Rogue (23 page)

“No doubt,” said Nick. “I do some of my best thinking with my stomach.”

“You mean, as in having a ‘gut' instinct?” asked Ajay.

“Right on, man, yeah.”

“It's a different way of knowing,” said Jericho.

“Exactamundo! Like when I'm super hungry, right, but I don't know what I want to eat at first? Do I want a burger or some wings or maybe a Hawaiian pizza, you know, with pineapple and Canadian bacon, which is so awesome? And when, no matter what, I can't make up my mind, my stomach just seems to know
exactly
what I want.”

“Uncanny,” said Jericho.

“And yet, hardly surprising,” said Ajay.

“And that reminds me: Where do they get that bacon in Canada from anyway? Why does ours come in these bumpy rectangles and theirs is a smooth circle? Do they have round pigs or something? I'm thinking maybe you can clear that up for me, Ajay.”

“I'll make a point of looking into it for you,” said Ajay.

“That'd be great, thanks,” said Nick. “Kind of a mystery, though, isn't it?”

“One of the great ones,” said Jericho.

Nick turned a somersault away from them, back toward the rear. “Dudes, it's so weird here. No birds, no bugs, no animal poop anywhere. It's like one big strange amusement park.”

Jericho and Ajay looked at each other. Ajay thought Jericho might be on the verge of laughing.

“I'm actually worried about him,” said Ajay.

“Why's that?”

Ajay lowered his voice. “Is it possible that he's becoming even dimmer as a side effect of all this?”

Jericho glanced back at Nick. “I look at it differently.”

“How so?”

“Maybe, in its own way, his mind is actually a superpower.”

“What a bizarre concept. In
what
way?”

“Keeps him in the moment,” said Jericho, glancing back at Nick again, who was practicing jumping in the air and spinning around in multiple circles. “Doesn't overthink things. Lets him react to what's in front of him without his head getting in the way.”

“And given his particular set of skills,” said Ajay thoughtfully, “which depend almost exclusively on instinct, no matter how bizarrely he defines it, that would be…”

“Extremely practical.”

Will glanced behind him. Only his head and Jericho's extended above the grass line, and the path was just wide enough for them to move along without disturbing the stalks on either side. It seemed highly unlikely that anything could spot them in here.

Which was good, because when Will surveyed the area out toward the river and beyond, the dust cloud raised by the traveling army appeared much more distinct now, visible to the naked eye. He could also see more clearly how far the column on the road stretched out in either direction; it looked like miles, and there seemed to be no end to it.

Will calculated they'd been walking for nearly an hour when the shores of the lake first came into view. And just as Ajay had envisioned, one of the first identifiable features was a large stand of eucalyptus trees. They would've reminded Will of ones he'd known back home in Southern California, if they weren't at least twice as tall as any he'd ever seen there and streaked with more colors than a rainbow.

The animals along the riverbanks to their right were more visible now as well, most of them segregated by type. Small groups of the strange striped kangaroos Ajay had spotted bounded around. Herds of huge, hoofed cowlike creatures with twisted horns wandered through the shallows.

Will saw a large herd of bright red gazelles lope by, with long, flexible anteater snouts. A pack of vicious hyena-like creatures with eight spidery legs skulked around the margins of the area, looking for prey. Lizards the size of lounge chairs wallowed in the mud just offshore. A floating formation of gigantic creatures he couldn't see well appeared to be lurking just under the surface of the water. A variety of cries, screeches, and calls echoed from the area, like an orchestra tuning up.

“See any lions?” asked Nick.

He had suddenly appeared beside Will and was bouncing up and down, trying to peek over the top of the tall grass.

“No cats yet,” said Will. “Keep your head down.”

“No birds either,” said Jericho, also joining them and looking out.

“We haven't seen a single bird since we got here,” said Elise.

“Maybe the Maker dudes haven't gotten around to messing with birds yet,” said Nick.

“That seems highly unlikely, from a probability standpoint,” said Ajay. “Among the vertebrate tetrapods, they're by far the most widespread and adaptable species on Earth, with over ten thousand identified varieties.”

“Meaning?” asked Elise.

“It must be a choice,” said Ajay. “For some reason they've been unwilling or unable to work with the airborne portion of the kingdom.”

“We need to steer clear of this whole area,” said Will, pointing toward the delta. “If we stir any of those animals up, they might notice across the river.”

