Chapter 44 Against the Tide

Chapter 44 Against the Tide
“Bastard…” Cedric croaked. “I knew you were a lost cause.”
The bandits’ leader scoffed, easily catching up with the wounded man who crawled on the ground. He muttered, “Please, spare me your pity party. Coin is coin, my friend. You and your buddies are in the way of that.” 
He lifted his cutlass as Cedric glared up at him. Before he could swing it down, I kicked my rope dart forward, and it wrapped around the leader’s arm. He hollered in pain when the sharp blade slashed his arm, yanking the cutlass from his hand. He spun around to face me and scowled with a nasty smile.
“Here comes our lady of the hour. Your precious captain was right. If not for your righteous naivety, your friends wouldn’t have swords at their necks right now.”
I grimaced and glanced back. The knights were undoubtedly weaker this time, barely recovering from the last battle. 
This is my fault. 
Turning back to the leader, I growled, “I call bullshit. Is a bag of coin REALLY why you’re doing this?” My green gaze narrowed. “You’re a small-minded man if that is your only goal.”
His grin flipped as a vein pulsed in his neck. He snarled, “You really know how to run your fucking mouth, don’t ya? You speak of fairness. HA! Pretty talk from a pretty mouth. Fuck you and fuck Embercrest!”
My brows furrowed. “You’re unhappy with the system in the kingdom?” 
He scoffed and then snarled, “Some of us had to bust our asses triple the amount just to make the same amount of coin as the bastards who don’t do shit!”
“Ah. So you used to be a resident of Embercrest. You’ve been away for a long time if you still think that’s how the kingdom operates,” I said.
I glanced over my shoulder as I spoke to the leader and spotted Jackson cutting down the bandits one by one. The fatigued and wounded knights rallied at his side, making a formation and overpowering the bandits now that our captain had claimed the battle. I pretended not to notice, keeping the leader’s attention focused on me.
“Oh, please,” the leader said, smirking. “Spare me the lies. I already know that nothing has changed in that shit system of ‘fairness’.”
“And how would you know that?” I asked, voice low. “Unless you’re being regularly informed of what’s taking place behind the kingdom’s walls… It’s the woman, isn’t it? Is she a resident of Embercrest Kingdom too?”
The leader’s face dropped before he bared his teeth and took a threatening step toward me. “Bastard! You really do run your fucking mouth too much.”
“Has it ever dawned on you that this woman could be telling you lies to manipulate you?” 
“SHUT UP!” he roared. “Your withering king and queen will meet their ends by my blade!”
Fire burned in my chest and corrupted my body, turning my vision red, and I almost kicked my rope dart through his throat right then and there.
How dare he threaten my family!
My hand tightened on my swinging rope, and I took a deep, shaky breath to calm myself down. I lifted my chin and said, “What’s your name?”
The leader looked me up and down as his lip curled. “You can’t be serious. What makes you think I’ll tell you my name?”
“I want to know the name of the man I’m about to kill… or be killed by,” I muttered.
He smirked as he picked his cutlass back up. Blood dripped from his fingers as he pointed the blade at me. “James. And you’ll be cursing it on your way to the afterlife.”
“Robin—” Cedric coughed. “Run!”
“Knights don’t run. Besides—” I snatched my swinging dagger and barked over my shoulder. “Captain!”
As if on cue, Jackson appeared at my side, wiping the blood from his chin. James’ fiery glare chilled when he saw the bloodied man and realized the other bandits were either slain or badly wounded. James looked at me and glowered.
“Damn you to hell..!” he snarled, then turned to his followers. “Let’s go!” he barked and ran towards the dam, limping from the wound on his calf. The other bandits scurried after him. 
I gaped as they ran across the wooden top. Like Erik warned, it was barely holding itself together. Massive logs and debris had collected against it. The powerful current was only allowed a trickle of water through the bottom of the dam far below because of the blockage. The wooden dam was old and unkempt. How long it had been neglected was shown by how dry the riverbed was. Yet, James and the other bandits hurried across it. The wood immediately cracked and groaned beneath their stomping feet; snapping with some planks falling into the shallow puddle below. 
“They’re getting away!” Russel shouted, but Jackson held out his arm.
“Let them. Their death is coming, whether now or another day,” Jackson reassured his knights.
My hands balled into fists as I watched them go. Another day isn’t enough. If James gets in contact with that woman again, what will happen to my parents??
Without second thoughts, I dashed forward. 
Jackson gasped and reached for me, but I slipped past. “ROBIN!”
I shrieked as the unstable wood immediately cracked and fell apart beneath my feet, forcing me to jump from side to side to avoid falling to the damp earth far below. If not for Robin’s agility, I would’ve already tripped. 
James was slower than the rest, limping heavily as the rest of the bandits dashed past him and climbed up the rocky edge into the forest. “Damned idiots, help me!” he snapped. 
I almost gave chase until the wood shifted beneath me again. More planks gave way, and debris fell with the growing waterfall. 
Not good. I really done did it this time.
“Robin!” Jackson yelled again. I spun around, and my heart dropped when I saw that the chunks of the dam between me and the knights had washed away. “Jump!” he shouted, holding out his arms to me. I knew he could catch me. I knew it was now or never. 
I will not retreat.
My captain screamed my name again as I turned away and gave chase to James. He threatened my family. Without knowing who his accomplice is, they could be in danger—and end up just like I did. I can’t let him escape. 
As James scrambled up the rocky edge, I swung my rope dart around his leg and yanked him back down. He yelped as he landed with a hard thud and looked back at me wide-eyed. His gray eyes lit with a vengeful fire as he staggered back onto his feet. 
I yanked my rope dart back into my grasp and then swung it at my side again. The wood cracked and shifted beneath our feet as water rushed past our ankles.
James unsheathed his cutlass and barked, “Crazy bitch, I’ll kill you where you stand!”