Page 108 of New Storm Rising
“Si.” De La Fuente nodded.
“Very well, sen.” De Ravera waved to the guards. “Take sem to se prison!”
“Dear me…” Stumbling and swaying as I was dragged down the stairs and outside, I glanced at Mr Ambrose and lowered my voice. “I really must thank you, dear. Organizing such an amazing honeymoon for me. What other bride can say she got to experience the true Wild West experience? Gunfights, saloon fights, two successive stints in prison, my face on a wanted poster…you really aim to impress, don’t you?”
“One does one’s best, Mrs Ambrose.”
“On the other hand…”
“Yes?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” I told him in a whisper as we were towed towards the prison with armed guards everywhere around us. “I know one shouldn’t read too much into things, but…”
“Yes?”
“I think your brilliant plan has failed.”
One of the guards chose that moment to shove Mr Ambrose down the last few steps of the staircase.
“Apparently, Mrs Ambrose.”
“So…if that’s the case…”
“Yes, Mrs Ambrose?”
“Why the heck do you still look sobloody smug?”
“You are under the impression that I show signs of smugness?”
I looked at him. His stony, implacable face. His icy eyes that betrayed no emotion whatsoever.
“Yes,” I told him.
“And how, pray, would you be able to tell?”
“Your rightmost eyelash is half a millimetre higher than normal. Plus, I’m your wife.”
“Silence!” One of the thugs barked.
Were they secretly in the employ of Mr Rikkard Ambrose? How else could they know his favourite word?
Well, after “money”, that is.
I glanced at the thug. He glared back at me and raised his rifle.
Hm. So, probably not in Mr Ambrose’s employ, then.
For now though, I decided to comply anyway. That smug expression on Mr Ambrose’s face… There was something more going on here than met the eye.
At least I hoped there was. Really,reallyhoped.
With more and more guards around us, we were marched out into the street and towards the prison. People peeked out at us from shadowy windows and alleyways, their eyes filled with desperation at the sight of their last hope being marched off to jail. It made me almost feel like Robin Hood with his band of merry men.
I glanced sideways at Mr Rikkard Ambrose.
Except, well…they weremerry. And they gave money away.
Finally, we stopped in front of the prison. The prison that now had massive walls, twice as many bars on the windows and a solid steel door. Holes had been dug and the cells had been lowered half into the ground, until only half of the wall peeked out of the ground.
