“Something’s behind that tree,” Taman murmured.
Tara aimed her weapon in the direction of the sound, but no one moved. Aeifa elbowed Tara. “Go see what it is.”
“I’m not going over there,” Tara hissed back. “You go.”
“All of you stay where you are,” Taman whispered. “I’ll go see what it is.”
Allen, Tara, and Aeifa pointed their reciprocators at the tree while Taman crept forward on silent feet. He held his reciprocator up with his finger pressing the firing mechanism. Another inarticulate bark stopped him in his tracks halfway there. Then he collected himself and moved forward again. The loudest gurgling grunt Aeifa ever heard broke the silence.
She would have darted forward and hauled Taman away if she dared approach that tree herself. Taman stood stock still with his fur on end. The sound went on and on. It grated on their ears and jangled ever nerve.
With a rush, Taman leapt forward, around the tree, and leveled his weapon at the source of the sound. The friends held their breath and stared at him, and he stared down at the ground. His hand holding his reciprocator trembled. Then he let his breath hiss through his teeth, and his reciprocator fell to his side. His shoulders slumped, and his head drooped onto his chest.
“What is it?” Aeifa asked.
Taman holstered his weapon. “You better come here.”
Tara and Aeifa rushed to his side. A bloody mass of torn flesh and cloth huddled on the ground at his feet. They stared at it for a moment before they recognized it. Aeifa sank to the ground next to it. “Lilith!”
She gurgled through a mouth full of blood. “Gotta.....get up. Gotta....get out of here.”
“She’s delirious,” Tara muttered.
The mass opened one eye. The eye locked on Tara. “I’m not delirious.” Lilith struggled to turn over.
Aeifa squatted next to her. “Lie still, Lilith. You aren’t going anywhere.”
Lilith flopped over on her back. “I’ll show you.” She waved her arm downstream. “They’re over there.”
“We know where they are,” Taman replied, “but you’re too tattered to go after them again. You better stay here.”
“We can’t leave her here like this.” Aeifa touched one rag hanging off Lilith’s shoulder. “It looks like she was hit with something.”
“That’s a reciprocator burn,” Taman told her. “She’s been shot in the chest.”
Aeifa dropped her hand. “How could she survive that? She should have been blasted into the stratosphere.”
“These Outliers don’t understand their reciprocators very well,” he told her. “The person who shot her must not have known how to adjust the power settings.”
Lilith’s head rolled to one side. “It was Old Ponchy.”
“Well, he didn’t hit you very hard,” Taman replied.
Torturous coughs racked Lilith’s body. She doubled up and spat blood on the ground. “It was hard enough.”
“Did they see you get away?” Taman asked.
Lilith shook her head. “They think I’m dead. I crawled here to tell you they plan to take your friends back to Rolling Ridges to sacrifice them.”
Taman nodded. “That’s what I figured.”
Lilith rolled back over and sat up. “We have to get them out. We can’t let the Outliers take them back.”
Taman straightened up. “We aren’t doing anything. You can’t walk, and I’ll bet you can barely crawl. You’re staying here. The four of us will get our friends out. You’ve done enough.”
“I haven’t done anything,” Lilith spat.
“And you’re not going to.” Taman turned to Tara. “You and Allen get a move on up the canyon like I said. We’ll move up this side.”
Tara nodded at Lilith. “What about her?”
“She can stay here and recover while we move on,” Taman replied. “She’s not fit to travel, let alone fight.”
Lilith braced her feet under and heaved herself up against the tree trunk. “I’m not staying here. You need everyone fighting to get your friends out.”
“If you try to come with us,” Aeifa pointed out, “you would only slow us down and alert the Outliers to our presence. Stay here, and we’ll come back for you when you’ve had a chance to rest.”
Lilith forced herself to her feet. Then she pushed off the tree trunk and teetered on her feet. “That boy is with them, isn’t he?”
“Boy?” Tara asked. “You mean Sarai?”
Lilith flinched at the sound of his name.
