon forward, but much more slowly than the rest. He wanted enough distance to be sure the people ahead had a good chance to escape, but not so much he lost sight of them. After a few minutes, Todd held up his hand to indicate they should halt.
Nick moved closer to the team and took their reins, holding them in place. He was focused on the road behind them. “Todd, they’re moving in.”
Sal looked, too. “How does he—”
“Keep the wagons moving,” Todd shouted, and he turned back to Kells. “Give me a hand.”
“Doing what?” Sal asked as Kells climbed down from the wagon. Movement in the woods drew Sal’s attention. His eyes widened, and he gripped the reins and turned to watch Todd.
Once at the back of the wagon, Todd jumped off his horse and pulled the tarp to the side. Todd grabbed the wounded man and hauled him out. Jerking his chin at the other man, he said to Kells, “Get him.”
“Hey, what the—” the other guy began to protest, but was cut off when Kells yanked him out of the wagon.
“Shut it,” Todd growled. Depositing the men on the road, Todd waved to Sal to go. Pointing to the inside of the wagon, Todd shouted to Kells, “Get in and keep your head down.”
As the wagon rumbled forward, he vaulted onto the horse, waiting only long enough to make sure Kells was safely inside. He had no intention of lingering longer to see if anyone was coming after them.
He rode back to where Nick waited. “Go.” Todd waved his arm at the same time he issued the order.
Sal gave the horses one sharp slap with the reins. The team lurched forward from a slow plod to a quicker trot.
Todd gave one last look at the scene behind them. “Shit,” Todd grumbled. A half dozen people burst out of the woods. Not waiting around to watch more, he turned the horse and galloped along the line of wagons, shouting, “Go, get going.”
Nick spun his horse around and, in one fast, smooth movement, extended his arm. Todd barely saw the knife he threw wheel through the air, but he heard the grunt of the person now sporting Nick’s knife in his shoulder. They fired a few shots, but they aimed in the air, not at Todd, Nick, or the wagons. Todd wasn’t going to bank on them continuing with warning shots.
Nick nodded and rode ahead, taking up position closer to the front wagon.
“There’s a rifle under the seat. Use it if you have to.” Todd rode beside the wagon.
Sal nodded and reached under the seat, pulling out the rifle and laying it on the bench beside him. He patted his side and pulled back his coat, revealing a holster and pistol. Leaning forward and shouting, he gave the horses another slap with the reins, and they picked up their speed.
The soldiers fanned out but kept their distance. It didn’t take long for them to clear a path through the branches and logs that were all over the road. They formed a blockade so the wagons couldn’t turn around and head back the way they’d come. Not that anyone had any intention of doing that. Todd had only minimal contact with the people in the wagon train, but it was obvious to him they wanted out of New Colorado Protectorate as much as he and Nick did.
When the first wagons reached the access road, they had to slow down to make the turn. The soldiers moved closer. Todd pulled his horse to a stop in the middle of the road and took his rifle from its scabbard. When the soldiers stopped, Todd put his rifle back, turned the horse, and rode after the wagons. Each time he checked, the soldiers were no closer and no farther from the wagon train. They were being escorted from the protectorate.
“I got this covered,” Sal called.
Todd waved at him. “I’m going to make sure we get into the tunnels safely. Fire off a few shots if you need help.”
Sal mock saluted Todd, then slowed the team. The soldiers backed off as well, maintaining the distance between them and the last wagon.