Dragonvein (9 page)

“She
does
owe you. And that’s the problem. You’re going to have a very hard time getting rid of her.”

Ethan was already painfully aware of this and did not need reminding of the problem. He gave a flick of the hand. “We’ll worry about that later.”

It was about an hour before Kat returned. Her little face was twisted into a frown.

“I hope you have gold,” she said, a hint of anger in her voice.

Jonas gave a spiteful laugh. “I thought it might come to that.”

“It’s not my fault,” she said. “They’ve put a sentry near the smugglers’ entrance. There’s never been one there before.”

Jonas narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin. “And you think you can bribe him?”

“No,” she replied. “But I can pay someone to create a distraction that will lure him away. The only thing is, you’ll have to leave your wagon and horses behind.”

Jonas scowled. “Naturally.”

“We can get another one,” said Ethan.

The walls of Miltino were not exactly impressive. They were old and in serious need of repair. Though roughly fifteen feet high, pits and gouges all over the crumbling facade provided plenty of hand and footholds for a climber.

“Why don’t we just go over?” suggested Jonas.

“We could,” replied Kat. “But the streets are patrolled at night. Especially near the wall. It’s better to get caught sneaking in the back way than over the wall…I promise you.” Her final words were accompanied by shudder. “Trust me. This way is much better.”

The thin forest beyond the walls was spider webbed by trails and narrow roads. After crossing each one, Kat took great care to be sure no one was approaching before moving on.

As they rounded the northwest corner, Ethan spotted several torches ahead. On drawing closer he could make out a few wagons and a half dozen men lounging beside them. They were passing around a bottle.

“Damn it!” hissed Kat.

“What is it?” asked Ethan.

“Nothing,” she replied. “I’ll just need a little more gold than I thought.”

Jonas dug into his purse and handed her two gold coins. She looked at them for a moment, frowning.

“What is this?” she asked. “These aren’t imperial koronas.”

“Gold is gold,” he said. “Give it back if you don’t want them.”

She examined the coins carefully. “It had
better
be gold or we’ll be in a lot of trouble.”

“It’s gold, girl,” said Jonas. “Now go and do whatever it is you need to do.”

Kat shoved the coins in her pocket. “When you see me waving, run as fast as you can toward the wagons. And if you see the sentry, make sure
he
doesn’t see you.”

Having issued these instructions, she dashed away along the tree line for a distance before crossing over to where the men were gathered. She spoke to them briefly, then disappeared from sight.

“Bloody fool is what I am,” muttered Jonas. “Trusting our fate to a child thief.”

“You need to ease off her,” said Ethan. “She’s trying to help us.”

“It’s not her intent that concerns me.”

Ethan could hear the stress in his voice. “She’ll be fine. Kat knows what she’s doing.”

“Does she?” He shook his head. “Do you think she’d be so willing to help if she knew who you really are? Or that the Emperor himself wants your head on a platter?”

“Actually, I do.”

“Then you’re as much a fool as she is.”

“Okay. Then how would you have gotten us in?” he asked.

Jonas gave no reply.

After a few minutes they saw a man in worn leather armor carrying a torch approaching the wagons. He had a long sword on his belt and a studded helm covered his features.

“That must be the sentry,” remarked Ethan.

He walked up to the other men and took a seat. Twenty minutes passed before he rose and walked away, only to return again ten minutes later.

“We should have just bribed the guards at the gate,” complained Jonas.

“If it were that easy, I think Kat would have said so,” remarked Ethan. “And it’s a good thing she said something about travel papers. I bet we would have been caught for sure without them.”

“That
did
take me by surprise,” he admitted. “And it’s something we must certainly attend to before we leave Miltino.”

For two more hours they waited. Ethan was becoming increasingly concerned. By now, the men had lit a small fire and were passing around several more bottles. Soon the sound of their coarse drunken laughter echoed off the walls. The sentry continued to make regular stops that Ethan timed carefully - a result of his Airborne training.

He was just about to suggest that they move to a better vantage point so they could see what was beyond the row of wagons when Kat reappeared.

One of the men stood up and grabbed her by the arm. Ethan tensed. He tried to hear what they were saying, but was too far away to make out anything other than gruff tones and harsh laughter.

