A World Apart (The Jake Thomas Trilogy - Book 1)
Page 24
They had seized his daughter and wife as well, their wails of terror ringing across the hills. The man who had his daughter simply put his hand over her mouth to muffle her cries. Another slapped his wife across the face to stop her.
To Stradford's surprise, his wife lashed out with her leg, kicking the man in the groin. He staggered back, holding himself and cursing, while the others laughed.
"You shouldn't have done that." The man rasped at Stradford's wife, as he recovered and drew his dagger. "Now I will make you scream for real." The man advanced on her, murder in his eyes. "Hold her still." The man told the others holding her.
Stradford cried out, renewing his struggle against his captors, desperate to get free. He was struck on the back of his head, causing him to collapse to his knees, helpless as the man brought the dagger up to his wife's face, the point next to her eye.
Suddenly, a bolt of dark energy streaked past Stradford, its passing sounding as if the very air was ripping apart, coming from behind him, striking the man threatening his wife. It blasted him away from her, surrounding him, consuming him in its dark fire. The man screamed briefly, a cry full of agony, then collapsed into a smoldering heap. The horses reared and cried out, struggling to get free of their restraints.
"I told you idiots that they were not to be harmed. If I have to explain that again, I will leave your corpses here for the crows." A cold, inhuman voice said from behind Stradford. The sound of it chilled him to the core. "Bring them into the trees."
Stradford was half-dragged and half-carried into the shade of the trees. He was thrown to the ground, his wife pushed down next to him. As he tried to rise, he heard that terrible voice say. "Bring me the girl." Stradford could hear the gibbering terror coming from his daughter. He forced himself to get up to his knees.
Standing a few feet away from him was a short figure in a cowled robe, the cowl thrown back to reveal its scaly face. Stradford felt as if his insides had turned to water, terror rising up as his mind screamed "Demon!".
The demon was holding his daughter with one of its clawed hands. She looked at her father in terror, her wide eyes crying out for him to rescue her, wordless noises coming from her mouth.
"You are the night commander of the West Gate, are you not?" The demon asked Stradford, fixing him with those black eyes.
"Y...y...es, I am." Stradford replied, shuddering, his teeth chattering from fear.
"Do you know of the boy that trains with the warrior Dominic?"
"Only what everyone knows. I have never met him." Stradford replied, trying to fight down his terror.
"We want that boy. You will help us get him." The demon said, eyes boring into Stradford's.
"I don't know how I can." Stradford stated. His concern for his family overwhelmed him. "I will make an attempt to capture him, if you let my family go."
"I don't need you to capture him. We will do that ourselves." The demon replied, a cruel smile on its face. "All I need you to do is let us into the city. If you do that, I will make sure your family stays unharmed and are returned to you."
"You are asking me to betray my people." Stradford said bitterly, torn between his loyalty and his family.
"We have no interest in your people." The demon said. "We only want the boy. You will simply open the gate after dark so a small group can sneak in and take the boy. Once we have him, I swear to you that we will leave your city in peace."
"I'll need time to make this happen." Stradford said, mind racing to think of a way out of this.
"You have three days." The demon said, gesturing for his bindings to be cut. Stradford was hauled to his feet. "Just remember that we have your family. You do not want me to lift my protection of them." It ran a claw gently across his daughter's throat, almost a caress. "Do you understand?"
Stradford could only nod.
...
Martis threw his bucket of water on the paving stones in the alley, watching the water wash the evidence down into the sewer drain, while he heard Ranech, wheezing, squat and fasten the door to the secret compartment on the underside of the wagon. He disliked doing physical labor, but sometimes he did not have a choice. With a sigh, he headed back over to the water trough to get another bucket.
He had sent Frader to meet with the demon's followers to see if his hard work paid off, along with a message about what he had learned from the other apprentice smith, as well as the boy's trip to the palace. He had been a bit surprised by that, considering Dominic's well-know distaste for the royals.
Nothes had told them about it when he returned, clutching the wound from his foolish attempt to take the boy. Martis was furious that Nothes had disobeyed his order to only follow the boy and report on his movements. Nothes had chafed at that restriction, constantly arguing that the rewards would be greater if they were the ones to deliver the boy. Martis knew that to try and take the boy here in the city would only bring unwanted attention; he planned to be a supplier of information only, not a hunted man.
Martis kept his anger hidden while dressing Nothes' wound, assuring him that he appreciated intuitive. Knowing Frader's fondness for Nothes, Martis had waited a good thirty minutes to make sure he was gone before he helped Nothes into the alley, telling him that he was sending him into hiding, then watched as Ranech cut his throat.
Martis still could not believe the idiot had come back here. If he had simply gone to ground, sending Martis a message, he might still be alive. Nothes had known that Martis did not want anything to connect him to the boy.
Martis threw the water on remaining blood still on the ground, making sure that it carried to the drain. Ranech finished securing the wagon, then climbed on, setting the wagon into motion. Martis wiped his brow as he watched Ranech depart. Ranech did have his uses; he would dispose of the body far from the city.
