The Tower Grave

by J. E. Moncrieff

  “I was sent by my uncle to learn the ways of the Tower Guards, Sergeant,” Chris replied, sounding convincingly like a young, boy-guard under scrutiny. “He says Tower Guards are some of the best around and I’d do well to learn the ways of them. I’m proud to have the opportunity, Sergeant.”

  “Don’t suck up to me, lad.”

  “Sorry, Sergeant.”

  “This uncle of yours then, senior officer is he?”

  “Yes, Sarge. He was a major, Sarge. He’s retired now.”

  “Well I don’t care how connected you are, Soldier. Just make sure you perform. I’m sure your uncle will want you dealt with like any other, so don’t think you’ll get any slack from me because of it. And shave that bum fluff of your face after this duty before I see you again or I’ll slice it off for you with a bit of your face to match.”

  “Yes, Sergeant.”

  Rogers fixed them with a suspicious glance before shrugging off the unusual feeling and walking past, allowing them on their way.

  Opening the door, the two descended the steps into darkness.

  “Are you ok, Sarge?” asked the young soldier by his side as they walked in silence towards the main gate.

  “Not really. It doesn’t seem right, that’s all. Sykes said nothing to me and I just don’t recall anyone new being sent here. How long has that boy been here?”

  “Don’t know, Sarge. Never seen him before.”

  “Never? He must be very new then. But I would’ve heard if he’d just arrived, I’m sure of it.” He watched his feet in thought as he neared the main gate then stopped and looked back to the soldier. “Why would any old soldier be showing this ‘nephew of a major’ around? What’s the other soldier’s name?”

  “Don’t know that either, Sarge. Not seen him before neither.”

  “Seriously? That’s too odd. I recognise him but can’t place it so I was sure I’d just seen him around the garrison. I must’ve seen him somewhere around here then. There’s no way I’d recognise someone like him from outside of this place. We’ll have to ask him.” He stepped towards the gate and pointed at the bullish looking guard standing there. “Get your mate in the door and both of you get up to barracks to find out when the new lad arrived and who put him on guard duty tonight,” he bellowed. “You two!” he roared at two men at the top of the wall. “Guard the gate, one in, one out. And you boy in the street, with me.”

  Marching at pace back to the dungeon doors, the newly involved soldier spoke quietly by his leader’s side.

  “What’s happening, Sarge? he asked innocently.

  “Couple of intruders, mate,” replied the other soldier. “Dressed up like us, they are.”

  Rogers rounded on them both furiously.

  “Shut your mouths,” he said. “I won’t have this leaking on my bloody watch again. Not after the last fuck up when we lost that fool. Firstly, we don’t know who they are. Secondly, you say nothing until it’s dealt with. Nothing, understand? Quiet.”

  The soldier nodded and kept his head down as he followed behind on the cobbled street.

  “Oh shit, David!” Charlotte whispered harshly from behind her crate. “Come over here.” David left his hiding place and scrambled over to watch the gate with her. “Someone just pulled the guard in and then there was a bit of shouting,” she said. “I’ve got a funny feeling about it.”

  “I heard the noise too. Two on the wall ran down.”

  “What do you reckon is going on?”

  “I don’t know. Hang on...”

  The door to the gate opened again and a soldier stepped back out and took his place glumly in the dark before the door closed behind him.

  “There you go, sorted,” David said, pleased.

  “No, Dave. That’s a different soldier,” Charlotte replied.

  “How do you know?” It’s so dark, Charlotte.”

  “I just know. I haven’t taken my eyes off the last one. It’s not him.”

  “But there were two of them before.”

  “Yes and the second one is far shorter than the original one and that one there now.”

  “Well if you’re sure, we’ve got to do something.”

  “I know. I’m going to have to distract him and keep him distracted until they’re out.”

  “What are you planning?”

  “Exactly what I have to, Davey. There’s no way around it. Watch the walls and watch my back.” She crept off to the side of the gate until she was close to the walls, and then slowly walked along the stone, loosening her cloak until she was close to the gate.

  “Who comes there?” said the guard.

