Storm Girls (The Juniper Wars Book 4) by Aaron Ritchey (best books to read for teens .txt) 📗

wasn’t like a dead Vixx stare, or a Severin, but it was alive, curious, and sparkling with intelligence. June Mai was eerie smart and focused. I could see why she ran most of the Juniper and how her girls put their faith in her. She was a force of nature, and I was locking eyes with her.

“This is your chance, June Mai,” I said. “You walk out of the Juniper with the chalkdrive, you will have the world’s attention. But if we get shot up and killed, all of our suffering and struggle will have been for nothing. The media can make up any story they want. Juniper terrorists stopped at the American border by brave U.S. troops.”

“Let me guess,” she said softly. “You would suggest we split up our forces, give them multiple targets, and keep this information silent. Because of the Severin spies that are undoubtedly in our midst. Is that correct?”

I had to grin a little. I was both impressed and a little intimidated. “You’re right on all counts. Your main force should go up I-70. Another contingent should go south and try the border at La Crosse. And us? With the Moby scouting, we head for an old ghost town called Plainville. But we don’t go through the town proper, no, we cross the border at the Plainville Salvage Yards.”

Pilate laughed. He knew what I was talking about. Roughly twelve million people had lived in the Juniper before the buzz was killed by the Yellowstone Knockout. Twelve million humans can generate a lot of junk. What could be sold was sold, other stuff got collected and shipped off to the Plainville Airport, which had been converted into a junkyard for Juniper leftovers, for the maybes and possibilities of future technological advances that might be able to process the plastic and garbage of one point five million square kilometers of people’s yard sale stuff.

Everyone in the Chhaang House went quiet, and even Pilate stopped chuckling.

“Why not cross in the Moby Dick?” Marie Atlas asked.

Sketchy spoke in a rattle. “’Cause everything in the sky outside of the Juniper is tracked. ’Cause of them goddamn SISBI laws. Every airship has a unique signature so they can be tracked. But even if we disabled our beacon, the U.S. has a grid of sensors, and you can bet Hoyt and his ARK have every satellite radar station monitoring the airspace along the Juniper’s border. We wouldn’t stand a chance. Since this all started, I haven’t been out of the Juniper ’cause I’d have to swap out my beacon, or else I’d get stopped and my beloved zeppelin impounded. She’s wanted, dead or alive. Always knew the Moby would be famous one day.”

“Yeah, we can’t get out on the Moby, so we go on horses,” I said. “Let all the steam trucks and explorers and your armament go down I-70 and south on State Road 4. We take only a few troops on horses and sneak through Plainville, real quiet like.”

Pilate nodded. “Like Frodo and Sam into Mordor.”

I knocked him with my elbow. “Can we talk about real things, Pilate?”

June Mai Angel didn’t smile, but I could see she was thinking hard. I could almost hear her head going. I could definitely feel the vibe of her excitement. She knew about impossible missions and violence and desperation. She was a decorated Sino veteran and the most powerful Outlaw Warlord the Juniper had ever seen.

She also knew a good plan when she heard it. Even if it came from some country girl, just barely seventeen.

“What do you think?” I asked.

She nodded, and that was that.

Marie Atlas stood. “I will begin the preparations. We have intel the United States is coming. If they should engage us before our plans are set?”

“I will talk with the lieutenants,” June Mai said quietly. “I have thought about several contingency plans.”

It was all settled, and I felt good, until the Outlaw Warlord stared me down. “I will agree to your plan. However, I want to carry the chalkdrive.”

Everyone on my side of the table froze. I didn’t know how to tell her no, though I had to say something, and quick. The day before, I’d gladly given up the chalkdrive. But after food, water, and rest, I had my shakti going to finish this thing we had started. I once more felt the weight of our sacred duty, and I found myself committed to a new imperative: help get the chalkdrive out of the Juniper and deliver it safely to someone who could tell the world.

Before I could say a word, Pilate spoke. He talked around the cigar in his mouth, unlit, thank goodness. “Oh, June, that’s not going to happen. First of all, our trust only goes so deep. You, yourself, could be a Severin. But more than that, if it comes down to it, we need you to be more badger than mule. You fight. Cavatica mules. End of story.”

“Why?” June Mai asked.

Marie Atlas still stood, but now she squared her shoulders to us. Her hand strayed to the pistol at her side. We all saw it.

“Simple,” Micaiah said. “Pilate wants to protect Cavatica, as do I. She becomes precious if she has the chalkdrive.”

“Precious!” Pilate erupted. “My precious!”

I shot him a mean look.

Micaiah didn’t get the joke; he kept on going: “I should not carry the chalkdrive as I am the other part of the equation. Even without the stolen data, I could use my presence as proof of my father’s duplicity.”

“And if I tried to take the chalkdrive away from you?” June Mai asked in a quiet voice.

Sketchy grumbled, but Tech shushed her.

Pilate leaned forward. “One of us would walk out of here leaving bloody footprints behind. I’d bet on my people. We are cursed to live, despised by death, and blessed by the Lord Jesus Christ.” Pilate smirked at those last words ’cause he didn’t believe them at all. Sounded good though.

June Mai smiled. Finally. Took a minute. “Very well. Cavatica will continue