The Last Ring-bearer - Kirill Yeskov [141]
"About half an hour ago two arrested mountain men were supposed to be delivered here…" he began, but the Senior Inspector protested vigorously: "You're mistaken, Commissar, no prisoner deliveries here for the past couple of hours!"
This was so unexpected that Jacuzzi tried to explain to the fat man that arguing was useless, since it all happened in his plain sight.
"You must've been hallucinating, Commissar," the man answered impudently, signaling the guard at the door. "The Corporal here will attest: we have no mountain men detained here and never had!"
Jacuzzi shook his head sorrowfully: "We're misunderstood here, girl." This was a code phrase. The next moment Fay stabbed the corporal in the base of the neck, straight between the clavicles, with her suddenly steel-like index finger; a second later the thick office door was locked from the inside, cutting the Senior Inspector off from his subordinates in the corridor. Meanwhile, Jacuzzi intercepted Jezin's hand, which was going towards the nearest weapon, and with a single twist of the wrist made him collapse into the chair, choking on a scream. Looking around, the Vice-Director of Operations broke off the Elvish bottle's neck with the edge of his palm and dumped its precious contents on the policeman's head and neck; once the man came to, Jacuzzi pulled him up by the collar and asked with all possible fondness: "Where're the prisoners?"
The fat man shook and sweated, but remained silent. Having no time to spare – at any moment someone might start breaking down the door – Jacuzzi made his proposition short and to the point: "Ten seconds to think about it. Then I'll start counting to five, breaking a finger at each count. On the count of six I'll cut your throat with this razor. Look in my eyes – do I look like I'm joking?"
"You're from the Secret Service, right?" the Senior Inspector mumbled mournfully, gray with terror. It was clear as day that he had not earned his stripes capturing criminals in the Kharmian Village slums.
"Six seconds gone. Well?"
"I'll tell you everything I know! They ordered me to let them go…"
"Ordered?" Jacuzzi felt the floor drop out from under him; there was a revolting feeling of freefall in his stomach.
"They're men of the King of Gondor, from his Secret Guard. They were on a secret mission in the Peninsula, but the mountain men figured them out and were about to execute them. They managed to escape to Irapuato through the woods, made contact with the city gendarmes who're looking for Uanako there, and ordered their commander to evacuate them to the city as prisoners… Here at the station they told me to get them some clothes and let them out by the back door. They also said," the man cringed pitifully, "that if I told anyone about this, they'd find me anywhere, even in the Far West… I understand that legally the Secret Guard of Gondor has no authority here, but… you know?"
"What made you think that they're Aragorn's men?"
"One of them is obviously a Northerner from Gondor, and he presented a Secret Guard sergeant's badge…"
"Sergeant Morimir or Sergeant Aravan…" Jacuzzi muttered, not recognizing his own voice. What bout of insanity could have made him forget the badges Tangorn got from his raid on 4 Lamp Street?!
"Yes, sir, Sergeant Morimir! So you know these people?"
"Yes, better than I'd like to. When this Morimir changed clothes, have you noticed whether he had anything in his pockets?"
"Just money, nothing else."
"How much?"
"About ten castamirs and change."
"What kind of clothes did you give them?"
The Vice-Director for Operations nodded mechanically while Jezin described the rags he obligingly gave to his important guests in minute detail, paying only minimal attention – this information was nearly useless. Ten castamirs… He turned to Fay.
"Leave right now through the same exit they've used. Eruko's store is to the left, towards the Ring Canal. It's possible that they will buy new clothes there: it's not cheap, but ten castamirs