LEGACY CHILD

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"Those explosions are going off like clockwork. Remind me to promote you," Meshodi said from his position in the Crescent's watchtower on the edge of the Dead Zone, overseeing the detonation blasts.

            "Didn't think there was anywhere to be promoted to, but I'll take the compliment." Waz grinned and looked pleased with himself as he crouched beside Meshodi, counting the seconds between each blast. In the Crescent's ambient overhead lights—lowered to signify it was evening—only his white teeth were visible against his dark face. "Not bad considering I had no prep-time and the blast pattern is random."

            "Which is perfect. Maximum chaos with minimum causalities."

            "Believe me boss, that's what you got."

            First they had targeted the north basin wall, then the south, then a few outlying buildings. Nothing in the heart, near the housing caves, or to disrupt the food supply. Each blast was harmless by itself, but together—complete pandemonium. Meshodi watched the scene unfold with pride as Crescent citizens ran screaming out into the streets while the wave of explosions hit.

            "Too bad there's no scouts on the floor," Waz complained. "Takes away the fun."

            "We're not here to have fun," Meshodi answered in a gruff voice, almost cuffing him on the side of the head, but afraid to throw the man's count off. "We're here to crack the Vault."

            "Right, right. Got it boss," Waz replied between counts as he checked the lit dial pad in his hand.

            Another explosion. This one on the east wall. Good. So far, all the charges were detonating in time with the blinking lights on Waz's control board, though it was difficult to see the whole the effect from the watchtower. Still, it was the best place to be for what would happen next. His only regret about the whole enterprise was having to kill the Vault guards holding his people.

            Meshodi peered down toward the Vault. Nothing to see yet; not since they'd taken out the guards. "How soon until the Vault's shed blows?"

            "Hold on." Waz counted down to himself, starting at ten. Then, "And boom goes the dynamite."

            Bang. The shed disintegrated with a deafening roar. A satisfactory spray of debris blasted to the north side. At the same time, the explosion tore up the ground and cleared the stairway below. Meshodi looked at the time readout strapped to his wrist. Waz had handed them out to the major players earlier, ensuring all were synchronized with the explosion countdown. Ten minutes. That's all he had until the next phase. He counted the seconds to himself as he watched the combined ground forces of Izak and Aquila pour in—the expendable fodder. As for their respective leaders, Izak was with them while Aquila was back in the Middens, reading bones or casting portents—whatever the idiot did in his spare time. His own people laid the explosives and handled the guards because those people, he could trust.

            Roping in the rabble had been a tricky line to walk. He'd needed Izak's people to do the brute force tasks, then to be a shield protecting those in the Vault as they made their escape—all without realizing their own disposability. He'd also needed to sow the seeds that had persuaded Izak's inside man to go along with his plan of blowing up the Vault while convincing Izak the plan was his idea on the first place. So many strings and not enough hands to pull them all.

            As for the inside man...

Meshodi's appalled shock changed to grudging admiration at Braen's sheer creative lunacy. Through Izak, Meshodi relayed to Braen he would bring the Crescent to its knees, using the prisoners in the Vault as his starting point. A lie of course. What fool would destroy the Crescent when its resources kept them all alive? Yet Braen agreed, reportedly saying he would keep the rabble in the Vault alive and healthy to ensure the attack's success. It defied logic. What was the point of making everyone's lives needlessly miserable? Meshodi hoped he'd never be so unlucky to meet anyone that insanely reckless again. He already had enough fools in his life. No need to add more to the mix.