he replied.
“Why did you help us?” asked Jonas, full of suspicion.
“Let’s just say I’m not a fan of the Imperials. I knew they were looking for someone.”
Specter stopped short and pulled them both into the shadow of a tall hedge surrounding a particularly large manor. Three young men in silk finery walked by laughing drunkenly and talking of their night at the tavern. When they were out of sight, Specter continued.
“I heard that they were looking for two strangers leaving Jaobin. And when Hank turned up dead, it didn’t take me long to find you.”
“We had nothing to do with that,” Jonas protested.
“Really?” he mocked. “That’s a shame, because I always hated him. Anyway, the girl was the one who really helped me to find you. Jared is going crazy about that one. He’s turning over every bloody stone in Miltino. When I spotted her, I knew you’d likely be nearby.”
Ethan listened intensely to every word Specter was saying. There was something about the man – his mannerisms and voice seemed familiar. And though his face was badly scarred, his eyes were friendly and kind.
“That still doesn’t explain why you helped us,” Jonas said. The anxiety in his voice was growing. “Are you with the Hareesh?”
Specter laughed. “Of course I am. But like I said, I have no love for the Empire. And if they want you, I want to know why.”
Jonas raised a hand. “In that case we must part ways here.”
Specter looked him directly in the eye. “Believe me, I have no intention of allowing the Empire to get their hands on you. And I couldn’t care less about Hank. The papers you bought, which by the way, you forgot to take from the guard’s body, were worthless. So you can either come with me or wait to get captured. At least with me you stand a chance.”
“I’ll go with you,” said Ethan.
“Smart boy,” he replied.
Jonas considered this new situation for a few moments, then his shoulders sagged. “This is a bad idea, Ethan. But if you’re going to follow this…person, I guess I must do so as well.”
With the matter settled, Specter turned and led them down a series of side streets and narrow alleys until they reached an area not far from where they had entered the city. He pointed to a large brick building at the end of the avenue. Two men were guarding the entrance, and even from more than a hundred yards away they could hear the sounds of harsh laughter and merrymaking issuing forth.
“Stay silent until we’re inside,” he ordered.
“Where are we?” asked Ethan.
“Home sweet home,” Specter replied with a roguish grin.
Chapter Five
THE GUARDS BY the entrance gave Specter a sideways glance and then moved aside.
He pushed open the door and paused. “Evening boys.”
The two men didn’t bother to respond. Specter chuckled and continued on inside. Directly beyond the entrance was a long hall with a series of doors on either side. Lamps along the corridor were bright enough to reveal the stains and blemishes on the floor – some of which Ethan easily recognized as being dried blood.
The muffled sounds of laughter and songs increased as they wound their way through the building. Ethan tried to make a mental note of their route, but it seemed as if the place had been designed specifically to be confusing.
Eventually they reached a stairwell that led down into a basement – which was the apparent source of the merrymaking. At the bottom they came to a thick wooden door with a covered slot at eye level. Specter knocked. The slot slid open almost immediately.
“Oh, it’s you,” came a voice from the other side. “What do you want?”
“To kick your teeth in if you don’t open the door,” replied Specter.
After a short pause, the door slowly opened. Beyond it was a large room filled with dozens of unpleasant looking men and women all seated at tables, drinking and laughing. At the far end, raised up slightly on a small platform, stood a beautifully crafted oak chair. Though currently unoccupied, Ethan imagined that this was where the leader of this band of miscreants sat.
The man who had opened the door was staring at Specter with a hateful sneer.
“Who’s this,” he asked, pointing at Ethan and Jonas. “You can’t just bring whoever you want down here. Or do you think the rules don’t apply to you?”
Specter lowered his head and smiled. “Let me show you what applies to me, Lark.” In a blur of motion his fist