Rising Moon: The Dark Wolf Chronicles, page 31
“So we will meet them at the border,” Leo continued, “I want this over swiftly and efficiently but without Raven’s death. Is that clear?”
His men all nodded.
“Remember boys, we are defending not attacking. It’s not what we usually do but our only goal here is to detain the enemy, rescue Nola Thorn and protect Stella. That is it.”
Leo looked over his men, his face hard and eyes stern.
“With that said, I want units 1 to 10 on the East end of the border. 11 through 20, West. 21 to 40, with me in the centre. 41 to 80 will form the second line of defence and 81 to 100 will be stationed in civilian areas. Unit Captains, you have already been briefed on our combat strategy. For now focus on distributing weapons, water, rations and medical supplies for your men. We roll out at 1500. Dismissed.”
His men left the tent, leaving Leo to turn to me.
“Nelda, with me,” he said.
I followed him outside where military trucks parked everywhere as men marched around in full uniform and weapons, carrying supplies and instructing one another.
“I’m taking you to an underground vault in a secret location in the forest,” he said, “My Mom and sisters will be with you, but I need to arm you first.”
He led me through the base. The men all stood straight and cleared a path for their Alpha and I felt all their stares fall on me as we passed.
We soon reached a station with tables laid out with hundreds of knives. Soldiers queued up to be handed a dozen to tuck into their belts, boots and holsters.
“Good afternoon, Alpha,” a man overseeing the station said as he stood bolt upright.
“At ease, soldier,” Leo said and he tucked his hands behind his back and relaxed.
“How can I help you, Alpha?”
Leo ushered me forward, “I need my Luna armed. I don’t plan for her to need to fight but just in case.”
The man nodded.
“Of course, Alpha,” he said before turning to gather knives from the station.
“Just in case what?” I asked.
He forced a smile, “We have to be prepared for everything, Nels. We don’t know what information Alpha Raven has from Nola about the vaults.”
My eyes widened, “You mean-”
“Nola doesn’t know the exact coordinates or passcodes. It’s unlikely she could be of any use.”
“What about Max? He was one of your highest men. Surely he knew when he was dealing with Raven?”
Leo’s eyes flickered away, “The passcodes have been changed, but yes. It’s possible the locations have been compromised.”
A few minutes later I was standing with my arms up as Leo strapped a holster around me. He tucked three knives in it and tied it tight around my waist.
“Comfortable?”
I nodded.
“I’ve got no idea how to use a knife but sure, at least it’s comfy.”
He took one of the knives and curled my fingers around it.
“Hold the knife flat like this and aim for the neck, lungs and heart,” he said, pointing the knife at each area on his body, “Always keep a firm grip and do not hesitate. It’s them or you, okay?”
I glanced down at the blade and gave a small nod.
“And if it’s me?”
“If the weapon is still in there, don’t remove it. If it’s not, get pressure on the wound.”
I nodded and he pulled me into a hug.
“Remind me to give you some better training than this when all this is over.”
Leo nodded before reaching for the hem of his shirt. He pulled it off and handed it to me. I raised my eyebrow as he waited patiently.
“Put it on. It will mask your scent,” he said, thrusting it towards me.
I lifted my lip, “Your dirty shirt?”
“Raven is after you and he knows your scent,” he said, forcing it into my hands, “I can’t let him find you.”
I nodded, shrugged off my jacket and handed it to him which he used to shroud me from the eyes of spectators as I changed into his shirt.
“Smells... fresh,” I said.
He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a brand-new iPhone.
“Here’s a new phone.”
My last one that Max threw out the window was a smashed, five-year-old android. This was certainly an upgrade.
“I’ve put a load of useful numbers on it. Mine, Luca’s, Mateo’s, my Mom, My Dad… in case you’re really desperate.”
I let out a short laugh, “I’d have to be really desperate to call your Dad.”
“I also downloaded every single song by the Lumineers on Spotify to entertain you in the vault.”
I smiled, “How do you know I like the Lumineers?”
He grinned as one of his men handed him a fresh t-shirt.
“I listen to you sing in the shower, Nels. Although you’re terribly out of tune and don’t know half the words, it’s just about recognisable.”
“Thank you.”
He kissed me gently and as he pulled away, I lingered at his lips and clutched his shirt.
“Don't be scared, Nelda,” he said. “All this is precautionary. We’ll have Raven detained within hours.”
“I'm not worried about me, Leo,” I replied with a sigh. “I did karate for a year. It's you.”
He cupped my face in his hands, “We are going to win,” he said confidently as he tied his shoes. “Raven has nothing on my army... and nothing on your karate.”
I nodded and he kissed me.
“Try not to worry.”
A soldier marched up to us and stood with his hand patiently behind his back until Leo turned to him.
“Alpha, everything is ready to go.”
Leo looked down at his watch and nodded.
“You have my order to deploy.”
He took my hand and marched along the lines of parked convoy trucks. They had a green canvas roof and benches of men sitting packed inside.
Leo waved his arm and seconds later, engines fired up and exhaust fumes filled the air. The last soldiers got into their allocated trucks and they began rolling out.
