Page 115 of Monsters within Men
A deep voice from behind Zeke said, “You’ll care when they’re too tired to save your arse in a few hours.”
Habib joined them, disapproval etched into his face.
“Oh, lighten up, Hab,” snapped Vitt. “We don’t all have adoring families waiting for us at home. We’re allowed to stretch our wings once in a while.”
“I’m just saying thereisa time and a place.”
Zeke kept his gaze firmly on Frankie’s muddy boots.
Aoife herself appeared, prompting Vitt to wolf-whistle at her and wiggle her eyebrows in glee.
“Ah, would ya stop? She’s been actin’ dead odd with me this mornin’. Like a different person entirely.”
“What did you do?” asked Habib.
Aoife scoffed. “Feck knows. It was all grand last night, but since she talked to her squad this mornin’, it’s like she’s a whole different person.”
“Newman probably threatened her to stay away from you upon pain of death,” said Vitt. “I wouldn’t take it to heart.”
“Moving out in five!” shouted Lowenna, easily projecting her voice across the church. Zeke gazed up at the weak sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows.
Showtime.
Three hours later, Savannah reported they were a klick away from their destination: Red Ridge farm. Sprawling over 800 acres, the farm once produced ten percent of the country’s pork supply. Or so Savannah told them, anyway.
Their convoy pulled up in a ditch, guarded each other while they stripped to apply an extra layer of blocker, and then set off through some woods.
“Check out the map, guys. Half a mile to our right is an old quarry,” Savannah said as they marched through the overgrown terrain.
“Ah, I think we’ve had our fill of your craic for the day, Sav,” Aoife said, nudging her with her shoulder.
“I’m surveying the perimeter.”
“Ah, for feck’s sake, you’re putting us to sleep here.”
“Both of you should be focussed on your sight lines,” Noah snapped through the interface.
“Iwas enjoying your fun facts, Savannah,” Zeke whispered to her. Every bone in his body ached—during his fall into the pit grave yesterday, he’d landed badly on his left leg and he was now suffering the consequences. He’d done his best to hide the injury from Noah—one less thing for him to worry about.
Wolf trotted along beside him on the far right of the formation. “I hope you appreciate what I did for you,” he muttered, stroking his soft head.
“Leave the canine units to their job, Bates.” Tobias’s voice through his helmet made him jump, and his face burned.
In front of him, he saw Noah turn from his position near the front, until Vitt caught his arm and dragged him forward.
Lowenna, leading the charge at the very front, came to an abrupt halt. Her crossbow remained out and ready as she said, “Hundred metres. We’re about to breach the perimeter of the farm. Remember our orders and objectives.”
Zeke swallowed as the platoon crossed the threshold and found themselves in an extensive field overgrown with wildflowers. Across the grass, a collection of large farmhouse buildings awaited them. An area map appeared on his display: Lowenna was indicating a specific entrance to a large barn. The group crossed the fields slowly, the dogs following various scents they detected in the foliage. Amongst the wildflowers lay a toppled-over silo, its rotten insides spilled out like guts.
Soon enough, they arrived at the end of the field, relieved to be back on concrete where there were fewer places for types to hide. Lowenna had tasked several others with carrying large supply boxes—including blast bombs—and they set them down at once, panting. Zeke eyed them. The thought of trying to detonate anything with twenty-nine others watching made his skin crawl.
“Penn and Williams, you’re our exterior guard,” said Tobias, pointing to a spot near the metal gate they’d climbed over. “Do not leave your post without permission.”
“It’s very quiet here.” Vitt stretched out her arms.
Habib surveyed the scene with his crossbow, as if he expected a type to pop out at any moment. “Don’t push our luck.”
Zeke’s gaze drifted over to Noah and Lowenna, who pointed up at a fixed metal ladder that led to the roof of the barn. Enclosed within metal rings, time had rusted the fragile-looking rungs. When Noah shook the ladder, it broke free of the wall in several places, showering them with dust.
