Read Online The Storm's Own Son (Book 1) by Anthony Gillis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anthony Gillis
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down the midnight street in a mood of cold, wrathful, purpose. With him were Sorya and Katara, and behind them twenty armed men.. They moved with swift precision, for they all knew where they were going.
"Weapons up and eyes open," said Talaos.
They were in a district that was said to have once been dominated by wealthy homes, but for a long time the grittier sort of businesses and seedy apartment blocks had encroached on them, until only one was left. Talaos knew it well. Many years ago, Cratus had bought the place and turned it into his headquarters.
Wealthy homes in Carai were usually either townhomes opening on the street, or manors with low decorative walls around them. Cratus had turned this one into a fortress compound with a ten foot stone wall topped by a parapet. Now Palaeon's little army was going to try to take that fortress. However, Talaos and his gang had a task apart from the main fight. Just out of sight and earshot of the place, Talaos gestured for them to halt.
There was a nondescript warehouse nearby. One Cratus had long used as part of a reasonably legitimate front operation. It also had another purpose that few even of Cratus's own men knew. Talaos had been high ranking in both trust and power once, and he had learned that purpose.
He turned, drew his friends close, and whispered, "From here, fan out and stay out of sight. Cratus will have lookouts around. Try to kill them without being seen. We're going to a warehouse two blocks away with faded red paint along the eaves. I'll point it out. We'll need to get inside quietly. There's a very well hidden entrance in there, and a passage under the streets to a room inside Cratus's house."
Sorya looked quizzical, "I have a hard time picturing Cratus using the sewers like Palaeon, or even physically fitting in them,"
"Not the sewers. With his fixed base, he knew multiple ways out were also multiple ways in. This passage goes only one place. Few know of it, and Cratus uses it sparingly."
"I'm really surprised he let you live, after you quit," replied Sorya in a whisper.
Talaos replied with grim seriousness . "In his way, he trusted me and hoped I'd come back around, at least until he started the war. I took an oath to keep this, and one other thing secret. He broke his side of that oath when he tried to kill me. Still, until now, I kept my side."
With that, he said no more, and motioned them into action.
They moved through the shadows, divided among three narrow alleys. Ahead, deep in the blackness amid a pile of old boards against a wall, Talaos could see a crouching shape. Sorya, quieter than a cat, crept up the wall to their side, moved along a narrow little brick ledge overhead, and then dropped with ghostly silence onto the sentry. More quickly than that sentry could react, her knife cut his throat.
Off to the right, in the next alley, a gurgling sound told him another sentry was being dispatched less quietly. He paused, and waited. There was no reaction. He motioned, and they continued on in the darkness.
They reached the place, filtering silently onto the narrow street outside the entrance. Sorya crept to the door, listened and brought out a set of little tools. She checked the lock for unwelcome surprises, seemed satisfied, then picked it. Talaos stepped forward. He motioned the others to step aside out of the way, and silently opened the door. Nothing.
He stalked inside and looked around. The warehouse had bulk trade goods of various kinds in stacks on a sturdy wooden floor over brick foundation. There were three smaller back rooms, and Talaos knew that the crates in the one on the left were usually empty, and acted as a cover for a hidden spot where there wasn't actually brick underneath.
They went there. The door was ajar. Inside were heavy sacks of grain.
"Cratus wasn't planning on running tonight," he whispered. "That likely means more problems. Let's get these moved."
With twenty-three to do the work, it didn't take long. Talaos
"Weapons up and eyes open," said Talaos.
They were in a district that was said to have once been dominated by wealthy homes, but for a long time the grittier sort of businesses and seedy apartment blocks had encroached on them, until only one was left. Talaos knew it well. Many years ago, Cratus had bought the place and turned it into his headquarters.
Wealthy homes in Carai were usually either townhomes opening on the street, or manors with low decorative walls around them. Cratus had turned this one into a fortress compound with a ten foot stone wall topped by a parapet. Now Palaeon's little army was going to try to take that fortress. However, Talaos and his gang had a task apart from the main fight. Just out of sight and earshot of the place, Talaos gestured for them to halt.
There was a nondescript warehouse nearby. One Cratus had long used as part of a reasonably legitimate front operation. It also had another purpose that few even of Cratus's own men knew. Talaos had been high ranking in both trust and power once, and he had learned that purpose.
He turned, drew his friends close, and whispered, "From here, fan out and stay out of sight. Cratus will have lookouts around. Try to kill them without being seen. We're going to a warehouse two blocks away with faded red paint along the eaves. I'll point it out. We'll need to get inside quietly. There's a very well hidden entrance in there, and a passage under the streets to a room inside Cratus's house."
Sorya looked quizzical, "I have a hard time picturing Cratus using the sewers like Palaeon, or even physically fitting in them,"
"Not the sewers. With his fixed base, he knew multiple ways out were also multiple ways in. This passage goes only one place. Few know of it, and Cratus uses it sparingly."
"I'm really surprised he let you live, after you quit," replied Sorya in a whisper.
Talaos replied with grim seriousness . "In his way, he trusted me and hoped I'd come back around, at least until he started the war. I took an oath to keep this, and one other thing secret. He broke his side of that oath when he tried to kill me. Still, until now, I kept my side."
With that, he said no more, and motioned them into action.
They moved through the shadows, divided among three narrow alleys. Ahead, deep in the blackness amid a pile of old boards against a wall, Talaos could see a crouching shape. Sorya, quieter than a cat, crept up the wall to their side, moved along a narrow little brick ledge overhead, and then dropped with ghostly silence onto the sentry. More quickly than that sentry could react, her knife cut his throat.
Off to the right, in the next alley, a gurgling sound told him another sentry was being dispatched less quietly. He paused, and waited. There was no reaction. He motioned, and they continued on in the darkness.
They reached the place, filtering silently onto the narrow street outside the entrance. Sorya crept to the door, listened and brought out a set of little tools. She checked the lock for unwelcome surprises, seemed satisfied, then picked it. Talaos stepped forward. He motioned the others to step aside out of the way, and silently opened the door. Nothing.
He stalked inside and looked around. The warehouse had bulk trade goods of various kinds in stacks on a sturdy wooden floor over brick foundation. There were three smaller back rooms, and Talaos knew that the crates in the one on the left were usually empty, and acted as a cover for a hidden spot where there wasn't actually brick underneath.
They went there. The door was ajar. Inside were heavy sacks of grain.
"Cratus wasn't planning on running tonight," he whispered. "That likely means more problems. Let's get these moved."
With twenty-three to do the work, it didn't take long. Talaos
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