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“I was just thinking—if there were some sudden explosions within the base, you’d have to investigate and potentially assist in rescue efforts,” Rayne explained. “With a nice mix of chaos in the dead of night, it would be much easier for you and your platoon to round up the Empire and help them relocate.”
“Relocate out of Caspagir,” Drayce snickered.
“We’re just hoping you can give us some details on the layout of the base,” Caelan said.
“And do you have anything that can make a really big boom?” Drayce added.
Katie cackled and nodded. “Yes, boys. I think I can help you. It would be my pleasure.”
Eno looked at Rayne, who flashed him a crooked smile and a shrug of one shoulder. “So much for our plan of staying below the notice of anyone.”
“The Empire will have no idea who is hitting them. They’ll never see Cael. It’ll be fine.”
He prayed the gods wouldn’t make a liar of him.
11
Caelan Talos
Caelan’s heart was pounding so hard in his chest, he thought it was going to leave a bruise against his breastplate. He’d gone on missions to eliminate creatures that had crept into Erya in the south at the border with the Ordas, down near Ilon. He’d fought in war—gamelike battles where other soldiers were the enemy—but he’d never truly faced an Empire soldier in a real fight. Not like this.
He’d trained plenty for this, though he doubted anyone ever thought the prince of Erya would actually see a battlefield. Fear pumped in his veins, mixing with his blood, but there was also determination. These people had killed his mother. Likely killed Hagen, his mother’s personal bodyguard. He’d also been the man who’d directed all of Caelan’s training. Though they’d never been particularly close, Caelan liked to believe Hagen had tried to protect him as well as he would his own son.
The Empire bastards had killed an unknown number of other soldiers, attacked his home, and stolen his birthright.
This action could not be left to stand without some kind of retribution. They had to be made to pay. This little attack was nothing really, but they had to start somewhere. There were only four of them against the might of the Empire right now, but Caelan vowed to make those numbers grow, to turn the tide.
And one day soon, there would be no New Rosanthe on the map.
Being both the smallest and the fastest, Drayce led the way through the opening in the fence Katie had shown them. That afternoon, she’d walked them through every inch of the base so they knew it blindfolded. Then she’d called in her demolitions guy to set them up with some nifty explosives.
Caelan followed close behind, fearful of the soft sound of his clothes rubbing as he moved. The base seemed more active than Katie had described it, but that could be attributed to the missing soldiers. He and his friends had relocated to Katie’s hiding spot during the day, but Andy had called to say that the town had gotten busy by late afternoon when it was clear the soldiers weren’t returning to the base. No one was hurt, but it would be better if the Empire were taken care of quickly.
He and Drayce immediately ducked behind a large military truck that looked as if it served to move people and/or equipment. Rayne followed but stopped to silently hold open the fence enough to allow Eno’s larger frame through without alerting anyone to their presence.
Caelan peered out from behind the vehicle, trying to make out as much of their surroundings in the gloom as he could. They were near the guard tower in the southwest corner of the base. A bright light cut over the trees of the Ordas to the west before swinging back to drift over half the base. The wedge of light glazed the squat, one-story command center that was just a few yards away from the enormous metal gray warehouse that sat in the middle of the base.
Katie had also described the trio of barracks—one at the west, south, and east walls—that likely housed upward of a hundred to two hundred men. Considering the size of the barracks, those had to be some pretty shitty sleeping conditions. And they were going to make it a hell of a lot worse very soon.
The only problem was that they had no idea how many guards were on duty lurking around the base. If anyone sounded the alarm prior to them setting the charges, they were totally screwed.
Caelan squinted, trying to see into the darker shadows. Were there guards they couldn’t see staring at them? Were guns drawn and pointed at his head, just waiting for the signal to pull the trigger?
A soft scrape of rubber on the concrete pulled Caelan’s attention over his shoulder in time to see Rayne and Eno hurrying over to where they were hiding.
