Read Online A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway - Free Book Online Page A

said in the same low, calm voice he used on nervous horses, and pressed the knife deeper into skin. He was shorter than the man in his grip, but could tell he was easily the stronger. “Gunshots attract attention.”
    Not that there was anyone around—at least no one that he could see. The stinking tannery—set outside the city for obvious reasons—sat silent. The yard was filled with vats of noxious substances—urine, brains, lime, and who knew what else. Hides cured in the malodorous brews, addingtheir own rotting scent to the air. Anyone lurking in the yard to catch Nick at this rendezvous had probably passed out.
    Except this fellow, who raised his hands in the traditional gesture of surrender. “Right enough.”
    “Who are you?” Nick demanded.
    “The Schoolmaster.”
    That was the name Nick had been told to expect. “I’ve never had much to do with school. What do you want?”
    “There is a need for your services. An urgent one.”
    “For me, or for the
Red Jack
?”
    “We need you, your ship, and your crew. The job’s going to take finesse as well as speed.”
    Which meant it wasn’t going to be easy. Silence fell as Nick allowed himself a moment of reluctance. He heard his second in command moving over the rocky soil, making sure the Schoolmaster had come alone. He wasn’t likely to find anyone—there was little to no cover. A few stubborn shrubs grew here and there, but otherwise the land was barren except for the factory walls and its yard full of toxic vats. Even the aether was deserted. Nick had the power to sense nature spirits—the elemental devas that lived in wild places—but no such spirits were anywhere near the place. The tannery had killed the land, and that left him uneasy. No one liked lingering near a corpse.
    “Striker?” Nick called.
    “There’s a vehicle by the gate with some bloke in the back trussed up like a holiday goose.” The man’s rough voice came out of the darkness, as welcome to Nick as old, comfortable boots.
    “The word was for you to come alone,” Nick growled into the Schoolmaster’s ear. “Or was he the real Schoolmaster and you’re someone else?”
    “He’s not a person,” the man’s tone was icy. “He’s a package for delivery. We need you to take him to where he can be questioned at leisure.”
    Nick pressed the knife a little closer. “You didn’t answer my question.”
    There was a beat of silence before the man answered. “Then dangle me in front of any member of the Steam Council,”the Schoolmaster said dryly. “If you want confirmation of my identity, just listen to their howls for my blood.”
    “Fair enough. A little melodramatic, but to the point.” Nick eased the pressure on the blade just a fraction. “What did your package do?”
    “Many things. Most recently, he tried to blow up Sherlock Holmes. If he’d been successful, he would have killed the detective and his niece.”
    Evie
. That got Nick’s attention. Even the oblique mention of her made his jaw clench. But there were so many layers of anger and frustration and desire surrounding her memory that he ruthlessly pushed thoughts of her away. That was quicksand he didn’t dare step in while there were drawn weapons in play.
    “How very uncivil,” Nick said sarcastically, lowering the knife and allowing the man to turn around. “Now start explaining what this is all about.”
    “Do I have your word that you’ll hear me out before you refuse the job?”
    “I’ll give you one minute to state your case. I’ve found it unwise to stay in one place too long. It’s not safe for me, nor for anyone I meet with.”
    In fact, after cutting the
Leaping Hind
free, Nick had left Captain Hughes and his ship on course for an easy landing just south of the city, but they were never seen again. That bothered him more than he cared to admit, and he wished he’d taken the time to question the man named Bingham.
    “Fine. I won’t take more of your time than need be.” The man