unconscious guard before he struck the ground and dragged him into the booth.
“The damsel in distress act works every time.” Lois smiled as she fixed her clothes and hair in the reflection of the booth’s window.
“You played it well.” Very well. Xan wanted to kiss her again and lecture her on how dangerous the mission was, but there was no time. The clock was ticking. “You need to get back to the car. I’m going to close the gate, but not activate the locks. Hopefully no one will notice. Remember what I said. If anything goes wrong, you’re to get out of here as quickly as possible.”
“Yes, I know.” Lois turned to him. Her expression no longer smug. He couldn’t tell what flickered across her eyes. Fear, anticipation, sorrow. “Go save Alyssa.”
Xan nodded once and ran up over the dark lawn, circling around to the left side of the house. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking he should’ve seen Lois off before he went in. Made sure she was gone and safe. It would be devastating to not be able to rescue the kidnapped girl, but to lose Lois, he couldn’t even begin to describe how the thought of it made him feel.
Focus. Get Alyssa out and then both she and Lois would be safe.
The staff entrance was located at this side of the manor. Xan wasn’t going to use the door, though. There was a short overhang, and he was tall enough to grab the ledge. He shouldered the duffel bag, lifted himself and silently crouched on the small rooftop section as he listened.
Sounds from Indianapolis were distant. Traffic zipping along the highway and the hum of nightlife. The neighborhood was a rich and thus quiet one. Not a peep from the house at all. Not even a creak. Even abandoned houses made noises.
Xan ignored the window nearest to the overhang. He clung to the wall and stretched a leg over to step on the sill of another window. He balanced on the edge and peered inside. The sheer curtains were closed, but he could easily see through them into the empty room. A guest room by the look of it.
Checking first for any sign of an alarm, he was pleased to find none. Rarely did people have them on second story windows. Xan removed a small glasscutter out of his sleeve and carefully cut a hole near the lock. Once done, he poked in a finger and opened it. He slid the window up and open, stopping when he was in the room. He closed the window and listened again.
Nothing.
Where were the other guards? The staff? Perhaps many of them went to their own homes at night, but there should at least be two other guards.
There would be two likely places the girl was being held: in the highest point of the house or the lowest. Having memorized the floor plan of the manor, Xan would try the small third floor first where the master bedroom was at the top of the manor.
The house was dark. No lights were on. The floor gave a few groans as he crept out of the room and into the hall, but again, no other sounds. It wasn’t right. It was as if the house was trying too hard to make itself feel empty.
Up the stairs to the third floor, Xan found nothing. The bed in the master bedroom looked as if no one had slept in it for days. It could have been a museum piece with its great canopy and ornate posts and headboard.
Back down the stairs, he felt his dread growing. The basement was the last place he wanted to get caught. No windows. No exits but the one door. He’d have to make sure there was another in case he needed it.
Before approaching the basement door, Xan visited the sitting room at the opposite end of the manor. He set two gray blocks of explosives behind the furniture and stuck the detonator in his belt.
Xan gave his eyes a moment to adjust as he crept to the to the cellar door and stood just at the top of the stairs. He had excellent night vision, but he couldn’t see in the dark. Not as well as a dragon could; even dragonkin could see better in the dark than Xan.
With his weapon at the ready, he slunk down the stairs. It
“The damsel in distress act works every time.” Lois smiled as she fixed her clothes and hair in the reflection of the booth’s window.
“You played it well.” Very well. Xan wanted to kiss her again and lecture her on how dangerous the mission was, but there was no time. The clock was ticking. “You need to get back to the car. I’m going to close the gate, but not activate the locks. Hopefully no one will notice. Remember what I said. If anything goes wrong, you’re to get out of here as quickly as possible.”
“Yes, I know.” Lois turned to him. Her expression no longer smug. He couldn’t tell what flickered across her eyes. Fear, anticipation, sorrow. “Go save Alyssa.”
Xan nodded once and ran up over the dark lawn, circling around to the left side of the house. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking he should’ve seen Lois off before he went in. Made sure she was gone and safe. It would be devastating to not be able to rescue the kidnapped girl, but to lose Lois, he couldn’t even begin to describe how the thought of it made him feel.
Focus. Get Alyssa out and then both she and Lois would be safe.
The staff entrance was located at this side of the manor. Xan wasn’t going to use the door, though. There was a short overhang, and he was tall enough to grab the ledge. He shouldered the duffel bag, lifted himself and silently crouched on the small rooftop section as he listened.
Sounds from Indianapolis were distant. Traffic zipping along the highway and the hum of nightlife. The neighborhood was a rich and thus quiet one. Not a peep from the house at all. Not even a creak. Even abandoned houses made noises.
Xan ignored the window nearest to the overhang. He clung to the wall and stretched a leg over to step on the sill of another window. He balanced on the edge and peered inside. The sheer curtains were closed, but he could easily see through them into the empty room. A guest room by the look of it.
Checking first for any sign of an alarm, he was pleased to find none. Rarely did people have them on second story windows. Xan removed a small glasscutter out of his sleeve and carefully cut a hole near the lock. Once done, he poked in a finger and opened it. He slid the window up and open, stopping when he was in the room. He closed the window and listened again.
Nothing.
Where were the other guards? The staff? Perhaps many of them went to their own homes at night, but there should at least be two other guards.
There would be two likely places the girl was being held: in the highest point of the house or the lowest. Having memorized the floor plan of the manor, Xan would try the small third floor first where the master bedroom was at the top of the manor.
The house was dark. No lights were on. The floor gave a few groans as he crept out of the room and into the hall, but again, no other sounds. It wasn’t right. It was as if the house was trying too hard to make itself feel empty.
Up the stairs to the third floor, Xan found nothing. The bed in the master bedroom looked as if no one had slept in it for days. It could have been a museum piece with its great canopy and ornate posts and headboard.
Back down the stairs, he felt his dread growing. The basement was the last place he wanted to get caught. No windows. No exits but the one door. He’d have to make sure there was another in case he needed it.
Before approaching the basement door, Xan visited the sitting room at the opposite end of the manor. He set two gray blocks of explosives behind the furniture and stuck the detonator in his belt.
Xan gave his eyes a moment to adjust as he crept to the to the cellar door and stood just at the top of the stairs. He had excellent night vision, but he couldn’t see in the dark. Not as well as a dragon could; even dragonkin could see better in the dark than Xan.
With his weapon at the ready, he slunk down the stairs. It
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