The Phoenix Reckoning (The Phoenix Conspiracy Series Book 6) by Richard Sanders Page A
Authors: Richard Sanders
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eyebrows.
“Sergei, what are you doing here?” asked the king, sounding greatly annoyed. “Can’t you see that I’m already quite busy having to deal with this man,” he nodded toward Oliver, “and his inept control of the royal finances.” After getting a better look at them, Caerwyn’s surprised face turned into one that looked suspicious. “Sergei, what is this about? Why have you brought two guards with you? Don’t you know they’re supposed to remain outside, standing guard?”
“My apologies, Your Majesty,” said Sergei with a bow. He continued to approach the king and, as he did, Oliver stood up, slowly walking toward the king from the other side, around the table.
“Stop,” said Caerwyn, suddenly looking intimidated. “What is going on here?”
“There’s a matter of great urgency,” said Sergei, once he was at the king’s side.
“Well then deal with it,” snapped the king, who, not wanting to be intimidated, rose to his feet.
“I am,” said Sergei. In a snap, he drew a baton from his sleeve—it seemed to appear out of nowhere—and smacked Caerwyn Martel in the head so hard that Hadriana thought the man was dead when he collapsed.
“Oh, my God,” said Hadriana, somehow startled by the violence, despite knowing it was coming. “Is he—?”
“Dead? No,” said Sergei, feeling the king’s pulse. “He’ll come around in a few minutes, which is why we must hurry. You three undress him, quickly!”
Hadriana helped Oliver and Representative Taggart remove the king’s clothes—probably the most disgusting thing she’d ever had to do—while Sergei took off his pack and withdrew a helmet, armor, and a guard’s uniform in an extra-extra large size.
Working as a team, they dressed the king in the guard outfit and then stashed his old clothing out of sight. “Okay,” said Sergei, “All together, ready? On three. One, two, three.” Sergei lifted the king from behind, managing to carry most of the weight, while the rest of them either helped to carry the legs, or else got chairs and obstacles out of the way. They moved until they’d gotten the king, looking very much like a fat, incapacitated guard, all the way outside his bunker and onto the bottom landing.
Sergei whistled. Representative Brady, upon hearing the signal, also whistled. And the representative above him did the same. When the signal reached the topmost guard, Representative Baldwin, he threw down a padded rope that Sergei had smuggled in earlier and anchored to the wall. When the end of the rope reached the bottom level, they quickly tied it around their unconscious king, swiftly and securely, and then lifted him up. Sergei whistled again, and the guards above—all six representatives—got their hands on the padded rope and began to pull upward on it, while Sergei, Oliver, Taggart, and Hadriana lifted and pushed. As they slowly ascended the ladder, it became more a matter of Sergei pushing the king upward while Oliver tried to help steady Sergei, and Representative Taggart did the same for Oliver. Hadriana was last up the ladder, and couldn’t really contribute from that position.
“Be careful, but be fast,” said Sergei, a poignant reminder that this was the most dangerous part of their mission. Should one of the top level guards decide to patrol the lower levels, and find them all hoisting a guard, no doubt there would be questions asked and answers demanded. Sergei will handle it , Hadriana reminded herself, but she also knew it would be better if no such encounter occurred.
As luck would have it, they didn’t run afoul of any real guards until they were carrying the fortunately still unconscious king outside the structure itself.
“Hold on there,” said one of the guards. Two more took notice and approached. “What is going on here?” No doubt they were surprised to see four guards carrying another guard—who was unresponsive—and then that group was being followed by every other guard assigned
“Sergei, what are you doing here?” asked the king, sounding greatly annoyed. “Can’t you see that I’m already quite busy having to deal with this man,” he nodded toward Oliver, “and his inept control of the royal finances.” After getting a better look at them, Caerwyn’s surprised face turned into one that looked suspicious. “Sergei, what is this about? Why have you brought two guards with you? Don’t you know they’re supposed to remain outside, standing guard?”
“My apologies, Your Majesty,” said Sergei with a bow. He continued to approach the king and, as he did, Oliver stood up, slowly walking toward the king from the other side, around the table.
“Stop,” said Caerwyn, suddenly looking intimidated. “What is going on here?”
“There’s a matter of great urgency,” said Sergei, once he was at the king’s side.
“Well then deal with it,” snapped the king, who, not wanting to be intimidated, rose to his feet.
“I am,” said Sergei. In a snap, he drew a baton from his sleeve—it seemed to appear out of nowhere—and smacked Caerwyn Martel in the head so hard that Hadriana thought the man was dead when he collapsed.
“Oh, my God,” said Hadriana, somehow startled by the violence, despite knowing it was coming. “Is he—?”
“Dead? No,” said Sergei, feeling the king’s pulse. “He’ll come around in a few minutes, which is why we must hurry. You three undress him, quickly!”
Hadriana helped Oliver and Representative Taggart remove the king’s clothes—probably the most disgusting thing she’d ever had to do—while Sergei took off his pack and withdrew a helmet, armor, and a guard’s uniform in an extra-extra large size.
Working as a team, they dressed the king in the guard outfit and then stashed his old clothing out of sight. “Okay,” said Sergei, “All together, ready? On three. One, two, three.” Sergei lifted the king from behind, managing to carry most of the weight, while the rest of them either helped to carry the legs, or else got chairs and obstacles out of the way. They moved until they’d gotten the king, looking very much like a fat, incapacitated guard, all the way outside his bunker and onto the bottom landing.
Sergei whistled. Representative Brady, upon hearing the signal, also whistled. And the representative above him did the same. When the signal reached the topmost guard, Representative Baldwin, he threw down a padded rope that Sergei had smuggled in earlier and anchored to the wall. When the end of the rope reached the bottom level, they quickly tied it around their unconscious king, swiftly and securely, and then lifted him up. Sergei whistled again, and the guards above—all six representatives—got their hands on the padded rope and began to pull upward on it, while Sergei, Oliver, Taggart, and Hadriana lifted and pushed. As they slowly ascended the ladder, it became more a matter of Sergei pushing the king upward while Oliver tried to help steady Sergei, and Representative Taggart did the same for Oliver. Hadriana was last up the ladder, and couldn’t really contribute from that position.
“Be careful, but be fast,” said Sergei, a poignant reminder that this was the most dangerous part of their mission. Should one of the top level guards decide to patrol the lower levels, and find them all hoisting a guard, no doubt there would be questions asked and answers demanded. Sergei will handle it , Hadriana reminded herself, but she also knew it would be better if no such encounter occurred.
As luck would have it, they didn’t run afoul of any real guards until they were carrying the fortunately still unconscious king outside the structure itself.
“Hold on there,” said one of the guards. Two more took notice and approached. “What is going on here?” No doubt they were surprised to see four guards carrying another guard—who was unresponsive—and then that group was being followed by every other guard assigned
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