Heirs of the Enemy (56 page)

Tedi nodded. “You will meet us there?”

“I will check out the placement of the patrols before you arrive. No matter how meticulously we planned, there is a chance that Colonel Fisker will not deliver as we expect him to. Does Garth have a backup plan?”

“Garth has faith in your abilities,” grinned Tedi. “So do I. Don’t be late.”

Tedi kissed Natia and then hurried out the door. He got his unicorn out of the stables and rode out of the city. He took the fork for the Zinbar Trail and rode for about an hour. Hearing the call of an osprey, the gypsy prince turned off the road and into the forest. Minutes later he entered a large clearing where Garth and twenty Rangers were waiting for him.

“How did it go?” asked Garth.

“It went down exactly as planned,” answered Tedi. “Natia didn’t even have to send for the colonel. He showed up on his own.”

“I think he is mesmerized by your wife,” chuckled Garth.

“She scares me,” laughed Tedi. “She led him straight to where we wanted him, and all the time she was telling him not to do it.”

“She is a gypsy,” grinned Garth. “Will the colonel change the patrols tonight, or do we have to waste a day in these woods?”

“He sounded like he wanted them changed immediately,” answered Tedi. “Natia is going to check on it and let us know for sure. I see you managed to get the Rangers here. What did King Arik say about it?”

“He was hesitant at first,” answered Garth, “but I explained that the Rangers would be used primarily for training the thieves in four cities. He agreed to five men per city. I mentioned that they might have an attack or two before they got into place, but I did not linger in mentioning it.”

“A wise move. How are we getting them into the city? I can’t believe that you will ride them through the gates.”

“Morro showed me the entrance that the thieves use,” answered Garth. “I have cleared our use of it with Headman. His people will be leaving the city the same way when he sends them out here for training.”

“As usual, you have everything covered.”

“Perhaps,” mused Garth. “I think we will teach the Federation that nothing is impregnable, but that doesn’t mean that this mission will be risk free. It is always wise to plan for surprises, but even with a lack of surprises, this mission will be risky. We are going into a fortified building inside a fortified city with just one squad of men. It doesn’t get much riskier than that.”

“I think I will offer up some prayers before we depart,” Tedi said seriously.

Twenty-two black-clad men moved furtively through the sewers of Giza. Rats scurried away from their approaching footsteps, but there was no other life below the streets. The thieves had abandoned the sewers as promised, and the only sounds heard were the constant drips of water. Garth Shado led the group with a practiced sense of direction. Although he changed tunnels frequently, he led them steadily towards the Temple of Balmak. Unexpectedly, he halted at the base of a ladder.

“We are going up into a building,” Garth explained softly as his men gathered around him. “This is the location I spoke about earlier. The building should be empty, but use caution. If there are people present, disable them and wait for further instructions. The first team is to secure the ground floor. Go.”

Five Rangers separated from the others. The team leader climbed the ladder until he reached the hatchway into the building. He paused as he waited for the rest of his team to be either on the ladder or waiting to climb it. When he was sure that everyone was ready, the leader eased the hatch open and stealthily entered the basement of the building. The other four Rangers quickly followed, spreading out in the large basement room. After verifying that no one was hiding in the room, the leader guided his men up the stairs to the ground floor. Behind him, the other teams were already flowing out of the sewer.

The team leader halted at the top of the stairs, his hands silently directing his team members as they exited the stairway. Within seconds, the ground floor was secured. There were no people present other than the Rangers. The other three teams soon followed with Garth and Tedi coming last. Garth moved directly to the front door and cracked it open. Bitsy flew out of the building and shot straight upward to the roof. There, the little woman landed on Natia’s shoulder alongside Button.

“The assault team is ready,” Bitsy announced with a sharp military manner.

“Button, go with Bitsy,” Natia ordered softly. “Report that all is as planned.”

The two fairies leaped off of Natia’s shoulder and dived downward. With aerobatic twists, the two fairies darted through the crack in the door and they each landed on one of Garth’s shoulders. Garth closed the door and moved away from it. The Rangers gathered around the Knight of Alcea.

