Tracker and the Spy

by D. Jackson Leigh

  When they disappeared down the trail, Second let out a loud breath. “That was easier than I thought.”

  “Who’s Anya?” Alyssa looked from one warrior to the next when no answer was forthcoming. Furcho made an “X” sign over his mouth. Jael scratched her ear and stared at the ground.

  Was the prickly Tan soul-bonded to someone? Hadn’t Furcho said Tan and Jael used to have a casual arrangement? If she was bonded to another, she shouldn’t desire Jael, unless she was polyamorous. They weren’t a huge percentage of the population in the area where she lived, but in some parts of the world this practice was fairly common because of an imbalance in the gender ratio or customs of the local culture.

  Second cleared her throat. “She’s, uh, a therapist that can help, you know, during this kind of thing. I mean, well, any time really. She and Tan have had a professional relationship for, I don’t know, years. You know how wound up Tan can get. A few sessions with Anya, and she purges all that built-up tension.” She looked to Jael. “Right, cousin?”

  “Right. A therapist.” Jael’s sarcastic tone was clear. Subject closed.

  Second shrugged. “Kyle, why don’t you come with me to put the mare up? Then we’ll find you a bunk to call your own. I’ll write some orders to get you outfitted, too, since all you seem to have are the clothes on your back.”

  “Thanks, that’d be great.” Kyle struggled to stand upright as Phyrrhos rubbed her nose up and down her back. Jael and Second stared for a moment, then shared an unreadable look but said nothing about the mare’s sudden affection for Kyle.

  “We’re going to get some rest,” Jael finally said, taking Alyssa’s hand in hers. “I want you to do the same, Second, as soon as the mare and Kyle are bedded down.”

  Second started to protest, but Jael held up her hand. “That’s an order. I don’t want to hear you prowling around until noon. You might be able to keep me out of your thoughts, but you know I can still feel you.”

  Second smiled and dipped her head in acknowledgement. “As you command.”

  Chapter Four

  The surgeon carefully wrapped a fresh bandage around Simon’s damaged right hand. “You’ll need another seven days of treatments to form new skin over the burns, especially over the knuckles of the three fingers that were burned off.” He finished the bandage and gave his handiwork a satisfied nod.

  Simon grimaced. The anesthesia was wearing off and his hand throbbed. If he ever saw Cyrus’s pyro whelp again, he would slice her to pieces with the new laser gun holstered backward in front of his right hip. He was already practiced at drawing and firing with his left hand.

  “I can’t stay. I have to be in Brasília in three days.” It wasn’t difficult to find a doctor who would accept a generous amount of credits to fix his hand without questions, but he didn’t need to waste time searching again in Brasília. “You can come with me and bring the equipment you need.”

  The man stood, cleaning up the instruments and procedure’s detritus on the metal table next to them. “I’m sorry. I have patients no one else will help and a full surgery schedule. I can’t leave. Not even for a few days.”

  In one quick movement, Simon pulled the laser and used the forearm of his damaged appendage to pin the doctor’s hand as he reached for some soiled gauze. He held the weapon over the man’s fingers. “You know about lasers, don’t you, Doctor? I’m sure you’re still allowed to use them in surgery.”

  The doctor stared at the weapon but didn’t speak.

  “This is a much bigger laser. Instead of skimming off a cornea or sealing a bleeder, this one will cut right through this table. In fact, right through your wrist. I could cut your hand into so many pieces there’d be no hope of reattaching it.”

  The doctor jerked when the laser activated and its red beam silently sliced through the metal exam table. He tried to pull away as the beam inched toward his hand. “Do you understand?”

  The doctor nodded, and Simon extinguished the laser but still held the man and weapon in place.

  “My guard will accompany you to your office, where you will instruct your assistant that you will be gone for at least a week and your schedule must be cleared. Then you will call your wife and tell her to pack you a suitcase. I’ll send someone to pick it up. You will take whatever supplies you need from the clinic here. You will stay with my people tonight. We leave in the morning.” He released the man and stepped back.

  The doctor met Simon’s gaze, but his voice held a faint tremble. “I don’t want to inconvenience you. My wife can bring my bag to me.”

