Chapter 112

We didn't tarry during our trip home. We left the invader's camp at a fast trot, half of those mounted on horseback went ahead and half of us stayed behind the wagon. It was probably two hours before sunset when we made it back home.

All the new women would be living on my side of the canyon, but arriving with the wagon pointed out a fuck-up I had allowed to happen. The covered entrance Daaggo had erected made it impossible to back the wagon in.

"I am sorry John. I should have made some way to open all the cave's entrances large enough to accommodate the wagons," Daaggo said.

"You have nothing to apologize for Daaggo. I am the leader and knew full well we would need to allow for this. It is my fault, but it is nothing to worry about. There are plenty to help unload the wagon and we can correct this oversight at our leisure next year. It is far more important to have a good covering during the winter than it is to back the wagons in now," I told him.

"Still, I should have remembered," Daaggo persisted.

"And I should have remembered doubly. No matter how much you blame yourself you are blaming me more so I hope you can just forget it for now."

"What should I forget?" Daaggo asked then, and I realized he was trying to make a joke.

"I can't remember either," I said, and we both laughed.

Everyone fell to unloading the wagon and we were through with it in less than half an hour. The new women were jolted by the culture shock and my mates and the others reassured them and began explaining. I asked then if they could begin the tour with a demonstration in the kitchen and my mates laughed at me and said the kitchen would be in use right away.

Hell, I didn't care if they laughed at me as long as they started cooking. I wasn't really hungry, but since I had been placed in this time it seemed I was ready to eat whenever there was food around. We had plenty of food so why not take advantage of it - the sooner the better.

Argent probably had a hand in it and I didn't care if he had. I noticed no matter how much I ate I suffered no weight gain. What could be better than being able to eat all you wanted and not having to worry about becoming a lard ass. Come to think of it there was something better and I was reminded of it as my short-skirted mates began bustling around in the kitchen.

I slipped unnoticed into my office to wait for food and to check on the camp we had just left. When I sat in my chair and clicked for the video menu I was able to find the views around the other camp in only seconds.

Apparently the dead men we'd returned had been buried already and there was now some kind of meeting taking place. Jato had the floor and he was standing and addressing a group of about thirty men. I couldn't hear what he was saying of course and I dearly wished I could.

Suddenly a spear streaked from behind one of the nearby huts and into Jato's back. It didn't knock him down, but I thought it was probably a mortal wound. He turned around to see where the attack had come from of course and when he did another spear struck him in the chest, and a few seconds later another hit him.

There was no doubt these would be fatal and the one in his chest had probably pierced his heart. He fell to the ground less than a minute later and his killer walked into view. He was apparently a little smarter than Jato because he had a man slightly behind him covering his back.

I didn't know the killer, but I had seen him before. I did know the one covering his back. He had been with the men we captured coming up the river and was one of those who had tried to keep a hidden knife when we told them to put down all their weapons.

The killer began addressing the seated men then and he was not challenged by any of them. Of course they were all seated while he was standing with another spear ready in his spearcaster and the one watching his back was armed too.

"God damn I wish I could hear what he is saying," I said, aloud in my frustration.

Less than twenty seconds later a text message popped up onscreen telling me to right click for other options. I did it at once and one of the selections was for audio. I clicked it and could hear perfectly.

"We are not going to let this John tell us what we can and can't do. He is just a man and can be killed like any other man. He has killed many of us and has caused more to be killed and he must be dealt with," the killer said.

"He did not trouble us until we tried to capture the woman from Barbo's camp, intending to take over the whole camp," a sitting man I didn't recognize said.

"What does that matter? Why can he keep us from taking over other camps? We have the weapons to do it and the men and we will do it," the killer said.

"It seems John and his camp have some weapons of their own," another man said.

"We will have to be more careful from now on," the killer said.

"We have been careful before, sending men to slip up on him at night, and he was able to stop them," first sitting man said.

"That was Cardiato's fault, he sent men who did not want to go. I will lead a group tomorrow night and we will not be found out. Five men have agreed to go with me and I know I will not be betrayed by any of them. We will leave an hour after sunset and will be in place to kill this John as he comes out of his cave in the morning," the killer said.

They talked and argued about it for who knows how long, but I had the main details now and I left my office for food. I was smiling to myself about what I intended to do this time. The most difficult decision for me was going to be whom I chose to kill the killer. I was sure he had at least two mates now since he had killed Jato.

What the hell, I might try to get a look at his mates and see how attractive they were. If they looked good enough I might kill him myself. I had surely passed up a prime mate when I let Danlo take care of Cardiato.

Our meal was nearly ready when I left my office and headed for the table. I didn't reveal what I knew until we were finished eating. As Jaada brought me another mug of coffee and a couple of very tender kisses I decided it was time.

"Jato has been killed already and there is another raid planned by the other camp for tomorrow night."

They all just looked at me silently. I didn't intend to tell them how I knew and I doubted they would question me about it.

"The one who seems to be the new leader has five others who will accompany him and he seems to think we won't know about them and they can sneak up on us and kill me when I leave my cave the next morning.

"Many of us will be waiting for them as they leave their camp and I intend for us to kill them all without warning and without alerting the others. It means some of you will need to practice with the bows and arrows between now and then."

"Do you mean we will wait in hiding and kill them as they come toward us?" Raalto asked.

"It is what I want to do."

"Good, it is time we quit giving them more chances to bother us. I'm sure we are safe enough with the weapons you have given us, but I don't see any need to let them keep trying," he said.

"I have come to the same conclusion and I meant what I said about killing half the men in the camp. I only intend to kill those we don't feel we can trust though, and it may not be half. When we leave their camp next time we will be bringing all the living people to join us. There will only be dead bodies left in the camp," I said.

"It is an even better plan. Even if a few who are treacherous are brought here it will be easier to deal with them if we don't have to go looking for them," Racaato said.

I spent the next hour outlining my plan to them and then we all went to the practice cave to give the bows and arrows a workout. Raalto reminded me a spear would be as stealthy as the bows and arrows and most all of them were more familiar with spears.