Desperado (Murphy's Lawless: Watch the Skies Book 2) Read online

  Bo tugged gently on Scout’s reins to the left, intending to move north and find a way around the plants. Scout refused to budge in that direction. When he moved, the whinnie turned hard against the reins to point back toward the relative cover at the base of the plateau.

  “You want to go back?”

  Bo heard another whinnie approach. He looked over his left shoulder and met Lieutenant—former Sergeant—Stewart’s eyes. “What’s the trouble, sir?”

  Bo gestured toward the plants ahead of them. “Some type of defensive flora. They’re all over before us and far as I can see on both sides.”

  “And the whinnies won’t go through?”

  “I get the feeling they could go through, but I don’t think any of us would make it.”

  “We can’t find another way around?” Stewart asked.

  “I don’t know,” Bo replied.

  Stewart nodded at the colorful plants. “You know, the intel we had on some of these plants said they were diurnal; they go dormant at night.”

  Bo looked at the young lieutenant. “These? You know that for sure?”

  Stewart shrugged. “I don’t, sir. But it may be worth checking in with headquarters.”

  Breaking radio silence outside of scheduled reporting times was not something Bo wanted to do, especially to ask for clarification on an alien plant.

  “You think we should wait until nightfall?” He wasn’t just asking Lieutenant Stewart. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized it was fairly stupid to believe Scout or any of the whinnies knew what he was talking about.

  Stewart replied, “I see two options, sir. Wait ’til nightfall and find out if we can go through. Or we risk going around, which might take days. Last I recall, we didn’t have that kind of time.”

  The young officer was right so they turned back to the western edge of the plateau. Bo directed the patrol down into a thick grove of alien trees. They reminded him of the baobabs he’d seen in Africa, short and stocky, but they had trunks and hexagonal leaf combinations which were decidedly alien. A type of moss or lichen grew in a thick, flat carpet atop each of the thick stalks. They provided some shade, though, and if the patrol was going to wait until nightfall, shade was important. He relied on Scout and the other whinnies to graze and find a water source on their own.

  “We’ll try again at sundown,” Bo told the patrol. “If we can’t make it, we’ll figure out what our options are. Rest up, drink plenty of water. When the time comes, be ready to move.”

  As he waited, Bo Moorefield couldn’t help but think he was leaving Aliza without protection. He hoped she would understand.

  Approaching Imsurmik posed difficulties greater than slipping through a swath of defensive plants. Moving at night, presuming they could get past the damned dart-firing flowers, was an advantage he intended to exploit to its fullest, even if it meant missing his report time with Aliza, since there wouldn’t be any line-of-sight connection between them. She’d have to report to Sergeant Cook at the assembly area.

  Bo leaned against a tree and lowered the brim of his cap over his eyes. As he drifted into an uneasy nap, he wondered what Aliza was doing at that moment. Was she safe? Did she miss him?

  Because he most surely missed her.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Four

  Imsurmik

  Aliza estimated that she and her fellow volunteers had walked through the dimly lit cavern for about fifteen minutes when daylight appeared in the distance. Given that they hadn’t made any significant turns to the right or left, it seemed the passage had cut almost directly through the plateau. But from what she remembered of the intelligence briefings, that made little sense: it should have been a much longer walk. Her curiosity piqued, Aliza focused on the opening of the tunnel in the distance, hoping to get a better idea of what they were looking at and where they would emerge.

  The tunnel opened on the backside of an exposed rock formation. From the other side, Aliza surmised, it would look like it was part of the plateau, when in reality the formation stuck out along a small spur, creating a V-shaped canyon on the far side. Based on his observation position and planned route of approach, she knew Bo and the others had no idea it was there. Murphy might have seen the small notch from orbital sensors, but he likely hadn’t seen what it held.

  Inside the vaguely triangular canyon, Aliza saw a sizable wall, at least ten meters high, to her far right. Men were assembling it from piles of loose rock and boulders. Above it, she saw the familiar point on the escarpment that she had seen and noted from the thermal pond outside Imsurmik. The rocks there were not the edge of the plateau but an eroded outcropping. She glanced quickly to the far left and saw a wide spring emerging from the rocks. The watercourse was mostly empty and the spring appeared to be flowing at half of its capacity, likely another casualty of the approaching Sear.

  Near Camp Stark, there had been similar features carved by water and wind into the regional geography. This canyon resembled what Bo and the others called a box canyon, like the one she’d occupied and defended during the J’Stull Job, with the plateau twenty meters above them on both sides.

  On the north side of the canyon, she saw two figures walking across the top of the rock formation. A hundred meters to her left, the two walls of the canyon merged. The mere presence of a secretly accessible box canyon met one of Colonel Murphy’s critical intelligence requirements. He’d asked for the location of any cache sites, and this was certainly one under construction. Everywhere she looked, the secure compound held equipment and storage containers. Some of them looked like nothing Aliza had ever seen. Several were so coated with dust and rust it was impossible to theorize what they might have been. Based on their condition, they might have sat in the exposed yard for years, maybe even longer.

