Do Or Die [Nuworld 4] (23 page)

impressive warriors. Ready for battle and they’ll be needing it soon.”

“Sounds good.” Andru swallowed an entire fried egg and washed it down with a

large gulp of cold milk. “What suggestions do we have concerning this Lara problem?”

“What’s happened now?” Darius stopped a forkful of ham in midair and looked

over it at his son.

“Ana intercepted a foolproof plan, my lord,” Gilroy spoke up and then explained

how his claim came home covered with blood and the explanation she’d given him.

“Where did she tell you she was during all that time?” Darius stared coldly at

Gilroy, implying this somehow was his fault for not keeping better control over his

claim.

“She said she was working with her mama.”

“Sounds like you need to keep closer tabs on your claim, it does,” Darius growled

and then looked again at his son. “Send one of your men to her today and have them

kill her. She has men coming and going all the time. It would be hard to determine who

took her out, I’m thinking.”

Andru nodded and reached for the bowl of butter. He looked up when his papa

spoke again.

“Where is Ana right now?”

“She went for a checkup with her Runner doctor, my lord. She should be back any

time soon.” Gilroy grabbed a couple of the buttermilk biscuits from a platter in the

middle of the table and started scooping his eggs up with one of them.

“There you are.” Darius’ face lit up and both younger men looked at him

expectantly. “The doctor will probably tell her it’s time to slow down.”

Darius pulled his comm out and smiled at the two men watching him. “Dr. Digo.”

He spoke into the thin wire.

“How’s my daughter doing?” His tone dropped drastically as he spoke to the

doctor, taking on a severe tone. He listened to the response. “She’s left already? With

Tara?”

Darius didn’t say anything when he shut off his comm. He stared into space for a

moment then flicked the comm back on.

“Tara.” After a moment he flipped off the comm and flipped it on again. “Ana.”

Andru and Gilroy both put down their eating utensils and gave Darius their full

attention. Darius met their stares after neither woman responded. He scowled and then

almost yelled his brother’s name into his comm.

“I’m not getting a response from Tara or Ana. I need you over here now, I do.” As

soon as he finished speaking he slid his chair back quickly. “Meal’s over, men. I want to

know where those two are immediately, yes.”

“How long have they been missing?” Torgo asked as he joined his brother, nephew,

and niece’s claim in the landlink room.

“Dr. Digo said they left his trailer over half an hour ago, he did.” Darius stood

facing the window with his arms crossed. Anger brewed within him. His claim and

daughter weren’t hurt and they hadn’t been captured—he felt safe to say that much.

They were up to no good and Tara’s influence on their daughter would only add to

Ana’s rebellion.

“Inform Jolee we want that clan site scoured for any detail. Certainly someone saw

them within the past thirty minutes,” Andru instructed, as he stood over his uncle and

watched the landlink screen.

“Should I send out some scouts to search for them?” Gilroy asked.

“No, my friend.” Andru put his hand on Gilroy’s shoulder. “If anyone goes out

looking for those two it will be you and me.”

“All right, word’s in.” Torgo typed quickly on his landlink and then flipped off his

comm after thanking someone for their help. He spun around in his chair and stared at

three scowling faces. He grinned in spite of himself. “You already know you’re not

going to like this. They were seen heading north not too long ago, yes. But, and I

daresay this is the instigator of the whole thing…”

“What is it?” Darius barked.

“Lara somehow managed to leave the clan site last night, she did.”

“What do you mean…leave the clan site?” Andru’s growl could have come from his

papa’s mouth.

“Her entire camp has been torn down and her trailer is gone, it is.”

“There’s no way she could have left unless she had someone from the clan help

her,” Gilroy said and made eye contact with Andru.

“Do we have any bugs on either one of them?” Andru turned to his uncle.

Torgo laughed bitterly and turned around in his seat. “You know bugs are an

endangered species on either one of those women.” He punched some keys and then

shook his head. “All disabled.”

Andru cursed. “Let’s go.” He hit Gilroy on the back and then turned to look at his

papa. “We’ll keep an open transmission.”

“I’m going with you,” Darius said after a moment. “Torgo, get Beel up here to help

you. At least he should respond to his comm—no matter what he’s doing, yes.”

The other men snorted in agreement, all quite aware of the teenager’s promiscuous

lifestyle and casual indifference to conceal any act he might be participating in when

contacted.

