Shot Dead (Incidental Inquisitors Book 5) by Aaron D. Schneider & Michael Anderle

Author:Aaron D. Schneider & Michael Anderle [Schneider, Aaron D. & Anderle, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2023-03-19T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

Doughas

As much as Doughas hated to admit it, JunRazelien ran a tight ship. The self-styled commando led his pack of deputies, his tally braids trailing behind his head as he clawed through the woods on his mechanical vargen. Similarly-mounted rangers flanked him. Two teams of three rangers each followed his lead and flanked Doughas’ vehicle, an outrider with massive wheels and shock absorbers that was well-suited to the uneven terrain.

Doughas couldn’t say the same for the rest of the Inquisitors. Some drove comparable outriders but had a harder time steering through the constant jolts and shudders of off-roading. Others had tried to follow the path flattened out by the rest of the crew with their city vehicles. One by one, they nosedived into a ditch or popped a tire on a jutting branch. Soon, a good three-mile stretch of crippled vans and SUVs littered the trail behind the remaining Inquisitors.

“Your boys ain’t so fresh without their asphalt and safety signs, are they?” the ranger driving Doughas’ outrider joked. Even Parak, seated beside Doughas, looked somewhat dismayed by the Inquisitors’ poor performance.

Less than half Doughas’ force remained when they reached the rendezvous. A pair of deputies awaited them at the start of the real trail. They dismounted and conversed with JunRazelien. Doughas jumped from the car and hustled over so quickly that he was almost running. He must have looked ridiculous. A dwarf standing beside giant metal beasts and their looming riders.

“What’s the word?” Doughas interjected and broke apart the conversation. The deputies looked at JunRazelien. After a pause to scan Doughas, no doubt taking in his squat form and his fast breathing, the elf nodded. The deputies begin their explanation again at his signal.

Doughas grumbled internally, but he knew he’d have to get used to it. No matter what he or anyone in the city said, JunRazelien was in charge here. Not Doughas.

“Well, the trail starts over here, then it carries on over there. We followed for a couple of miles before we got the return call. If I had to bet, and I very well might, I’d wager the trail continues over to those hills yonder. Whoever made this trail is either dead or holed up on top of a cliff.” The explaining deputy was a rotund ogre with a drawn-out, nasal accent that made every word take twice as long to complete. Listening to him felt like a jar of molasses being emptied into Doughas’ skull, suffocating his brain one syllable at a time.

“All right, lad,” Doughas finally exploded. “I think it’s clear enough. We follow this trail to its end and find out who it belongs to. I’m satisfied with that. Do we need to keep listing off words, or can we go?”

JunRazelien had the audacity to remain unstartled by Doughas’ outburst or his attempt to take command. He nodded his thanks to the deputy ogre and whistled sharply. The other rangers rotated their steeds and assumed their previous formation, leaving JunRazelien alone with the dismounted Doughas.

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