Steamsworn (Steamborn Series Book 3) (25 page)

Cage frowned and shifted to look at Gladys. She’d only just pulled away from Alice. “Is that true?”

Gladys hesitated and then nodded. “He’s dead now.”

Alice shifted her feet, and her discomfort was obvious.

“My thanks to you. Please, join us by the fire. We have much to discuss.” Cage moved with an easy grace. In every sparring lesson Jacob had ever had, be it with Charles or Samuel or even his dad, they’d told him to watch for men like Cage. Watch for them, and stay the hell out of their way.

Two dozen people huddled around the fire pit at the center of the tent. Men and women alike, some injured, some old, some so young that Jacob thought of them as children, not more than twelve or thirteen years old if he had to guess.

There was a burst of static from Smith’s collar. Jacob turned to look at the tinker as he fumbled at the transmitter. Smith rolled a small dial to turn up the volume.

Mary’s voice sounded faint and tinny. “Smith, respond. I lost sight of you at the tent.”

Smith looked around the tent and clicked his transmitter. “We are in good company. Hold your position, and we will know more shortly.”

“You’re breaking up …” Another burst of static came from Smith’s collar. “Holding position until further …”

“It’s the wires,” Cage said as he pointed up at the tent. “We’re shielded here, mostly. Our transmitter is in another tent, though it’s powered down. Fel seems to have learned to sweep for the signals. They took down our broadcasting safe houses in the span of a few hours after the base fell.

“Come, join our discussion, please.” Cage ushered them closer to the fire pit.

Jacob almost felt like he already knew everyone there. That’s what it was like to have a common cause.

Cage opened his arms and spread them wide. “Welcome to the resistance.”

*     *     *

There were brief
introductions, but they were almost all of Jacob and his allies. Most of the men and women around the fire stayed silent, save Cage. He had obviously taken on the role of leader, and it was doubtful anyone could challenge him for it.

Samuel laid out his idea about taking the railcars to Ancora. Cage watched as the Spider Knight used a piece of burnt wood to draw the plan out across the pale stone floor.

“It could work,” Cage said with a nod.

“What kind of weapons do you have? And do you have enough?” Samuel looked around the tent. “This is not enough soldiers to fight an army.”

Someone on the opposite side of the fire pit whispered, “Do we trust them?”

Cage glanced at Jacob and Smith and Gladys in turn. “I don’t see any real choice. Dauschen’s part in this is done. The base is destroyed and most of the soldiers have moved on to Ancora. You can stay in Dauschen and wait for the Butcher to return, but if it’s my time to die, I’d rather spend it fighting against a madman.”

Jacob crossed his legs and leaned forward. “The Butcher is not a madman.”

Angry murmurs rose around the fire pit. Protests and accusations and suspicions that made Jacob’s skin crawl. From the sound of it, some of these people actually thought
he
worked for the Butcher. The man who helped destroy his home, his city, his family!

“Stop it!” Jacob snarled. “We’re from the Lowlands in Ancora! Do you understand what that means? Do you! They sent an army of Red Death through the walls of Ancora. I don’t even know how many people they killed, but I saw the dead and the Carrion Worms that claimed them.

“Bodies piled to the second and third stories of what buildings weren’t crushed in the waves. The base?” Jacob pointed out toward where he thought the smoking ruin was still burning. “The soldiers that we buried out there? The Lowlands were twenty times that size, or more. All that remained when we left was death. But it was not the act of a madman. It was a calculated attack. Read
The Dead Scourge
if you want to know more about what drives the Butcher. Archibald knew him, and so did Charles.”

“You understand now?” Cage asked, his gaze focused on a group of men and women at the back of the gathering. “These are not the Butcher’s pawns here to lead us into a trap. These are allies, even the Princess of Midstream, here to bury him.”

A small frown crossed Jacob’s face. He hadn’t realized Cage was setting him up, prodding him in just the right way to make him convince these people to join them. Cage was too smart for his own good. Jacob exchanged a glance with Smith. The tinker gave a minuscule shrug.

A sad old man stood up and stepped into the edge of the light. “You’ve made your point. We will fight with the resistance. For my son, and his mother, I will join you.”

“For my little girl,” a woman said as she joined the old man.

More and more people stood up, and a few raised their fists in a Steamsworn salute.

“For my wife, who the Butcher hung from the walls.”

“For Rebecca!”

“For my brothers.”

“For the Steamsworn.”

“For the Northlands.”

The pledges and declarations continued for a solid minute before Cage raised his arms in a call for silence. In the empty air that followed, he said only, “We may not fight for you, but we will fight with you.”

Jacob inclined his head. “I can ask no more.”

Cage took a deep breath and turned to George. “Do you know where the gates to the old cemetery are? Near the hot springs?”

“I do,” Samuel said.

“Good. Meet us there. We’ll have to tear down the old wall between the stations.” Cage turned to one of the older men beside the fire pit. “Gather the others. We make for the underground. And Ancora.”

*     *     *

Jacob clenched his
hands on the Skysworn’s railing and watched the tent city below them come to life. “Look at them all.”

Alice joined him and leaned into his arm. “It’s more than I would have thought.”

He nodded slowly. The resistance was larger than Jacob thought possible too. A line of men and women half a mile long began the march across Dauschen, weaving through the tents and out into the cobblestone streets. What would take those on foot almost an hour to traverse would be covered by the Skysworn in minutes.

