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Two men jumped out and pulled the boat’s prow onto the beach. There was enough light for Valek to distinguish male and female, but not enough to observe facial features. Three men and two women hopped onto the sand. They carried two of the lanterns. Exchanging a few words with the woman in the boat, the five then strode across the sand, heading inland.
The men pushed the craft into deeper water and leaped in. Picking up the oars, they rowed toward the light still bobbing in the ocean. The water under the boat remained smooth despite the storm surge, which meant the magician had stayed with the rowboat. Valek’d bet a gold coin it was the woman sitting in the stern. Valek moved closer, risking being spotted to get a clear view of the magician. She was young. Sixteen, maybe seventeen years old. Pretty with long dark hair. At least she wasn’t one of the Stormdancers.
Unable to follow the rowboat in storm-tossed seas, Valek trailed the group that had been dropped off. If they were a raiding party, then why did the boat leave? Perhaps they planned to rendezvous later at another location. That would be rather smart.
As the Storm Thieves traveled east, Valek recalled the map of the area. No towns or farms had been built here. There was nothing of value to steal. Maybe they’d hidden a stash of goods and were retrieving their stolen supplies. After hiking two miles, the Storm Thieves turned south, paralleling the coastline. The wind eased and soon it stopped raining.
When they bypassed Gandrel, the half-moon shone through a film of wispy clouds. Valek suspected that the Storm Thieves were headed to the steer farm. Instead of relying on the storm, they might be attempting to steal the cattle later tonight when everyone was asleep. An unexpected move. Again, he suspected their leader wasn’t an average thief.
But how would they transport the animals? Someone would hear the hooves on the wooden planks of the dock. And he doubted they would bring them back to the beach where they’d landed. That boat was too small unless they carried one steer at a time. In that case, they’d have to make multiple trips, but no one would be searching for them up there. Now the question remained, were the Storm Thieves clever enough to make it work?
A quarter of a mile before the steer farm, they turned east, not west as expected. Curious, Valek closed the distance between them. After half a mile, the five hurried down an overgrown lane and into a barn with a sagging roof and weathered wood. Valek looped to the back of the dilapidated structure. A rusted chain wrapped around the handles of a set of warped doors. An oversize padlock cinched the chain tight.
The barn had only one exit. Good. Scrawny pine trees surrounded the area. There were no other buildings or lights visible. Lantern light glowed through the two dirty windows. Valek peeked inside. The Storm Thieves set up bedrolls. The glass garbled their words, but their tone suggested a relaxed, easy banter. Interesting.
Valek found a hidden vantage point and waited. Nothing happened. They remained inside. Right before dawn, he checked on them again. They slept in a circle around one of the lanterns. It still glowed. The faint light illuminated their young faces, ranging in age from fifteen to nineteen.
A heaviness pressed on his shoulders. These kids had ruined their futures by being a part of the Storm Thieves. No spouse or children for them. The Code of Behavior didn’t give second chances.
He mulled over the reason they hid in the barn. That second storm would hit the steer farm tonight, and these five would already be there to lead the cattle to the ship, saving time. And with the noise of the wind and waves, no one would hear the animals’ passage over the dock. Shrewd. Very shrewd. And perfect for him. He knew just what to do.
Valek returned to the apartment. His cloak, uniform and hair were stiff with dried salt and sand. The cold air had soaked into his bones. He stirred the coals in the hearth to life and added logs. Then he washed up and changed into his adviser’s uniform.
An hour after dawn, Endre and Annika arrived. They reported a quiet night.
“The owner’s not too concerned about a theft,” Endre said. “Except the house, none of his barns, sheds or gates are locked up. I guess he’s relying on the brands on his livestock.”
“Brands don’t help when the cattle disappear,” Annika said.
“Speaking of disappearing,” Valek said. “I’ve a job for your security force, Endre. How many soldiers are there?”
“Five others beside me.”
“We need more. Can you recruit from neighboring forces?”
He shook his head. “My captain can, but she’s not going to do it because I ask her to.”
“Then I’ll ask her. Let’s go.”