Martis made sure all of the blood was gone, then went to sit in the shade of the doorway. He found himself nodding off as he leaned back in the chair, visions of riches filling his mind. Soon, he was snoring away.
He came awake as the sound of hooves ringing on the stones got louder. The light was low, so he estimated it was late afternoon, near sunset. He stuck his head out to see Frader coming up the alley to where Martis was sitting.
"Well?" Martis asked.
"They have the soldier's family." Frader replied. He pulled a message from his belt. "I was told to give you this." He said as he handed it to Martis.
While Martis opened the message, Frader asked. "Where are Nothes and Ranech?"
While his fingers continued to work, Martis looked over at Frader and met his eyes. Nothing was spoken, but Frader understood. "I see" was all he said as he turned back to his horse.
Martis looked down at the message. He felt a chill surge through his body as he read it. He called to Frader, telling him to gather their supplies and find him a horse. They were leaving now, before the gates closed; they would find Ranech outside the city. As Frader hurried to comply, Martis looked at the message again.
Scrawled in an unusual angular script was a single sentence. "We are coming for the boy."
Chapter nineteen
Three days later, Jake was riding towards the North Gate, with Hailyn sitting behind him. He was glad that the rain had finally stopped. The clouds were still thick overhead, but Hailyn assured him that the rain was over. It had been a warm summer rain, but it was rain nonetheless, which meant Jake had to work extra hard to keep his equipment clean and presentable. It had begun the day after he was attacked.
As they made their way up the street, Jake thought back to the day of his attack. After Norlan arrived at the Temple, concern etching his face, he and his protectors had met to discuss what happened. They had spoken with the watch commander, who arrived shortly after they gathered. The soldiers had traced the blood trail to a sewer opening, but were unable to track it past that. The commander believed that the attacker was a simple footpad, out to rob someone. Jake had looked like a minor noble in his clothes, so maybe the man saw
an easy mark. Also, the commander noted, he was using a club; most robberies recently were by men with clubs. Likely, that meant that he was not looking to kill Jake; otherwise, it would have been knives or swords. The commander promised to have his men watch for any injured men in the usual seedy places. Jake could tell that Dominic was not satisfied with that, but he thanked the commander anyway and sent him on his way.
Jonas, Dominic and Norlan debated for some time about what they should do. In the end, they agreed that Jake would continue his routine, but he should wear his armor and sword constantly from now on. To be on the safe side, Norlan would walk with Jake to his training and Dominic would make sure he made it home. He would not move about the city alone until they found out the reason for the attack.
Dominic had initially resisted that idea, stating that Jake was almost a grown man and, staying in public places with a heightened awareness of his surroundings, should be able to avoid trouble or defend himself. Jonas had rejected that suggestion, arguing that Jake could be deceived into a trap or it could be more than one attacker that he would face. Norlan was sure that Madalin would accept nothing less than someone being with Jake while he traveled around the city until they knew it was safe.
Madalin was beside herself when Norlan and Jake came back to the house, Jake's clothes covered in blood. It took Norlan and Jake both to settle her down. She was not happy that Jake would still continue his routine, but after Norlan spoke with her privately, she at least agreed to it.
Norlan went to the shed and removed a large wooden maul, leaving it near the front door. When Jake asked about it, Norlan said. "I don't know swords or axes, but I have been swinging a hammer most of my life."
Jake had gone to clean up, taking off his bloody clothes, when he removed his phone. He realized that it was on, so he went to shut it down. As the screen flashed on, he saw the date. He was startled when he saw that it was his eighteenth birthday in a couple of days. He had lost track of the time he had been here.
When he mentioned his birthday in passing the next day, Madalin insisted they celebrate it. She went out into the rain to gather supplies and prepared a fine meal for his birthday, inviting Jake's friends over. Dominic, Jonas and Hailyn were there; Helman, Almos and Dern came as well. They all gave him small gifts, with Hailyn promising to take him to listen to a singer the next evening at a theater near the North Gate.
Dominic decided to release him from training the next day as a present. "I want to go scout out some reports anyway." Dominic had said with a smile.
"Are you excited to hear some music, Jake?" Hailyn asked, interrupting his thoughts, bringing him back to the present.
"Yeah. It should be fun." Jake said, looking up and hoping she was right about the rain.
…
As his men were lighting torches next to the inside gate, Sergeant Jeffreys checked the lock on the West Gate after the two large outer doors banged shut, sealing off the city for the night. Satisfied, he made his way back down the tunnel to the small guard room that was built into the city wall next to the gates. As he exited the tunnel, he could hear the sounds of city nightlife developing across open courtyard. He went into the guard room and headed for the duty officer desk to fill in the log. Out of habit, he checked the wheels that opened and closed the gates as he went by. They seemed to be in good condition and set in the locked position.
As he completed his entries, he was grateful that this would be his last night shift. His commanders had just approved his request to move to the day shift, starting after a week of leave to adjust his sleep patterns. He was not happy that he would have leave his men to go over to the East Gate, but his wife was overjoyed with the idea of him being home every night.
It had been hard on the marriage since he was promoted and had to work nights. His wife worked during the day as a seamstress. They only saw each other for a couple of hours each day, sharing the morning meal before she left for her work. The strain had been growing for months now, so he hoped this transfer would allow them to recapture the joy they once had.
