else, and never to trust his instincts or his feelings until he had hard
evidence to back them up. But this was different. This was Isobel. He had to
find her and hear her explanation. And then he'd know what to do next.
Though really, deep down, he'd already decided what he was going to do. Whatever
she said, whatever she'd done; it didn't matter. Once before he'd given up
everything he had for her sake, and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again if he
had to. There were other cities, other countries they could go to, and it
wouldn't be the first time they'd had to change their names.
But he had to find her soon, before the Guard did. She wouldn't go to any of her
usual haunts; too many other people knew about them. There had to be some place
she'd regard as safe, some place she'd think no one knew about but her… The
Tolling Bell. That had to be it. Isobel often disappeared there when she lost an
argument or was feeling broody.
A shout went up not too far away, as a sudden gust of wind caught the edge of
his hood and flipped it back, revealing his face. Hawk pulled the hood back into
position, but the damage had been done. Two Guard Constables were running
towards him, swords drawn. Hawk looked quickly around for an escape route, but
they were all blocked by curious onlookers eager for some free entertainment.
Hawk cursed unemotionally, straightened up, and drew his axe. He shrugged his
cloak back out of the way and stamped the snow flat to give him better footing.
He hefted his axe thoughtfully, and waited for the two Constables to come within
range. He didn't want to kill them if he could avoid it. They were just doing
their job. As far as they were concerned, he was a rogue and a traitor. But he
couldn't let them stop him. Isobel's life might depend on his getting to her
before anyone else did.
The Constables slowed their pace as they drew near Hawk, and moved apart to take
him from two directions at once. Hawk picked the nearest one, and launched
himself forward. He ducked under the Constable's wild swing, the sword blade
tugging briefly at the top of his hood, and slammed his shoulder into the
Constable's gut. The man folded in half and fell away, gasping for air. Hawk
clubbed him forcefully across the back of the head with the butt of his axe, and
then spun round just in time to block an attack from the other Constable.
The two of them stamped back and forth, feinting and withdrawing, each trying to
make the other commit himself. Hawk faked a stumble, and went down on one knee.
The Constable immediately fell back a step, too old a hand to be taken in by
such an obvious stunt, and Hawk hit him in the face with the handful of snow
he'd palmed when he went down. The Constable staggered back, lashing out blindly
with his sword while he tried to claw the snow out of his eyes with his free
hand. Hawk timed it carefully, stepped in during a brief moment when the
Constable left himself open, and kicked him in the groin.
The Constable went down without a sound, and Hawk clubbed him unconscious. He
nodded once, satisfied, and then froze as a shout went up again, some way behind
him. He looked round and saw six more Constables charging down the street
towards him. Hawk turned on his heel and ran for the nearest alleyway. If he had
to take on six-to-one odds with no one to guard his back, someone was definitely
going to end up dead. Quite possibly him. The people in the alley mouth
scattered as he bore down on them axe in hand, and he plunged past them into the
concealing gloom of the narrow passageway. His best bet was to try and lose his
pursuers in the maze of back streets and cul de sacs. He knew this area, and the
odds were they didn't. He just hoped he wouldn't have to outrun them. He was
already short of breath. It had been a long day, and the end was nowhere in
sight.
He scowled to himself as he ran. Running from a mere six-to-one odds. If this
got out, he'd never live it down.
Captain ap Owen watched with interest as Commander Glen sat glowering behind his
desk, painfully growling orders to a steady stream of visitors. He kept an ice
pack pressed against his face. A quite spectacular bruise was spreading across
his jaw and peeking round the edges of the ice pack. People came and went in
sudden rushes and flurries, darting into the office to deliver updated reports
and possible sightings, and then quickly disappearing before Glen could turn his
glare on them. But for all their bustle and effort, it was clear they were no
nearer locating Hawk or Fisher.
'They can't just have vanished,' protested Captain Burns, pacing back and forth,
and occasionally raising a hand to feel gingerly at the back of his head. He
claimed to have a hell of a bump there, but no one else had seen it. Ap Owen
thought it was probably more hurt pride than anything else. Burns glared at ap
Owen as though it were all his fault, and ap Owen quickly looked away, somehow
keeping a smile off his face. It had to be said, he'd never much cared for
Burns. Too interested in looking good, that one. Probably had a great career
ahead of him—in administration.
'We'll find them,' said Glen slowly, trying hard not to move his mouth when he
spoke. 'We've got their house staked out, and all their usual haunts. The city
Gates have been sealed, so they can't get out of Haven. All we have to do now is
run them to ground…' He broke off abruptly as a wave of pain hit him, but his
eyes were still hot and furious.
'We're leaning on all the usual informants,' said ap Owen. 'Most of them are
falling over themselves at a chance to do Hawk and Fisher some dirt. Those two
have made an awful lot of enemies during their short time in Haven.'
Burns sniffed. 'No honor among thieves. Or traitors.'
Ap Owen raised an eyebrow. 'That's hardly fair, Burns. Up until now, Hawk and
Fisher have always had an exemplary reputation.'
'You have got to be joking. Everyone knows about the brutal tactics they use.
They don't care who they hurt or intimidate, and they kill anyone who gets in
their way. I've even heard it said they plant evidence and manufacture
confessions, just to make their arrest rate look good. They're no better than
thugs in uniform.'
'They always upheld the law.'
'When it suited them,' said Burns. 'Anybody can be bought, for the right price.'
Ap Owen shrugged unhappily, and looked across at Glen. 'With respect, Commander,
I think our quarry have more than enough sense to keep clear of all their usual
haunts. Is there anywhere they might go, that they might think we don't know
about? You were with Hawk all day, Burns. Did he mention any place to you?'
'If he had, I'd have said so!' snapped Burns. 'Why aren't you out there looking
for them? You've got twenty men under you. Why aren't you out combing the
streets?'
'What's the point?' said ap Owen mildly. 'We've got half an army out there as it
is; adding my people to that pack would only give them someone else to trip
over. Besides, I don't want my men wandering aimlessly about in the cold, or
they won't be worth spit when we finally get a chance to arrest Hawk or Fisher.
