Guy led him back toward the street. “Come on. There might be an execution. There’ll be a barbie, after.”
“I don’t want to see any more of this evil place. I don’t want to be here. I shouldn’t be here. I can’t live here. I want to go home. Maybe I can do something to stop them sending people here, when I get back.”
“You hate this place?”
“Of course I do.”
“You want to destroy it?”
“Don’t you? How can anyone want people to live like this?”
Guy leaned closer, and whispered. “I can’t get you home. Even the Brain can’t do that. But I can give you something more important to do here. Something that will help everyone on Hades, and put an end to all these horrors.”
“Like what?”
Guy glanced up and down the alley, and leaned closer still, until his lips almost touched Daniel's ear. Then he whispered.
“You can kill the King.”
CHAPTER 27
Six Guards dragged Brunhilde away, still wrapped in the net. She struggled against it, and tried to slash it with her claws, or to push the claws through the holes and slash the men. But they dodged aside at every attack, and she would be lucky to slice through one or two threads of the thick mesh before they got her safely into the dungeon.
Andy watched the Guards go, until they disappeared around the corner of the street. Better them than me. Wouldn’t want to be the one who has to get her out of the cell, either.
One down, one to go. She had been easy to catch, once the others funnelled her to the gate. The other, not so much.
Garry's body swung limply between two Guards as they carried it toward the castle. His head hung loose on his neck, blood dripped from his ears, and his face was smashed inward, like a dinner bowl full of red mush.
Served the fucker right for abandoning him out there. If the carts had stuck together, they'd have captured Brunhilde that night, Garry would still be alive, and Andy wouldn't be facing a death sentence if he didn't find the girl. All of this crap was all Garry's fault, when you thought about it.
Liam strolled across the street, carrying a bow, and the blood-soaked sword from the Guard the hauler had crushed to a pulp as it trampled him by the gate.
“Good job,” he said. “Thought we’d never stop her.”
“Where did you find her?”
“At Nathan's bar.”
“The junkie? Did you see the girl with red and blue hair?”
“She was there one minute, and gone the next. Nathan said she jumped out the window.”
“You believe him?”
“Not sure why he'd lie.”
“I can think of two very big reasons why he'd lie.” Andy mimicked grabbing her breasts and squeezing them.
“Too right. Nice pair on that little bitch.”
Andy had to start somewhere. He shuffled along the street, wincing every time his legs moved and the skin tore open again beneath the blood-soaked bandages on his ass. One of the male slaves was still fighting two whip-wielding men by the stage. Another lay dead in the mud, his head six feet from his body, the eyes still open wide in astonishment.
Kevin was stripping bodies outside the bar, and tossing their armour and weapons into a cart. Two hounds fought over one of the dead Guards' legs. The bigger one bit down hard on the boot, and twisted, swinging its head rapidly from side to side. The leg tore free at the knee, and the smaller hound bit down on that end. They backed across the street, the large one pulling the foot away, the smaller one trying to pull the knee back. Kevin grabbed the leg, and tried to pull it from them. The small hound released it, and lunged for him. The large one dragged the leg under the boards outside the bar, as Kevin stepped back and kicked at the small one.
This was really turning into a pretty shitty week. They'd better be recruiting hard among the newbies, just to replace the dead. And it was all fucking Garry’s fault. They ought to kill the bastard a second time, just to teach him a lesson.
Andy grabbed the hilt of his sword as he crept toward the door of the bar. The only noise from inside was faint moaning and groaning. None of the usual sounds of drinking, fighting and drug-taking. And it smelled of blood and guts. He peered around the doorway. No-one visible in the dim interior.
“Kevin, on me.”
The small hound howled as Kevin finally landed a good kick on its side. It raced away, under the boardwalk, toward the sound of teeth crunching on bone.
Andy crept into the bar, sword half-drawn, and stepping over the dead bodies. Kevin followed. Andy stayed close to the door until his eyes adapted to the light. A drone buzzed through the door beside him, and twisted around, recording them as it flew backwards into the bar.
