“Alright. So if you want to escape, and there are other people who want to escape, why can't you--”
“No more,” Julian interrupted. Almost as soon as he spoke, he saw Nicky Gunn racing toward them. “Okay, maybe one more.”
Nicky and Gwen came to such an abrupt halt, Nicky stumbled when they stopped. “Can you squeeze on two more, Captain Featherstone? Please? Pretty please? With sugar on top?” In a low voice, Nicky murmured to himself, “Mmmm... sugar. Now that sounds real good.”
“Wait, aren't you...” Julian's eyes narrowed as he assessed the woman at Nicky's side. “Aren't you...”
“An empress of Huoxia, yes,” Gwen attempted to finish for him. “I'm Emperor Ju-long's seventh wife.”
“That's... not what I was going to say.” Julian leaned closer to Gwen's ear and whispered, “I flirted with you when you were only fifteen, and your father nearly shot my head off. I was introducing myself as Baron Featherstone back then. Do you remember?”
“Ohhh yeah!” Gwen's green eyes were lit with recognition. “I almost lost my virginity to you!”
“Yeah... but then I found out how old you were, and I took off running... but not before your father fired a few shots at me.” Julian punctuated the memory with a pitiful whimper. “I still think about how close I came to death that day.”
“Well, it's good to see you again, Baron Featherstone.”
“And it's... good to see you too.” Julian's eyes drifted to Gwen's chest as he echoed the sentiment. When he heard his wife clearing his throat, he was shaken from his inappropriate thoughts.
“Julian, we can't take the empress with us!” Lettie protested. “That might cause trouble for us down the road.”
“There won't be any roads. We'll be in the sky,” Julian said with a wink. “Besides... look at her! She needs us! We can't just leave her behind.”
“I bet you'd leave her behind if she wasn't pretty!” Lettie snapped at her husband.
“You're wrong. I'm doing this as a favor for Nicky. Right, Mr. Gunn?”
“Right,” Nicky agreed with Julian. “You can't just leave the friends of your friend behind. That would be rude.”
Julian draped an arm across Nicky's shoulders as he led him up the gangway. “I'm going to give you a temporary title. Would you like that, Nicky?”
Nicky's eyes were suddenly so bright, it was as if he stepped into a candy store. “You mean... a title like first mate? I sure would!”
“No, not first mate. Lettie's my first mate. Wiggly's my second mate. No, I have something else in mind for you. Something special.” As soon as they boarded, Julian gave a nod to the aforementioned Wiggly, who went to launch the airship. “I'm going to make you a gunnery sergeant.”
Nicky suddenly looked a little less excited. “What's a gunnery sergeant do?”
“I have no idea.” When he saw the disappointment in his friend's eyes, Julian gave him an encouraging pat on the back. “But you'll be Gunnery Sergeant Gunn. Don't you like the sound of that?”
“I sure do!”
“Who wouldn't like the sound of that?” cried an overexcited Julian.
“Nobody, I reckon.”
Happy to be reunited, Julian and Nicky walked off together, arm-in-arm.
Thirty Three
The two armies gathered on Gravestone's main street for what was predicted to be the biggest showdown in the city's history. Emperor Ju-long stood behind a wall of two hundred men, protected on all sides. Princess Isabella was similarly shielded, but her army was half the size. They might have been outnumbered two-to-one, but Isabella's side had superior firepower. That was proven by Carol Cassady, who shoved an enormous gun into Vee's hand.
Vee studied the gun with wide, curious eyes. “What's this?”
“I call it a hand cannon,” Carol told her. “If they're lined up, it can blow away a bunch of enemies in a single shot. Heck, it can blow a hole right through somebody's abdomen! It's got nothing on Josiah's gun arm, but it's still one of the most powerful weapons out there. You look tough as nails, so I thought I'd give it to you.”
Vee winked at the loquacious engineer. “Thanks. For the gun... and the compliment.”
“I participated in a battle once,” Carol rambled to the bounty hunter. “Yeah... I took part in the battle to reclaim the castle for Princess Lyneah. You probably heard about that, right? I didn't do the fighting... not really. I just stood in the background and played a recorded message about Lyneah being the rightful ruler. I might not've been the biggest badass of the battlefield, but I got a lot of men to lay down their weapons that day. I daresay they couldn't have won the battle without me!”
