A thunder followed the orange glow of an explosion through the shadowy branches of the southern trees.
“The mercenaries have lost,” Mike said, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight.
There was another hiss, but no screams were heard as a second fireball erupted behind the tree line. The ground shook as the explosion expanded, roared, and slowly died out.
“You two,” Edgar said to the Watchers, “flank the house. Foster, move into the trees. Stay out of sight as best you can. Zola, we’ll follow the path Dimitry and Aideen took. Vassili is already scouting ahead. You three,” Edgar said as he pointed at me, Mike, and Sam, “hole up in the shell of that guest house.”
The other Watchers left with a nod.
“Sorry,” Edgar whispered. “They have to believe you all listen to me.”
Zola’s face pulled up in a wrinkly smile. “For now, we’ll survive.”
We scattered into the night.
“Go behind Rivercene,” Mike whispered. “We don’t know what’s between us and the river.”
Sam nodded and we followed him to the back of the mansion. Sam scouted ahead and peeked around the edge of the covered wraparound porch. She held a finger up and we froze. Sam crouched and leapt lightly to the roof above the wooden porch before disappearing in silence. A few seconds later she landed on the ground beside us.
“Clear.”
We moved forward again, staying low and hugging the side of the structure. At the next corner I could see the old guest house a short way off, a squat brick structure barely lit by the moonlight. Our path looked clear, but we waited for a moment while silence reigned in the darkness. Every step in the brittle grass seemed like a tree splintering in the stillness.
Mike pointed toward the edge of the roof and crouched. Sam leaned forward, and I could see her squinting before she shook her head. Mike nodded and led us along the main house and up to the gravel drive in near silence before we slipped into the black rectangle that was once the front door.
The loudest sound was my own heartbeat until another small explosion echoed up from the river.
“Leftovers?” I whispered.
Mike shrugged and then froze. A lance of adrenaline stiffened my spine as something thudded against the roof. I pulled the pepperbox out of its holster and slid around the corner into a hallway. Mike shook his head and held his index finger over his lips. Quiet.
I nodded.
The first man to walk by the door died in utter silence as Mike’s blackened forearms reached out and snapped his neck like a sapling. He handed the body to Sam and she gently laid it in the corner.
It. Christ, it’s a he. The man didn’t look evil. Hell, he looked like he probably had a wife and kids and paid his taxes on time.
Sam grabbed my shirt and put her face next to my ear. “I know what you’re thinking. Stop. These bastards took Mom, they might kill Dad, and they’re trying to kill our friends.”
“You’re right.” I nodded rapidly.
Someone started shouting in the distance. A few quick bursts of gunfire cut through the silence before something landed on the roof.
There was a short, brutal exchange above us. I half expected the ceiling to collapse. The next person to come by the door was the little blonde Watcher. Only it wasn’t all of her. Her head fell into the doorway and rolled to a stop at Mike’s feet. Something metal glistened in the dim light.
“Oh, fuck. Grenade!” he yelled.
As Mike and I tried to scramble away, Sam picked the head up and threw it in the blink of an eye at a shadow across the yard. My vision was night-adjusted enough to make out a spray of gore where the head smashed into another body. Someone else cursed and then the grenade detonated.
“Picked up the spare,” Mike said with approval obvious in his voice. “How did they get behind us?” He stared out the door, across the driveway for a moment, and then stepped away from the vacant doorway.
“Let’s move, out the back,” I said.
Mike nodded
“The mercenaries have lost,” Mike said, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight.
There was another hiss, but no screams were heard as a second fireball erupted behind the tree line. The ground shook as the explosion expanded, roared, and slowly died out.
“You two,” Edgar said to the Watchers, “flank the house. Foster, move into the trees. Stay out of sight as best you can. Zola, we’ll follow the path Dimitry and Aideen took. Vassili is already scouting ahead. You three,” Edgar said as he pointed at me, Mike, and Sam, “hole up in the shell of that guest house.”
The other Watchers left with a nod.
“Sorry,” Edgar whispered. “They have to believe you all listen to me.”
Zola’s face pulled up in a wrinkly smile. “For now, we’ll survive.”
We scattered into the night.
“Go behind Rivercene,” Mike whispered. “We don’t know what’s between us and the river.”
Sam nodded and we followed him to the back of the mansion. Sam scouted ahead and peeked around the edge of the covered wraparound porch. She held a finger up and we froze. Sam crouched and leapt lightly to the roof above the wooden porch before disappearing in silence. A few seconds later she landed on the ground beside us.
“Clear.”
We moved forward again, staying low and hugging the side of the structure. At the next corner I could see the old guest house a short way off, a squat brick structure barely lit by the moonlight. Our path looked clear, but we waited for a moment while silence reigned in the darkness. Every step in the brittle grass seemed like a tree splintering in the stillness.
Mike pointed toward the edge of the roof and crouched. Sam leaned forward, and I could see her squinting before she shook her head. Mike nodded and led us along the main house and up to the gravel drive in near silence before we slipped into the black rectangle that was once the front door.
The loudest sound was my own heartbeat until another small explosion echoed up from the river.
“Leftovers?” I whispered.
Mike shrugged and then froze. A lance of adrenaline stiffened my spine as something thudded against the roof. I pulled the pepperbox out of its holster and slid around the corner into a hallway. Mike shook his head and held his index finger over his lips. Quiet.
I nodded.
The first man to walk by the door died in utter silence as Mike’s blackened forearms reached out and snapped his neck like a sapling. He handed the body to Sam and she gently laid it in the corner.
It. Christ, it’s a he. The man didn’t look evil. Hell, he looked like he probably had a wife and kids and paid his taxes on time.
Sam grabbed my shirt and put her face next to my ear. “I know what you’re thinking. Stop. These bastards took Mom, they might kill Dad, and they’re trying to kill our friends.”
“You’re right.” I nodded rapidly.
Someone started shouting in the distance. A few quick bursts of gunfire cut through the silence before something landed on the roof.
There was a short, brutal exchange above us. I half expected the ceiling to collapse. The next person to come by the door was the little blonde Watcher. Only it wasn’t all of her. Her head fell into the doorway and rolled to a stop at Mike’s feet. Something metal glistened in the dim light.
“Oh, fuck. Grenade!” he yelled.
As Mike and I tried to scramble away, Sam picked the head up and threw it in the blink of an eye at a shadow across the yard. My vision was night-adjusted enough to make out a spray of gore where the head smashed into another body. Someone else cursed and then the grenade detonated.
“Picked up the spare,” Mike said with approval obvious in his voice. “How did they get behind us?” He stared out the door, across the driveway for a moment, and then stepped away from the vacant doorway.
“Let’s move, out the back,” I said.
Mike nodded
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