Do Or Die [Nuworld 4] (5 page)

Ana stood and stretched, suddenly in the mood for a nap. They were going to steal

weapons and clothing from this clan site and then return north to sell them. She sighed

deeply and Lara stood as well, walking around the fire to look at her head-on.

“You aren’t having second thoughts, are you?” She studied Ana’s face.

“No.” Ana shrugged indifferently. “There’s nothing else to do right now. When do

we have to have the stuff to your guy?”

“Day after tomorrow. If we’re left alone today then tonight we’ll scope out the site,

find what we need and be out of here.”

“And if we’re not left alone?”

Lara didn’t answer.

They were left alone, although Ana was sure the clan knew they were there. The

Blood Circle Clan would definitely know of anyone camping around their clan site. The

moon was full and directly above them when they took off on one glider toward the

clan site. Lara knew without Ana saying a word which trailer was the arsenal. It was

easily detected by its lack of windows and square shape, as opposed to the rounded

trailers Runners lived in. What Ana wasn’t prepared for was that the guards on duty

knew Lara and were ready for her arrival. The contents of the trailer were loaded onto

two jeeps and then the guards followed Lara and Ana back to their trailers.

“My adrenaline’s pumped.” Lara grinned and stretched once the supplies were

loaded into her trailer and the guards had left. She hadn’t suggested any of the weapons

be stored in Ana’s trailer and Ana didn’t suggest they should put any of it in there. “Are

you ready to head out? There’s no way I could sleep now.”

“That sounds fine with me,” Ana said as she stifled a yawn. She wasn’t sure she

could see straight to drive but she wanted to get away from this clan site as quickly as

possible.

Over the next several weeks Lara and Ana traveled through snowstorms and bitter

winds from one town to the next supplying merchandise to interested parties. Not all of

Lara’s “transactions” involved stolen Runner equipment. Ana realized her partner in

crime provided other items on demand and she wondered if Lara had always been a

petty thief. Her boredom with the scene was becoming apparent to Lara and she

entered Ana’s trailer one morning with a broad grin on her face.

“I just got word,” she said as she helped herself to one of the rolls Ana had on a

plate. “Today we go see our work in process.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It will be a surprise, sister. I will show you how our hard work is paying off. And

don’t think I don’t know how much help you’ve been to me. You’ll get your rewards

right alongside me.” Lara finished off the roll and licked her fingers as she watched

snow fall outside the window. “We should head out. I’d hate to get stuck in this stuff.

Sometimes I wonder how smart it was to organize all this in the Norther country.”

Much to Ana’s surprise they spent half a day driving their trailers to Mogsven.

They parked and walked along the shoveled walks, purchasing some needed herbs.

Then Lara told Ana they would head out on their gliders. After being airborne for less

than an hour, several gliders appeared ahead of them and Ana followed Lara down to

the ground to meet the three men who had come from the opposite direction.

“What’s going on?” Lara asked the young man who Ana recognized as being the

son of the large man she’d met before the fools’ festival.

“You’re being trailed. We think they’re Gothman scouts, at least they’re using

Gothman gliders.” The young man eyed Lara lustfully as he spoke. “We’ve been sent

out to stop you from coming any further. We don’t know why you’re being followed

but there’s too much to risk.”

“What would Gothman be doing this far north?” Ana asked, wondering what these

people thought the reason might be. “Everyone knows Gothman don’t leave their

nation.”

“There were Gothman at the fools’ festival,” Lara said to Ana as if she’d just figured

that out.

“Why would they be up here?” Ana asked again. She hadn’t noticed anyone trailing

them although she wouldn’t admit to Lara that she’d had the sensation they were being

followed now for several days.

“I’m not sure.” The young man now cast his gaze over Ana. He smiled at her and

she had to admit he was quite handsome although his eyes were different colors. One

eye was as green as a Tree Person’s while the other was pale blue. It gave him an eerie,

almost demonic look. “You need to lay low for a while. We can’t risk leading anyone to

the site who that might try to stop us before we’re ready. Why don’t you two follow me

to my cabin? We can hang out there for a few days and keep an eye on who comes and

goes.”

“That sounds perfect, Roman,” Lara purred and ran a finger lazily down his chest.

Ana knew exactly what Roman had in mind when she entered the rough-looking

cabin buried on the side of a rugged hill. Lara pulled out her bag of potions while

Roman went outside to gather firewood.

“You know what they say, An-nea,” she said as she grabbed a bowl from the crude

kitchen and dumped some small roots in it then began smashing them. “Two women

truly become sisters when they share a man.”

