103: Betrayal.

103: Betrayal.
Bastian pov

I knew something was wrong based on the look on their faces alone, I didn’t need any of them to open their mouths and speak at all.

Draven looked at the fire instead of me, Kieran found a reason to check the same bag twice and Garrick answered when I spoke, but still managed to give me nothing. 

Hale had been right, I hated to admit it more than anything, but the bastard was fucking right.

The scout was gone. At first, I just asked around, making it seem like I didn’t suspect anything, but after the third time of the group denying they knew anything, my patience was thinning.

“Where is he?” I asked, pacing the area before the gathered rogues.

Garrick didn’t look up from the stick he was breaking and tossing into the flames. “Running the outer line, same as always.”

“He’s been gone since before sunrise.” I told him, making it clear I knew the scout left a long time ago.

“That’s what an outer line is,” Garrick said. “It takes time to check everything, even for a young guy like him. Don’t get all pissy on us, boy, we’re doing our job, aren’t we?”

Kieran jumped in too fast, voice too eager to be truthful. “Roads are messy. If he’s circling the patrol, he won’t sprint back just because you’re restless.”

I glared at him until he shut up and took a step closer. “Restless,” I repeated, letting the venom soak into that one word. “That’s the word you’re going with.”

Nobody bothered to correct me and that was yet another tell that something fishy was going on.

A week ago they would’ve argued just to hear themselves sound useful, but now they wanted the conversation over.

Alright, if they were playing some stupid games, I could do that too. So, I stood completely still as I let my eyes roam over them and spoke only when everyone looked properly uncomfortable. “We move to the river near the town tonight. Ryker’s group should be close enough by now and I’m done waiting for prettier weather.” 

Garrick shook his head. “Can’t do that, we already told you the ground is wrong.”

I turned to glare at him, “what the fuck is that even supposed to mean? You know what? Nevermind. I heard you speak, but I never said I agreed with you.” 

Draven kept his eyes on the fire even while he added his opinion. “If we move half-ready, we lose more men.”

“You’ve been losing men on ready plans too,” I told him. “So that excuse is getting old.”

From there, our conversation kept going back and forth with nothing but circles - I kept pushing while they wouldn’t stop pulling. 

The group tried everything - routes, timing, need for better light, lack of cover. They used literally every excuse in the book just to distract me and still, I refused to give in like some fool. 

Every time I managed to convince at least one of them that we had to move, another jumped in to backtrack. 

As much as it pissed me off, I still let it happen for long enough to confirm that Hale hadn’t been exaggerating. 

Once I was done with my little experiment, I walked away from them mainly to ensure I wouldn’t put my hands on one of them in front of the others. 

As I walked, I ran into Hale near the treeline, grabbed him by his arms and dragged him out of the view with me.

“I need you to repeat the shit you told me earlier,” I hissed quietly. “Are they folding or am I seeing things?”

Hale glanced back at the men gathered around the fire. “You’re not seeing things. They won’t look at you because they already made their decisions clear.”

“The scout?” I hissed.

“Still gone and nobody wants to tell me how far they sent him and why.” Hale said and ran a hand through his hair, looking truly frustrated.

I stepped closer. “I need to know where you stand before I walk back into that circle. I don’t need ten men who flinch when I raise my voice, one who doesn’t is more than enough for me. One good, loyal follower is worth more than a pack of useless ones.”

Hale didn’t answer right away, his eyes kept darting between my face and the group around the fire. 

I didn’t try to rush him simply because I knew how difficult it was to turn your back on those you once deemed your family. 

“If I put my name next to yours,” Hale finally muttered. “I need to know you’re not about to get us both killed for a useless speech.”

“I’m about to finish this before they stall me to death,” I forced the words through gritted teeth, “Ryker is close and I’m not letting Garrick turn my chance to strike into another day of gathering wood and excuses for tomorrow. There is no tomorrow for us anymore, Hale, it’s only now or never.” 

“And what if they’re planning to leave you in this mess alone? Or, worse, leave you to die in these same forests?” 

I actually considered his words because Hale didn’t speak unless he had something important to say, which meant even his question held some truth to them long before he asked them. 

“They can leave me if they want to,” I said with a casual shrug and leaned against the nearest tree, I’ll fulfill my plans with whoever’s actually willing to follow my lead. I want a yes, not a maybe that’ll eventually turn into no.”

Hale dragged a hand over his face and nodded. “Fine, I’m with you. You want him taken down before this camp talks itself into running for the woods, I’ll help you do it.”

“Absolute loyalty,” I said and held his gaze. “Not convenient loyalty until something better pops up. If you’re in this with me, you’re in this until the end.”

“You heard me.” Hale said. 

I nodded and started back toward the fire. “Keep your mouth shut until I tell you to open it.”

Hale didn’t make a comment while my eyes remained on Garrick’s inner circle. They hadn’t moved an inch, but all of them were whispering about something. 

Pushing off the tree, I gave Hale one last warning glare and returned to the fire. “Meeting. Now.”

Garrick’s head lifted. “We just had a meeting no longer than five minutes ago, what else do you want to talk about?” 