Taman snorted. “I think she means Taig.”
Lilith’s eyes shot to his face. “They said he could join them. They’ll sacrifice everyone and keep the boy.”
Tara smacked her lips. “That boy is your own brother, your twin brother, remember?”
Taman touched her arm. “Never mind about that now. We’re splitting up, Lilith. Two of us are going down that side of the canyon and the other two are going this way. We’ll flank the Outliers and break our friends out. If you want to help us, stay here and keep out of the way. If you try to come with us, you’ll only get yourself shot again, and this time, Old Ponchy won’t make a mistake. Stay put, and leave this to us.”
Lilith shook her head. “You can’t beat them by splitting up. The column will spread out when they camp for the night, and you’ll have ten times the number of fighters to beat before you get within a mile of your friends. I know how the Outliers operate.”
“What do you suggest then?” Taman asked.
Lilith pointed down the stream with a shaky hand. “Go straight down this way. Don’t waste time trying to flank them. You’ll only divide the fighting power you already have. Come up behind them and strike right into the middle of their camp. That’s where they’ll hold your friends.”
“If we did that,” Taman pointed out, “the rest of the column would collapse onto us the moment we got inside. That would be suicide.”
Lilith glared at him. “Are you saying I don’t know what I’m talking about? I fought with the Outliers for years before you ever left home. What makes you think you can play the commanding general now?”
Taman shifted on his feet. “I never said I could play the commanding general, but I can come up with a plan to get our friends free from the Outliers.”
Lilith turned to Aeifa and Tara. “Don’t listen to him. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Listen to me. My way is the only chance we have to win.”
“He’s right about one thing,” Aeifa replied. “You won’t make it that far. You can hardly stand. You better sit down before you fall over.” She took a bundle wrapped in leather from inside her shirt. “Take this. It’s got bandages and ointment and some pain-killing leaves in it. You need it more than anyone right now.”
Lilith waved it away. “I’m going. I don’t care what anybody says. Now who’s coming with me?”
Aeifa moved to Taman’s side. “I’m going with Taman. He’s got a plan, and we’re sticking with that. With any luck, it won’t come to an open fight.”
Lilith turned to Tara. “You’re not going along with this, are you? He’s a child. He’s probably never fought before in his life.”
Tara smiled. “You didn’t see him fight the Outliers on the plain. If I hadn’t seen him for myself, I would agree with you, but he’s got more fight in him than I thought possible. We’ll go along with him. If you really want to join us, you can come with Allen and me.”
Lilith waved her hand. “I won’t go that way with you or anyone. I’ll go this way. It’s the best way. You’ll see.” She started to limp away.
Taman took a step after her. “At least take a reciprocator, Lilith.”
She snorted. “I don’t need one of those to fight the Outliers. I’ve never used one, and I’m not about to start now.” She touched the knife stuck into her belt. “My rod and my staff are enough for me.”
Aeifa stared after her until she moved out of sight between the trees. �
�She’s not thinking straight. Maybe she got hit in the head too many times.”
Tara turned away. “She’s demented. She’s so fixated on doing things her own way, she won’t listen to reason. She’ll walk into a death trap if she goes that way, and do you know what? I don’t care. I hope Old Ponchy catches her and finishes the job.”
Aeifa rounded on her. “Are you still hung up about what she did to Taig? You’re a lot angrier about it than he is.”
“I can’t forget it,” Tara replied “We never would have been in danger if it wasn’t for her.”
“Taig wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for her,” Taman reminded her. “And she could be right about attacking the Outliers from behind. She’s been one of them long enough to know their strategies.”
Aeifa studied him. “Are you changing your mind about flanking them the way we planned?”
He shook his head. “I’m not changing my mind. I’m just saying she’s got a valid point. If she wants to do it that way, let her. It’s her funeral.”
Tara humphed. “I hope so.”
