Page 102 of Tempting Cargo

Okay, I hated it, but I could do it. For her.

We waited until the cottage retainers were round the other side, and waited even longer for the other people to turn away or leave. My legs began to spasm, and I could tell from the subtle shifting of my companions they felt the same.

The waiting. I hadn’t missed anything about the military, including this.

“Go, go, go.” Tokki’s urgent whisper triggered that familiar explosive transition from inaction to movement. My adrenaline surged, and we kept low, running towards a small decorative wall covered all the way up with flowers.

Stop.

Wait.

Visibility was poor here, so we had to rely on the life sign imaging on Tokki’s tac-tablet. Massive trees lined part of the back wall, and we aimed for the cover of darkness they provided.

I hoped Shohari was still buying us time. I hoped she was okay.

“Sixth life form. Just come out of the cottage.”

That must be Airida.

He was a partial unknown; Shohari hadn’t seen him properly in over a year, and we didn’t know what condition he was in or how he would react. The garden went back towards the wall, so we weren’t concerned about him seeing us. Him looking out of a window at the front would have been worse.

Once we were in the darkened tree line, I struggled to contain my jittery energy. We were close. So close.

Like silent shadows, we stalked between the giant trunks.

Two retainer-guards conversed in low tones, walking along one of the paths breaking up the small garden. We waited until Airida went back inside, and once the guards had their backs to us, we vaulted the low wall.

Tokki and I exploded into motion.

My shin connected with the soft spot on the back of my target’s knee. I reached for the pressure point under his skull ridge, just to the right of his spine.

As the giant kri’ith sank to his knees, I kept the thumb pressure to his artery, but his sharp elbow in my ribs sent me sprawling to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

I scrabbled to my feet the same time he’d wheezed in some breaths and spun to face me.

For a heartbeat, there was only the two of us reaching for our weapons and the roar of blood in my ears.

I pulled my blaster from the holster before he gripped his, but he didn’t falter, raising his weapon even as I trained mine on him with steady hands.

“Don’t make me shoot you,” I said, my voice distorted by the helmet’s mouthpiece.

His headspines flared, and a growl rumbled in his chest.

Fuck. I was going to have to shoot him, wasn’t I? What was worse? To die, or for Shohari to hate me?

My target’s hand flew to his neck. His eyes rolled up, and he crumpled to the floor, a dart sticking out between his fingers.

Tokki gave a muffled curse as his target thudded to the ground, another dart protruding from his neck.

Daiytak stood off to one side, holding the dart gun. “I still think we should have gone for the easy option from the start.”

I panted hard, rubbing my leg. “We tried to respect Shohari’s wishes. It’s a compromise.” And while Daiytak might not care about these retainers’ moral standing, I didn’t want to be thereason they did something drastic afterwards in their perceived shame. They’d put up a fight; it was enough.

We bound our targets with practiced efficiency, and I threw the rest of the rope in my backpack.

“Let me go in alone,” I said. “My appearance may be less of a shock than yours.”

They nodded. “We’ll come if there is trouble.”