Page 111 of Choosing Jenny
“Treg will be here in ten minutes,” I told the group. “So whatever we’re doing, let’s do it now.”
Surge turned to me, eyes gleaming. “I hear you blew up part of the royal prison when you retrieved Sam’s family. Think you can take out Buster’s outer wall below the window?”
I thought quickly. “If you can knock out the guards, then I can steal the hand cannons I would need to do it.”
“On it.” Surge lifted his hands, and they glowed bright red. “Everyone, plug your ears or you’ll be taking a nap along with everyone else.”
We all followed his order, and a pulse of power rippled through the floor and walls, accompanied by a muted high-pitched sound. After a moment, he indicated he was done.
“The guards and everyone two floors above and below are unconscious,” he said.
I quickly stepped into the hallway and gathered a few hand cannons from the sleeping guards. Pulling out my driver kit, I wired them together, linking the charging units, then placed it on the window sill.
“Everyone, out of the cell.”
Once the area was clear, I stood in the doorway with the last working hand cannon and fired on the cluster of overcharging ones. They exploded, sending stone debris and glass shattering outside, just as I’d hoped it would. The hole left behind was large enough for a Ladrian man to step through, but not so large as to damage the floor above.
“Nice shot,” Surge said, grinning at me.
“We need to hurry,” Discord said as she looked out the hole blasted in the wall. “The explosion will attract attention from the lower floors. Where is—”
Just then, a ship arrived next to the tower. A plank with a guardrail shot out of the side and into the hole. Treg and his gelatinous body stood at the doorway of his ship.
He grinned, seemingly enjoying that he was part of a subterfuge. “Someone call for a ride?”
“Thanks, Treg,” I said, waving at him before motioning to Buster and Surge. “These two will be going with you.”
He nodded with a flourish. “You are both welcome aboard my ship. She’s calledBandit.”
Buster turned to Mal and, with his hands on his shoulders, he looked into his son’s eyes. “You arenotMalice Ripper, you hear me? You are Merit Dembeck, named for your grandmother. You have a long and proud lineage, and don’t ever let Justice take that from you.”
“Never again,” Mal swore. “When he is defeated, I will come for you. We have so much time to make up for.”
Mal hugged his father again, tighter this time and I worried he wouldn’t let him go before we were caught.
“You must let him go, Malice,” Longshot said, echoing my thoughts. “The guards will be coming.”
Mal nodded and slowly released his father. “I will see you again.”
“Yes, you will,” Buster said, his eyes shining with happiness. “I can’t wait for you to meet your mother.”
“My mother?” Mal’s voice cracked. “I thought your family—our family—was dead.”
“Because I needed Justice to think they were dead to keep them safe,” Buster said simply. “We will have a grand reunion, Merit. You have brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts. Dozens of cousins, too.” He went to Treg, thanking him, then stepped onto his ship, turning back one last time with a wave. “Until we meet again.”
Mal nodded and lifted his hand, smiling at his father.
“I’d say something profound or meaningful, but my spell tells me the guards are on the way,” Surge cut in. “All of you, pretend to be asleep like everyone else, so you can pin all of this on me.”
“Thank you, Surge,” Mal said, his voice thick with emotion. “I can’t tell you what this means to me.”
“Hey, I’m going to see Sam. I can’t tell you whatthatmeans tome.” He walked ontoBandit, and a few seconds later the ship quickly took off, leaving the rest of us behind.
Booted footsteps rushed the hall and without another word, we quickly fell to the floor, pretending to be unconscious like everyone else. The men burst in, shouting at us to wake up, and when everyone else started to stir, we pretended to do so, as well, feigning ignorance as to what had happened to Buster’s cell.
Once the guards realized who Malice and Longshot were, they deferred to them and Longshot immediately ordered, “Take us to the throne room, so we may report this gross negligence to your Governor Regent.”
To my surprise, the guards did so without protest.
