Page 20 (1/1)

While we force down the lunch, Dad pours out his bohen he thinks I’ thin Before I--or, worse, Mo the fabric

"These are Piedmont made Fresh cotton Expensive," henext to him Even in the Silver court, Piedmont cotton was considered very fine, a co Security, Sentinel, and military uniforms I remember Lucas wore it, up until the moment he died I realize now I never saw him out of unifor A few days and I’ him, aa hand over the blanket, if only for distraction

Dad continues his investigation and runs a hand down the side of a crate Sturdy, wide planks of wood, freshly painted white The only distinguishing le, smaller than my hand, staiven," Dad says

He doesn’t need to speak forIf there are Lakelanders with us here, on this very island, then the Scarlet Guard could easily have friends elsewhere, in different nations and kingdoms We seem weak because ant to

With a stealth I didn’t know he possessed, Dad takes irl"

But while he is afraid, I feel hope The Scarlet Guard has deeper roots than I knew, than any Silver could iine And the Colonel is only one of a hundred heads, just like Farley An opposition definitely, but one I can overco Of those, I’ve had my fair share

Like Dad, I pour my stew into a crack in the concrete "I’m finished," I say, and Kilorn ju to visit Shade, or at least that’s e say out loud, for the benefit of the others close by My family knows better, even Mom She blows me a kiss as I walk away, and I tuck it close to my heart

When I pull up ee, and Kilorn is no one at all The soldiers pay us no th of the concrete yard, away fro the thick white line

In the light ofhills, looking very much like a wide road to nowhere The painted line continues ahead, but a thinner, le It connects the central line to another structure, located at the end of the barracks, towering over everything else on the island It looks like a larger version of the hangars on the beach, tall and wide enough to fit six transports stacked on top of one another I wonder what it holds, knowing the Guard does their own share of thieving But the doors are shut fast, and a few Lakelandertheir guns close So my curiosity will have to wait, perhaps forever

Kilorn and I turn right, toward the gap between Barracks 8 and 9 The high s of both are dark, abandoned--the buildings are eees, or worse, h their shadows

The beach isn’t hard to get to After all, this is an island And while the main base is well developed, the rest of Tuck is erass, and a few pockets of ancient trees There aren’t even paths through the grass, with no ani through the swaying plants until we reach the beach The dock stands a few hundred yards away, a wide knife jutting out into the waves Froes of dark blue pacing back and forth Most focus on the cargo ship approaching froht of such a large vessel obviously controlled by Reds Kilorn is more focused

"Perfect cover," he says, and starts to take off his shoes I follow suit, kicking off my laceless boots and worn socks But when he pulls his shirt over his head, exposing fa nets, I’ around a secret bunker shirtless

He folds his shirt over his shoes, fiddling a bit "I take it this isn’t a rescue o

"I just need to see hi on"

Kilorn winces, but he nods all the saet out Shouldn’t be too hard, especially since they won’t expect anything fro out his feet and fingers to oes over Farley’s whispered instructions There’s aup into a research lab Once used to study marine life, now it serves as the Colonel’s own quarters, though he never visits the the day It’ll be locked from the inside, easy to open, and the corridors are siate At this tie frouards will remain behind Kilorn and I faced worse as children, e stole a case of batteries for my dad from a Security outpost

"Try not to splash," Kilorn adds, before wading into the surf Goose bu to the cold autumn ocean, but he barely feels it I certainly do, and by the ti With one last glance toward the dock, I dive beloave, letting it chill h the water effortlessly, swi al close to his side as ihtensrunning out fro the path of electricity froh the water, and into Barracks 1 Eventually Kilorn turns toward it, angling us on a diagonal to the shore, and then parallel His advance is masterful, with the stolen boats at anchor to hide our approach Once or twice he touches ht pressure Stop, go, slow, fast, all of it while he stays fixed on the dock ahead Luckily, the freighter ship is unloading, drawing the attention of any soldiers who h the water More crates, all white, stale More clothes?

No, I realize as a crate topples, cracking open Guns spill across the dock Rifles, pistols, aleaift for the Scarlet Guard, another twist of even deeper roots I never knew existed

The knowledgeme past Kilorn even when my muscles ache I duck under the dock, safe at last fro pace just behind ht below us" His whispers echo oddly, reverberating off the metal dock above and the water all around "I can just feel it with , his brow set in concentration as he tries to brush a foot against the hidden bunker of Barracks 1 "Sorumbles

"You’re so useful," I reply with a ood to be with hih this ti into a military bunker, not someone’s half-locked house