"They will be coming for you soon," he stated. "You must leave the castle."
"Who will? The soldiers? Are they going to kill us?" Gwen placed Clive Jr down by her feet a moment while she slipped into the robes.
Skullface, who still hadn't removed his hood, answered: "They are taking you and the other women to the forest."
"What?" Gwen was more confused than ever. Why would they take them to the forest to kill them? And why just the women?
"You are to be bait."
Bait? She still didn't understand… unless Robert had returned to Sherwood? But then surely they'd take just Mary? Gwen cast her mind back to the hostages that had been on the gallows when De Falaise had been at the castle — Robert had been willing to come into the castle grounds alone to save them. Perhaps they were banking on him coming out because they had some of his closest friends? Closest female friends? The sexist shits.
It still didn't explain why this guy was helping her escape, why he'd stopped Jace from attacking them. From attacking Clive Jr…
"Why?" she asked as she scooped up Clive Jr again, joining the cultist at the door. "Why are you doing this for us? For him?"
"He must be kept safe," said the man in that monotone voice, tinged with the slightest hint of compassion. "Hide him under your robes."
Gwen did as she was told, covering Clive Jr as much as she could, before pulling up the hood to conceal her features. Their saviour led them out of the office and into the castle, where other robed figures were waiting.
She didn't have much option but to go with them, especially as they were able to move freely. Where they were taking her, she had no idea, but Gwen began to hope again.
For her there was always New Hope.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
It was already dark by the time they arrived, and they hit the mist about a mile outside Sherwood. The moon was on the horizon and Tanek recognised its red tinge instantly. He knew all too well what they called it.
Fog lamps kicked in and allowed the drivers of the armoured vehicles to see roughly a car's distance ahead of them. They'd brought three AFVs — a couple being Armoured Personnel Carriers, while theirs was a cannon-wielding BTR-90 — and a couple of jeeps. All they'd need to tackle a few fugitives.
Tanek rode with The Tsar and the twins. The Tsar had insisted on coming along personally, he'd said because he didn't want Hood and his men escaping this time. Tanek suspected it was more to do with keeping an eye on him. They were coming to a parting of the ways, anyone could see that, but it was fine. The Tsar and his men had played their part. Tanek was based back in Nottingham again. And, by a twist of fate, even that dolt Bohuslav was out of the picture. Which meant, if Tanek was to take control of this operation, he would only have to deal with the twins.
Only.
He remembered how adept they were. How skilled with those swords. One at a time, maybe. But when they worked as a pair, they were lethal.
Actually, everyone being in the same place, at the same time, might work to his advantage. If they were killed, he could blame the renegades — after killing them as well, plus any witnesses among The Tsar's men. Wouldn't be easy, but he'd pulled trickier things off.
Then he and Adele would have a little chat about how to move forwards. He could see her mind ticking over about what would happen once The Tsar was no longer in command. Ultimately Tanek thought she'd make a fine leader. Eventually. He'd already seen shades of his old master in her, especially the cruelty she'd displayed when torturing that scum, Jack. But she needed guidance. De Falaise had asked him to look after her, and he would. She'd take the reins only when he deemed she was ready.
She caught his eye as he was thinking this and smiled. Adele had come along as well because: "None of them know the truth about me. I can be another hostage." Along with a virtually unconscious Mary and the nurse, who'd managed to stabilise Hood's woman and splint her leg. The Tsar had at least told him he was right to keep her alive, because in spite of the fact Hood was dead — and Tanek still wasn't entirely convinced about that — the others would still surrender if their leader's woman was threatened.
Tanek had also been told that Gwen had been captured, and he'd ordered someone to go fetch her because she had a link to the holy man. Worryingly, they'd only found the body of ex-prisoner Jace in the room where she was being held. The grounds had quickly been searched, but there was no sign of her. Tanek wasn't surprised, not after the way she'd behaved on the day of the hangings. It really wasn't that much of an issue — just another loose end to tie up at a later point, like finishing off Jack — but it irked Tanek all the same. She had been De Falaise's woman, so it was a matter of principle.
"How long until we are there?" Tanek heard The Tsar shout to the driver.
"We are almost at Sherwood, sire," came the reply.
The Tsar nodded, satisfied. "You see? Russian efficiency. We have made excellent time."
"We should have waited until the morning," Tanek replied. Night had fallen and now there was this mist. If the trees didn't provide cover enough, then both of those would. Except the plan was not to go into the forest — which would be suicide even at the best of times — but to force them to come out.
"And allow them to move on? We suspect they are here, right now. Why give them the opportunity to slip through our fingers again?" That last one was another dig at Tanek, even though he'd been busy dealing with Jack at the time of their escape.
"They won't leave Sherwood yet. It is where Hood will come when-"
"Hood? Hood again. Tanek, the man is dead. Will you not get that through your thick skull!"
One more crack like that and I will reach over and crush your windpipe, thought Tanek.
"Then we should have waited because of Hood's men. They will almost certainly try to regain the castle."
The Tsar waved a hand. "And do what? Shoot their little bows and arrows at my men?"
"It's what they did to Bohuslav's troops," Tanek retorted. It didn't do to underestimate Hood or his men, as they'd found out to their cost in the past. Tanek had a grudging admiration for the man, which he knew De Falaise would understand. It wouldn't stop him obliterating all of his followers, or indeed The Hooded Man himself if he still existed. Tanek had made a promise to avenge the man he had followed, not because of his lures of power, but because he had a vision. A vision which might yet be a reality.
Before The Tsar had a chance to say anything more, the driver informed them that they were pulling into the visitor centre's car park. It was empty, which Tanek knew didn't prove a thing. Any transportation the fugitives might have used would have been moved by now; that's if they'd even entered the forest from here in the first place. Sherwood was a big area, but Adele seemed to think this would be the best spot having followed Hood before.
"Turn the spotlights on," ordered The Tsar. The vehicles formed a rough semi-circle and trained their beams on the area just ahead of them, breaking through the mist. "This is where we will get their attention, yes?"
Armed men were already filling up the lit area, standing guard by the vehicles, and a rap on their AFV told them they were ready for Adele. Tanek opened up the hatch and climbed out, dragging Adele with him; the crossbow he was carrying pointing at her temple. They had to make this look realistic.