spare horses and led them another half-dozen
kilometers, past immaculate lawns and formal gardens, to a shelter that
looked odd because it was covered in multi-colored climbing roses.
"Here you are, Captain," he said with a smile. "Enjoy your stay."

"Thank you, Sergeant." Cortin dismounted as he left, leading her horse
into the shelter's stable. She needed help unsaddling--her back
wouldn't let her do it by herself any longer--but once that was done,
she was able to care for and feed Rainbow alone. She wouldn't mind
having the gelding as a permanent mount as long as she was stationed at
Middletown; he did have a smooth gait, even though she couldn't
appreciate it properly any longer, and he was beautifully responsive to
reins, knees, or voice. Once the Strike Force was activated, maybe she
would lay claim to him.

When they got into the shelter proper, Degas began fixing supper.
That, like clean-up, was normally done by turns, but he'd volunteered
for the job--he claimed in self-defense--any time they were in the
field. No one argued, after Pritchett had challenged him to show why;
he could do wonders with shelter rations, and was the only human Cortin
knew who could actually make trail rations into something you didn't
mind eating.

A knock on the door brought them all alert, though none were
anticipating trouble here; as Cortin had half expected, what they got
was company for supper, in the persons of Bradford and Illyanov. She
was glad to see them, and even more pleased that they settled into the
team's non-regulation informality as if it were a group of Inquisitors
like the one at the Eagle's Nest.

She saw Bradford's look of pleased surprise at her men's gloves, and
his slow smile of approval. "I see Team Azrael has decided on a
trademark. Did you by any chance leave a glove with the remains of
your attackers?"

Not at all surprised that they'd heard the story so quickly, Cortin
nodded. "Yes--it seemed like a good idea. Shouldn't we have?"

"That's your option, as Team-Leader. Leaving a token that way will
gain your team a reputation, which can be helpful at times--but it'll
also make you targets. So I'm leaving the choice, as I said, to the
Team-Leaders."

"We'll talk about it, then," Cortin said, a bit disturbed. "Personal
notoriety for Inquisitor Azrael will be useful--but I've discovered I'm
no longer one of the Brothers' targets, though Lieutenant Chang is at
the top of their list. I