Page 92 of Elven Lies

He lifted both hands in the air, and a dark chuckle escaped him. “I gotta admit I didn’t seethiscoming.”

“Turn around and get on your knees,” Maxwell snarled.

“Come on. Do we have to go through all that? You already got the drop on me.”

“Now!” Maxwell bellowed.

The half-changeling rolled his eyes but did as he was told.

The shifter pulled a set of magic-dampening handcuffs from his pocket as he approached the driver, keeping steady aim with his rifle in one hand. “How many are in the back?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

Maxwell sent his foot so hard and so quickly into the center of the driver’s back, the guy had no time to catch himself before he toppled forward onto his chest with a loud smack of his face against the asphalt.

“What the hell, asshole? What was that—”

“Howmany?” Maxwell roared.

“Jesus, just a few, okay? Happy now?” A bitter laugh burst out of the half-changeling even while Maxwell pressed a boot down onto his back to hold him there. “Now you just signed your owndeath warrant for a few useless nobodies who won’t even be missed. You feeling proud of yourself yet? Big guy with a big gun, making a big deal over a few worthless pieces of—”

He grunted beneath the increased weight the shifter bore down on his back.

“Tig,” Maxwell snarled, “check the back.”

Tig pivoted toward the rear of the vehicle, his weapon at the ready. The terrified gasps and now poorly muffled sobs from inside the van grew louder.

Rebecca couldn’t help but watch now. It sure didn’tsoundlike just a few in the rear of Harkennr’s transport vehicle.

Ben stepped behind Tig and summoned a blazing green fireball in one hand, prepared to offer cover fire if necessary.

“Do you guys haveanyidea who you’re fucking with?” the driver asked through a strained laugh, even when Maxwell applied more pressure with his boot. “You picked the wrong fucking van to rob off the highway in the middle of the night, I can tell you that much. When my boss finds out what you did, you’re all dead. And everyone you know is dead. You have no clue how much you just fucked yourselves.”

“Only if someone else figures it out,” Rebecca replied sharply as she stepped aside so the driver could see her approach from his compromised position on the ground. “Becauseyouwon’t be the one to tell him, I can promise you that.”

That wasn’t part of the plan. This mission prioritized as few casualties as possible, even of Harkennr’s forces. Buthedidn’t have to know that.

It was enough to shut him up.

Before Tig’s hand closed around the handle of the van’s rear double doors, the vehicle rocked sideways, the front passenger-side door flew open, and a gap-toothed gnome barreled out of the front seat with a warbling battle cry.

The window of his open door shattered beneath his first desperate attack launched toward Zane, glass and red sparks flying everywhere.

“You’ll never take me alive!” he screamed, stumbling sideways and throwing more battle magic at no particular target.

Without so much as blinking in surprise, Zane took aim and fired a spiraling shot of scarlet energy after the fleeing gnome. The magitek round hit the guy in the back and exploded in whipping coils of light, coalescing into physical form as they elongated and wrapped around his body from head to toe.

In seconds, the gnome was encircled by the glowing scarlet ropes tightening and constricting around him like a giant snake. His legs were squeezed together, tripping him up, and he crashed to the asphalt, writhing and choking while the magical net in which he’d been caught pumped him with magical voltage. Then he finally gave up and lay still.

A muffled scream rose from the van, hushed immediately and joined by other terrified whispers.

“Go ahead, man. I got it.” Zane nodded toward Tig, keeping his weapon trained on the gnome now lying still and tied up with coils of magical rope beginning to fade.

Tig didn’t need to be told again. He gently pulled the handle, and the rear doors creaked open as the van wobbled back and forth again. The whimpers and stifled sobs intensified, but only because the doors no longer blocked the sound.

Tig dropped his hand from the open door and gaped at the sight.

“Christ,” Ben muttered behind him as he lowered his weapon, no other impending threats around them.

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