Leo put his hands under my arms pits and lifted me onto the back of a truck before he brought himself up too.
One of the soldiers threw his hand into the air and waved.
Luca.
He wore his usual wide smile and scooted along the bench, clearing a space but I still had to sit on Leo's lap, crushed between Luca and Mateo's broad shoulders.
“This is cosy,” Luca commented.
Leo reached up and thudded the metal wall of where the driver's cabin was twice.
“Via the vault,” he ordered and the truck moved with the rest of the convoy.
“Nellie, your hair keeps getting in my mouth,” Luca complained, contorting his face to remove half my ponytail without the use of his hands which were trapped elsewhere.
“Few men have that privilege, Luca. Appreciate it while you can,” I said, making no effort to help him.
“Choking on a fluff ball made of your hair. Boy, you're right. Very privileged,” Luca said, finally freeing himself.
“These trucks are only designed for 15 men,” Mateo said. “It's no wonder we are a bit tight.”
“I guess we don't normally transport 1732 men all at one time,” Luca replied.
“Well, people aren't usually stupid enough to declare war on Stella,” Leo commented.
I looked at the weapons the men in the truck. They only had a small knives in their belts and holsters and just a plain black uniform with combat trousers and chunky boots.
“Shouldn’t you have helmets or body protection?” I asked.
Leo shook his head.
“Ever seen a man try to shift with a helmet on?” he said, “The uniform is designed to rip at speed if necessary.”
I shrugged.
“Well surely it should at least be dark green? You mostly fight in forests, right?”
He wrapped his arms tighter around me.
“Stella soldiers don’t hide, Nelda.”
Half an hour later, Leo's phone rang.
“Mom? Are you at the vault?” Leo asked.
“Yes. But Elora has been missing since this morning and I can't find her anywhere,” she said. “I thought she'd show up later but she hasn't.”
“Fucking hell,” Leo cursed. “Is she answering their phones?”
“No,” Rosa replied, “Your father is searching for her but there’s no sign yet.”
Leo exchanged nervous glances with Mateo before ordering the truck to halt.
“Okay, I'll keep you updated,” Leo said, before hanging up.
“Mateo, make sure all the trucks have stopped. I'm not kicking this shit off with our sister out there,” Leo ordered as he began dialling a different number and Mateo got off the truck to deliver Leo's order.
He let the phone ring to voicemail before letting out a frustrated growl.
“Mateo, find the tech team. I need a location for Elora's phone immediately.”
Mateo jumped off the truck and jogged across to a different truck parked a few yards away. He returned five minutes later with a piece of paper with coordinates scribbled writing on it.
“This doesn't make sense,” Leo said, staring from the paper to the map in his hands and matching the coordinates. “Why would she be there? There's a deployment there sent out earlier today.”
“It's not far from here,” Mateo said, pointing at the map, “I suggest we let the rest of the convoy continue and take this truck and the men on it to investigate. Then we can go to the vault by taking this route and cut across here to catch them up.”
Leo nodded.
“Okay,” he said. “Inform the drivers.”
Luca and Mateo then dispersed and began running up and down the line of trucks, updating each driver.
We were soon on our way and diverging away from the rest of the group.
Another fifteen minutes later and we had reached a small base with a couple of trucks and only thirty or so men.
Our truck rolled in and Leo immediately jumped out.
“Elora... Alea?” he said.
I followed his gaze to see two people amongst the soldiers in the same uniform but with female builds.
“What is going on?” Leo questioned, storming up to them.
“We aren't going to sit in a vault biting our nails whilst our brothers and friends are out here fighting,” Elora said. “We're helping.”
Elora then wielded the bow she was holding, pulling back the string and casually aiming at a tree. She shot and hit it perfectly.
“We've been practising and we're ready, Alpha,” Alea added, with her chin high and a confident smile on her lips.
“And who the fuck let you into one of those trucks?” he asked, “You know that I wouldn't have allowed this.”
“Precisely why we didn't ask,” Elora said with a shrug.
“There is no way this is happening. I'm on my way to the vault with Nelda. Get in the truck,” he ordered.
“No,” Alea said.
He wasn't her brother and didn't have the same family pass as Elora yet she dug the end of her bow into the soil and stood firmly.
“No?” Leo asked deeply. “Did Mateo know about this Alea?”
“He didn’t but how is that relevant?” Mateo said, joining Leo’s side, “I can’t tell her what to do.”
“And Elora, what about Dad?”
“We don't need permission from men to do this,” Elora snapped.
“I have far more important things to deal with right now,” Leo growled. “Get in the fucking truck. This is ridiculous.”
“But it's not ridiculous to let our little brothers fight?” Elora questioned. “Mateo is three years younger than me.”
Leo grunted.
“Mateo's a man. Get in the truck, Elora.”
“But can Mateo do this?” she asked, picking up her bow, pulling back the string with one eye closed, holding her aim and shooting.
It embedded straight into a tree about fifty years away having pierced through a pretty small leaf that was drifting towards the ground in the fading light.
