LEGACY CHILD

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

By the time Porter cleared enough of the building's rubble and made his way over to Captain de Goa, the woman had already clawed free of an overturned chair. She now brushed a fine mist of glass and wood from her short, dark curls. Her shepherd, Haru, was beside her biting his tail, as if giving voice to the anxiety his scout felt.

            "What can I do?" Porter asked her.

            She shied away with suspicion. "Back off, moleboy. I've got this covered."

            "Ignore her," Keko assessed. "Help any wounded."

            Doing as instructed, Porter rushed to push aside shattered tables and ease others from under the rubble. His first rescue was a scout-shepherd pair.

            "Thanks," said the male scout in between fits of coughing. In the meantime, his hands went to this shepherd, looking for reassurance. "I thought I was done for."

            "That's Corwin and Akane," Keko supplied.

            "Can you sense the shepherd?"

            "Nothing. It's like Akane's dead to me."

            To the man, Corwin, he said, "No problem. Can you move?"

            "I think so. Help Sofia. She's still under here."

            Porter bent to the task and with Corwin's help, pulled the also coughing Sofia out and to her feet.

            "Lieutenant Howard, report!" de Goa shouted. Standing that close to her, Porter couldn't help but jump, startled. For a tiny woman, she was surprisingly loud.

            "Seems obvious, Captain," Tague drawled. "Moleboy attack."

            "Have you ascertained the cause?"

            Tague continued helping a young woman to her feet. "Can't. I'm dealing with the aftermath."

            "Is the area secure? Have you reported in and—"

            Tague turned on her. "Does it look secure? And who the fuck am I supposed to report in to? You're here covered with dust and it may have escaped your attention, but we have telepathic silence!"

            "Lieutenant! I will not be spoken to in that way!"

            "Then ask some intelligent questions and maybe I'll stop!"

            "Say something before these two idiots decide to bash each other's heads in," Keko advised.

            "You think they'll listen?"

            "Nope, but with the shepherd network down, yours is the only voice I have to work with."

            Not the most reassuring words, but..."Abriel's gone to the Vault," Porter interrupted.

            De Goa wheeled on him. "Why does she always...What's happened?"

            "She believes the moleboys went to free the prisoners in the Vault."

            Chandi's mouth opened, closed, then opened again. Fury exploded across her features. Odd, because Porter expected fear. "If those prisoners get loose, the Crescent is finished."

            With a look to her own shepherd, de Goa turned on her heel and ran toward the Vault. Porter exchanged a look with Howard.

            "Guess we follow her," Tague said.