The man threw Kat to the ground. Ethan felt Jonas’ hand grip his arm tightly.

“Fool girl,” Jonas hissed.

The man drew a dagger from his belt and loomed over her. At that moment, a blond woman in a short skirt and loose blouse that exposed much of her ample bosom sauntered out from between the wagons. Kat’s attacker turned to gaze at the new arrival.

The woman, seemingly unconcerned by the dagger, draped her arms around the man’s neck and began whispering in his ear. A moment later three more women appeared, all of them carrying a bottle in each hand. Taking seats around the fire, the trio quickly began engaging the rest of the men in lively chatter. After only a brief hesitation, the man with the dagger put away his weapon and joined his companions.

“Now
that’s
what I call a distraction,” said Ethan.

Jonas relaxed his grip. “Indeed.”

Kat moved away from the others and sat just beyond the glow of the fire. After approximately half an hour the women got to their feet, and, with a series of suggestive gestures, led the men away into the night. When the last one had gone, Kat waved Ethan and Jonas over.

Remembering Kat’s warning, Ethan kept a sharp eye out for the sentry. But just as they reached her, he heard the soft sound of a woman’s laughter coming from somewhere in the darkness. This was followed by the sound of leather and steel falling to the ground.

“The sentry will be occupied for a while yet,” said Kat, grinning. “Marian will see to that.”

“So you know those women?” asked Jonas with clear disapproval.

“We need to go,” she said, ignoring the question. She led them between the wagons. Just on the other side of these was an archway with an open iron gate. Kat crept up to this and peered through. “Come on,” she whispered when satisfied that all was clear.

After passing through the arch, they found themselves in a dank, narrow alleyway. Lining both sides were dilapidated mud brick buildings with thin slits for windows. Ethan felt his nerves on edge; he was always uncomfortable in confined spaces.

“Who were those men?” he asked.

“Some of them were off-duty guards,” she replied. “The rest were
daiva
dealers.”

“
Daiva
?” said Jonas.

Kat glanced back to frown at him. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what
daiva
is. Where are you from? The Dragon Wastes?”

Jonas scowled. “That’s none of your concern.”

“
Daiva
is a plant extract,” she explained. “It’s stronger than wine and makes you feel…well…to tell you the truth I’ve never tried it so I don’t know for sure. But it makes people act like they’re drunk.”

“Drugs,” said Ethan. “They sell drugs.” Though he had no personal experience with such things, he was well aware of their existence. Drugs such as heroin and cocaine were everywhere in New York.

Jonas cocked his head. “Drugs? You mean people use it instead of wine?”

Kat nodded. “But it’s not really like wine. It makes people crazy after a while. And the more they use it, the more they want it. Before too long they’ll do anything to keep getting it.”

Jonas shook his head. “Ghastly.”

Crossing the end of the alley was a dimly lit street. The stench of urine and mildew told them that this was not exactly a well-to-do part of the city.

Kat gestured for them to stay back while she checked the way ahead. But just as she reached the corner, a hand shot from around the wall and grabbed her by the wrist. Ethan and Jonas sprang forward, but the hand jerked her from the alley and out of sight.

Ethan was first into the street. Just a few feet away was a stocky man with a sleeveless vest, worn trousers, and muddy boots. He was holding on tight to Kat while she jerked and twisted in a vain effort to free herself.

“Let her go,” ordered Ethan.

The man flashed a crooked smile. “So this is why you wanted us away from the gate.” His voice was high-pitched and raspy. “The girls were a good idea. Too bad for you that my tastes are…different.”

“I said let her go,” he repeated, this time more forcefully.

The man met Ethan’s gaze and winked. “That’s more like it. A pity he didn’t send you along with the girls too.” He laughed viciously. “A bit beat up though. But don’t worry, lad. Ole’ Hank will tend your bruises for you. Once I’ve tended to your friends, that is.”

“If it’s gold you want, I have some,” said Jonas.

Hank’s smile broadened. “Oh, I have no doubt about that. So many of Jared’s girls wouldn’t have come cheap.” Reaching behind him with his free hand, he pulled out a long knife. “And I’ll be having it all.” He pointed the knife at Jonas’ belt. “That includes that sword of yours.”

