Then she inclined her head. “It shall be done.”
35
Water Damage
Tam cornered Ike after the meeting with Silence’s emissary. He found the old man in one of the back corridors, carrying a box of tools. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Many things, I expect.”
“This is the first time she’s chosen to ignore my advice. I wonder why.” He didn’t know if he was angry or alarmed. It would be more difficult to ensure that his schemes and stratagems played out smoothly if he couldn’t count on Dred’s reactions anymore.
“I might’ve mentioned it would be better if she did her own thinking. That’s all.”
“Are you trying to undermine me? You know what’s at stake here.”
The old man smiled. “You don’t know as much as you think you do. There are currents in motion that even you can’t measure.”
To his dismay, Tam had no idea what that meant. “Are you attempting to irritate me?”
“Is it working?”
In the end, Tam ended the conversation without learning what Ike knew. He had no doubt it was something, as he’d learned to recognize the twinkle of secrecy in the other man’s eyes. Yet it was no exaggerated claim when Ike said he was good at keeping information close. Which meant Tam wouldn’t learn anything further, and persistence was pointless. Since he despised wasted effort, he nodded at Ike, quietly alarmed, and slipped away.
Thinking back, he decided things had changed when they recruited Jael. At some point, Tam had lost influence with Dred. He didn’t know that the new fish was directly responsible, but that was the only change that he could identify. The calculating thing to do would be to discredit the other man somehow, making Dred think he wasn’t to be trusted. After a few seconds of consideration, he discarded the notion. Ultimately, such discord would only hurt Queensland; better that he lost a little personal power than to create conflict where none was necessary. They already had enough to contend with, as he still hadn’t spotted anyone paying undue attention to the Kitchen-mate.
The spy’s smart, whoever it is.
He felt pleased that they’d thwarted the Great Bear’s plan to attack on two fronts; Grigor must be frothing at the mouth by now. But the work wasn’t over, not by a long shot. Their numbers wouldn’t stand up to a straight fight this time. Time to head behind enemy lines and see what I can learn. Tam dodged the checkpoint and pulled himself into the ducts.
He was more careful than he ever had been. The stakes were higher this time, and detection meant more than his own death. At the halfway mark, he avoided a trap one of Grigor’s men had left in the vents. If triggered, it would’ve drawn down multiple patrols. After he disarmed it, he regulated his breathing, refusing to let nerves get the best of him. Though he thrived on such challenges, that didn’t make him devoid of fear.
If I die, I’ll never finish what I’ve started.
The rest of Perdition would be astonished if they learned his ultimate goal . . . and then they’d laugh. But with the completion of each stage of his plan, he drew a little closer. Dred’s new independence might complicate matters, but he could work around it. The important thing was to assemble the personnel capable of pulling off the greatest trick in the history of the universe. One step at a time.
Tam paused. His nerves prickled in the darkness, dust stirring to coat his cheeks. There was a faint tang to the air, unfamiliar and unwelcome. It wasn’t blood but . . . sweat. Which meant he wasn’t alone up here. In perfect silence, he drew out a garrote he’d fashioned of old wire; he had affixed rudimentary metal handles on either side, so he didn’t injure his palms. He lacked the strength for open combat, and he preferred maneuvering other people into doing his dirty work, but sometimes killing was necessary and unavoidable.
Tam clenched the weapon between his teeth and followed his nose. Grigor’s sentry sprawled directly above the access vent, and by the smell of him, he’d been there long enough to grow complacent. He must be watching the corridor below as well as the hidden access up here. For a brute like Grigor, it was a surprisingly subtle countermeasure, but it wouldn’t prevent Tam from accomplishing his aim; he’d be in and out of the Great Bear’s territory before Grigor realized his guard was dead.
The angle wasn’t ideal, as the victim was sitting sideways from Tam’s current position. In the best scenario, he could approach from behind, leaving the target no chance to resist. But he’d make do. In these close quarters, his foe would be limited in how much he could fight back; there was little advantage to size and strength in here. Tam crept forward by millimeters, letting the other man’s lethargy work to his advantage. He was almost on him when the enemy turned his head, so Tam lunged and got his garrote around the bastard’s neck.
They wrestled for a few seconds, then Tam slammed the guard’s head against the metal wall. That was a calculated risk. If there was anyone else posted nearby, he might hear the thump and come to investigate. I’ll deal with that when the time comes. The impact dazed his target enough for him to close the loop, then he crossed the handles, applying all his upper-body strength to crushing the larynx. He ducked the flailing limbs, as asphyxiation wasn’t a peaceful way to die, but gradually, the target’s resistance slowed, then stilled entirely. Tam didn’t let up for another minute, just in case it was a ruse. He checked the pulse, then pocketed his weapon.
Nobody’s come to check. He must be the only guard.
Soon, that theory proved to be correct as he navigated the rest of the turns until he reached the best place to spy on the Great Bear. The stench was remarkable.
Angry voices echoed from below, making it difficult to sort specific words from the clamor. Eventually, Grigor boomed out, “Shut up, all of you.”
His men weren’t fool enough to argue, so they quieted. “We can’t afford to wait,” the man with the deep voice said.
“True,” the Great Bear agreed. “With Priest gone and Abaddon fallen, we must take Queensland. If we give the bitch a chance to treat her wounded and strengthen her defenses, it will cost us.”
“He who hesitates is lost,” another man said. “If she’s allowed to conclude the arrangement with Silence, we’ll be annihilated and used in the Handmaiden’s mad rituals.”
“That sounds like cowardice,” Grigor snarled. “We fight for glory, not from fear.”