Sacred Ground. Alex Archer

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СКАЧАТЬ don’t believe it, either,” Godwin said. “No assassin would ever let something like this out of his sight. It means too much to them. It’s their badge of acceptance within the ranks. However you came to own this blade, it couldn’t have been respectable.”

      The smaller man massaged his arm. “Maybe someone wants you dead, half-breed. Maybe they want you dead bad enough to send a couple of us at you so they can see what sort of target you’d make.”

      Godwin glanced at Annja. “What do you think?”

      Annja shrugged. “I think you should have knocked him unconscious like I did with his friend. That way, you can just avoid all the useless talk after the fact.”

      Godwin raised his eyebrows. “Interesting point.”

      He backhanded the smaller man right between the eyes. There was the briefest moment of shock on the smaller man’s face before his eyes rolled back and he dropped to the ground.

      Quiet settled in the bar and Godwin looked at Annja. “You’re right. That’s much better.”

      From behind the bar, a hulking bear of a man stepped out. Annja spun to meet his advance but he held up his hands. “Excuse me, folks, just need to take the garbage out.”

      He reached down and scooped up both men and then ran them out the door of the bar. A round of applause went up from the rest of the patrons as the bartender came back inside clapping his hands.

      Annja was concerned. “They’ll be okay out there in the snow?”

      The bartender shrugged. “Not my problem anymore. They attacked two patrons. Whatever happens to them next is their own business. Not mine. Far as I’m concerned, you two did what was necessary. The cops are on their way to collect them.”

      “Thanks.”

      He shook his head. “Didn’t like them anyway. They’ve been hanging around here for the last week looking like they were expecting something to happen at any moment. Put a real drag on the place. Hurt my business. Them getting their asses handed to them was long overdue, I’d expect.”

      “Happy to oblige,” Annja said.

      The bartender smiled. “I think your dinners’ll be right up, so have a seat and I’ll send them over.”

      Annja and Godwin sat down. Derek had worked his way through most of his beer. He hefted his glass at Godwin. “Nicely done.”

      “Thank you, sir.”

      Derek turned to Annja. “Nice to see that our information checks out on that front, as well.”

      Annja frowned. “I hate proving you right.”

      Derek smiled. “Well, at least we both know that if something happens, you’ll be able to take care of it. And if you can’t, then Godwin here can be pressed into service, as well.”

      Annja took a sip of her beer. She also had her sword. Although part of her wondered if perhaps Derek knew something about that, too. The thought did little to comfort her.

      5

      After a decent sleep, Annja felt ready to get to the dig site at long last. She showered quickly and dressed in insulating clothes before grabbing a quick cup of coffee and a muffin in the reception area. As usual, Godwin was already there, looking more relaxed than he had the previous night in the wake of the discovery of the assassin’s dagger.

      “Sleep well?” she asked.

      He nodded. “Actually, very well. You?”

      “I didn’t think I’d be able to get warm, but those blankets did the trick. I was out like a light. Probably the postadrenaline dump helped a bit, too.”

      Godwin nodded. “Derek was right about you.”

      “Meaning?”

      “You’ve been in a lot of fights.”

      Annja shrugged. “I get mixed up in a lot of stuff. I’m always interested in things that most normal people wouldn’t get into. As a result, knowing how to protect myself is important.”

      Godwin watched her. “Well, there seems to be a natural sort of grace to you. It’s like some kind of second skin. Very relaxed. And you can hold your own.”

      If only you knew the whole story, Annja thought. Instead, she smiled some more. “Well, thanks.”

      Derek entered the reception area. “Good morning. Everyone ready to get going?”

      Annja nodded. “Yes. How far is the dig site?”

      “Probably shouldn’t take us much more than two hours to reach it,” Derek said. “We’ll follow Hendrick’s Highway east and then get onto the dirt track. Probably won’t be the smoothest sailing at that point, but you’ll get used to it.”

      “Great,” Annja said. “More sore-butt syndrome.”

      “Excuse me,” a voice called out.

      They turned and saw the counterman gesturing to them. “I couldn’t help but overhear. Did you say something about Hendrick’s Highway?”

      Derek nodded. “We’ll be driving it today. We need to reach our other party to the east.”

      The counterman shook his head. “Well, you won’t be going by Hendrick’s, that’s for sure.”

      “Why not?”

      “It’s closed. About twenty miles from here. They had a bad truck rollover last night in the storm. Whole highway is blocked and frozen in. They’re saying it could be a couple of days before they get it cleared.”

      “A couple of days?” Derek shook his head. “That won’t work for us. We need to get moving today.”

      “Where ya heading?”

      Derek frowned. “Tokrak.”

      The counterman smiled. “Well, that’s no problem. You can just go the other way.”

      “What other way?” Annja looked at the counterman. “There’s another way to get there?”

      “Sure enough,” the counterman said. “You just take the ice road.”

      Annja’s stomach dropped. “You mean the river?”

      The man smiled and nodded. “The Mackenzie. She’ll take you there no problem. Just hang a right at the sign for Erop and follow that east. Should hook up with Hendrick’s farther on.”

      Annja sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was drive over a frozen river. She’d faced plenty of challenges before, but risking life and limb like this just didn’t feel right.

      “Annja?”

      Godwin was staring at her. “You okay?”

      “I’m СКАЧАТЬ