by Jackson Lear
They shook their heads at me blankly.
I headed inside to double check. Sure enough, there was no Lavarta, no Alysia, no Delen, and no indication that any of them had reached the infirmary.
I backed out into the street. Whoever had organized the trap had played it well and made it hard for anyone to follow their tracks.
The only explanation: someone else had intercepted her, but there had been no sign of any of that on the street. No sword fight, no dead bodies, no one standing around talking to each other about a young woman who was kidnapped in broad daylight.
If she was intercepted then the first messenger was sent to get Alysia out of wherever she was and to delay any of her security by giving them false information: your husband has been injured and is going to the infirmary.
A second messenger would’ve been waiting. Your husband is in the fields – or wherever – They are about to bring him to the infirmary.
By then she would’ve been frantic. Time running out on her. The infirmary was on the eastern side of the city. So was the house. The cohort was training in the south. She could make up for lost time by riding like the wind with a member of the cavalry by her side, anything to reach her husband quickly.
Her house.
The same house that people had been staking out for the last few days.
That’s where she was going to be ambushed.
Chapter Forty-Nine
I headed towards the Lavarta home as quickly as I could, working through Zara’s timing and hoping like hell that she would’ve figured this out before she found that the commander wasn’t where she thought he was.
I reached their road. Slowed to regain control of my breathing. Kept an eye out for members of the city watch, soldiers under Gustali’s influence, or mercenaries hired by Krassis. No one around me seemed to notice who I was or what I was doing there, despite my heart thumping loud enough for them all to hear and my clothes clinging to me like I had just taken a bath in one of the silver springs.
Lavarta’s gates came into view. I kept my shoulders loose, ready to grab my blade at a moment’s notice. Strolled past.
The front door was open. People inside. All standing perfectly still. In front of them sat three women: Alysia and the two handmaids.
My pulse settled. My breathing eased towards normal. She was still alive.
I doubled back. Five men. All dressed in loose-fitting merchant clothes. None with a merchant’s face. They had Alysia, Ursula, and Giulia surrounded. Ursula wiped a tear away from her eye. No one said anything to comfort her. Whatever misery she was going through, it had been going on for a while.
I scanned the upper floor. No one in the windows. I searched the top of the wall. No one there. I hoisted myself up onto a neighbor’s wall, finally drawing attention to myself from a couple of passers-by. No one seemed to be hiding in Lavarta’s atrium, nor upstairs, though I couldn’t guarantee it.
Me up against five assholes who would fit in quite easily with any mercenary company. They were in a well defended area. Well rested. Prepared for the very worst, and I really do mean the worst. No one in their right mind would threaten the daughter of a general, not unless they were convinced that they could get away with it.
And these guys probably would.
If I was running this thing, I’d have people positioned out of sight to catch anyone sneaking in. I’d also need an escape plan in case everything went to shit. Over the walls or through to the stables in the rear. Alysia would know that she wouldn’t be pushed around by them but her handmaids were fair game so she would do what she could to protect them. That would be their leverage over her. She would go quietly with them, but where to? Within the city would seem foolish. Outside meant that she would be taken past dozens of guards watching the gates. Dozens who could interfere simply because they looked like trouble.
The river.
They could pass themselves off as sailors, dock hands, throw her onto a ship and simply sail out of here.
I mulled it over. Alysia had been lured back to her home. Walked into an ambush. Delen was likely killed to prove to everyone held captive that this was serious.
If Zara could get to Lavarta in time then it would be three of us against the five in sight and however many were hiding in the back. We could do it. But someone wanted Lavarta dead. They would strike at him first and they would make it count.
If I waited for Zara, we’d have a reasonable chance of getting Alysia out of there. But if the assholes were waiting for a signal then they might slice her throat before I could do shit. Or they could bag her and drag her out of the house, splitting her and the handmaids apart and leaving me to figure out who was who and where they were going.
I knew where she was right now. I couldn’t count on that if I waited for too long.
I was out of spells. Out of time. Out of a lot of good options as well.
I fitted a pair of liberated brass knuckles onto one hand. Dropped into the atrium. Strolled inside. All eyes turned to me. Five glared. One prisoner bristled with relief. The other two still weren’t sure if I was a friend or foe. Blood splatter on the floor near the fountain. A streak of blood heading into Lavarta’s office, the door closed. Delen, I’d presume.
Five against one. Probably three more in the back.
Zara had better hurry the fuck up.
Chapter Fifty
Alysia and the two handmaids remained on stools. Alysia on the left. The handmaids on the right. Two of the assholes were standing over Alysia’s shoulders. One in between the two handmaids. One standing in the rear to cover any potential escape. The one to the right hand side, back up against a wall, stepped forward; the wisest of the five and the one with the authority to speak.
Alysia sat resolutely. Locked eyes with me then indicated to the one by the wall. Gently shook her head. Back to me, then to the one over her right shoulder. Squinted a confirmation.
Message received.
“You’re not the husband,” said the one by the wall. About thirty years old. Broken nose. Eyes a little too close together. Several studded earrings in both ears. He had a notable accent that I couldn’t place which ruled him out of being a long-term citizen of Torne. “I’m guessing you’re the one causing all this trouble.”
