After [A Journey of the Twins Novel] (18 page)

Brent's “accident” disturbed him.

Where's the blood from the neck wound? Nothing but dry rock surrounded the body. I suspect someone killed him elsewhere, then made it appear to be an accident.

Ruben's face showed nothing of his inner turmoil. If the one who did this was close, as his instincts led him to believe, that person would see his reaction and become overly cautious. If she remained unaware of his suspicions, she might become careless, and be easily captured. Ruben was almost certain it was the girl they sought. After all, he had her cat and the male companion who was with it.

A nod of approval solidified his decision against further action. For the moment, he wanted to give the person watching a chance to become lax. Ruben started back to camp.

The prisoner met his gaze with hatred when he stopped before him. The glare turned to one of confusion when the mercenary said, “Not much longer now."

Ruben moved toward the tent situated next to his. The guard inside jumped to attention as he ducked through the flap. A small lamp sitting in the corner brightened the interior. The cat lay in the middle, chained to a post in the ground. His mouth was tied shut to keep him from biting anyone; his feet were tied, as well. The bloody spot where the arrow had struck near his shoulder had long since become dried and crusty. Ruben looked down and chuckled.

"I thought you'd like to know ... she's here.” His words were smug. “We will capture her and bring her to the Boss, and there's nothing you can do about it. How does it feel to be so helpless, to be unable to prevent it?” Ruben laughed at the discomfort his declaration gave the cat. He left him to contemplate his inability to help his friends.

The mercenary leader returned to his tent. He wanted to make sure he had his wits about him in case the girl slipped up. Sleep would help. He had to bring her to the Boss alive, or else. That one would not tolerate any mistakes made during her capture.

Ruben sat down on his sleeping pad and peeled off his boots. They hit the ground next to the only other thing in the tent, his pack. He did not like to carry a lot of unnecessary things on his journeys; they only slowed him down when speed was of the essence. The faster he worked, the more he earned. A simple philosophy.

Removing the sword from his back, he placed it on the ground within easy reach. The big man curled under the blanket and fell into a light sleep. His dreams were filled with the capture of his quarry, and the rewards he would receive for it.

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The twins stirred just as the sun was sending its colorful rays across the morning sky, announcing its presence to the world. The cool air from the previous night made getting out of the blankets difficult.

"I'm not looking forward to winter. Always makes my fingers and toes feel like they're going to freeze off,” Shyanne said as she snuggled deeper into her blanket.

"Better than the sweltering heat of summer,” Drayco quipped.

"True. I have to agree with you there."

Shyanne got up with her blanket still draped over her shoulders and fetched some dried meat, along with some trail mix.

After Drayco finished the meager breakfast, he said, “I'm going to scout out the camp. Be ready in case they pull out this morning."

Shyanne nodded her head and started to gather their belongings.

He moved the bushes hiding the entrance to their camp and went out onto the little used trail. Hearing nothing, he made his way toward the small ledge he'd used the day before.

The guards posted on the outer perimeter paid no attention to the surrounding land. Their mannerism indicated that they couldn't imagine anyone remotely dangerous being in this part of the world, except them. If there was anyone around, they couldn't imagine him or her being stupid enough to attack a well-armed group like theirs. Because of their lax behavior, the dark man moved in their midst without notice.

Drayco made it to the previous day's hiding spot without difficulty. Today, he wanted to get closer. He wanted to be able to see and hear what was going on. Keeping an eye on a nearby guard who was daydreaming, he worked his way through the rocks. Several times, he had to duck to avoid people moving around the camp. The uneven terrain, with its nooks and ledges, gave him many places to hide.

One such nook was perfect for him to see and hear what was going on in the enemy camp. Gripping his sword to prevent any noise, he crouched low and crawled under an overhanging rock wedged next to another huge boulder. By the time he was in place, the shadows hid his body entirely.

Drayco could see Joseph still tied to the post, his head hung low. The only thing holding him upright was the ropes around his body. The dark man wanted to let him know he were there, but could not risk it.

Suddenly, two riders barreled around a rock outcropping into camp and jumped off their mounts before the horses completely stopped. They went immediately to Ruben's tent. One of the men yelled to let the occupant inside know they were there, and to receive permission to enter. A bellow from inside told them to do so. They tossed back the flap and disappeared from sight.

Several groups formed around the cook fires to eat and to stay warm in the chilly air. Drayco watched a muscular woman dressed in fighting gear walk over to Joseph. She grabbed his hair, held his head up, and gave him a drink from a battered cup pressed against his lips. He drank eagerly, taking in every drop that touched his lips. The woman let go of his hair once he finished and watched him. He glared at her, giving no thanks for the liquid that helped his parched body.

She reached up and ran her fingers along his cheek in a sensuous manner, then traveled them down to the exposed skin of his chest. Joseph jerked his head back, disgusted, and hit the post behind him. The female mercenary smiled at the pain caused by his reaction. A hand rose to her lips as she walked away. She blew him a kiss before disappearing from sight, laughing.

At least he's still alive,
Drayco thought.

The dark twin lay under the rock outcropping, watching the morning activities of the mercenaries. He wanted to establish a pattern to their movements in case the opportunity arose to rescue Joseph. The sound of a tent flap being tossed open brought his attention back to the center of the camp. The two men who had entered earlier were leaving. They jumped on their horses and rode out of camp as quickly as they had ridden in. Drayco wondered what was going on. He didn't have long to wait before he got his answer.

Ruben stepped out from the tent and shouted to get everyone's attention. “Let's break camp! I've just received new information from the Boss. We have to go farther west.” He walked over to Joseph and said in a loud, calm voice, “And you, my friend, are going with us. The Boss is interested in how you are connected to the female we seek, and why you are traveling with her cat."