“That wasn’t a fucking meeting and you know it,” I snarled at him, catching everyone’s attention instantly. I didn’t bother sitting down, for as long as I was standing, they had to look up at me. “I’ve watched you since morning. Nobody meets my eyes, everyone’s avoiding me and plans that were simple yesterday suddenly become complicated. A scout vanishes and I’m supposed to accept an excuse about an outer line like I’m new to this shit game.” 

Draven finally looked at me. “What are you accusing us of?”

The corner of my mouth twitched. “Oh, I wasn’t accusing you of anything, but the guilty speak first, don’t they?” 

Driven was already shooting to his feet, but Garrick stopped him and growled. “Speak, Bastian, before I let him stand.” 

I crossed my arms. “I’m accusing you of losing your nerve, that’s all. I’m not standing here spinning fairy tales about knives in the dark, I’m saying you’ve gone soft and you want me to accept it.”

Kieran let out a breathy chuckle. “Wanting to keep breathing isn’t soft.”

“It is when the target is sitting in reach and you keep inventing reasons not to move.” I insisted. 

Suddenly, Garrick let go of Draven and rose to his feet, “we agreed on different terms. Just because you’re changing your mind every five minutes doesn’t mean we’re supposed to like and accept it by default.”

“That’s a very long speech, Garrick,” I said mockingly, “saying you’re scared would be faster.” 

“Call it whatever you want,” Garrick shot back. “I’ve buried enough men for your crazy plans, I’m not adding more because you’re impatient.”

I looked around again and realized Hale stayed at my shoulder, exactly where I wanted him.

Reese, the younger one, found his voice and immediately regretted it. “If we rush it and Ryker’s patrol is better than you think, we’re the ones under the ground, not you.”

“And if we wait until he gets further this whole camp turns into a discussion group. I’m not running a book club.” I snapped at him. 

Draven pointed at me with his cigarette. “You’re running us toward sure death and calling it your destiny.”

“I’m running us toward the one fight that matters.” I looked from face to face. “Ryker. That’s the job you took and the job you keep circling. Every extra day you stall, you look less like men who want the payday and more like men who want an excuse.”

Garrick’s jaw tightened, his eyes blazing with fury. “There’s no payday if we’re dead.”

“There’s no payday if you keep moving the finish line either.” I added and stepped closer to the fire. “If you’ve lost your nerve, say it and I’ll plan around the ones who haven’t.”

None of them spoke the word ’betrayal’ but I still expected to hear it. I almost wanted one of them to slip and prove Hale was right all along. 

But instead, Kieran shook his head. “We’re not quitting, we’re trying not to be stupid.”

“That’s what people say when they’ve already quit, but are still too scared to leave.” I said with a mocking scoff.

Garrick’s eyes cut to Hale, then back to me, burning with suspicion. “You’ve been talking to someone.”

“I’ve been watching,” I corrected, completely dismissing his words. 

The argument started all over again, each of them throwing back at me the same words but in different ways. 

Every time I said tonight, they said not yet and every time I reminded Ryker was getting close, they said that didn’t mean they were ready to go to war. 

Not one of them admitted they had already voted me out of my own job.

Only when I turned to look at Hale did he finally speak up. “He’s right about the stalling.”

Draven threw back his head and barked out a laugh. “Would you look at that, someone found himself a favorite.” 

“Found myself someone who still answers a question without beating around the bush,” I corrected.

Garrick lifted a hand to silence everyone. “Enough, we’re not doing this anymore. You want to move, okay, we talk about it, but you don’t get to stand there and call the whole camp gutless because we won’t sprint off a cliff for you.”

“Maybe there wouldn’t be cliffs anywhere if you didn’t try to build them around every road I offer,” I snarled at him. “I’m done waiting for permission from men who can’t look at me.”

For a long moment, the entire camp went deathly silent. 

Clearly, nobody was about to speak, so I did it instead of them. “We start moving sooner than initially planned. I won’t keep delaying the plans just because you’ve grown comfortable sitting around, doing nothing. I want Ryker gone before the rest of you decide survival looks better than finishing the work.”

Reese opened his mouth to argue, but Garrick shut him up with a single look.

“What’s the new plan?” Garrick asked. 

“Simple, we use the fact that he’s in the first town and he thinks he’s there to help. That’s our easiest way to teach him and I’m taking it.” 

Hale nodded in agreement. “I’ll help however I can. You want him pulled, watched, cut off from the easy road back, say the word and I’ll do it.”

Garrick’s stare on Hale lasted too long, but Hale didn’t even blink his way.

“This is a mistake,” Garrick muttered after another moment of uncomfortable silence.

“Even if it’s a mistake, then so be it, at least it’s mine,” I told him, “I’m making it before you make one for me.”

As soon as the words left me, the circle broke apart and the men went to do whatever they wanted just to get away from me. 

In reality, they went to pretend to look busy enough to avoid more conversations. 

I remained standing by the fire until I realized Hale was gone and went looking for him.

Hale was waiting for me near the trees again, keeping a distance safe enough not to be overheard by the others.

Once I was close, he leaned in and whispered, “they’re talking about Bane. Garrick is convinced he’s coming for you and they think one of our own scouts might be the one walking him toward this camp.”

I turned my head just enough to see his face. “What the fuck did you just say?” 

“You heard me,” Hale whisper-hissed. “If you’re going after Ryker, do it before that scout turns around with the company.”