Inca Kings

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

Drake took Curtis and Desiree out for some target practice and a little field work. The skills he could teach them were limited to the time he had, but he could at least help them live longer.

Live longer?

That realization came down hard and fast, like a cloudburst. Their situation, for all of them, was pretty dire. Defending a village with a handful of soldiers against a local insane, motivated and organized enemy was the riskiest venture they’d ever undertaken… well, maybe. They’d fought through more than one frenzied battle over the last few years, engaged in several do-or-die confrontations.

And here they stood.

Kinimaka and Mai were helping make booby traps around the village. Pits and camouflaged boulder traps; sharpened stakes and rope snares. Smyth was fashioning a hollow in the earth behind the place where the creatures had assembled last time. He would hide here, covered by a ghillie suit of his own fashioning. Made of a strong brown, rough material, originally a bed sheet, he cut it down to cover his body and head, stuck vegetation over it, then covered it in dust, soil and plants. He made sure it blended with the landscape because, soon, it would be his night’s resting place.

Villagers helped, and now Drake began to recognize people and remember their names. Basilio and Marco were farmers, helping Alicia get the houses’ defenses ready. Anica and Clarabelle were weavers, able to create intricate craftwork, and were helping Dahl, Kenzie and Yorgi to limit access to the village. Fewer routes of entry meant less people deployed randomly.

Drake trained others too; as much as he was able to in the short hours. They sat in the dirt and ate sandwiches at lunchtime. He listened to their stories, spoken in stilted English just for him, often translated by Brynn, who seemed to be everywhere at once. It seemed that every hour a man or woman came up to him offering some kind of good luck charm, or a thank you gesture. He kept focus, working until mid-afternoon when he decided the team needed a small, private, discussion.

Together, they wandered up to the summit of a nearby hill, water bottles in hand, jackets turned up against the wind and the all-encompassing cold. Views commanded every horizon, drawing their gazes. Drake waited a moment and then looked back, downward, at Kimbiri.

“Does anyone else feel responsible as all hell now for those people?”

“Fighting with friends is tough,” Alicia spoke up, happy to express herself. “You never know what will happen,” A recent loss weighted her words to the dejected side. “But fighting for friends?” She sighed.

Mai appeared surprised even as she agreed. “I find it harder because they are all so enthusiastic.”

They all laughed a little, more sadness in the sound than cheer. Drake found himself having to say the hard thing now that Hayden was gone.

“And our differences? Can we put them on hold for tonight?”

“At least tonight,” Alicia spoke up. “Despite the personal stuff nobody works better as a team than us lot.”

Dahl grinned at that. “Even with Kenzie here?”

The relic smuggler clapped him on the back. “Hey!” The movement set her katana shifting from side to side.

“I dunno.” Alicia eyed another of her one-time enemies. “I’m taking your word for it, Torsty.”

“I’ll show my true colors,” Kenzie said. “Just make sure you don’t miss it by doing your girlie, ‘running away from a spider’ act when I do.”

Alicia cocked her head. “Truly? I can’t promise that.”

Another round of laughter, another somber silence. Smyth shifted his feet. “I heard from Lauren today.”

Kinimaka tapped his pocket where Hayden’s phone had been put for safekeeping. “Me too, brah. Through Hayden. Secretary Crowe?”

“Yeah. Crowe’s pushing for our return. No Secretary ever pushed us this hard before — I mean to quit a job and go to another. It must be hell in Egypt right now.”

Drake nodded. “It’s a shitstorm over there. When we hit the ground we’re gonna hit it running.”

“First, we survive tonight,” Yorgi said.

“Yeah. And Lauren finally wants to talk.” Smyth hesitated. “Sort our own shitstorm out.”

Drake winced. “Great timing, pal. Did you mention… Joshua?”

“Crap, of course not! Why the hell would I do that? Anyway, it could be better,” Smyth allowed, infected by the odd, mixed mood of cheer and melancholy. “But it’s better than what we had…” He paused again and Drake looked away, sensing the gruff soldier might have more to say.

“When I said I was mentioned in Webb’s statement,” Smyth said. “I wasn’t fooling around. I am embarrassed all the time. That’s me.”

Alicia clicked her fingers. “So that’s why you’re a temperamental wanker twenty hours a day.”

Drake made a face and took Alicia’s hand in his own. “Still a long way to go, love.”

The Englishwoman turned her face up. “What? He is!”

“I’m embarrassed because of my family. Because of my past, and because of my name.”

Alicia was on it like a starving piranha. “What name? Smyth ain’t so bad.”

“My first name.”

Alicia considered it. “Always wondered about that. Well, so long as it’s not Biff or Cliff you should be okay.”

Mai made a small noise with her throat. “You know, my friend, you don’t have to share this with us.”

Drake wondered if she too might be in the statement, though he couldn’t decide which part might apply to her. He backed her up though. “Yeah, mate. No need to force yourself.”

Alicia nipped his arm. “Shhh!”

Smyth growled at the whole team. “Whatever. My name’s Lance. There you have it. It’s out there, and I’m clean. Well, apart from the family shit.”

“Lance?” Dahl repeated. “That’s a good American name.”

“Ya think, do ya? Well, it’s short for Lancelot.”

Alicia’s eyes widened to saucers. “Fuck right off.”

Kenzie started to bow, but Dahl caught her. Drake somehow managed to hold back a witty comment, though a dozen suddenly floated through his head. Smyth studied the group.

“Get ’em all out, guys. Might as well.”

But even Alicia knew now was not the right time. “Tomorrow, maybe. Or next week. Because today — we’re all business.”

Kinimaka pointed at the distant mountains, capturing their attention. “And Hayden’s out there. I hate to think what she’s enduring right now.”

Drake decided not to voice his own misgivings. As Alicia attested, now was not the time. The team agreed positions, signals, made sure their comms system was working. They discussed the traps and the villagers’ positions. They considered where the night creatures might attack and then run off to. It might be good, this time, to give chase — maybe putting a sense of fear into them. Smyth mentioned making traps all along their escape route — a sound plan — but the plateau and the hills were so wide open a direction could not be decided upon.

Drake sniffed the cold air, watched the scudding gray clouds above. “Night’s on its way,” he said. “Best be getting ready to fight.”