Dominant Species Volume Two -- Edge Effects (Dominant Species Series) by David Coy

over there on this side. The two right on the edge of
the platform. See ‘em?”
    Eddie pointed to two Number 10 containers side by side on the
warehouse grid. They were conspicuously apart from the other containers in the
warehouse and so close to the edge of the grid that Geary could have strolled
over and opened them without climbing up. From where they were it would be
impossible to see them from the guard shack.
    “That’s better.”
    “That’s about as far from view as I can put them,” he grinned. “If
you can’t get to them there without being seen, I don’t want you as a partner.”
Eddie smiled.
    It was a good thing he did. It was just a little like a smartass
remark. Geary didn’t like smart assed remarks from cocky smartasses.
    That night, Geary waited far into the night before heading for
the warehouse. It started to rain and the thunder and lightning were
relentless. Before he got halfway there, he was soaked through and his thick
cotton clothing was heavy with rainwater. Geary was sure the rain would keep
the guard in his shack all night.
    He’d brought a satchel with a shoulder strap on it to carry the
booty. He didn’t think there would be a whole ten kilos, but you never knew.
    He stopped behind a small backhoe about a hundred meters from the
platform and took a look through binoculars at the target and the surrounding
area. He could see the guard shack on the far side and true to form, the guard,
sound asleep, was sitting there with his feet up and his head tilted back.
Geary could almost hear him snoring. He watched as a particularly loud blast of
thunder woke the guard, then watched as the lazy bastard cast an idle glance
over the warehouse. He was soon asleep again.
    He located the containers on the edge of the platform and scanned
the area around them just to be on the safe side.
    Nothing.
    He moved away from the backhoe at a tangent until a high stack of
containers on the platform obscured him from the guard shack completely. Then
he changed direction and started straight for the target.
    The containers weren’t locked; they never were unless the goods
inside were something like copper wire or power tools. He lifted the lid on the
nearest one. He wasn’t prepared for the number of kits. There were maybe a
hundred of them packed neatly inside. He liked things neat. He grabbed one of
the bags and opened it. It took him just a second to find the bottle of Xerc.
He plucked it from the straps and deposited it in the bag, then closed the kit
and put it back in place. His quick, skinny hands processed the next one in
half the time.
    In less than an hour, he’d harvested every last bottle of
painkiller from the kits.
    He pulled the locator from his pocket, turned it on and found the
direction to the drums with a quick sweep back and forth. He’d be taking a new
way in from where he was, but that was all right; the route might even be
shorter.
    The rain came down in sheets and lightning cast staccato shadows
in the jungle as he worked his way through. He was soaked to the bone, and the
wet material of his pants legs clung to him as he moved, making it difficult to
step over the fallen trees and branches.
    He stopped and took a reading on the locator. The distance seemed
a little too far yet; but from the angle he was coming in, it was hard to tell.
    Lightning flashed and something moved in a quick jerk of dark
motion at the edge of his peripheral vision. He watched for a second, but saw
nothing more. His mind went back to the black thing he’d seen in the cave. He
moved on.
    Another flash strobed, and the jungle around him burst into ragged
strokes of black and green.
    The something moved again, and before he could focus on it, the
jungle blinked to darkness once more.
    He raised the lamp and pressed the switch. The lamp flooded the
area in front of him with white light. As he moved the light around, the
shadows of branch, leaf and vine shifted in perfect synchronization, back and
forth.
    He