Dawn Study. Maria Snyder V.
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tall, impossibly thin Greenblade man Janco had nicknamed Toothpick—must have spotted the tree trunk lying across the road. The tree wasn’t big enough to halt the wagon entirely, but in order to continue his journey, the driver would have to roll over it with care or risk a broken wheel.
Janco shifted his weight to the balls of his feet. When the horses stepped over the log, he slipped behind the wagon. As the wheels thumped over the obstruction, Janco climbed in and crawled under the tarp, avoiding the sacks of white coal as he wedged his body between the other supplies.
The wagon increased its speed after it cleared the trunk. Janco grinned and pumped his fist. Toothpick didn’t have a clue he’d just picked up a passenger. Not sure how long it would be until they stopped, Janco settled into a more comfortable position.
Janco’d been watching and tracking the deliveries to the Greenblade garrison for two weeks now, trying to identify which wagon brought in the Theobroma for the cook to use in the garrison’s food. It had been harder than he expected, since they used a tarp and the schedule was erratic. But once he figured out Toothpick was the delivery man, it didn’t take long to plan a way to hop a ride to see just where the Theobroma was coming from.
Janco checked the lump under his tunic, ensuring it remained in place. The null shield pendant kept the Cartel’s magicians from brainwashing him and also from detecting him. They’d been rather vigilant about spies, which was why he couldn’t simply follow the wagon on horseback.
As the afternoon turned into evening, Janco guessed Toothpick would stop for the night. He remembered General Brazell’s Theobroma-producing factory. They had smelled the sweet aroma of the drug miles downwind. He doubted many of the Greenbladers recognized the scent. However, finding an isolated spot to produce the stuff must have been difficult, since the Greenblade forest, which covered two-thirds of their lands, had dozens of tiny settlements all over the place.
When the wagon slowed hours later, Janco prepared to ditch. While certain he could take Toothpick without breaking a sweat, Janco didn’t want to ruin the mission. This was an information-gathering endeavor. Ari, his partner, had just about pounded the importance of not being seen into Janco’s head.
Slipping out before the horses stopped, Janco dropped onto the road. He ducked into the woods as the wagon continued toward a bright yellow glow. Perhaps Toothpick had decided to overnight in one of the settlements. By the distant brightness, Janco guessed it must be one of the bigger villages.
Janco hurried to catch up, but paused at the edge of the...town? He stared through the trees at the wide array of buildings and factories. People bustled between them even at this late hour. Greenery filled the extra-long glass hothouses lined up like fingers—ten in all. The nutty sweetness of Theobroma fogged the air and mixed with the unmistakable citrus tang of Curare.
Holy snow cats! He’d hit the jackpot.
Or had he? This was blatant, even for Bruns. And judging by the age of the tree stumps and worn paths, this had been here for years. Someone would have noticed it by now. Unless Owen had set it up and scared off the locals?
The answer popped into his head, and Janco almost groaned aloud. Idiot.
He removed the null shield pendant—a gift from Leif—and a dark forest replaced the scene of bright industry. All sounds ceased, and only a moist, earthy scent filled his nose. Pain burned in his right ear.
The town was covered by a massive illusion. Even though Janco hated magic, he had to admit the deception was impressive. The main road curved around the northern edge, so unsuspecting travelers would avoid all the buildings.
Looping the pendant back around his neck, Janco squinted in the sudden light. He spent the next couple hours observing. The activity slowed well after midnight, with only a few people remaining outside. The desire to nose about the complex to learn more pulsed in his chest. Perhaps he’d spot Owen’s Master Gardener. The man or woman had to be in charge of this operation. And Janco even wore the long green tunic and pants that the Greenblade men preferred. His light brown hair and tanned skin matched them as well.
However, Janco remembered the last time he’d pushed his luck. He’d ended up not only getting caught but also causing the rest of his team to be captured. Dax had died, Hale went missing and Leif had almost died.
Being sensible for the first time in his life, Janco left, jogging along the road. He’d report back to Ari and, after they sent the information to Fisk, they’d return and have a good snoop.
* * *
Janco arrived in Longleaf late the next morning. Instead of trying to go undercover in the garrison, they’d decided to rent a small house in the nearby town and keep an eye on the flow of traffic going to and from the base.
With a sudden burst of energy, Janco sprinted to the narrow wooden house wedged in the middle of a row. He rushed into the front room and was about to shout his good news, but Ari’s tense posture stopped him in his tracks. Ari wore his I-want-to-strangle-someone expression. One that was usually aimed at Janco, but was directed at a young boy. Poor kid.
At six feet four inches tall, Ari loomed over most others. The skinny-mini standing next to him appeared tiny in comparison. Must be one of Fisk’s...spies. Hard to call kids under the age of fifteen spies, but the little tykes had come in handy since the Cartel decided to take over Sitia. And the guild members had saved their asses back when Bruns had them. Gotta give them their due.
Sensing trouble, Janco asked, “Something wrong?”
“We’re being recalled to the Citadel,” Ari said. Frowning, he ran a big, beefy paw—er...hand—over the short curls of his blond hair.
“Who and why?”
“Valek’s orders. Tell him,” Ari said to the boy.
Janco braced for bad news as Skinny-Mini detailed Yelena’s capture and her agreement with Cahil—which explained Ari’s murderous glare. Despite the results, using lamplighters for an ambush was a sweet move. He’d never look at them the same way again.
“I need to inform the others. Master Fisk is pulling all agents from the garrisons,” Skinny-Mini said.
“Go,” Ari said.
“Wait.” Janco grabbed his shoulder. “Are you returning to the Citadel after this?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Tell Fisk we’ll be delayed a few days.”
“We can’t disobey a direct order,” Ari said.
“Don’t worry, Ari. Valek will forgive us. He’ll probably give us a medal.”
“Why?” Ari and Skinny-Mini asked in unison.
He told them about the complex. “We can’t return without checking it out. It might be the key to stopping the Cartel.”
Ever cautious, Ari asked, “How many guards are there?”
“Doesn’t matter. We’ll be like ghosts—invisible.”
“Ghosts aren’t... Oh, never mind. We’ll check it out, but I’ll decide if we go into the complex or just watch from a distance.”
“Hey, who put you in charge?” Janco asked, outraged.
“Valek.”
“Oh, yeah.” All his annoyance disappeared. “No problem. I know you’ll want to take a closer look. It’s irresistible, like candy and babies.”
“I know I’m going to regret asking this, but you find candy and babies irresistible?” Ari asked.
“Hell no. They’re both sticky.”
His partner waited.
“Some people find them irresistible. And, you know...” Janco waved his hand. “They’re easy to steal...or something like that.”
“I was right.”
“About