Chapter 19 Chapter 19

Chapter 19 Chapter 19


The knife was in Kaelen's hand before the man could finished talking. He threw it at the streetlamp and it caught the blade. Furious, he looked at it and his grin got wider.

He said with a small smile,"Hey. That's such a small knife for a big man like you. Don't you think so too?" He let out a wicked laugh."

Kaelen replied, “I don't think so dick head”.

The man gave an angry face and stepped closer. He had a scar on his cheek and yellow teeth. He said "You think that little thing scares us?"

Rook said "Oh oh, oops. But it scared your friends last time."

The man looked at her. His eyes narrowed. He said "The girl talks. That's cute."

Sparrow said from behind "She's not the one you need to worry about."

The man laughed. It was short and not happy.

From the shadows behind them, more footsteps followed. Kaelen counted them without turning. Four more. Seven in total.

The man said "See? We got numbers. You got a knife. Not quite a good trade."

Kaelen said "What does Vane want?"

The man said "He wants to talk. That's all. Just a conversation." He gestured.

Rook said "People don't bring seven men for a conversation. Don't you agree with this theory. Or are you scared we will whoop your ass? "

The man looked at her. His face changed. He said "You want to see what happens when we don't talk nice?"

Kaelen said "You want to see what happens when you try? I see. Bring it on then."

The man stared at him. The smile was gone now. He reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of paper. He held it out for Kaelen to see.

He said "The boss wants to meet you. Tomorrow night. The old warehouse on Dock 3. Come alone or don't come at all."

Kaelen didn't move.

Rook said "It's a trap."

The man said "Of course it's a trap. But he'll come anyway." He looked at Kaelen. "Won't you?"

Kaelen snatched the paper. The man grinned.

He said "Good boy. Tomorrow night. Don't be late."

He turned and walked away. His men followed. One of them looked back at Kaelen. His face was young and scared. He looked away fast.

Then, in the blink of an eye, they were gone.

The paper was in Kaelen's hand. He unfolded it. The writing was rough. Block letters.

Warehouse 3. Dock 7 Midnight. Come alone.

Rook said "You're not going right?"

Kaelen continued looking at the paper and said nothing.

Sparrow signed and said "He's going."

Rook looked at her and she said "You can't let him. We can't let him go meet his death."

Sparrow said "I can't stop him."

Kaelen folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

Rook said "It's a trap. He said it was a trap."

Kaelen said "I know."

She said "Then why go?"

He looked at her. He said "Because Vane wants to meet. That means he's scared. Scared men make mistakes."

Sparrow said "He'll have men there. Lots of them."

Kaelen said "I know."

Rook said "You'll be alone."

He said "I've been alone before."

She said "That was before. Now you have us."

He looked at her. Her face was hard. Her jaw was tight.

He said "Tomorrow night. I go alone."

She said firmly,"We're coming."

He said "No no. You can't come."

She insisted on "We're coming."

Sparrow said "We'll watch from outside. If something goes wrong, we get help."

Kaelen said "What help?"

Sparrow said "Elara. She knows people."

Kaelen looked at Rook's face. He looked at Sparrow's face.

He said "You watch from outside. You don't come in."

Rook said "Fine."

Sparrow said "Fine."

He said "If something happens, you run. Both of you. You don't come in. You run."

Rook was quiet for a moment. Then she said "I promise."

Sparrow said "I promise."

He started walking. They followed.

The next morning, Kaelen stood outside Alden's house. The sun was just coming up. The streets were empty. The house was quiet.

He had the servant's jacket on. He walked around the block. Slow. Not looking at the house too long. Just watching.

The front gate was iron and tall. Locked at night. During the day it was open. Servants came and went. A gardener. A cook's helper.

Kaelen walked past. He saw the guard at the gate. Young. Bored. Leaning against the wall.

He walked around the block again.

The side gate was smaller and made of wood. A delivery entrance. A wagon was there. Two men unloading sacks. They talked to a woman in an apron. She was counting the sacks with her finger.

Kaelen walked past her. He saw the guard at the side gate. Older. Fat. Sitting on a stool. His eyes were half closed. His sword was against the wall.

He walked around the block again.

The back of the house faced a small garden. A wall around it. High and made of brick. A door in the wall. Locked.

Kaelen walked past. There were no guards at the back. Just the locked door. Just the high wall.

He was on his fourth circuit when a voice stopped him.

"You're back."

He turned. The girl from the dinner. The one who found him in the hallway. She was standing in the service lane. A basket in her hand with bread on top.

She said "I saw you yesterday. At the dinner."

Kaelen said "I work here now."

She said "The head cook said a new man started. Thomas."

Kaelen said "That's me."

She looked at him. Her eyes were brown. She said "You're not from the docks."

Kaelen said nothing.

She said "I'm from the docks. I know what people from the docks look like. You're not one of them."

Kaelen said "What are you doing out here?"

She said "Getting bread for the kitchen. What are you doing out here?"

Kaelen said "Getting air."

She said "You've been walking around the house for an hour. That's a lot of air."

Kaelen looked at her. She didn't look away.

She said "My name is Mira. I've worked here three years. I know everyone."

Kaelen said "Then you know to stay away from new people."

She said "The new people are the most interesting."

