The Autumn Republic by Brian McClellan Read Free Book Online Page B

the men, Adamat guessed that they’d had this conversation already.
    “When are they going to question us?” Adamat asked. He had little experience with provosts, but he could only imagine the worst: Hilanska wanted to cover something up. He’d torture them all to find out what they knew, and then have them executed quietly.
    “Depends on how big of a hurry they’re in. And how big of a hornet’s nest you kicked by asking questions. Could be they’ll just hold us a couple of days and then let us go.” Oldrich didn’t sound optimistic about that outcome.
    The night drew on and Adamat watched the tents, waiting to see Hilanska’s provosts return to collect them for questioning. The hours passed. The more he thought about it, the more he realized Oldrich was probably right: Hilanska just wanted to keep them from complicating things. He needed them out of the way and that was it. They were still in a tight place, but the belief helped Adamat to relax.
    He was just beginning to doze, his shoulders up against the cold steel of the prison wagon walls, when he heard a hiss behind his ear.
    He turned to find Bo right behind him. “How long have you been here?” Bo asked through the bars.
    Adamat shook away the sleep. “A few hours, I think.”
    “The sentries are unconscious. We have a few minutes until the guard makes their rounds. We have to go. Now.”
    Adamat hesitated. If Hilanska only wanted to hold them for a time, an escape attempt would only make things worse. Bo moved around to the front of the prison wagon and licked the end of his gloved finger. He twitched his fingers twice and then set it against the steel of the lock.
    “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Adamat asked.
    “They tried to kill Nila,” Bo said. “They don’t want us quiet – they want us dead. Nila! Get the other wagon.”
    Adamat turned to see Nila rush over to one of the other prison wagons. She glanced around, as if self-conscious, then held one hand out in front of her, palm up as if holding a fruit. Adamat frowned at the gesture. What was she doing?
    A cold blue flame danced over the palm of her hand. She reached out and grabbed the lock. Steel melted in her hand, dripping to the ground with a sizzle. One of the soldiers swore under his breath.
    This girl was a Privileged? No wonder Bo had insisted on bringing her along! But where were her gloves? Adamat didn’t have time to think about it as he was pushed out the front of the prison wagon by whispering soldiers.
    “How the pit are we all getting out of the camp?” Adamat hissed to Bo.
    “With help,” Bo said. He gave a low whistle, and two men suddenly emerged from the blackness near the hitching posts. They both stood well over six feet tall and each carried a bundle of blue-and-crimson uniforms in their arms. “Oldrich,” Bo said. “Get your men dressed. They’ve just joined the grenadiers of the Twelfth Brigade. You too, Adamat. Over your clothes, boys. We can’t leave them any sign of how we escaped.”
    Adamat snatched one of the uniforms and pulled it on over his suit. It was an awkward fit, the uniform was made for someone far larger. The jacket followed, and he was handed a bearskin hat.
    Nila went down the line, straightening uniforms and tugging them to fit here and there. She joined Adamat and Bo and gestured over the two grenadiers. “You’re part of Colonel Etan’s honor guard,” she said to Adamat, “escorting him up to Adopest. He was going to leave in the morning, but word of a sickness in his family has him riding out tonight.”
    “And we can trust this Colonel Etan?”
    Bo hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. “One of Taniel’s friends.”
    Adamat looked between Bo and Nila. Neither was wearing a uniform. “And what about you?”
    “We’re making our own way out,” Bo said. He didn’t elaborate further.
    “And this civil war?” Adamat asked.
    “Not my problem.”
    Nila gave Adamat an apologetic look.
    “Get a move on,” Bo said.