“Channelling divine energy to heal him,” Nellise whispered, sounding more relaxed. Aiden looked at her with growing respect, for of all the members of the Church of Aielund, only a few were gifted with healing talents such as this.
“Merin may have been a crook, but she didn’t strike me as being stupid,” Colt mused, his voice still sounding dry from his hangover. “If her friend had managed to put that blade in my head it would have just left your friend with the knife to do all the fighting. The more I think about it, the more I realise that if you hadn't reacted so quickly, we'd have been in some serious trouble. Thanks for that, by the way,” he added. “I prefer my skull intact.”
“Yeah, who wouldn’t,” Aiden muttered, feeling mostly recovered from his injury. Looking down at his arm, he was amazed to see it was completely healed. “That's incredible,” he remarked as he looked back up at Nellise. For the first time, in decent light, Aiden could see her eyes were actually gold in colour.
“You're welcome,” she said with a strained smile. “Pacian, when you're done over there I shall tend to your injuries.”
“What should we do about the bodies? We can't just leave them here,” Aiden said, grimacing at the sight of the blood pooling on the floor beneath their prone forms. He noticed Nellise avoided looking directly at them.
“We'll let the mayor know what happened and let him take care of it,” Colt replied gruffly. “It's his mess we're trying to clean up here.”
“This whole business is wrong,” Aiden breathed, hiding his discomfort. Pacian suddenly made a triumphant sound as he pulled open the drawer, attracting everyone's attention. A few moments of rifling around produced a series of papers, which he handed to Aiden. He flipped through the papers, scanning them for any mention of financial transactions on a large scale.
“You see anything weird?” Colt asked of Aiden impatiently.
“Trading details, some notes about people to contact, nothing unusual.” He trailed off as he found something of relevance. “Merin's name is in here, and so is Olaf's. It looks like he was partnered in a deal with her and a few other people. She’s listed as an ‘expeditor’, whatever that is. Wait… there's a signed paper here from the mayor to Merin, to have her hire some local thugs up in Culdeny to put pressure on local businesses to accept bad deals.” The others looked incredulously at Aiden as he continued reading.
“Most of these transactions are to or from a business called the North Shore Trading Company, based in Culdeny. I'm no expert on trade, but it seems from some of these numbers that they were forcing people to sell to them cheaper than normal, and then reselling at greatly inflated prices. Unbelievable.”
“Interesting,” Pacian wondered, narrowing his eyes at Merin's bloodied corpse. “Does it say what happened to make her want to blackmail Olaf?”
“No, but I think we can safely assume that the partnership dissolved in a less than friendly fashion. The dates on these notes start out over a year ago, and finish just last month. Whatever happened to them occurred only recently.”
“No wonder Olaf has been under so much stress,” Nellise remarked. “His whole operation was going to be exposed and the town has been suffering as a result.”
“He must have known we'd end up looking at these documents,” Aiden muttered to himself. “He's clearly broken several laws, and even if he doesn't know Pacian and myself, you two are members of organisations loyal to the crown, so you'd be obligated to hand this in to the local guards or something, right?”
“I'm not exactly popular with the Royal Rangers at the moment, kid,” Colt admitted ruefully. “In fact I’m sort of on a leave of absence - don’t ask me why, and Nellise is little more than an acolyte. Maybe he sent us here to get killed, giving him an excuse to have Merin imprisoned?” Although Colt was clearly joking as he said this, the thought of it was enough to steal the humour from his words. A long moment of silence ensued as the possibilities ran through their minds. Pacian broke the spell.
“I think it's time we had a personal chat with our friend the mayor.”
Chapter Three
They were dripping wet as they once barged, unannounced into the mayor's office. The secretary was about to protest until a sharp look from Colt kept her quiet. Olaf was standing before the fireplace in the next room, warming himself against the winter cold.
“You're back already I see,” he remarked. “How did your meeting go?”
