“Tammy!” the albino exclaimed with shocked surprise.
“Jak! Shit, who else could it be but you who’d nearly get the better of me with a blade!” the Gate warrior exclaimed, a smile of surprise cracking her face.
At the sound of this exchange, the fighting came to a surprised halt, as Gate warriors recognized those they had attacked, and the companions pulled back from their sudden line of defense. Warrior faced warrior, glad that combat had not proceeded further.
“Well, well, by The Three Kennedys,” Doc said wryly. “We were just saying how nice it would be to bump into you once again.”
Chapter Five
Astonishment on the part of the Gate sec party was matched only by relief from the companions. They had found their quarry after several days where it seemed as though they were wandering without aim. For the Gate, however, there was none of this relief, only joy.
“Just you wait until we get you back to camp,” Tammy said excitedly. “They won’t believe it… especially Gloria,” she added, with a glance at Jak.
“Then let’s get moving,” Ryan agreed. “Mildred got caught in a landslide, and she needs as much rest as possible.”
“Hell, it ain’t that bad, Ryan,” Mildred protested, but as she flexed her still aching muscles and they, too, protested, she added, “Then again, maybe it’s not such a bad idea.”
The two groups picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and Ryan and his people followed the Gate sec party as they began to weave a way through the dense woodland. They seemed to head toward the heart, where there would surely be little room for a tribe the size of the Gate to camp, particularly if they wanted to erect camouflage barriers like the ones they had used before the mat-trans jump.
“By the goddess,” Tammy said to Jak as they moved, almost gabbling in her excitement, “I thought we’d lost you guys forever. What the hell happened back there?”
“Long story,” Jak said simply. “Talk later.”
“Yeah, guess so. The main thing is that you’re all here, right? And we can get those fuckers now.”
Even though Tammy and Jak were at the front of the sec party, the companions and the rest of the sec patrol were close enough to hear this exchange.
“You mean the Illuminated Ones? You’ve seen them around here?” Ryan asked urgently.
“Hell, yeah—more than that,” Tammy replied. “But wait till we get back and celebrate your arrival. Gloria will tell you all.”
Ryan was about to press the matter, but was stayed by a hand from Doc. Panting a little from his exertions in keeping up with the fierce pace set by the Gate, he said, “I know you are impatient, friend Ryan. We all are. But you know that these women cannot be hurried.”
Ryan nodded. He knew that Doc was right, but all the same he felt a mounting sense of impatience as they continued their journey at a rapid pace.
A journey that was over before any of the companions had a chance to realize it. Tammy let loose a whistling call, followed by a series of guttural whoops, and it seemed as though a bank of foliage opened up before them, revealing a clearing where the Gate had set up its camp. Although all their camouflage, most of their wags and a lot of the tents had been left behind—from both haste and necessity—during the flight after the Illuminated Ones, the armory had been intact, and the tribe had obviously used its trading opportunities and skills to acquire more tents and materials and construct another set of camouflage shields from the materials around them. Certainly, they had disguised their whereabouts as adequately as when the companions had first encountered them.
As the sec party and the companions entered the camp, there was considerable interest. Obviously, they had been intercepted by a routine patrol that should have found nothing, and should not have returned this early. However, the interest soon turned to a buzz of excitement as Ryan and his people were recognized by the Gate members who could catch sight of them. They found themselves greeted by shouts and joy and disbelief, and it was almost impossible to return the greetings that started to flow. Dean, in particular, was looking out for Jon. For a second, he almost hoped that Pietor would be in among those greeting them, even though he could recall only too clearly the grief they had shared at the chilling of their friend. Suddenly Jon appeared from among the throng, the disbelief fighting for space with the sheer joy in his expression.