Night Study (Soulfinders #2)(75)
What the hell was he doing here? Crouching in the rain, hoping to spot a gang of young thieves. Was this important to him? No. Catch these thieves and more would just pop up someplace else. He needed to be with his wife, even if she wasn’t in danger. He’d let his job keep them apart for far too long. All he had to do was retire, and once free of the Commander’s orders, he’d assassinate Owen.
Valek stood and wiped rain from his eyes. He turned and halted. A sigh escaped his lips. As much as he wished to go, he’d never leave a job unfinished. He revised his to-do list. Catch the Storm Thieves, retire, assassinate Owen. He returned to his position and tried not to fret over Yelena. After all, she was resourceful and smart. Plus Ari and Janco would never let her out of their sight.
Hours later, a light bobbed on the water. Valek watched it with keen interest. The light broke into two points. The second one appeared to head for shore. As it drew closer, it clarified into four lanterns. The yellow glow revealed a large rowboat with four figures rowing and four others holding the lights. When they reached the shallow water, the rolling waves around the boat smoothed flat. Valek squinted. No rain or wind buffeted the craft, either. Sticky magic pressed on Valek. One of those eight must be the magician. Despite his earlier claims of not caring about these thieves, excitement warmed his chest.
Two men jumped out and pulled the boat’s prow onto the beach. There was enough light for Valek to distinguish male and female, but not enough to observe facial features. Three men and two women hopped onto the sand. They carried two of the lanterns. Exchanging a few words with the woman in the boat, the five then strode across the sand, heading inland.
The men pushed the craft into deeper water and leaped in. Picking up the oars, they rowed toward the light still bobbing in the ocean. The water under the boat remained smooth despite the storm surge, which meant the magician had stayed with the rowboat. Valek’d bet a gold coin it was the woman sitting in the stern. Valek moved closer, risking being spotted to get a clear view of the magician. She was young. Sixteen, maybe seventeen years old. Pretty with long dark hair. At least she wasn’t one of the Stormdancers.
Unable to follow the rowboat in storm-tossed seas, Valek trailed the group that had been dropped off. If they were a raiding party, then why did the boat leave? Perhaps they planned to rendezvous later at another location. That would be rather smart.
As the Storm Thieves traveled east, Valek recalled the map of the area. No towns or farms had been built here. There was nothing of value to steal. Maybe they’d hidden a stash of goods and were retrieving their stolen supplies. After hiking two miles, the Storm Thieves turned south, paralleling the coastline. The wind eased and soon it stopped raining.
When they bypassed Gandrel, the half-moon shone through a film of wispy clouds. Valek suspected that the Storm Thieves were headed to the steer farm. Instead of relying on the storm, they might be attempting to steal the cattle later tonight when everyone was asleep. An unexpected move. Again, he suspected their leader wasn’t an average thief.
But how would they transport the animals? Someone would hear the hooves on the wooden planks of the dock. And he doubted they would bring them back to the beach where they’d landed. That boat was too small unless they carried one steer at a time. In that case, they’d have to make multiple trips, but no one would be searching for them up there. Now the question remained, were the Storm Thieves clever enough to make it work?
A quarter of a mile before the steer farm, they turned east, not west as expected. Curious, Valek closed the distance between them. After half a mile, the five hurried down an overgrown lane and into a barn with a sagging roof and weathered wood. Valek looped to the back of the dilapidated structure. A rusted chain wrapped around the handles of a set of warped doors. An oversize padlock cinched the chain tight.
The barn had only one exit. Good. Scrawny pine trees surrounded the area. There were no other buildings or lights visible. Lantern light glowed through the two dirty windows. Valek peeked inside. The Storm Thieves set up bedrolls. The glass garbled their words, but their tone suggested a relaxed, easy banter. Interesting.
Valek found a hidden vantage point and waited. Nothing happened. They remained inside. Right before dawn, he checked on them again. They slept in a circle around one of the lanterns. It still glowed. The faint light illuminated their young faces, ranging in age from fifteen to nineteen.
A heaviness pressed on his shoulders. These kids had ruined their futures by being a part of the Storm Thieves. No spouse or children for them. The Code of Behavior didn’t give second chances.
He mulled over the reason they hid in the barn. That second storm would hit the steer farm tonight, and these five would already be there to lead the cattle to the ship, saving time. And with the noise of the wind and waves, no one would hear the animals’ passage over the dock. Shrewd. Very shrewd. And perfect for him. He knew just what to do.
Valek returned to the apartment. His cloak, uniform and hair were stiff with dried salt and sand. The cold air had soaked into his bones. He stirred the coals in the hearth to life and added logs. Then he washed up and changed into his adviser’s uniform.
An hour after dawn, Endre and Annika arrived. They reported a quiet night.
“The owner’s not too concerned about a theft,” Endre said. “Except the house, none of his barns, sheds or gates are locked up. I guess he’s relying on the brands on his livestock.”
“Brands don’t help when the cattle disappear,” Annika said.