Desperado (Murphy's Lawless: Watch the Skies Book 2) by Kevin Ikenberry (any book recommendations txt) 📕

Aliza picked up her pace. Before counting her steps, she smiled to herself. This Waornaak is almost certainly someone of importance. And Sobiturni was a name she’d heard before. He was a member of the J’Stull command in the town. And this Waornaak certainly sounded likely to travel in the circles relevant to her intelligence objectives.

Hopefully, I’ll have enough time to find out who he is and just how important he might be.

* * *

Plateau Above Imsurmik

Just before nightfall, Scout and the other whinnies stirred from their resting positions beneath the trees. Earlier in the day, they’d found a small water source, a spring surrounded by more of the increasingly familiar vegetation, and drank their fill. Bo’s forces were also rested and ready to go. After ensuring the patrol was prepared, he crossed their perimeter and climbed aboard Scout. Almost immediately, the big whinnie started back in the direction they’d come—moving east up the plateau.

Darkness rolled over the higher ground and the valley below as Bo and the others edged up the plateau to where they’d first seen the venomous plants. There was still enough light to see the outline of the stalk-like plants as they approached. This time, Scout did not hesitate. He swept past the first closed cluster of flowers, though he kept a careful distance. Bo felt himself tense in the makeshift saddle, but there was no movement or strikes from the plants.

He reached down and patted Scout on the shoulder. “Thanks, buddy. Now we know.”

But as they came abreast of the next plant, Bo saw someone had planted them in rows. No, not just rows: a staggered grid. So that anywhere you stood, you were in their needles’ fields of fire.

There’s definitely something up here they don’t want to lose. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have prepared a defensive position like this. I wonder what other surprises they have in store for us.

For two hours, they crept forward in the growing darkness. Several times the whinnies zigzagged across the terrain through the vegetation. Evidently there was more than one kind of plant that had to be avoided. While the going was slower in the darkness, they still made good time. One particular jaunt took them near the exposed escarpment on the south side of the plateau and there was just enough light from the stars in the night sky that Bo could make out familiar landmarks across the valley. They were much closer to the city than he’d imagined they would be.

As if cued by Bo’s realization, Scout froze. The ripple effect went right down the line of mounts. All of the soldiers had enough experience with whinnies to know what it meant: something unexpected in the area. As they stood frozen, Bo turned to the patrol behind him and tapped his sleeve. The hand and arm signal was a silent communication to bring Lieutenant Stewart forward.

Stewart and his mount Olympia walked up two minutes later. “What is it, sir?”

Bo shrugged. “I’m thinking we may need to spread out. I can’t see anything but—”

Scout shook like a wet dog drying itself. Bo brought up a hand and gave a signal—a closed fist. The formation froze. The breeze freshened and, in the distance, he heard a murmuring sound not unlike voices. Straightening in the saddle, he let his eyes adjust. Night vision worked differently than daytime vision, being more attuned to following movement. In seconds, he saw what he’d been missing.

About a hundred meters ahead, an observation post was nestled low to the ground, with two men sitting in the darkness. One of them produced an artificial light and shone it around before turning it off. They weren’t worried about noise or light discipline, most likely thinking the light would keep predators of all types at bay.

Bo turned and looked at Stewart. “Let’s go north. See if we can spot any more OPs or what they’re guarding.”

“Could just be an entrance to the town. Maybe some underground stairs or something,” Stewart suggested.

“You think so?”

“They had to get up here, sir. We know from Lieutenant Turan there are tunnels in the city, right? I bet they’ve got a way to get people up here that doesn’t involve hiking through all those killer plants,” Stewart said.

Bo thought for a moment. Stewart was more than likely right. If the enemy were simply guarding the top of the town, it made sense. “If they’re not just overwatching from up here, they’re protecting something below. We’ve got to try to see what it is.”

Stewart nodded. “I’ll take point, sir.”

Bo let the young lieutenant move to the front of the patrol. He could use the experience, and sometimes the patrol leader didn’t really need to be the point man, too. They crept north for half an hour before heading east again. Bo glanced down at his watch and realized it was coming up on midnight. Aliza would be calling in, but Sergeant Cook or one of the others at the assembly area across the valley would be the one to talk to her.

Will she worry about me? Wonder what I’m doing?

Bo decided he didn’t know, and he didn’t like how those kinds of questions distracted him from the mission. Aliza could wait a day. His need to focus and determine his course of action for the coming attack took precedence over everything else.

Thirty minutes later, they came upon another observation position overlooking the eastern edge of the plateau’s escarpment. So: two observation posts and quite possibly more. Depending upon what was hidden back there, they might even have to be the first targets to be taken out during the attack.

Bo moved Scout up along Stewart’s position. “We’re not going to get any further east. Let’s turn around and get back to the assembly area by morning, if we can.”

“You