Ana’s stomach clenched. Was that what Andru and Gilroy thought—that they

would truly be brothers if they shared a woman?

“I don’t want Roman. You can have him all to yourself.” Ana felt sick. She then

added for clarity, “One man is hardly enough for me.”

“I remember.” Lara looked up from her project and smiled wickedly. “So what are

you going to do while I reduce this man to putty? Do you want to watch?”

“No.” Ana faked a laugh. “I think I’ll go back into Mogsven and find my own

action. You have your fun. I’ll come find you in the morning.”

“Are you sure?” Lara tried to sound concerned but Ana could tell she was

delighted to be left alone with her lover for the evening.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll see what I hear about Gothman in the area.”

“Good idea.”

Oh yeah. It was a good idea. In fact, she couldn’t have prayed for a better turn of

events. Lara wouldn’t look for Ana until the morning and that would be plenty of time

for Ana to locate a landlink and contact home. Besides, she had a pretty good idea who

these mysterious Gothman were and who they were actually trailing.

Ana pulled out of Mogsven and began traveling south. She traveled on the main

road so her tire tracks wouldn’t be overly noticeable in the packed snow. By the time it

was dark she had reached the smaller town of Ransboot, a small trading community

with only a few stores and no tavern. Obviously, not a town that would appeal to Lara.

She donned the Runner outfit Lara had been generous enough to leave with her and

pulled her heavy leather coat up around her ears as she exited her trailer and hurried

into the heart of the town. No one knew of any Gothman in the area but she did learn

that the Red Star Clan was camped twenty-some miles south of there. They were a

small clan who had become strongly devoted to the teachings of Crator. Surely there

would be no corrupt Runners among this clan.

She drove her trailer within several miles of the clan site until she found a hiding

place nestled deep within trees and rocks where she felt comfortable leaving it

unattended for a while. Once again, as she secured a small tote bag to her glider, she

had the eerie sensation that she was being watched. Instinctively, she patted the laser

attached to her belt and hidden by her jacket. Twilight made it difficult to distinguish

shapes among the trees, and she wondered if Andru or Gilroy were actually trailing

her. If so, then why didn’t they make their presence known? Not that she wanted to see

either one of them ever again.

“Identify yourself.” The guard on duty held a beam up to Ana, blinding her as she

drove her glider forward slowly.

“I’m Ana, daughter of Tara of the Blood Circle Clan.” Ana parked her glider and

dismounted, the customary politeness offered when a Runner approached a new clan

site.

“You’re welcome to share you stories around the fires.” The older guard nodded to

her, indicating she could walk her glider into the clan site. To ride into the clan was

considered discourteous and could be viewed as an act of aggression.

Ana nodded in response and pushed her glider within ten feet or so of the nearest

bonfire, parked it, then walked up closer, holding her hands out to the warmth.

“Welcome, stranger,” a tall well-built man said jovially. “I don’t recognize you. Are

you new to our clan site?”

She eyed the brown eyes that studied her in return through the Runner headscarf.

He smiled at her, obviously liking what he saw, and then turned and gestured to an

older man who immediately brought her a hot drink. With one sniff she could tell the

coffee was laced with a type of brandy and sipped appreciatively.

“I’m Ana of the Blood Circle Clan and I just got here. I’m working my way south

back to my clan site for the new winter celebration but the weather isn’t helping much. I

thought I’d seek out food and lodging if it’s available.”

“I’m sure we can accommodate.” He smiled at her again and then lifted his mug to

her in a silent toast. “I’m Mog, son of Redo, and leader of the Red Star Clan. Are you

Ana, daughter of Tara?”

“The one and only.” She smiled and enjoyed the warming sensation the hot, laced

drink offered.

Mog gestured for her to follow and she fell into stride next to him and battled the

winds that picked up quickly as they walked silently toward a group of trailers. There

was nothing that made Mog’s trailer stand out from any of the other trailers…a

common practice so no enemy could single out the leader of the clan.

“I use this as my conference trailer but it has all the amenities of home. You’re

welcome to consider it your home away from home while you’re here with us.” He

watched her as she took in her surroundings. “Are you on the age of searching?”

“Yes, I have been, but I’ve heard word my mama wants me to come home. I guess

I’m supposed to start taking on my leadership roles.” She smiled timidly, enjoying the

fact that she could speak openly for a change.

“I remember that time.” Mog grinned and pulled off his headscarf before walking

over to inspect the kitchen. “Have you eaten? I don’t know how much food we have in