Trail of the Gods Part 9

Fifer runs to head him off when a knife flies from behind him and strikes the man in the leg. Crying out, the man falls to the floor just as Fifer reaches his side. Staring up at the tip of Fifer's sword which is scant inches from his face, the man becomes motionless as he holds his thigh in which Shorty's knife is embedded.

"Who are you?" he asks frantically, pain making his voice rasp.

To Scar, Fifer says, "Check the door."

Nodding, he goes over and opens the door a crack and looks out. Closing it, he turns back to the others and says, "Nothing."

Turning back to Tillon, Fifer says, "That's not what you should be worrying about. But whether you're going to live through this." Pausing to let that sink in, he catches a glimpse of Miko and Gregory coming out from behind the picture.

When Tillon sees Gregory with them, he gets a dark look.

Gregory takes in the look Tillon is giving him and cries out, "I didn't help them. I SWEAR!"

"Quiet!" Miko says to him.

"Now," Fifer begins, "just where might we find Lord Colerain?"

Tillon stares back at him defiantly while remaining quiet. "I see," Fifer says to him when he sees him being uncooperative. "Unfortunately, we do not have the time to play games." Motioning to Scar and Shorty, he asks, "If you wouldn't mind holding him down while I cut off a finger."

"Sure," says Shorty as he comes over and pulls his dagger out of Tillon's thigh, eliciting a cry from the injured man. Wiping it off on Tillon's clothes, he replaces it in his belt.

Scar places one knee on his chest and takes a firm hold of his right arm, holding the hand up so Fifer can get to it.

Fifer removes a dagger from the sheath on his belt and takes hold of the hand. He spreads the man's pinky finger wide and rests the side of his knife against it. Looking back down at Tillon, he says, "Now, where is Lord Colerain?"

Sweating, fear in his eyes, Tillon stares at the knife threatening his finger.

Sliding the knife slowly at the base of his pinky, Fifer produces a few drops of blood as he arcs an eyebrow in question.

"Just tell them!" Gregory implores him.

"What are you going to do to him when you find him?" Tillon asks, the pressure Scar is putting on his chest making it hard for him to breathe.

The knife backs off a fraction as Fifer replies, "A friend of ours was taken by people from Bearn and we mean to get him back. It's believed Lord Colerain is behind it. As for what we'll do, that remains to be seen, but we're not a.s.sa.s.sins. If we were, you'd be dead already."

"I don't know anything about your friend," says Tillon. "If Lord Colerain is involved with that, he never mentioned it to me."

"Where is he?" asks Fifer, taking the knife a little bit further away from the thumb.

Relaxing only slightly, Tillon says, "If he finds out I told you, my life won't be worth anything."

"I hardly think we'll have the time to talk with him, let alone tell him of your involvement," Scar adds from where he's kneeling on his chest. "Only you and Gregory over there know what's going on."

"Alright," Tillon says visibly deflating as he gives into the inevitable.

Fifer motions for Scar to get up off his chest and he pulls him up. Setting him in a chair, he has Shorty tie a cloth around his leg to stop the flow of blood. When his leg is taken care of, he says, "He's meeting someone by the name of Egger over in the abandoned linen warehouse on Strill Street. He left here about a half hour ago and didn't say when he'd be back."

Fifer glances to Miko who nods his head, "Corim, the man who was killed when James was taken, was part of the same gang as Egger."

"Good, then we're on the right track," he says. "Do you know this place?"

"Yeah," replies Miko.

Indicating Tillon and Gregory, he says, "Tie them up."

Using their knives, they cut strips from the window curtains and bind their hands and legs. "What are we to tell Lord Colerain when they find us like this?" cries out Tillon before he's gagged.

Laughing, Scar says, "Don't see how that's our problem."

After getting them completely secured, Fifer turns to Miko and says, "How far is it?"

"It's outside the walls," he explains. "In the poor section."

"Should we go back the way we came?" Shorty asks.

Shaking his head, Miko says, "No, we can make it over the estate's walls easy enough."

"Lead on then," Fifer says to him.

Going over to the window, Miko looks out for the guards patrolling the grounds. Not seeing any, he opens the window and pa.s.ses through to the other side. After the others pa.s.s through, they shut the window and Miko indicates the tree he and James had used to escape from Lord Colerain's estate the previous time. "We can get over the wall by climbing that tree over there," he whispers to them.

