The Tower Grave (26 page)

             
With the rest of Jake’s armour finally coming free, Charlotte fell to the floor and laughed, looking up as the door opened and David walked in followed closely by Chris and John. She stood and ran straight to John, hugging him tightly.

             
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” she said. “I can’t believe you were stuck in that place.”

             
“I can’t believe you pulled off that rescue! It was outstanding,” he said. “Thank you, all of you. You put yourselves at such risk doing that for me. I’m so grateful.”

             
“It’s what teams do,” Jake said, smiling at his boss.

             
“We’re not just a team, we’re a family now,” John replied, not only for Brierly’s benefit. “Great digs too by the way. Nice smell of horses and hay on the floor. I take it you moved after I was captured?”

             
Jake nodded grimly.

             
“So what’s next?” Charlotte asked.

             
“I don’t know. Get some sleep then carry on as usual?”

             
“We can’t,” Jake interrupted. “Courtridge told me if I go in after you we’re out; and if we mess up his job, we’re dead.”

             
“It’s not like you to stand for that, Jakey. Besides, I am out, it’s not messed up, and we’re not dead.”

             
“Exactly, so we’re going to have to talk to him. It was Spence who nearly blew his job by setting us up, it wasn’t our fault. Let’s expose that greasy rat.”

             
“How can we prove it?”

             
“Thanks to Charlotte we’ve got it all, mate. But don’t get concerned with all that now, just one name will show Spence out. You wait for his reaction.”

             
“What about you, Richard? What are your plans?”

             
“I’ve got to get to my family and warn them but Spence knows how to find us. I guess we’ll have to leave our land. We might have to move to a northern city and beg.”

             
“You’ll have to leave your land for sure, I agree. But you’ll get somewhere much better.” He indicated to Jake for their bag of jewels and handed Richard a handful of stones and gold. “Take a horse and a cloak,” he said. “Get out before sunrise and keep going. We’re not far from the open walls here. If you get past the whores and robbers you’ll be home free. Take them and settle, my friend. Have a good life.” He handed Richard the coins and watched him as he looked down at them frowning. “Is that enough, Rich? Will it get you what you need?”

             
“John this will make me a rich man for life. I can’t accept this; I’m not worth all of your wealth.”

             
“Oh yes you are and you must. You’re a good man and you helped me a great deal. If you don’t think you’re worth it, you know your daughter is. Take it please.”

             
Brierly looked around at the others expecting hostility but found only encouragement and warmth.

             
“Thank you,” he said. “Do you mind if I leave right away?”

             
“Of course, you must. Go ahead, please, whenever you want. Take your pick of the horses.”

             
“Not the grey mare!” Charlotte shouted out then coloured red with embarrassment. “I’ve gotten attached to her.”

             
“Ok, not the grey mare,” Brierly replied, smiling excitedly and slipping on a cloak before grasping his new sword and hugging John tightly. He looked at the others, his gratitude clear on his face, then left through the door and out of the building moments later in a clatter of hooves.

             
“Get some rest,” John said grinning. “We’ve got work to do in the morning.”

21
st
June 1483

Both John and
Jake stood firmly in the centre of Courtridge’s study in the conspiracy safe house as the big man himself bristled angrily before them.

             
“How dare you come here after what you did last night,” he bellowed. “You expect me to employ you after you disobeyed me and caused mayhem all over London? Do you know the spread of panic amongst the soldiers last night? You’re both wanted men! Do you know what that means? And what it will mean if you associate with me?”

             
“Yes, mayhem maybe, Edmund. But look at us, we’re here. John is here. We’re alive,” Jake said. “We got him out of that Tower alone. For god’s sake, Edmund, we could carry out this bloody mission alone! We are skilled. We did that, and we’ll do yours.  You must see that. We won’t let you down. You need us and you know it.”

             
“Do I?”

             
“You know full well you are far better off with us on your side than any other.”

             
“You’re lucky I don’t have you both killed!” he retorted angrily.

             
“You won’t,” John replied simply.

             
“No I won’t, out of pure admiration. But that’s the end of it. End of you, here. Now go.”

             
“No, Edmund. You still need us.”

             
“I bloody don’t!” he roared. And at that point, Spence entered the room, his familiar sneer plastered firmly across his gaunt, pallid face.

             
“Need you?” he laughed as he walked in. “You fools. I am glad you returned. Now you can die and I can watch you scream on your way to hell. Kill them, Edmund.”

             
“No, William.”

             
“No? You stupid fool. They nearly cost us the whole mission.”

             
“No, Spence, we did not,” Jake interrupted. “In fact, it was you who nearly cost the mission. You nearly blew the lot for the sake of your pathetic pride and the taste of revenge; though for what I don’t know. No, you nearly blew the lot with no thought for your orders from Edmund.”

             
Spence laughed deviously.

             
“Are you finished?” he sneered. “I nearly blew it? And how, exactly, did I manage that, by not liking you?”

             
“By setting up my brother and me,” said Jake.

