Page 42 of Huntress

“Captain Chantraine,” Elsie bit out. “If you must address me, do it properly. If you cannot manage something as simple as that, there is no need for you to speak any further.”

Jeshua had been quiet the entire time, observing, calculating. No doubt trying to figure out the best course of action to take to preserve his own skin.

“What supplies will you need?” he asked as she drained the remains of her water. It had a heavy metallic taste to it, but she’d had worse. She gave him a hard look, though she appreciated his direct approach.

“Floodlights, a few vehicles, communication gear, dinner MREs, and whatever explosives you can spare.” Elsie set down her glass. Jeshua glanced toward Franklin, and the pair exchanged worried looks.

“Some of the tunnels lead into the oil field. If it were to start on fire, we'd have a huge problem on our hands.” Jeshua pointed out the places on the map he was worried about.

“I personally guarantee that won’t be an issue,” Grady spoke up.

To be a geographer, he had to be well-versed in more than just map-making. He’d authored research papers about the science behind what made the earth tick, including volatile resources and physical attributes of the land. If anyone could ensure their extermination activities were safe, it was him.

“I poached Grady off another squad because he’s the best.” Elsie shrugged. She’d done a whole lot of pissing other squad captains off early in her career. “You can have your team’s geographer collaborate with him if it makes you feel better, but Grady has the final say in all decisions.”

“That’s a vast overstep, young lady. I am denying you access on the grounds of safety concerns. We’ll have to consult with the Marshall before authorizing access to our explosives,” Franklin said firmly. “This is my nest, and I’ll not have some young upstart coming in and giving orders.”

Elsie leaned back, folded her arms behind her head, and grinned. The temerity of this old man continued to surprise her. The Marshall was in charge of the entire colony, and it could take days for a response, longer if he were in one of the nests on the other side of the biosphere.

“Please, we welcome your marshal’s input,” Elsie replied congenially. “And of course we accept and honor your choices. However, since you are officially refusing to cooperate with our decision, we are under no obligation to assist you until an acceptable resolution is presented.

Not even in an emergency should the demons decide to strike. We will gladly take full advantage of your hospitality and rest while we await your Marshall’s permission. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a full day off.”

She paused, letting the threat sink in, then added another. “I wonder what the Marshall will have to say about your obstruction, and the deaths of two children. Especially when weighed against your other inadequacies. There is another option at my disposal, one I’m certain you would rather avoid.”

Franklin’s face turned an unhealthy puce. He lifted a hand and jabbed a knobby finger in Elsie’s direction, his lower lip flapping as he worked to come up with something to say.

Elsie was in a unique position, one that allowed her to declare Franklin unfit to lead this nest. She could arrest both him and Jeshua for their incompetence and commandeer the remainder of their men for her personal use until replacements were sent. There could be no deeper humiliation, no harsher black mark on a hunter’s reputation.

The room was insufferably silent, until it wasn’t. Mutt picked up his fork and tapped it against the table in a quick beat, his patience wearing thin. He was not accustomed to being trapped indoors for long periods of time, and their power plays were boring him.

Franklin stood stiffly, and Elsie presented him with a stoic face. He wasn’t going to budge on his decision. Jeshua, on the other hand… Elsie could almost see the rusted gears cranking in that head of his. She was young for such shrewdness, and not as easy to manipulate as expected.

“Alright, fine. Peace, please, your permission is granted. We’ll have Talbot available in the morning,” Jeshua caved, as she’d known he would.

“I knew we’d come to an agreement, but Talbot is going to miss out on all the fun if he waits until morning.” Elsie stood, followed by Mutt and her squad. “Lead the way to our supplies.”

Jeshua unlocked the supply room door, then walked inside, flipping on the lights as he did. Elsie followed close, Mutt at her side. At the very back, reeking of metal, were three entire rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves, all loaded with various explosive devices.

The scent of metal saturated the air so thick Elsie could taste it, a sharp tang at the back of her throat.

“The perks of protecting an oil field,” she muttered. Jeshua grunted in reply.

“This will work.” She took mental notes of what she wanted to use and how. “We’re going to need to borrow a few deuces to haul this stuff out there.”

Jeshua sighed, unsurprised that she wanted the biggest trucks in the fleet. “Fine. I understand that you and your squad are eager to finish this quickly, but please take care in what you do. Try not to destroy anything other than those tunnels, unless it is absolutely imperative. These people have sacrificed enough already. They don’t deserve to have anything else taken from them.”

“Let’s not pretend as though you care, Jeshua. Your lack of action up until now says otherwise. We’ll start on the east side of the nest, that will give your guy Talbot enough time to rest and meet with Grady to review the details as we get closer.”

“Don’t you intend to take any breaks?” Jeshua asked.

“Breaks? Do you still not understand the severity of your situation? Our scents will be at the entrances of their tunnels. The rats might attack once we get started, and taking a break will give them time to retaliate. It’s best to take care of everything at once.”

The old-timer brushed a hand over his mouth as he thought about it. “Very well. Our squad will join you. We can move faster if we work together, then everyone can get some rest tonight.”

Elsie saw the resignation in his eyes. The sooner they took care of the rat problem, the sooner his life would get a lot easier. If by some miracle he managed to keep his job, that is.

“We welcome your offer of assistance,” Elsie said coolly. She wasn’t fond of working with squads she wasn’t familiar with. Accidents were more likely to occur since they had no history together and didn’t know the others habits and reactions. “My plan is to separate my squad into two teams of five. With your help, we can work on three tunnels at once.”