  “No one special,” she replied sweetly.

  The soldier watched closely as she emerged from the darkness, then a smile cracked along his face. He straightened himself as he got a look at the lady approaching him and stood taller, removing his helmet.

  “Can I help you, Miss?” he asked politely.

  “No, I’m just on my way through,” she replied.

  “Are you busy tonight?”

  “Busy? What are you suggesting? Are you saying I’m a street whore?”

  “Oh,” the soldier hesitated. “I just figured, you know, as it’s so late.”

  “Well you can figure again,” she shouted. “I always walk late, to see what I come across.”

  “It’s very dangerous, Miss.”

  “Well I take my chances. Being lonely as I am, I don’t really worry about what might happen. Besides, how could I be at risk with strong men like you around to watch out for me?”

  He stood a little taller and watched her more closely as she walked around him slowly and let her robe hang further down her shoulder.

  “What does your husband think of your late walks?” he asked hopefully.

  She smiled at him then. First deviously, then warmly; watching him loosen up with every change.

  “My future husband is away in France and has been gone a very long time. I don’t even know if he is still alive.”

  “You must be lonely, my lady.”

  “I was anyway even before he went. He isn’t as strong and brave as you are. He could never give me what I wanted.” She stepped a little closer. “What I still need,” she added.

  He took a deep breath, looking around to check they were alone; then looked on her as though he couldn’t believe his luck. ‘Poor sod’, she thought to herself as his eyes lit up. He was a handsome young soldier and was only doing his duty. He’d probably get strung up for taking his eye off the ball, she realised. He stepped closer and tried to open her cloak.

  “Easy, soldier,” she said all of a sudden. “It’s a long night and you don’t want to give everything away at once. In any case you had better be careful, you’re on duty. Why don’t you sit down and we’ll talk?”

  “I’m not sure I have time to talk.”

  “Oh really?” she said. “But you’ve got time to put your hands on me?” She let her leg slip from her cloak and bare her skin to her thigh. “I didn’t think you’d pass up all your opportunities.”

  His eyes opened wide as the flame light danced off of her bare flesh and he sat back in his stool, adjusting his newly arisen comfort issue in the darkness.

  “Good boy,” she said with a wink.

  “My god it stinks down here,” whispered Chris as he crept behind Jake down the small, winding staircase to the Tower cells. Lit only by intermittent flame torches, the place was dark as Jake had expected, but more pungent than he could ever had imagined. The smell of blood and excrement lingered around them like a threatening oppression and it took all of their strength to keep the contents of their stomachs inside. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, the air cleared into a room-sized seating area, and a single table with a familiar face sat before them in a Sergeant’s uniform.

  Sykes took a deep breath.

  “Can I help you?” he said.

  “We’re here for the D.I.,” Jake replied clearly as directed.

  Hearing the strange sentence
he’d been told to expect, Sykes nodded nervously and stood up. He pulled a set of keys from his waist and handed the right one to Chris as he held his hand out to him.

  “Clear coming in?” he asked.

  “Not exactly, but we should be ok. That Sergeant spoke to us.”

  “Rogers? Shit.”

  “We think we got in ok. We’ve just got to be fast.”

  “I understand. Go to the end of the corridor, down the stairs and then back on yourself. Open the third door on the left and you’ll find what you’re looking for. I’ll stay here unless anyone comes.”

  “Thank you,” Jake said sincerely before trotting down the corridor with Chris in tow.

  “I can’t believe how connected that man must be,” the young technician said over his rattling chain-mail as he followed on behind.

  “Starkes?” Jake asked. “Tell me about it. Dangerous man if you ask me.”

  As they hit the bottom of the dark stairs, hurried footsteps cluttered down from behind, burst between them and nearly knocked them from their feet as a distant voice sounded above.

  “Sykes? Where are you?” called Sergeant Rogers at the top of the stairs. Sykes almost slipped to his backside as he flew to the bottom of the stairs and turned to talk to them.

  “It’s Rogers,” he said, panting. “He wouldn’t be back without reason. If he’s in a small group, he’s kept it to himself. If he’s with a mob, you’re screwed. Let me lock you in a cell to hide you.”