“King’s Guard,” Andy yelled. “Who’s in here?”
The moaning stopped.
A black face appeared at a door, with most of one cheek missing. Andy froze for a second at the sight of exposed muscle, tendons and bone. Oh, this was the guy who blew his face off boiling up crap from the woods to see how stoned he could get. His eyes were red. He must be high again.
A black body followed the face, naked except for a shirt wrapped around his waist. Something poked out at the front.
“It’s just me,” Nathan said.
“Then why have you got a big boner? Were you rubbing one off back there?”
Something crashed in the bedroom. Andy pulled his sword from the scabbard, and hobbled toward the doorway. Nathan put his arm out to block his path, but Andy slammed his shoulder into Nathan’s chest. Kevin grabbed Nathan and pulled him away, as Andy barged past.
Just in time to see Princess’ bare legs disappearing out the window, following the rest of her naked body.
CHAPTER 28
Andy raced to the window as Kevin struggled to hold Nathan back behind him. Princess yelped as she slapped down into the mud below, naked. She lifted her face, spat mud, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
Andy grabbed the windowsill and pulled himself up. Kevin yelled, and Nathan’s hand slapped onto Andy's shoulder. Andy swung the butt of his sword behind him, and Nathan grunted as it connected with his stomach. Kevin lay on the floor, behind Nathan, trying to push himself up. Let him handle the guy. As Nathan reached for Andy again, he swung his leg over the sill, and glanced down.
Princess pushed herself up out of the mud. Hooves stomped to a stop in the mud in front of her. Her gaze rose up a furry leg to a leather-clad body, to big lips and dark eyes.
“You,” Red said.
Andy slid from the windowsill just as Nathan's arm wrapped around his neck. Nathan grunted and pulled harder as Andy smacked the butt of the sword into the side of his head. Andy gasped for breath, and smacked him again. If he could twist the sword around, he could stab the guy, but the bar’s customers would kill him if they couldn’t get their fix. The world began to fade as Nathan pulled tighter. Andy smacked him again, and the grip loosened enough to gasp down more air.
Red lunged toward Princess as she threw herself sideways, and he splashed down in the mud where she had been sitting. He rolled, and tried to grab her, but she pushed herself up, and picked up her pistol. Her feet slapped in the mud as she ran.
“Come on, you fucker,” Kevin muttered, and grabbed Nathan's arm with both of his hands. Andy hit Nathan's head again, and the pressure relaxed. His neck slid from Nathan's grip, and he fell from the windowsill. He landed on Red's back, and Red collapsed beneath him, into the mud.
Andy rolled off him, still gasping for breath. The girl was racing down the street as fast as her feet would carry her, as they slid side to side in the mud. The red and blue hair would be hard to miss, even if she wasn't naked.
“Stop,” he yelled. “King’s Guards.”
She ran faster. The traders and civilians on the street just watched her go. Fuckers could at least do their duty, and help him catch her. He pushed himself to his feet, and hobbled after her. There was no way he was going to catch her with his body such a wreck. Why did
n’t he bring more men with him?
“Get her,” Red yelled, as Stubby and Slaphead strolled out of the Cat House. Slaphead ran across the street toward her, and Stubby hobbled behind, still holding his balls.
Princess raised the pistol, pulled back the hammer, and waved it toward Slaphead. “Back off, shit for brains.”
He stopped moving for a second.
“King’s Guards!” Andy yelled again. Liam and Dean jogged out of an alley at the far end of the street. Good. Now the four Guards had her trapped between them, with only those other assholes to get in their way.
Stubby hobbled up behind Slaphead. The traders hurriedly tossed their goods into bags, and abandoned their stalls.
“Put the gun down,” Slaphead said as he stepped closer.
Andy hobbled toward them. Then Red's hand grabbed his arm. Nothing to stop him killing this asshole. He swung the sword, but Red dodged aside faster than his bulky body should have allowed, and the swing went wide. He might look like an amateur, but he’d clearly fought before.
