Anyway, plenty of men decades older than Troy have acted a lot more foolish around me. Ben has had to drag multiple men away by force who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
It’s not because I’m uniquely desirable, although I’ve always recognized that a lot of people like the way I look. It’s something about the contrast between my appearance and my role here.
“I have… I mean, I’ve got something to…” Troy can’t get all the words out.
Sympathetic, I smile at him. “Do you have something to tell me?”
“Yeah. Sorry, yeah. I do. I mean, my cousin, Jasper, has this friend who runs with Robin. And he said… I mean, I guess Robin wants a sit-down with you.”
My eyebrows arch high, and my spine stiffens.
Robin and his crew have been working the Central Cities for a few years now, hitting trade routes and generally causing chaos in a hit-and-run fashion. As far as I can tell from following their strategy, they have no larger purpose or mission. It seems more like a combination of random guerrilla warfare and plain old theft.
I suspect—and I’m not alone in it—that he named himself Robin after the old story from before the Fall. Our Robin definitely steals from the rich, but I have no proof yet that he actually gives away his takings to the poor.
“He wants to meet with me?”
“That’s what my cousin said. Jasper. He came with that group yesterday afternoon. I think you met him.”
“I did.” I have only a vague recollection of the motley collection of new recruits that arrived yesterday, but I do recall one of them being named Jasper. “Can you go get him now so I can ask him some questions and learn more information?”
Troy brightens and jumps to his feet. “Sure thing! I’ll get him now.”
Vella and I smile at each other as he runs off.
“He’s a cutie,” Vella says. “But what a coup it would be to get Robin and his crew on board.”
“I know. Seems almost too good to be true since he’s never been interested before. But we did have a major success. Makes sense it got his attention.”
“Yeah. I think so too. Robin. Wow.” Vella gives me a teasing wink. “I hear the man is hot.”
That just makes me laugh.
Through Jasper,we’re able to make the arrangements. Robin wants to meet at dawn the next morning at the ruins of a pre-Fall warehouse only a few miles from the outpost.
Ben and Ryan don’t return that evening, so I charge Vella with putting a team together for backup and protection.
This is too good an opportunity to ignore, but I don’t trust anyone I don’t know personally. So if I’m going to take this meeting, I’ll have my people stationed at every vantage point surrounding the location.
I’d feel better if Ben was here, but I can’t always have what I want.
At just before dawn, I’m walking into a clearing near the warehouse, flanked by Vella and Roderick and with Troy and Jasper trailing behind.
I know something is wrong immediately because no one else is in sight.
If Robin were here for a sit-down, he’d be approaching just as I am now.
But there’s no one. No one at all. Before I get morethan twenty steps out of the trees, I stop abruptly, my gut tightening and my heart jumping into a gallop.
“This isn’t right,” Roderick grumbles, raising his rifle to his shoulder in preparation to shoot.
Vella has already done the same. “What do we do, boss?”
“Back to the trees,” I bite out, making the decision in about three seconds. “Now. Now!”
“Wait!” Jasper says, too stretched and high-pitched. He’s trying to block our retreat. “Wait! Robin wants to?—”
Since he won’t get out of our way, Roderick knocks the boy clean off his feet with a no-nonsense sideswipe.