  “Not a chance,” Jake replied. “No offence, but I don’t trust anyone and there is no way I am putting myself in a cage to be captured.”

  “But I can’t be implicated.”

  “Say we forced you.”

  “They’ll kill you.”

  “Then we’ll have to fight. It’s better than you being implicated for helping.”

  “Please, you must hide.”

  “No,” Jake replied firmly as he drew his sword at the shadowed footsteps approaching on the stairs.

  “Well look at this,” said Rogers as he stepped into their sight. “I thought I recognised you, Rougemont. Welcome to our dungeon. Sykes? What a surprise.” Two more soldiers stepped down behind him, and though Jake was watching, they appeared to be the last. Waiting to confirm no one else was coming; Jake took a breath and went with his instincts. He lifted his sword and pointed it to Sykes’ neck.

  “He’s under my control,” he said calmly. “Back away now or I’ll run him through.”

  “Kill him,” Rogers replied smugly. “You’ll do me a favour. I’m sick of him anyway, and then you’ll be outnumbered. So do it, then surrender.”

  Jake smiled at him without seeing the small hammer hurtle through the gloom from one of the two soldiers at the stairs. It slammed into his armoured chest and thumped him from his feet leaving him helpless. He was protected by the metal plates, but winded from the impact as it thundered into his ribs and forced him down.

  Rogers sprang forward with his sword held high and barged Chris to the wall as he ran out to stop him. With a clear path to the struggling Jake, he swung his sword and stepped forward for the blow. The moment hung still in time for Jake lying helpless before them. Roger’s eyes glowed with malice in the firelight and he yelled as he swung his sword down and caught the sword of Sykes directly in his gut. He froze as blood spilled from his mouth and his face stared grotesquely in pain and shock.

  “I do my own favours,” Sykes whispered as he twisted the sword slowly. He looked into the eyes of his dying rival and tried to pull out the sword before they finally glazed over and he dropped dead to the stone. As he fell, he trapped the sword beneath him and caused Sykes to stumble as it was pulled in his hand. Jake got to his feet as the two soldiers ran at them. Chris was knocked from his feet and fought from the ground as Sykes tried to pull the sword from beneath the body and looked up in panic at the approaching blade. Jake tried to get to both of them but as he tackled the soldier over Chris, the unprotected Sykes was struck by the remaining soldier’s blade through his neck. Jake could only watch in horror as the big Sergeant cluttered to the floor and his own opponent dropped out cold on the steps behind him. Jake watched the remaining soldier as he stood over Sykes with his sword dripping with the big sergeant’s blood. He raised his sword as Chris clambered up next to him and lifted his own. The soldier looked them over for a moment and then down at his dead colleagues before dropping his sword on the floor with a clang.

  “Sensible,” said Jake, walking up to him and crashing his sword hilt against his head.

  “Thanks, mate, you saved my life,” said Chris as he stepped up to the soldier to help Jake drag his limp form away.

  “Well now we’re even after you saved mine when we got here,” Jake replied. “So, third on the left...”

  Glancing together at the silence, Chris opened the door and found John and a peasant standing there with relief on their faces.

  “Thank god it’s you!” John shouted as he ran out and embraced them both.

  “It’s so good to see you, John,” Chris replied, hugging him tight and making him cry out at the sores on his ribs. “Sorry,” he added.

  “Don’t worry, they’ll heal. Great to see you too, mate,” he replied smiling and turned to Jake. “How on god’s earth did you manage to get in here?”

  Jake laughed.

  “It’s a long story, but it’s not over yet. Get a uniform on and let’s go.”

  “Have you got two?”

  Jake looked over at Brierly who stood there nervously as he recognised him and then down at the soldiers lying silently on the floor.

  “Absolutely,” he said, smiling.

  After changing into uniform and dragging the bodies into their cell, John covered Sykes with his robe, whispered his thanks to the man who saved his life more than once, and then stepped out to lock the door. They walked in thought with their nerves building as they paced the dark, foul-smelling corridor until they met the table and Chris broke the silence.

