by Kyle Prue
Carlin was momentarily distracted and Lilly broke his grip on the knife. She pulled it out and sliced into his arm. He cried out in pain. Across the room, Virgil pulled a knife from his belt. “Carlin!” he yelled.
Lilly saw the knife coming and ducked under it easily. It impaled itself into Carlin’s chest and he howled loudly. Lilly used the distraction to kick Carlin off his feet and bolt to her uncle. They’d accomplished their mission. Not only was Carlin wounded, but so was his second-in-command. She could also hear more troops and their heavy armor clanging as they arrived to their general’s aid. Lilly pulled the Wolf to his feet. “We need to go,” she said.
Without so much as a backward look, they fled out the back doors with their Celerius speed. The Wolf had reclaimed his sword and used it to cut down the soldiers standing directly outside. They found themselves in the dark streets of Brightbow. “Horses,” he breathed as he pointed down the road to an inn.
As he’d indicated there were two horses tied up out front. They commandeered them and rode off. They could hear soldiers yelling “The General’s injured!” They spurred their horses on harder and harder until they were past the limits of the village.
“Where to?” Lilly yelled above the hoof beats.
The Wolf peered into the darkness. “Seeing as I have no idea where we are, I was going to suggest forward. We’ll circle around toward the meeting point when we’re sure we’re not being followed.”
“Forward is good,” she called back as they rode deeper and deeper into the wilderness.
Chapter Sixty-Four
THE DOCTOR’S WORKSHOP
THE PACK
Rhys always screamed when the bucket of water hit him. That made sense though. He’d been awake for days, and at his every attempt to flee into sleep the Doctor would pull him right back. “It’s probably very hard for you to express what you’re feeling.” the Doctor mused as he lowered his bucket to the floor and examined his captive through the bars. “But if you could rate this exhaustion, this discomfort on a scale of one to one hundred, where would you place it?”
Rhys clenched his jaw and closed his eyes tightly. The Doctor cocked his head in response. “You can’t tell me that I haven’t piqued your interest. Don’t you long to know how it all works? Don’t you long to understand how our bodies measure pain? We can measure temperature, distance, time, but pain is just outside of our reach… Don’t you long to be enlightened?”
“I long to…” Rhys paused. “Be free. And that’s all.”
The Doctor looked at him with renewed interest. “You were about to make a threat,” he deducted. “You were about to threaten my life, weren’t you?”
Rhys was silent. He bowed his head in reservation and shame, then curled into a ball, receding further into the corner of the cell.
The Doctor paced away from the cell slowly. He’d leave the boy alone for now. Breaking him would consist of giving out punishment in doses. In between he would finally have time to take care of some other rudimentary business. His son had sent him a letter by pigeon, but he’d spent the day exercising restraint. He was almost certain of what it said. There was no use in worrying about the oncoming attackers. All that mattered was securing his legacy; besides, he had Anastasia and his pet to keep him protected. He tore open the letter and skimmed it. “You’re not going to like this,” the Doctor said to his prisoner. “But our timetable has been advanced. It’s important for me to know… do you feel the urge to kill me? Torture me? Finish my pain index?” Rhys was silent. “Good,” the Doctor said.
In the last few weeks he had concentrated on breaking Rhys’s mind without hurting him physically, but now he would have to move quicker. He’d have to resort to more barbaric methods. “Time to start the real stuff.” the Doctor said. “I’m so excited to see how your rankings compare to mine.”
Rhys screamed, of course, as he had for the last few weeks, but the Doctor knew that soon that wouldn’t be the case. He wouldn’t try to alert anyone because he would believe it futile. He would believe that he was truly alone and adrift. Soon the only thing to latch on to would be the mantle of the Doctor.
The Doctor pulled a saw from his toolkit and was surprised to hear a laugh coming from the boy. He spun around. “What?” he asked infuriated. “What’s funny?”
“That letter is from the Marksman, isn’t it?” Rhys asked.
The Doctor wiped a cloth over his saw to clean it. “And?”
“And my friends are coming for me,” Rhys said.