“We recovered the documents you wanted,” Aiden answered, keeping his tone neutral. He pulled out the papers from his longcoat, but made no move to offer them.
“You have them?” Olaf exclaimed. “Hand them over, quickly now.”
“Not so fast. I've looked through these and found you're involved in some pretty shady dealings,” Aiden began calmly.
“That's none of your business,” the mayor bristled. “I asked you to retrieve the documents, and that is as far as your involvement extends.”
“But we are involved now,” Aiden pointed out. “Merin is dead, and so is one of her accomplices. By all rights we should turn you in to the town guards.”
“You killed them?” Olaf hissed in a quiet voice, peering past them to make sure they weren’t being overheard.
“She didn't give us a lot of choice,” Colt grumbled, also keeping his voice low. “Just about killed me, actually. You might want to do something about the bodies if you want to keep this quiet.”
“I'll send someone over there to deal with it discreetly, but I must have those documents.”
Pacian stepped forward, taking the papers from Aiden's hand. “First, a question,” he stated. “Did you send us over there knowing Merin would likely try to kill us?”
“You accuse me of... of sending you to your deaths? On purpose? Outrageous!” Olaf whispered harshly. “I sent you over there because you two boys aren't known to her, Colt lends an intimidating presence, and Nellise has a reputation for being fair-minded. If Merin was foolhardy enough to attack all four of you then her demise is entirely her own fault. But I certainly never meant for you to come to harm.”
“Foolhardy, or desperate?” Pacian mused. “You had her backed into a corner and then sent us in to force her hand.” He glowered at Olaf for a few moments before continuing. “This whole situation is properly shady. I want five gold sovereigns, or I'm taking this evidence to the town guards.”
“You're blackmailing me?” Olaf sputtered.
“I prefer to look on it as an investment in your continued freedom,” Pacian responded with a mirthless grin on his face. Aiden and the others glanced at one another, surprised by this sudden turn of events.
“You despicable cad. You bounder!” Olaf breathed in disbelief. “You're hardly any better than that raelani woman.”
“Be careful what you say to me in future, Olaf,” Pacian purred. “I'd hate for the guards to get this evidence and ruin your political career.” Olaf went silent, but his eyes spoke volumes. Pacian's resolve did not waver and after a moment’s thought, the elderly mayor relented.
“Alright, alright. Just keep those documents hidden and we have a deal,” he muttered, fishing around in his pockets to produce a pouch full of jingling coins. He hesitated before handing them over. “What's to stop you giving that evidence to the guards even after I've paid you,” he asked suspiciously.
“Nothing, really,” Pace replied coldly. “You'll just have to trust me.” Seeing no alternative, Olaf handed over the coins, which Pacian pocketed, along with the papers. With them out of sight, the mayor seemed to relax somewhat.
“I don’t care for this at all, but I suppose we have a mutually beneficial agreement, yes?” he stated.
“Yes, that's right,” Aiden hesitantly replied, licking his lips in consternation. Not only was he involved with the murder of two people, he was now blackmailing the town mayor, two things he hadn’t seen coming when he got out of bed that morning.
The mayor turned and walked over to a small desk, pulled out a sheet of parchment and picked up
a quill. “Now that we’ve settled this issue, you’re free to go north as you wish. I’ll even write up something to make it all official,” he explained, scribbling down some notes in elegant script.
Nellise had the look of someone completely out of her depth, and Colt scrutinized Pacian as if trying to determine the quickest way to skin him. Aiden knew as soon as they left the office, a lively conversation was going to take place.
“There you are,” Olaf said brusquely, dripping candle wax onto the bottom of the note and imprinting it with the seal on his ring. He folded it and handed the note to Aiden, along with some other papers. “These are the supplies the town needs. Hand this to the captain of the guards at Culdeny, and he will see to it these forms find their way to the right people.”
