Page 31 of Empress of Savages

“It’s not a hardship,” The Emperor says. That’s about as light-hearted as I’ve heard him get.

“Anyway,” the Warrior says, “There are two vehicles outside. One seems to be empty, but the other could still have hostiles inside.”

The Emperor says, “Always the military guy. ‘Hostiles.’ I love it.” I shake my head. He never misses a chance. The Warrior gives me a look that I can’t read.

Ignoring the Emperor’s comment, he says, “We should take the Land Rover. I only wish it were faced the other way.”

The Mastermind says, “You want to ram them?”

As the Emperor nods, the Warrior says, “Seems the safest way.”

“We’d definitely better have our kitten under the seat, then. Shame there isn’t a box we could keep you safe in.”

“Where’s the vehicle you’re concerned about?”

“Off to the right. About two o’clock.”

“One of us could back the van out, fast and block them, then be running back while you reverse the Land Rover and turn it. The van driver jumps in and you ram the target, facing forward.”

They all look at me in silence.

The Emperor’s eyebrows lift. Mastermind tells him, “I’ll drive the van.”

I tell him, “You’ll be exposed when you jump out. I’ll wait in the doorway and distract them. Then, we’ll both jump in the Land Rover together.”

After he sarcastically narrows his eyes and tips his chin, the Emperor takes out a knife and beckons me to him. I hold out my wrists.

The shutter goes up. The invaders have two Yukons in the driveway. The one nearest is the worry.

As soon as the shutter is high enough to clear the top of the van, Mastermind reverses at speed. He jams the van in front of the Yukon. Before he jumps out, I step into the doorway.

The back door of the Yukon swings open as Mastermind is diving out of the van. I open up one shotgun barrel at the Yukon before anyone gets out. Then another.

Warrior has reversed the Land Rover and turned, so he faced forward and he’s ready to go. Mastermind is almost at the Land Rover. The Yukon’s driver’s door starts to swing open. I step forward as I let off both of the other shotgun’s two barrels at it, one straight after the other.

I dash for the Land Rover and drop the guns along the way. Both the side doors are open and Mastermind and I jump in at the same time. Neither of us have the door shut before my Warrior guns the Land Rover at the Yukon.

I’m ducking behind the seat — we all do, except for Warrior, who grips the wheel with a manic grin. The shock of the impact sends me into the back of the seat in front. Then I fall back into the bench seat.

The car lurches and bumps, it grinds and roars. From outside, the Yukon’s wheels screech and whine. Then we all rock again as Warrior brakes. There’s a moment’s silence, then a distant, wrenching crunch of metal, far below.

The Emperor relents and doesn’t bind my hands again. He still insists on making me travel under the seat, though.

I call out, “It’s not just so I don’t know where we’re going?”

They all chuckle at that.

“We’d use blindfolds,” Mastermind says.

“I wish I had some blankets or cushions down here. I’m bouncing around pretty hard.”

Mastermind asks me, “How did you decide they were hostile? How did you know that they weren’t your friends? They could have come to rescue you.”

I tell him, “I don’t think you’d usually rescue someone by pointing a shotgun in their face.”

“What I mean is, this morning you were trying to break out and get away. What made you suddenly ready to stay with our side?”

“I don’t know,” I say, “All I’ve got right now is instinct.”

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