The Doctor said nothing this time. He gritted his top teeth against his metal jaw. Rhys smiled at him. He actually smiled, and the Doctor felt rage burning in his chest and face. “There’s a difference between me and you,” Rhys said. “You were alone, completely alone, when you became the new Doctor. But me, I’ve got tons of people who care about me. I won’t have to kill you. They’ll do it for me.”
The Doctor stared at him stunned.
“Do whatever you want to me,” Rhys continued. “Kill me if you want, but don’t deceive yourself. Your legacy ends with me.”
The Doctor knew that every second of silence exposed weakness, but he couldn’t decide on a response. He narrowed his eyebrows and glared at his experiment. “You should hope that they kill me, Rhys,” he whispered. “You should hope.”
With that, he lowered the saw back into the box. His passion was missing. It had been replaced by something far harder to act on: fear. For the first time since he’d taken the title, the Doctor feared death.
Chapter Sixty-Five
OCEAN’S JAW
NEIL VAPROS
The rest of dinner had been quiet while everyone made awkward eye contact. Neil could feel several eyes on him. “Maybe we shouldn’t have named you after a snake,” Serena whispered.
Alex looked at his plate guiltily. “I forgot that Mama had a thing against them.”
“You guys know I’m not the spy, right?” Neil asked.
“Frankly Mamba, I’m surprised that you know what a spy is,” Alex said suppressing a giggle.
“You guys are taking this way too lightly,” Neil said.
“No we’re not,” Serena said. “No one would accuse you without proof. If there’s a spy, Mama will find him eventually. Just be good.”
Neil ate another bite of carp. Just be good. He didn’t feel reassured despite their attempts to soothe him. He wasn’t exactly beloved on this island, between Haxon’s friends and Mama Tridenti. Mama Tridenti was still on her throne eating moderately. Despite the fury and power in her speech, she dined without worry. Neil couldn’t wrap his head around why she’d tell the spy that she was onto them. Tactically, the smarter decision would be to set traps while the spy was confident that he or she was working in secret. Neil watched her curiously as he finished his dinner and tried to comprehend her thought process. It was possible that she trusted the island and its inhabitants enough to let them take care of it. Or maybe she thought the spy would quit reporting if they knew how dangerous it had become.
“Why let the spy know she’s onto them?” Neil asked. “I can’t wrap my head around that.”
Alex pondered the question. “Mama Tridenti is smart. She doesn’t do anything without reason.”
“She might be trying to stir the pot,” Serena said. “Now everyone will be on the lookout, not just her.”
Whatever her logic was, she clearly had a plan. “I guess that makes sense.”
The rest of dinner passed in silence. Neil walked back to his side of the house with the Tridenti trailing slightly behind him. They made it just beyond the dining room when Mama Tridenti caught up to them. “Alex. Serena.” she said. “I’d like to speak to you for a moment.”
Neil hung around for a moment and she cleared her throat. “Just them, Mamba. It’s captain stuff.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Neil said, unconvinced.
They were near enough to the next corner for Neil to hide behind it. He kept stepping lighter and lighter until he was sure they thought h
e was gone. He needed to hear this. “How much do you two trust Mamba?” Mama Tridenti asked.
“Completely,” Alex said.
“And you?” Mama Tridenti’s voice asked.
“With my life,” Serena said.
Mama Tridenti sighed loud enough for Neil to hear. “At the moment he’s my only suspect. There is an overwhelming body of evidence against him.”
Neil’s blood went cold. “What kind of evidence?” Serena asked.
“Of course it’s all circumstantial,” she said. “But honestly. You pull a mysterious man out of the ocean underneath the Cliff, an Imperial base, and he doesn’t remember a thing? That’s convenient.”
“I’m sure if you ask him he’ll tell you that it’s anything but convenient,” Alex muttered.
“Those Imperial guards we fought said he was a fugitive of the Empire,” Serena said. “Explain that.”
“They’re covering for their spy,” she said. “It’s an excellent way to get you to trust him.”
“I don’t buy it,” Serena said.
