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He had Ali stay hidden behind an old office space where she’d be able to see the top of the wall without being seen herself. The idea seemed a little crazy, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Several torch lights flickered nearby, keeping the town center lit against the darkness. Nik lit a torch of his own before heading toward the wall. He didn’t have to reach the wall itself. Just close enough to catch their attention.
He hid behind another building, hoping they wouldn’t see the light emitting from his presence. A quick scan across the top of the wall told him no one was facing inward. They were all facing toward the outside, watching for intruders. Good.
A wooden cart sat at the bottom of the wall. They frequently used it on missions, and it stayed parked at the entrance to Rysburg when it wasn’t in use. Nik steeled himself, breathing calmly, and braced for what he was about to do.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he ran briskly but quietly toward the cart, tossing his torch into the center. There were still a few broken pieces of wood left in the bottom from past missions. They quickly caught fire as he ran back toward the shadows.
It didn’t take long for the entire cart to go up in flames. Shouts and frantic movement stirred from atop the wall while he dashed between buildings, carefully making his way back to Ali.
When he reached her, he was breathless and sweating.
“Well?”
“He’s not there. He’s not on the wall,” Ali said, her voice frail and broken. She was devastated that Eli was nowhere to be found.
She looked at him, and understanding dawned on her face. “We’re not getting out today, are we?”
His shoulders slumped, and he pulled her in close. “I don’t think we are.”
***
Chapter Thirty
Eli wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. The night shift was significantly cooler than the day shift. But it was also more peaceful. He gazed out at the forest surrounding Rysburg and praised the gods that they’d soon be on their way, far away from this town. Bringing Nik along was a small price to pay for his freedom.
He fidgeted nervously. He wasn’t sure exactly when they’d be coming, but he knew he’d have to wait for night to fall. Dusk still lingered in the sky.
Eli had only been at the top of the wall for half an hour when he heard another guard climbing up the ladder, the wooden steps creaking beneath his weight. His shoulders tensed as the sound set him on edge. He was supposed to be on watch alone tonight.
He’d spent much of his time ensuring that his coworkers found him to be trustworthy for precisely this scenario. It was a bad sign that they’d sent another guard to stay with him. He shifted with unease as he thought of ways to get rid of the second guard. Maybe he’d just strangle him when Ali and Nik showed up. The morbid thought made him shiver, but he knew deep down he would do it. He’d do whatever it took.
The man didn’t even bother to greet him. “You’re wanted back at headquarters. I’m here to relieve you.”
Fear rippled through his body. Did they know? Had they somehow found out about Nik’s plan? His heart raced. This couldn’t be happening. Their plan began to unravel before him.
“What do you mean? What do they want?”
The man sneered and shook his head. He looked like he would rather be anywhere else than up here talking to scum like Eli. Most of the other guards had warmed up to him, accepting him as one of their own, or at least treating him with neutrality. But others, like this guard, saw him as a captive, property of Rysburg and inferior to them. “How would I know? I was just told to come take your place.”
Eli gritted his teeth. He needed to stay calm and stay in control. It wouldn’t do any good to panic. He wasn’t even sure why he was being called back to base. Maybe he could go quickly and take care of whatever they wanted and be back before Nik and Ali showed up. It was still early.
“Fine,” he spat, shoving past the guard.
He hurried down the ladder and headed toward the guard headquarters, attached to the backside of the town hall in the center of the village. He passed several villagers along the way and had an uneasy feeling that they could see right through him, that they knew he was up to something. Did it show on his face?
Eli’s supervisor was hovering over a table when he pushed through the large wooden door. Papers scattered on the surface appeared to show a map of the area surrounding Rysburg and little crosses were dispersed across them. Likely the places they’d searched already.
“I was told you needed to see me?” Eli managed to keep the shakiness from his voice.
“Yes.” The man ran a hand over his scruffy beard. He looked tired, like he was juggling one too many responsibilities. “A few more people were called in for the scouting mission, so we need to rearrange a little. I need you to help guard the arsenal. They’re expecting you, so if you could just—”
“I’d really rather guard the wall if that’s okay,” Eli interrupted, his nervousness revealing itself in his tone. This wouldn’t work. He needed to be at the wall tonight, not in the arsenal. This would ruin their plan and they were so close, so close to leaving.
The supervisor looked up from the table and fixed his eyes on Eli with a scowl. “No, that’s not okay.” There was a hint of challenge in his tone, daring Eli to disagree.
Eli was torn. There was no way to argue his case without it looking suspicious, but he couldn’t just give up.
