The Rogue Retrieval by Koboldt Dan

Author:Koboldt, Dan [Koboldt, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2016-01-19T05:00:00+00:00

“Alissians might not recognize a thoroughbred, but they know a good horse when they see one.”

—­R. HOLT, “OVERVIEW OF ALISSIAN HUSBANDRY”

CHAPTER 14

PESTS

Logan made the rendezvous just in time. Kiara and Chaudri had arrived earlier and erased all signs of their presence from the abandoned farmstead. They’d bought about a week’s worth of provisions, mostly in the form of local nuts, figs, and cured meat.

“We had to wait in line to get it, no matter the price,” Kiara said.

“Too many ­people, not enough food,” Chaudri said. “Even with Dr. Holt’s intervention, things will be difficult here for some time.”

“That reminds me,” Logan said. “Briannah said someone tried to steal the horses.”

“Did they get anything?”

“Don’t think so. Lem and the boys were all over them.”

“When this is over, we should have another look at the security at Briannah’s inn.”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds. And we can trust them.”

“I suppose the food is decent,” Kiara said.

“Decent?”

Chaudri leaned over. “You smell just like her kitchen. She was cooking, wasn’t she?”

Logan shrugged. “I have great timing.”

“Did you bring me some?”

“Ooh, sorry,” Logan said. “Not like I had any Tupperware.” Yet another item on the company’s doesn’t-­go-­through list.

Chaudri’s face fell.

Logan handed her a bundle wrapped in wax paper. “Brought you some of her honey rolls, though.”

“Oh, Logan! You’re a knight of honor,” Chaudri said. She was all grins, which was fitting. Briannah’s baking was the only thing equal to her cooking.

Kiara and Logan wandered over to where the horses were hobbled. “I assume that’s to keep her busy while we drug the animals?” she asked quietly.

“Not sure she’d be thrilled about it. You know how she is with the horses.”

Logan dug into his saddlebags and came up with a sealed leather pouch. The tech team had crafted it to look like the kit of an Alissian surgeon. The vials inside held a proprietary solution derived from South American tree frogs. The natural substance was called dermorphin, and often used to dope racehorses. The company’s synthetic isoform was more potent, though, and longer-­lasting. They’d even gone so far as to match doses to each animal based on gender, weight, and genetics.

Logan read the reminder label inside the kit. “ ‘Emergency Use Only.’ ”

“This qualifies,” Kiara said.

The horses didn’t protest the needle prick like Logan feared. He supposed that as company investments, they saw regular blood draws, antibiotics, and supplements to keep them in pristine health. And they came from good stock, too, which couldn’t hurt.

They mounted. Chaudri took the reins of the packhorse, and Logan handled Bradley’s mare. He gave the isotope scanner a quick glance. Nothing was on the scope but the three of them. Holt had defeated the system somehow—­Logan forgot to ask him about that—­and Bradley was still MIA.

Great: all this tech, and it’s useless when we need it.

It’s one of the reasons they’d brought Bradley in the first place, and now he was lost. Logan had left instructions with Briannah in case the magician wandered back that way. He hoped to hell that he would.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.