Ethan assessed the situation. Jonas and Kat would be useless in a fight. Worse still, he was not very good with a knife, whereas Hank almost certainly was.

He drew out his dagger regardless. “We’ll give you some gold, and then you’ll let us go our own way.”

“Or what, whelp?” Throwing Kat to the ground, Hank deftly tossed his knife from hand to hand. “You’ll stick me?”

“No,” said Jonas. “Let’s just give him what he wants.”

“Listen to your friend,” Hank said. “And you might live to see the morning.”

Ethan knew that things would be a whole lot more difficult if they were penniless. God knows what they would need to do simply to feed themselves. No - he had to stand his ground.

Hank shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Bad choice, boy.”

Ethan crouched ready, holding his dagger loosely.

The sound of Jonas’ sword being unsheathed cut through the air. “I hope you’re better with a knife than you were with your fists,” he said.

Hank lunged right, but Ethan managed to avoid the blade with surprising ease. A moment later he realized why. His attacker was not trying to cut him…yet. Hank smashed his fist into Jonas’ jaw, sending him sprawling. Now the odds were even.

Ethan stepped back and slashed at Hank’s chest. But the man merely shuffled away and then brought a knee swiftly up into his abdomen. With a heavy grunt Ethan doubled over, unable to breathe.

He tried to retreat, but steely fingers gripped his wrist and twisted hard. The pain was excruciating and the dagger dropped from his hand.

“Pathetic,” Hank chided.

Ethan looked up to see Hank’s rotten teeth bared in a vicious grin, his knife hand poised to strike. He braced himself for the killer blow that would surely follow. But it did not come. Hank’s eyes suddenly shot wide and the knife slipped from his grasp. A tiny trickle of blood crept from the corner of his mouth an instant before he pitched forward, very nearly landing on top of Ethan.

Kat was standing immediately behind where Hank had been. Her eyes burned as she watched him crash face first onto the hard slates, a small dagger protruding from the back of his neck.

Ethan was stunned.

“Good work,” said Jonas, who by now had struggled to his feet and was brushing himself off.

“We need to get off the streets,” Kat told them sharply, her eyes still fixed on the body. “As soon as word gets out they’ll come looking for us…well…they’ll come looking for me, anyway.” Her eyes shot to Ethan. “This pays my debt, I think.”

Before Ethan could respond, she hurried away. He and Jonas were forced to run to keep up with her as they raced along the deserted cobbled streets lined mostly with warehouses and abandoned single story dwellings. The stench had lessened somewhat, but the filth of decay and poverty was still scattered everywhere.

They crossed nearly three blocks before encountering anyone, and this was only a drunk leaning against a wall, mumbling incoherently. Most of the streetlamps were either broken or missing – for which Ethan was grateful. He had no desire to be seen.

Ahead, the lights of the city were increasing. Kat halted just before they reached the next corner.

“We can stay at a friend’s house tonight,” she said. “But you need to find somewhere else in the morning.”

“If you can just take me to an inn…” Jonas began.

“It’s too late for that,” she cut in. “The guards will be checking all the inns and taverns for any word on Hank’s killer, and they’re sure to be especially interested in newly arrived strangers. Tomorrow will be different. Then you can say that you’ve only just got here.”

“How far is it to your friend’s place?” asked Ethan.

“Not far,” she told him.

They continued on around the corner with Kat just a few steps ahead. The buildings here were in far better repair. Lights in the windows and the sounds of people talking and laughing within gave this area a far better atmosphere. Men dressed in tidy pants and pressed shirts, some of them escorting women in decent looking dresses and with well-kept hair, told Ethan that this was a working class area – not altogether unlike the one in which he grew up. The scent of urine was almost nonexistent, and every lamp was lit and glowing cheerfully. As the wagons and carriages passed by, he was reminded of old pictures he’d seen of New York, taken when his father was a child in the days before the streets had become clogged by cars.

They passed several taverns along the way. Music from flutists and singers carried on the air, helping to ease a little of Ethan’s anxiety. But this respite was short-lived. A patrol of armed soldiers marched past them in quick step, their weapons and armor clanking and jingling as they moved along. They were heading in the direction that he and the others had just come from.