Rush The Game

slow in comparison. It just seems . . . off.”
    “Maybe because we’re in these caves and it’s way dark down here. Maybe that slowed them down.”
    “Maybe. But then why would they set up a facility here if it slows them down and makes it hard to defend?” I’m not convinced. “I feel like it’s more than that. There’s too few of them, and they don’t seem well trained. It’s like the place is almost deserted and all that’s been left behind to guard it is a disposable group.”
    I take a few quick steps and catch up to Jackson. “If you know something, now would be a good time to share.”
    “Know something?” He doesn’t even glance at me, just keeps walking.
    “Why did they set up here?”
    “Can’t say for certain, but my guess is that it’s isolated, no chance for humans to stumble on them since these caves aren’t on the spelunker radar, and because the space is large enough for what they have in mind.”
    “So why’s the security so light?”
    He shrugs.
    I grab his arm and stop walking, which in turn makes him stop walking. Actually, no. I can’t make him do anything. He let me drag him to a stop, so maybe he’s willing to offer up a few answers. With him, it’s hard to know for sure.
    “Are we walking into an ambush?”
    “No,” he says, then turns his head toward Luka and Tyrone. “It’s like the situation in Arizona.”
    They both nod. I’m the only one in the dark.
    “Situation in Arizona?” I look back and forth between them, and they look at Jackson.
    His mouth tenses, and after a few seconds he says, “It’s easier to believe if you see it.” His tone is flat.
    I figure he’ll just stalk off like he usually does. Instead, he stands there for a long minute, and then he stalks off. Which makes me give a dark huff of laughter.
    “Predictable,” I call after him softly.
    He doesn’t give the slightest indication that he’s heard. But after a few steps his voice carries back to me. “And proud of it.”
    Tyrone follows, with Luka and me taking the rear again.
    “Tell me about Arizona.”
    “It was a poorly guarded facility. The Drau left only a skeleton staff because they clearly weren’t expecting us to hit. They thought they were too well concealed. We were in and out pretty quick.”
    His explanation makes me nervous, not because of what he said, but what he didn’t say. There’s something in his tone that tells me Arizona wasn’t quite as easy as he’s making it sound. His expression is closed, his fists clenched. Whatever happened in Arizona, Luka didn’t like it.
    “And you don’t think they’ll have learned from that? You don’t think this might be a trap?” I ask.
    “No,” Tyrone says, surprising me with how certain he sounds. “One weird thing about the Drau . . . they don’t seem to learn from their mistakes. It’s as if one group doesn’t communicate with the others very well.”
    “They don’t,” Jackson says, stopping and turning to face us. “The Drau are violent. Predatory. Think of a pride of lions with rage issues. They have a degree of community within the pride, but they fight with rivals. It’s a predator thing. The Drau are like that, and it’s one of the few things working in our favor. Whatever organization they have in regard to attack, there’s infighting and aggression within their ranks. Groups are only loosely affiliated, and half the time they’ll as soon kill each other as work together. They’re poor communicators, and the right hand doesn’t always know what the left hand is doing.”
    I consider—and decide against—pointing out that he’s not exactly the king of communication either. Instead, I ask, “If they’re so bad at communication and organization, how have they managed to conquer so many worlds?”
    “Tenacity, brutality, viciousness, and sheer numbers,” Jackson says, his tone hard and ugly.
    Last word, as usual.
    We walk on, and after a bit Luka says, “I think their predatory nature must make them competitive to an astronomical degree.”
    “Makes sense.” Tyrone glances back. “And that would just drive them to conquer more and more worlds, even if they aren’t exactly working together.”
    “Like the space race,” I say. They all look at me. Even Jackson stops and waits to hear what else I have to say. I’m more than surprised. It isn’t like I’ve offered up anything brilliant. Maybe they don’t know what I’m talking about. “The space race in the 1950s. You know