             
“Here we go again,” Spence chuckled. “Edmund, please finish this.”

             
“Jake, have we not been through this?” asked Courtridge, sighing wearily.

             
“Exactly,” said Spence. “You cannot throw around accusations to save your own skin. You should have your tongues removed for lying, at least.”

             
“Starkes doesn’t think so,” Jake said, bluntly, making Spence fall silent and flash a look of concern in his eyes.

             
“William?” Courtridge asked. “William, you are as white as a sheet. I’ve heard this name, Starkes. What is your business with him?”

             
Spence said nothing, but stared hard at Jake with his jaw clenched.

             
“He is the man that William Spence employed to have us set up,” Jake said, quietly. “After you told him to trust us and to trust your judgement.”

             
Courtridge eyed them both warily.

             
“Think, Edmund,” Jake added. “Who suggested we go to the Tower? Who requested we wait a day longer? Do not under-estimate our abilities as William did. We found you, your plot and the way into it. I found my brother in the dungeon of the King’s own prison. You think we cannot find this weasel’s little secret? When my own brother’s flesh was being burned because of it?”

             
“William?” Courtridge asked again, looking at him. Then as the room fell into palpable tension, Spence broke.

             
“I had to, Edmund!” he roared desperately. “These bastards would have us killed. Do you want them sharing our spoils? These…foreigners? They should have been killed. Caught, tortured and killed. Both of them!” He turned to Jake. “But you, you poisonous viper. You abandoned your brother then used my dog to get him back out again.”

             
Courtridge stood in anger and turned to Spence as the four of them jumped at a loud knock on the oak front door. John checked the window and turned back, his face grim.

             
“The street is full of soldiers,” he said. “Is there a back exit?”

             
“You can’t let them go,” Spence shouted. “They are wanted men, Edmund. If you let them go they’ll implement you in their evasion and you’ll be taken. There is a bigger picture here. You cannot be caught and you know you can’t. Send them out. Do it now, Edmund.”

             
Courtridge sighed as John and Jake watched nervously preparing themselves to fight.

             
“Rougemont,” Edmund whispered to John,” This was a safe house, an unknown and unconnected address. You’ve led them here and they cannot know that this has any connection to me. I truly am sorry.”

             
“No, Edmund,” John said. “Where is the back? We are not being caught again. We can disappear.”

             
“They’ve seen you,” Spence said as the door banged again. “They followed you.”

             
“Shut up,” Jake whispered harshly across the room at him as he moved towards the back of the house. Spence stepped in front of him and drew his sword as his eyes glinted dangerously.

             
“Are you mad?” asked Jake.

             
“Not now!” Courtridge roared. “We need to think.”

             
The room fell into silence as the door banged once more and a voice followed.

             
“Courtridge?” yelled the voice from outside. “Edmund Courtridge, you must come out now.” They paused, listening as Courtridge’s face split into panic. “Edmund Courtridge, you are wanted by the King. Open the door now or we will break it down and you will be dragged out in shackles. We know you are in there and we know you are alone.”

             
“Edmund?” Spence asked, worried.

             
“They’re after me,” he replied in disbelief. “They don’t even know you are here. William, what have you done?”

             
“Nothing, Edmund, I swear it,” Spence replied, almost in tears.

             
“Back exit!” Jake roared. “Let’s go, now.”

             
“Edmund!” John shouted as Courtridge stood, stunned. “We have to go now. Let’s stick together as four. We’ll have a far better chance.”

             
Courtridge snapped out of his trance and nodded, looking to John with hope. He grabbed two cloaks, threw one to Spence and bolted through a number of rooms towards the back door with the others close behind. They hit the open air with their nerves at a high but as they crossed the courtyard to the rear of the house the space was clear and there was no one waiting for them. As they reached the end of the courtyard, they burst into an empty, narrow street and looked to each end.

             
“Let’s stay together and move off,” Jake advised quietly.

             
“I’m not staying with you,” Spence said.

             
“Oh shut up,” John interrupted. If we need to sift through, we’ll split up. But at the moment if we need to fight we’re better in a group.”

             
“We spoke to soon,” Jake said as three soldiers rounded the end of the street and walked towards them.

             
“Shit, come on,” said John, leading them the other way before another two soldiers rounded the opposite end and came towards them. As they stopped in the middle, a door closed next to them and locked from the inside. John looked around at the door, then back at the men to see that Spence was nowhere to be seen.

             
“Where the hell has he gone?” said Courtridge.

             
“Take one guess,” Jake answered, checking the closed door then swearing as he confirmed it was locked. “That idiot has locked us into this alley. We’re closed in,” he said, walking back to them and drawing his sword. “Are you ready?”

             
They drew their own swords as they realised what was coming and stood back to back, facing their adversaries.

             
“When I say go,” Jake continued, “Charge on the two this end. It’ll be easier to kill two then face the others when they get here than to fight five at once.” But as if reading his mind, the two stopped still and the other three jogged forward so that they were all the same distance apart. As they slowed down, both sides stepped forward together and hemmed them in.