They continued on, paralleling the river but staying within the cover of the grass. As they drew closer to the lake, the grass began to thin out before stopping altogether about fifty yards short of the eucalyptus stand. An entire grove of the giant trees spread out between them and the lake, and beyond them they could see a long white sandy beach.

There were also some things Ajay hadn't seen from a distance and wouldn't have been able to until they got this close, as most of it was hidden by the trees.

A road crossed the plain in front of them, perpendicular to their position, and ran into the grove and through it, all the way to the water, then onto a sturdy wooden bridge that crossed the delta where the river flowed into the lake. A six-foot-tall earthen dam held back the river, just shy of the bridge, allowing a controlled flow of water under the bridge. A cluster of small, trim wooden buildings attended a clearing at the near end of the bridge, which ran a quarter of a mile to the far bank.

“Ajay, take a look,” said Will, lowering his voice.

Ajay moved up to the edge of the grass, knelt down, and surveyed the area.

“It appears to be an active campsite….There's smoke rising from a campfire in the clearing between the buildings, at least one of which appears to be occupied….There's a rack outside along one of the walls, containing various weapons, not many but enough to maintain a small outpost or garrison, which I'm supposing this must be….”

“Guarding the bridge,” said Jericho.

“A fair assumption,” said Ajay, then looked off to his left. “Which would suggest it's of no small strategic importance, since from this vantage point I'm able for the first time to see that the lake stretches out for many, many miles to our left.”

“So unless we're planning to swim, this bridge is the only crossing point,” said Will. “If we want to get to those mountains.”

“It's the only one that I can see.”

“Don't suppose you brought one of your inflatable boats with you,” said Nick.

“I did not have room for everything,” said Ajay. “And God only knows what manner of monstrous leviathans are lurking in that lake.”

“Something's coming,” said Elise, glancing back toward the road behind them.

Then they all heard it, horses at a gallop, and they quickly stepped back deeper into the cover of the grass. Within thirty seconds, a small party of about ten riders appeared, approaching from the left along the road toward the lake. Their horses were all black, lathered up after a hard ride, oversized, their faces covered by hoods adorned with a single red mark in their center. The party began to slow as they moved closer to the trees.

The riders were soldiers, wearing helmets along with modern-looking, segmented dark armor and what looked like rifles strapped across their backs. They were guarding or escorting two riders in their middle.

One of them, who appeared to be in charge, wore the same armor but not the sleek black helmet the others wore, and Will recognized the man's gleaming bald head immediately.

Hobbes.

The other rider in the center also wore the armor without a helmet. She rode expertly, and a mane of long blond hair flowed behind her in the wind.

“Oh my God,” said Elise.

Will's heart sank. It was Brooke.

At that moment, Ajay suddenly looked up and to the right, at something the rest of them couldn't yet see.

“Oh, dear,” he said. “Here comes my drone.”

WILL'S RULES FOR LIVING #13:

READ BOOKS TO GET SMARTER. READ PEOPLE TO BECOME WISER.

“Nobody move,” said Will.

Hobbes, in the lead, held up his right hand and the squad of horsemen slowed to a walk. The road turned from dirt to cobbled stone as it entered the grove, and the sharp clip-clop of the horses' hooves cut through the air. Hobbes suddenly held up a closed fist and the horsemen stopped altogether.

Hobbes turned his horse around and trotted back a short distance to the edge of the trees, his eyes scanning the horizon, including the grass line where the group was concealed.

Had he heard or seen or, worse, used one of his freaky powers to sense some trace of their presence?

Hobbes called back to his riders. He waved most of them on toward the encampment but gestured one of them in his direction. A moment later, Brooke rode out to join him on the road. He spoke to her at length, waving his arm across the horizon back in their direction.

He was asking her if she noticed anything.

Brooke looked out, scanning the same span of space, her eyes moving right past the tall grass, but her look didn't linger or even land on their hiding place.

Kneeling beside him, Will could feel Ajay shivering with anxiety, but he kept completely silent. No one else moved a muscle.

“How long?” Will whispered. “Before the drone gets here.”

Ajay glanced up toward the tree line and opened his eyes wide. “Thirty seconds.”

Now Hobbes and Brooke were speaking animatedly, with Hobbes pointing back at the outpost and the bridge as he gave orders. Will couldn't hear what they were saying but it wasn't hard to decipher: This was a hunting party, and they'd decided that the bridge was the best strategic location to wait for their prey.

