Read The Alliance for Free Online

were the smugglers, the latter group making an unusual daylight march across unpopulated forest to a rendezvous. Current progress suggested the sergeant and his men would come up behind the smugglers. It should distract him, which was just as well. He was very good and his time off-planet made him dangerous. Anneke couldn’t argue with any part of his reasoning. She’d have to watch him carefully.
    “Good morning.” Rachael joined her, body moving awkwardly as she limped toward the fire. “I expected to feel worse.”
    “We’re going as soon as the mounds are lit. There’s too much movement around here.” Anneke’s mind calculated distances and angles, ready to intervene and give the smuggler boss a nudge in the right direction, but she noted Rachael’s reaction with some admiration. The girl had clamped down on her instinctive wail of despair and hardened her mind to the prospect of further flight. If Anneke could keep her body going, the mind would do the rest.
    “What’s the Alliance’s interest here?”
    “As far as I know, they’ve none. I’m just visiting friends.” Anneke stopped short of a direct admission, but gave Rachael a mental tick for deduction. “Grab some tea and we’ll see how they’re going with the mounds.” She turned away and started walking.
    “Go ahead, I’ll join you.” Rachael was content with the lack of denial for the moment, but Anneke knew she could expect further questions.
    They set the central stakes of the mounds to provide the top vents and Anneke was impressed, both the orientation and the spacing were right. Rachael’s signal would be perfect.
    “You’ve done well. Right smart fellows, eh?” She patted the bowman on the shoulder. “Tell anyone who asks you always use this pattern, eh? Your lucky charm from a Pavee . Given years ago, eh?”
    The bowman/leader nodded slowly. “Everyone?” He studied Anneke’s expression. “We’ve been doing it this way for years?”
    Anneke’s nod was enough for him.
    “I’ll make sure the others understand,” he said. “You’ll be on your way soon?”
    Anneke nodded again.
    “We’ve got some traveling food stashed. I’ll show you where.” He led the way. “Take what you need. Whoever comes, you were never here.”
    Anneke made a secret promise to see this man rewarded. He’d not believed a word of her story and acted purely from gratitude for the life of his sister’s child. “I’ll remember,” she said, speaking normally. “Count on it.”
    He shrugged his shoulders and gave a wry grin. “Remembering is good. Here comes your friend.”
    Rachael had taken the time to tidy her clothes and braid her hair more tightly, reminding Anneke this was a woman beautiful enough to turn heads in any company.
    “I’m ready,” she said and turned deliberately to the charcoal burner. “I am in your debt. Thank you.”
    “The ugly duckling no longer.” He was grinning at Rachael. “Don’t go too close to the others or I’ll get no work done this day.”
    Anneke helped herself to as much food as they could carry comfortably and she gave half to Rachael. “We’d best be going,” she said and then, to the man, “be very careful near sundown. There are smugglers coming and soldiers following.”
    “We will,” the man said, “Be on your way.”
    Anneke led out, Rachael falling in behind her. At the edge of the clearing, she glanced back briefly but the charcoal burner had returned to his work.
    * * * *
    Kamran’s raised hand halted the progress of his men and they already feared him enough to remain silent when his closed fist summoned the company non-coms to his side. He smiled at the purposeful shuffle that aligned each company facing outwards in a defensive ring. They were learning.
    The company sergeants, formerly his best corporals, gathered around. “We’ve fallen in behind a group of smugglers, probably half our number.” None argued, his time with the mountain tribes had given him a legendary