“Alice!”

Jacob and Alice both turned toward the voice. Smith stood at the hatch to the pilot’s cabin. He motioned for them to come closer. When they were only a few steps away, he said, “Samuel is discussing the layout of the old station.”

Alice grabbed Jacob’s arm and led him past Smith. Inside, Samuel leaned against the dashboard in front of Mary, pointing toward a mountain peak.

“It’s at the base of that mountain. Can’t miss the graveyard. It’s all white stone.”

Smith stepped past Gladys and George and leaned against the wall beside Drakkar. “Tell us.”

“The station,” Samuel said, looking around the group. “Okay. Cage was right when he said it was closed off. They boarded it up years ago, after they opened the new station above ground. Back when the trade routes really began to solidify with Ancora and Cave.”

Alice frowned. “If the tracks lead to the new station, how do we get the railcars onto them?”

“There’s a switch at the trestle. Fel’s soldiers would’ve had to use it to get the personnel carriers onto the tracks too, so I’m sure it’s still functional.”

“What do you mean by boarded up?” Smith asked.

“Last time I was there, it was just wood. They hadn’t completely sealed it, so we’ll need to watch for bugs, but there should be a barrier about fourteen feet high.”

“Solid?”

Samuel shrugged. “Solid enough, but we can cut the supports out without too much effort.”

“What kind of railcars are down there?” George asked. “I have no desire to pump a manual engine all the way from here to Ancora.”

Samuel huffed out a laugh. “No, they’re all steam powered. It’s the old brass carriers they used to use for civilians.”

“Those will not be fast,” Smith said.

“Faster than walking.”

“That is little consolation when we need to get to Ancora at speed.”

Mary glanced back at Smith. “I’m going to take the Skysworn into the mountains behind Ancora. If something goes wrong, or you need a quick escape, I’ll be close.”

“You could stay here and support Warship One,” Smith said.

Mary shook her head. “There’s nothing I can do that ship can’t do for itself. The infantry has already swept Dauschen and removed any soldiers wearing Fel’s colors. Whatever forces remain are hidden and aren’t a threat.”

Smith tugged on the glove covering his forearm beneath the bolt gun. “I would not be so sure after that display with Ballern’s fleet.”

Mary offered a small smile. “I’d need gunners for that, and the only men I trust will be below ground in Ancora.”

“Has Archibald contacted you?”

“No,” Mary said. “All of our channels are static. We’re on our own for now.”

Smith drummed his fingers on his leg.

Mary locked her gaze on him. “They’re fine.”

Jacob stared at Smith’s gloves for a moment and then glanced at Alice. She was already wearing a heavy nail glove, the same glove she’d used to kill Rana. Her hand flexed, stretching the leather and webbing where she’d tightened it around her knuckles.

He pulled the locker open behind the jump seats. Inside were three more bolt guns, including the one he’d modified. Jacob unlocked the clamp on the hanger and slid the brass and leather construction out of storage.

“Don’t forget the bolts,” Samuel said.

The bolt gun itself held a full belt of ammunition, but that would only buy him twelve shots. Jacob pulled open the crate at the bottom of the locker and took two of the tightly-rolled belts for himself before tossing another pair to Smith.

Smith nodded and tucked them into a wide pocket on his dark leather pants. “Two more, if you would.”

Jacob complied. There were at least six more belts in the bottom of the locker, but there were two more bolt guns as well. “Should we leave the rest?”

“How many?” Smith asked.

Jacob bent down to dig through the crate. There were two more in the corners, and another pair that had fallen out of the crate. “Looks like ten belts and two guns.”

“I only need one gun,” Mary said. “Leave me four belts and I’m good.”

Smith looked at Mary and turned back to Jacob. “Leave her six. We will take an extra gun and the rest of the belts. George, are you armed?”

“Of course,” the guard said. “As is the Princess.”

“With more than blades?”

George brushed his leather cloak to the side to reveal a multi-gun holster that made Jacob curse.

“How many
is
that?” Jacob asked.

“Six for an easy draw and two for a cross-body draw.”

“Right,” Smith said. “Samuel? I know you are familiar with bolt guns. The Spider Knight’s train against them.”

Samuel hesitated and then nodded. “How did you know that?”

“Spies,” Smith said. “It is how we know most of what we know.” He tossed the tangle of leather and brass to Samuel.

Samuel caught it easily.

“Will it fit over your vambrace?” Smith asked.

Samuel tapped the silver plate across his forearm and nodded. He slid the straps over his knuckles and flexed his wrist, making sure the barrels cleared his hand.

“Been shot in the finger before?” Mary asked.

Samuel gave her half a smile. “No, but I saw it once. Nasty business.” He finished strapping the buckles down and released the safety. The cylinder expanded, giving him just a bit more clearance. Samuel spun the barrels and made a fist. “Looks good.” He pushed in on the central barrel, and the entire cylinder collapsed up against his wrist. The safety held it in check after that.

Mary stood up and leaned toward the windscreen. “We’re here.”

I
f there was
one thing Jacob was sure of, it was that jumping out of an airship would never get old. His boots cracked against the stone walkway before he snapped the belayer off the landing line. Alice landed moments later. She hadn’t left much room for error.

Drakkar came down behind her, his cloak snapping in the mountain breeze, and almost disappearing before the gray stonework of the cemetery gates. “You are getting fast.”