  “It’s no trouble. We already know where your family lives. You have two lovely daughters, Doctor. My people, of course, will look after them until my treatments are complete and you can return home.” Simon smiled. Credits could buy a lot of things, but only fear could buy absolute loyalty.

  ❖

  “Jael, honey?”

  “Hmm?”

  Alyssa was half draped over Jael’s body, both naked as usual. The mild winter was short in this region and still another month away. “Can you turn it down a notch or two? You’re making me sweat.”

  “Oh, sorry.” Jael consciously lowered her body temperature. “Better?”

  “Yes.” Alyssa propped up on her elbow. “What are you worrying about?”

  “I don’t worry.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  “I evaluate scenarios.”

  Alyssa smiled and dropped small kisses along the top of Jael’s shoulder. “My mistake. Let me rephrase. What are you evaluating?” She continued her kisses across the opposite shoulder.

  Jael stroked her hand along Alyssa’s back while she searched for the words to explain her thoughts. “I was wondering about Phyrrhos’ odd behavior. She should have incinerated Kyle for stumbling between her and the stallion she was courting.”

  Alyssa looked up, surprise flickering across her face. “You sound disappointed that she didn’t.”

  Jael chuckled. “No. Of course not. Why Kyle isn’t a pile of ashes is what worries me…I mean, what I’m evaluating.”

  “So, what are the possible scenarios? You must have seen something like this before. How many lifetimes have you been a dragon-horse warrior?” Alyssa yawned. They’d had only a few hours of sleep in the past two days, and Jael now regretted stealing these precious minutes of rest from her.

  “As many as I can remember.” Jael didn’t want to put ideas in her empathic lover’s head, but she was honestly trying to be more open. “It happened once with two warriors who later soul-bonded. It seemed the dragon horse recognized their chemistry before they did.”

  “That one’s hard to believe. I don’t know why, but Tan has taken an irrational dislike to Kyle.”

  “Tan is hardly herself right now. She’s heavily under the influence of Phyrrhos’ fever to breed.”

  “Will she be okay?” Alyssa lightly bit the soft skin at the top of Jael’s breast. “Who’s Anya?”

  Jael sighed. “She’s a professional.”

  “I’m guessing you don’t mean professional therapist.”

  “Uh, not the way you mean it.”

  “Just tell me, Jael.”

  “Some things aren’t mine to share, babe, even with you. But I’ll tell you as much as possible without violating Tan’s privacy too much.” She took a deep breath. “Tan has certain sexual appetites that require special handling. She’s a complex person, much more sensitive than people realize. She internalizes everything like a pressure cooker. And when she’s about to explode from the pressure, she blows off some steam with Anya.”

  Alyssa considered this explanation for a moment, her expression and her thoughts suddenly unreadable. “Did you…did she ever blow off steam with you?”

  Jael smiled and shook her head. “Not my style.”

  Alyssa’s expression, her body, and her shields relaxed again. Right answer. “Good. That’s good. Next scenario.” She yawned out the words and laid her head on Jael’s shoulder. Jael stopped her stroking an
d settled their bodies comfortably together as she felt Alyssa go limp.

  “Kyle had been touching Specter. Phyrrhos could have just been responding to the scent of Specter on Kyle’s hands and clothes.”

  Alyssa’s slow, even breathing filled Jael with a lethargy she hoped would also lull her brain into the sleep she needed. She whispered the last possibility so she didn’t rouse Alyssa. Or maybe she didn’t want to give substance to this final daunting theory. It was only legend. But the situation could be delicate even in normal times, and now, given Tan’s current dislike for Kyle, it could be disastrous.

  “It could be the first salvo of a prenatal bonding.”

  ❖

  “I don’t know why you’re flying to Brasília and I’m going to be stuck on some stinking fishing boat for a week to cross the Gulf back to the Third Continent.” Cyrus was The Prophet. The One spoke to him, lived in him. They were becoming the same. Simon was a credit-grabbing, soulless husk of a human. Cyrus wanted to take Simon’s bandaged hand, that reminder that his own daughter was a deviant pyro, and cram it into his big mouth the next time he started ordering the men around like he was in charge.