“We each have the power to ruin our lives by allowing word of these events to reach the local authorities,” he added. “Do not test my resolve on this matter, and I will not test yours. Now, I suggest you set off as soon as possible. I have to arrange for the disposal of certain individuals who are no longer amongst the living, while avoiding undue attention.” Without another word, Aiden’s companions headed for the office door, but Olaf touched Aiden on the shoulder before he could leave.
“Might I have a word with you in private?”
“I suppose so,” Aiden muttered, glancing at the others who stepped outside and closed the door. The muffled sound of arguing voices erupted almost immediately.
“It will only take a few minutes. Would you care for a cup of hot soup?” Olaf offered.
“No thank you,” Aiden refused, rather coldly. “Make it fast.”
“As you wish. Aiden, I believe you are a practical young man, unburdened by the, shall we say, less productive attitudes of your companions,” Olaf continued. “And so I hope you'll accept my apologies for the unfortunate situation with my former associate.”
“I'm not going to forgive you, if that’s what you're fishing for, “Aiden replied warily. “I don’t like being blackmailed into doing your bidding any more than you, but I'm prepared to help the town.”
“That’s a commendable attitude,” the mayor remarked, sitting in a chair near the fire and crossing his legs. “You are right in that we must break through the bandit forces to our north and open the highway to Culdeny if we are to restore trade. I recently received word from a ranger who was assigned to keep an eye on the Akoran tribesmen to the southeast. Apparently, they are amassing at the northern edge of their territory for raiding into Kingdom lands. I can't allow travel to the east until we have some means to provide protection.”
“My family live in Coldstream,” Aiden breathed, his voice tight with anxiety.
“I am very sorry young man,” Olaf sympathised, “but there's nothing we can do for them. Like us, they will have to fend for themselves a while longer. This is why it is imperative that you reach Culdeny and seek further aid. Our local guards are needed to defend against any akoran attacks. They're little more than farm boys and girls in chain mail, I'm afraid, but we still need them patrolling our walls. As for the way north, I have some information that may be of use.”
“I’m listening.”
“There are over two dozen bandits working along the northern highway,” the mayor replied delicately.
“Two dozen?” Aiden exclaimed. “Why didn’t you bring this up earlier? The four of us don’t stand a chance in a fight.”
“Who said anything about fighting?” Olaf said, frowning. “All you'd be required to do is neutralise their leader, and the rest would most likely disperse.”
“How can you possibly know this?” Aiden asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“The document you retrieved for me from Merin's house,” Olaf replied after a moment of thought. “How far through it did you read?” Aiden stared at the man, wondering what he was hinting at. Although he didn't remember the exact figures from all of the transactions, Aiden did recall that other names were on that list. Other criminal associates.
“Are you trying to tell me that you personally know who's leading the bandits out there?” he asked using measured words.
“They are not so much bandits, as disgruntled employees looking to get paid,” Olaf finished, turning a paler shade as he did so. Aiden was speechless for a moment, and then roughly a thousand questions spun through his mind, simultaneously.
“They are your thugs, the ones that were hired to extort businesses in Culdeny,” he shouted accusingly. “This entire situation is your fault! No wonder you’ve paralysed the town.”
“Their leader’s name is Fletcher,” he explained with a tinge of remorse. “I had rarely dealt with thugs before, but he seemed to know what he was doing, right up until the point he started taking a large cut of the takings. That’s when things started to go awry.”
“You couldn’t control him,” Aiden stated flatly. “So you want him dead too, to keep him silent about your crimes.”
“I don't want any more innocent deaths on my conscience if I can help it,” Olaf protested. “I know you think very little of me at the moment, but I never meant to harm anyone. The whole affair has been blown out of all proportion.”
“I'm guessing you didn't want the others to hear this, because Pacian would blackmail you, Nellise would probably turn you in, and Colt would just punch you in the face - or kill you, depending on how hung-over he was.”
“Something like that. You seem to be just the right amount of reasonable.”
“You expect us to take on that many men?”
