Read Shadowplay: Book One of the Starcrown Chronicles Page 9
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The following day began the same as usual. I had just finished with my morning care of the horses when Lout called me away. A large food shipment had arrived at the landing field. In addition to my normal duties that day, it seemed that I was also needed to load the transport trucks. Lout found the entire thing funny. I knew he wasn’t going to do any of my chores for me while I was away, so this extra job was only going to add to my work for the day. I tried to look properly angry about the extra work assignment, but inside I was fighting to contain my excitement. I could be up all night and it wouldn’t bother me. This was the day!
I was careful to act annoyed as I stepped into the compound and headed toward the pair of ground transports that stood idling across the yard. The morning rain had started a little while ago and I was nicely soaked by the time I reached them. A bored guard electronically scanned my collar ID before I was allowed to climb into the first truck with the other slaves. We were all here—Momma Mary, Ian, Bobby, plus a number of others selected at random. Except for Mary, who would supervise the loading and unloading, the rest of us were men. Strong backs were needed for this job. Aside from the slaves there were also two guards in the back of the transport—Fat Jack and No-neck Nelson, as they were known among the slaves behind their backs. They were not the brightest of Rabine’s guards, which was good for us. We were counting on their inattention to pull off our stunt right under their noses.
I took a seat and tried to seem sullen as I stared down at the floor of the cargo bed between my muddy feet. Fat Jack and No-neck looked like they’d rather be anywhere else. The fact that they looked bored was a good sign. It meant that the first step of our plan had gone off without any trouble. The one person I didn’t see here was Mark, even though I knew he was one of the people Mary had picked to help with the loading. If everything had gone according to plan, Mark should be secretly making his way back to the compound right now. I just hoped he could make it back from the fields in time. He had to be in position when the power went down or the whole plan would fail.
The trip to the landing field didn’t take long. We exited the compound by the road next to the garage and wove our way through the forest for several minutes before we were there.
There was no perimeter fence around the landing field. There was no need for one. Slaves were never here unescorted. And if someone were to manage to run away there was nowhere to go. Rabine owned the land for a hundred kilometers in all directions. Aside from a few small villages, the nearest city of any size was several hours away by ground car. And of course if a stranger turned up anywhere wearing an obedience collar it would be obvious where he belonged. The locals knew that the Drug Lord would generously reward anyone who returned a runaway. To the impoverished locals, such a reward would be more than they would otherwise see in a year. Our prison was quite secure and the guards knew it.
As we rolled onto the field, a small shuttle was just lifting off. A large pile of shipping cases sat waiting for us in the middle of the tarmac. The trucks pulled up to the pile and we jumped down to begin loading.
Mary directed things smoothly. Food for Rabine’s house went on the second transport and food for the slaves went on the other one. While our supplies consisted of staples like crates of raw vegetables, sacks of unprocessed grains and beans, and a few, small cases of preserved meats, the supplies going to the mansion were far more varied and appetizing. There were even several refrigerated units containing unknown delicacies.
We dragged our feet with the loading, stretching the time out as long as we dared. Eventually, however, everything was loaded and we climbed back into the first transport to ride with the slave supplies. The benches along the sides of the cargo beds had been folded down to make room for the supplies and we were forced to stand for the return trip. As we each found a place for ourselves among the sacks and crates, I caught Ian’s eye and he signaled me that everything was ready. He had positioned himself behind a tall stack of crates near the back of the cargo bed. Everything was supposed to be tied down, but the transport’s lift gate along with several key straps had been left loose on purpose.
I watched the forest carefully as we moved along the roadway. When we reached the point where we should be parallel to the generator blockhouse, I gave Ian the sign. The big man had been leaning casually against the crates the entire trip. Now he braced himself and pushed. No one else could have moved all that mass alone. Yet he did it and managed to make it look as if the crates had started sliding away on their own.
There was a great crash behind us as several stacks of crates fell off the back of the transport. Ian landed hard on the truck bed, managing to look as surprised as everyone else. The driver behind us tried to swerve out of the way but was too close. His transport ended up running over several crates, crushing them and scattering their contents across the roadway before he was able to stop.
Fat Jack swore loudly and hammered on the cab of our vehicle for the driver to stop. Shoving slaves aside as he waddled to the back of the cargo bed he looked down at the mess scattered across the road. After a moment he turned back to us.
“Don’t just stand there with your thumbs up your butts. Get out there and clean it up!”
We dropped down and surveyed the scene. Ian had done a good job. This was going to take a while.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bobby and another slave crawling around on their hands and knees beside the transport as they gathered scattered potatoes. Then, in the blink of an eye, Bobby dropped flat to the ground and rolled under the vehicle. A moment later I saw the brush part on the far side of the transport as he slipped away into the forest.
I stole a quick glance up onto the flatbed, but Fat Jack and No-neck hadn’t noticed. However, the slave who had been down by the truck with Bobby had seen him leave. It was Gerrit Wheems, one of Rabine’s old timers. When he realized what Bobby had done he froze. After a moment he looked around and our eyes met. His were wide with fear. I gave him the barest shake of my head. He seemed confused for a moment, then he turned away and went back to collecting potatoes, but I could see that his hands were shaking badly. I dropped down beside him and started picking up potatoes too.
“He’ll be back,” I said quietly.
Gerrit nodded without looking at me. From his expression he didn’t seem convinced.
“I promise,” I said. “We just have to stall for a while.”
Again he said nothing, but I noticed that he had slowed down how quickly he was working.
We spent the better part of an hour cleaning up that spill. From what we knew about the location of the bunker house, Bobby should have been able to make it there and back in fifteen minutes. But it had been over twice that long and he still wasn’t back. Rabine’s men were lax but they weren’t stupid. Whenever a group of slaves was taken outside of the perimeter fence a head count was done when they returned. If Bobby didn’t get back before we finished loading and drove away, they would discover he was missing as soon as we returned to the compound.
I needed to stall for more time. Picking up a wobbly crate of carrots, I moved to slide it onto the truck when the bottom gave out and the contents spilled all over the ground again. I had picked that crate on purpose because I knew that its bottom was damaged. As long as I kept my fingers wrapped around the bottom edge I could keep the broken slats in place, but as soon as I moved my fingers it fell apart. Fat Jack cursed me as I bent down to start gathering up the carrots again. He kicked me in the seat of my pants, sending me sprawling in the mud as his partner snickered.
“Sorry, boss!” I said as I pushed myself to my knees and went about collecting carrots again. Just about all the rest of the food had been recovered and I would be finished with the carrots soon. I couldn’t use the same trick a second time, but I needed to do something. Bobby still wasn’t back yet.