Silence No More

23. The Attack

I had read somewhere once that ants could carry roughly twenty times their body weight. Judging by the big leaves I'd seen ants carrying around sometimes, they probably could. The question was: could bodyguards do the same?

I was currently doing my very best to find out. Throwing an assessing glance over my shoulder, I scrutinised Karim, who was currently soldiering on despite the several dozen pheasants that were piled on top of him. Atta boy, Karim!

"Do you think we might have hunted enough game now, Sahiba?" came a muffled noise from beneath the feathery pile.

"Hm..." Deep in consideration, I stroked my chin. "Nah, not really. The time isn't over, so we can still add another dozen or two. Better safe than sorry, right?"

"...Yes, Sahiba."

"Well, let's get going then! Like they say, the early worm catches the bird!"

"I am fairly certain it is the other way around, Sahiba."

"Not if the worm has a gun. Now, tally-ho!"

"As you wish, Sahiba."

I was just going to add some words of encouragement for the big fellow, when my attention was attracted by a rustling noise to my left.

"Oy! Did you hear that?"

"What, Sahiba?"

"I heard a noise over there. Maybe it's another bird that—"

My words were interrupted by a metallic click. A click I was intimately familiar with.

"That," Karim pointed out, his voice suddenly rather solemn, "was not a—Get down!"

I didn't need Karim's warning. I was already on the move. With a squelch, I hit the muddy ground, just as—

Bang!

The flash from between the trees made me curse under my breath.

I knew it! Someone is taking pot shots at me!

Rolling around, I managed to hurl myself behind a tree an instant before the next bullet cut through the air. It slammed into the tree with a crack of splintering wood. Then they came. Men in rags and rough leather clothes dashed out from the forest, raising their weapons.

"You there!" barked a gruff-looking masked man. "Freeze!"

He probably should have used a more intimidating threat towards the wife and bodyguard of Mr Rikkard-Arctic-Iceberg Ambrose.

"Take cover!" Ignoring the filthy bastard's words, I raised my rifle to take aim. "It's an ambush!"

"You don't say! Karim's voice came from behind a big boulder. "I would never have guessed!"

"My oh my..." came a mocking voice from further ahead. "Did I scare you? Don't worry." Glancing around the tree, I caught sight of the same figure as before. Even through the tattered cloth that served as a mask, I could see the evil smirk on his face. The smirk of a bastard who knew he had his victims cornered. "Why don't you just come out to play? After your family pays a nice ransom, we'd be happy to return you. We'll even return you in one piece...mostly."

I stiffened. Bandits? Highwaymen? This close to a noble's manor?

Should we...?

For a moment, I hesitated—but then I noticed vindictive enjoyment in the man's eyes. The bloodthirst. He wasn't here to take hostages for ransom.

Besides...my closest male relative was Uncle Bufford, and my husband Mr Rikkard Ambrose. If someone really kidnapped me for ransom, that poor sod would be waiting for his money for a very, very long time.