Just then, a guard comes walking around the corner of the house. They press themselves against the side of the house and pray that they're not discovered. The guard doesn't seem very alert as he goes about his rounds. He fails to take notice of the men hiding in the shadows by the house.

When he finally walks around the other side of the house, they make a run for the tree. No cries of 'intruders' breaks the silence this night and they quickly gain the tree. With Miko in the lead, they climb up to where the limbs reach the top of the estate's wall.

Miko goes first and looks over to the street on the other side to see if anyone's around. Only two people are visible, a man and a woman walking arm in arm down the street. He indicates everyone should remain still and quiet. He watches them pa.s.s by and when the coast is clear, he quickly pa.s.ses over the wall.

Once everyone is down on the street, he says, "This way." Moving out, they quickly make their way to the gates of the city.

Now in total darkness, with just a slim crack of light coming through the narrow opening from the lamp on the other side, Illan begins to move back down the sewer the way they came.

Keeping his hand along the wall, he retraces his steps, hoping to find the exact spot where they had entered. If he remembers correctly, it should be the fifth set of rungs on this side.

He steps carefully, making sure not to trip over the debris littering the sewer pa.s.sage. Suddenly, from the darkness up ahead, he hears a man scream and then is abruptly cut off.

Pausing, he listens intently and tries to see through the darkness ahead but is unable to see or hear anything. Taking it slowly, aware that he may not be alone down here, he continues moving forward. Miko's words echo in his mind as he makes his way further down the tunnel:

"There's a gang down there that doesn't take too kindly to intruders," he warned. "If they should discover us down there, it could get bad."

His hand comes in contact with the third set of rungs since parting with the others. Only two more to go! Only two more to go! He pauses every once in a while and strains to listen for any sound coming from up ahead. So far, nothing. He moves on. He pauses every once in a while and strains to listen for any sound coming from up ahead. So far, nothing. He moves on.

Shortly after reaching the fourth set, a light begins to be seen from up ahead. Stopping, he presses himself against the slime covered side of the sewer as he waits to see what the light is going to do.

He knows that just ahead is the fifth rung, but how far he's not entirely sure. It becomes apparent the light is making its way toward him. Backing up quickly, he comes to the fourth set of rungs and quickly begins climbing them.

At the top, he finds a trap door. He pushes up on it but it doesn't budge. It's locked! It's locked! Smas.h.i.+ng it open would surely alert whoever is coming down the pa.s.sage as to his whereabouts, not to mention whoever might be on the other side of the trapdoor. Holding still at the top of the rungs, he watches as the light continues its approach. Smas.h.i.+ng it open would surely alert whoever is coming down the pa.s.sage as to his whereabouts, not to mention whoever might be on the other side of the trapdoor. Holding still at the top of the rungs, he watches as the light continues its approach.

As it comes closer, he can see there are seven men with two women. The women have obviously just been taken off the streets above. They're crying and scared, while the men are laughing and joking among themselves.

Knowing their fate, yet being unable to do anything about it has Illan seething with impotent rage. To intervene would surely mean his death and the women would still meet the same fate.

The light comes ever closer until the group approaches his hiding place at the top of the rungs. If they were to look up, he'll be discovered. Sweating, he holds on as the group pa.s.ses beneath him and then continues past down the tunnel.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he waits until they move further away from him before returning to the floor of the sewer. Moving much faster this time, wanting nothing more than to be out of here, he hurries down the sewer pa.s.sage until he finds the fifth set of rungs.

Relieved to have reached them, he climbs up and pa.s.ses through the trapdoor at the top. The room is dark but looks to be the same as the one they went through before. Shutting the trapdoor, he moves out of the small room into a larger one.

Recognizing the broken door leading to the alley, he knows he found the exit he had been looking for.

Leaving the room, he pa.s.ses into the alley and makes his way to the inn where their horses are waiting.

Chapter Seven.

After they pa.s.sed through the outer gates into the poor section, Fifer says, "Maybe we should see if Illan's made it to the inn yet." To Miko he asks, "Is it on the way?"

"Actually, it is," he replies.

"Then let's stop there first," Scar says. "Another sword may come in handy."