  Sergeant First Class Whittaker had once commented that the storage facilities at Camp Stark were a junkyard, and Aliza finally understood what he meant. She missed the grizzled veteran and his fatherly presence, but also imagined his ghostly finger pointing toward the stores as if reminding her that Lost Soldiers’ lives might depend on her discovering what was there besides a bunch of ancient junk.

  In contrast, there were also rows upon rows of newer items. More storage containers were arranged in silent, orderly grids. At least a dozen vehicles with mounted weapons systems stood in a line among others which appeared to have been modified for the transportation of goods. The vehicles were arrayed with their front wheels pointed out toward the fence that sealed off the open end of the canyon. Aliza surmised there must be a gate there and that, once loaded, the trucks would drive forward and meet the major road network to the east of the plateau. From there, she envisioned them turning southwest and heading toward the Sea of Agra. All of it was well designed by a well-established enemy that knew exactly what it needed to do.

  The leader of her cohort of volunteers pointed them at a truck brimming with more of the canvas-wrapped parcels and ordered them to unload it. She approached the back of the cargo bed, and one of the bundled parcels was handed to her. Alongside was one of the converted transports, where another group of men were alternating between loading bushels of medicinal plants and removing long, dark boxes. Many of the plants were species she recognized from her expeditions near Camp Stark. Whatever was in the long boxes was being traded for the medicinals. Given what she knew of the relative value of the plants, Aliza couldn’t imagine what was in the dark containers.

  Aliza easily lifted the bundle onto her right shoulder, turned around, and walked into the tunnel, preparing to count her steps as she headed back. That way, she could calculate exactly how far the canyon was from the town itself. Bo would certainly need to know she had found something none of them had expected. With any luck, she could drop off the parcel, make a second trip, and attempt to see what else she could learn about the storage facility.

  High value, indeed!

  A group of men carrying more modern tools approached. Two of them carried a black and gray box,
one man on each end. They set the box heavily on the ground outside the tunnel and rested.

  “Where is this package? Outside the gate?”

  The other man wheezed. “Yes. I think so. Sobiturni was not specific.”

  “Fine,” the first man huffed. “We can get the components to Waornaak when he arrives today. He will know what to do with them.”

  Aliza picked up her pace. Before counting her steps, she smiled to herself. This Waornaak is almost certainly someone of importance. And Sobiturni was a name she’d heard before. He was a member of the J’Stull command in the town. And this Waornaak certainly sounded likely to travel in the circles relevant to her intelligence objectives.

  Hopefully, I’ll have enough time to find out who he is and just how important he might be.

  * * *

  Plateau Above Imsurmik

  Just before nightfall, Scout and the other whinnies stirred from their resting positions beneath the trees. Earlier in the day, they’d found a small water source, a spring surrounded by more of the increasingly familiar vegetation, and drank their fill. Bo’s forces were also rested and ready to go. After ensuring the patrol was prepared, he crossed their perimeter and climbed aboard Scout. Almost immediately, the big whinnie started back in the direction they’d come—moving east up the plateau.

  Darkness rolled over the higher ground and the valley below as Bo and the others edged up the plateau to where they’d first seen the venomous plants. There was still enough light to see the outline of the stalk-like plants as they approached. This time, Scout did not hesitate. He swept past the first closed cluster of flowers, though he kept a careful distance. Bo felt himself tense in the makeshift saddle, but there was no movement or strikes from the plants.

  He reached down and patted Scout on the shoulder. “Thanks, buddy. Now we know.”

  But as they came abreast of the next plant, Bo saw someone had planted them in rows. No, not just rows: a staggered grid. So that anywhere you stood, you were in their needles’ fields of fire.

  There’s definitely something up here they don’t want to lose. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have prepared a defensive position like this. I wonder what other surprises they have in store for us.

  For two hours, they crept forward in the growing darkness. Several times the whinnies zigzagged across the terrain through the vegetation. Evidently there was more than one kind of plant that had to be avoided. While the going was slower in the darkness, they still made good time. One particular jaunt took them near the exposed escarpment on the south side of the plateau and there was just enough light from the stars in the night sky that Bo could make out familiar landmarks across the valley. They were much closer to the city than he’d imagined they would be.

  As if cued by Bo’s realization, Scout froze. The ripple effect went right down the line of mounts. All of the soldiers had enough experience with whinnies to know what it meant: something unexpected in the area. As they stood frozen, Bo turned to the patrol behind him and tapped his sleeve. The hand and arm signal was a silent communication to bring Lieutenant Stewart forward.

  Stewart and his mount Olympia walked up two minutes later. “What is it, sir?”

  Bo shrugged. “I’m thinking we may need to spread out. I can’t see anything but—”

  Scout shook like a wet dog drying itself. Bo brought up a hand and gave a signal—a closed fist. The formation froze. The breeze freshened and, in the distance, he heard a murmuring sound not unlike voices. Straightening in the saddle, he let his eyes adjust. Night vision worked differently than daytime vision, being more attuned to following movement. In seconds, he saw what he’d been missing.