I spoke to Alysia. “Delen?”
“They stabbed him in the neck when we ran inside.”
“Did they hurt anyone else?”
“No.”
“Take anyone?”
“No.”
“How many are there?”
“Two more, down the back.”
Mr Earrings snapped. “Enough of that.”
I ignored him. “The commander?”
“I don’t know.”
“Stop that!”
Four of the five assholes had the same kind of tell. Slight stubble around their faces – shaved just that morning. Clear eyes. Well rested. All sober. No one fidgeting.
The fifth stood between the two handmaids. Disheveled, to say the least. Gargantuan features. His fists were the size of bricks. His jaw was the size of a tankard of ale. Tufts of hair poked out from everywhere, sheared haphazardly like he had simply grabbed a clump at a time and sliced it off himself, thinking, ‘that’s good enough.’ I’d be surprised if he didn’t have ogre blood in him. A battle ax dangled from one hand.
Alysia eyed the one behind her again. Squinted as if to say, ‘him’.
It was hard to get a read on the guy she indicated. His clothes were hilariously large. Lots of colors. I imagined that he was something of a theatrical fighter, his outfit designed to distract me so that I couldn’t see where his blade was coming from.
I spoke to Alysia. “What have they said to you?”
Earrings piped in. “I’m the one doing the talking here.”
I ignored him. Alysia answered. “That if we know what’s best for us we should behave and wait for Auron.”
“Do they know who you are?”
“They know I’m Miss Kasera Lavar
ta, daughter of General Kasera and wife to Commander Lavarta of the governor’s Army.”
“And they’re still keeping you hostage?”
“Enough!” snapped Earrings.
“Did they ask anything about me?” I asked.
“Lots of questions.”
“Any answers?”
“Only that they should ask you when you get here. You’re a little late.”
“I was busy catching Artavian’s killer. Krassis. Caton is behind this, even if Krassis is the one who set it up.”
Earrings took a step forward. “All right, all right, you’ve had your fun. Now you’re going to disarm yourself and come with us.”
I stared back at the one behind Alysia. Calculating eyes. A longsword in his grip. I said, “Let’s hear it.”
Earrings spoke. “As I said–”
I didn’t break my attention from the calculating one. “From you.”
His lips curled into the faintest hint of a smile. “You’re not in a position of power here.” Same accent as his counterpart. A company man. Used to city thuggery. Not used to me. Even so, he had done his homework on me. “You’ve already had a run in with two bounty hunters and won. I’d wager that you could handle three against one. Maybe even four against one.”
“You’re cutting it pretty close with only five.”
“Would you have come in if there were six?”
“No.”
“That’s why you only see five.”
I still couldn’t place his accent. “You’re a long way from home.”
“Arlo,” said Alysia.
The calculating one dipped his head into a ‘how do you do?’
I answered back. “Arlo, huh? That’s one hell of a coincidence. All this time I’ve been hearing about the threat of mercenaries and black marketeers from Arlo being forced out of house and job, unable to head south or west, leaving them with only one real option: to head to Syuss.”
“And here we are.”
“In the home of Commander Lavarta, no less.”
“We know where we are,” said the calculating one.
I shot a look to the ogre. Winked. Riled him up a little and got the blood flowing. He blasted a lungful of air through his nostrils, enough to disturb the handmaid’s hair below him.
The guy at the mouth of the corridor shifted, readying himself.
Earrings tried to take charge again. “You have one blade behind you. You’re going to raise your hands and place them on top of your head. I’m going to dig around, take your weapons.”
I blew a kiss at the ogre. “You’re first.”
He practically stamped his heel like a disgruntled warhorse, wanting to attack me but the conditions were all wrong.
“Eeeasy,” warned the calculating one. He turned back to me. “Where’s Lavarta? And think carefully about how you answer.”
“Haven’t seen him for hours,” I said. “But I was honest about taking care of Krassis. The little fucker is in front of a judge right now. And a doctor. Who knows what he’ll confess to while blitzed out of his mind on drugs.”
Three of them had a decent ability to bluff a ‘who’s that?’ The other didn’t.
Earrings took a step forward, coming closer to my side. I took a quick step back towards the door. Everyone sprung, froze, weapons moving, then slowly relaxing again. Their hearts would be pumping. Erratic. The adrenaline wasn’t going to last for long.
It was also going to tire me out but I knew when the attack was going to happen. They didn’t.
Earrings checked over his allies, following a predetermined plan of action and hoping that they weren’t about to improvise. “Hands up. On your head. Stay still.”
I spoke to the calculating one. “You’re really going to let one of your guys get within touching distance of me?”
“That’s his job.”
“He doesn’t seem very good at it.”
Earrings glanced between me and his boss. “Hey …”
“He’s definitely not good at it if his confidence is that low. How did he get the job anyway? You took pity on him after fucking his mom?”
“Hey, fuck you,” said Earrings.
“Or because you fucked him and he was going to cry if you left?”
“Motherfucker!”
“First one. Got it.”