“All is as planned,” reported Button.

“Send me your fairies,” Garth said to the Rangers.

The four team leaders woke their fairies and sent them to Garth. There was a slight moment of disorganization as the fairies tried to settle on Garth’s shoulders, but Bitsy and Button had command of the situation. The two leading fairies issued terse instructions until there were three fairies on each of Garth’s shoulders.

“Listen closely now,” Garth began. “The rear door of the temple is just across the street. This attack has to be totally silent. The myric quill is the weapon of choice tonight, but use whatever is necessary to get the job done. There are scores of Federation soldiers standing just a block away in each direction. If they hear anything, expect them to come rushing towards the temple. As I explained earlier, we are facing at least one hundred warriors and two black-cloaks. They are all fair game for any team, but the demonkin is to be avoided. Tedi and I will be going after K’san.”

Garth waited for questions or objections, but there were none. He nodded with satisfaction and addressed the fairies. “The fairies will be divided into two teams. Button will lead the outdoor team, and she will work directly with Natia on the roof of this building. This team will be responsible for the illusions and also security patrols. If anyone approaches the rear of the temple, I want to be notified immediately. Understood?”

The three fairies on Garth’s left shoulder chattered excitedly, their tiny heads nodding exaggeratedly. Despite the tension, Garth smiled inwardly and waited for their excitement to diminish.

“Bitsy will be in charge of the inside team. They will be coordinating directly with me. Their first task is to disable the outside sentries at the rear door, but not until Button has given the go ahead. Once we are inside the temple, your main task is to find the demonkin and the mages without being detected. Another important task is to alert the Rangers to any traps or ambushes. If you find clerics awake, neutralize them whenever possible, but remember that stealth must be maintained at all times. Questions?”

Bitsy’s team was also excited about striking a mighty blow to the enemy, but they were more subdued about it. They nodded solemnly, although Garth could feel their tiny feet stomping excitedly on his shoulder.

“Alright,” Garth said with an air of authority. “Let’s do this. All fairies outside. Bitsy, notify me when it is safe for us to approach the rear door of the temple.”

Garth walked to the door and cracked it open. Button immediately took charge as she felt that outside was her domain. She ordered the individual fairies to head for the roof one at a time. Button was the last to leap off Garth’s shoulder. She shot upward to find that Bitsy’s team had already claimed one of Natia’s shoulders. The members of Button’s team stood waiting on the other shoulder, and Button joined them. She was not about to start a turf war in the middle of a mission.

“Button,” instructed Natia, “your team members need to create images of the street below. I need one fairy at the corner of the block to my right, and another at the corner to my left. They will create an image of the entire block exactly as it looks right now. When things change below, I do not want any observers to see the changes. They are not to see the Rangers coming out of the building and entering the temple. They are not to see Bitsy’s team take out the sentries. For the duration of this mission, that street below will not change at all. Notify me when the images are in place.”

Button immediately turned to her teammates and issued commands. The two fairies shot into the air, and Button followed one of them. Moments later, Button returned and settled on Natia’s empty shoulder.

“The illusions are in place,” she reported.

“Excellent,” smiled Natia. “Set up an aerial patrol that will keep this general area in sight. Report to me periodically so that I know that you are still on the task. Report to me immediately if anything disturbs you.”

Button leaped into the air and disappeared.

“Bitsy,” Natia ordered, “your team’s first task is to immobilize the sentries at the rear door of the temple. As soon as that task is accomplished, report to Garth. You will only report back to me after the mission is complete, and the Rangers have returned to the sewers. Your team will be going inside the temple with Garth.”

