Adele was in a cold sweat. While Djonn ought to have been commended for his bravery, she found herself disagreeing with him once again. Surrendering their weapons was an unreasonable demand, but why not just hand over Hemming? Sure, they were paid to protect him, but this was a matter of hostages. Let the outlaws do what they wanted with the liar—her life and those of the nobles that may or may not be alive inside the house were vastly more important.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a time where she could mouth off. She bit her tongue, eyes flickering to what view she could get of the carriage’s door. Rook was in there… and he and everyone else would be relying on her to give them cover once the fighting broke out. If she somehow screwed things up, there was no doubt that people were going to die. She was certainly in a prime position to play pincushion.

“Damn you, Djonn!” Adele hissed under her breath. She slipped her goggles over her eyes and worked her cannon as subtly as she could manage, trying to focus on notches and numbers instead how just how shaky her fingers were getting. [i]Keys E2 and G6, amp filter set to full power, light filters L5, L7, and L8 for full spread… steady… stay calm… aim for the windows as soon as the door opens![/i]

The driver beside her shuddered, and her breath hitched. She turned her head to growl at him, already at the edge of her nerves. “Don’t bump me!” she warned in a low whisper, “just focus on closing your eyes and slipping off the side of the carriage when the door is opened. You’ll be safe from any crossbow fire from there. If you move after that, you’ll be just as likely to be mistaken for an enemy soldier in the dark.”