Page 110 of Carnal: The Beast Who Loved Me

Sychon answered, “Yes.”

“Good,” Free said. “You can be deciding who makes the cut on the way.” He pointed to Sychon. “You ride with Serene.” He pointed to Forshep. “You ride with Cage.”

Cage grinned at Forshep, showing off his fangs. “That’s me.”

Forshep pulled back instinctively, but to his credit, didn’t run.

“Mr. Mayor,” Free said to Comstock. “Someone in your city has been colluding with Rautt.”

“That’s impossible,” he said.

“Not only is it possible, but we have proof. We can’t stop word of our preparations from getting out, but the wasteland north of the city is being patrolled by young warriors. Anyone who tries to get a message to the Rautt will be executed on sight. I’m making you aware of this so that, in the eventuality of a death, you’re a witness to our accusation of treachery. After all, no one would be leaving Farsuitwail to travel across the wasteland for any other reason. Right?”

The mayor nodded reluctantly and begrudgingly. “Yes. That’s true. But we have a time-honored, traditional structure in place for handling wrongdoings, a system of laws. People who commit crimes are tried in a court of law where guilt and punishment are decided fairly.”

Free barked out a laugh. “Were you planning on putting all of us on trial before you murdered us in our sleep? In six weeks’ time?” The mayor looked away. “That’s what I thought.” He leaned toward the mayor, not caring that Comstock blanched as Free towered over him in a threatening manner. “Executed. On. The. Spot. Do you understand?” Comstock nodded, trying to shrink away, but Free stopped him. “You’re riding with Thorn. He’s not a fan of humans.” Thorn held up his hand for identification purposes and laughed darkly. “Your presence will be required for reassuring your people until we’re ready to leave. Then you can stay behind.” Free thought about that for a second. “Unless you want to go.”

“Me? Uh, no,” the mayor stammered. No one seemed surprised.

Carnal pulled Max over. “Go home, kid. You did good. If you ever need anything from us, just ask for Carnal and tell them I owe you a favor.”

“I’m sorry about…” Max looked at the mayor like he was ashamed of what others had been planning. ”And, um, good luck.”

Carnal and his crew led the way to the munitions facility in the predawn darkness. Rosie clung to his back, arms wrapped tight around his middle, as the gravity of the situation began to settle over her soul like a pall.

They stopped in front of the little shack that hid the humans’ great secret that carried the potential for both carnage and peace. The trailers were given priority parking near the entrance, with Carnal’s elite crew and the elders parking nearby.

Clash located the spring that opened the floor to the stairway down. Someone lit a lamp so the humans, including Rosie, could see well enough to navigate descent to the rooms below ground. Yellow was one of the first to reach the bottom and went to work lighting the lamp sconces on the walls, as he had at City Hall. Rosie wondered if he had a proclivity toward pyromania or just liked staying busy.

There were hallways branching off from the main room in several directions. Forshep, Sychon, Cage, Breaker, Thorn, Clash, and Easy began banging on doors, yelling, “Report for battle.”

Doors were opening all over. People were stepping out into the hall in whatever they wore to bed, to get an explanation. Seeing Comstock, Forshep and Sychon seemed to calm everybody.

“Get dressed for rain and cold and do it on the double. We’re taking it to the Rautt.”

Sleepy people had looked at each other like they couldn’t believe what was happening, but they scrambled to comply and assembled in the big room, dressed and ready to go within minutes.

“Everybody trained on guns, over there,” Sychon shouted and pointed to a corner. “Artillery, over there.” She pointed to the opposite corner then conferred with Forshep as people were moving into place.

“What are you discussing?” Free said. He’d learned his lesson about human capacity for secrecy and subterfuge.

Sychon looked up. “We think we should take everybody trained on artillery because that’s what will do the most damage, but somebody is going to have to figure out how much we can carry.”

The Exiled had six vehicles that had been modified so that they could take fuel with them. They were motorcycles with two wheels in front and one in back, designed to pull two-wheeled trailers. Without a fuel load, there were forty-six cubic feet of space in each trailer.

In sync Free and Carnal looked at the walls of shelves holding pipe cannons.

“Fill up five of the trailers with the pipe cannons and the bombs they propel, then decide how many people you need to manage that most efficiently. We’ll pair them up with Exiled. Strap a gun toeveryhuman’s back whether they’re gunnery or artillery and fill the sixth trailer with ammunition.

“Get an instructor over here to demonstrate how to fire the guns and launch the pipe bombs.”

“You mean right now?” Forshep practically gaped.

Free dropped his chin. “I meanrightnow. We’re probably smarter than you think. Just do it.”

Forshep shook his head. “Reynells. Come show them how to load and fire a rifle. Blathekin. Same with a cannon.”

After a two minute demonstration, the Exiled nodded like they understood.

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