  “He reckoned if Rogers was in a small group then no one else would know about us.”

  “It was that Rogers’ watch when I was caught.”

  “He’s probably right then,” Jake replied. “The bastard didn’t want a reputation. We just have to act normal. If we’re stopped, tell them we’ve been sent to the gate by Rogers who is fuming and down there with Sykes. They won’t find them until we’re long gone. What do you think, John? Are you ok?”

  Yeah,” he said, nodding for a moment. “I’m fine; it was just that seeing that interrogation room brought back some feelings. You’re right though, that’s a good plan. I just need to get out of here. What about the gate?”

  “It should be sorted.”

  “Great. So no tunnels?”

  “No tunnels.”

  Jake led them up the stairs and out of the upper door into the cool, silent air. John took a deep, relieving breath at his first supply of fresh air in days, and they turned and marched as four soldiers towards the gate. They couldn’t believe their luck. The street in the Tower was empty and Jake’s confidence began to rise as he saw only a single guard at the gate.

  “Shit,” Chris whispered, interrupting his thoughts. “That’s a different guard.”

  “Are you sure?” Jake replied, wincing through the darkness. “It’s definitely not the second bloke from before?”

  “No, he’s definitely different. What do you want me to do?”

  “Approach nicely, then overpower him and get out before he’s spotted. We’ll have to do him and hide him in that room. Shit, I hate killing these soldiers.”

  But as they walked on, they began to see the group of a further six or seven soldiers standing nearby to the side of the gate discussing something between them.

  “Change of plan,” Jake whispered. “Don’t attack, just be quiet.”

  Their hearts beat like drums as they approached the soldier and he turned to face them smiling. A couple of the other guards glanced at them then carried on with their conversa
tion as they approached.

  “Alright lads?” the soldier said. “Where have you been sent to?”

  “Fucking Rogers has sent us out to patrol outside, the bastard. Reckons he’s suspicious of something. He’s an idiot.”

  “He’s such a fool. I hate his whims and moans that we all have to bow down to.”

  “Tell me about it. Well, hopefully he’ll fall down some stairs tonight,” Jake added as he walked past to the gate.

  John had kept his head down but as he heard the soldier chuckle at Jake’s comment, his mind raced with memory and he looked up involuntarily to see his torturer standing before him. His head snapped towards the young guard and the two locked eyes for a moment before recognition dawned on the soldier’s face and he screamed.

  “Imposter!” he shouted as John punched him from his feet and the roar of men from behind told them they’d been spotted. They turned to face six soldiers running them down with their long blades drawn and tried to react in time to their charge.

  As they drew their own swords, a crossbow bolt flew past John’s ear and struck a soldier in the throat, dropping him dead. His confidence rose slightly, but Chris’ second shot never came before the final five soldiers met them in a crash of metal.

  Charlotte’s stomach dropped as she heard the noise inside the walls and the soldier she stood teasingly in front of shook out of his state of hypnosis.

  “Shit!” he said, pushing her away. “I’ve got to get in there.”

  “Leave them,” she said trying to block his way. “I’m ready now, honey.”

  “Get out of my way, you stupid whore. I’m going in and you’ve gone and stitched me up! Move now.” He pushed her away again, making her stumble slightly.

  In anger, she switched to her alternative plan and kicked him hard to the front of his knee. He buckled in agony and pulled a knife from his waist as he stumbled up to face her. She struck him hard in the face with a punch, then stepped back and kicked him in his bleeding nose, dropping him to his side to lie still in the dirt.

  Inside the gate, the violence was desperate as the trained soldiers faced an unbalanced array of fighters. As Jake dropped one man in seconds, two more faced his whirlwind of anger in a rapid series of defensive blocks. John was left fighting one man evenly while the last soldier occupied both Chris and Brierly who swung at him like alley cats in a street fight. As quickly as it had started it had ended as Jake ran through both his adversaries in quick succession, John dropped his man with a strike of his sword hilt and Brierly managed to stab the groin of the soldier he faced with Chris.