He was lost in his thoughts when the door opened and Captain Stradford stepped into the guard room. It took Jeffreys a moment to realize that he was there, then stood quickly and came to attention, saluting.
"I'm sorry, sir. I was distracted and did not hear you come in." Jeffreys said.
"At ease, Sergeant." Stradford said, returning the salute. "There is nothing to apologize for. I'm sure you were just thinking happy thoughts about this being your last night here."
"I was at that, sir." Jeffreys replied.
"Is your wife happy with the new assignment?" Stradford asked.
"She is, sir. It has been a rough last several months with me working nights." Jeffreys said, smiling.
"I am glad to hear that, Sergeant. I hate to lose you, but I know the importance of family." Stradford said, face suddenly drawn.
"Can I help you with something, sir?" Jeffreys asked gently, noticing the look.
"I need you to gather your men and head to the East Gate." Stradford said, giving himself a little shake. "There have been reports of the movement of an unknown force along the river and we are going to reinforce that gate."
"Sir, that would leave this gate undefended!" Jeffreys said sharply, shocked by the order.
"I understand, Sergeant; I made the same argument, but those are the orders I was given." Stradford said. "I will stay here to seal the gate, if necessary. Don't look so worried, Sergeant. The outer gate is locked and the archers on the wall will buy us some time if something were to happen. The current threat is at the East Gate."
"I don't like it, sir. Why can't the Royal Guards reinforce the guards at the East Gate?"
"You know how this works, Sergeant. Those on high give the orders without input from those of us who must implement it." Stradford moved and sat down at the desk. "Regardless of our feelings, you have your orders, Sergeant. Gather your men and move to the East Gate." He gave Jeffreys a salute.
Jeffreys returned the salute and strode out of the guard room. He did not like this at all, his gut telling him that something was wrong, but orders were orders. He called to his men to gather their weapons and form up. They looked at him, puzzled by the order, but soon were standing in ranks. He told them of their new orders and started them marching away from the gate.
…
Stradford waited until Sergeant Jeffreys' platoon disappeared into the city, then climbed the stairs to the top of the wall. He ordered archers to head down the wall to reinforce the North Gate, telling them to gather all of the archers as they went. It was stupid, he told them, but those were the orders he was given. It was probably just an exercise to test their response. He would keep watch here.
The archers left, not questioning the orders. Once he was sure they were out of sight, Stradford grabbed a torch burning nearby and headed to the edge of the wall. Sticking the torch through the archers gap, he waved it back and forth three times. He turned and replaced the torch, then went down the stairs to the gate tunnel. He walked to the outer gates and unlocked them, hands shaking. Wiping the sweat running down his face, he exited the tunnel and entered the guard room. He went to the large wheel that controlled the outer doors. Usually turned by two soldiers, it took him a couple of minutes as he strained and struggled, but he was finally able to open a gap in the outer gates. He hurried outside and waited at the end of the tunnel, as ordered.
Down in the tunnel, the Imps and their half-men flowed through the open gate and into the city. They stopped just inside the city wall, the demons looking around cautiously, assessing the situation. One of the Imps came over to Stradford.
"Well done, Captain." It said, voice cold and emotionless, black eyes reflecting the nearby torches. "You have proven to be a useful tool."
"Where is my family?!" Stradford demanded, hand grasping his sword, looking for them in the press of half-men.
"They are here." The Imp looked over at the half-men and called out. "Bring them."
"Did I?" The Imp laughed, harsh and cruel, sharp teeth gleaming. "And you believed me?" Quick as lightning, its arm lashed out, claws slashing across Stradford's throat. Stradford collapsed to the ground, his last sight that of his wife and daughter's abused and dead bodies being dumped next to him.
The demon known as Rigil turned back to his brothers and quickly determined their course of action. The eight demons had two hundred and fifty of their followers with them. One of his brothers led two ten-man teams away to go down the side streets to make their way as quickly and quietly as possible and capture the boy unharmed. Another brother took fifty men along the wall to capture the South Gate to open another avenue of retreat.
He and his other brothers would take the rest up the main street to set up a blocking force to engage their most serious threat: the clerics. By having the humans focus their attention on that force, his brother should be able to get out with the boy before they closed their avenues of retreat.
After disabling the gate mechanisms to prevent the gates from being closed, Rigil and his brothers took their force up the main street. As they moved, they released the half-men from any restraints. They could kill whoever crossed their path, they told them laughingly.
Before long, the screaming began.
…
Sergeant Jeffreys, his doubts still gnawing at him, had his men almost across the courtyards when he hear what sounded like a faint scream coming from behind him.
"Halt!" He cried out, his men responding to his command instantly. He turned back towards the west, listening. Almost immediately, he heard more screaming. He suddenly felt tightness in his chest, knowing that he had been betrayed by Stradford, though he had no idea why. He also saw flashes of yellow light reflecting off the lower clouds, pulsing against the darkness in the direction of the Temple. That could only mean one thing - clerics were battling demons or their followers.