“Interesting,” Vee gave her a short answer, which happened to be a lie.
“I'm sorry if I'm talking your ear off, I'm just kind of nervous about the battle. I would be talking to Josiah right now, but I'm trying to avoid him. We had an... an awkward encounter last night.”
“Is that so?” Vee yawned. She was done talking. She just wanted the battle to begin so she could shed some blood.
“I kissed him, and then he clammed up, and then I stormed off,” Carol gave her the brief version. “I think I stunned him, but I'm too afraid to talk to him today. I guess I'll have to face him sooner or later, though.”
“Unless he dies today.”
Vee's dark statement made Carol squeal. “Noooo! Don't say that! Do not say that!”
“I wouldn't worry so much.” Hu Lian, who was standing a short distance behind them, suddenly spoke up. “Sometimes you have to fight for your man... or, in my case, your girl. When I met Vee, she was dating some prostitute from Bordeaux.”
“Frances wasn't a prostitute!” Vee defended her former lover. “She was the madame!”
“Well, whatever. My point is, I wore her down until she realized I was the one she wanted. I fought for her.” Lian gave Carol a light, reassuring pat on the back. “You just have to fight for Josiah, and all will be well.”
* * *
Isabella raised an amplifying device to her lips and spoke in the clearest voice possible, “This is Princess Isabella. Emperor Ju-long... I don't want anyone to die today. I don't want to see blood on the city streets. I would really like to stop the fighting.” She turned to Tom and whispered, “Do I sound stupid?”
Her fiance was standing behind her, shielding her with his body as he scanned the rooftops for snipers. They were surrounded on all sides by Isabella's soldiers, so it wouldn't be easy to reach the princess. When he was sure it was safe, Tom quietly replied, “No. You're doing a good job. Keep going.”
“I... encourage you to lay down your arms!” Aided by the amplifying device, Isabella's voice was booming. It was so loud, it rattled the nearby buildings. “I'll ask my men to do the same. Before anyone else dies, we should sit down and discuss what's best for our countries.”
After an excruciating two minutes, which felt like an eternity, she finally got a reply from the foreign emperor, whose voice was amplified by a similar device. He was surrounded by soldiers at the opposite end of the street, but she could hear him clearly. He simply said, “No.”
Isabella tried again. “But I'm already tired of fighting! I'm sure if we sat down and had a civil discussion, we could come to an agreement that suits us both.”
Emperor Ju-long's second reply was much longer. “Why did Emperor Nico send his sister to do his job? He must be weak.” He chuckled into the amplifier. “If the emperor is weak, this country will fall fast. I'm sorry, Princess, but I won't withdrawal.”
“But... please!”
“Isabella... don't.” Behind her, Harriot tapped her arm and whispered, “Don't plead with him. It makes you look weak.”
Isabella lowered the amplifier and faced her fiance. “But I have to try, Tom! If I fail to negotiate, people will die today! I don't want that!”
Suddenly, Isabella heard a collective gasp from Emperor Ju-long's soldiers. Prince Feng appeared behind his father and ran him through. He thrust his sword deep i
nto his father's heart, grinning as he pierced the soft flesh. He even wiggled the blade, carving his sire's inner organs, ensuring his death. When his father dropped, he withdrew his sword and ripped the amplifier from Ju-long's lifeless fingers. “I am your emperor now!” Feng declared. While he wasn't the official heir to the imperial throne, he was the only son present, so he assumed the soldiers would follow him. “And I don't give a damn about this city! Let the princess have it!”
At the opposite end of the street, Isabella hissed at Tom, “What's going on?”
“I think his son's taken over.”
“Is that good or bad?”
Tom shrugged. “I have no idea. It's too soon to tell.”
Feng's speech continued. “You have new orders now! Find Shuchun Jun! She's been spotted in the city. You must find her by any means necessary and bring her to me. You are authorized to use force to complete this goal!” When his men didn't react to his orders, he screamed into the amplifying device, “Go go go!”
