Page 80 of Deathless
I was the weapon they made me, but if today went well, it would be the last time. If everything went our way, the skills I’d learned in the fighting pit would end those who had made me a gladiator in the first place.
Rori and the others were not far behind, but Devin and I were chosen for this specifically because of our close combat skills.
The enemy would never see us coming.
We had left and hidden our bikes roughly a half mile back, where Astarte had perched on a tall boulder. Devin and I knew it was a signal to stop like we’d known our own names. From there, Tezca guided us silently through dense forests and steep hillsides.
I couldn’t see him at the moment, he blended in too well for even my eyesight, but I could feel him nearby. Our compass and companion from the moment he showed us his power on the sands.
Near the edge of the treeline, Tezca stopped abruptly. Those large, yellow eyes were intense with warning as he turned his body to cross our direct path. He didn’t need to speak into our minds to say,This is as far as you go.
I looked to Devin to discuss what to do next, but he was already moving.
Like a damn squirrel, he was climbing up the trunk of a nearby tree, barely testing the branches as he hauled himself up higher and higher. I almost laughed. Another way he was a ghost? With how fast he shimmied up that tree, he could have been weightless.
He stopped once he found a spot, and I kept an eye on the ground past the treeline while he observed from up top. All I could make out was a clearing in the distance, maybe a fence and buildings of some kind, but it was hard to tell. I could also make out small light sources, like flashlights or lanterns, moving around, though we were well out of their range now.
Devin came back to land about five minutes later and slowly moved his hands in the modified sign language Shadow and Grudge had taught us.
“There’s a fence making a big square. Inside is freshly tilled earth, like planted crops. Rotating patrols all around the fence perimeter, I counted six. All armed with long-range rifles.”
“What are the lights?” I asked, my hands moving just as slowly.
“Patrols have headlamps on. They look...” Devin paused as if trying to remember the sign, then he gave up and clumsily finger-spelled it. “Stupid.”
I suppressed a laugh. “Roger that. What’s beyond the fence?”
“Some buildings. Looks like mobile homes. Trailers and RVs. Didn’t count many, but hard to see that far.”
“So we’re handling these perimeter guards, yeah?”
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
I dropped my hands and used my mouth to speak in a low whisper. “One last time as the Butcher and the Ghost, huh?”
Devin grinned and knocked his fist into mine. “For the right reasons this time.”
With a soft hiss of steel, I unsheathed my machetes. A throwing knife appeared in each of Devin’s hands without a sound. And with that, we were off.
We paused at the edge of the treeline to study the rotation pattern of the guards, which wasn’t anything to write home about. They stood at the corner of the fence for about fifteen minutes, then the leader gave a signal and they all walked to the next corner.
Devin knocked his elbow into my arm. “Wait until they’ve been in one spot for a few minutes,” he whispered. “Give ‘em a chance to get comfy.”
I nodded but felt worry needling in my gut. Something about this felt too easy. Although that was the point, wasn’t it? We were here to make it easy for Rori and the others to crash through like a battering ram.
At the next rotation, Devin and I took off to find suitable positions to lie in wait before we struck. He headed for the outermost line of fencing, so I went for the back, closest to thebuildings of the settlement. After we took care of the patrol, we’d go door to door and take care of the rest.
A week ago, I wouldn’t have loved the idea of murdering people in their sleep, but nothing was off the table now. Their goddess had nearly taken Rori away from us. The Dark Mother did to her what she claimed she wanted to protect all women from. For bringingthatinto existence, there was no more mercy for these cultists. Only the children would be spared.
Since taking back our safe houses, we were operating under the assumption that every adult was armed anyway.
A few cars were parked between the fence and the trees, so I took cover behind one to stalk my targets. Devin was nowhere to be seen, but that was to be expected.
The guard closest to me was talking to someone further away. Their grips on their rifles were loose, and they leaned against the fence instead of standing at attention. In other words, painfully easy kills.
Their heads turned away from each other once there was a lull in conversation. My feet started moving, knowing Devin would take the opportunity to strike as well.
There was hardly any sound. No scream, not even a gurgled groan. Just the sound of a body slumping to the ground, and even that was softened, probably by Devin laying the body down gently so as to not be heard.
