Pathspace
Page 28
Chapter 28
Lester: “Struggling with the Devil”
After the Governor left, the men in the cell finally began to talk. Sitting against the wall in darkness, Lester decided that meant she hadn't left any guards behind.
“You shouldn't have made that crack about women,” said a younger voice. Not the same one who had been speaking to her, he thought.
“Shut your mouth,” the more familiar voice said. “Never show weakness in front of the enemy. If she goes ahead with executions, Texas can use that for recruiting propaganda. It doesn't matter how legally she does it. Our people won't believe a word of it. All she'll do is make our army bigger.”
“You idiot. You think she'll brag about executing us? We'll just disappear. Like you made that farmer's family disappear. A vanished recon team won't recruit anyone.”
“I said shut it! The Honcho's got resources you know nothing about. Likely as not we'll be sprung out of here before the boss lady can get her trial ready. Keep your cool and don't make me have to report you to your daddy for cowardice in front of the enemy.”
“Huh! I should have at least tried to stop you. Maybe I deserve to die for just standing there and doing nothing while you raped the women. I don't know. Maybe if it had been just you and me I could have stopped you. At least you won't get the chance to do it again.”
“I already told you to shut your yap, runt. I'm not going to repeat myself. The next time you open that mouth it'll lose some teeth.”
Lester listened with interest. Had he really heard what he thought he heard? This hadn't been a total waste of time, after all. He could hardly wait to get out of here and talk to Aria. There were ramifications here that neither of them had considered.
And then it got even more interesting. As he stood up, preparing to leave the room, he heard sudden inhalations of astonishment.
“What the hell? Who are you, another damned wizard?”
He started, sure he'd been seen. But no, his cloaking spell was still working, or he wouldn't be in darkness any longer. So what had startled them?
“Who am I?” said a new voice, one he'd never heard before. “I, gentlemen, am your salvation. Stay calm and don't tell them anything. I'll have you all out of here as soon as I can find out who has the key to that cell.”
He heard the door to the outer room open again. Whoever opened it didn't close it this time, or at least not all the way, as if they didn't want anyone who might be outside to hear it. Trying not to pant with excitement and the effort of re-weaving the shield around him as he moved, he groped his way around to the door, hugging the wall, then slipped out into the corridor.
Once he was clear of the door he flattened himself against the wall of the corridor and tried to calm down. Whoever that was, he thought, I can't let him know I heard him.