Page 23 of The Stolen Princess
She would go to the fall market and get more medicine from Joett and bring it back to him. Then she wouldn’t leave his side. She would be next to him, holding his hand, until it turned cold.
7
Drake
Winslow Gunner, a retired guard from Northland, tugged at his gray and white beard as he spoke. He pushed his empty plate aside and leaned forward, looking at the other operatives around the table at the Denton Inn. “What time did Rommel say he would meet us here?”
Portlend Ricks, the operative from Enderlin, glanced at the clock on the wall. “He should be here any minute.” Portlend was ten or so years older than Drake. He had a serious face and blond hair that was buzzed short.
“What if he doesn’t show up?” Grady George asked. He was the operative from the kingdom of Appa and seemed like a good guy, a little paranoid, but overall Drake could see himself getting along with Grady the best. “Then what do we do?”
“Then we’ll find him at the market. Didn’t he say his wife would have a booth here?” Dawsick Hatch rubbed a hand over his bald head. He scowled at the rest of the men, and Drake wondered why King Bryant had chosen that man to represent New Hope. Did Bryant see a different side to the soldier than what Drake saw?
“Yeah,” Kase Kendrick from Cristole added. He was quieter than the rest of the men, but his expression made Drake feel like he was plotting every operative’s death. “I already checked out the location. It’s in the second row, fourth booth down.”
Winslow nodded like he was impressed that the operative had found out additional information on his own.
Dawsick stood, arching his back. “I’m going to go get a drink.”
Drake raised his eyebrows. “You’re leaving?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Dawsick said, narrowing in on Drake. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“I find it strange,” Drake said. “This is the first time all six of us have met together, we’re about to meet our informer for the first time, and you’re leaving?”
Dawsick laughed. “Let’s get one thing straight. I’m my own boss. You don’t impress me because you’re the commander of the Albion army. We all have impressive resumes.”
“I didn’t say you didn’t,” Drake replied coolly although he was surprised that these men were the best that each kingdom had. “I assumed that the operative from New Hope would take this mission a little more seriously since your Princess was assassinated by King Adler.”
Dawsick took a step toward Drake, prompting Grady to stand up and put his hand on his chest. “We don’t want to draw any attention.”
Drake kept his face even. He hadn’t known anything about these five men other than that their respective kings trusted them. From this one conversation, he had learned so much. Winslow liked to be in charge. Portlend was strictly about business. Grady didn’t like confrontation. Kase took his time making decisions, and Dawsick was lazy and arrogant. Drake was sure the men were assessing him just as much as he was assessing them.
“Excuse me,” a voice said behind them. Drake turned his head to see Rommel standing timidly by their table. “Are you all friends with Ezra?”
Drake reached his hand out to Rommel. “Yes, we are. I’m Drake.”
Rommel took his hand, nodding.
“Take a seat,” Winslow said, gesturing to the open chair around the table.
Rommel sat down, nervously fidgeting with the rolled-up papers in his hands. He looked around the inn. “I don’t want to stay long. I don’t want anyone to see me talking with you guys. I received King Ezra’s last letter, and I’ve got everything ready that he requested.”
“Do you have the blueprints?” Drake asked.
Rommel pushed the papers in his hands forward. “Everything you need to know about the weapons is right there—how many there are, what types, how to launch and detonate them.”
Drake grabbed the papers, spreading them out on the table for all of the men to see. The faded drawings showed the exact shape and dimensions of the missiles Adler had created.
“You designed all the weapons?” Kase asked, looking up at Rommel.
Guilt swept across the older man’s face. “I did, but ten years ago, I thought it was for the Council of Essentials. I convinced myself that Adler would never take my designs and actually build the things. It was an easy justification to believe since Iwantedto build the weapons. I wanted to challenge myself and create something that no one had created in over two-hundred years. And besides that, my boss was King Adler. You don’t say no to your king. So, I designed the weapons.”
“Was he building them when you still worked at Tolsten House?” Portlend asked.
Rommel nodded. “Yes. We had started making prototypes, but when I refused to make more, he fired me, saying I was too old to work for him. I was only sixty at the time. My mind was still as sharp as ever.”
Drake glanced through the papers. “We’ve all heard that King Adler had weapons of mass destruction, but according to your blueprints none of these weapons are nuclear.”