Chapter 3
Taig turned over on his side and ran his fingers through the fur on the side of his head. He smelled Reina at his side. Aimee and Sarai sat a few feet away. The Outliers guarding them shuffled in a circle farther away. In the days they’d marched south, the Outliers steadily loosened their guard on the prisoners. The captives never fought back or disobeyed their captors. They acted beaten. So much the better.
Taig let one eye flutter open, just long enough to check the light. Then he closed it again. The golden aurora cast its eery glow over the dark landscape. He put out his hand and slid it along Reina’s waist. Her body softened at his touch, and she let him pull her closer. She turned to face him and smiled, but he didn’t smile back. He whispered, “Get ready.”
Her eyes widened, but she made no sound.
Shadows moved between two hummocks of land on either side. The guards criss-crossed it in their endless circumambulations of the camp. They paced around and around in a circle to keep everything and everyone under constant surveillance.
Reina looked their way, too. Her limbs lost their softness, and her face hardened. A cruel glint Taig never saw before blazed in her eyes. She was ready, as ready as he could hope her to be. He flipped over onto his hands and knees. Every muscle flexed to spring. Fire raced through his veins. He hadn’t felt that rush of adrenaline since....he couldn’t remember when.
Aimee jumped in surprise at his sudden movements. He popped up onto his feet without a pause. “Follow me. We’re getting out of here.”
She didn’t answer. She only got to her feet and raised Sarai by the hand. In an instant, he and Reina walked out of the camp with Aimee and Sarai behind them. His ears told him how close they came to the Outlier sentries. It was only a matter of time before he confronted them. What would he do then? He had no idea, but he didn’t stop to form a plan. He just kept walking. The women and boy behind him counted on him to handle this, but his instincts told him he would when the time came. He didn’t have to think. His nerves and sinews took over for his mind and his body moved with no input from him.
Undulations in the land hid their movements until they climbed a rise. A burst of conversation erupted from the first guards tramping their beat. Taig’s heartbeat quickened, but he kept his footsteps steady. He headed straight for the guards.
Reina and Aimee kept their movements calm and confident, too, and he blessed them in his heart. He couldn’t ask to be stuck in this situation with anyone better than them. They kept their footfalls quiet, and Sarai copied them. He’d learned the Lycaon way of traveling undetected.
The first sentry came into view against the dim light. A fire burned in the grass, and the flames cast a flickering glare on the man’s face. Taig couldn’t tell from that distance whether the man had Lycaon blood or not, but it didn’t matter. He burst forward with his pulse crashing in his ears.
Another man emerged from the twilight, and at the same moment, the two guards caught sight of the prisoners. One opened his mouth to call out. The other grabbed for his weapon. Taig rushed forward and scooped up a rock from the ground. With lightning speed, he smashed the man in the mouth to silence him, and the guard crumpled at his feet. Taig snatched the reciprocator from his belt, but he had no idea how to use it and no time to figure it out. He spun around and slammed the metal device against the second man’s head.
The man grunted in agony, and the weapon went off. A lightning blast sizzled through the air and sailed across the stream bed to the hummock on the other side. It exploded in the tall grass with a hiss and a puff of smoke. Then the grass itself burst into flame. A tumult of voices rose from the camp. Running feet surrounded them.
“Now what?” Reina asked. “We can’t run for it.”
Taig studied the weapon in his hand. “I don’t know how to use this thing, or we might have a chance.”
Aimee stepped forward. “I know how to use it. This is the firing mechanism here.” She ran her finger along the indicator bar. “It’s at full power.”
Taig nodded. “Here. You take this one.” He shoved it into Aimee’s hand and took two more from the second guard’s belt. He gave one to Reina and kept the other for himself. “Here they come. We better move while we can.”
The four of them broke into a run, headed toward the east, toward the stream bed. They couldn’t outrun the Outliers, but at least they would know the right direction to go if they followed the stream. They wouldn’t get lost wandering the trackless steppe.
Voices shouted on every side. Reciprocator blasts flashed through the camp, but they didn’t seem to come any closer. Taig didn’t slacken his pace. He put on speed and led his companions into the stream bed. Which way should he turn—north toward the forest that would hide them from their enemies, or south toward Ursidrean territory?
