The Legend of Black Eyes 144 Jenkins, the Tanner

The horrible smell of moist leather invaded my entire being before I reached the man's tannery, which he kept behind his medium sized house. I snuck a peek from the house's window first. I had to make sure nobody would interrupt us. I saw a woman, busy cutting some vegetables. The commotion outside didn't seem to trouble her in the least.

I went around the house and toward the tannery. I heard grunting, and the sound of wet leather being slapped against a hard surface. The tanner was there, oblivious to what was happening in the village. It struck me as odd. Perhaps my luck had turned around after all. I silently crept behind the man who didn't notice me until the last possible second.

I put a knife around his throat and pressed it hard.

"How do you conjure the demon?" I asked.

"Wh-who are you?" the tanner asked.

"I'm the man you tried to kill two nights ago," I said. "I'm the man whose friend you fed to that demon. I'm the man who didn't do anything to offend you, yet you targeted him for no reason at all."

"I was jus' following orders," Jenkins cried out.

"Keep it down!" I hissed at him. "Unless you want your wife to find your head lying in one of these pools you use to dye your products."

"What d'you want from me?"

"I want to know what you're conjuring that demon for. I want to know why you're targeting me."

"He wants you," Jenkins said. "We can't refuse his orders. He'll destroy our village. He'll eat us all, and fuck our wives."

"The wives you failed to fuck for so long," I sneered at the man. "Will you take me to him?"

"What?" Jenkins asked, shock apparent from his squeal.

"I want to have a little chat with that demon of yours," I said.

"The mayor won't give you permission," Jenkins said. "You need a pass to get inside his mansion."

"Who said anything about permission?" I asked. "I'll show you a way in, but you'll have to promise not to tell anyone about it."

"alright," Jenkins said. The fool would say anything to get the knife I pressed against him off.

"Follow me then," I said.

I wrapped my arm around the man's shoulders, and pressed the knife against his ribs.

"One false move," I said, "and my knife will find its way through your heart. Do I make myself clear?"

Jenkins nodded.

"Where are you going?" a female voice reached us from the window. I turned to see the woman who was chopping vegetables a few seconds ago.

"Don't you hear the bell?" Jenkins asked. "I have been asked to see the mayor."

"You've never had an escort before," the woman said. Her eyebrows were arched, her voice a little too high pitched, suspicious.

"There's been a murder," I said. "We can't allow the mayor's trusted villagers to walk around unprotected."

The woman's eyes quivered. "Jenkins?" she said. "What's going on?"

I jabbed my knife against the man's ribs. He winced then shot a threatening look at his wife. "Go back inside," he barked at her. "I'll be back in a jiffy."

"Dad?" a third voice joined in, squeaky. It sounded a bit hurt. "You promised you'll spend the afternoon with me."

Jenkins shot me a pleading look then turned to look at his son. He must have been five or six.

"I'll be back before you know it, little one," he said. "There's just an urgent matter I need to deal with."

"Promise?" the kid asked.

"Promise," Jenkins replied, producing his most reassuring fatherly smile.

Before we could leave the house's vicinity, I heard approaching, heavy footsteps. Armor clanked, and people were shouting. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

"Looks like another escort," the tanner's wife yelled behind us. "You're becoming famous around here Jenkins."

I urged the tanner to stop. There was no other way for us to disappear before the guards arrived. Even if we did, his wife would be sure to point them the right way. We got back toward the house and got inside. The tanner's wife was about to say something but her words died out as soon as she saw my drawn sword.

"Here's how this is going to go out," I said. "You'll take that kid of yours and hide in one of your rooms. Should I hear you scream, or say a word to the coming guards, I'll slit his throat then come for you next. Are we clear?"

She nodded. She pulled her child and disappeared inside a room in the house.

"If you value your miserable life," I told the tanner next. "You'd better behave as though nothing happened here. Find a way to send the guards on their way."

By the time I finished that sentence, we heard them knocking. The tanner looked at me, then at the door. I urged the man to answer it. I followed him and hid behind the door as it opened.

"Yes?" Jenkins said.

"The mayor requires your presence immediately," one of the guards said.

"Why?" Jenkins asked. "What happened?"

"Lord Bodrick's been murdered," the guard said. "We're looking for the culprit as we speak. It appears it's the work of the merchant robber."

"That can't be good," Jenkins replied. "Has the mayor said why he needed me?"

"Didn't you hear a word I've said?" the guard yelled. "The mayor needs you, says you're the only one capable of finding the killer."

