Exploitable Weaknesses by Brian Keller (red queen free ebook txt) 📗

Cooper became serious as he looked across them, “Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that. A missing patrol would bring attention too close to home. When wagons go past houses at night, rain or no rain, folks often look out their windows to see.” Still, if a patrol stopped them, he had to admit Rukle had summed it up fairly well.

Cooper gave some final instructions, “Assuming we all live through this, freed Guild members get moved into one of the Houses in Miller’s Flats. Non-Guild prisoners get moved to another, temporarily. Once they’ve been housed, Rukle, Loryn and Spen, get back here and start guard shifts. The rest of us will get people settled, then decide what to do with the horses and wagons.

Birt asked, “Those non-Guild prisoners, what are we going to do with them once they’re settled?” Cooper had a reply prepared, “Those that have desirable skills and are interested, we might recruit, even if only to set them up with a franchise business here in the Ruins. Those who are not interested, or have no value to us, we’ll feed them, clothe them, and provide care for any illnesses or wounds, then send them on their way. We might consider leaving that House vacant for a month or so afterward.” Birt seemed satisfied with that answer and nodded his assent.

Cooper looked at each person, “Any questions?” There were no further replies, “Then load up. We have firewood for sale and blankets to hand out. Rain is on the way.”

Chapter 9 

By the time they’d reached the quarry, the breeze had stiffened into a light, but determined wind. The drizzle that had begun to fall as they rode through town had increased to form raindrops that fell with increasing frequency as they left town and approached the quarry. The raindrops were settling the dust, but the roads hadn’t become muddy yet. They were all dressed as common tradesmen, and women. Balat pulled his woolen cloak tighter around his chin as protection as a gust of wind pushed the rain a little sideways, and grumbled, “Maybe we should keep the horses and wagons… sure beats walking.” Gaff leaned forward to reply, “Sure, and we’ll leave you in charge of mucking out the stables. Once they’re built, that is.” Balat nodded, “We’ve nowhere to put them… point taken.”

They drew nearer to the quarry and could see that there were no people on the scaffolding. Several crews had already been chained together and they were carrying or dragging stones to the central work area. The guards stopped the wagons well outside the boundaries of the quarry. Three guards approached while four others stayed further back. All had swords and crossbows. The bows were already loaded and pulled taut. One of the three guards called out, “State yer business!” Birt and Cooper were seated forward in the lead wagon. Birt yelled, “We’re bringin’ a load o’ firewood ta sell ya. There’s a bunch o’ blankets fer the prisoners in th’ next wagon. Donated, they are. We wuz asked ta bring ‘em wit’ us.” The three guards passed them to look over the side of the second wagon. The one who had spoken before turned back to Birt, “Donated, ya say? By who?” Birt shrugged under the heavy cloak, “Dunno. Din’ say, and we din’ ask. Jes’ someone sendin’ ‘em out fer the prisoners. We wuz comin’ thisaway anyway, so we wuz paid a little extra ta haul ‘em along.” One of the other guards chuckle loudly, “Blankets for the prisoners, eh. I’ll say we need to inspect ‘em.” The other nodded, “Yep. Might have to test ‘em, too. What do you think, sarge?” The first guard looked over the blankets again then told Dailen, who was holding the reins, “Take yer wagon up to that building.” He pointed at the guard house and continued to give instructions, “Stack ‘em up just inside the door. Don’t go inside any further than you need to. Got it?” Dailen nodded and the second guard laughed again, “Yep. I’ll inspect a couple of those tonight.” The three guards walked back to the first wagon, and the Sergeant asked Birt, “No problem with that, right?” Birt shrugged, “I din’t pay for ‘em. We wuz jes paid ta bring ‘em here. They’s sposed ta go to the prisoners, but wadda we care?” Birt turned around on his seat and waved Dailen forward. Birt faced back to the sergeant, “This wood we took ta th’ market this mornin’. Sold all we had on that wagon.” He jerked a thumb at the wagon Dailen was driving past, “Then folks saw the rain comin’ and started headin’ back indoors. I can’t see goin’ back home wit’ a loaded wagon, and someone said you might buy it.” Birt added a note of suspicion to his voice, “It wuz the same man that had the blankets, so I hope he din’t tell us that jes ta get us ta haul his blankets fer him.”

The sergeant stepped back, looking uncertain, “Well, the city sends out carts of wood every coupla weeks. We don’t buy any.” Cooper smirked as he noticed that Birt grew a little red in the face. He thought, “I’ll have to ask how he does that.” Birt let loose with a short outburst of verbiage that he could’ve only learned from Paleros back alleys. This brought a chuckle from the sergeant, who managed to reply, “That doesn’t mean we won’t buy it.” He turned to one of the other men and ordered, “Get Cookie.” The other guard hesitated and replied, “He won’t wanna come out in this.” The man glanced skyward at the darkening sky. The rain had begun. The sergeant snarled, “He’ll come out if you tell him I said so. Now git movin’!” The other guard fairly hopped as he started toward the guard house.

Shortly after that guard entered, another man exited, draping a cloak over his head.