Page 41 of Assassin

That she kept her word…

It was why he was helping her.

You could always tell how good a person was by the company and vows that they kept. His brother would say that all of the time, and Elizabeth laughed, joked, and had Marines she loved.

That told him all he needed to know.

She was a good person.

And that was the ONLY reason he was taking on Gamble Holloway.

Well, he would have helped him, but he wouldn’t have taken the money and made him his only patient.

Now, he was about to face down the man, and hopefully, pull him from the fire.

It wasn’t going to be easy.

It never was.

When a soldier broke, and that didn’t happen easily, a soldier really broke. They did it so well that it took a while to put them back together again.

He’d been given a basic medical history, but Elizabeth had promised there would be a full file when he was picked up.

Well, it seemed like there was no time like the present to face this down.

“I’ll be right back, Reginald. Keep the motor running,” he said to his driver. “Hopefully, I can get him to leave with me.”

The man nodded.

“Aye, Sir.”

As Poe got out, he fixed his suit jacket, checked his pocket watch, and knew it was now of never. At the steps that led to the door of the house, he took a deep breath and knocked.

When the door was open, a man stood there, and he was covered in tattoos up and down his arms. Immediately, he knew this was going to be a Marine and likely one of Gamble’s family members.

Elizabeth had warned him.

“Yes?”

Poe pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to the man.

“I’m Doctor Seville. Elizabeth said you should be expecting me. I need to see the patient and prepare him for transport.”

The man stared at him for a long moment, as if he was measuring him up.

Poe was pretty sure he looked like a doctor. No one ever accused him of underdressing anywhere he went.

That was for sure.

Right down to his tasseled loafers.

“Do you need ID? Do you find people come here and lie to steal away patients?” he asked, his accent crisp.

That got a laugh.

Immediately, the man held out his hand.

“We don’t need your ID. I just didn’t expect that you were a male. That’s all. Anyway, I’m Jagger. Come on in, Doctor. Elizabeth said you’d be coming. I’ll take you to Gamble.”