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JUDITH THREW her arms around Randal’s neck when he returned. He returned the kiss with enthusiasm.
“Wow,” Devon said, “Don’t I get one of those?” he asked Tash.
She laughed and kissed him. “Now tell us what happened,”
“Did you find her?” Ava had managed to slip away from her mother and make her way back to where Judith and Tash were waiting for their men to return.
“Yes, did you find her?” Tash asked as well.
“No, but we think we have a location where they’re keeping her,” Devon said. “Have you ever heard of a plantation named Rosewoods?”
Judith shook her head. “No.”
Randal frowned. “I haven’t either. What we need is a map.”
“You will be able to find the Plantation on a map, but I doubt you will be able to find where they are keeping Francisca on it,” Ava interjected. “The place is huge and there are probably several dozen sheds where they might be keeping her for training. The one you want is disguised; it isn’t really a shed. It’s a building with a basement. The girls being trained are kept down there. I was only out there once, but I think I can find the right shed again.”
Carlos looked at her in surprise. “When were you out there?”
“A friend of mine was kidnapped. The kidnappers hid her out there. If they were caught, they planned to use her location to bargain for their freedom.”
“I remember something about that,” Judith exclaimed. “You remember, Randal. The Consigliere kidnapping.”
“Yes, I do remember that. We were about twelve when it happened. But how did you come to be on the search team Ava?”
She shrugged. “I eavesdropped on one of the gangs who were a part of the kidnapping ring. I told Dad, but he had such a fit about me being anywhere near them, I was afraid he wouldn’t do anything about it. So, I snuck out of the house and went out to the area they had mentioned. The place is so big—I don’t think you could find the right shed even with directions. I’ll have to go with you.”
“Mom will have a fit if she finds out,” Judith warned her.
“I know,” Ava nodded. “You’ll have to run interference for me.”
Judith made a face. “Why am I always the one who gets left behind to wait?”
“Just lucky, I guess. If we leave about 4 AM the sun should be coming up by the time we reach the plantation.”
Carlos pulled a watch fob out of his vest pocket. “That’s about an hour and a half from now. Where do you want to meet?”
“My new house,” Randal said. “It’s far enough out of town so we shouldn’t attract notice.”
Carlos looked at Ava. “Where do you want me to pick you up?”
“You aren’t,” she said. “I’ll be taking my sled. I will be less likely to set off any alarms when I investigate the shed to make sure she’s there. If she is, I’ll com you, okay?”
“No. It’s too dangerous,” he said. “Agustin would never forgive me if I let his daughter run into danger that way—"
“Carlos, a good attorney should know when you’ve lost an argument, and you’ve lost this one. I’m going and I am riding my own sled.”
She turned to Judith and Tash, aware of Carlos glaring holes in her back. “Will you watch Sunrise for me?”
“Sure,” Tash said. “Is she still taking a bottle?”
“Yes, but I’m starting her on solid food. She’s kind of a messy eater, I’m afraid.”
Ava wasn’t happy to find Judith waiting for her in the sled garage when she crept out of the house later that morning.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded. “You’re supposed to be watching Sunrise and distracting Mom today.”
Judith grinned at her. “Don’t worry about Mom—I sicced Aunt Carmen on her. She’ll be lucky if she has time to breathe today. And Tash is going to come by and pick up Licorice, Sunrise and the vet bot and take them back to her place.”
“How did you rope Aunt Carmen into this?” Ava demanded. “She must be eighty if she’s a day.”
“She is. She also used to be pretty wild when she was younger. She was delighted to join into another ‘adventure’.”
More seriously, Ava said, “This isn’t going to be a thrill ride, little sister.”
Judith shook a finger at her. “Oh, no you don’t, Big Sister. You need backup on this jaunt, and you know it. I can shoot and fence as well as you can. You might as well learn when you’ve lost the argument too. I’m going.”
“Dammit,” Ava said. “What kind of weapons did you bring?”
