Free the North! (Free Trader Series Book 5) (19 page)

“All right, off you go.” Braden sent them away. The others looked surprised. Trust had disappeared in the north, and these men were part of the reason why.

“What do we do with the rest of you?” Braden asked the group.

“Let us go?” one bolder than the rest ventured.

“To what end? What would you do that would repair the damage you and your like have caused?”

“We can do just that, repair the damage,” the man probed.

“How?” Braden put him on the spot. The man had no answer, but others came to his rescue.

“We can help secure the trade. We can distribute the goods from this warehouse and then shut it down.”

Braden liked that, but saw it a little differently. “You make that happen, but then offer the warehouse as a place to temporarily store goods at no cost to the traders. Deal?” They nodded and said they agreed. Braden went with them to see what remained in the warehouse. He was appalled, then angry all over again. It was half full with the things the poor people of Cameron were doing without. Food to clothing to tools. There was a little of everything.

Braden noticed an odd marking on some of the items. When he asked, the men told him those were items destined for Jefferson City.

“Who decided what they got from all this?” Braden asked, suspecting he knew the answer.

“The representative from the Provincial Government,” they told him. Either the man dead in the Town Square or the other one in the jail. Who were they to decide?

Braden left the men to sort the materials and get them ready to load, even those goods marked for transfer to Jefferson City. Braden walked back outside, saw the companions lounging around the wagon, and joined them. Micah still carried Nerise. He smiled at them both, ruffling the young girl’s hair and lovingly kissing his partner as he cupped her face in his hand.

“What’s with us and little girls?” Braden asked playfully. “We seem to be collecting them.”

“There’s just too much life not to share it,” Micah replied philosophically.

“And we’re still fighting a war. There’s this many of us—” Braden pointed at the companions scattered around the wagon. “— and we have to fight a small army. I doubt your stare-down will work, although I hope it does, for their sake,” Braden stammered as his partner gave him a hint of the icy stare, before laughing.

“As usual, we have the question of who do we leave in charge while we move on? Someone will have to tell everyone that the Provincial Government is gone and that they need to get back to business as it used to be. It’ll take a while for people to figure it out again, but they’ll get there. It’s a better place they’ll return to. That monstrosity—” Braden pointed at the warehouse. “—was built for the sole purpose of stealing from the traders, the farmers, everyone.”

“Let’s return to the Town Square and see who’s still there. I saw some people who looked like they understood. We can give them a shot, without giving up the gains we’ve made. We can’t trade one slave master for another. We fight for freedom, not different shades of tyranny.” Braden stopped. Everyone there knew what they fought for and they willingly followed Braden’s lead. He’d already convinced them that freedom was worth fighting for.

One of the men leaned out of the warehouse and watched as the caravan made to leave. Braden looked at him and then yelled, “Stay here and do what we talked about. Anyone tries to leave, we’ll find them and kill them. We have friends all over the place and as it turns out, no one who mattered supported the Provincial Government.”

“Me neither!” the man yelled back. “You don’t have to worry about us, mister.” And Braden believed him.

The pile of swords in the back of the wagon was taking up an annoying amount of space. They’d turn them over to someone who would keep them in the hands of those who’d protect the trade.

Braden waved happily at the two men who had escorted the other to the jail. They were on their way back to the warehouse. They pointed that way and Braden gave them the thumbs up.

When the caravan arrived in the Town Square, they were greeted by a buzz of activity. It looked like the citizens were ready to have a massive celebration. People waved at them and cheered as they stopped the wagon and dismounted. All of them, the Rabbits and Wolfoids included, joined the people. Braden got everyone’s attention and introduced them to the intelligent creatures of Vii, telling everyone that they had equal status with any human.

The citizens of Cameron were accepting of anything their liberators told them. They lined up to greet the creatures. Nerise happily translated for Patrice and Delavigne. Zeller spoke for the Hawkoids, Micah for the Wolfoids, and Braden for the Hillcat, which meant that Braden said nice things as opposed to the rude statements that G-War delivered in an impressive non-stop diatribe.

