Dynasty of Rogues

by Jane Fletcher

  So, supposing there had once been human males. Presumably, once a year, women would have come into season. The males would have tracked them down by smell and then fought battles with all the rival males who turned up. The women would be driven into a frenzy of lust by the combination of their biological clocks and the scent of the victorious male and would consent to being mated with.

  Riki caught her lip in her teeth, chuckling, part amused, part bewildered. Well, if that was how it used to be, she could not help feeling that the current way of doing things was an improvement. A long-term relationship based on love and friendship seemed far better. And as a courtship technique, Riki would choose chatting over sniffing any day—or would, if anyone was willing to chat with her. She sighed. Her prospects of finding romance were showing no sign of improvement, and if having a friendly conversation was the crucial first step, then the outlook was not good.

  Riki picked up another straw, about to tease the kittens again, when she noticed that the sun had dropped behind the mountain peaks. She had spent longer with the moggies than she had intended, and would need to run to the stables. Riki gave one last stroke to the mother moggy and set off, thankful that her kit needed only laying out and a quick brush-over to be ready for inspection.

  *

  Tanya put down the wax and picked up the brush. Someone obscuring the light made her look up. A Ranger from another patrol stood in the open doorway.

  “Message from Sergeant Baptiste, ma’am. She’s been held up and can’t make the inspection. She wants you to do it.”

  “Fine. Tell her I’ll report to her later.”

  The Ranger nodded and jogged off. Tanya checked the sun’s position and then looked back down the length of the building.

  “Did you hear that? You’ve got me checking your kit. Ten minutes to go.”

  A range of assenting noises drifted back. Tanya grinned and then felt her smile freeze. Rikako Sadiq was now in the stable, working at her stall. Tanya had not seen her enter but knew that she had not come down with the rest of them. Tanya had noticed her slinking off after they got their orders and had been watching for her arrival. She did not know how Rikako had snuck in unseen, but it could not have been long ago. In no way had she left herself enough time to adequately prepare. Tanya took a deep breath. Well, soon she would see what sort of state Rikako’s kit was in.

  “Okay, time’s up. Inspection.” Tanya called out a few minutes later.

  All along the stable was a last-second scuffling as the women got into position. Tanya began her check down the row, examining the field gear arranged beside each of them in turn. Everything was well prepared, as she expected, but then she reached Rikako, the fifth in line.

  To a first glance, Rikako’s gear looked in good order. Tanya was sure the impression was purely superficial. She bent down and lifted the flap on the saddle. To her surprise, the leather underneath was as clean and polished as the rest. The stitching was sound and even showed signs of recent repair work. Despite Tanya’s best efforts, she could find no faults. When she got to Rikako’s service belt, she pulled out the trail knife. The blade was sharp, with no trace of muck trapped by the hilt.

  Tanya’s lips tightened. Galling though it was to admit, Rikako’s gear was in perfect condition. How had she managed it? Tanya moved on to the horse. The animal was well groomed. Tanya lifted a front hoof. The frog was unclogged, but the edge of the hoof was overgrown and flaking.

  Tanya let the hoof drop and faced Rikako. “Private Sadiq. Why have your horse’s hooves not been trimmed?”

  “I didn’t think it was necessary yet, ma’am.”

  “Come here.”

  Tanya waited until Rikako was beside her and lifted the hoof again. She ran her thumb over the rough edge. “You think that doesn’t need trimming?”

  Rikako’s expression remained defiant. “It’s getting to the stage where you’d think about it. But the hooves are sound and could go for another ten days easily.”

  “Sergeant Baptiste ordered you to get your kit ready. The time for everything was this afternoon. There’s absolutely no excuse for anything being left undone.”

  “It’s only—”

  Tanya cut her off. “This is not a debate. You were given the order to come down here and get your kit ready. You didn’t come down here and your kit isn’t ready. A lame horse risks the safety of the whole patrol. You disobeyed a direct order. That’s a disciplinary offense.”

  “If you say so, ma’am.”

