Read Online A Fractured World: A Post Apocalyptic Adventure (Gallen Book 1) by Laurence Moore - Free Book Online
Authors: Laurence Moore
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lobby, dropping to a crouch. Courtyard lights at the front of the building offered enough patches of illumination through the heavy iron door and window shutters to see there were no more guards here. She fanned out into the room, sweeping her pistol towards the open stairwells and broad landing. A bobbing flashlight revealed another guard. She crept up towards him, went low, aimed, fired, took him down instantly. Gozan was combing the ground floor rooms. She heard bodies tumble as he shot four sleeping servants.
None of the guards inside the house were carrying firearms. She had been specific with this instruction and no one had questioned it. Only the men in the grounds were armed and, with the property locked down and no alarm, they were oblivious to what was unfolding inside. Osborn, Chancellor Jorann’s bodyguard would have remained armed but Theo had removed that threat earlier today. Osborn was not from Chett, a drifter, a sharp shooter who had arrived in the city five years before and had been employed by Jorann for his exceptional skills with a gun. It had always been her intention to have him shot by Theo. There had never been any reason to execute Jorann at the assembly. The citizens now saw her as a hero. She had killed the Chancellor’s would be assassin. Any suspicions would be safely deflected. Her reputation would remain untarnished. The plan was to have the Chancellor moved here, to a place no killer or group of killers could penetrate, unless they knew of the underground tunnels. It would be a massacre that would send ripples of fear through the city.
Gozan joined her on the upper floor and they both moved swiftly along a corridor towards the Chancellor’s chambers.
Two guards rounded the corner. Gozan fired, hitting one in the leg, dropping him to the floor. Nuria shot at the other one, clipping his shoulder, flesh and blood showering from the gaping wound. The impact spun him around and he stumbled back out of sight, almost losing his footing. She cursed and rushed along the corridor, planting a bullet in the skull of the other guard as she passed him. As she rounded the corner he threw himself at her, swinging his baton. She ducked and it slammed against the wall. She fired at his leg. He yelled with pain and recoiled from her, swinging wildly. The baton struck her hip and she grimaced, momentarily losing her balance. Gozan burst around the corner and emptied two bullets into the guard and he slumped dead on the floor.
They could hear voices now, calling from other rooms. They ran the length of the corridor and found the Chancellor’s door locked.
Nuria shot through it as Gozan slotted a fresh magazine into his pistol.
“Watch the corridor,” he said.
The door creaked as it opened and the room beyond was in darkness. Gozan could feel the sweat on his face, beneath the mask. His heart was beating loudly as he edged forward, the pistol held in both hands.
Jorann swung at his masked intruder with a baton and Gozan was hit. He howled, and then punched back using the butt of his pistol. Despite his age, Jorann reacted quickly and Gozan hit nothing but air. He had not been able to sleep and the noise outside had drawn him from his bed. Gripping the baton with both hands he swung at Gozan and smashed into his hand, knocking the gun to the floor.
Outside the room, a guard emerged at the end of the corridor and Nuria opened fire on him.
She could hear the front door being unlocked.
“Gozan,” she yelled. “Finish it.”
She reloaded her pistol and ran down the corridor, back onto the landing, firing off a shot to her left as one of the last guards inside the property loomed into view. The bullet hit him in the neck and sent him crashing back down the stairwell. Throwing herself onto her stomach, she lined up the shot at the guard attempting to unlock the front door.
Calmly, she squeezed the trigger and drilled the bullet through the back of his neck. He staggered and fell to the floor.
Jorann
None of the guards inside the house were carrying firearms. She had been specific with this instruction and no one had questioned it. Only the men in the grounds were armed and, with the property locked down and no alarm, they were oblivious to what was unfolding inside. Osborn, Chancellor Jorann’s bodyguard would have remained armed but Theo had removed that threat earlier today. Osborn was not from Chett, a drifter, a sharp shooter who had arrived in the city five years before and had been employed by Jorann for his exceptional skills with a gun. It had always been her intention to have him shot by Theo. There had never been any reason to execute Jorann at the assembly. The citizens now saw her as a hero. She had killed the Chancellor’s would be assassin. Any suspicions would be safely deflected. Her reputation would remain untarnished. The plan was to have the Chancellor moved here, to a place no killer or group of killers could penetrate, unless they knew of the underground tunnels. It would be a massacre that would send ripples of fear through the city.
Gozan joined her on the upper floor and they both moved swiftly along a corridor towards the Chancellor’s chambers.
Two guards rounded the corner. Gozan fired, hitting one in the leg, dropping him to the floor. Nuria shot at the other one, clipping his shoulder, flesh and blood showering from the gaping wound. The impact spun him around and he stumbled back out of sight, almost losing his footing. She cursed and rushed along the corridor, planting a bullet in the skull of the other guard as she passed him. As she rounded the corner he threw himself at her, swinging his baton. She ducked and it slammed against the wall. She fired at his leg. He yelled with pain and recoiled from her, swinging wildly. The baton struck her hip and she grimaced, momentarily losing her balance. Gozan burst around the corner and emptied two bullets into the guard and he slumped dead on the floor.
They could hear voices now, calling from other rooms. They ran the length of the corridor and found the Chancellor’s door locked.
Nuria shot through it as Gozan slotted a fresh magazine into his pistol.
“Watch the corridor,” he said.
The door creaked as it opened and the room beyond was in darkness. Gozan could feel the sweat on his face, beneath the mask. His heart was beating loudly as he edged forward, the pistol held in both hands.
Jorann swung at his masked intruder with a baton and Gozan was hit. He howled, and then punched back using the butt of his pistol. Despite his age, Jorann reacted quickly and Gozan hit nothing but air. He had not been able to sleep and the noise outside had drawn him from his bed. Gripping the baton with both hands he swung at Gozan and smashed into his hand, knocking the gun to the floor.
Outside the room, a guard emerged at the end of the corridor and Nuria opened fire on him.
She could hear the front door being unlocked.
“Gozan,” she yelled. “Finish it.”
She reloaded her pistol and ran down the corridor, back onto the landing, firing off a shot to her left as one of the last guards inside the property loomed into view. The bullet hit him in the neck and sent him crashing back down the stairwell. Throwing herself onto her stomach, she lined up the shot at the guard attempting to unlock the front door.
Calmly, she squeezed the trigger and drilled the bullet through the back of his neck. He staggered and fell to the floor.
Jorann
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