"River Torrent? That's not one of the commercial lines to Truns. There's nothing docked there."
"Then prep one!" the guard screamed, watching helplessly as the fugitives grew smaller and smaller down the winding current.
"That'll take at least thirty minutes!" came the reply.
"We'll lose them by then DAMN IT!"
At the riverside, boots kicked the earth, curses filled the air. The squad stationed there had been sparse, placed more for surveillance than combat.
All the muscle, all the boats, all the focus had been sent to River Dunk, the busy trade artery that was the logical escape route.
And that is exactly why Ruth chose otherwise.
Back in the boat, Abuchi turned to Nnenna, breathing hard but smiling.
"They're not following."
"Because they can't." she replied, not breaking her rhythm. "This river's not for business, it's wild. Too unpredictable for trade."
Karen, gripping her paddle, smirked. "That's why they never thought we would pick it. Smart play."