  Simon tapped the digital gauge of the medical cuff on his forearm. The device partially interrupted the nerve impulses traveling from his hand to his brain, dulling his pain without mind-numbing drugs. Cyrus took some perverse satisfaction in knowing that the hand was bothering him enough to increase the scrambling voltage. He’d heard the doctor warn Simon that becoming dependent on the cuff could damage the nerves permanently and atrophy his arm. But Simon always thought he was smarter than everyone else, even doctors. Simon turned to him, his expression akin to a parent placating a sulking child. Cyrus hoped his stupid hand curled up and fell off.

  “It isn’t a fishing boat, Cyrus. It’s an eighty-four-foot sailing yacht. It’s like a floating hotel with your own quarters. The three-man crew will be running the boat, so you and your two guards will have to cook your own meals. But think of this as a vacation. You can try your hand at deep-sea fishing. Relax in the sun. Get a tan. I’ll take care of things in Brasília and then let you know when we’re ready for the next step.”

  Cyrus stood, pushing his face close to Simon’s. “I will not rest until The Natural Order has been restored to this world. I am the one who is chosen. I will tell you when and where our next step will be.”

  The four men trusted to travel with Simon and Cyrus shifted uneasily at the other end of the long room. They were believers. They belonged to him. Simon glanced at them and sighed. Cyrus swelled with victory.

  “I can fly because the authorities aren’t looking for me,” Simon said. “They’re looking for you. You can’t get through an airport or travel by train or transport through the Third Continent checkpoint. The only way is by water. I didn’t want to tell you yet, because I wasn’t sure we could arrange it soon enough, but it looks like we’ll have the digital net hacked by the time you arrive at the new headquarters, uh, temple. You can use the time at sea to prepare the messages you want to broadcast.”

  Cyrus stared at him. Maybe he would keep Simon around awhile longer. He did have skills and contacts that were moving their plan along faster than Cyrus had ever imagined.

  “Very well. I’ll expect to hear from you after you’ve secured the Fourth Continent’s main supply house in Brasília.”

  Simon nodded. “It should be about two weeks. When you go ashore, a team will meet you and escort you to your destination in the Rocky Mountains.” He smiled. “You’ll love the City of Light, Cyrus. It was designed and built at the top of a mountain, fit for The Prophet that you are.”

  “City of Light,” Cyrus said. “I like that.”

  ❖

  Second looped the soft cotton rope into a slip halter over Phyrrhos’ head but chuckled as she handed the lead line to Kyle. “I’m not sure this is even necessary.”

  After rubbing her entire face along the back of Kyle’s shirt, Phyrrhos rested her chin on Kyle’s shoulder and began lipping playfully at her collar. Kyle grinned and waved her hand in front of her face. “I’m glad she likes me, but, whew, that sulfur breath is something else.”

  Second laughed. “You’ll get used to it.”

  They took a different path through the forest that led to a hillside on the southern end of the valley, opposite the direction the others had taken. Some distance above the training fields and livestock pastures, a large paddock—enough room for a restless horse to have a good trot or roll in the grass—extended from the mouth of a shallow cave.

  A lone figure waited at the gate of the paddock, holding the lead of a dappled gray draft mare. Kyle thought it was a dark-haired boy at first, then realized it was a young woman. Her short, lean frame was coiled tight, brown eyes defiant as they met Kyle’s.

  “Good morning, Corporal Antonia.” Second snapped a salute, right fist to left shoulder.

  The young woman reddened, straightening her posture and executing a belated salute. “Commander.” Her voice was edged with bitterness.

  Second looked over the mare. “Good choice. Very good choice.”

  Toni didn’t answer, but the muscles in her jaw worked as though only her clenched teeth were holding back a reply.

  Kyle looked from commander to corporal. What now? Hanging out with this group was worse than walking through a minefield. Big horse lips closed on her ear, and she pushed Phyrrhos’ nose away when sharp teeth tested the durability of its cartilage. “Ow. Stop it, sulfur breath. That’s my ear, not a fire rock.” She stopped, realizing she’d spoken aloud. She sighed. She was never going to learn to act like a warrior. But when she looked up, Second’s expression was amused. Toni’s scowl was unchanged.

