“Agreed,” said William. “They’ll want to know what we found here as well. I think I found where our rebels have been hiding.”
With the storm’s remains at their backs, they made excellent time. William slid off Adonis’s neck the moment they landed beside the other drones and ran toward the manor. Melissa ran out to greet him and squeezed him tight as they crashed together. “Come inside,” she said urgently. “I have bad news.”
“Thanks, I was worried about you too,” said William in a hurt tone.
“Yes, Will,” she said with more than a touch of impatience. “I was worried, but I can see you’re safe now. Come inside, quickly.”
Puzzled by her urgency, he followed her to the mansion, surveying the damage along the way. The storm had hit the duke’s island hard. Fallen trees littered the grounds, and at least one small outbuilding had been crushed. Was Melissa upset about that? Or had someone been injured? Or missing? But no—Adonis had said they were all safe.
When they reached the dining hall, it was filled with grim faces. William looked around the table at his friends, until he reached Reggie, whose face was streaked with tears. “Where’s Vincent?” asked William.
“They took him,” said Reggie. He tried to continue, but uncontrollable sobs choked his words away. Maya wrapped a consoling arm around him.
“Who did?” asked William, stunned by the news.
“The rebels,” said Jack, his face dark with concern. “They came as soon as we left. They may even have been here on the island, waiting for us to leave. I’m surprised we didn’t see them when we flew away.”
“I don’t understand,” said William, becoming alarmed. “The rebels were on this island?”
“They broke into this house, Will,” said Rachel. “Dozens of them. They tied up Reggie, rounded up the staff and locked them in the servants’ quarters. Then they dragged Vincent away. He’s been kidnapped.”
“What about his guards?” asked William, his jaw slack with surprise. “He had four of them here on the island!”
“Killed,” said Jack. “They never stood a chance against so many.”
William slumped into a chair, stupefied. He’d imagined all sorts of outcomes when he accepted Earl Bradford’s challenge to recover the stolen tax money, some good and some bad, but this possibility had never crossed his mind. Jack’s frequent admonishments about his hero complex echoed in his head; instead of saving the day, he’d made things so much worse.
But how could he have predicted this? Whether they were rebels or robbers, escaping with their stolen goods would have been more sensible. To remain where they were and commit an even bigger crime was a gamble they shouldn’t have been willing to take.
And yet they had. At every step they had done something unexpected. He needed to fit the pieces together, figure out the rebels’ end game so they could finally get ahead of them. Their first step had been to replace or incarcerate the town officials. Attacking his barony was a mere distraction, at least according to Kirby Elric. The real crime was the robbery of Marshland’s tax money, the diversion of the fire, and subsequent escape by stolen ship. And then they’d burned the very ships they’d escaped on, even though they were likely worth almost as much as the tax money itself. And now, instead of continuing their getaway, the rebels planned and executed the kidnapping of Azuria’s highest official, in his own home no less. William was certain a common thread ran through these separate events, that a master plan dictated each of these moves, and that he was mere moments from discovering it. All he needed was a few more moments of silence.
“Your breakfast, sir,” said Oz as he set a tray in front of William. “I figured you’d be hungry after being away all night.”
“Thank you, Oz,” said William, trying not to show his displeasure at being distracted at a critical moment. He was, in fact, famished, but the puzzle of the rebels’ actions had taken his mind off his hunger until then. He tried to immerse himself again in the trance-like state of mind where things were becoming so clear, but the spell was broken. It seemed as though every time he came close to the truth, something grabbed his attention.
Unexpectedly, the pieces snapped together in his mind. He turned to Reggie, whose tears still ran down his cheeks. “Reggie, I know this is an awful time to ask, but was anything stolen?”
“Will!” admonished Melissa. “That can wait.”
“No, it can’t,” said William. “I wish I had time to be delicate, but this may be the answer to everything, including getting Vincent back. Reggie, do you know where Vincent keeps his valuables?”
“In a basement vault,” he said with a shaky voice. “Do you think—”
“Can you take us there?” asked William breathlessly.
Reggie nodded. “I’ll get the keys.”
They followed Reggie to a room tucked away in a far corner of the mansion, where he slid open a hidden door that led to a narrow stairway. He lit a lantern and led the way down the stairs to a hallway carved from the bedrock of the island, reminding William of the Marshland Library’s basement. After a sharp right turn, it became clear they wouldn’t need the key. A large iron gate had been pried open, rendering the lock useless and the vault vulnerable. Reggie handed William the lantern, and William walked in, certain of what he would find.
It was a mess. Boxes were overturned, documents strewn across the floor, discarded as worthless by the rebels. He set the lantern down and surveyed the damage. An empty strongbox sat askew in the corner, its lid smashed to pieces. His worst fear was confirmed. “It was never about Marshland at all…” he said to himself in a quiet voice.
“What do you mean?” asked Jack.
“Marshland was a distraction,” said William. “Nothing else. Think about it. Ten thousand crowns is trivial when you consider how many people were involved in stealing it. And if that’s really what they were after, why would they have attacked my barony?”
“Maybe they were stupid,” said Jack.
