Page 109 of Carnal: The Beast Who Loved Me

Yellow looked at Clash and Joy. “You two come with me.”

In twenty minutes, Clash, Joy, and Yellow returned with Max and two of the architects of the plan to annihilate hybrids. The mayor had identified the address of the third and given directions so that Carnal and Easy could fetch him.

By the time they were all assembled in the conference room, Free and the rest of Exiled were arriving.

Rosie made her way over to Dandy and whispered, “How are you doing?”

Dandy looked at her with eyes too bright. “Hopeful?”

Rosie nodded and squeezed her hand.

“Report,” said Free as he entered the room like a force of nature.

“We have three of the military leaders. Two will cooperate.” Carnal pointed to Clave Sychon and Rhod Forshep.”This one is out. Put him under guard,” he told Joy.

Thon Borgen bared his teeth at Carnal, intending to look menacing, but the sight of short flat blocky teeth being displayed as a threat struck Carnal as so funny he laughed out loud.

Carnal turned to Free. “They have two hundred people who know how to use the weapons, but we can only carry a hundred and thirty-six. The six fuel rigs will haul as much weaponry and ammunition as we can carry, and Crave’s Promise gets a place on the back of one of the bikes. Almost all of those two hundred are at the munitions plant.”

Free looked at Sychon and Forshep. “Do you understand what we’re doing?”

“Yes. You’re attacking the Rautt,” said Sychon.

“We’reattacking the Rautt,” Free corrected. “We need your people out of bed, in their clothes, ready to move an hour ago. We’re going to carry them across the wasteland on our bikes. We’re going to go in and extract a prisoner. When we have him safely away, we expect your people to rain the fire of gods down on the miscreants until no one and nothing is left. Are you prepared to lead your people?”

Sychon looked at Forshep, then back at Free. “Yes,” she said. “We are.”

Carnal stepped forward. “Swear your allegiance to us as allies.” He searched the woman for signs of deception, but found none.

“We are your allies in this.”

“Can you speak for him?” Free nodded toward Forshep. “Is he mute?”

“I’m not mute,” said Forshep, sounding a little offended. “I’ve been hauled out of bed in the middle of the night to lead an unplanned battle with people we’ve not previously considered friends. Women are more flexible.”

Free nodded at the wisdom of that. “Are you prepared to make a shift in your perspective?”

“Why now? At whatever fuck in the morning? Why couldn’t we sit down at a reasonable hour and discuss this in a civilized way?”

“The rain.” Free waited to see if the human would put it together, but there was nothing in his expression but blankness. Free cocked his head. “When the Rautt attack your city, we’re always here to defend it before they arrive. Do you know how we know when to come?”

Forshep’s expression remained blank and he was actually beginning to look impatient. Free was astonished that the humans, even the military leaders, knew so little about how they’d been protected.

“We know because traveling the wasteland raises high plumes of dust that can be seen for ten miles from here, farther from the hill where we live.”

Finally, Forshep seemed to put it together.

“It’s raining to the north. Wet sand won’t float on the air,” Sychon said. “They won’t know we’re coming until we’re there.” She sounded genuinely impressed.

“The last time the wasteland was wet was nearly twenty years ago,” Free added. “This opportunity is worth losing a little sleep for.” Free nodded toward Carnal. “My oldest son, Carnal, gets the credit.”

Forshep flicked a glance at Carnal. While he took in a quick deep breath, he seemed to make a decision to man up. “Yes. I’ll fight with you.”

“Good,” Free said. “It’s good that we’re able to resolve this amicably and quickly. Forgive me for feeling I need to add a caveat, but since you were planning to murder all of us, I’d be remiss by not saying that anyone who turns on us in the heat of battle will find their body in one place and their head in another. Clear?”

“Fair enough,” said Forshep.

“While your people are waking up, getting dressed, and preparing their weaponry, you will discuss strategy with us.” Free motioned to the elders standing behind him. “Assuming that the two of you are going, that leaves one hundred thirty-four people. Can we find that many qualified people at the munitions facility?”