  Tanya was furious, but kept her tone low and brisk. “I do say so. I’ll be reporting it to Sergeant Baptiste. In the meantime, I want you to reclean all your gear and get your horse’s hooves in acceptable condition. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Rikako’s face was impassive, except for an insolent pout.

  “You’ll be hearing more about this.”

  Tanya moved on to the last member of the patrol.

  *

  Riki lifted the horse’s hoof and braced it in her lap. She placed the rasp against the edge, ready to start filing, but then took it away again. Her hands were shaking with anger. If she tried to file the hooves now she would most likely make a mess of it, which was the surest way to send the horse lame.

  She let the hoof drop and leaned against the animal’s flank, breathing deeply. Riki knew she had been victimized. She had seen Tanya check her way down the line. The bitch had spent three times as long on Riki’s kit as anyone else’s, examining in detail things she had not even glanced at on the other Rangers’ equipment.

  Tanya had been looking for something to pick on. Of course she had found it. If she had checked the rest of the patrol’s kit so stringently, she would have found far worse faults. The hooves were a close judgment call. Riki knew that if she had not spent so much time with the moggies she would have filed them, but their state was far from critical. To make a disciplinary offense of it was bitterly unfair.

  Riki took another deep breath. She had to calm down before she filed the hooves. More than anything, she owed it to her horse. A brisk walk might help. Riki put down the rasp and stomped to the door. Dusk was advancing, as gloom seeping over the lowlands.

  “Where are you going?” Tanya was watching from the end of the stable.

  “I want to get some hoof oil from the stores, ma’am. To rub in.”

  Tanya glared at her in the lantern light, but then nodded. “Don’t be long. I’ll be waiting for you.”

  Riki marched off toward the path up to the gates.

  *

  Stars glinted over the mountains. The last glow of the sunset had faded and Private Sadiq had still not returned. As each minute trickled by, Tanya’s anger grew. The ill-disciplined lout was blatantly disobeying orders again, without any regard for being caught. The flagrant nerve left Tanya astounded. This would be the last time. Rikako Sadiq would be out of the Rangers before sunset tomorrow, if Tanya got any say in it.

  A disturbance caught her attention. Someone was running toward her. Thinking it might be Rikako, finally returning, Tanya stepped forward to meet her, but the runner proved to be another Ranger.

  “Fire in the military stores. All hands needed at once.” The Ranger ran on without saying more. Nor was anything required.

  Tanya extinguished the lanterns in the stables—the last thing anyone wanted was a second fire to contend with—and raced toward the path. But as she ran, a nasty thought crept into her mind. Rikako had gone to the stores, clearly angry, and now they were on fire. Would she have started it deliberately? According to her record, she had done it once before. Tanya pushed the idea aside. Rikako had been a young teenager then. Surely she was no longer so immature or malicious.

  In the upper valley, people were converging on the blazing building. The breeze whipped smoke and sparks around the central yard. Flames erupted through the open door, twisting and snapping against the darkening sky. The fire lit a scene of hectic activity. Three separate groups were apparent. Rangers and younger women were acti
vely trying to beat back the flames. Older women were forming a chain, passing buckets of water to the firefighters. A third group were empting the adjacent barn, in case the fire spread.

  Tanya was about to join the firefighters when a fresh group of Rangers arrived, coming from the direction of town. In the lead was Rikako. Where had she been? And what had she been doing? However, now was not the time for questions. Tanya marched over, intending to direct Sadiq to the barn and make sure she did not abscond again.

  Only when she got close did Tanya notice the soot smudge on Rikako’s forehead and the burn on the back of her hand. Rikako had made it look as if she had just arrived at the scene, yet the evidence showed that she had already been close to the fire. Tanya’s suspicions returned with sickening force, but the investigation would have to wait until tomorrow. Dealing with the fire came first. Meanwhile, she had to make sure that Rikako was where she could do no more harm.

  “Sadiq. Get over and join the chain.” That seemed safe, with a woman on either side and nothing to do but pass buckets back and forth.

