Page 35 of Warrior’s Mate

"Three kilometers southeast."

"Enemy movement?"

"Last report put a Sargan team near the east vehicle yards."

"That's between here and there."

"Yes."

His jaw set.

"How many security personnel can we spare?"

"None."

"I can take two."

"No."

He looked at her, and Maelis heard how quickly the refusal had come—too quickly, and too much like the controlling instinct she had been fighting in him. She forced herself to study the map instead of the fear that had spoken for her.

"If you strip this column, you risk everyone."

"Twenty-two children are cut off."

"I know."

"You expect me to leave them?"

"No. I expect us to solve the actual problem."

She enlarged the irrigation system. Packing Shed Four sat beside a produce transfer channel. During harvest, sealed cargo pods traveled along that channel toward the western cold-storage depots.

"Is the transfer line powered?" Kaiven asked.

"Should be."

"Should?"

"Don't start."

She called the packing shed. A teacher answered after three tries.

"Registrar Torren?"

"I have you. Are the children inside?"

"Yes. We heard shooting. We locked the shutters."

"Good. Do not leave."

A child's voice cried in the background. Maelis kept her own voice steady.

"Can you access the produce loading bay?"

"Yes."

"Check the transfer controls. Tell me whether the cargo line is active."