  About a hundred meters ahead, an observation post was nestled low to the ground, with two men sitting in the darkness. One of them produced an artificial light and shone it around before turning it off. They weren’t worried about noise or light discipline, most likely thinking the light would keep predators of all types at bay.

  Bo turned and looked at Stewart. “Let’s go north. See if we can spot any more OPs or what they’re guarding.”

  “Could just be an entrance to the town. Maybe some underground stairs or something,” Stewart suggested.

  “You think so?”

  “They had to get up here, sir. We know from Lieutenant Turan there are tunnels in the city, right? I bet they’ve got a way to get people up here that doesn’t involve hiking through all those killer plants,” Stewart said.

  Bo thought for a moment. Stewart was more than likely right. If the enemy were simply guarding the top of the town, it made sense. “If they’re not just overwatching from up here, they’re protecting something below. We’ve got to try to see what it is.”

  Stewart nodded. “I’ll take point, sir.”

  Bo let the young lieutenant move to the front of the patrol. He could use the experience, and sometimes the patrol leader didn’t really need to be the point man, too. They crept north for half an hour before heading east again. Bo glanced down at his watch and realized it was coming up on midnight. Aliza would be calling in, but Sergeant Cook or one of the others at the assembly area across the valley would be the one to talk to her.

  Will she worry about me? Wonder what I’m doing?

  Bo decided he didn’t know, and he didn’t like how those kinds of questions distracted him from the mission. Aliza could wait a day. His need to focus and determine his course of action for the coming attack took precedence over everything else.

  Thirty minutes later, they came upon another observation position overlooking the eastern edge of the plateau’s escarpment. So: two observation posts and quite possibly more. Depending upon what was hidden back there, they might even have to be the first targets to be taken out during the attack.

  Bo moved Scout up along Stewart’s position. “We’re not going to get any further east. Let’s turn around and get back to the assembly area by morning, if we can.”

  “You sure, sir? I can’t help thinking there’s something here we’re missing.”

  Bo nodded. “Without aerial reconnaissance, we’re kinda hosed. We can see if Colonel Murphy can get us something from space, but I doubt that, too. We’re on our own.”

  “Maybe Lieutenant Turan can get us something from the inside.”

  “When we talk again, I’ll tell her what we found. Hopefully, she’s found a few things today, too.” Bo reined Scout back to the west and gestured for the patrol to fall in behind him. He prodded Scout into a trot; the whinnie didn’t complain and seemed glad for the faster pace.

  It was a beautiful evening for a ride. At that moment, there was nothing to do but quietly make their way back across the valley. The pieces were coming together.

  * * *

  Imsurmik

  Aliza emerged from the tunnel into the city. She’d make sure the math was right later, but she estimated the tunnel through the rock on the southern side of Imsurmik was roughly a half-mile long. The collection of vehicles and the other items in the cache site were a critical intelligence requirement that needed to be reported. Aliza delivered the parcel where the leader pointed.

  She turned back to him and asked, “Again?”

  The man grinned at her, showing several missing teeth, and nodded. He pointed back down the tunnel, and Aliza set off. She counted her steps a second time, wanting to ensure her count was right, and by the time she emerged on the far side she determined she’d been close enough. When she reached the transport, there was a long line of volunteers waiting to receive parcels. Aliza took her place in the queue and glanced around the complex as much as she deemed safe. Given Bo’s position on the far side of the valley, she was certain he couldn’t see this site at all. So any additional information she could gather, particularly on the number and type of guards and weapons systems, was critical.

  Along the top of the canyon, armed guards stood watch or walked patrols on both walls. They were high enough that an attack would be hard-pressed to get through them and down into the canyon itself
. There was no way for the vehicles in Bo’s complement to attack, either, without coming out of the valley and revealing themselves as they moved east on the wide road. Bo was too prudent to take that kind of chance.

  Aliza smiled. He is cautious and good.

  The line of bearers paused and didn’t move for several minutes, so she stepped out of the queue and moved to her right, along the southern canyon wall. She was able to get close enough to the outer wall to see its level of fortification and the number of soldiers guarding it. Both were prohibitive. Constructed of rock, she estimated the wall was at least seven meters wide at its base and rose to a pathway at least two meters wide based solely on the number of people she saw. Several weapons were mounted atop it as well. There was little doubt it was fortified all the way across, but her position did not allow her to see any details beyond the near lip.

  Aliza passed several large cylindrical tanks and tried to discern if they were for fuel or water; no luck. As she moved further around the curved edge of one tank, a tall, powerful man stepped into her path. She recognized him immediately as she’d literally run into him not more than a half hour before. He’d somehow beaten her to this side of the plateau, and, given the fury in his eyes, he’d recognized her as well.

  “Waornaak,” called a voice from behind the brute. His eyes did not move from her. Aliza couldn’t keep up the intense glare and dropped her eyes. He wore bandoliers over both shoulders and there was a large knife strapped to his left hip.

  Waornaak? I know that name!

  “Get this woman out of here,” Waornaak said over one shoulder without taking his eyes off hers.

  Aliza swallowed and kept her face up. “I, uh…”

  “Never come back here, woman,” Waornaak growled. “Return to your line. This area is not for you.”