The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Chapter 16: Matters of Urgency

Now clear of the Night Market with breeders in hand, time was once again of the essence. Thankfully, and quite unexpectedly Ellie proved herself invaluable. Drawing strength and confidence from her renewed connection with her clan, more specifically a certain giant vampire, she quickly stepped forward to take up the responsibility of shepherding her fellow breeders. With crisp direction and firm control, she had the two hundred odd vampiresses divided into even companies which she then helped the nestari load into the five buses Narcist and her team brought to life.

Nobody questioned either when, instead of joining her sisters on the buses, she took the passenger seat in the SUV Lash selected to drive in escort. She was Ventru and had earned the right to sit there.

Adding Truk and Narcist to his team, the two nestari he had come to rely on the most, Lash took one of the headsets they found in a number of the vehicles, cleaned it and slipped it into an ear. They were m'tada issue but, for the situation, he could use them.

"Transports, radio check," he said, starting the SUV. A heavier model with armored windows and body, it had a powerful engine which snarled throatily to life.

"Absinthe, transpo one, reading you five by five, Wolf."

"Jensen on two, you're loud and clear, boss."

"Kazza on five, coming through clear, boss man."

"Van Klant on three, boss. Good signal here."

"Morel on four, Lash. Nice and clear."

Nodding in satisfaction, Lash turned his attention to the other two escorts.

"Ballan, Fordicht, radio check."

"Reading you, Wolf, loud and clear," Ballan quickly replied. A heartbeat later the North African Fordricht also replied: "Five by five, Lash. We're ready to roll."

"Staggered positioning, escorts," Lash indicated as he pulled out of the parking spot he was in and wheeled around to point the SUV's nose at the dark rectangle at the sloped garage's far end.

"I'm taking the vanguard position. Ballan, you're in between Jensen and Van Klant. Fordricht, you're rear guard. Maintain the highest level of vigilance, Ventru. We don't know how many White Flames or Hand agents are still in the city."

With a smooth whoosh of passage, their SUV cleared the parking garage's entrance, climbing another short ramp before turning onto a relatively broad road running towards the more modern part of the city.

"These vehicles are armored, bulletproof and rad proof. But that doesn't mean they can't be taken out with a well-placed rocket, IED, or mine. So drive on high alert. We need to get on the 105 heading east and south out of the city to reach the air strip."

He glanced at his watch.

"Six hours until sun up. Synchronize your chronos. We have twenty minutes to reach the air strip on my mark. Mark."

The caravan in black smoothly made its way out of the Old Town before turning right onto the 105 Highway.

"Twelve minutes to target," Narcist said from the back seat, watching their progress on her tablet. "Traffic still light, nothing on satellite. Humans are patrolling over the new city."

"Copy." Lash glanced at the rearview. Absinthe, driving the first of the five buses, was keeping her vehicle within twenty meters, close enough to follow any move Lash made, and far back enough to avoid getting caught as collateral damage should the vanguard vehicle come under fire.

"Tense, but not like it was coming out of Dublin," Truk commented from the back seat.

Ellie looked over at Lash with a frown.