Page 97 of Bosse
Having backup was new for him.
Adrian stepped up and checked the guard’s pulse. “He’s fine.”
“He will survive, but he may wake up before I’m able to either return on my own with more information or take the women out of the castle,” Bosse reminded him.
“That’s not happening.” Adrian pulled a long plastic tube from a pocket on his vest. “This is a safe tranquilizer, which should keep him knocked out for a day. You will have escaped or contacted us by then, so we’ll know when to insert.” Adrian injected the guard, then put away his syringe.
“I would rather get the women out, but I will do whatever is safest for them.” Bosse handed Justin the knife and then hooked the rifle over his shoulder. He leaned over and tossed the guard across his shoulder, wrinkling his nose at the smell.
Some humans never bathed.
Adrian said, “Move out. We’re headed to take up positions on the three sides of the castle.” He extended his hand. “Be careful.”
Bosse had refused Corbin’s handshake but felt he had to do this to show he was part of the team, something he’d never been. He shook hands with each of them, pulled his hoodie up to shield most of his head, and started walking toward the castle.
He covered the half-mile in a short time, slowing as he approached.
Two guards lifted their rifles and pointed at him. One shouted, “Stop.”
Bosse obeyed. He’d seen these two with Krol but never in the cage area.
Guards in their drab clothing walked over to him. “Who are you and... Shit, that’s Turner. What’d you do to him?”
“I saved him,” Bosse snapped in an insulted tone as he would have if he had saved the guy. “I was on the way here to work for the king.” It was a gamble in case men coming to work for Krol had been told to use a code word upon arrival. When no one demanded anything specific, Bosse mentally breathed a sigh of relief. “I came upon your friend while he fought a very strong man dressed in rags. I think he was a bandit, but stronger than a normal man. When I attacked the bandit with a rock, he did not fall. He slashed a knife at both of us, then ran. I was faster at escaping than your man. Before he passed out, I asked where to take him. He said he was a guard for Krol’s castle.”
Bosse waited silently for one of the guards to decide how to move forward. They looked at each other. One said, “Eriko should be here. He’s the only one who would know the new men Krol wanted to hire.”
Was Krol not here? Bosse tested his guess by saying, “I wish to speak with Krol about a job.”
“He’s gone. Won’t be back tonight.”
The second guard turned to Bosse. “Who sent you here?”
Now Bosse had more information to work with and said, “No one. I heard a man talking to a couple of other guys in a bar about work in this area. No one was interested once the man said it was for this castle. Everyone believes your castle is cursed.”
“And that doesn’t worry you?”
Allowing a smile to split his face, Bosse laughed. “I don’t believe in old wives’ tales.” He shifted his shoulders. “Your man is still bleeding all over me.”
The first guard said, “Let’s get him inside to Hessie and see what she can do.” He ordered the second guard, “You stay and keep watch on the entrance.”
Bosse handed the rifle off to the guard who stayed, a move intended to back up his story. He followed the other guard in charge into the castle. His gut tightened just thinking about entering the closest to hell he hoped he’d never see again.
Titan spoke in his mind.We will not be captured again.
That sounded final, and Bosse agreed.We fight no matter what this time.
Inside the castle, the guard directed Bosse to wait at the open door to the kitchen, and then he called out, “Hessie! We have an injured guard.”
“I am not healer!”
“You want me to tell Krol that’s what you said?”
She slammed a pot down on the counter and shuffled over to them.
Servants and guards began coming up from different areas.
Bosse had yet to catch sight of Alifair. He figured she’d be somewhere around the kitchen. It was not lunch yet when she might be feeding the guards in the cage area. A chill slid over his skin just thinking about the cage again. He shook it off.
