Exploitable Weaknesses by Brian Keller (best interesting books to read txt) 📕

lock up when ye leave?” Cooper grinned, “I’ll do my best.” The owner turned and went back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Cooper heard the man say, “Nothing for you to worry about, dear. Go back to sleep.”

Cooper rejoined everyone on the ground floor and told them, “Sit down. Relax. Rest. If the boats aren’t here in the next ten minutes, I’ll go look for them. Worst case, I go to the Wharf City and sort this situation and come back with boats.” He’d just finished this statement when there was a soft but rapid knocking on the door. Gaff opened the door a crack and reported, “It’s Naro. He says the boats are coming!” Cooper arranged a few of the people, putting a few stronger ones to the front, saying, “Once you’ve reached the lower walkway, help the others down to the boats.” He then told the rest of them, “I’ll step out to make sure it’s clear. Once the boats reach the poles below the boardwalk, I’ll let you know and we’ll all get aboard as quickly as we can manage. Don’t rush. Step carefully and once you’re seated in a boat, stay in the center unless one of the crew tells you to move somewhere else.” He didn’t wait for a reply as he stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

He hadn’t noticed it before, there were too many other thoughts going through his head, but there was almost no breeze tonight. There was almost always a breeze coming in off the water, especially this time of year, but tonight the air was almost completely still. Despite that, he heard no noises that would indicate the approach of longboats. He stepped to the edge to see for himself and gazed to the northeast. “Sure enough, there they are”, he thought. He counted five boats and felt relief wash over him. “At least that’s one less thing to worry about”, he thought. Still, there was no shortage of concerns. He stepped back toward the buildings, studying the boardwalk to the north and south. There were a few people outside but no one appeared to notice him, or perhaps they just didn’t seem to care. He hoped that even if someone did raise some kind of alarm, or if the City Watch discovered the bodies they’d left behind and had widened their patrols, he and his colleagues would already be loaded and paddling away before any forces could reach them. He was also thinking that even if they boarded without raising anyone’s curiosity, they hadn’t yet reached the halfway point for their travels tonight.

The boats pulled up to the piers and Naro gave him a wave. Cooper crossed to the storefront and opened the door. He spoke to the dark space beyond, “They’re here. It’s time to go.” He counted everyone as they left the building, then closed the door and replaced the latch as best he could before turning his attention back to the north and south.

Despite most of the members’ frailties, they managed to load and get seated in less than three minutes. In fact, Cooper was conducting his fifth visual sweep of the boardwalk when Naro hissed at him, “Are you coming or not?!” He quickly stepped to the boardwalk above the lead boat and dropped over the edge, clung to the bracing below the boardwalk and hopped down onto the waiting boat. He nodded to the helmsman, “Many thanks to all of you. Do you have a spare paddle?” This brought a subdued chuckle from the Wharfsiders and a paddle was thrust in his direction. He seated himself and dipped his oar in the water as he awaited the signal.

The longboats set off almost in unison and the men paddled in a practiced rhythm. In the past, Cooper would often exert himself in order to display his willingness to work hard alongside the Wharfsiders. Tonight he acknowledged that when the paddling was done, he still had to escort the group through part of the Waterfront District. That stretch was probably the most dangerous part of their route. Apex, both the selling and the using of it, along with increased City Watch patrols were the reasons for that. His night was certainly not over. He needed to conserve his strength. He continued to paddle and exerted some effort doing so, but didn’t attempt to pull all the water in the bay with his usual vigor.

As they approached the pier on the east side of the Wharf City, he stopped paddling completely and instead he looked for any activity over the length of the pier, and did the same with the pier next to it. Both structures seemed devoid of any activity at all. He didn’t know whether to feel relieved or worried.

They drew up to the pier and he quickly climbed up and looked for any signs that they were entering an ambush. The pier had only one landside entry and exit point, there was nowhere else to go except back into the boats or into the water itself. He had known this would be a vulnerable position but considered it an acceptable risk. Now that there was no activity to be seen, he wondered if he’d misjudged.

He moved along the pier, thanking the crew in each boat for their assistance and asking them to remain in place until they’d reached land. Upon reaching the last boat he was greeted with some familiarity, “Kinsman! When the First informed me that five crews and boats were needed to move between two and three dozen people across the bay at night, I suspected we might meet again.” Cooper smiled when he saw the massive sailor, “Silas! Good to see you again. Thank you for helping us. It truly is appreciated.” He paused and raised an eyebrow, “I wonder if you’d wait until we reach land before leaving the pier? The fact that there is no one