Project Columbus: Omnibus by J.C. Rainier

Author:J.C. Rainier [Rainier, J.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oakenbrand Press
Published: 2014-09-12T04:00:00+00:00

Capt Haruka Kimura

14 April, Year of Landing, midday

Camp Eight

Come on, Maria. Where are you?

Haruka tried to keep still as she waited in the makeshift foyer of the Palm Palace. Her legs wanted to pace as she kept watch for the elder Serrano, but she forced herself to stay put, so as not to miss Maria passing by the building. Haruka’s palms began to sweat. She was nervous about confronting Maria, but time was up; Haruka needed her to start contributing to the village workload. Even more disturbing was the fact that Maria seemed to be failing in her responsibilities as a mother. Gabi had, twice in the past week, been found alone by other villagers, and would refuse to go back to her mother when she was brought back. This led Haruka to ask Kelly Vandemark to split her time and watch Gabi when she could.

She pulled the curtain aside a few inches and scanned the village common, but there was still no sign of her. This was discouraging, but not surprising. Maria had no set habits, either. Haruka knew that sometime in the late mornings, she would leave the village to go to the river. She knew that Maria was in her hut when she decided to lay the trap. Only one path ran between the village and the waterways, and Haruka had not seen Maria in the roughly two hours that she had been watching.

Haruka’s stomach growled, but she ignored it. Leaving the Palace for food might mean having to wait another day to confront Maria, and Haruka could not accept wasting a large portion of her own day to come out empty handed.

Come on, she chanted to herself. Though she did not speak, her lips moved ever so slightly in rhythm with the words in her mind.

As if Haruka had willed it, Maria walked past the Palm Palace and headed for the path to the water. She went to launch from her hiding place, but paused as the idea of her ambush devolving into a screaming match crossed her mind.

No. Follow her down. Get her alone.

Haruka waited until Maria disappeared below the hill’s horizon and then slipped from inside the Palace. She moved to the edge of the village, confirming that her target was still oblivious, then began to follow her down the path at a distance. Whenever a colonist would come up the path, Haruka bowed her head and danced to the side of the path, obscuring herself behind a tree whenever she had the opportunity; her nerves tingled at the prospect of blowing her cover.

Gradually the path flattened out and then split; a smaller game trail wandered to the right through thick, often thorny undergrowth on its way to the river. She knew Maria would have taken this offshoot, as it was more secluded, and led to nearly the exact spot along the banks where her husband was bludgeoned to death. Maria had been spending more time at the site over the past week. Dr.

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