The Kingdom Thief

Chapter 22

"What? Where did he go?" Reeves says back.

"I think he was captured, or at least taken away" I speak through my earpiece, frantically scanning the area outside the window. "Get over here and guard Mason so that I can find Kane".

Mason is still talking into the hologram as he shoots a glance towards me. I give him a weak smile and a thumbs up, pretending that everything is okay, before turning back to the street.

That's when I see it. I see somebody shove a figure into the building almost directly across from us.

I am moving towards the door before I can think. I can't wait for Reeves to get here. If I do it will be too late.

I head down the stairs and pull my hood over my face. I slip onto the street without raising any attention and am able to slip inside the building that Kane was taken into without turning any heads.

I stop at the steps and listen for voices. At the sound of shuffling I head up the stairs to the second story.

The grunts come from the room closest to the stairs. I recognize Kane's grunts immediately as the sound of struggle comes from the room. I press my back to the wall and keep my gun raised, listening as Kane tries to fights whoever has brought him here.

But all sounds of struggling stop at the sound of a magazine clipping into place and the safety being taken off of a gun.

"I'm going to make this real easy for you traitor" the voice states in a rough and somewhat bored voice, as if threatening to kill someone was a daily thing for him. "You can tell me what window I need to shoot at to shut blondie up for good or I can just stick this bullet through your own head".

Kane is silent for a moment, calculating every detail I was sure. "Thomas Sanders" he finally speaks.

The guy lets out a short laugh. "I'm surprised you know my name 'general'" he replies, spitting out the word 'general' as if it was a joke.

"Of course I know you" Kane says back. "You're the guy who fired the shot that brought down the Bloody Bandit for good". A pause. "I suppose you're shooting for a different team now?".

"You're the only one around here that has switched sides traitor" the boy snarls.

"And how do you work that out, might I ask?" Kane's tone is calm and even despite the threat of a gun to his head.

I manage a peek around the corner to see that it is only Thomas in the room. He has Kane on his knees with his arms tied behind his back but from the look on Kane's face you would think he was the one with a gun in his hand.

Thomas bares his teeth. "It's simple. I work for the guy with the power, no matter who that shifts to. It's in the job description".

"Believe me when I say that it is not" Kane growls. "Betraying the true heir to the throne out of fear of what the boy parading as the king will do if you don't isn't you doing your job. It's you being a coward!".

"Oh yeah?" the guy raises the gun and presses it to Kane's forehead. "Do I look like a coward right now?".

I ready my gun as Kane stares back at him defiantly. Thomas has the nerve to laugh then. "How is that loyalty working out for you general? It doesn't look like anyone has even realized that you're missing. They don't care about your safety and you're so blindly loyal to a group that wouldn't even bat an eyelash at a gun being placed to your head. Where's your allies now?"

"Turn around dumb ass" I can't stop myself from saying as I round the corner, pointing the gun to the boy's head.

But instead of moving the gun from Kane's head to me like a expect him to do, he pulls Kane in front of him, blocking himself and keeping the gun on the side of Kane's face. Kane's eyes are locked on mine, not betraying a single glimpse of emotion.