Luisa: The Orphan Tale

Part XX: The One In Which Chloe is to be Saved or Doomed

Luisa, Elise and Frederic walked through the rain soaked streets of Brest, all of them now dressed in plain clothing which was quickly saturated by the torrential rains that fell upon them and the whole city.

They walked purposely in open sight towards the docks, as to draw the madman's attention away from Dubois who was shadowing them. He crept through alleys and behind buildings, always keeping the three in his eyesight. He moved with a vigor and skill of a man half his age. He was quite the soldier in his time in the King's Army. His job was reconnaissance and he often went deep into enemy territory to gain intelligence or to fetch a prisoner of war, and even sometimes to assassinate an enemy officer.

As the three approached the long dock, that was currently being rocked with violent waves from the sea, they saw a wide brimmed hat of their madman, he was stood outside of a small storehouse.

They approached him, all armed. Frederic armed with a blunderbuss and his hanger sword on his hip. Luisa had a musketoon and a knife. Elise carried two pistols in her hands, tucking them in her sleeves as to not wet the powder.

"Ah! Here we all are!" The man said, spreading his arms in a faux welcome. "It's nice of you all to be so prompt!"

"Where's Chloe!" Luisa demanded. Her wet black hair whipped hard in the high winds, her eyes squinted with determination, unbothered by her surroundings.

"She's just in the storehouse here!" He said with a gross smile. "But let's get right to the negotiations." He said as he opened the door and pulled out a bound and gagged Chloe, her hair a mess and her dress cut and stained with her own blood.

Luisa and Elise's heart burned with an almost preternatural anger and rage, burning tears welled in their eyes.

"Let her go!" Frederic demanded as he leaned on his crutch.

"Why should I?" He asked.

"Because we could just shoot you dead now." Elise said coldly as she raised her pistol.

"Oh I'm so frightened!" He said sarcastically. "Boys!" He shouted and two men cam our from hiding with musketoons of their own, trained on them.

"So what are your terms?" Frederic asked with a sigh.

"You!" He said becoming angry. "You killed her. I take you and give this little whore back, and give them a headstart to leave town." He said as he held a knife to Chloe's throat.

Frederic threw down his weapons. "Fine! I'll come quietly but you untie and let her free first!" He demanded.

"Stand before me first." The man said.

Frederic slowly approached and was soon in front of the man, close enough to strangle him. Oh how he wanted to as well.

"Let her go." Frederic said calmly.

The man cut Chloe's binds and pushed her to her knees. "There!" The man said with a smug grin.

"All right. Let me just make sure my boot is strapped up." He said with particular emphasis.

Chloe looked and saw a knife in Frederic's boot.

"What?" The man asked but Frederic ducked away and Chloe came up with the knife and slashed him across the face.

The two goons turned to fire at her but from afar a shot rang out and one of the men fell. The other was felled by a round fired by Elise but it merely incapacitated the man.

Frederic and the madman rolled around the dock, fighting for dominance.

Luisa and Elise fired at him but Elise missed and Luisa's gun misfired.