Feng's troops scattered, leaving Isabella and her soldiers stunned. After a minute of perplexed silence, one of her men had to ask, “What do we do now, Your Highness?”
“Umm... I'm not sure.” She turned to Tom again, hoping he would have an opinion, but his face was without expression and his lips were sealed. “Maybe... protect the city?”
“Protect the city!” her general suddenly screamed the order, and the princess' soldiers dutifully dispersed to follow it.
* * *
“What's your name, ma'am?” Prince Feng asked the question as politely as he could. He preferred to be gentle with women—until the women didn't comply.
“Sallie.”
“Well, Sallie...” Feng stood over her desk and drummed his fingers on the wood. She looked intimidated, and he didn't blame her. Even though he was smiling, Feng was tall, clad in black and heavily armed. “I heard an interesting rumor. You have a Huoxian woman hiding in this orphanage, don't you?” Feng could hear a baby crying in the background, confirming where he was.
“I-I-I-I don't know anything about that!” Sallie sputtered an answer.
“Sallie... ohhhh Sallie.” Feng cracked his knuckles as he swaggered to her side of the desk. “I really don't like to be lied to.”
“There isn't a Huoxian girl here!” Sallie insisted. “Honest, sir! I'm being honest! I'm--”
Without warning, Feng dragged her out of her chair, bent her over the desk, and slammed her cheek against its surface. “Sallie...” He whispered her name directly in her ear. “I really don't want to hurt you.”
“You're already hurting me!” the woman whimpered. “Please, sir, I'm scared!”
“Then tell me.” Feng pushed her head, crushing her face against the wooden desk. “Tell me about the Huoxian girl that stays here. Tell me, Sallie. Tell me before I lose my patience!”
“Al-alright! I'll tell you what I know!” Despite her willingness to comply, he didn't release her, so she decided to give him false information. “I did see a Huoxian girl a few days ago. She was visiting the pharmacy, I think... the one that's run by one of your countrymen. But there's no girl like that who lives here, I swear!”
“Lies!” Feng gave a nod to one of his soldiers, who unsheathed a long dagger as he stepped forward. When the man held the blade against her throat, Feng continued, “I'll give you one more chance to tell me the truth, ma'am. Tell me about the Huoxian girl who resides in this orphanage.”
As soon as she felt the cold iron pressed against her throat, Sallie's tongue was loose. “Her name's Mingyu. She's been living here for the last seven years. She was one of the orphans once, but no one ever adopted her. Now she stays and helps with the children, but she's only fifteen, so please don't hurt her!”
A timid Mingyu suddenly appeared in the doorway. “I'll come with you if you don't hurt Sallie or the children,” the girl bravely told him.
“I don't want you, child.” Feng released Sallie and stomped across the room. He stood in front of Mingyu, squeezed her cheeks, and aggressively turned her head back and forth. As he looked her over, he decided, “But you might be a nice present for my soldiers.”
Feng pushed her in the direction of his guards, who accepted their “present” with outstretched arms and grins.
“Check the pharmacy next,” Feng barked an order at his men. Sneering in Sallie's direction, he coldly added, “And burn the orphanage. We need to send a message. This is what happens when people lie to us.”
* * *
“This is Hu Lian, daughter of Emperor Ju-long, favored sister of Honghui, the rightful heir!” Lian screamed her message through the amplifier. “Stop following Prince Feng! I repeat... stop following Prince Feng! He is not your rightful ruler. Lay down your arms and stand at my side!”
When the chaos didn't cease, Vee sighed. “They're not listening.”
“I know.” As she watched her countrymen shatter shop windows, burn buildings and interrogate civilians, Lian's shoulders fell. “What do you think we should do?”
“There's not much we can do. But hey, at least you tried.”
“Isabella told us to protect the city, but...” Lian sent a frown down Gravestone's main street. All along the road, there was mayhem. “I wouldn't even know where to begin.”
“I think I know where to begin.” Vee pointed her hand cannon at two chuckling soldiers. They were dragging a young woman, who kicked and squealed as they pulled her forward. “If I fire, you don't think I'll hit the girl, do you?”
