Calvin stared into the fire, his cloak wrapped tightly around him. The flames danced triumphantly, congratulating him for successfully completing another mission. They didn’t understand what that success had cost.

  Pelias had paid the mercenaries and thieves, navigated their questions, and sent them away. That left Calvin and Pelias alone with the men who’d abandoned Hark’akuy to join Tikray: Bob, Damien, Rupert, Fred, and Marlon. They had stopped to camp in a forest clearing, and they’d reach the Tikray base by the following afternoon. The victory celebration would commence, and Calvin would be showered with praise.

  I don’t deserve praise, much less celebration, he thought. Edwin would still be with us if I’d given the plan just a little more thought. I should have known they’d assume he was in charge. I should have made him stay behind. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth against the pain of his twisting stomach. It had eased up since Terry’s death, but not by much. I shouldn’t have let Terry come. He would have lived if I’d just had the guts to refuse him. Sharp pinches pierced at his insides, and he bent over, groaning.

  “Sir?” Calvin pried his eyes open to find Bob standing before him.

  “What?”

  “It seems you have some stomach pains, sir.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “I believe that, sir. You have a lot of practice dealing with them, I assume?”

  “Did you come over here just to point out the obvious?”

  “Well, sir, I expect it’s been a long time since it’s been this bad for you, but I have… more recent experience, sir. I can’t say how the intensity compares, but I might have some useful advice.”

  Calvin scowled. “I don’t need advice. I know the tricks.” He already had his mantra, the coping mechanism he’d come up with soon after joining Tikray. He knew in his gut that it would help immensely, but repeating it now would be an insult to Terry’s life. He refused to even think the words.

  “Yes, you probably learned this one before, sir. Edwin told me it’s mostly for new recruits. But he also said he didn’t need it for long, so I thought you might have forgotten it. I wonder if remembering it will help you, sir.”

  Calvin bent over again. Edwin should be sitting by the fire with them, but Calvin had gotten him killed. He blinked and stared into the fire, a ray of clarity lightening his mind. If Edwin had given the advice Bob was offering, maybe it would be okay to accept it. “Alright, Bob. I’m listening.”

  “It’s a shift in focus, sir. A change in mindset. You’re hurting because you’re focusing on the wrong things.”

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  Calvin’s shoulders drooped. “But they’re dead, Bob. Edwin and Terry both died because of flaws in the plan that I should have seen.”

  Bob shook his head. “They knew the risks, and they still wanted to go. Instead of blaming yourself, sir, thank them for giving their all to the mission, then move on. If we don’t take advantage of the edge they gave us, then their sacrifices will have been wasted.”

  Calvin cocked his head, and as he considered that, the twisting knots in his stomach loosened slightly. The pain continued to dim as he pondered Bob’s advice, and the relief was enough that he nodded. “Yes, There’s something to that. You’re right. Thanks, Bob.” He took a deep breath, released it, and repeated his mantra in his mind. I had no life before Tikray. I had no life before Tikray. I had no life before Tikray. The pinching stopped and the pain dissipated as he shifted his focus from the grief to his duties. He’d successfully initiated Hark’akuy’s collapse, bringing Cambiador’s plans one step closer to fruition. Calvin should be thinking about the next steps, preparing for whatever his next mission would be. Rikchay is probably next, but maybe Q’wisqa? He shuddered. He knew he’d accept whatever mission Cambiador gave him, but could he really take down Q’wisqa?

  “What do you know about Q’wisqa, Bob?”

  Bob stiffened. “Enough, I hope, sir.”

  Calvin chuckled. “Scare you, did I?”

  “Were you joking, sir?”

  “No, I wasn’t joking. Just speculating. What are your thoughts?”

  “They’re…” Bob shuddered. “They’re unhinged, sir. I don’t know what else there is to think.”

  “That’s fair. But I guess that means you don’t have any crazy ideas for taking them down?”

  Bob stared for several long moments. “Is that our next mission, sir?”

  “Possibly. Them or Rikchay, but I think Rikchay is more likely.”

  Bob relaxed. “I hope that’s the case, sir.”

  “Yes, Rikchay won’t be nearly as challenging as Q’wisqa. Still, I do think Cambiador will send us against Q’wisqa eventually.”

  “He’s moving against all of them at the same time? Won’t they strike back, sir?”

  Calvin waved a hand. “Nah. They’ll be too busy with internal fights for power.”

  “And when those are over, sir?”

  “They’ll be too weak to pose a threat.”

  Bob thought for a moment. “I think I understand, sir. Tikray can swell its ranks much faster than the others can. I suppose there’s a lot of recruitment going on?”

  “Don’t equate Tikray to those cults.”

  “Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”

  “Good. Don’t worry about all that other stuff. Cambiador will take care of it. Like you said, we’ve got to keep our focus in the right place, and for us, that’s whatever mission Cambiador gives us.” Calvin smiled. “We pulled this one off, and tomorrow, we’ll celebrate. You and your cousins will get to see a proper Tikray victory party, and you’re going to have a blast. Just don’t eat too much.”

  Bob rubbed his stomach. “I am pretty hungry, sir.”

  “Yeah, you get used to it. The feast will take care of that, though.”

  Bob grinned, and Calvin could almost hear his mouth watering. He sat back and gazed into the triumphant fire, finally ready to get back and celebrate his success.