Deception

Chapter 36

Robin fetched Pitts just as he had promised and in the nick of time. When he arrived he had instructed Djaq to place a bit of a draught for the surgery under Esme's tongue as Djaq showed that she had sewn up a leaking blood vessel and with the physician's approval she closed up the wound. Pitts was extremely nervous as he opened his bag to hand Djaq some fresh cloth only to make Robin notice that the bag which was originally full of cloth empty.

Pitt kept flickering his eyes to Robin as he excused himself from the cave and started to run along the journey he had travelled with Pitts to get to Esme, only to find a trail of cloth and the sound of horses and dogs growing louder.  Fearful and angry with himself having lead the Sheriff to his gang and Esme whom was in no form ready for a quick escape he struggled to think as he dashed back into the cave.

"Much! John! Your weapons, now!" Robin shouted suddenly making them both jump slightly as they turned frowning at Robin slightly.

"Why?" Much quizzed as Robin began pulling his arrows from his quiver by the fire and turning to pick up his bow.

"Unless I am badly mistaken, the Sheriff and Gisborne will arrive at any moment. We’ll be surrounded." He informed as Little John puts on his coat, grabbing his staff ready to prepare for battle as Much runs in from the back room.

"What? We’ve got to run!" Much panicked as he was about to start running outside to gain a good headstart.

"We cannot run! I cannot run! Esme." He shouted before quieting to say Esme's name as he felt fearful as he didn't know how she was doing. Suddenly laughter grew louder as they all paused to see Pitts walks away from Esme towards Robin, laughing sinisterly. Robin stands up nervous as Little John glared at him angrily..

"You." Robin spoke with quiet intensity as Much looks back at Pitts.

"What did you think? That Gisborne did not tell me that one day somebody might come asking about his alibi? That we did not have a plan in place for just this occasion? The charade is over." He chuckled and smirked at Robin as he starts to walk past Robin, nodding once at him with his eyebrows raised, then stops beside him.

"Oh, your friend is dead." He sneered evilly as they gang's blood ran cold as Pitts continues on towards the exit as Robin turns in horror to the back room. Little John blocked Pitts from leaving by his staff connecting to his stomach as he gave a large 'oof' only to look up to see Little John's fierce eyes. Robin felt frozen, Esme was dead and he felt as though his whole world began to crumble as he struggled to hold back the tears that began to bubble.

"Dead?"

*************

"Esme when I tell you to run, run" My mother whispered as I nodded. We'd been able to unlock our shackles with one of our hair pins as my mother had a handful of pepper powder in her hands, ready for the men to return so we could escape. We could hear them laughing as they came round the corner, gulping I shook slightly as they sneered at us.

It all happened to fast but before I knew it my mother was pulling me to my fight and we were running for our lives, hearing the cries of the men behind us as they clutched their burning eyes. If only we'd paid more attention than we would have known that the Leaders right hand man wasn't with the group as I felt a strong arm on my waist lifting me up as I screamed.

I heard my mother cry out as he dragged her back by her hair as I could see the murderous glint that crept into the red stained eyes of the men before us.

"You will pay for that missy! Have your way with the mother!" The leader snapped as he grabbed hold of me as we both screamed. They each took advantage of her before they slaughtered her like an animal as I flinched at her pain whilst I was instructed to clean out the pepper from the leaders eyes……..