Operation Honey Trap vs The Emperor of the Apocalypse-Chapter 29: Through the Swamp

The men were up early and back on the trail of the girls.

Alton had barely slept a wink as he alternated between replaying every moment of his sweet encounter with Delphi and figuring out a plan to infiltrate the group instead of attacking them head-on.

"Penny for your thoughts Commander?" asked Wolf, who was riding next to him and had noticed he was wearing a rare smile. "You seem happy today."

The majority of his thoughts were unprintable and certainly not something he planned to share with Wolf. Or Niko for that matter. And his plan for the men to ’join the rebellion’ was still too sketchy to share. He would brief the guards when it was fully formed, and he could instruct them all on their roles.

"I’m thinking we’ll take a shortcut up ahead through the swamp instead of along the road and see if we can get ahead of them."

He pulled out the map and showed the men the planned route. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Going through the swamp’s obviously riskier than the road, so we’ll be riding in battle formation. Be on high alert, especially for tubiàn croc’s. I’ll take the lead. Niko, you’re rearguard. As much as possible we’ll stick to dry land, but anywhere near the water, a croc can launch itself at your horse, so keep your swords drawn. From lived experience, their undersides are soft and the best way to kill them, if you get that chance."

"Yes Commander!" said Niko, who was excited at the prospect of getting ahead of the women finally.

The Commander set off, leading them into the wetlands. There was an old levee bank that wound its way through the water, so they followed that as much as possible. Occasionally it was submerged, and the horses would have to feel their way through the swamp water.

"There’s a red bellied black snake swimming over there," called Baer, who was riding behind Alton. "Just a natural one," he hurriedly added.

The men breathed a sigh of relief. No one even flinched at a natural snake that could be flicked away with one stroke of a sword.

"It’s their tubiàn cousins we don’t want to run into in these boggy conditions," replied Commander Meyer grimly.

"All clear behind us," Niko confirmed.

"Stay alert men," said the Commander.

They continued on with only the chirping of birds and cicadas to accompany them. It was getting uncomfortably hot, but they all wore their long-sleeved uniforms through the wetlands to keep the rampant mosquitoes at bay as much as possible. Even so, the sound of their own smacks against their skin, was the other accompaniment to their ride through the swamp.

As they rode the brumbies along the levee, they came to a body of water that was covered in green waterweed that looked exactly like grass. Baer spotted a shape covered in weed that could have been a log. He stared at it intently. An eye flickered closed then open again.

"Croc!" he shouted, pointing left and slightly behind where he and the Commander rode.

The massive creature shot out of the water and ran up the levee on its awful stumpy legs. Its leathery green skin was covered in the green waterweed which had disguised it so well. It was all sinew and muscle, pushing off its back legs so that it almost appeared to be jumping up the levee, its mouth ajar, its huge teeth of display.

Within seconds, it clamped its jaws around the leg of Han’s horse and started to drag it back into the water while it screamed a series of terrified whinnies.

Han hacked at its nose with his sword, but the skin was tough there, and while he managed to draw blood, it didn’t let go and kept dragging his horse inexorably towards the water.

Han leapt off the horse as it slipped into the water off the muddy bank. His lucky sailor hat flew off. As the beast and the horse disappeared under the green weed, the hat was all that was left of them, bobbing jauntily on the green surface.

Han leant forward with his sword trying to drag the hat back before it got too far away from the levee.

"Han!" said the commander sharply. "Don’t even think about it! You’re not risking your life for a bloody hat."

"But it’s my lucky hat," he said sadly. "It came in and out of the ocean with me when I was flung off the boat."

"It’s clearly not lucky, it’s unlucky. Every time you wear it you get singled out by a man-eating beast. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say," snapped the Commander.

Han watched dejectedly as the hat floated out of reach and then tipped on its end and started to sink.

"I hope that’s not bad juju," he sulked.

"The bad juju is you lost your horse and you’re going to have to share with Bo until we can catch you another one," said his commander.

"Really?" complained Bo, looking most put out to have Han sitting so close to him in the sticky heat of the swamp.

"Sit back further," he growled at his friend.

"I can’t. Your horse is too goddam small. If I sit any further back, I’ll be on the ground."

"Well just stop touching me then."

"Same problem. Your horse is too fucking small. Why didn’t you catch a bigger one?"

"I had no idea I’d have to fit your fat arse on here with me, did I?"

"Fat arse? My glutes are all muscle. I can deadlift 400 pounds. What can you do? 300? 330? Better a fat arse than a skinny one like yours mate."

"You said it."

"Shut up you two," said Commander Meyer. "There’s no choice here. Han’s horse just got eaten by a bloody crocodile. We’ve got bigger problems than you two sharing a horse."

"Easy for you to say, Commander," Bo grumbled under his breath. "You don’t have Han rubbing himself up against you."

"Fuck off, Bo!" snapped Han loudly.

"You’re the one hugging onto me. Why don’t you fuck off and walk?"

"Ow!" shouted Bo. "Did you just cut me, Han?" he asked his friend incredulously.

"No! Why would I cut you. I’m not a fucking psycho."

"Shut up you two, or I’ll come back there and cut you both myself," the Commander roared.

"My arm’s bleeding, Commander," said Bo. "If it wasn’t Han..."

Bo’s speculation was cut-off by a shout from Niko at the rear.

"Something just sliced me on the neck, Commander!"