He didn’t have time to make the decision. A cadre of Outliers charged up the stream bed. He fired on them before they noticed their prisoners running for freedom. He cut down five or six in quick succession. Reina ran at his side and raised her weapon, but the Outliers wheeled and overran them before they got to the stream.
Aimee hung close at his back and fired behind her. Taig didn’t have time to glance over his shoulder to see what she was shooting at. He didn’t want to see. More Outliers must be surrounding them from all sides. As usual, the friends pushed Sarai to the center of their circle and fired outward.
The reciprocator went off in his hand again and again without his conscious awareness of activating the firing mechanism. He whirled from one foot the other and blasted at anyone in sight. He barely took the time to aim. The reciprocator did his fighting for him, but the Outliers had numbers on their side. Even with all three of them firing as fast as they could, more Outliers took the places of those they cut down. The circle of their enemies tightened on all sides until no free space remained.
Every Outlier carried at least one reciprocator, but most never got a shot off. At last, a shaggy, burly man ran at Taig with a short rod in his hand. He didn’t even try to use the reciprocator at his waist. Taig raised his reciprocator, but the man’s rod flashed through the air and struck it out of his hand. The weapon thumped on the ground.
The rod whistled over Taig’s head when he ducked to pick up the reciprocator, and the next minute, it slammed under his chin and knocked him backwards. He tripped over Sarai, and the reciprocator vanished from his mind. He could fight hand to hand better than with some crazy Ursidrean weapon.
Sarai pushed Taig off him, but Reina and Aimee didn’t have time to help him. Their own enemies pressed in on them. In a matter of minutes, the reciprocators wouldn’t do any of them any good. Taig tried an old trick his father taught him. In the act of falling sideways, he planted his hands on the ground and let his legs fly up into his enemy’s face. He kicked the man in the nose, and the Outlier staggered back. His comrades rushing to his aid stopped him from falling
flat on his back.
Another three Outliers formed a semi-circle around Taig. He got his legs back on the ground as they moved in on him. He swung his fists at them and chopped them with his hands, but he couldn’t fight the whole camp. For every blow he landed, another dozen Outliers came to his enemies’ defense. He spotted a crowd of them coming down the stream bed toward him, and his heart sank. They would never get away now.
Then he saw something he never expected to see in his life. The Outliers rushing toward him whirled around and fired their reciprocators over their shoulders. More reciprocator blasts tore through the camp and hit the Outliers in the backs. Some fell and never got up again.
Taig followed the direction of those blasts, and his mouth fell open in surprise. His sister Tara charged through the phalanx of Outliers. She fired two reciprocators as she ran, one in each hand, and Allen burst out through the ranks on the other side of her. Tara caught Taig’s eye for an instant, but she didn’t take the time to acknowledge him. She fought the Outliers back and drove them away from Taig’s group.
At that moment, Aimee let out a strangled shriek. Taig had a fraction of an instant to look over his shoulder to see what startled her, when Taman and Aeifa ran over the hill driving a band of Outliers before them. The Outliers fell back, passed Taig in a desperate search for shelter, but they only ran into more Outliers running away from Tara and Allen.
The two couples hemmed their fleeing enemies into a bunch between them and tightened the noose to surround them. Taig caught his breath and smiled. A flood of relief lifted the weight of failure from his shoulders. They were free after all. Their friends arrived just in time to save their lives.
A handful of Outliers tried to take a stand. They carried some more advanced weapons than reciprocators. From a distance, they resembled small cannons. Each person had to stop and stand still to balance the thing with two hands before it fired. One man neglected to plant his feet firmly enough before activating the weapon, and the recoil knocked him off his feet. The blast zinged wide of Aeifa’s head. It startled her for an instant, but Taman shouted orders to the others and directed them where to shoot and where to go. He sent Aeifa and Tara to flank the man with the cannon and disarm him.
The New Angondra Complete Series Page 26