“Now?”
“Yes, I’ll explain on the way.”
“What about me?” Annika asked.
“Find a seamstress, a bolt of a solid dark fabric and five gallons of sculpting clay. Bring them to the station as soon as you can.” Valek didn’t wait to see her reaction. He strode from the apartment with Endre close behind.
Detailing his discoveries and his plan to Endre, Valek hurried through the empty streets. Everything had to be in place by the time the storm arrived.
Captain Tahnee scowled at Endre—the newly revealed spy in her domain—but she sent messengers to Krillow and Coral Caye with Valek’s orders.
“I’ll need Endre and one other to go with me to arrest those kids,” Valek said to Tahnee.
“You’ll need more than that. There’s five of them,” she said.
Valek waited.
“Fine. Mikus,” she barked.
A slender soldier no more than twenty years old snapped to attention. “Yes, sir!”
“You’re with them.”
His face paled. “Yes, sir!”
She pressed her lips together for a moment as if swallowing a sigh. “What can we do while you’re gone?”
Valek listed a number of tasks. A dubious expression creased her face, but she agreed and organized the rest of her staff. Valek asked Endre to fetch five pairs of manacles, then they headed to the abandoned barn.
“They’re young, so you shouldn’t have any problems,” Valek explained. “You are going to go in first, rouse them, manacle their hands behind their backs and make them kneel.”
“Is that really necessary?” Endre asked. “They’re just a bunch of kids.”
Mikus sucked in a breath, as if he couldn’t believe Endre dared to question Valek.
“I want them scared and off balance,” Valek said. “I’m going to make an entrance and terrify them. This way they will divulge all they know. For this age group, it’s more effective than goo-goo juice.”
“Ah, nice.” Endre’s tone held approval.
Grabbing the end of his shirt, Mikus twisted the fabric.
“Mikus, I encourage my agents to ask questions so they can understand what’s going on. I also value their input. If Endre thought my plan sucked, he’d say so and explain why he believed that without any consequences.”
“Oh.” Mikus’s voice squeaked. “And...would you change your plan then?”
“Depends. If Endre’s reason had merit, then yes. If I didn’t agree with him, then no.” And that had been the same relationship the Commander and Valek had shared until recently. Perhaps Yelena had been on the right track regarding the Commander’s unusual behavior. Had Valek missed vital clues from Ambrose? It was something to consider after he dealt with the Storm Thieves.
They reached the overgrown path. Valek signaled for silence, then he motioned for them to wait while he checked the barn. Keeping close to the trees, Valek approached the structure and looked through the window. The teens hadn’t moved. He fetched Endre and Mikus.
When they drew close to the door, Valek mouthed, Go! The two men yanked their swords and barged into the barn, yelling at the teens to get against the wall. Valek remained outside as shouts and cries sounded. A clang of metal followed a curse.
One young man darted out. Valek tripped him. He sprawled in the dirt, but not for long. He scrambled to his feet and by the time Valek neared, he’d spun with a d
agger in his hand. Quick little scamp.
The scamp brandished the weapon. “Don’t come any—”
Valek kicked the boy’s wrist, sending the knife flying through the air. He pounced, grabbed the scamp’s arm and twisted it behind his back. Valek grasped his shoulder to steady the boy.
“Keep still,” he ordered his prisoner, “or I’ll break your arm.” Valek tugged it higher to emphasis his threat.
The scamp gasped in pain.
When the noise from inside the barn subsided, Valek pushed the boy ahead of him. “Move.”
They entered. The other four knelt with Endre and Mikus standing behind them. The Storm Thieves’ faces whitened another shade when they spotted their friend.
“You missed one,” Valek said.
“Sorry, boss.” Endre strode over, snapped the manacles on the scamp and dragged him to join his associates.
Valek gazed at the five with what Yelena called his cold killer expression. “Congratulations, your antics during the last couple seasons have caught my attention.” He waited a beat. “Do you know who I am?”
They kept quiet.
“Endre, tell them.”
“You are Adviser Valek. The Commander’s assassin and right-hand man.”
