Dark Empress (46 page)

Samir followed Asima through the crowded dock. He wondered for a moment whether he should have suggested taking a few sailors with him. It would be inconvenient, though a natural thing to do, but in the end he decided to forgo that and head out with her alone, trusting she would put any lack of caution down to shock or the necessity of speed.

They passed through the dock at a fast walk; a run would attract far too much attention for either of them and, at the far side, Samir almost walked into Asima’s back as she slowed near the port gate. What was she up to?

Surreptitiously, while keeping his head lowered, Samir scanned the area and almost smiled as he noticed the gate guards. The military were not noted for their subtlety and these two were no exception. One kept his eyes averted from the pair of them while the other gave a barely perceptible nod to Asima. Samir’s eyes strayed a little and noted that the man’s grip on his spear tightened, the knuckles whitening.

That was it then. She’d not needed to go to the governor because she’d already sold them out to the town guard. It was a dangerous play, given the likelihood that the guard might just be eager enough to capture him that they’d go ahead and ruin whatever plans she had.

He frowned as they passed the guards and entered the street leading up the hill, repeating their earlier journey precisely. The soldiers weren’t trying to take him at the gate, so she must have told them to come to the house. It would have been easier to capture him here, so they must be intending to take Ghassan at the same time. But why? Separately would have been so much easier for them.

Quickly, they hurried up the street toward the turning that led toward the west gate and their house. Samir worked through every conceivable angle and motive as he rushed along behind her. They were trying to get both brothers together and that meant that some extra evidence was afforded by them being in the same place.

He almost slapped his head as he realised.

Ghassan could very easily be accused of complicity in the whole affair. From a legal standpoint it was not unrealistic to assume that the naval officer had delivered both Asima and his ship to his brother for a cut of the profit, through some familial obligation, or myriad other possibilities. To find Ghassan in apparent collusion with Samir would likely damn them both and leave Asima with a cloak of innocence.

Once more, Samir considered just how dangerous Asima could be if she managed to get her hands on real power. She was more trouble than a thousand Pelasian invaders.

Casually, he turned his head and cast his gaze behind them down the street. Sure enough, pairs of guards were filtering through the crowd, converging slowly and subtly. Likewise, up the hill ahead of them, he could see the uniforms of other soldiers scattered among the people, moving down the hill. There would likely be more guards moving in from the other end of the street upon which the house stood.

No time to worry about that now, though. Both he and Ghassan had spent their life getting out of trouble in one situation or another and the pirate captain was sure they would be able to do so again. Escape was not the highest priority right now. Top of the list was to meet Ghassan, to make it clear to him what a lying, deceitful woman Asima was, and to get him on the same side.

They turned the corner into the narrower street and hurried along. Samir glanced back to see that the pursuing guards had slowed as they converged at the end of the road. They were having trouble, now in larger groups, remaining inconspicuous and had wisely chosen to hang back.

He bit his lip as they approached the old neighbourhood. He couldn’t act to try and recruit Ghassan until Asima had revealed her treachery. He could only hope that she wasn’t going to similarly wait on them, but then she couldn’t do really. As soon as Samir officially discovered that Ghassan was alive and well, she would have to act.

With a smile, he realised that without even concentrating on it, his ever frantic mind had already planned out his escape. Good thing, really, since they were approaching the door and there would be very little time to pull this off. With a last glance up and down the street, he could see the guards at both ends now, tightening the net. In a minute they could be on him.

Here goes.

As Asima approached the door, she stopped, covered her face with a hand and turned to him.

“I… I just can’t. Not again, Samir.”

He had to stifle an inward laugh. Well played, Asima.

“That’s alright Asima,” he said, his face straight and grim. “You wait here.”

Turning his back on her, he pulled on the handle and entered the house, allowing the door to swing almost closed behind him. The common room was very much how he remembered it, though dirty and dusty. The furniture was mostly gone or broken, but the small low table in the centre remained, a reminder of family meals long ago. Though he knew the layout of the building intimately, his mind had already checked out and catalogued the exits regardless: doorway to kitchen with climbable window to steps out back; doorway to corridor that led to latrine… no exit that way; stairs to rooms above… mother’s room with window onto street or their old room with the only clear exit. Samir smiled.

Ghassan stepped out from the kitchen into the doorway.

“Samir.”

The pirate captain smiled at his tall brother.

“Ghassan. I’d like to say you look well. Better than Asima tells me, anyway?”

The taller brother laughed darkly.

“I had a feeling you’d be less gullible than she believed. I’m rather sorry that I have to do this, Samir. Even though it pains me to aid Asima over you, I just have to try and rebuild my life. I am sorry.”

“Not as sorry as I am, and not as sorry as you will be in a few minutes.”

Ghassan frowned and tilted his head.

“Explain?”

Samir sighed.

“I really wanted to provide you with the evidence before I explained all this, but here goes…”

He took a deep breath.

“Asima is outside with several dozen of the town guard. She doesn’t need you at all, Ghassan. She knows that turning over a notorious pirate captain would likely garner her the governor’s support, but not as much as she would get if she also provided at least circumstantial evidence that you were in league with me and had sold out your own navy. Imagine what the governor would do for her then.”

Ghassan blinked.

“I know she can’t be trusted, Samir, but are you sure about all of this?”

