Dirtyhands

twelve

*warning- this whole chapter is pretty bloody*
Kaz crouched in a shrub. He can see a few Dime Lions stationed out front. The fort is overgrown and has vines running up the walls. They had just made Kaz's job easier. He

He sets off towards the vines and avoids the light. He only has the element of surprise on his side. He reaches the fortress and he tucked his cane into his belt. Then he begins his long climb to the top.

He holds his body close to the wall as he ascends the vines. He hopes that nobody can see the outline of his body against the dark sky. His leg aches as he climbs. He has been exerting it lately and he is starting to feel the effects.

He is halfway up the wall. One hand goes in front of the other and holds on to the vines. His leg burns and his cane crashes into his side with every movement. 'Only a few more feet.' He thinks and pushes on.

His heart pounds in his chest as he pulls himself onto the platform. He finds himself missing Inej again. She would have scaled the wall in a matter of seconds with ease.

He looks around himself and takes in the surroundings. There is a guard tower and lights inside of flicker, as though someone is walking around. Kaz pulls his cane out of his belt and grips the familiar crow's head cane. His eyes flare with excitement and fury.

He walks forward slowly and keeps out of the windows direct line of sight. He reaches the door and slowly pulls it open. It creaks and someone on the other side makes a startled sound. "Anyone there?" A voice calls out.

Kaz doesn't reply. He steps into the light and comes face to face with a large man. He has a cat and a crown tattoo on his neck. A Dime Lion tattoo. He holds a knife up and lunges forward. Kaz slams his cane into the Dime Lions arm. A crack erupts from his arm and the man cries out.

Kaz smirks as the man drops the knife. He holds his now limp arm. Kaz advances. He smashes the can into the back of the man's cranium until he sees red.

He looks done at the mound of various bodily tissues. He steps over the corpse and to the stairway. It's a small spiraling staircase. His legs carry him down the stairs as fast as they can go.

He pops out in a dark corridor. It has a musky smell and he can feel the cool moisture. It's probably a cellar. There are is a single light that shows Kaz which way he needs to go.

He walks down the hall and takes in his surroundings so he knows his escape route. He reaches a small hall. There are a few more guards in the corner. They appear to be asleep. Kaz walks over to them silently and pulls out a dagger.

He puts his hand over one of the guard's mouths as he pulls the dagger across his knife. The man's eyes flash open and a muffled cry escapes him. Kaz looks down at him with cold eyes and doesn't remove his hand until life has left his eyes.

Kaz wipes the knife on the dead man's coat before repeating the process with the other two. The men didn't know what was coming. They had been woken up by a rough and calloused hand and pain in their necks. Then their lives were over. Never again would they see the sun or feel a warm breeze.

Kaz pulled the covers over the bodies so it looks like they are just asleep and wouldn't raise any suspicions before he exited the hall.

He weaves his way through a maze of passageways until he reaches a large room that looks like a throne room. It has the Kerch flag at the head of the room and a long table in the middle of the room.

He walks down the room and looks up at the ceiling. It has a detailed map of Kerch on it. It shows all of the ports and major trade hubs on it.

"Like it?" A voice asks and Kaz looks over at Pekka Rollins.

"It's in a rather shoddy place," Kaz replies, his voice full of venom.

"I think that it's a perfect location for it. It has an almost symbolic meaning." Pekka hums as a few soldiers shuffle into the room. "Did you really think that this was going to work, Brekker?"

"I knew that the chances were slim but the payoff outweighed the risk," Kaz answers as his eyes follow the soldiers. His hand tightens around his cane.

"Well, Brekker, it looks like your luck has worn thin," Pekka responds and nods at the guards. They lung forward.

Kaz knows that he can't get out of this, but he also knows that he can take a few of the guards down with him. Maybe he'll even get his hands around Rollins' neck. It was wishful thinking. Kaz lifts the cane and cracks it against a guard's skull. Then spins and smashes it into another's neck. He isn't placing decisive and calculated blows like he normally does. Currently, he is just trying to do as much damage as possible.

Kaz forces the cane into anyone who gets close enough. His heart is racing and his eyes are wild. Then he sees an opportunity. There is a small opening and his target is standing on the other side of it. He zeros in on Pekka. He starts to push towards him like an animal about to attack its prey. He is focusing on one thing right now and that's the man in front of him, not the man behind him.

Kaz lifts his cane as he approaches but his body lurches forward when the butt of a rifle crashing into the back of his skull. He can hear a crack echo in his head as he falls to the floor and the world goes black.