“The first pigeons must have been sent around his time of arrival,” Mama Tridenti said. “Whether you like to believe it or not, he’s our best suspect.”
“We’re not going to turn on our friend,” Alex said.
“Don’t,” Mama Tridenti said. “But don’t let him get too close either.”
Neil’s friends sighed. “We’ll keep it in mind.”
Neil could sense that they were almost done with their conversation so he crept down the hall and darted around the next corner to his room. He wished he could have materialized, but the band on his wrist made it harder than it had been in the past. Judging by the speed at which his friends reached his door they were curious to see if he’d been eavesdropping. They pushed open the door and he sat up with mock surprise on his face. “What’s up?” he asked.
They looked surprised to see him waiting patiently. Serena said, “Mama Tridenti wanted to talk about—“
“Captain stuff,” Alex said.
Neil and Serena both looked at him completely understanding the implication. Even Alex was suspicious of Neil. Neil felt a pang in his chest, but he understood. There wasn’t much he could do to prove his innocence without a memory or anyone to vouch for him. “Want to go swimming or something?” Serena asked.
“Absolutely,” Neil said with relief, but his mind was somewhere else.
If he really wanted to be safe he knew what he had to do. He had to find the spy before Mama Tridenti could act on her suspicions. Otherwise, there was only one possible fate for him, and it looked alarmingly like Hector’s.
Neil’s next days on the island were strenuous. His friends weren’t asking him to abandon his work early anymore. That meant one-on-one time with several crewmembers, including Earnest Haxon. Neil did his best to ignore the brute. He had bigger problems. For instance, he’d heard through the grapevine that another pigeon had gone missing despite the entire island being on high alert. The spy wasn’t quitting and also happened to be clever enough to avoid capture. “It could be a Tridenti, right?” a crewman asked on break one day.
“Absolutely not,” Neil said. “’The shore holds strong’ is their thing. I can’t imagine any Tridenti putting their ability to protect the shore in danger for any reason.”
“They shouldn’t be released from scrutiny,” the crewman replied. “All I’m saying.”
They were sitting out on the docks dipping their feet in the water. Walking barefoot on the hot sand all day was an acquired taste, but they still needed to cool off every few hours. “Well, who would you suspect?” Neil asked.
“If it were a Tridenti, I’d suspect Alex. He’s way more ambitious than people give him credit for.”
“I’m done considering that it’s a Tridenti,” another one said. “This is their home. I’d suspect the person who has the reason to be angriest at the island.”
Neil raised his eyebrow. “Who’s that?”
The crewman gestured down the beach to Earnest Haxon who was pulling in a haul of fish. “I’d be pretty upset if my brother had been kicked off the island. Maybe he’s taking revenge against everyone.”
That was the best theory Neil had to go on so far. Maybe Haxon was even trying to steer Mama Tridenti in his direction in way of retribution for his brother. Earnest seemed to feel Neil’s eyes on him. He looked up from his haul to stare at Neil. He grinned slightly and Neil’s throat tightened. What reasons did Earnest have to be grinning? “Time to head back to work,” one of the crewmen said. The rest of them groaned.
After gathering coconuts for an hour, Neil heard the doors to the mansion open. “Mamba!” Alex called.
Neil jogged over with a coconut tucked under his arm. “Hey. Need something?” Neil asked.
“I need you to come inside,” Alex said.
He seemed grim. “Uh…Okay,” Neil said. He chucked the coconut and walked up the steps. Alex ushered him inside where Mama Tridenti and Serena were waiting for him. The door closed behind Neil and his body flooded with adrenaline. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“We found this in your room,” Mama Tridenti said. She held up a dead pigeon by the neck expectantly.
“You found a dead bird in my room?” Neil asked.
“No,” she growled. “We found a live bird in your room. We can only assume you were preparing to give it a message and send it off.”
Neil looked from Serena to Alex. They appeared to be serious. “Why would I keep a pigeon in my room?” Neil asked. “If I were a spy, wouldn’t I just send it from the coop?”