After the meet and greet that Braden, Micah, and the others had to do, the first wagons from the second run to the warehouse arrived with food and supplies. A man wearing torn clothing and a huge smile stood and looked at the wagon, not the supplies within but the wagon. Braden recognized that look. It was the look of a trader.

“I’m Free Trader Braden and I can always recognize a trade brother. What routes did you ply?”

“Caravan Guild. They call me Stretch. I ran between Jefferson City and here, sometimes to the farms to the northeast. I’m pleased to meet you. I’ve been locked up for three moons, I think. They accused me of skimming from my load. All they wanted was to take my wagon.” The man pointed to the wagon he’d been looking at.

Braden led him by the arm to it, before yelling at the wagon’s driver. “This your wagon?” he asked.

“It’s the one they gave me,” the driver replied, pointing to the government building.

“That’s great, thank you. The wagon belongs to this man. Turn it over to him, we’ll all help unload,” Braden finished. The driver shrugged, tied off the reins, and climbed down. Stretch maneuvered the team and wagon expertly into position where the volunteers quickly separated the food from the supplies and began cooking a feast, right in the Town Square. Braden looked at Micah. She nodded.

“We have some smoked pork we can add to the feast,” he said. Bounder and Gray Strider jumped into the wagon and looked at the smoked pork with long faces before handing it down to waiting volunteers.

‘Doesn’t matter to me,’
G-War told them all.
‘I never liked that stuff, but it was better than soybeans. Can you imagine? Me? Eating soybeans? That would signal the end of days.’
The ‘cat ran through the crowd toward an alley where they’d seen pigeons pecking at scraps on the ground.

“Is it just me or has G-War gotten unusually philosophical since we left Aadi in the desert?”

“No, it’s not just you,” Micah replied as she continued to carry bundles from Stretch’s wagon. After that, three more wagons arrived and those were quickly unloaded. The natural leaders of the town took over, many of whom had been held in the jail cells, like Stretch.

Braden and Micah found it refreshing to be able to step aside. They didn’t have the time or energy to restore Cameron to what it once was, so they were pleased to see the townspeople take responsibility for that themselves. The only thing they asked was that Braden and his companions finish off the Provincial Government. They’d seen the Old Tech firepower that they used and wanted that on their side. At least everyone was polite enough not to ask where they got it.

A commotion from the alley suggested G-War had been successful hunting the local wildlife. Bounder and Gray Strider looked like they wanted to join the ‘cat, but Micah looked back sternly. They settled for some of the smoked pork, but felt guilty and were happier sharing with the hungry-looking citizens of Cameron.

During the feast, Braden asked if anyone knew where he could buy fifty water buffalo. Ears perked up at that. There was a herd to the east, triple that size, but they’d been under the control of the Provincial Government. It had been forever since the people had any water buffalo on their dinner table. For their freedom, the former rancher said he’d make sure that the livestock was waiting when the caravan returned from Jefferson City.

Braden was torn, but only for an instant. The feelings of joy from the people that relished their newfound freedom were overwhelming. For trade. For freedom. As he’d suggested to Ava, someone has to fight for peace, otherwise the peace you have isn’t what you want. Freedom has a price, sometimes a very steep price that most people don’t have to pay. Someone would pay it, though, someone like Braden and his companions because they believed freedom was worth it.

The Road to Jefferson City

“It’s been a long time since I’ve traveled this road,” Braden said, thinking out loud. “It looks like it’s getting a little worn down. I think it could use some Amazonian attention.” He and Micah nodded, having seen the difference in the road after Zalastar had his people fix it.

They’d never seen them working on it. All of a sudden, the road was repaired. Braden had never asked how. He resolved to ask Zalastar the next time he saw him.

The others daydreamed of different pleasures as they headed north. It was a two-turn trip, so they didn’t think they needed to worry until the second turn. Plus Skirill and Zyena flew ahead, scanning the road and the road’s approaches for any signs of the enemy. They flew far ahead, not seeing anything alarming.

Patrice and Delavigne carried on a long conversation with Nerise about the virtues of gardening. The girl’s mother had always maintained a garden and had taught her young daughter a few of her tricks. The Rabbits approved.