  Rikako glanced toward the line of elderly women. “I think I’d be more use elsewhere.”

  “I don’t care what you think. I gave an order. Do it.”

  Defiantly, Rikako met her eyes for a second but then marched off to join the chain. Tanya watched her go. The situation was serious, and way beyond the scope of what she could deal with. This was something she could quite justifiably turn over to her mother.

  Tanya hurried to join the other Rangers, tackling the heart of the blaze.

  *

  The fire was out. Two-thirds of the roof was gone but the walls still stood. Nothing inside would be salvageable. Damp, smoldering heaps, dragged from the building, were off to one side.

  Totally exhausted, Tanya sank to her knees and watched pale wisps of smoke trail away in the moonlight. Her eyes felt as if they had been cooked. Her face and hands stung where sparks had landed. Shoulders, legs, and arms ached from the bones out. She drew a deep breath and started to get back to her feet. A passing Ranger lent a hand.

  “Bit of a mess.” The Ranger stated the obvious.

  Tanya shrugged an agreement. “Does anyone know how it started?”

  “Not me.” The Ranger wandered off.

  Tanya looked around. Her mother had arrived shortly after Tanya herself and had taken charge. When the chaos had been at its peak, Chip Coppelli’s voice shouting commands had been a solid anchor. Something in the captain’s tone had instilled the certainty that she knew both what was happening and what to do about it. The firefighters had followed her orders with confidence. Now the captain was making the rounds, offering words of praise and support, even cracking jokes.

  Tanya could see the effect her mother had on the women she spoke to. They stood straighter, looking less tired and dejected. Laughter broke out. With Chip Coppelli there to lead them, the women acted ready to tackle a dozen more fires. Tanya felt a fresh set of doubts creep into her thoughts. What chance was there that she could ever fulfill the same role? Were people expecting it of her? And would they count her as a failure if she was never anything more than a halfway decent sergeant?

  Tanya’s jaw tightened as she forced her mind onto issues that she needed to deal with, rather than fears that lay outside her control. She was exhausted and wanted only to crawl off to her bed, but first she ought to talk to her mother and pass on her suspicions about Private Sadiq’s role in the fire.

  Tanya’s gaze traveled on, seeking out the troublemaker. The elderly women who had been in the chain were huddling to gossip. Rikako was not with them. Nor was she standing with the other exhausted firefighters. Then Tanya spotted her, in the middle of the crew by the winch and pulley that had been used to clear the upper floor of the adjacent barn. The flames had not spread, and now they were returning stock to the barn, the only people still working in the yard.

  Rikako was clearly an established member of the team and had been working there for some time. She had not stayed in the chain. Yet again, she had broken a direct order. Tanya was at the limit, both of her stamina and her patience. The sight of Rikako’s open defiance tipped Tanya over the edge. No Ranger should dare act like that.

  Too tired to bother with caution, Tanya stormed over. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Why weren’t you on the water chain?”

  Rikako turned around. Her face was smeared with sweat and soot. Her eyes matched the dazed exhaustion of those around her until sudden anger fired them back to full alertness. “I’m obeying orders, ma’am.” The harsh tone made the last word sound like an insult.

  “Not mine, you’re not.”

  “No. Your mother’s. She outranks you and she put me on the winch.”

  “Like hell she did.” Tanya was not ready to believe any excuse the bitch came out with.

  “Don’t take my fucking word on it, then. Ask her. Maybe I imagined her ripping me a new asshole for hiding with the old women. Like I was too scared to go near the frigging fire.”

  “And you’d know all about the fire, wouldn’t you? You need to think up some damned good excuses.”

  “What I know is that you and your damned mother need to sort out your game plan. ’Cause I’m sick of being fucking kicked around.”

  They were standing toe to toe, but their voices were loud enough to turn heads around the yard. Tanya realized that she was making a very undisciplined scene. No officer should let herself get dragged into a shouting match with a subordinate.