She took a step closer. Her eyes were on his face.

She said "Last night, after the dinner, Alden called for his captain. He asked about the new servant. The quiet one."

Kaelen's chest went tight. His face didn't change.

He said "What did the captain say?"

She said "He said you came from the docks. Worked at a tavern. Had references."

Kaelen said "Then that's what I am."

She shook her head. She said "I saw you in the hallway. You were listening to the men. You were standing there like a hunter."

Kaelen said nothing.

She said "What are you doing here, Thomas?"

Kaelen said "I work here. That's all."

She stared at him for a long time. Then she smiled. It was a small smile.

She said "You're a terrible liar."

She walked past him toward the house. At the gate she stopped and looked back.

She said "If you're looking for the guards, there's four. One at the front gate. One at the side gate. One at the front door inside. One at the back door inside. The back wall has no guard. But the door is locked. The key is in the kitchen, behind the stove."

Kaelen said "Why are you telling me this?"

She said "Because Alden fired my father. Ten years ago. He lost everything. He drank himself to death." Her face was hard now. "I've been waiting for someone to come. Someone who can hurt him."

Kaelen looked at her with a surprised face and said nothing as usual.

She said "Be careful, Thomas. If he finds out who you are, he'll kill you. Not fast."

She turned and walked through the gate.

Kaelen watched her go.

He walked around the block one more time. He counted the windows and the doors. He watched the guard at the front gate change shift. A new guard came. Young. Nervous. He looked at the street like something might jump out.

He walked back to the warehouse.

Rook was there. Sparrow was there.

Rook said "You were gone a long time."

Kaelen said "Had to see the house."

She said "What did you find?"

He said "Four guards. Two outside. Two inside. The back wall is the weakness. No guard. Just a locked door."

Sparrow said "Can you get through it?"

Kaelen said "The key is in the kitchen. Behind the stove."

Rook said "How do you know that?"

Kaelen said "A girl told me. She works there. Her father worked for Alden. He ruined him."

Rook said "Can you trust her?"

Kaelen said "I don't know."

Sparrow said "If she's lying, it's a trap."

Kaelen said "Maybe."

Rook said "Then why are you going back?"

He looked at her. He said "Because I need to know the house. Every door. Every window. Every guard."

Sparrow said "Tonight? You're going back tonight?"

Kaelen said "Yes. Tonight."

Rook said "What about Vane? The meeting?"

Kaelen said "After the house."

She said "You can't do both. You'll be exhausted."

He said "I have to."

She looked at him. Her face was tight. She said "You're going to get yourself killed."

He said "Not tonight."

The sun went down. Kaelen put on dark clothes. Knife in his belt. He walked through the streets. Quiet. Fast.

The house was lit up. Lights in the windows.

He went to the back wall. High and made of brick. He found a foothold and pulled himself up. His arm screamed but he ignored it.

He got to the top and looked over. The garden was dark. No lights. No guards.

He dropped down and landed soft.

He moved to the back door. Wooden and heavy. It was locked.

He went to the kitchen window. Small and high but open.

He pulled himself up and slid through. Landed on a table. Pots clattered. He froze.

No one came.

He slid off the table and moved to the stove. Found the hook. The key was there.

He took it and moved to the back door. Unlocked it. Opened it. The garden was dark.

He stepped out. Locked the door behind him. Put the key back.

He went to the wall. Pulled himself up. Dropped down the other side.

He stood in the service lane. His arm was bleeding. His head pounded.

A voice came from the shadows.

"You're good."

He turned. Mira. She stepped out.

She said "I watched you. Over the wall. Through the window. Back over." She looked at his arm. "You're bleeding."

He said "It's nothing."

She pulled a cloth from her pocket. Held it out. "Take it."

He took it and pressed it to his arm.

She said "You have a key now. You know the wall. You know the guards." She looked at him. "What's next?"

Kaelen said "I need to know when Alden is alone."

She said "He's never alone. There's always someone."

Kaelen said "Then I need to know when he's most vulnerable."

She thought about it. She said "The library. Every night at eleven. He sits there. No guards inside. They wait outside the door."

Kaelen said "How long?"

She said "An hour. Sometimes more."

Kaelen said "Thank you."

She said "Don't thank me. Just make him hurt."

She turned and walked away.

Kaelen stood there with the cloth still pressed to his arm.

He started walking back toward the warehouse.

He was three streets away when he heard footsteps behind him. Fast, he turned.

A man stood there. Alone. No colors. No uniform.

The man said "You're the Greyman."

Kaelen's hand went to his knife.

The man said "I have a message from Lord Alden."

Kaelen said nothing.

The man said "He knows. About the key. About the wall. About the girl."

Kaelen's chest went cold.

The man said "He wants you to know that he's watching. And when you come for him, he'll be ready."

He turned and walked away.

Kaelen stood there. The cloth was red with his blood. His hand was on his knife.

He looked at the house. Far away. Lights in the windows.

A face at a window looking out.

Alden.

Standing there looking down the street.

Looking at Kaelen.

He raised his hand and waved.

Kaelen stood in the dark. Blood on his arm. Knife in his hand.

He didn't move.

Alden smiled. Then he turned and walked away from the window.

The light went out.