He was a little slow on the uptake. The others who had remained quiet shifted. At the ready. Their plan was still good. Edging towards the great unknown but they were prepared for that. The problem, they started to realize, was that three of them were blocked. They had set themselves up for a good defense but a terrible attack. The one in the hallway was the farthest away. The ogre would have to push his way through the two seated handmaids or go around them. The second guy behind Alysia would have to barge past his boss. I had a chance of taking out two of them before the other three joined the fray.
I just had no idea where the other two players were. Ready to stab me in the back or were they protecting the rear?
I asked, “So what’s the play here? Slaughter everyone in the building? Do you have any idea how that’ll look or who will be after you?”
The calculating one shook his head. “Not here for a slaughter.”
“No?”
“It’s a kidnapping followed by a ransom.”
“No it’s not.”
“I assure you, I know what our plan is.”
“You know what it’s supposed to be, but there’s a bigger one in motion that you’re not aware of.”
“Oh, I haven’t told you the rest. See, your head is worth a bit, as is Lavarta’s. So there’s a pretty good deal to be had. Kidnap the Kasera girl and remove your head from your body. Cash you in, hold her for ransom, and then we’ll be golden.”
“General Kasera with a whole army doesn’t faze you at all?”
“He’s a professional. He knows how this works.”
“He’ll chase you all the way into Arlo if he has to.”
“Good. Then maybe he’ll depose our asshole governor.”
I was wondering what part three of the plan would’ve been and I gotta say, it seemed solid enough. Kidnap a general’s kid, kill the general’s assassin as a show of power, and use the fallout to force the governor into relaxing his puritanical rule. It might work. Probably wouldn’t, but then again I didn’t really know Kasera and I certainly didn’t know Arlo’s governor.
I asked: “Who hired you?”
“No one.”
“Is it Caton Pelus?”
“Enough with the talking,” snapped the calculating one. He pulled a small vial with a cork stopper from his pocket. “You’re gonna drink this. It doesn’t hurt that much, I promise. It’ll put you into a pleasant delirium. You’ll get sleepy, lie yourself down, and drift away. Everyone wants to die peacefully in their sleep. This is the only way you’re going to get that.”
“Uh huh. And then you think you’re going to take Miss Kasera here away and ransom her for … how much, exactly?”
“One hundred thousand marks.”
“Not happening.”
“Or we cripple you where you stand. Engulf you in lightning, break every bone in your body without us even moving a muscle. We’re prepared for this. You’re not.”
“Can’t.” I sent Alysia a quick look. “She’s protected.”
“So are we. And there are more of us than you can handle. We’ve been casing this house for a long time. We’ve watched you come and go.”
“Then you’ll be able to tell me how I know her.”
He held his stare, refusing to answer. I was sure he could hear my heart beating fast enough for him to know that I was out of my depth.
I kept my eyes dead ahead but spoke to Alysia. “Get ready.”
The five thugs braced themselves, the adrenaline in their bodies fading, sapping their energy.
The calculating one whistled a signal. Two more thugs from down the corridor leaned out of the rooms they were hiding in.
Seven against one
.
One longsword from the calculating one. One battle ax from the ogre. The rest seemed to be armed with short swords.
Mr Calculating spoke again. “The general ain’t here. Her husband ain’t here. Not even you can beat these odds.”
I took a deep breath, pulling as much air into my lungs as possible, hoping like hell that I had bought Zara enough time to find us. I eyed the ogre once more. “Like I said, you’re first.”
Mr Calculating reached out and pinched the base of Alysia’s neck. “Tell him to take the poison.”
She sank, his grip stronger than she expected.
I drew in another deep breath. Long and calming. I was thirty five years old, an asshole of the highest order to almost everyone I had ever met, and I was about to die.
He squeezed tighter. Alysia gasped with a burst of pain. “You tell him to take the poison or we’ll leave your father actual proof that something bad has happened to you. A finger, maybe. Or how about a nice long scar across the side of your face? Give the senators something to gawk over when you stand before them, all meek and petite with her face carved to all hell, thanks to one bastard who didn’t know when he had been beaten.” He slid his hand towards her throat, dug his nails into her skin.
That was the moment. An actual life-changing threat. If Zara was watching she would’ve acted then, but she didn’t.
She wasn’t there. By now she would be miles away, trying to get to Lavarta in time.
It really was going to be seven against one. Them fresh. Me exhausted.
Mr Calculating drove his fingernails into Alysia’s throat, causing her to cry out in panic.
A whisper escaped Alysia’s lips. “Arras.”
Mr Calculating’s hand exploded, a burst of energy rippling through his wrist and up to his forearm, his skin splitting outwards and showering his body with a deluge of blood.
I activated the silk pole. Swung. Rammed the mangled end into the back of Mr Calculating’s head as hard as I could and knocking him forward. Kept swinging in a wide arc across the top of Alysia’s head as she dove for the floor. Extended it further. Swung onto Earrings. He pulled back, his short sword coming up to check the attack, his mouth moving to fire off a spell. I lunged, desperate, off balance, but it was all I could do to disrupt his concentration.
