Page 4 of Freedom Fighters
“The driver was an Insurrecto, doc,” Angelo said. “Uniform and everything.”
“Seven guards,” Garrett muttered. “Angelo, you and Carmen take the box first. We’ll take turns carrying it.”
“Sure, doc,” Angelo said and settled his rifle over his shoulder.
Carmen picked up a handle andAngelo gripped the other. They hoisted the box.
“Oh, holy crap!” Carmen swore in English. “This thing is heavy!”
“The workout will do you good,” Garrett said and jumped down to the ground.
There was nothing of interest in the second car except for tins of soup and a camp stove for warming the soup upon, plus a dozen boxes and crates. They took the gas for the stove, which they could use fortheir own stoves, and the soup.
Garrett moved through the car, checking the manifest tags on the cartons and crates. “Company records. From the mine onLas Piedras Grandes,” he said to himself. “That makes sense.”
“It does?” Carmen asked.
“Let’s move it!” Garrett called to everyone in the car, ignoring her.
She wrinkled her nose at him and jumped down onto the rocky ground where Angelo waswaiting with the metal box.
She braced herself. The others in the team always rolled their eyes when her lack of strength slowed them down. They didn’t make allowances for her being female, because Garrett wouldn’t have tolerated it.
Carmen would have to haul her end of the load for as long and as quickly as Angelo did, plus keep up with the others.
She lasted a quarter of a mile into the bush,then dropped her end of the box with a crash. “I don’t care what you think, I’m not carrying it another step. My fingers are crushed.”
Garrett moved back along the line, grinning. “You lasted two hundred yards more than I thought you would.” He jerked his chin at Archie. “Grab the end, my friend.”
Archie grinned. He was one of the strongest in the group. He picked up the other end with a grunt,his brows raising. Garrett lifted his end with what looked like no effort at all. “Princess,” he murmured as he passed Carmen.
Rain fell in big, fat stinging drops. “Perfect,” Carmen said with a sigh, looking up at the bit of sky she could see through the tree tops. “Just perfect.”
* * * * *
They reached the outer sentries for the camp with two minutes to spare out of Garrett’s thirty minutedeadline. The rain had become torrential, which cooled things off, although it made walking in the sucking mud difficult.
It also diminished their hearing. They cocked their weapons without being ordered to, watched their flanks and kept checking behind. As they drew closer to the camp, their wariness increased. It wouldn’t do to lead someone to the camp itself.
When the outer sentries challengedthem, Garrett dropped the box into the mud and straightened, kneading his fingers. The metal handle was thin and the weight of the box made it dig into flesh, squashing it. Carmen’s fingers still tingled.
Yet he picked up the box again, instead of swapping with someone fresh, surprising her. He wasn’t going to carry it all the way into the camp, was he? What was he trying to prove?
Garrett kepthis gaze ahead, the rain dripping from the brim of his hat, and strode ahead. Archie struggled to keep up with him, swapping his hands on the handle, his breath blowing heavily.
When they reached the camp perimeter, no one emerged to greet them. The rain kept them indoors. The old monastery still housed a handful of Benedictine monks, even though most of the main building was in ruins.
Carmenhad discovered it was the monks’ philosophy to stay where they were and remain a part of the community. The monks had been trying to restore the buildings by hand, using local resources and charity.
The war had ended their restoration work and the Insurrectos had halted their forays across the land to help villages and farmers in whatever way they could. Like everyone else in Vistaria, the monkshad to have permission to leave their residence and travel anywhere. Travel permits were rarely issued.
Carmen wondered if the Insurrectos had any idea they had made enemies of the Benedictine order. Although the monks would never pick up a weapon or use force against the Insurrectos, they found other ways to support the Loyalists, including letting Garrett’s unit use the ruins for their camp.
In return, the monks enjoyed peace and security and everyone shared what food they had, including the produce from the monks’ garden plots.
The eight of them moved into the big refectory. It was partially roofed at one end. It had gaping holes where the windows had once been. The roof and the smooth floor were civilized luxury compared to the squats and lean-tos they had used in the past. Itwas much, much better than the tarpaulins stretched between trees that Garrett had been using when Carmen had first stumbled into the camp, seven weeks ago.
A fire burned at the enclosed end, which was a cheerful sight after the dismal day. Carmen was soaked to the skin. Standing in front of the fire, regardless of how warm the day, was appealing.