  She dropped her voice. “We’ll sort this out tomorrow. And I’ve got a good idea of how the fire started. You can kiss your ass good-bye.”

  Tanya started to walk away. As she did so, a sudden movement sounded behind her and a blow struck the back of her head, sending her staggering. She spun around to see Rikako with her arm still outstretched. Tanya did not need to see more. The evening of mounting anger exploded in white-hot fury. She threw herself forward, fists clenched.

  Rikako barely had time to respond. She ducked away, but not quickly enough. Tanya’s first punch connected with the side of her head. Tanya pressed forward, moving in for a second attack, aimed at her opponent’s ribs. Rikako managed to block this and countered with a blow of her own, but she was out of position and it did no more than glance off Tanya’s shoulder. Then Rikako’s heel clipped a bystander and she stumbled. Her arms shot out for balance, leaving her open. Tanya’s next punch connected squarely, and Rikako crashed to the ground.

  Hands landed on Tanya’s shoulders, pulling her back and restraining her, but it was unnecessary. Her head cleared and she became aware of the people surrounding her and their voices. Tanya was appalled at herself. She had just completely lost control. Brawling in public was no way for an officer to act, but Rikako had provoked her beyond bearing.

  Tanya shook herself free of the restraining hands, but made no other movement. She glared down at her opponent, who was still sprawled on the ground, although starting to rise. A fresh disturbance sounded and the crowd parted. Captain Coppelli stalked through, with an expression that made any thunderstorm look mild.

  Tanya felt her heart sink. More than anything else, brawling in public was no way for her mother’s daughter to act.

  *

  Tanya marched into the office and snapped to attention. The captain shifted back in her chair and subjected her to a critical scrutiny. As the seconds drew out, Tanya felt her pulse rate rise and the ice in her stomach solidify. She kept her eyes on the wall.

  At last, Captain Coppelli rested her elbows on the table and said, “Would you like to explain to me exactly what you thought you were doing by fighting with Private Sadiq last night?”

  The words were neutral, although the tone made them sound like a threat. However, Tanya had her answer ready. “I accused her of deliberately starting the fire in the stores, ma’am, and she attacked me.”

  The captain’s face went through a range of expressions, of which confusion was the most easily identified. “What reason
did you have to make that accusation?”

  Tanya took a deep breath while she gathered her thoughts and then launched into her story, including her suspicions.

  Captain Coppelli listened in silence, giving nothing away until Tanya had finished, and then she said, “Would you like to hear how the fire really started?”

  “Ma’am?” The response was not what Tanya had expected, and none of the implications were good.

  “When Private Sadiq arrived at the stores, Lieutenant Weinberg was checking the roof brace with the aid of a carpenter. They needed someone to hold the bottom of the ladder while Weinberg stood back to get a view and give directions. Weinberg commandeered Sadiq’s services for this. It should only have taken a few minutes, but the carpenter engaged in some unwise acrobatics and fell, smashing an oil lantern and breaking her leg. The lantern was what started the fire. Private Sadiq was in no way to blame. She and Weinberg carried the carpenter to safety, which was when she got the burn on her hand. Weinberg then dispatched Sadiq to raise the alarm. I subsequently sent Sadiq to summon help from the town and barracks. Hence she returned to the stores from that direction, leading the people she had been instructed to find.”

  Throughout her recounting of events, the captain’s tone was terse, not hiding her anger. Tanya felt sick. She was stupid to have jumped to conclusions, and yet Rikako had started the fight.

  “She hit me first.”

  “Not according to the witnesses. The sound of your squabbling attracted quite an audience. Someone was so taken up with the spectacle that she failed to keep a good hold on the winch rope. It swung free and you got in its way. Private Sadiq actually tried to catch it before it struck you.”

  Tanya closed her eyes in disbelief. She was not only stupid, she was completely in the wrong. Rikako was the hero who had rescued the carpenter from the fire, and furthermore, she had been obeying orders as given by superior officers throughout the incident. Tanya struggled to keep her head from sinking. There was nothing she could say.