The scamp brandished the weapon. “Don’t come any—”

Valek kicked the boy’s wrist, sending the knife flying through the air. He pounced, grabbed the scamp’s arm and twisted it behind his back. Valek grasped his shoulder to steady the boy.

“Keep still,” he ordered his prisoner, “or I’ll break your arm.” Valek tugged it higher to emphasis his threat.

The scamp gasped in pain.

When the noise from inside the barn subsided, Valek pushed the boy ahead of him. “Move.”

They entered. The other four knelt with Endre and Mikus standing behind them. The Storm Thieves’ faces whitened another shade when they spotted their friend.

“You missed one,” Valek said.

“Sorry, boss.” Endre strode over, snapped the manacles on the scamp and dragged him to join his associates.

Valek gazed at the five with what Yelena called his cold killer expression. “Congratulations, your antics during the last couple seasons have caught my attention.” He waited a beat. “Do you know who I am?”

They kept quiet.

“Endre, tell them.”

“You are Adviser Valek. The Commander’s assassin and right-hand man.”

His name had the desired effect on all but one. Panic flared in four sets of eyes, but the scamp glared—a challenge.

Valek said, “Tell me the plan for tonight.”

They glanced at the scamp.

“Don’t say a word,” he ordered them.

Ah. The scamp was in charge. Valek drew one of his knives from his sleeve with his right hand while palming a dart with his left. He grabbed the closest thief by her arm and yanked her upright, pricking her with the dart. She squealed in fear.

Placing his blade on her neck, he said, “Tell me the plan for tonight.”

“You’re bluffing,” the scamp said. “It isn’t a crime to sleep in an abandoned building. You got nothing on us.”

Valek stared at him a moment before returning his attention to the girl. “What’s your name?”

“Sa...Sadzi.” Her eyes glazed.

“You should have picked better friends, Sadzi.” He turned and stepped in front of her so he blocked her from the others. Drawing his knife arm back, he stabbed at her, sending the blade into the gap between her arm and side. The other girl screamed. Sadzi buckled as the sleeping potion kicked in. Valek grasped her shoulders, trapping the knife and keeping her upright as he muscled her out the door. He dumped her to the side, but her motionless boots remained visible to those inside.

Valek pulled a bloodstained handkerchief from his pocket. He pretended to wipe blood from his hands when he returned to the others. Mikus’s mouth gaped, as shocked as the Storm Thieves.

He waved the cloth at the door dismissively. “She soiled herself. Quite the stink.” Valek studied them one by one. The other girl burst into tears under his scrutiny. Yelena’s voice sounded in his mind, admonishing him for being mean.

Sliding another knife from his pocket, Valek said, “Tell me the plan for tonight.”

Terrified, they started talking at once, rushing to explain the plans.

* * *

Back at the station, they processed the thieves. The security officers searched them and gave them coveralls to wear before locking them in the cells.

The scamp scowled at Valek when Endre laid the still-sleeping Sadzi on a bunk. “I knew you were bluffing.”

Valek didn’t bother to reply. Instead, he checked on the preparations. Annika had arrived with the supplies and a seamstress. The older woman tsked and rubbed the knuckles on her right hand as he explained what he needed.

“I don’t know if it’ll work,” she said.

“That’s for me to worry about. Can you do it by supper?”

“Yes.” She unrolled the bolt of black fabric on the conference room’s table.

Captain Tahnee showed Valek what her staff had found. “They don’t look authentic.”

“Leave that to me. Annika, did you get the clay?”

“No one had clay, but I brought you quick wood. It’s a putty the fishermen use on their boats to plug small leaks. It hardens fast, so it should be good by tonight.”

“Wonderful.” Valek pried the lid off the bucket. He gave everyone a job and then set to work on his own task.

Around noon, Annika brought chowder for everyone. The spicy scent caused Valek’s stomach to cramp with sudden hunger. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday. After downing the chowder, he returned to work. The hours sped past.

Endre interrupted Valek at supper time. The soldiers from the other towns had arrived. He gathered everyone in the conference room. Each town had sent five officers, which brought the total number of people available to ambush the Storm Thieves to eighteen—not counting the seamstress, who had finished her part and left. He hoped it would be enough.

Valek explained the plan, picked people to fill certain roles, then set a schedule for small groups to leave for the rendezvous location. Satisfied with the progress, he resumed his assignment, completing the last item around sunset and four hours before the Storm Thieves landed.

His group included Annika and Endre. They were the last to leave the station, leaving only Captain Tahnee to deal with any problems in Gandrel. Valek checked to make sure they had everything. No one said a word during the trip to the steer farm.

Once they arrived, everyone knew what to do. They prepped and moved into position just as it started to rain.

A thrill of excitement shot through him. The trap was set.