* * * * *

Ana circled around and then flew up alongside her mama. “The tracks from her

trailer definitely go right into the Red Star Clan.”

“The clan has moved.” Tara landed her glider and Ana followed suit. “I guess it’s

far enough into the new winter to start moving but they’re east of where they were

before. The Red Star Clan has always been known for traveling north of here.”

“It does seem odd they’d travel this way. There’s really nowhere for them to go—

they’ll run into mountains if they keep going east and if they head south they’ll run into

the Blood Circle Clan.”

Tara looked over at her daughter giving her words serious contemplation. She held

up her viewer and squinted through it at the clan that spread out over the upcoming

hills.

“It definitely does seem odd,” she mumbled, then backed her bike up against

jagged rocks that protruded through the ground. She climbed off then opened her side

bag. “I bet you’re hungry. We’ll eat something then I’m going to send you into the clan.

Approach them openly and tell them you’re looking for your aunt and followed her

here. I want you to make it look like you ran off after her and that whatever she has

going on…you want part of it.”

Ana accepted the apple and chunk of ham from her mama. She sat on her glider

and took a large bite of the fruit. It was an adventure—and one with her mama’s

blessing. Who’d have thought it! She couldn’t wait to get started but as a small animal

caused a sound and caught her attention, she stared absently at her surroundings.

Enough time had passed. The wrath of the Bryon men would descend on them

eventually. Tara noticed her daughter’s serious stare and nudged her.

“You know, my Ana, the day you let those men stifle your craving for excitement

will be the day I write you out of my will.”

Ana looked at her mama quickly but then smiled when she saw her mama’s

mischievous grin.

“Papa has never scared you, has he, Mama?”

“Not for one second.” Tara had enough conviction in her tone for Ana to believe

her.

“I’m not as brave as you are.” Ana shrugged and took another bite of the apple.

“You’re just different, my dear, that’s all,” her mama said quietly.

“I was thinking Syra would be quite pissed when she finds out she got left out of all

this.” Ana worked to stifle the fear growing as she thought of Andru’s wrath.

Tara laughed. “That she will. She’ll never lose the drive for excitement.”

“She’s more like you.” Ana grew serious. “I guess it’s my Gothman blood.”

“The only Gothman blood in you is that of your papa’s. You have plenty of bravery

in you. You’re just quieter about it and, my dear, it’s often the quiet ones that are the

ones to watch out for. You’ll break all the rules and come out with everyone loving

you.”

Ana wondered what her mama meant by breaking all the rules. Which broken rules

was she talking about?

Chapter Fourteen

“You’re going to get caught if you just sit here.” Ana swallowed the last of the ham

and then readied herself to take off toward the Red Star Clan. “Keep an open

transmission with me.”

“There’s a chance I will.” Tara was undaunted. “I have one of Torgo’s wonderful

little cloaks, though.” She smiled and held up a small black box.

“So they won’t be able to detect your presence on their landlinks. I don’t know that

it would take them that much longer to rely on their warrior skills and smell you out.”

Ana wrinkled her nose as she scanned their surroundings uneasily. “They’re not here

yet at least.”

“Ana, our men are not our enemies.” Tara moved in quickly and stroked Ana’s

cheek with her gloved hand. “They may be a challenge at times, I’ll grant you that. But

if you focus all your energy on your claim, or claims as I fear your case may be.” Tara

shook her head slowly and looked down at Ana’s bulging belly. “I worry you won’t

have enough energy left to rule a nation. Now, let me worry about Gothman egos—I

have the easy job. You need to focus on maintaining our right to rule the Runner clans.

Go, do what you have to do.”

Ana couldn’t believe her mama talked to her the way she did. She flew off without

responding but her mind whirled with questions…with the desire to pick at the great

mind she had just realized her mama possessed.

* * * * *

The Red Star Clan had lodged itself in between two rocky hills. Over five hundred

members of the clan worked at their daily activities as Ana was escorted by two Runner

guards who flew out to meet her as she approached their site. A standard procedure—

scouts sent out to determine friend or foe. She’d identified herself willingly and asked

to see Mog. He was friendly to her once before and Tara mentioned that he’d been loyal

in the past even though her mama had never met him. Tara felt he was trustworthy but

encouraged Ana to rely on her instincts as to how much truth she shared with him.

Ana drove slowly through the campsite in between the two scouts until they

reached the trailer she recognized as Mog’s. The door opened as she climbed off and

when she looked up, Mog was smiling and looking rather surprised.