“No, Will’s right,” said Rachel. “The attacks on William and Marshland were to get attention. They had to draw as many guards out of Faywater Port as they could, so they could move around freely, attack the duke’s manor in open daylight, and kidnap him.”
Reggie covered his mouth in shock. “That tax money was about to be shipped to New Athens—the king’s taxes. Over half a million crowns. It was here for no more than a week—how could they have known?”
William’s stomach dropped. The enormity of the crime was too much to absorb at once. The faces around the vault showed the same shock. “We have to get him back,” said William, his voice echoing in the empty room. “The money too. We have to get them both back.”
“You’re insane, Will!” said Jack, shaking his head violently. “This is too big for us. It’s not worth our lives.”
“What about Vincent’s life?” demanded William. “What about the lives that will be lost if Zander gets that money?”
“Half a million crowns can buy a lot of weapons,” said Rachel with a look of urgency. “Or feed a large army, even bribe officials. Add to that whatever ransom money they get for Vincent. If they get away with this, life as we know it will change forever. I’m willing to risk my life to stop this, Jack. What about you?”
“I’m not sure about this,” said Maya before Jack could answer. “I don’t want to abandon Vincent, but there’s only seven of us. What can we do when we’re outnumbered so badly?”
“We’re the scouts,” said Charlie.
“The what?” asked Jack.
“The scouts,” repeated Charlie. “A small, mobile unit, detached from the main force, tasked with collecting information about the enemy—they made us memorize that during training.”
“Well put, Charlie,” said William. “And if we can find them, harass them, slow them down, we can make Bentsen’s job that much easier. We haven’t lost until those ships get through the choke point.”
“And what if they decide to break through the choke point by force?
” demanded Jack. “The harbormaster can’t keep dozens of men there forever, even if she sends them there at all. The rebels can simply overpower them, remove the chains themselves, and sail away.”
William slammed his fist on the broken strongbox. “We have to do something!” He held Jack’s gaze for several seconds. “Are you with me or not?”
Jack looked away, shame clouding his defiance. Finally, he looked back. “Yes.”
William looked around the vault. “No one has to do this. I’ll do it myself if I have to, but you all need to decide for yourselves. Jack’s not wrong about this being dangerous, but the more we stick together, the safer we’ll be. Show of hands—who’s with me?”
Rachel and Charlie raised their hands immediately, Jack a mere second later. Slowly, Melissa’s hand joined the others’. Oz took a deep gulp and lifted his hand as well.
“Doubts, Maya?” asked William. “No judgment, but what’s holding you back?”
“I’m not a fighter,” she said. “I didn’t take part in the defense of Rebel Falls, or at your wedding. I’m not sure what help I’ll be.”
“I’m not asking you to fight, Maya. But don’t tell me you didn’t play a part. If not for you, more lives might have been lost at both those battles. Besides, I don’t expect any fighting. You can pull out any time. Anyone can, so long as they agree not to abandon anyone in danger. But to begin with, all I ask is that we do what we can.”
Maya lifted her head, pride replacing her uncertainty. “In that case, count me in.”
Reggie went to William, taking his hands in his own. “Thank you, William. Vincent was right about you.”
“Don’t thank me yet, Reggie,” he answered. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, and no guarantee we’ll succeed. All I can promise you is that I won’t give up.”
“So, what do we do first?” asked Jack.
William turned to Maya. “Can you and Charlie go to the Guard office and let them know what’s happened here? I would suggest going to the Academy as well, but since so many rebels came from there, I’m not sure we can trust them.”
“I know someone at the Academy we can trust,” said Charlie. “I’ll talk to him too.”
“Great,” said William. “Then come meet the rest of us at the harbormaster’s office.”
“What are we going to do there?” asked Jack.
“I’m expecting crowds again, so I’ll need you all to clear a way for me. Besides, I want us all together as soon as possible.”
“That doesn’t answer his question, Will,” said Melissa. “What are you actually going to do?”
He picked up the lantern, a grim look of determination set on his face as he prepared to leave. “I’m going to have a little chat with the harbormaster.”
Chapter 27
“Are you sure you want to chat with her alone?” asked Melissa as they hurried toward the drones.
“What makes you think I can’t talk to her by myself?” asked William, his eyes focused ahead.
“Everything I know about you,” she answered. “What will you ask her for?”
“Extra ships at the choke points,” he said as he reached Adonis. He turned to Melissa, his impatience obvious. “Jack made a good point about the rebels forcing their way through. We can’t expect the men on duty there to fight them off, but if we anchor a couple of ships in the way, it should at least delay them.”
“And you think she’ll agree to that?”
“Why wouldn’t she?” asked William. He patted Adonis’s neck before hopping on. “The duke’s life is in danger. Securing the harbor is her job.”
She stared up at him, the familiar look of annoyance returning to her face. “So I’m supposed to wait outside like a good little girl while you go in and do the important stuff? Is that it?”
“I didn’t say that,” said William. “Can we talk about this later? We don’t have a lot of time.”
“Oh yes,” she said, her eyes narrowing at him. “We’ll talk later.”