“To be fair, Leo,” Mateo began after a moment of dumbstruck silence from everyone. “She's got a point. That is some skill and we are short of archers.”
Leo paused for a moment, staring at the arrow.
“Hey, Frederico,” he said eventually to a passing soldier, “Take these women to defence post 28 and order the squadron to look out for them. It’s very unlikely Eclipse will even get that far into the territory.”
The man nodded and headed for one of the trucks.
“Go. But I can't guarantee you'll need those bows,” Leo said.
Elora and Alea both nodded.
“Thank you, Alpha,” Alea said.
“Be safe,” Leo said as they passed him to the truck.
“You too,” Elora replied, slapping his chest.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Leo said. “if you get hurt El, you're telling Mom.”
Elora rolled her eyes before they got into the truck and were driven away.
“Don't get any ideas,” Leo said as we walked back to the truck.
“Your army could be so much stronger if you trained the she-wolves too,” I said, completely ignoring him.
“I said don't get any ideas,” he grunted.
“They don't all want to be protected. Elora and Alea are two perfect examples of that. Did you not see Elora shoot that arrow? Imagine if you had hundreds of she-wolves able to do that, you'd instantly have an advantage over anyone.”
He then lifted me onto the truck.
“We already have the advantage, Nelda. And like I said to my sister and Alea, I have far more important things to worry about than she-wolves protesting about not being allowed to sign their own death warrants.”
His voice was deep and eyes getting dark.
“Alpha, I just had a call from the main convoy,” the driver of the truck said. “Eclipse men are closer than we thought. There'll be here before dark falls so we need to get going.”
Nerves were rife in his voice and I looked to the sky to see why. Dusk was already rolling across the forest in melancholy folds of grey, plunging the trees into a deep blackness.
Leo looked at me gravely before getting into the truck, pulling me onto his lap and holding me tight.
“The vault is only twenty minutes from here,” he said. “We'll make it.”
I nodded and rested my head on his chest as he took my hand in his.
At Leo's command, we drove away from the base. I stared at the last tiniest slit of orange glow in the sky as it grew ever smaller whilst all the men in the truck sat deadly silent.
Ten minutes later, Leo looked out into the forest, his ears pricked and alert. He then signalled the driver to stop and we came to a slow holt.
We can't be at the vault yet, surely?
“Le-” I began but he covered my mouth as he and all the other men looked intently into the trees.
He then made some hand gesture and all the soldiers withdrew their knives and silently climbed off the truck.
“Was all this necessary, Thorn?” a voice sneered. “I'd be perfectly happy just killing your Luna and calling it a day.”
Shit. That was Raven's voice. How had he got past the defence at the border?
Leo pushed me behind him and forced a knife into my hand.
“Come and get her then,” he growled.
Chapter 46
October 28th
All hell broke loose. Raven's men kept emerging out of the trees, snarling and growling until they were surrounding the truck. Leo's men fought with more force than I could ever imagine but they were vastly outnumbered and I could only see this going one way.
“Mateo, call for back up,” Leo ordered, his face creased with worry as he jumped off the truck and dragged me by my wrist with him.
He fought through what had become a battlefield, defending us both from approaching attackers. One he kicked in the stomach so hard that he flew back and hit a tree, his body instantly turning limp, another he slashed across the throat with a knife, blood spurting everywhere.
I took a deep breath in and clenched my jaw unable to process the violence around me.
“When the coast is clear, I’m going to tell you to run” he said, pulling me behind a tree but keeping his eyes scanning all around us. “And you will run as fast as you can South until you find the next line of Stella defence. They’ll look after you. Understand?”
I hesitated for a mere second, “I said do you understand?” He asked, shaking my shoulders.
I nodded and swallowed, “Y-yes.”
“Okay,” he replied in a softer tone.
He glanced around once more.
“I love you, Nelda,” he said, “Now go.”
His words took a second to sink in. I froze, blinking as I looked into his eyes.
“Go!”
I turned and didn’t hesitate to race away, the panic in his voice spurring me on. I had no idea where I was or where I was going. I just had to follow Leo's order to simply run South.
Just as I picked up my speed, I caught sight of a man heading right for me. He was tall, strong and menacing so without hesitation, I changed my direction and moved my short little legs faster than I ever thought they could go.
I glanced over my shoulder. He had closed the distance between us and his glare had grown murderous. Although much faster than me, he was big and I had little faith in his agility. So I ran in a zigzag, weaving through the trees and slipping through gaps in the branches.
Never run in a straight line if a crocodile is chasing you. They’re muscular and fast but struggle with corners and turns. This man was the metaphorical crocodile and that made me a capybara.
But the crocodile was adapting. He was finding short cuts around my weaving excursion and gaining on me again.
Ten metres away.
If only I could shift.
Five metres away.
With only the very brief knife fighting lesson from Leo, I was doomed.
Four metres away
Goddess, please.
Three metres away
I took a deep breath before turning around, the knife firmly in my hand, but it wasn't the face of the Eclipse man I was faced with. It was Mateo's back. As he turned around, the man was lying lifelessly on the floor.
