Shades of the Past_ Book Six of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [117]
James turns his back on Jiron and begins walking down the alley away from them. He takes four steps before hearing the man grunt as Jiron’s knife sinks into his chest, puncturing his heart.
Jared helps Jiron to hide the body in a trash heap further into the alley. With any luck the body won’t be discovered until they have done what they came here for and are long gone. When they are satisfied it’s hidden as well as they can make it, they hurry to catch up with James.
As they reach him, Jiron pats him on the shoulder. He knows how hard it is for him when something like that has to happen, even though he understands the necessity. “Let’s get to the mine and have a look around,” he says. James gives him a nod and then they reach the end of the alleyway. Turning onto the street, they walk a short distance before reaching the road that will take them up into the mountains.
The road is deserted. Just as Jiron had said, there isn’t much more than scrub brush and small trees, nothing in which to conceal themselves should someone approach.
“It’s only about two miles or so,” Jared tells him. They follow the road as it winds its way through the hills until the wall of the mine complex comes into view.
On either side of the mine, the mountains rise sheer and tall. Unlikely that anyone, especially James, would be able to scale them to enter. Off to one side lies a pile of stone from where the mountain had given away at some point in the past. James points over to it and says, “Those rocks would give us some cover while we’re here.” Moving over to them, they settle in behind.
While Jiron keeps an eye on the gate leading into the compound, James pulls out his mirror and brings the view of the other side of the wall into focus. Guards patrol the wall as well as the inner compound. Slaves move to and fro as they go about their duties. Many buildings, similar to those found in the complex where they rescued Miko are positioned off to one side.
At the base of the mountain at the end of the box canyon lays the mine entrance. A hundred feet wide, there are two sets of ore cart tracks upon which mule drawn ore carts are brought out of the mine. From the looks of it, one is for ore carts coming out and the other is for them to return.
The contents of one ore cart are currently being transferred by slaves into a waiting wagon. Several other empty wagons wait in line for their turn. While the ore cart is being unloaded, the mules are unhitched and then rehitched to the other side. Once the cart is empty, a switch is thrown and the tracks shift allowing the mules to pull the cart to the other track, the one upon which the carts return to the mine. Once past, the switch is thrown again and the next cart waiting in line is pulled forward.
James works the image to move into the mine but is unable to see clearly due to the lack of sufficient light. Having seen all he needs to, he puts away his mirror.
“So,” begins Jiron, “will we need to get in there?”
Shaking his head, James replies, “I don’t think so. Give me a minute while I check out something.” Jiron nods his head as James’ eyes close.
“What’s he doing now?” Jared whispers to Jiron.
“I don’t know,” he replies. “Maybe taking a look inside the mine.”
Just then the gate begins to swing open and four ore filled wagons roll through. When the last wagon passes through the gate, it again swings shut. Each wagon has a driver and a guard, neither look to be too worried about attack. By the time the wagons have rolled out of sight down the road, James comes back to them.
“There are fissures all in that mountain,” he tells them. “We’ll come back tonight and collapse the mine.”
“Why not do it now?” Jared asks.
Before James has a chance to answer, Jiron says, “Because the mine is full of slaves and they would all be killed. At night they are taken out, makes them last longer.”
“Right,” agrees James.
Moving quickly they return to the road and in no time are on the