“They’re hardly trained killers,” Olaf scoffed. “They’re more like street thugs with a sense of entitlement, unsuited to the rigors of forest life. If I didn’t think you and your companions capable, I wouldn’t allow you to go. Come now, Aiden, there’s no need for this enmity between us. I regret the incident with Merin but it is for the benefit of everyone that this entire misguided situation be brought to an end. You wanted to go north, and now you’re armed with all the information you’ll need to succeed.”
“Fine, but don’t think you’ve heard the last of this,” Aiden growled. He looked down at the hand that was offered but declined to shake it. Instead, he grabbed his longcoat and walked out the door into the ceaseless rain. The others were in the middle of a heated argument under cover just outside, but they paused when Aiden appeared.
“What did he want?” Colt rumbled.
“To apologise, which I didn’t accept,” Aiden answered. “He also gave me some insights into what we’ll be facing along the highway, for what it’s worth.”
“First thing’s first, mate. Is this what you two do for a living?” Colt snarled at Pacian. “Blackmailing people? If this was your plan you might have let us in on it, before we went in there. I'm in half a mind to go grab a hammer and get creative all over your face.”
“That was most certainly not the right way to handle this situation,” Nellise scolded in a hushed voice. “Going to the head of the town guards and presenting this information would have been my preference, if you had bothered to ask me. I don't like being associated with common criminals.”
“Criminal? Me?” Pacian shot back. “That man was responsible for multiple counts of extortion, not to mention hiring people to commit murder. If you brought the town guards in on this, what do you think would have happened? Justice for all, and the town freed from the clutches of a criminal mastermind? Not bloody likely. It would have created a huge mess, with us right in the middle of it. Like it or not, we were used to eliminate one of Olaf's 'problems' and we would most likely have been detained as well.”
“He didn't hire us to go and kill Merin,” Aiden pointed out in a hushed voice, glancing around in case anyone passing by might overhear their conversation. “I might be splitting hairs here, but I don't think we'd be in as much trouble as you suspect.”
“You can't know that,” Pacian contested. “We have no idea how the guards in this town were going to react and we're not exactly well known around here. I suspect Colt here
has a bit of a record with the militia, and Nellise might have been allowed to go free, because that happens to pretty women. But you and me Aiden? We'd be locked in irons.”
“Look, this way we keep his secret, he keeps our secret, we both keep an eye on each other, and we have money to feed ourselves and then some. So what if he’s forcing us to do a few jobs, I mean, we get to leave, right? Nellise, we can use the money to help get this place moving again. Who cares how I got it?” The acolyte silently considered Pacian's words, but Aiden was more vocal with his opinion.
“You better hope he doesn't just turn us in to the guards when we're not looking, Pace,” he warned ominously. “When all's said and done, he's still the mayor, and we're a bunch of nobodies.”
“Maybe,” Pacian conceded. “But if we make it to Culdeny and get those supplies the town needs, I reckon he'd be a fool to try anything against us.”
Aiden shook his head, hardly believing the elaborate plan. It was a gamble, but it might just work. Pace had always pushed the limits of what civilised folk would tolerate, but Aiden had never considered him a criminal.
“I feel as though I have fallen in with people of questionable character,” Nellise lamented. “I find your methods deplorable Pacian, even if your intentions were honourable. Regardless of what else I may feel, we still need to help the town and we can't do that from prison. You win, but don't think you've heard the last of this.”
Pace had the good grace to look ashamed, though Aiden couldn't tell if he was being sincere or not. Turning to Colt for his answer, Pacian was suddenly grabbed by the front of his tunic and pulled up to face level with the big man.
“The next time you pull a stunt like that on me, I'm gonna take you someplace quiet and beat you senseless. I'm not a crook, and I don't hang around with crooks. Do you wanna know what I do with crooks?”
“You beat them senseless?” Pacian's inquired, his face betraying his apprehension.
Nature Abhors a Vacuum (The Aielund Saga Book 1) Page 5