Hurst by Robin Crumby (i read books .TXT) 📕

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Inside the Tudor fortress, Tommy and the others were barricading doorways and fortifying firing positions with anything they could get their hands on. Overturned beds and mattresses were dragged against windows overlooking the courtyard. Tommy was confident that if the invaders did get through the gate, they would be walking into a kill zone. Anything and anyone that came through would be cut to shreds. It would be a turkey shoot.

When the last of the charges exploded, the blast reverberated in the enclosed space. The deafening sound rumbled throughout the Tudor complex and network of dark tunnels and chambers beneath their feet. For a few long seconds following the explosion, nothing happened. No one dared come through the doorway. Tommy and the others stood ready, guns trained on the gap, where light now streamed through from a high-powered torch or lantern.

Something metallic came skidding through the doorway, followed by the now familiar pop and hiss of a smoke canister as it came to rest in the middle of the courtyard. One of the defenders emerged from the shadows to try and kick the grenade back where it came from. A hail of fire threw him back against the wall where he slid down, clutching a wound to the chest. He disappeared from view, shrouded in an impenetrable cloud of orange gas that began to fill the courtyard. The cloud rose inexorably towards Jamie and the men on the roof of the Gun Tower. They could now see nothing at all below them and scanned for any shapes or movement. They could hear footsteps and one man fired on instinct towards the source of the noise. Standing to see if he’d hit anything, there was a loud crack and the man to Jamie’s right went down. The others dropped lower behind the parapet and waited. The attackers were inside the Tudor castle. There was nothing now between them and taking control of the whole complex. Only the Gun Tower now remained secure.

The fire fight was over. For a few minutes, there was an eerie silence, bar the cries for help from the wounded on both sides. Tommy peered out the window into the courtyard from behind a curtain in the Gun Tower.

From beyond the damaged gate, he heard a measured hand clap. One of the men below spoke in a slow deliberate voice, imbued with a calm authority that reminded Tommy of a high-court judge delivering his sentence to a condemned man. “Bravo, bravo. You have fought well. History will remember your bravery. But enough is enough. There is no need for any more of you to die unnecessarily. Lay down your weapons and come out from your hiding places with your arms raised. This is not a battle you can win.”

The voice paused, its words echoing around the battlements. Tommy looked on, his face hidden, aware of faces pressed together behind him, trying to get a look at the silhouetted figure behind the disembodied voice in the darkness. He looked over his shoulder and studied their faces. They looked defeated, the fight gone from them.

Outside, a figure dressed in black emerged from the archway, marching two prisoners ahead of him, using one as a shield, a pistol held to the side of his head. Tommy recognised the human shield immediately. It was Jackson, one of the recent arrivals. Jackson stared straight back at the window where Tommy was hiding as if he could see him as clear as day, despite the near darkness. It chilled Tommy to the bone, knowing that they would have to choose between surrender and watching his friend be executed.

“If you surrender now, I give you my word that no one else from Hurst will die tonight.” The speaker’s sense of theatre was not lost on others. He seemed to be relishing this moment of drama, milking the tension on both sides, knowing eyes were watching his every move, wondering what he would do next.

There was silence. Tommy stayed completely still, his mind racing. What would his father have done in this situation? A thought occurred to him and he smiled in spite of the circumstances.

“Of course, if you do not surrender, I can assure you, you will all die,” continued the voice from below. “Of that be absolutely certain. Starting with these two right here.” He jabbed the gun in Jackson’s neck and kicked out his legs from behind so that he fell forward onto his hands and knees, gasping with pain.

“I will give you five minutes to consider my offer. Surrender and live. Or fight and die.”

Tommy let the curtain fall back into place and crouched down below the window to confer with Nathan, their backs pressed against the wall. There seemed no way they could win this fight. Surrender now and they could avoid further bloodshed, but could they trust this man to keep his word? What did they want anyway? To seize control of Hurst? To steal their food and supplies? Or was there some other motive?

They had put up a good fight, Tommy was sure of that. Including the two he had killed or wounded, he estimated at least ten of them had been injured, but guessed there were at least as many attackers again. All told, the Hurst defenders far outnumbered them, but were poorly armed. In their favour, however, they held the high ground and could pick off anyone who entered the inner courtyard. With a bit of luck, they might be able to hold out here for days, even weeks with the food and water they already had. If they could just get word to their allies, then perhaps they could survive the siege or fight their way out. It was a risky move. If only Jack was here, he would know what to do.

Tommy surveyed the faces of those around him and made up his mind. They should play for time. Try and reason with this man holding Hurst to ransom and find out what he wanted.

With the window pushed open a few inches, Tommy called out, “We appreciate the offer and everything.” He shook his head, hearing his own words. That just sounded weird. Nathan patted him encouragingly on the shoulder. Tommy swallowed hard before continuing. “But before we give you our response, we have some questions for you.”

The man below laughed. “Very well. I will allow you three questions. Use them wisely.”

Tommy closed his eyes, trying to organise his thoughts. His first question tripped out before he could think it through. “Why are you here?” He flinched, cursing himself. It was a dumb question.

“Why are we here?” he repeated in a mocking voice, mimicking Tommy’s nasal twang. “Isn’t it obvious? You have something we need. A mutual friend told us everything. Need I say more?”

“Perhaps if you could be a bit more specific, we could come to some kind of arrangement?” offered Tommy tentatively, beginning to relax a little.

“You misunderstand,” he replied, shaking his head. “You are in no position to negotiate. Hurst has a debt to pay.”

Tommy exchanged puzzled glances with Nathan, who was mouthing the word “debt”. What debt was he talking about and who was this mutual friend? Perhaps they had captured Jack or Terra or even Zed. He opted to play for more time, trying to gather more pieces of the puzzle.

“If we surrender, what guarantees can you give us that we will be allowed to leave here in peace?”

“My word is my bond.” He clapped his right hand to his heart sanctimoniously.

“You mentioned a debt. What debt?”

“Your men attacked us, killed my men. You took something that does not belong to you.”

“We know nothing about an attack. I’m telling you, it wasn’t us.”

The man wagged his finger. “You’ve had your three questions. I need your decision. Do I have your surrender?”

Tommy paused, remembering the many nights they had played poker. “Play the man opposite you,” Jack would say. It didn’t matter if you held a pair of twos. Tommy took a deep breath and gambled.

“I suggest you look around you. You’re outnumbered. Whoever your mutual friend is, they did not tell you the whole truth. Your men have walked into a trap. Below your feet is a network of tunnels. Right now, a small army is readying itself to fight. You caught us cold once, but it won’t happen again. Last chance. Leave now. What debt could possibly be worth this?”

“If you knew what was taken…” He paused. “You’re bluffing.”

“I wouldn’t count on it. Why don’t you tell us what you want and maybe we can come to an arrangement.”

The man in black laughed. “I’m growing tired of your childish games. Either you’re playing a very dangerous game, or you really have no idea what your men did.” He looked at his feet and the hostage on his knees, a gun still pressed to the side of his head. “Very well. Your group broke into the hospital and took two patients, Adele and Stella. We need them back. They’re sick and need treatment. There, I’ve told you more than enough. Return them to us immediately and we will spare the rest of you.”

Tommy looked around the group and saw only blank expressions.

“We have no one by those names here.”

“In that case, you have nothing left to bargain with. If you refuse to surrender, then you will face the consequences.”

In the silence that followed, Tommy and Nathan conferred quietly and passed a