Chapter 44
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
A little short for a kri’ith
Garrison
OUR TARGET was the cottage on the far side of the estate by the border wall. There was no doubt Airida would be there; he wasn’t allowed to leave his immediate perimeter.
“Five life signs outside,” Tokki said, showing us the imaging.
Two retainers in the cottage garden and three people around the grounds. Probably gardeners or kitchen staff having a break. Shohari had been over this with us dozens of times, and I liked to think we knew the layout and workings of her old home almost as well as she did.
I examined the opportunities for cover, still getting used to the augmented vision through the helmet I wore. “We’re going to have to go the long way round.”
“Agreed.”
Shohari didn’t want us to harm the staff or fight dishonourably, but the rest of us were in agreement this mission would succeed in any way possible. It churned my stomach, but all our lives were at stake.
We took an opportunity to dash down the ramp and hide underneath it, making sure our shadows stayed hidden. It was cramped, but I could sit and wait. Or squat and wait. Lie down. Some other kind of contortion.
Okay, I hated it, but I could do it. For her.
We waited until the cottage retainers were round the other side, and waited even longer for the other people to turn away or leave. My legs began to spasm, and I could tell from the subtle shifting of my companions they felt the same.
The waiting. I hadn’t missed anything about the military, including this.
“Go, go, go.” Tokki’s urgent whisper triggered that familiar explosive transition from inaction to movement. My adrenaline surged, and we kept low, running towards a small decorative wall covered all the way up with flowers.
Stop.
Wait.
Visibility was poor here, so we had to rely on the life sign imaging on Tokki’s tac-tablet. Massive trees lined part of the back wall, and we aimed for the cover of darkness they provided.
I hoped Shohari was still buying us time. I hoped she was okay.
“Sixth life form. Just come out of the cottage.”
That must be Airida.
He was a partial unknown; Shohari hadn’t seen him properly in over a year, and we didn’t know what condition he was in or how he would react. The garden went back towards the wall, so we weren’t concerned about him seeing us. Him looking out of a window at the front would have been worse.
Once we were in the darkened tree line, I struggled to contain my jittery energy. We were close. So close.
Like silent shadows, we stalked between the giant trunks.
Two retainer-guards conversed in low tones, walking along one of the paths breaking up the small garden. We waited until Airida went back inside, and once the guards had their backs to us, we vaulted the low wall.
Tokki and I exploded into motion.
My shin connected with the soft spot on the back of my target’s knee. I reached for the pressure point under his skull ridge, just to the right of his spine.
As the giant kri’ith sank to his knees, I kept the thumb pressure to his artery, but his sharp elbow in my ribs sent me sprawling to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
I scrabbled to my feet the same time he’d wheezed in some breaths and spun to face me.
For a heartbeat, there was only the two of us reaching for our weapons and the roar of blood in my ears.
I pulled my blaster from the holster before he gripped his, but he didn’t falter, raising his weapon even as I trained mine on him with steady hands.
“Don’t make me shoot you,” I said, my voice distorted by the helmet’s mouthpiece.
His headspines flared, and a growl rumbled in his chest.
Fuck. I was going to have to shoot him, wasn’t I? What was worse? To die, or for Shohari to hate me?
My target’s hand flew to his neck. His eyes rolled up, and he crumpled to the floor, a dart sticking out between his fingers.
Tokki gave a muffled curse as his target thudded to the ground, another dart protruding from his neck.
Daiytak stood off to one side, holding the dart gun. “I still think we should have gone for the easy option from the start.”
I panted hard, rubbing my leg. “We tried to respect Shohari’s wishes. It’s a compromise.” And while Daiytak might not care about these retainers’ moral standing, I didn’t want to be the reason they did something drastic afterwards in their perceived shame. They’d put up a fight; it was enough.
We bound our targets with practiced efficiency, and I threw the rest of the rope in my backpack.
“Let me go in alone,” I said. “My appearance may be less of a shock than yours.”
They nodded. “We’ll come if there is trouble.”
I pushed the door open.
A young male sat on the sofa, a book open on his lap.
He shared many similarities with the shaa’ith outside, but it was his resemblance to Shohari that struck me the most. His mouth turned up in the same way, and the haughty anger in his brows reminded me so much of her, I ached to have her with me again. “Who in the name of the gods are you?”
Not the opening I was hoping for. “I’m Garrison Rhea. I’m here to rescue you.”
Airida wrinkled his face. “What?”
I pulled my helmet off, shaking my head. “I’m here to rescue you, Airida. I’m with the Dorimisa, with Shohari.”
“Shohari? What have you done with her? What are you? Kri’s bones, I don’t understand what you’re saying.” He rose to his full height, a good six inches over me, swaying unsteadily. “Junava! Orjidha! Where are you?”
Cold chills hit my veins. He didn’t have a translator. “Tokki. Daiytak. Get in here.”
Airida’s face paled, his gaze landing on the shaa’ith behind me. “Who are you?”
I didn’t blame him for sounding terrified. When Shohari had first seen them on Vadias, she’d seen her brother; Airida was gazing into a mirror.
I hit my wrist-comm. “Translate out loud English to Orithian language. Airida, we’re here with your sister.”
As he listened to my comm’s audio with understanding in his eyes, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“They’re like you,” I said. “There’s nothing wrong with you. We’re getting you off the planet. I’ll explain everything, but we have to leave, now. Please.”
As my comm translated for me, he drew back, swinging his head. “I don’t know you. I don’t trust you.”
I kept my tone calm. “We’re here with Shohari to rescue you.”
“We have to leave. Now.” Daiytak stepped forward, but Airida sank back down to the sofa.
“I don’t understand,” he said.
Damn. We’d focused so much on the how of the mission, Shohari hadn’t considered he might not be eager to leave. Neither had we.
I took a slow breath. “I know. But please, we don’t have long. Your parents aren’t going to let us leave willingly, so the faster we leave, the better. You’ll be free of this place. You’ll be well.”
His darting eyes focused on mine, and understanding filtered through. “I have to take my paintings. My art supplies. My trading notes.”
For fuck’s sake. “Dude, we don’t have time.”
I glanced at Tokki for assistance, but he rolled his shoulders, his attention on Airida.
“If that is what he needs to be able to leave this place, then that is what he needs,” the shaa’ith commander said. “Brother, tell us how to help.”
Bloody hell. It’s a shame Sho would be so pissed if we used a dart on this guy. I grimaced and swallowed down the uncharitable thought.
Airida refused to let us help as he moved around his home, gathering his essentials, and I shifted restlessly at the delay. The tense, prickly sensation remained, even as we exited the cottage with two bags and no incidents, and crept through the trees.
At the edge, we pulled up short.
Four burly kri’ith with large blasters stood between us and the Dorimisa.
I glared at Tokki. “I thought she said any guards wouldn’t be armed.”
He swallowed. “She was wrong.”