“If you don’t leave me alone, I’ll shoot him.” Princess said.
Andy tried to dodge as Red swung his fist, but his knees screamed with pain, and the fist thumped into his stomach.
“Go ahead,” Red said.
She pulled the trigger. The hammer clicked down. Nothing else happened. Slaphead lunged for her. She threw the gun at him, instead, but he dodged. It smacked into Stubby's face, blood spurted from his nose, and he went down in the mud, groaning.
Andy tried to pull himself up, holding his stomach as he did so. The pain from the punch just added to the throbbing, and stabbing, and aching he already felt. He swung the sword, but Red knocked it aside, and grabbed his arm.
Kevin yelled as he dove from the window. Red turned at the noise, and Kevin smacked down onto Red’s face. Red’s hand slid from Andy’s arm, and he pulled away.
Slaphead ran toward Princess. She raced for the nearest stall, and jumped onto the wooden table. It creaked beneath her feet, and she jumped from it, toward the wall of the building behind. She grabbed the sill of the second floor window, and her feet scrabbled for grip on the window below. She pulled her leg up, her toes feeling for the window frame. As they briefly found grip, she pushed up with her legs, then pulled and climbed to the second window. Just as Slaphead’s fingers grabbed for her foot, and caught only empty air.
Andy wasn’t following her up there, but there was only one place she could be going. She climbed on, putting her weight on the sill, and pushing herself up to the roof. On the far side of the roof, the street led back to the gate. If she could climb over the top and find a way down, she’d be on her way. Except for the Guards at the gates. For what good they might be...
Andy hobbled toward the alley. Kevin and Red fought in the street behind him. Princess’ fingers fought for grip on the smooth wooden roof. Slaphead was on the window below her, and his hand grabbed for her foot again. She tried to stamp on it, but he dodged as her foot came down. She tried again, stamping with the other foot.
“Shit,” he yelled, as her heel connected with his fingers this time, and bones crunched.
She hammered on the shingles with her hand until two gave way, then smashed a chunk out of the rotten wood beneath. It gave her enough grip to cling on, and pull herself higher. She swung her feet onto the roof as Slaphead climbed up onto the windowsill behind her, then grabbed the roof.
Another Guard jogged along the alley toward Andy, with a revolver in his hand. The girl could cross that distance much faster than Andy’s legs could.
Oh, screw this shit.
“Give me that gun.”
The Guard looked blankly at him. Andy grabbed the Guard’s revolver, and aimed toward the roof. Accidentally shooting her wouldn’t be any worse for him than not catching her. But at least it would make him feel better.
“King’s Guards. Stop, or we’ll shoot.”
She clambered along the edge of the roof. Andy aimed above her, and fired. The gun kicked in his hand, and the bullet smashed into the peak of the roof, spraying a shower of splinters from the shingles. She ducked and squealed, but kept moving.
Andy aimed close to her feet, and fired again. The shingle between her and Slaphead exploded in a shower of rotten wood. Princess squealed again, and hopped forward. She grabbed the peak of the roof for support.
Slaphead froze, then raised his hands. As Andy cocked the gun again, Slaphead pushed himself off the edge of the roof, held on for a second, and dropped into the mud. Then he ran down the street, past where Red and Kevin were still fighting.
Andy fired again.
Splinters from the peak of the roof sprayed across Princess’ face. She closed her eyes and turned away as she squealed. Her slick, mud-covered feet slipped, and she tried to grab the peak with her other hand for support.
Her fingers slipped on the wet shingles.
She screamed as she lost her grip, and slid down the roof.
CHAPTER 29
Rat-Girl scuttled through the darkness beneath the boardwalk. Her human eye could barely see, but the world glowed around her through her dark, round, animal eye. Feet moved in the street beyond the boardwalk, and she slowed, listening to people muttering things she could barely understand. She crouched low, and waited until the sound faded. Then she lowered herself onto her elbows and knees, and crawled on.
