Page 71 of Once Upon a Reckless Rogue

“I should ask the same question to you.”

“Ha, such confidence from a man about to die.”

“I would say the same of you. If you have a preference, tell me now.”

“Insolent bastard,” said the tall man. He came closer, his pistol aimed at Thomas’s heart. “I should shoot you dead where you stand.”

“I thought that was your plan.”

“Shut up!” the man shouted.

Thomas gave a signal behind his back to John. Hopefully, he would understand what it meant.

He counted down on his fingers behind his back and, on three, Thomas dove to the left and rolled. John shot the tall man, and Thomas was back on his feet and shot the man next to Elena. She screamed, and the third man let go of her and ran. Thomas ran to the carriage and got the other pistol and shot the runaway man in the leg. He fell with a scream and clutched his leg.

Thomas dragged Elena into his arms. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, but my ears are ringing.”

“I’m sorry. It should fade in a little while.”

“I should attend to him,” she said, looking over at the crying man.

“I’ll get his pistol first while you get your bag, although he does not deserve your attention.”

“He is wounded. I must attend to him.” He got her bag for the second time in two days. The journey hadn’t been dull, that was for sure.

John Driver staggered up to them. “They both be dead, my lord.”

Thomas nodded and took the pistol off the ground.

When she reached the remaining man, she cut his pants so she could see the wound. It was bad. She pulled Thomas aside. “I don’t think I can do anything for him. He is bleeding from a major artery in the leg. He will bleed out within a few minutes.”

Thomas squatted down near the man, who was breathing hard. “Tell me who sent you.”

“Je ne vais pas,” he groaned out.

“Come now, lad. If you tell me we can help you.”

Elena pressed a wad of bandage to his leg, and he screamed in pain. “Merde, espèce de connasse stupide.”

“Well, that is not very nice,” she said. “I am trying to stop the blood, you ungrateful bastard,” she said back at him in French.

“I just need a name,” Thomas pressed.

“Falmere.” Then he shut his eyes.

Elena looked at Thomas and shook her head. The man was dead, but who was Falmere?

“Wot you want a do with the bodies, my lord?”

“I would like to leave them in a ditch, but I should report it to the nearest constable. Oh, and take these two in as well.”

He looked over at the two men. They had witnessed everything. Heard everything. “I guess we will have to take them with us. I need to know if they had any connection to the three dead men. I suspect their horses are close. I’ll go and have a look for them.”

He located the horses a little up the way and led them back down to the carriage. They strapped the three dead men to the horses and then to the carriage.

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