  Second turned back to Toni, her expression softening. “Did you want to ask me something, Toni?”

  Toni stared straight ahead. “Am I being assigned back to the stable, ma’am?”

  Second smiled. “No. I’m sorry I didn’t make that clear. The First Advocate would be very unhappy if I reassigned her most trusted assistant, and then I’d have to answer to the First Warrior for making her bond mate unhappy. I only requested you for this duty as a favor…in addition to your duties at the clinic.”

  Toni’s posture relaxed, and she gave Kyle a curious look. “That’s Captain Tan’s mare, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” Second said. “And I’m afraid her dragon is going into season, which is really bad timing.”

  Kyle pushed Phyrrhos’ nose away again and held her hand out to Toni. “Hi, I’m Kyle.”

  Second rubbed at her temple. “Sorry. I’m so tired, I forgot to introduce you.”

  Toni took Kyle’s hand in hers, hesitating a split second before squeezing a bit too firmly, then immediately disengaging to step back.

  Second didn’t seem to notice. “Captain Tan will be gone for a week. So, I need you two to listen very carefully and do exactly as I say.”

  She opened the gate and gestured for them to release the horses into the enclosure. The gray mare, older and more sedate, began to munch on a patch of tender clover. Phyrrhos stood erect, head raised to survey the valley below. She called out in a loud whinny, but when no answering call came, she settled down to graze alongside the other mare.

  Second led Kyle and Toni to the cave. The ceiling was high enough for a horse to move about comfortably, but the cave wasn’t spacious enough for a dragon horse to fully unfurl wings. A thick, sliding double door of fire-resistant metal covered the entrance, except for a narrow strip left open at the top to let in fresh air and moonlight.

  “Kyle, you’ll put Phyrrhos in here every night before dark. Toni, you’ll take the gray down to the stable. Once Phyrrhos transforms, she’ll be crazy with hormones and could hurt the old mare. You both will return after sunrise and put Phyrrhos and the mare in the paddock for the day.”

  “I can handle it myself,” Kyle offered. “I don’t have anything else to do until Tan returns, but Toni has other duties.”

  Second contemplated
Kyle, then turned to Toni. “Corporal?”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  “Kyle, here, wants to be a dragon-horse warrior. But she’s just coming on board, so she’s missed a lot of the training. I’m hoping you can help her catch up on the basics of military life.”

  “Me, Commander?”

  Second smiled warmly and clapped her hand on Toni’s shoulder to take any sting out of her words. “Well, I figure if there’s something that’ll trip her up, you’ve already found it. So, who’s the best person to show her the ropes?”

  Toni’s ears reddened, but the corner of her lip quirked up in tiny smile. “That would be me.”

  “And what’d she just do wrong?”

  Toni looked up at Kyle, tossing her head to flick her overlong bangs out of her eyes. “Never interrupt until your commander has completed her instructions.”

  Really? This kid was going to teach her to be a warrior? “I was just—”

  Toni held up a finger. “Never interrupt.” She looked to Second, who nodded for her to continue. “You are questioning the efficiency of the commander’s plan before you have all the information. You are allowed to suggest alternatives, but don’t make yourself look stupid by doing that before you know everything that has to be considered.”

  Second nodded. “Well said, Corporal.”

  Exhausted, Kyle felt her anger start slowly and crawl up her spine. She wasn’t in the mood to be lectured by a low-ranking corporal. Her hands itched to flame, until Toni shrugged and grinned.

  “Took me several times to get that one through my head. I’m not called Toni the Pony just because I’m short.” Toni knocked her fist against her skull. “It’s mostly because I’m a bit hardheaded.”

  Second clapped her hands together. “Back to why you both need to be here.” She slid the doors to the cave so that they nearly closed. “A dragon horse and its bonded warrior can become irrational for several reasons. That’s why this enclosure was built. The locking mechanism requires two people to operate it simultaneously. That way a frenzied warrior can’t release his or her dragon and endanger the rest of the camp.”