“I raided Randal’s weapons closet. I have a long-range pulse rifle, a pistol, a sleeve dagger (I brought one of those for you too), a second dagger in my boot, and a rapier. Good enough?”
Ava looked at her sister, stunned. “Where are you hiding them? All I see are the rapier and the rifle.”
“Body Armor from Arcadia. Tash got it for me. I have some for you as well; it belongs to Tash but she’s about your size and she isn’t going to need it since she’s on catamount duty.”
She tossed a package at her sister, who caught it. “Thanks, I left mine back at base camp.” Ava stripped and pulled on the shirt and pants which fitted itself to her body. “Wow! This is better stuff than mine. I’ll have to order some when we get back.”
She mounted her sled and pulled on her helmet, turning on the night vision. Judith copied her. They set off quietly, unaware that Randal and Devon were watching them.
“You were right, dammit,” Randal said. “I wonder why Tash isn’t with them as well?”
Devon sighed. “I got lucky. Judith talked her into staying behind to keep an eye on the catamounts.”
“Time to go hunting,” Randal said, kicking his sled into gear. They set off after the two girls who were running without lights so as not to attract attention.
Carlos followed them in his black sled.
Although Savano was near a lake, Ava headed out into the country. The area surrounding the city was surrounded by a continuous, closed canopy of large tree leaves. Broken in places by tall trees reaching enormous heights whose tops poked up out of the top layer. The foliage forced the sled posse to travel slowly because it was necessary to dodge between trees inhabited with all kinds of birds, lizards and animals whose feet never touched the forest floor. To Judith’s disgust it was also full of insects. She was thankful for the body armor and helmet she wore as it protected her from the attacking insects. Most of Barsoom’s personal conveyances were also reminiscent of birds. However, the one-man airsleds came equipped with a saddle for riding, handlebars for control, and a large clear windshield in case the rider preferred not to waste power by enabling the protective shield bubble. Since Ava hadn’t turned hers on, Judith hadn’t either.
Ava finally reached the edge of a cultivated field just as the sun was coming up. The field was empty except for the robots who were cutting back the native plants to prevent them from choking out the imported plants under cultivation.
Ava led them over to a tool shed which serviced the robots and set down behind it. Judith followed her.
“What now?” she asked.
Her sister raised the faceplate on her helmet. “I’m waiting for our tag-a-longs to come out of the forest.”
“We were followed? By whom?”
“I’m pretty sure one of them was Carlos. That big black sled he’s driving wasn’t meant to weave in and out through the forest the way we were. And I’m guessing the other two sleds are driven by Randal and Devon Morton.”
The two falcon shaped sleds ridden by Randal and Devon were the first to poke their noses out of the forest. They hovered just outside the cultivated area until a larger black looking bird of prey slid out. Ava tapped her com.
“Over here, behind the shed,” she sent.
She and Judith waited until the three sleds had joined them.
“Is this the right shed?” Carlos asked. His sled was enclosed, so he opened the door and steped out.
“No,” Ava said, keeping her voice low.
“Can those robots hear us?” Randal asked. He too spoke softly.
“I doubt it,” Ava said. “They’re programmed to hear noises at a certain volume because their programming includes keeping large predators and deer out of the crop fields.” She eyed the three men. “What did you plan to do when you got here?”
“Split up and search the sheds for the one where Francisca is being kept,” Carlos answered.
“That will work,” Ava said. “I downloaded this this morning. I doubt if Francisca is being held at one of the official sheds, but we need to check them anyway.” She sent them a farm blueprint of all the buildings on the plantation.
“Which one are you taking first?” Devon asked.
“I’ve got the co-ordinates of the one my friend was held in,” she replied. “I’ll go there first; on the off chance they are still using it.”
“You think they moved operations to a different site because that one was discovered?”
“Maybe. It’s what I would have done.”
“Wait,” Devon said. “Everyone hold out your wrist com; I have a download that may make our search easier. I’m sending you a program to scan for life signs. Just point your com at the building and it will flash green if it senses human life.”
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