“You can either believe me and we can get the hell out of here and somewhere safe, or you can wait a couple of minutes for hard evidence to turn up and take you into custody. I told you a few weeks ago that my offer would remain open. You’ve done your duty Ghassan; all there is left now is punishment and ignominy. Come with me and we can work it all out.”

“I’m not cut out for piracy, Samir” Ghassan replied, shaking his head “You know that.”

His brother rolled his eyes.

“Are you cut out for jail, beatings and executions? Come on.”

For a moment, Ghassan dithered, staring at his brother and then, taking a deep breath, he strode across to the door, still standing ajar. Ducking to one side, he peered through the gap. A number of uniformed figures lurked by the doorways opposite.

“She sinks to a new low every time I see her. What are they waiting for, Samir?”

“Either they’re not all here yet, or they’re waiting on a signal from Asima or, more likely, they’re waiting for their men to block all the alleys and streets leading away from here. They’ve got to seal us in.”

Ghassan nodded.

“I’m assuming you have a plan?”

“I used to put together all the most complicated roof races, didn’t I?” Samir smiled.

“You almost got us killed so many times.”

“Yes, but we’re bigger and stronger now, Ghassan. And no guard in M’Dahz knows the roofs like we do. How’s your memory?”

Ghassan shrugged as he bent and stuffed the various items he had on the nearby cupboard into a bag.

“Depends where you’re thinking of heading?”

“My ship’s going to be in trouble. Either it’s already under the control of the guard and the men are in custody or the crew have taken her out to sea to be safe. Either way, though, we’re going to have to get to the port and find out.”

Ghassan shrugged.

“Then we need to take ‘Four Temples’, cross by the dye factory, turn once we’re over ‘Broken Promises’, down into ‘Coppersmiths’ and across the five warehouses. That’ll bring us to the port on the west, away from the gate.”

Samir laughed.

“You see, I would have foregone ‘Coppersmiths’ and taken the long jump over ‘Seven Gables’. Quicker.”

Ghassan reached out and squeezed his brother’s shoulder.

“You keep coming back for me, Samir. I do nothing but try to take you in, and yet you come to my aid every time. How can I be worth all the effort? I’m no better in some ways than Asima.”

The smaller brother shook his head.

“You’ve always done what you thought was right, even when it hurt you. You’re in no way the same as Asima and you know it. Now come on.”

Ghassan grabbed his bag and nodded as the two men turned and made for the small staircase in the corner of the room. At the foot, Samir stopped and stepped aside, gesturing for Ghassan to go first. The taller brother frowned, but took a step upwards and suddenly cried out.

Samir blinked and reached out to grab his brother as the taller man fell back from the stairs, a knife protruding from his thigh. The two men staggered back against the wall, Ghassan’s leg unable to take the weight with the painful wound.

“Leaving so soon, boys?”

They looked back to the door to see Asima standing in the open archway, her hand still raised from throwing the weapon.

“No rooftop races, today, gentlemen. You’re my ticket back to Pelasia, so I’m afraid I can’t let you leave.”

Ghassan clenched his teeth as he reached down and pulled the knife from his leg with a grunt A spurt of blood gushed out and down his leg.

“Asima? You going to keep two of my fingers to give the governor as a gift?”

Samir frowned.

“Forget her. Come on.”

The sound of metal outside testified to the closing presence of the guards. They had seconds only.

“Go, Samir.”

The pirate stared at his brother, who was wincing from the pain in his leg.

“I’m not leaving you again, Ghassan.”

“Yes you are. I’m yours, Samir. You already knew that somehow, and now so do I, but not at the moment. Come back for me when you’re safe.”

For a long moment, Samir stared at his brother, but finally nodded.

“No, no, no…” came a voice from across the room

Asima was already rushing past the low table and, as she moved, she drew another knife from her belt. Samir shook his head, but Ghassan turned and pushed him into the stairwell and urging him to go before turning back to meet the assault of their childhood friend. Asima lunged like a wild animal, snarling as she swiped the sharp blade back and forth at Ghassan’s face.

She was untrained. She may be angry and dangerous, but Ghassan had dealt with killers his whole adult life. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his leg, he twisted and threw up his arm inside her last swing, blocking her attack. Reaching up, he grasped her wrist so hard that he feared he may break it. Asima’s fingers loosened and the knife fell from her hand, but there was no easing of her vicious attack, as she leaned forward and sank her teeth into his hand, the incisors meeting between his thumb and forefinger. He howled and, reaching back, delivered her a stinging back-handed slap with his free arm.

Asima fell away to the floor, stunned, and Ghassan looked up, blood running down his hand and arm and dripping into the growing pool below him on the floor. Half a dozen guards stood in the entrance to the room. He smiled weakly.

“I don’t suppose any of you gentlemen thought to bring a bandage?”

Sighing, he sank to his knees as the guards fanned out around him, weapons at the ready.

In which old games are revived

Samir clambered through the open window and dropped to the dusty rooftop below. Behind, he could still hear the activity in the main room and was suddenly faced with a problem. He needed to know where Ghassan and Asima were bound, but within moments there would be guards pouring up the stairs in pursuit of this infamous pirate captain, while their fellows already occupied the nearby streets and would see him jump between roofs if they were paying attention. Problems… and very little time to decide on a course of action.