Page 26 of Whispers and Warriors
His grip tightened on his gun. Docks were dangerous enough before the bombs, crawling with lowlifes and scum. Now? They were a fucking death trap.
Nothing moved, and if there were government men overseeing, they weren’t here.What day even is it?
A flicker of movement caught his eye. Someone hiding behind a stack of crates. Bash’s muscles tensed, ready to spring into action. He signaled to Chris and Alex, then stepped forward, taking point at Chris’s gesture.
He knew his size was intimidating, had used it to his advantage more times than he could count. As he drew closer, the figure emerged from the shadows.
The man was whipcord lean, with a weathered face and eyes that glinted like shards of ice. He wore a battered leather jacket,his long hair as messy as the frayed ropes around him. There was an air of danger about him, a coiled energy that spoke of a man who had seen too much, done too much.
Bash recognized the type. A smuggler, most likely. The kind of man who made a living disrupting government raids, who knew the hidden routes and secret ways of this shattered world. A perfect candidate to get them where they needed to go without being seen.
The smuggler eyed them warily, his hand resting on the hilt of a wicked-looking knife at his belt. “What do you want?” he asked, his voice rough as gravel.
Bash glanced at Chris and saw the determination in his leader’s eyes. This was it, he realized. Their shot at getting out of this hellhole.
He just hoped it wouldn’t end up getting them all killed.
Chris stepped forward, his posture straight and commanding. “We need passage out of the city,” he said, his voice steady. “And we’re willing to pay.”
The smuggler’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so?” He looked them over, assessing. “And just what are you offering? Money doesn’t exactly do shit around here.”
Bash’s fingers twitched, itching to reach for his gun. He didn’t like this, didn’t trust the calculating gleam in the smuggler’s eyes. But he held himself still, let Chris do the talking.
“Information,” Chris said. “About government operations. Supply routes, troop movements. The kind of intel that could make your job a whole lot easier.”
The smuggler’s eyebrows lifted. “Bold claim. How do I know you’re not just feeding me a line of bullshit?”
Chris met his gaze unflinchingly. “Because we’re ex-military. Special ops. We’ve seen things, know things that could give you a real edge out there.”
Bash had to hand it to Chris. The man had a way of projecting authority, of making people believe in him. It was one of the reasons he’d followed him through hell and back again for all these years.
The smuggler seemed to consider this, his head cocked to one side. “All right,” he said at last. “Say I’m interested. What’s the catch?”
“No catch,” Chris said. “Just safe passage for my team. You get us out of the city, up the coast. After that, we go our separate ways. Can’t be more than a day or two for any ship.”
Bash’s eyes flicked to the surrounding docks, scanning for any sign of trouble. His body was coiled tight, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. He didn’t like being out in the open like this, exposed.
Too many places for an ambush, for things to go sideways. And in this world, things had a habit of going sideways.
He shifted his weight, deeply aware of the reassuring press of his knife against his thigh. If it came down to it, he was ready. He’d do whatever it took to protect his team, to keep them safe.
Even if it meant getting his hands dirty.
The tension hung thick in the air, a palpable weight pressing down on them. Bash’s muscles tensed, his fingers twitching, itching to reach for his weapon. But before he could make a move, Alex stepped forward, a disarming smile playing across his lips.
“Look, we’re all on the same side here,” Alex said, his voice smooth as silk. “We’re just trying to survive, same as you. And we’ve got information that could help you do just that.” The smuggler’s gaze shifted to Alex, a flicker of interest in his eyes. “My boss wasn’t lying. We’re ex-military. Wouldn’t you like information like that?”
Alex’s smile widened, a conspiratorial gleam in his hazel eyes. “The kind that could give you a real edge out there.”
He was only repeating but Chris had already said, but Alex had a way about him that Chris’s gruffness couldn’t match. It was a skill that had gotten them out of more than one tight spot over the years.
The smuggler leaned forward, his curiosity piqued at the realization that the offer was legit.
“And all you need is this passage?” the smuggler asked, his voice low and rough.
Alex shrugged, a casual roll of his shoulders. “A way out of this hellhole. We’re not looking for trouble, just a chance to start over somewhere new.”
The smuggler studied them for a long moment, his dark eyes calculating, weighing the risks and benefits of the deal. Bash could practically see the gears turning in his head, the calculations being made.
