The Name of Evil Chapter 17

One Step Ahead

It’s been a while so you can start at Chapter 1 to refresh your memory of this story!

When the couple got to the end of the warehouses lining the street, they saw the dim lights coming from handheld lanterns along the alley and streets. Both of them realized the lights were moving slowly and methodically as Regaar’s henchmen carefully checked for any potential hiding places. When Hilko looked back across to the first warehouse, he saw lights on the rooftop. He knew those searching had strict orders from Regaar to catch them alive.

“Follow me!” the smuggler whispered.

Together, they crept along the sloped angle until they reached the corner of the building. Hilko slid his legs off the end before letting himself down on an exposed beam. A thick cargo rope as wide as the man’s arm ran through a hole in the shaft and extended out from the building. He waited until Silna joined him.

“They use a pulley on this to move crates and boxes out to the dock. It runs to a pole,” he explained softly. “When we get over, we’ll slide down the pole next to the dock. From there, it’s only a quick run to the fort wall.”

Hilko hoisted himself underneath; he crossed his legs around the thick rope while holding on with his hands. He pulled his body along, heading into the blackness while Silna copied him. Twice they paused, listening for danger while trying to rest their weary arms. Below them, the glow of light from a lantern pierced the darkness along with the occasional shot. Finally, Hilko heard the soft creak of the pulley as it swayed from their movement. Hilko slowed when he felt the rope angle upward, but his estimate on the location of the iron pulley turned out wrong.

“Curse the Nalith,” he hissed after striking his head.

He warned Silna before carefully swinging himself over to the hook extending down from the pulley. Using his feet to feel for a narrow ledge with steps leading down the heavy pole which held up the rigging, he eventually reached the perch leading down. He whispered out instructions to Silna before he went down the steps.

Silna grumbled before she swung across herself and found the ledge with her feet. After a deep breath, she followed the smuggler down the pole. In the darkness, Silna almost ran into Hilko, who was standing there staring into the night.

“What are you doing?” she growled at him.

Then she recognized the object swaying just an arm’s length away. The cage was holding a dark, almost mummified skeleton inside. She held a vague memory of the dead man from the sun-bleached clothing. Calbber, one of Regaar’s thieves, got caught by the Amryno authorities inside a home owned by the Chara.

Normally, the judges sentenced thieves to the jail. However, she heard they wanted a warning sent to the tunnel rats this time. The guards brutally tortured Calbber before covering him in tar and locking him up in the cage to die of exposure. His body had overlooked the docks since the last frost.

“Come on,” she hissed at Hilko.

What in the blazed void was he doing?

Hilko remained unfazed by Silna’s insistence. Instead, he listened to Calbber’s ghost as the spirit informed him about those searching for them.

“I overheard some of those looking for you. Word is you are to be taken alive,” Calbber said. “You better move fast, since the sun will come up soon.”

“Have you seen Regaar’s goons lately?” Hilko whispered back.

He remembered the tiny thief was friendly with him on the few occasions they worked together.

“Who are you talking to?” Silna muttered from above.

“Calbber, of course,” he impatiently replied. “Be quiet.”

He turned his attention back to the cage as the ghost frowned at Silna.

“They are heading down through Waterfront Row, but I would be careful. A few of those thugs believe your friend might have you hidden in the Pleasure Tunnel.”

Hilko thanked Calbber for the information, then asked if he could do anything for him.

The ghost shook his nearly transparent head.

“Nah, I only stay up here to avoid the annoying ghosts hanging around on the ground. Either they don’t realize that they’re dead, or they keep crying and whining. It’s embarrassing listening to them beg Zaarin for help.”

Hilko started down the pole again as the spirit suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, I saw Thoma earlier. He’s really telling every spirit about you. He mentioned Epi and his goons were talking with some of the Parasites. They might come looking for you as well.”

Hilko almost slipped off the pole at the news.

Curses, that’s all we need, two gangs after us!

The smuggler moved quickly down the narrow steps as Silna carefully followed.

After reaching the wall of the warehouse which fronted the dark waterfront street, Hilko told Silna about the news from the ghost. Even in the faint light coming from the road, he saw the disbelief.

“Alright, enough of this,” she told him. “I don’t know what that tunnel did to you after the cave-in, but quit talking like you’re insane.”

He scowled, thinking of lashing out, but decided to come clean instead.

“We don’t have time for this, but I’ve seen spirits since I can remember. I say nothing since everyone thinks I’m crazy. Remember how I always put that vinegar of the four thieves in the room? That keeps out the spirits so I can sleep.”

The woman’s skepticism remained. He saw it in the faint light.

“Fine, think what you want,” he snapped.

Forcing his voice lower, he glanced around the deserted, narrow street.

“Just remember, it was Thoma who helped get me out of the shaft and who also took out those guards. Do you think I could have snuck up on them and knocked them out? He’s the one who helped us. You can believe me or not. But I’m getting out of here.”

He immediately took off around the corner. Silna paused briefly. His talk frightened her. Yet, her fear of staying forced her to follow while her mind spun at the news. For all his faults, she never knew him to lie to her. Even more puzzling, she held no rational thoughts about how the Hilko got past the guards to her cell.

The world is going crazy!