That boy who fed her was nice. Most of them would have grabbed their food back and hit her after she stole it from them. But he didn't even try to fight. She hadn't felt so full in days, since the time she managed to steal a loaf from one of the stalls.
That one-eyed man, though. He was trouble. She didn't like him at all. She could smell the evil in him, sickly and rotting, like a disease. He'd have killed her for stealing from him, and not even given it a second thought. Just like most of the men who’d attacked her over the years, the ones she’d fought off with speed, teeth and sharp nails.
She preferred the dark. Down with the rats and the young hounds, she was safer than out in the light with the humans. Under the boardwalk, they understood each other, respected each other, gave each other space. A rat might sneak in and grab some food, but he would run when he saw you. A hound might bite, but would run when you reacted.
Men, on the other hand, would do whatever they wanted, unless you killed them. She was better off with the rats. She’d lived there for as long as she remembered. Over the years, she’d found the bones of other kids, tossed aside by their parents, and eaten by the hounds. But, somehow, she’d been cautious and smart enough to live.
She peered out into the dim, orange, early evening light. Stone walls rose on the far side of the street. She was almost back at her nest now. She’d be safe there. No man would come crawling so far under their world to find her.
Eight legs scraped on the dirt. One of the big spiders whirred as it scrabbled across the ground. The eyes around its body glowed red as it approached her. She dug her nails into the dirt and rushed past, scraping skin from her knees on the sharp stones buried in the dirt. It followed her for a moment, then lost interest, and raced toward the edge of the boardwalk.
She crawled on. Not far now.
Something growled in the darkness. She stopped, held her breath, and stared into the shadows. Something dark and furry moved toward her. Eyes glowed as they reflected what little light reached them beneath the town.
A hound, not one of the big ones they sometimes sent to chase her when she had to go out into the street, but a small one, one of the babies that lived in the underworld like her, just trying to survive on the scraps the humans left behind.
Or the humans the humans left behind.
She’d seen them eat a baby once. Some misshapen, mutant thing they’d dumped out in the street to fend for itself. Couldn’t even tell if it was a boy or a girl, just a mass of flesh, some of it covered in fur, screaming and crying in the dirt. Tiny, like it had barely crawled out of its mother before being tossed aside.
The
noise just attracted the hounds. It didn’t last long, once they caught the baby’s scent. It stopped crying and stared at them as they crept toward it in the dim light. Then, after a brief scream, it stopped making any noise other than crunching bones as they lunged for it, and tore it apart in seconds.
Rat-Girl just turned and ran.
Now, when they tossed another baby down there, she didn’t wait around to see what happened. She just went the other way. She was lucky that hadn’t happened to her.
She was young when her mother went away, but at least she’d been old enough to steal for herself, and fight off the hounds. Her father wanted to get rid of her as a baby, so her mother said, but her mother had kept her in secret, for as long as she could. When her father found out, her mother vanished, and Rat-Girl fled as they tried to find her.
She had a human name back then, but it was so long since she’d spoken to a human that she couldn’t even remember what it was. She’d barely been old enough to remember the name when she had it. Either way, it really didn’t matter.
The hound growled at her. Then crept forward, until its nose was inches from her face. She leaned forward, and sniffed. It was a familiar, mouldy scent. The hound’s ear was torn, a wound from a fight some time in its past. She knew that animal.
It sniffed her, then crouched down on the dirt in front of her. She reached into her dress and pulled out the remains of the pie. One-Ear leaned closer as it sniffed, and she broke the pie in half, then tossed a chunk its way. One-Ear lunged forward, grabbed the pie in its jaws, and chewed.
Rat-Girl had learned long ago that sharing some of her food with the baby hounds was a good way to protect herself from them later in life. She’d met One-Ear months ago, ear still bleeding from whatever battle he had fought back then.
She crept past, keeping her animal eye on the hound, just in case he wasn’t so sure about her. He followed, not far behind, as she crept beneath the Cat House. A cacophony of muffled groans, moans and screams still reached her ears through the thick wooden floorboards.
Condemned (Death Planet Book 1) Page 13
