Blue Moon

Chapter 43

Alona couldn't believe what she just heard. The King called Arlo his brother. 

"We haven't been brothers for a long time, Kozlov." Arlo responded.

The man laughed. Smoke filled the air, as he took another puff of his cigar.

Through the door behind them,  more members of their team came running in. Vadik and Nadia first, then Drew, and two of his soldiers. 

Alona breathed out. They weren't so outnumbered now. They might have a chance of fighting their way out. 

The king's eyes snapped to Drew, "I've been waiting for you Drew." Kozlov, the King said with a horrid grin.

Drew stepped forward, a large silver pistol in his hand. Alona, glancing at Drew, saw no fear in his one good eye. He stood up tall, he and Kozlov were eye to eye.

"Have you?" Drew asked, his voice steady. Alona prayed she could muster the strength to match his. 

"Back up!" A guard yelled shoving his rifle in Drew's face. Drew did not move, he glanced at the soldier. Nadia scoffed at his sad attempt to intimidate Drew.  

Arlo stepped forward, shoving his rifle into the guard's face. The guard scowled at Arlo in response. The tension in the room was so thick Alona felt as though she was struggling to breathe, although that could have been her overwhelming anxiety and crippling fear.  

"Of course, Drew." He smiled at him, "We have things to discuss." He sat back down in his chair and crossed one leg over the other, "How are your greenhouses? My greenhouses have been losing power here recently." He sighed, "It must have something to do with all the sabotaging." 

Alona assumed Kozlov was accusing Drew of the attacks. 

"Also our animals have either been poisoned or stolen." He sighed, "That was a smart move on your part, attacking our food source."

Drew watched as he explained. She wondered if Drew really sabotaged their food. It was a low blow, but it seemed to have worked somewhat. Alona noticed Kozlov and his men were skinny; they looked malnourished even.

Alona wondered what their next move was going to be. She glanced at Arlo, but he was too focused on Kozlov to even acknowledge her. 

Alona glanced at the monitors. Drew's soldiers were making their way through the town with ease; it seemed the town was deserted, except for the occasional diseased person. 

"You see, my people, have suffered, while your people have thrived." He blew smoke at them, "That seems a bit suspicious to me, don't you think?" Kozlov stood, his gaze never leaving Drew.

"Seems like there might be something wrong with you and your people to me." Drew replied.

Kozlov didn't respond to Drew's accusation. He motioned for them to look at the monitors as the footage suddenly changed, "See that?" He asked. 

Everyone looked. Alona was horrified by what she saw, hundreds of diseased people stood behind the doors of several rooms of the castle. Their once brightly colored clothes were now ragged and covered in black slime. 

She suddenly realized that it was a trap. 

As soon as their soldiers reached the castle they would release the diseased. There was no way their troops could fight of that many diseased people. Alona felt her stomach drop. 

"Those are our reinforcements." Kozlov laughed. 

Alona heard footsteps coming down the hallway. She glanced back to see several Castle Guardsmen coming in behind them. There was no way they could fight out of this now, it was their nine to at least twenty Castle Guards, plus however were in the next room and in the hallway.