“I’m not sure,” Mama Tridenti said. “But for now you can’t be allowed to walk free.”
“You can’t be serious…” Neil said.
“We’re just being careful, Mamba.” Serena said quietly.
Neil considered running for a second, but he knew how that would look. Alex shackled Neil’s arms and directed him down a hallway he hadn’t seen before. Neil made eye contact with Serena for a long moment. She looked conflicted. Neil wanted to believe he saw more hope than fear in her eyes, but he couldn’t be certain. Alex pushed him through the door and they walked down a stone staircase. “Earnest Haxon,” Neil said as soon as Mama Tridenti was out of view.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Alex said.
“So why are you locking me up?” Neil asked. He realized they were in a dungeon.
“Mama Tridenti wants what she wants,” Alex replied. “And she wants to make sure you’re not the spy. If spy activity continues, she won’t kill you.”
“Charming,” Neil said as Alex directed him into a cell. Neil stepped behind the bars and Alex locked it.
“Don’t worry,” Alex said. “I’m about to do some investigating of my own. Hang in there, Mamba. This’ll be over before dinner.”
Alex trotted up the stairs and Neil was left alone with his thoughts. He turned to the right and realized that there was a skeleton gripping the bars of the cell next door. Hopefully he’d have a more promising fate than that poor man.
Neil crossed his legs and cleared his mind. If he was going to be here alone it would help to search his mind for clues. Dungeon or not, he was going to put all his brainpower toward discovering this spy.
Neil eyes flickered open. He had no way to know how much time had passed but something in his chest told him that it was night. He rubbed his eyebrows while wondering how long he’d be staying here. How long would it take Alex to prove his innocence? And would it be enough to validate his freedom? Mama Tridenti didn’t strike him as the type to be convinced easily, except when it came to the matter of his guilt.
The island shook suddenly and Neil bolted upright. What was that? Another explosion sounded and he realized that the sound was familiar. It was cannon fire. He heard the door open and realized someone must be coming to get him to help fight whoever was firing at them. He heard multiple pairs of footsteps trailing down the stairs and someone speaking in a gruff voice. “In and out,” the voice said
. “We need to get back quickly.”
Neil quickly realized the kind of danger he was in. The men entering the dungeon weren’t here to rescue him. It was Earnest Haxon and some friends. Neil looked around the cell for something to defend himself with, but only found the bones of his friend next door. Neil reached through the bars and began fumbling.
A few second’s later, when Earnest approached his cell, Neil appeared to be sleeping. He fit the most likely stolen key into the lock and opened the door silently. He crept up on Neil, but before he could finish the job Neil clobbered him over the head with a femur bone. Earnest reeled backward and Neil smacked him across the face with the bone. Earnest fell backwards onto his backside and spat out a tooth. His friends started to run to his aid. “No!” Haxon screamed as he waved them off. “This is between me and him. You’re not going to weasel out of this one,” he told Neil.
“You put the bird in my room,” Neil accused.
“I did,” Haxon said. “I needed to get you alone.”
Neil opened his arms wide. “Here I am.”
Earnest stood and picked up his knife from the ground. The two danced around each other for a moment. Neil made sure to stay clear of the bars as Earnest’s friends were also armed and could easily stab him through them. Neil lashed out with the bone but Earnest blocked it with his knife and lashed out fast enough to nick Neil’s thumb. Neil scowled in pain, but dodged the next strike. He snap kicked Earnest in the side and followed up with a swing of the femur. The kick knocked Earnest off balance and the blow from the femur was enough to knock his head into the bars. He fell to the ground, unconscious. His friends tried to run to his aid, but Neil knocked them both out before they could assist him. They were already stirring, but Neil didn’t give them a chance to rejoin the fight. He bolted from the cell and up the stairs. He was worried about what would happen if the Tridenti saw him walking about, but that was preferable to sharing a cell with Earnest and his lackeys. At first Neil was worried about how he’d get through the giant main doors. But upon reaching the atrium he realized that the front doors were in shambles. Evidently someone had fired a cannonball through them. It was certainly more effective than knocking.
