Retribution Falls - Chris Wooding [47]
Frey wasted a moment on shock. He hadn’t wanted to fire. What was that idiot doing, going for his gun like that?
Malvery shouldered the door hard, and it opened a little way before jamming against the dead weight of Codge’s body. Frey wriggled through the gap and into the hallway. There was a panicked moment as he found himself alone and exposed, face-to-face with a guard who had been too bewildered to react until now. The man’s hand moved for the pistol in his holster, but Frey’s weapon was out and ready, and he was faster. His arm snapped out straight, finger poised over the trigger.
Don’t.
To Frey’s relief, this one had more sense than Codge. He slowly raised his hands. Malvery shoved the door open the rest of the way, barging Codge’s corpse aside. There was a swell of women’s voices from one of the doorways leading off the hallway, crying variations of “Stop!” But a guard came stumbling out anyway, naked from waist to ankle, his engorged penis waggling ridiculously. One hand was struggling to pull up the pair of trousers that tangled his legs, while he attempted to aim a pistol with the other. Malvery sighted and blew him away before he’d taken two steps.
Frey pulled the guard who had surrendered over to him, pressing the pistol to his back, using him as a shield. He disarmed his prisoner and tossed the gun aside, as Malvery moved out of the way of the door and Jez and Pinn came in after him.
“Silo?” Frey asked.
“Covering the guard outside,” Jez replied. “Jevin, or whatever his name is.”
Frey was thankful that someone had the presence of mind to do that. He’d half expected them all to come rushing in when he did.
He wrapped his arm around his prisoner’s throat from behind. “Where’s the other one?” he hissed. There had been four guards inside last time he’d visited. Without waiting for an answer, he called, “We’ve got your friend here! Step out and you won’t get hurt! I’ve got no business with you!”
There was silence but for the ticking of the clock that overlooked the hall. Then a voice drifted out from another doorway: “Bren? That you?”
“It’s me, Charry,” Frey’s prisoner replied. “They got a gun to my head. There’s four of ’em.”
Another long silence. “Alright,” said Charry. “I’m coming out. Don’t nobody shoot. Nobody’s gonna shoot, are they?”
“Nobody’s gonna shoot,” said Frey, with a pointed glare at Pinn.
A rifle skidded out from one of the doorways, followed by a pistol and a knife. A young, swarthy-looking man emerged, his hands held high. Jez took him over to stand with the other prisoner. Silo came in from outside.
“Where’s the guard you were covering?” Frey asked, appalled.
“Tied him up. Put him in the guardhouse with the other,” said Silo.
“Right, right,” Frey said, relieved. He allowed himself to relax a little. “Should’ve thought of that myself.”
Pinn and Malvery exchanged a glance. Malvery looked skyward in despair.
“Your boss is upstairs?” Frey asked the prisoners. They nodded. “No more guards?” They shook their heads. “The whores?”
“In there,” said Charry, indicating the room the half-naked man had come from. “Obviously.”
Frey looked at Silo. “You’re in charge. Anyone moves, shoot them. Malvery, you and me are going to have a word with Quail.” As an afterthought, he added, “Bring your bag. I don’t want him dying before he talks.”
“Right-o,” said Malvery, heading outside to collect the doctor’s bag that he’d left on the porch.
Frey walked up to the whores’ doorway and stood to one side. The dead man with his trousers around his ankles had a comically astonished expression on his face.
We can all but hope to die with such dignity and elegance, he thought.
“Ladies?” he called. There was no reply. He stuck his head around the doorway and drew it back rapidly as a shotgun blast blew part of the door frame to splinters.
“Ladies!” he said again, slightly annoyed this time. His ears were ringing. “We’re not going to hurt you!”
“No, you’re bloody not!” came the reply. “I know your sort! We give what we give ’cause we’re paid