"I promised to spend the afternoon with my son, you see," the tanner said. "Give me a minute to talk to him, will you? He throws horrible tantrums if his demands aren't met. I'll find my own way to the mayor's mansion."

"We have clear instructions," the guard said. "We can't let you roam the streets alone. It's too dangerous. Speak with your son if you must. We'll wait here."

Jenkins nodded then closed the door. He motioned with his head toward another room. I followed.

"I can't get rid of them," he said. "They'll insist on escorting me."

"Bodrick's dead?" the tanner's wife barged in on us. "Did he do it?"

"Shut your trap woman!" Jenkins barked then turned to me. "What do we do?"

"If you want to see your wife and son again," I said. "You'd better do something about those guards outside. And you!" I turned to the wife. "You as much as whisper, I'll make sure your guts spill on the floor in front of your kid."

"It's all because of you!" the woman hissed at her husband. "Why'd you have to get involved with them? Huh? You promised you'll leave it all behind!"

"What is she talking about?" I asked the tanner.

A loud knock on the door interrupted our talk.

"What's taking so long?" the guard yelled from outside.

"I'll be there in a second!" the tanner answered. He turned to me then got to his knees. "Get rid of them," he said. "I'll tell you everything if you do. I'll disappear. I won't tell anybody about you."

Another knock at the door. "Is everything alright in there?" the guard asked.

"How many are there?" I asked.

"Four," Jenkins replied.

"Open the door," I said. "Let them in."

"What are you doing?" the woman asked.

"It's either that or I kill you all," I said. "What's your decision?"

"Fuck this!" Jenkins got to his feet then headed for the door.

"You go back to your son," I told the wife. "This will be over in no time. With some luck, you and your son will survive this."

"You think you can trust him?" she said, looking at her husband, then disappeared toward the room in which she hid.

I didn't trust anybody of course, especially now. I was in the dark. There were too many things I didn't know about. I couldn't leave things to chance. I had a plan, and I had to stick to it. Getting the tanner to the mayor's mansion unnoticed was a key element in my plan.

I rushed after the tanner, and as he opened the door, I shoved him aside. My sudden appearance startled the guards. They were too late to draw their weapons. I was upon them in seconds. The first fell as I sliced his neck open. The second got a knife in his right eye. I kicked the third one in the knee and pulled him toward me as the fourth tried to stab me.

I finished him off after he stabbed his comrade instead, then threw him aside.

I got back inside the house and shut the door behind me.

"We have about ten minutes before more guards show up," I said. "What does your wife blame you for? You'd better make it quick, or the next guards will find more corpses lying around when they notice the others haven't come back yet."

"It's all Morrison's fault," Jenkins said. "He's the real brains behind this whole thing. If he finds out I betrayed him… Oh, my life's forfeit anyways…" He brought his hands to his face and started sobbing.

I pulled the man from his collar and gave him a smack with my backhand.

"What's Morrison's plan?" I asked. "Speak, and you'll have time to disappear before the others come to find you."

"What use is hiding?" Jenkins said. "He'll find me anyway. He'll torture my wife, probably kill my kid. You killed us by coming here!"

"You speak as though you think Morrison's invincible," I said. "Tell me what he's hiding, and I'll defeat him. He's after me too, and I'm not giving up without a fight."

"You don't know anything about him," Jenkins hissed at me. "You don't know anything about us."

"And yet, you got me involved," I said. "Had you left me alone, I would be gone by now. You have about five minutes left now."

"Just tell him!" the tanner's wife barged out of the room. She was already wearing a cloak, and hiding her son with a small one as well. "He's right, we have to get out of here."

Jenkins was about to protest, but his son spoke first.

"Aren't we going to play dad?" he asked.

"I'll get you out of here," he said, "then we'll play." He forced a smile then composed himself. The tanner took a long sigh, as though what he was about to tell me was worth his life.

"Morrison's the real Bodrick," he said. "He's been manipulating things from the shadows. You just killed a fake. He knows his life's in danger. And he knows someone's after him now. Do you think you can outsmart him? Huh?!"

"What the fuck does he want to achieve?" I asked. "You don't have much time here Jenkins!"

"He's already achieved his goal," Jenkins cried out. "He has an enemy though, the merchant robber. He wants to get rid of it before the Wars start. He used me to summon the tracker demon. He takes lives as a price for information. He knows what's at stake for the Bodricks, so he asked for an impossible prize. Morrison, when he met you, realized he could achieve his goals."

"You'd better get out of here," I said. "Take your wife and kid and disappear. Morrison won't come after you. He'll be too busy looking for me and that merchant robber."

Chapter end