Green Desert - Chapter 6.5.4 - Bhanar

Above us, I thought I heard a horse whicker. But I was just hearing things. Fírí had taken the horse. Séara said so. I shook my head to clear it. “Let’s go after him, then.” I turned downstream, looking for footprints along the gully floor.

Umo caught up with me, moving silently. “Here, Your Majesty. Take my jacket.” He held it out to me, eyes averted as we walked.

“Thank you.” I slipped the sports jacket on. Black wool, fine threads, big on me even though Umo didn’t look that wide-shouldered.

“There, Your Majesty.” Umo pointed at a spot of bare earth. A partial footprint, toes clearly visible. I let Umo lead, walking slightly hunched as he tracked his prey.

Lango tromped along behind us, oblivious to any sense of the hunt. “Come on, let’s hurry up and find that bastard and kill him.”

What did Lango have against Zhíno? Had Mr. Scruffy-beard shot at him, too? These guys obviously were not strangers to Zhíno. They must’ve been hunting him down when they came out here. That’s why Zhíno hid behind Séara.

Umo crossed the creek, stepping lightly on protruding rocks. I followed, nearly losing my balance as one rock tipped. I hopped to the far bank just as Lango splashed into the creek behind me.

“Fucking. . .” Lango’s curses quickly turned to muttering.

Federal agents, then. One suave, one clumsy. I could deal with that.