Page 35 of Princess (Marinah and the Apocalypse #5)

Marinah

On the day Nikayla turned two weeks old, I was dead to the world and had no idea what time it was when Beck pounded on our door. King answered.

“Landan is on the radio. He needs to speak with Marinah immediately,” Beck all but yelled into the room so I would hear.

I quickly pulled on clothes. Beck had disturbed Nikayla, and she began to fuss.

“I’ll change Nikayla and bring her to you; go,” King said.

I charged after Beck.

“What did Landan say?” I asked.

“They found the Federation’s stronghold.”

I tore into our communications room and hit the talk button on the radio. “It’s Marinah.”

“This is Landan. My scouts located the main Federation camp on the Louisiana coast. They estimate two thousand troops. Most are seasoned soldiers with only a few red stripes. There are five ships in the gulf, and those ships are preparing to leave. The troop numbers do not include men aboard the vessels. There is another main camp of soldiers about a hundred miles from us, deep in the city. The majority are red stripes, but they also have hellhounds in semi-trucks. They’ve been moving in soldiers slowly.

I didn’t get the information until yesterday evening.

I was radioing you this morning to tell you about those soldiers, but my other scouts just returned with the new information. ”

“What time is it now?” I asked.

“3 a.m.”

I was awake, but my lack of sleep made me feel sluggish. “Where is the main camp staging?”

“The area was difficult to get to, and my men found it purely by accident. It’s surrounded by swamps about fifty miles from New Orleans.”

New Orleans was demolished by bomb strikes after the first electromagnetic pulses hit. Survivors either joined the Federation or headed west to outpost territories.

“Why do they think it’s a main camp?” I asked.

“President Barnes was identified. One of my scouts escaped as a red stripe years ago, and he is very familiar with Barnes.”

My heart began beating double time. “Did he see Mrs. Barnes?”

“Was Mrs. Barnes identified?” Landan asked someone in the room with him. His voice was slightly muffled, so he must have turned away from the microphone.

“I didn’t see her,” came a reply.

“Would you know her if you did see her?”

“Yes.”

“Marinah, did you catch that?”

“Yes,” I said. “Any sign of a submarine?”

“No, and I asked specifically about it.”

“What about hellhounds?”

“There are semi-trucks in both camps. If they have hellhounds in them, and if they’re filled to capacity, you’re looking at a thousand hounds at the main camp.

The camp in our territory holds another two thousand troops.

The trucks are also being used defensively and surround the camps.

At the Louisiana camp, the scouts watched them load large amounts of supplies on two ships, with three others waiting in the harbor.

They think those were already loaded. One ship can carry a thousand men. ”

I took a moment to absorb what he was saying.

“Do you want to send your children to the island along with non-combatants?”

“My best guess is they’re planning to attack on two fronts: your island by sea and possibly air, and us by land and air. They have over twenty airplanes. It’s too late to send our children to you. It took the Louisiana scouts thirty-six hours to get here, and the attacks could come at any time.”

“I’ll meet with my guard and get back to you within the hour,” I said.

“That works. We’ve been preparing for this, and all outposts within two hundred miles are with us for the battle. Out,” said Landan.

The radio went silent.

“Gather the guard,” I told Beck.

We turned toward the door due to a screaming child in the hall.

“My signal to haul ass,” Beck said. “I have my own screaming child to deal with.”

King entered as Beck ran out. King looked at the two radio operators and nodded at the door. They made a quick exit, and he handed Nikayla to me. I pulled my shirt up and gave her what she needed while I explained the conversation with Landan.

“Two fronts for the attack makes sense,” King said after the baby settled.

I was staring down at her and felt tears welling in my eyes. How the fuck could I leave her behind, especially with a pending attack? King understood.

“We can stay here and fight them in our territory,” he said.

I shook my head. “We must take out Barnes. If the ships and planes make it here, President Barnes won’t be with them. He’s a coward. We need to wipe out his land troops.”

“Why do you think they’re staging so many troops on land away from Landan’s territory?” King asked.

I didn’t even need to think about it. “They’re preparing to take over the island after we’re defeated. The president and his wife will come her for the celebration after the danger has passed.”

“They won’t win the island.”

I smiled, and anyone else would have run. “No, they won’t, but they don’t know that.”

“What are you thinking?”

I looked into the eyes of the man I loved. “We will divide the Shadow Warriors into three units. It means we are outnumbered on all fronts by two to one. The Shadow Warriors are the only hope and we knew it would come to this.”

“Agreed. Do you think Nikayla’s had enough to settle down so we can meet with the guard?”

“It’s possible.”

“I need your help getting this thing situated on me.” He lifted the baby carrier that I’d noticed when he walked in.

“On you?”

“You wave your hands when you’re agitated, and I think it will be safer for her if she’s attached to me.

” He smiled in a way that let me know he was joking even though he had a point.

Two minutes later, she fell asleep again.

I stepped to the door and looked outside.

The radio operators stood at attention. “Here,” I said, and placed Nikayla in the closest man’s arms so I could help King.

It took about five minutes to get him situated, and then we added Nikayla.

She didn’t stir. King’s huge muscles made the straps appear small.

I couldn’t help but grin at how adorable they looked.

I received a stern expression from King but didn’t have time to tease him. We had to get to the argument room.