Deadly Cargo (Jake Mudd Adventures Book 1) by Hal Archer

Author:Hal Archer [Archer, Hal]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Published: 2017-05-30T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

Jake stood next to Nadira, looking at the expanse of dirt and rock ahead. They both, along with the other members of the infiltration team, watched the hundreds of Waudure ground troops move out before them. In clusters of ten to twenty each, the foot soldiers, some of them seasoned resistance fighters, others fresh-faced new recruits, made their way over the terrain that separated the underground Waudure stronghold from the Cracian base. Their target sat protected behind the stretch of jagged mountain peaks at the edge of the Untamed Lands.

"It's a long march," Hodin said. "Hours, but we'll get there, and with luck, we'll do it before they know we're coming."

They had already traversed several miles through underground tunnels to get to the open land they now faced.

"Any reason why we're standing around, then?" Jake asked.

"Oh," Nadira said, a mischievous look in her eyes, "didn't I tell you?"

Jake looked at her, waiting for what he figured from her tone would be an annoying bit of information.

"They're bringing a pack of crag beasts for us to ride." She looked pleased with herself at getting a rise out of him.

He didn't hide his dislike for the creatures.

"You must be kidding," he said, glancing around to see if the beasts were yet in sight.

"You have something against the things?" Brun asked. He had his thumbs tucked underneath the straps on his chest. He was flicking his forefingers against the sides of two of the explosives hooked to the straps.

"Anyone but Tay ought to have a problem with them," Alara said.

Jake noted from Alara's expression that she also disliked the idea of riding the deadly oversized hounds as much as he did.

Once again lulled into a momentary stupor by Alara's flawless beauty, he caught sight of something he hadn't noticed before. Her eyes were casting daggers toward him. Then he realized they weren't directed at him. She was targeting Nadira.

Jake, without moving his head too overtly, glanced at Nadira. She hadn't noticed Alara's assault.

What's the story there?

Jake felt a nudge on his shoulder opposite Nadira. He turned to Brun who was slowly shaking his head. Jake read his eyes to say, 'leave it alone.'

"They've been conditioned well," Hodin said. "We'll move with the mass of ground forces for the better part of the advance, but when the time comes, the crag beasts will provide us the speed and maneuverability needed to make our run for the base."

Hanlan, who as always stood off to the side, spoke while wrapping his rifle with a long band of cloth, protecting it from the swirling sand in the warm air. "Beasts acting like beasts shouldn't be blamed."

Several more Waudure came out of the tunnel openings in the mounds behind them. They'd made the long journey from the underground base.

"What are they carrying?" Jake asked.

The men and women he saw, about fifteen of them, wore large packs on their backs. Affixed to the outside of the brown bulky packs, metal tripods, the legs of which were as long as the Waudure were tall.

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