Arnie bucked and bugled as two arrows embedded deep into his side. He bolted ahead, where more archers were waiting. Zeller screamed as she shared his pain.

Micah had her blaster out first and fired indiscriminately into the trees, while Braden tried to get Arnie off the road and into cover. Brandt saw the arrows fly from the tree line and he ran straight for the spot. He plowed through the underbrush, unfazed by the small trees that snapped as he ran over them. Men darted in all directions. The King of the Aurochs ran down those who weren’t fast enough to find cover. He gored one on his horn, shaking his head and splitting the man in half as he continued his wanton destruction of the ambush site.

Micah’s fire into the trees in front of him made him change his plan. He turned and headed back toward the road. A couple brave archers loosed arrows, but only one hit the King, in his back haunch. He probably didn’t feel it because of the adrenaline surge.

The Wolfoids and Hillcat jumped from the moving wagon, landing in a crouch. G-War ran straight for the woods, looking like an orange flash as he disappeared into the undergrowth. Bounder and Gray Strider fired lightning bolts at the two men who’d shot at Brandt. The place they’d been flashed and smoked, but the Wolfoids couldn’t be sure they hit their target. They realized how exposed they were, so they dashed after G-War. Just in time, as a small volley of arrows came their way. They dodged and dropped to all fours to more quickly reach the shelter of the trees.

Braden had to lean around Micah to fire, but stopped when he saw G-War disappear into his target area and the Wolfoids weren’t far away, either. “Into the trees!” Braden yelled. The Rabbits watched, but their job was to protect Nerise and the wagon. The Rabbits assumed that meant Arnie, too. He finally calmed, but he was hurt. Brandt stood between Arnie and where the archers had been, shielding the smaller Aurochs with his body.

Seeing the arrows in Arnie’s side caused Braden physical pain as he couldn’t abide the anguish of his friends. Too many times he’d seen them hurt and bleeding. Too many times he’d sewn the rents in their flesh. He jumped from the wagon, ready to do anything to stop the attack. Micah landed on the ground next to him.

Braden pointed while he ran. The quicker they eliminated the threat, the sooner they’d be able to attend to Arnie, help him start the healing process.

Skirill and Zyena had flown back as soon as they heard Arnie’s anguished cry and were sharing their view of the area around the trees, but the overhead canopy was too dense. They saw men running toward horses tied to a second stand of trees, but that didn’t account for all of them. Skirill threw caution to the wind and dove into the trees, under the canopy and flew between the branches and trunks, looking to help his friends. One man this way. Another hiding beyond that tree over there.

Zyena followed her mate in, going the other direction, flying madly between the obstacles, sometimes skimming the ground as she twisted, dodged, and dove. Two more men there, and the enemy was running, trying to get away from what they thought were eagles. One risked firing an arrow at Zyena. She was too fast for him, but he was too slow for Gray Strider’s lightning bolt. It blew the man backward into a charred heap. Micah finished one man with a shot from her blaster, Braden another.

Zeller jumped from the wagon, but she couldn’t follow Braden and Micah into the trees. She had to go to her friend and trade partner. Arnie was in immense pain and it radiated through every fiber of her being.

G-War was the first to the place where the ambushers had tied up their horses. Four men were there when he jumped to the back of one horse and ran up a man’s chest before viciously slashing his face. The man was able to push the ‘cat off, but G-War was already jumping. He leapt to a second man and raked claws across his leg, before dodging away. The other two riders spurred their horses to action. G-War bolted aside to avoid being run over. He could have caught them, but it was less effort to tell Braden and Micah where the two were headed, so they could cut them off.

When they rode past, Braden took one and Micah took the other. The blasters were set to narrow beam which was all they needed to finish the lives of the two ambushers. They may have been good men, but during this daylight, they were fighting on the wrong side.

Skirill and Zyena finished their aerobatic tour of the space between the tops of the trees and the ground, confirming that there were no men hiding. G-War agreed. The last two men, both injured from the ‘cat’s attack were trying to recover enough to run, but both gave up after seeing the firepower that Braden and Micah used to finish their fellow archers.