Page 87 of Kingdom of Chains

‘Good point,’ Tatum said. ‘We’ll tie them together with a rope if we have to. That way no one gets lost or left behind.’

Tolly nodded. ‘Let’s get them out.’

For the next three hours, men climbed in and out of the tunnels, returning with as many children as they could coordinate at the time. That number varied depending on the emotional state of the children coming through. Naturally, some of them were scared, especially because they did not know the state of the children on the other side.

They were around one hundred and forty children in when a whistle sounded from the tree above, signalling that a guard had entered the pen.

‘Shit,’ Tatum said, picking up the bars and tapping them together. ‘Who’s in there?’

‘One of mine,’ Tolly replied, staring hard at the tunnel.

Tatum placed the bars down. ‘They’re going to notice that many missing children.’

‘We don’t know what the situation is,’ Blackmane said, ‘only that someone entered the enclosure. Maybe one of the cooks bringing food.’

‘Or a mother coming to feed her child,’ Tatum said.

A second whistle sounded, different to the first. The three men looked at each other. It was the signal to collapse thetunnel. The problem was they still had a man inside, which meant there was likely a child inside too.

‘Come on,’ Tolly said under his breath, beginning to pace.

Tatum and Blackmane retrieved their bows, loaded them, and pointed them at the hole.

Another whistle sounded.Collapse the tunnel.

‘It’s been too long,’ Tatum said. ‘We need to stick to the plan.’

Tolly drew his sword. ‘Give him a moment. He’ll make it out. I know he will.’

Blackmane and Tatum exchanged a look.

A tense minute passed before they heard someone approaching. The defenders took aim when they saw movement at the bottom. It was Tolly’s man. He lifted a boy up to them, and a runner came forwards to take him.

‘I heard the signal,’ the man in the tunnel said. ‘I only had time to get one.’

Tatum reached for him, pulling him up, while Blackmane kept his arrow trained on the dark hole. He was about to tell them to collapse the tunnel when a face appeared at the bottom. Thankfully, he hesitated long enough to recognise Wynne. She stood up, eyes wide with fear. She had followed them through the tunnel. He reached for her, pulling her up onto the ground beside him.

‘Are there any more of you in the tunnel?’

She shook her head, eyes welling up. ‘I’m so sorry, sir.’

A cold sensation travelled down Blackmane’s spine. He looked over at Tolly. ‘Collapse the tunnel—now.’

A runner appeared, taking Wynne by the hand and dragging her away. Others ran forwards with shovels and began digging into the dirt and smashing their heels into the edges. An arrow burst from the darkness below, striking one man through the chest. The two defenders fired arrows into the hole, one after another, giving whoever was inside no more chances to doanything other than retreat. There was a cry of pain as one arrow hit the target, and then the mouth of the tunnel began to collapse as men continued to dig and push at the dirt. Eventually, they were forced to step back to avoid ending up in the hole. The walls of the tunnel collapsed, sending a cloud of dust up into the air. Then everything went still.

Blackmane looked over at Tolly, who was crouched beside the dying man, then at Tatum. ‘It’s time for stage two.’

CHAPTER 27

It was time to emerge from their hiding places and draw their swords.

‘Planks ready!’ Tolly shouted.

Tatum brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled up at Thorn, confirming they were going in. That whistle echoed from tree to tree until it had circled the entire perimeter of the camp and made its way back to them.

‘Let’s go!’ Tolly shouted. ‘Move!’

Men emerged from the trees at a run, twenty-foot planks balanced on their shoulders as they ran straight for the camp walls. Every able-bodied wastelander followed.

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