Page 168 of New Storm Rising
“Yes.”
“So, if there is something you could do to help and protect him, you would do it?”
“Yes.”
“Even if it were all my plan?”
“Um…yes?”
My eyes sparkled with wicked delight. “Spiffing! Come here, Karim, my boundlessly bearded friend! Let me share my brilliant idea with you…”
Five minutes later, I was riding along alone, whistling, when Mr Ambrose suddenly appeared beside me.
“Where is Karim?”
“Good morning, my darling husband. Wonderful day for a relaxing little ride, isn’t it?”
“Mrs Ambrose?Where. Is. Karim?”
“Oh, he’s just dealing with a little job I sent him on.”
“Mrs Ambrose?” Leaning over towards me, Mr Rikkard Ambrose’s icy eyes bored into my very soul. “What did you do?”
I smiled.
“Well…”
***
The thunder of hoofs echoed between the walls of the canyon. It lasted for a few moments longer, then abruptly cut off. The hoofs came to a sudden standstill some way away from the water of the oasis. Only the cloud of dust carried on, billowing over the water.
“Diego!” Creed barked.
“Yes, boss?”
“Take two men. Check the water and surroundings!”
Everyone was quick to comply. They had little desire to repeat the experience from yesterday at this second oasis. Leaping from his horse, Diego dashed forward, followed by two other men. While the two thugs inspected the darkening surroundings, making sure to check behind each rock in the dimming sunlight, Diego knelt in the sand at the edge of the pond and cupped some water in his hand. Lifting it to his lips, he tasted.
“It’s clean,Señor!”
Creed smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. “Good. Make camp for the night and set guards around the perimeter. And this time, if you let someone approach again…”
He let the rest of his sentence remain unsaid. But he didn’t have to speak out loud. He was Creed. His murder counts spoke for him.
The desperados quickly dismounted and began unfastening the packs from their mounts. With impressive efficiency for lawless brigands, they began setting up barricades with barbed wire as well as some bits of wood and stone. These people might detest nothing so much as obeying orders—but if there was one thing they knew how to do, it was keeping their necks attached to their bodies. And, judging by the way Creed was staring at them, the only way to do that was to hurry the hell up. Soon, the camp was set up and surrounded by an impenetrable barrier.
“This time, I shall expect the guards to beveryattentive. Let nothing in from the outside! If you fail me…”
Once again, he did not finish the sentence. The menacing threat in his eyes said more than a thousand words.
The desperados shivered. Deep inside, they made a mental note to keep averyclose watch on the surroundings tonight.
A few hours later, when darkness had descended over the land and the crickets were chirping in the grass on one side of the pond, something began to stir. The guards around the perimeter were staring attentively out into the darkness, making sure no one got inside—all the while completely unaware of the small reed peeking from the pool of water. If someone had bothered to notice it and held his ear next to the reed, they might have heard the sound of regular breathing.
Time passed. The guards changed, and they took up their comrades’ post, staring even more fervently out into the darkness, on the lookout for intruders. They didn’t seem to notice the large hand that slowly emerged from the pond, emptying a bottle into the water.
A few moments later, a large, bulky figure slid from the water silently. With stealth and grace you would never have expected from such a massive figure, it moved along the wall of the canyon and, hiding in the shadows, slid under the barbed wire of the barricade and away into the night.
