Trail of the Gods_ The Morcyth Saga Book Four - Brian S. Pratt [35]
The group gazes at them as they pass 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 passed 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.
“Muffled 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 hell 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