A God Among Thieves (Book One) (The Chimera Series 1) by Jackson Lear

Author:Jackson Lear [Lear, Jackson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jackson Lear
Published: 2017-04-22T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

The reinforced door slammed shut on Lazden. In front of him were eleven petty criminals picked up that night in Navr and one other Moqaran guard. Jadiro’s eyes rounded off his resignation. Lazden’s arrival looked a lot more like a capture than a daring rescue.

The lieutenant crossed the cramped room, took one look at the state of the floor, and opted to remain standing. “You okay?”

Jadiro rose to his feet. “I’ve had a shitty day.”

“Did they interrogate you?”

“Some basic questions, nothing too bad. I’m guessing the bulk of it will happen later.”

One of the other prisoners, his face a bloodied mess and so intoxicated that he couldn’t stand, leaned to one side and puked. Another prisoner gagged, cupped his hand to his mouth, and swallowed a burp of bile. The drunkard snorted, snorted again, decided that he wasn’t completely done yet, cleared his throat with a gurgling cough, spat, and tried to clear his mouth of vomit.

“Allllll day,” muttered Jadiro.

The ground was covered in patchy straw. One corner of the cell had been designated for the prisoners to relieve themselves. Most of the men had been in there for several hours. Some for days. The cell was washed once a week. Lazden held a hand over his nose, his eyes already starting to water.

“How did they get you?” asked Jadiro.

Lazden swept his eyes over the prisoners before answering. Most were sitting on the ground, their backs against the wall. Some tried to curl up and sleep.

“In a brothel,” said Lazden, peering at the unfamiliar faces.

“Hey?”

Lazden craned his head around, lazily locking eyes with Jadiro before flicking his eyes across the others in the cell. He just had to hope that Jadiro hadn’t blurted out his life story to anyone in there. Lazden padded himself against his chest and hips, right where his weapons would be.

“They took my cigars as well.” He was surprised that he didn’t need to explain bringing firearms and a saber into the city, but that was because the inquisitor’s men didn’t ask him any questions. They simply frisked him, booked him, and tossed him into the cell.

“What now?” asked Jadiro.

“With any luck, we’ll be in front of a judge in the morning.” He chose not to add, ‘and a firing squad in the afternoon.’ Perhaps the men in the cell knew more about his likely future than he did. They were, after all, locals.

Jadiro glared back at him, a look of, ‘seriously, what now?’

Lazden picked a spot nearby, squatted down with his feet flat and his back against the wall, and tried to figure out which of the prisoners could be the most help, and who was the inquisitor’s inside man.

Something else pricked at his mind. Sunset had come and gone. He had completely forgotten that at every sunset he was to find Moqara and wave to Reina. And how easily he had forgotten as well, his mind consumed with the goings-on of the city around him.

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