The mercenaries put all the loose items away and pulled down the tents in a timely, organized manner. The people worked with as little sound as possible. They knew what part of the takedown process they had to do and completed it before Ruben could get frustrated. Drayco got the feeling they had performed this task many times before, and was impressed with their speed and efficiency. Horses were brought from a secret alcove that Drayco had not seen before. The Bay he acquired from the burly man was among them.

Ruben stood in the middle of the process and watched without comment. When all activity ended and the horses were ready for the journey, he went to the prisoners.

Drizzle lay on the ground next to Joseph. Drayco saw a bloody spot near his shoulder; otherwise, he looked unhurt. The cat's attention was focused on the movements of the people.

Probably doing the same thing I am ... looking for any opportunities or weaknesses
.

The big man stared at the prisoners before he turned around to address the crowd. “Well done, people. You make me proud.” The mercenaries smiled at each other, then returned their full attention to Ruben. He continued. “The information just given to me is from the Boss. As you know, the Boss is the one paying us to find a woman traveling with a big cat. The purpose is of no concern to us. What matters most is that we are paid well for our services."

The last statement brought a cheer of approval from the mercenaries.

"We have the cat. Now, I'm informed the woman we seek is located in a town west of here called Grandfield."

Grandfield, that's the town Moss mentioned before he died,
Drayco thought as he listened.

Ruben paced back and forth in front of the group, a stern look planted on his face. “We will move out immediately to find her. When we do, we will detain her without harm ... if possible.” He paused in his pacing and gave a sideways smirk to the mercenaries, then resumed walking. Several of the men said lewd comments as they grinned and elbowed each other.

"The Boss also wants this man.” He jerked a thumb toward Joseph. “He will be brought back alive for questioning. Anyone caught messing with him will be killed immediately. Am I making myself clear?” He stopped and gave each man and woman a look that left no doubts about what would happen if his orders were disobeyed.

The lot standing before Ruben appeared to be made up of roughnecks, killers, fighters, and thieves, but they all must have met with the leader's wrath at some time or another. Drayco watched in fascination as each one refused to meet Ruben's stare. They all looked at the ground or fidgeted when his gaze met theirs. He could only imagine what each one had gone through, but for some reason they still respected him and stayed with him.

"Let's move out,” Ruben commanded. He remained where he was while the others followed his orders.

Drayco decided it was time to get back to Shyanne so they wouldn't lose the group within the rocks. He also wanted to update her as to what was said, and on how Joseph and Drizzle were doing. Sliding backwards out from under the ledge, the sword at his side made a slight chinking noise when it rubbed against the rock. He froze. No one looked in his direction. The commotion created by the group moving toward their animals overshadowed the noise.

Or so he thought.

Apparently, someone did notice. Drizzle casually moved his head around in such a way that anyone watching would think he was stretching his neck. He stopped when he spotted Drayco. Drayco met the cat's gaze and let him know through hand signals that all was well, and that they would be following when the party moved. Drizzle gave a slight nod of his head to let the dark man know he understood. He returned to the previous position.

The dark twin decided to stay where he was until after the mercenaries moved on to reduce the risk of another incident. He remembered hearing the direction the troupe was going and did not want to risk getting caught needlessly.

After everyone was ready, one of the men brought a huge, black stallion with a brilliant white blaze on its forehead forward from another alcove. The power rippling from the beast was incredible. The horse sensed the excitement in the air and pranced around, making it difficult for the man leading him to keep from being trampled. Ruben walked up and stroked its forehead, calming it immediately.

"How's my big boy?"

The horse bobbed his head into the big man's chest, almost knocking him over. Ruben kept a firm grip on the bridle to prevent him from succeeding.

"Is Wind Racer ready to go for a run?"

He grabbed the reins and walked down the side of the animal, running his free hand gently against the muscular body to keep it calm. Wind Racer held steady, even though he trembled with excitement. Once the big man reached the well-worn saddle, he placed a foot in the stirrup and threw himself onto the broad back.

The big man gripped the reins and watched as two people from the group untied Joseph from the pole. He laughed as the prisoner crashed to the ground, causing a swirl of dust to puff up around his face.

Joseph lay where he fell, coughing from the effort to breathe through the cloud. His arms were forcefully pinned behind him and a knee planted square in his back to prevent him from struggling while the men retied his arms. They picked him up and dragged him to one of the horses where he was thrown into a sitting position on the animal's back. One wrapped some rope around both arms and tied the ends to the saddle horn to prevent him from falling off in his weakened state.

The men picked up the big cat and attempted to place him on the same animal. The horse shied away from the scent, and would have thrown Joseph had he not been secured to it. It took several people holding the animal to get it under control before the cat came to rest behind Joseph. Afterwards, everyone leapt onto their horses and waited for Ruben to give the signal to begin the journey.

What Drayco was not aware of was that Ruben had witnessed Drizzle's movement and subsequent reaction, and without letting anyone know what he was doing, he looked around while waiting for the camp to get ready. He couldn't see what the cat had spotted, but knew someone was there. A slight nod of the head told him that a message had been passed between the two.

A smile crossed his face as he prodded the black horse through the pass that led toward the open country to the west. Ruben knew his bait had been taken. Unlike himself, he felt certain the woman would never abandon her companions, and would follow them straight to Grandfield, a town well known by the gang.

If the female trailing them tried to rescue her companions, he looked forward to the fight and the ensuing capture. He knew he couldn't kill her, but a little playful groping was allowed. The Boss’ order said to bring her back alive. The order did not specify in what condition.

Drayco waited until the last of the party had disappeared around the rocks before he moved. He weaved his way back to the hiding spot as fast as he could. When he got there, the clump of bushes blocking the entrance went sailing. He skidded to a stop with his hands in the air when the point of a sword almost pierced his chest.