Bitsy saluted and ordered her teammates into action. The three fairies leaped into the air together, but they immediately spread out as they dived downward towards the door of the temple across the street. Bitsy hovered high between the two sentries, while her teammates cast sleep spells on the men. The two sentries fell to the ground within a second of each other, and Bitsy shot across the street and through the crack in the door. A moment later, the door opened wide, and the attack group flowed out into the street. As the Rangers gathered around, Garth and Tedi slid myric quills into their reeds. Garth knocked firmly on the door three times. He paused and repeated the three knocks. He paused again and knocked once. As Headman had promised, the door immediately cracked open. Garth did not wait for the black-cloak to finish opening the door. As soon as the crack was wide enough to ensure that the quill would pass through, Garth blew on his reed. Garth then threw the door open wide, while Tedi waited anxiously with a reed to his lips. There was no reason for the gypsy prince to waste his quill. The lone body of a black-cloak was crumpled on the floor.

Tedi stepped to one side, as the first team of Rangers rushed into the temple. The second and third teams quickly followed. While the fourth team of Rangers picked up the bodies of the outside sentries, Garth and Tedi entered the temple. Bitsy fluttered over Garth’s head, while the other two fairies of her team shot off in different directions. The fourth team carried the bodies inside the temple and stabbed them with myric quills. They then closed the rear door of the temple and moved off in search of clerics. While the Rangers spread out through the temple, Garth and Tedi made their way towards K’san’s office with Bitsy leading the way. They reached the corridor leading to the priest’s office without encountering a single cleric. The relative ease of their progress bothered Tedi. As they entered the long corridor, he reached out and tugged on Garth’s sleeve. Garth halted.

“Something is not right,” whispered Tedi. “Where are all of the roving patrols that we have seen in other temples? They are supposed to be expecting an attack, yet their defenses are nonexistent.”

Garth grinned. “They have a false sense of security. With sewer access blocked off and hundreds of soldiers outside, they feel very secure. We are about to teach the Federation yet another lesson. Be ready with your staff. I want to try taking K’san in a bloodless way, but it may not work out as I expect. Stand by to strike quickly.”

Tedi nodded and Garth led the way along the dark corridor leading to the priest’s office. As the Rangers raced through the temple in search of clerics, Garth proceeded agonizingly slow. Each step was taken with silence in mind, and it took several minutes just to make it to the door of the priest’s office. Light spilled out from the crack under the door, indicating that the priest was in the room. Garth ignored the magical sword on his back. He fed another myric quill into his reed and brought the reed to his lip. With a wave of his hand, he ordered Tedi to squat low. The gypsy prince squatted and prepared to strike, his staff extended towards the door. With his free hand, Garth simply knocked on the door.

Inside the room, K’san frowned and looked up at the door as he heard the knock. The hour was late, and he could not imagine who might be bothering him. The knock did not have a sense of urgency to it, and the priest was deep in contemplation. He sat silently staring at the door, his brow creased with annoyance, and hoped that the person would go away. Another knock sounded on the door, and the priest angrily gave permission to enter. Expecting the door to open, the priest was surprised when it did not. Instead, he heard someone talking to him through the door. The man’s speech was mumbled, and K’san could not understand it. With a sigh of annoyance, he rose from his chair and walked across the room. He was about to throw open the door and angrily berate the fool on the other side, but something urged him to caution. He cracked the door open and tried to peer into the corridor. The only thing he saw was a quill just before it entered his eye.

As the demonkin’s body tumbled to the floor, Garth shoved the door open. Tedi leaped over the priest, his staff stretching out before him as he whirled around in a circle, seeking any targets that might have been hidden in the room.

“Queen Romani was correct,” smiled Garth as he reached down and pulled the quill from the priest’s eye. “Their eyes are just as vulnerable as yours or mine. Let’s go help the others.”

* * * *

In the forests outside of Giza, twenty Rangers waited in a large clearing with Garth and Tedi. Headman soon appeared, leading a group of twenty thieves. The thieves dismounted. Headman looked around the clearing, counting the number of black-clad warriors.

“So these are the famous Alcean Rangers?” Headman asked Garth.

“They are the finest warriors in Alcea,” Garth replied proudly. “Five of them will be staying to train your men.”

“That is why I have brought my finest,” replied the head thief. “I had expected your Rangers to attack the temple this evening, but I can see that it must have been called off. I assume they will go into the city tomorrow night? Should I have my men return to Giza or should they camp out here and wait?”