"Very well," Miko says as he begins making his way through the streets toward the inn. Before they come close, a shadow disengages itself and approaches, "What happened?" it asks.

"Illan!" Fifer greets him happily. "We found out he may be in an abandoned warehouse, Miko knows where it is."

Nodding, Miko tells him, "It's not too far away."

"Alright then," Illan says. "Let's not waste any more time." He indicates Miko to lead the way and he follows right behind.

Miko takes them down a long street, the buildings bordering it becoming steadily more run down and shabby. The few people on the street don't look like the kind you would want to run across when you're alone; thugs, and others of a more disreputable nature are loitering together near one building.

The group gazes at them as they pa.s.s but make no move to waylay them.

Miko turns down another side street, moving still further away from the city walls and after another two blocks, brings them to a halt. Everyone gathers round as he says, "It's just ahead." He indicates a large building sitting a hundred feet further ahead. The only light other than the stars above is the light coming from out of its windows."

"Looks like someone's there," observes Scar. He points out a carriage with four guards standing watch beside it. "Must be Lord Colerain's."

"Yeah," replies Illan. "Let's move around to the back and see if we can get in that way."

Miko backtracks to the previous alley they had pa.s.sed and takes them through to the street on the other side. Turning down the street back toward the warehouse, they approach it, this time further away from the carriage and the guards.

They quickly cross the street to the edge of the warehouse and are soon out of sight of the waiting guards. A small door stands closed two thirds of the way down.

Miko moves toward it and tries the handle. He's surprised when the handle turns and the door opens. "Thought for sure it would be locked," he whispers.

"Never question good fortune," Scar says.

"I suppose not," replies Miko as he moves to enter the warehouse. Anxious to find James, he begins to rush in when Illan places a hand on his arm and stops him. "Wait a moment," he tells him. Then to Shorty he says, "Go in and look around."

Nodding, Shorty draws one of his knives and enters the building. They wait outside for several minutes before he returns. "I didn't see him but whoever's in there is in the warehouse's office," he says. "I couldn't get close enough to see whose inside, it's on the other side of the warehouse and there're two guards standing outside the office door."

"Could you hear anything?" Illan asks.

"m.u.f.fled voices, nothing definite," he tells him.

"Four guards outside and two inside by the door," he says. "No telling how many there may be in the room with everyone else."

"What're we to do?" Miko asks him.

"Try to take out the two by the door quietly, if possible," he explains. To Shorty he asks, "Was there any other way into that room?"

Shaking his head, he replies, "Not that I saw."

"Alright then, let's go." Leading the way, Illan enters through the door and goes down a short hallway with a door on either side. The doors lead to rooms that are dark and quiet. Paying them no heed, he continues to the end of the corridor and looks out into the main storage area of the warehouse.

A large area, virtually empty but for a few scattered boxes stands between them and the office. Over to the left is the door leading out to the street, outside of which are the four guards by the carriage.

"Shorty, can you take them out with your knives?" he asks, indicating the two by the office door.

"Probably," he replies. "The first one for sure, but the second, maybe a 50-50 chance."

"That'll have to be good enough," Illan tells him. To the others he says, "Stand ready. When Shorty throws his second knife, run like h.e.l.l to finish them off before they can sound the alarm."

Scar looks dubiously at the distance between them and says, "Okay, but that's a ways."

Ignoring him, Illan says to Shorty, "Ready?"

Nodding, Shorty draws two of his knifes and moves to the end of the short corridor until he's as close as he can be without being seen. Taking a couple calming breaths to center himself, he takes the first knife and after a brief pause to judge the distance, throws it toward the first guard. Before the others even realize he's thrown the first one, the second one follows.

Illan leads the charge quietly and watches as the first knife sinks into the first guard's chest. The second guard stands stunned as he watches his partner falling to the ground, at first not realizing just what had happened to him. Then the second knife strikes him off center in the chest and he falls backward into the side of the office with a thud.

Both guards fall to the ground without as much as a peep. Illan was afraid the sound of the guard hitting the side of the office would alert those within, but after a moment they realize it hadn't.

Upon reaching them, Shorty retrieves his knives, wiping them off on the clothes of the dead men before replacing them in his belt.

Illan moves to the door and places his ear against it.