And their conversation was taking too long.

We need to move them out of here, fast.
Will looked over as he urgently sent that to Elise.

Can we suggest that to them?

Not those two. They'll figure out where it's coming from and know we're nearby.

Her eyes darted around, to the encampment ahead, then settled on…

The horses,
she sent.
I've got hers.

They each targeted a horse. Both looked wet and lathered after a hard ride. Will sent a series of images to Hobbes's mount: feed and water in the camp just ahead.

Hobbes's horse stamped its feet impatiently and whirled around, but Hobbes kept a firm hand and it didn't break from his control. But Brooke's mount reared and bolted for the outpost immediately. She grabbed the reins and tried hard to break its charge but ended up just having to hang on. Hobbes galloped hard after her, pulled up alongside, and was trying to lean over and grab the bridle by the time they entered the camp.

The other riders had already dismounted, letting their horses drink at a long trough and setting out bags of feed. Most of them scattered as Brooke's horse charged into the clearing among the buildings.

When Hobbes finally got his hands on the bridle, Brooke's horse slammed to a stop and reared up, and she was forced to jump to the ground mid-rear to avoid being thrown. She landed on her feet, looking furious, and raised her hand threateningly. The horse whinnied wildly, reared up again, and then kicked at her, and Brooke had to quickly back away. Hobbes dismounted and, along with a couple of other soldiers, jumped in to grab the reins. Together they subdued the animal, the soldiers leading it away toward a stable in the compound.

I forgot to tell you,
Elise sent to Will
. I speak pretty good horse.

So I see.

I started talking to horses a long time before we figured out how to do this.

What'd you say to it?

I told him exactly what kind of crazy scary bitch was on his back.

“Here it comes,” said Ajay quietly. “Right on schedule.”

He pointed up above the tree line. Will picked up a faint shimmer in the air arcing down toward them at a swift rate of speed. He just started to discern the darker outlines of the drone and heard a faint buzz, no louder than an approaching bee.

“Come on, baby,” said Ajay. “Come to Papa.”

Then, just before it cleared the edge of the tree line closest to their position, the drone clipped a branch, spun around, tumbled forward a few times, and got hung up in the branches.

About fifteen feet off the ground and only twenty yards from the center of the camp.

Ajay quickly pulled the remote control from his pack and used it to kill the drone's motor. Still dealing with the aftermath of the ruckus caused by Brooke's horse, none of the soldiers appeared to notice.

Only Hobbes looked out that way. And all he saw were a few leaves slowly drifting to the ground. He took a few steps in that direction, but Brooke screeching at some of the soldiers, and operatically freaking out about her horse's meltdown, pulled his attention back to the camp.

“Same old Brooke,” said Nick, shaking his head as he watched.

“What's she doing here?” asked Elise.

“Obviously, she's rotten to the core,” said Ajay bitterly, glancing at Will. “And has been from the moment we've known her.”

“Her father's a Knight,” said Will. “He's been part of this all along. That's where her loyalty lies.”

“I still can't believe it,” said Nick.

“Blood trumps friendship, old boy,” said Ajay.

“Doesn't matter what the reason is,” said Jericho. “She's their problem now.”

“Yeah, well, have fun with that, Hobbes,” said Nick, looking toward the clearing. “Next time she throws a hissy fit and melts your face off.”

“But how'd the two of them get into the zone in the first place?” asked Elise. “If we have the only Carver, and the Carver's the only way to come across.”

“I don't know,” said Will. “Maybe Franklin lied to me. Maybe the Makers have another one.”

“Maybe they have one he didn't even know about,” said Ajay.

“Or maybe they just followed us in,” said Jericho.

“I thought the portals only stayed open a short time,” said Elise.

“That's what he told me,” said Will. “Maybe the old man lied about that, too.”

“At a certain point one has to wonder: Is there anything he
didn't
lie to you about?” asked Ajay.

“It is kind of awesome, though,” said Nick.

“What is?” asked Elise.

“Dude, they've got
horses.
”

“And so, for the moment, our most immediate problem remains,” said Ajay, ignoring him. “How do we get my drone out of the tree?”

“I can climb up and grab it easy if we wait until after dark,” said Nick, then when everyone looked at him, “Oh. Right.”

“We'll have to wait for them to move on,” said Jericho, “or find a way to clear them out of that camp.”

