Chương 62: Chapter 56: Darkness Calling

Cold water splashed across Jack's face, pulling his consciousness to the surface. He sucked in a breath, choking as pain lanced through his skull. His vision swam, and the only other thing he could sense was the stone pressed against his spine and the burning sensation in his wrists. He blinked, clearing his senses. He was seated on a ledge and bound by rope to a pillar holding up the stone roof.

It was all he could do to recognize that he was still in the sewers when his head jerked back as fingers seized his hair and wrenched his face upward. Light bloomed across his vision as the movement nearly made him throw up. He definitely had a concussion. A lantern swung gently in front of him, its glow reflecting off wet stone and narrow tunnels stretching into darkness on either side. A woman stood before him. The same woman he had chased into the alley trying to rescue.

Her hair was loose now, dark curls framing a face lit with satisfaction. There was no fear in her eyes, only slight amusement and anger that spoke of the pain he was likely to endure soon. He had seen her type of sadism before.

"Well," she said lightly.

"You woke faster than most. I was hoping it would take a few slaps, but we will have time for that eventually." Jack tried to speak, but before he could, she pulled a strip of cloth tight across his mouth, muffling his words. She tied it with practiced ease, her fingers quick and sure, then stepped back to admire her work.

"Oh, don't look so glum. I'm in control here, so you'd better get used to it," she said.

"Besides, this is for my benefit, not yours. I've always hated interruptions." It was then that he noticed the two men entering behind her. The thugs from the alley. One moved to lean against the wall, his arms crossed, watching Jack with dull amusement. The other crouched to adjust the lantern, angling the light for a better view.

"It was a clean grab," the first chuckled.

"Didn't even get the chance to scream."

"She'll still scream. You can count on that. Now, where were we?" she replied, tapping her chin. She turned back to Jack, clasping her hands behind her back as she began to pace.

"I admit, when they said you were the sort to run headlong into danger, I assumed it was an exaggeration. Men usually hesitate, weigh the odds, or ask questions." She stopped in front of him and crouched, bringing her face level with his. The image of her pretty face was ruined by her rancid breath. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"You didn't." Jack tested the ropes, his muscles tightening. The ropes creaked, but the knots held. Her smile widened as she watched him struggle.

"Yes. Just like that. Strain… Test… Hope…" She rose smoothly.

"I like a captive audience," she continued.

"You don't have much choice, but it still counts." One of the men chuckled.

"Told you he'd try."

"Of course he would," she said.

"He thinks he can still win." She gestured, and the second man stepped forward, his fist slamming into Jack's ribs. Pain exploded through his side. Jack gasped, the gag muffling the sound. The woman watched closely, her head tilted.

"Do you know what irritates me most about people like you?" she asked.

"It's not the power. Or the speeches. It's the assumption." She took a knife from her belt. Not a dagger. A thin, precise blade, easily concealed but large enough to do real damage in the hands of a professional. It was clear she knew how to use it.

"You think you can wander in and disrupt other people's work and walk away untouched." She pressed the flat of the blade beneath Jack's chin, lifting his head.

"You embarrassed the wrong people." The first man nodded.

"The guild doesn't forget slights of that magnitude." Maybe this thug had some brains after all. Jack added that to his calculations. He would need as much information as possible if he was going to get out of here alive.

"Oh, this isn't about forgetting," she said.

"This is about balancing the ledger." She stepped back and gestured again. Another blow landed. Then another. Jack's vision blurred. His breaths came sharp and shallow as the beatings continued. She let it go on just long enough. His vision swam again. Jack could tell he was nearing unconsciousness.

"You see," she continued, her voice calm, almost conversational as she played with her knife, "our last leader made mistakes. Between me and you, his brother was always the brains of the operation, but he was charming and handsome, so people naturally followed him. He even won me to his bed. Somewhere along the line, his ego grew too big and he started to make decisions on his own. He trusted the wrong men, took risks we couldn't afford, and in the end ignored his brother's advice." Her eyes gleamed.

She wasn't in mourning. It was clear to Jack that she couldn't, this was simply pleasure disguised as revenge.

"He paid for that," she said simply before moving behind Jack. Her fingers danced across his shoulder. A spider playing with its food. It felt like she was trying to seduce him, but to Jack it was revolting.

"And now you will too." She stepped back into view, her knife poised to strike.

"I would have let someone else finish this," she admitted.

"But I owe it to myself to see this one through. Plus, it's been a while since I had someone under my knife." She drew back her arm once more, and a sound cut through the tunnel. A sharp whistle followed by a wet crack. The man by the entrance stiffened, then collapsed, an arrow buried deep in his back. The lantern swung wildly, falling to the floor. The woman spun, her blade flashing in the dim light. Another whistle filled the darkness. The second thug went down hard, clutching his leg and screaming.

A figure stood at the edge of the lantern's light. The torturer's confidence fractured.

"Who are you?" she demanded. No answer. The woman snarled and hid herself behind Jack the best she could, holding her knife out in front of him like a shield.

"If I'm going to lose this," she whispered in his ear, "you're coming with me." She plunged the knife forward, and pain detonated in Jack's stomach. The world lurched. Another arrow flew. The woman staggered back, her weapon slipping from her grasp. Jack barely noticed. Darkness rushed in from the edges of his vision while blood spilled warm and fast. The last thing he saw was the hooded figure moving toward him. Then everything went black.