As she stormed off to her own drone, Adonis craned his head back to look up and down William’s body.
“What are you doing?” asked William.
“Checking you for burns.”
William sighed. “Of all the human traits you could learn, you chose sarcastic humor?”
“It seemed like the most appropriate way to communicate with you,” answered the dragon as he lifted off.
William wasn’t in the frame of mind to appreciate the scenery, but he still marveled at the number of boats choking the river mouth, packed so close together it seemed doubtful they could navigate without colliding. In fact, it almost appeared as though a person could cross the river by hopping from vessel to vessel without getting their feet wet.
When they reached the harbormaster’s island, a small crowd was already waiting, and even more people began to pour over the bridge as they spotted the dragons.
They found a clear space to land, but it was about as far from the office as the little island allowed. William sat as tall as possible on Adonis’s back and yelled at the crowd. “Clear the way! I need to get to the harbormaster’s office.”
Few people, if any, tried to move aside, held in place as they were by the throngs behind them, calling his name and thrusting books at him to sign. So thick was the crowd that William despaired of the possibility of using Melissa’s trick again. Besides, they were too far from the office, and in broad daylight. He turned around and gave Melissa a hopeful look, but she simply glared back at him as though to tell him to figure it out himself. He was about to give in and tell Adonis to try pushing through the crowd when Melissa’s voice rang out.
“Citizens of Faywater Port, we have an announcement. Duke Vincent has been kidnapped. A reward of one thousand crowns awaits the person who finds him. All we know for certain is that he is not on this island.”
A hush fell over the crowd, followed by a buzz as the news carried to its far reaches. A few people began to stream back across the bridge, but most remained. “Where should we look?” someone asked.
“Shops. Docks. Warehouses. Boats. Wherever a person might be hidden. Don’t break into private homes or closed shops, or the reward is no longer valid. If you suspect something, tell a guard.”
“We ain’t seen no guards in days,” someone else said as the crowd thinned further.
“That’s because they’re all looking for the duke,” said Rachel who had caught on to Melissa’s ruse. “You should, too. The sooner the better, because there’s only one reward.”
Their path cleared as the remaining people stampeded over the bridge and began spreading throughout the city. “Wow!” said William. “The whole city will be looking for him soon.”
“Not the worst possible result, Will,” said Jack.
“I know,” said William. “I wasn’t complaining. That was clever.” He caught a glimpse of Melissa still glaring at him, and quickly turned away. He slid from Adonis and sprinted to the office.
“I don’t have time to talk,” said Ungless as she looked up from the papers she was rifling through. “I have too much work, and it’s not made easier by that crowd of yours outside. They’ve been hanging around the past two days, hoping you’d show up again, blocking my crews from getting in and out to repair the damage. You may have noticed the storm last night.”
“Yes, I got caught in it. I need to—”
Ungless shook her head and cut him off. “You land folk can’t see a storm coming until it slaps you in the face. Where were you when it hit?”
William waved at the map on the wall behind her with a gesture of impatience. “Out there, somewhere. It doesn’t matter because—”
Ungless laughed, her bright white teeth contrasting against her dark face. “Still looking for your rebels? Believe me, they were hunkered down like anyone else with any maritime experience.”
“No, they weren’t!” he shot back. “In fact, they were quite busy. While we were out searching for them, they snuck onto the duke’s island, br
oke into his manor, and kidnapped him.”
Her mouth dropped open. “The duke? Kidnapped?”
“Yes, and I need your help. I need you to blockade the choke points by anchoring ships in front of them, immediately. The chains may not be enough to stop them if they decide to overpower your men.”
“And women,” she said with a cold face. “I have plenty of women working for me too. Look, Lord William, the chains aren’t even up anymore. The choke points were evacuated at the first sign of the storm, which is standard procedure. We can’t keep people out there during a storm—it isn’t safe. And keeping the chains up might prevent a ship from reaching the relative safety of the bay, which would be tantamount to murder.”
“We need those chains up!” said William. “If the rebels escape with the duke, we may never see him again. Not to mention the huge amount of money they stole.”
She looked at him in exasperation. “I’m not indifferent to that, believe me. The duke has been good to me, and I wouldn’t have this job without him. But I have to do that job, especially after the weather we had.”
“The duke’s life is in your hands!” said William, his face burning with anger. “How can you abandon him? You need to send those ships out and get the chains back up.”
Hand on hip, she stared at him like a mother with an unruly child. “First, I don’t take orders from you, regardless of what authority you think your title gives you. Second, my resources are stretched thin at the best of times. The good duke has seen fit to limit the number of boats and people under my command, so if his captors slip away, he has himself to thank for it. And third—and I’ve mentioned this already—I’m busy doing the things that actually fall under my job description.”
William seethed. What could he do? Short of arresting her and assuming her position—and he doubted his legal authority to do so—the harbormaster’s ships and sailors remained out of his control. “If anything happens to the duke,” he said slowly.
“You’ll do what, exactly?” she asked, unmoved. “Why don’t you take this to the Guard? They’re in charge of security, not me, and they have two ships and the men to row them.”
Skyrider of Renegade Point Page 28