Kiromir 41

I made my way as casual a step as possible, my face a neutral expression as I wandered around looking for Dimal. I found him with Letti, relaxing with other parents with infants. I gave him a glance, keeping my aura in absolute check. He ran up to me, and I leaned in to whisper.

“Ni is leaving with Thanus and Gaff. Something’s up. Keep an eye out.” I said.

“You leaving?” Dimal looked worried.

I shook my head. “My job is here. I trust Thanus with the kids.”

The phone in my pocket went off. I answered it and waited.

“Two-hundred thousand,” The succinct and clipped voice said. The professional voice indicated a fed. This could be an excellent excuse to gather the men.

“Accept.”

“Kiromir,” The voice said, butchering my name as usual. I stayed quiet as the man on the other end talked.

“Small matter, drug ring in central Illinois. Clean house, no kids, no women,” the voice said.

“Send details.” I still wanted more information.

I looked at the texts that came as Dimal looked worried. Something had him uneasy, too.

“Get a few men together. You stay here with me. You’ve got Leti to worry about.”

Krell, Nodak, and Quinn, three of the younger members of my team, assembled. For this mission, they fit the bill.

“Mission time, Boss?” Quinn asked. He’d been with us about twenty-five years, had dark brown wings with white hackles, deeper skin, sunken green eyes, and darker brown hair. Quin didn’t talk much and had an aura that made people nauseous, like dysphoria or something. So we didn’t use it often, but he worked hard.

“We’re meeting out by the campers in twenty. We have to be in and out quick. No lashing, no blatant, no man left alive, full auras,” I told them, and they nodded. Drug dens had cameras, always cameras. “Krell, you’re knocking out electronics. Nodak, please torch the place where it can be called ‘electrical’ and, Quinn? Curb your fires and just kill. Niala isn’t in a good way now, but give her a knife and go for it. I need to be here. Take my phone.”

I extended my phone to Krell, and he thumbed through it for the data they needed.

“Team lead?” he asked.

“Tell Thanus to get you guys a few miles out before taking rough light,” I told them. They sprinted.

I had a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that if they weren’t safe, then neither were the wanderers. I needed to find Dimal. After the ceremonies, we’d start a slow evacuation. I didn’t know what lay ahead.

I had panic on my mind, and only for a moment did I realize that I wasn’t worried as much about Niala as I should have been. She went with Thanus. Gaff followed. They had something to excuse them and somewhere far to be. I needed to figure out Rolyn’s game.

I cut around the camp, thinking who I would want to round up, definitely the bonded men. The families needed to leave the second the ceremonies were over. It had to be scheduled, quiet, and flawless. Gathering the unbonded youth might be tricky; they’d be sneaking off and chasing fires. I had to think.

I caught back up with Dimal, and he had fear spattered over his face that wasn’t mine. Letti packed up her things as their baby cried, staying calm. She apologized to people with nervous laughter, and I noticed a substantial lack of swearing.

“Something’s bad wrong,” Dimal said, whispering. Letti, a healer, had far more intuition than most and felt something amiss.

I nodded in agreement, and Letti scurried away.