“Let's wait awhile,” said Will. “Maybe they'll move out on their own.”

Jericho immediately lay down, stuffed his pack behind his head, folded his arms, and closed his eyes. “Wake me when you're ready.”

“Good God, how can you sleep at a time like this?” asked Ajay.

“This is exactly when we need to sleep,” said Jericho, who then appeared to immediately fall into a profound slumber.

“Dude, that's actually awesome advice,” said Nick, who lay down near him, put his pack behind his head, and closed his eyes.

Ajay looked at Will and Elise. “Have they both taken leave of their senses?”

“Who knows, why don't you try it?” asked Elise, lying down to join them. “Little rest wouldn't hurt you.”

“I'm far too wired,” said Ajay. “I feel like I've been up all night after chugging a six-pack of Mountain Dew Code Reds and I'm about to take the SATs.”

Nick winked open one eye. “Dude, trust me, one thing you do
not
have to stress about is the SATs.”

“Keep an eye on the clearing, then, Ajay,” said Will, setting down his pack and lying down as well.

“Good God, man, not you, too.”

“Wake me up if they make any moves. I need to think. If they don't, wake me in twenty minutes.”

Will closed his eyes, not sure if he'd be able to sleep but grateful for any opportunity to rest and let his subconscious chew on the problem in front of them. Within seconds, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

Ajay started a timer in his head and crouched by the edge of the grass line to watch the camp.

The soldiers cooked something large and ugly on a spit over the campfire. They poured hot drinks into mugs that looked like they were made out of skulls. They ate, they drank, but they talked only a little; high verbal skills did not appear to be on the menu.

Hobbes consulted with one of his soldiers, something like a sergeant by the look of the insignia on his uniform and helmet. Together they examined a large parchment, most likely a map, on the porch of one of the larger buildings, probably a barracks.

A short distance away, Brooke sat by herself on the steps outside another one of the buildings. She looked pale and miserable. One of the soldiers brought her a plate of whatever they'd been cooking. She looked at it—burnt, grisly meat of some kind—made an exaggerated face, took a small tentative bite, made an even more exaggerated face, said something nasty to the soldier, then tossed the plate at him.

“Still the same old Brooke,” whispered Ajay.

Fifteen minutes later, Hobbes called the soldiers to order. They brought the horses back around. Hobbes and Brooke mounted up—she took a different horse this time—along with half of the soldiers they'd ridden in with. The rest remained behind with the soldiers from the garrison. Hobbes signaled the party forward and they rode out of camp at a gallop, their mounts' hooves clattering heavily across the wooden bridge.

The sound woke Will immediately, before Ajay could rouse him. He came out of it refreshed and relaxed and knelt next to Ajay, looking at the camp.

“How many did they leave behind?” he asked.

“By my count,” said Ajay, scanning the garrison, inside and out, “eighteen.”

Will blinked on the Grid; a quick head count of heat signatures throughout the camp arrived at the same number.

“I'd hardly call that a fair fight, would you?” he said.

Ajay grinned.

By now Jericho and Elise had woken up as well. Nick was still snoring slightly. Will nudged him with his foot and he came out of it.

“What's up, Chief?” asked Nick.

“I've got a plan,” said Will.

The soldiers around the campfire heard the horses react first, stamping and whinnying in the stable. Something stirring them up like that usually meant animals nearby, sometimes large, dangerous ones. Three of them went inside to quiet them down.

Nick was waiting for them. Three down, fifteen to go.

A few moments later, the rest of the soldiers heard the approach of some large dangerous animals nearing the outpost. Thundering footsteps, then a series of rib-rattling yowls. Wouldn't be the first time a herd of some wild river animals from the delta wandered into their garrison, and they knew what to do: The soldiers grabbed their weapons and gathered in the center of camp, rifles at the ready, taking defensive positions.

Something ran toward them through the grove from the direction of the road. They couldn't see exactly what it was because it was moving far too fast, but they perceived motion more than they saw it and they couldn't miss a line of dust kicking up toward them. They tried to draw a bead on it and braced for action.

Before they even had time to pull the trigger, the blur raced right past them through the center of camp and toward the bridge. Six of them turned to chase after it, while the others, obeying the orders of their sergeant, held their positions, anticipating an attack from the still unseen, but still heard, large animals, which even now appeared to be shaking the gum trees as they approached from the direction of the river.