Lian sneered at her girlfriend's new weapon. “Don't look at me! I have no idea how that thing works!”
The soldiers shoved Mingyu against the wall and kicked her feet apart. “So they're going to rape her in broad daylight? Seriously? Pigs.” Vee closed one eye and aimed for a head. “See? This is why I don't like men.”
Before he could finish pulling up Mingyu's skirt, Vee fired a shot. The hand cannon's blast not only hit him, it made his head explode. When some of the gore landed on Mingyu's pretty dress, Vee felt a twinge of guilt.
“Get the other one!” Lian pointed at the second soldier, who attempted to flee after his friend was killed.
Vee didn't want to disappoint Lian, so she did what any good girlfriend would do.
She shot Mingyu's would-be rapist in the ass.
* * *
“I heard a rumor about you, old man.” The snickering soldier knocked over one of the pharmacist's shelves. When its contents scattered, he crushed a bottle beneath his boot. “And if you don't tell me the truth, I'm wrecking your entire store.”
“That was an expensive medicine!” the pharmacist wailed. “I could have saved multiple lives with that!”
“Well, isn't that sad?” The soldier aimed his shotgun at the pharmacist's head. “If you're smart, you'll give me the truth. I heard there was a Huoxian girl that visits you. A young girl. Can you confirm it?”
“I-I guess you might be talking about my granddaughter.”
“What's her name?” The soldier shoved the butt of the shotgun against the elderly pharmacist's head. When he didn't answer quickly enough, he roared, “Her name, sir!”
“Yue Ma!” The old man whimpered as the shotgun's cold metal dug into his brow. “My granddaughter's name is Yue Ma!”
“Are you sure her name isn't Shuchun Jun?”
“She's Yue Ma!”
“Do you know Shuchun Jun?”
“No!”
“Is your granddaughter acquainted with Shuchun Jun, by any chance?”
“No!” the pharmacist cried. “No, no, no!”
“Well... you weren't any help at all. I think I'll kill you for being useless.” The soldier's finger hovered over the trigger. “Besides, you're very old. I think I'm just putting you out of your misery, old ma--”
Before he finished, Josiah fired a bullet through his head. The soldier fell, along with his shotgun.
“Are you alright, Chen?” As Josiah comforted the pharmacist, Patrick Amberley righted his overturned shelf
.
“Ohh... Josiah Cole!” Chen exclaimed. “I can't tell you how good it is to see your face! What is wrong with my countrymen? I think they've gone insane! It shames me.”
“Every country has its share of bad and good. Sometimes it just seems like the bad outweighs the good.” Josiah punctuated his opinion with a shrug.
Without a word, Patrick passed the panicked pharmacist his flask of whiskey, which he accepted with a smile.
“Thank you both for saving me!” When he attempted to present a monetary reward to the young outlaws, he was surprised when they declined. “I really cannot thank you enough.”
Patrick was quick to correct him. “Thank Josiah, not me. It was his idea to come crashing in here.” Outside, a fresh chorus of screams rippled down the street, so he turned his attention to the door. “And with that... we should probably take our leave. Come on, Jojo.”
“Jojo?” Josiah hissed as he followed his friend from the pharmacy. “It sounds like you've been spending too much time with Carol!”
“And you haven't been spending enough time with her, apparently.” When they reached the street, Patrick searched for the source of the screams. “She's disappointed in you, you know.”
“Disappointed? Why?”
“She tried to kiss you yesterday and you froze up. That's what she told me, anyway.”
“I was surprised!”
“Fair enough. But why haven't you talked to her since then, asshole?”
“Maybe I've been busy?” Josiah raised his revolver and rushed down the street, toward a burning building and the billow of smoke above it. “Maybe I haven't talked to her because we're in the middle of a battle! Maybe this isn't the time or place to have this conversation, Pat!”
“Maybe you're right.” Patrick matched Josiah's pace and walked beside him. “Still, if you like her, you need to tell her... because if you don't want her, I do.”
“Let me in there!” Sallie screamed at the soldiers who held her back. “Let go of me! I need to get in here! There are children in there!”
A Broken Outlaw Page 22
