Read Online Along Came a Wolf (The Yellow Hoods, #1): Steampunk meets Fairy Tale by Adam Dreece - Free Book Online Page A

There’s got to be one. It can’t end like this!” said Tee, feeling around furiously on the forest floor.
    LeLoup looked up for a moment, unsure if he’d heard something from the bushes. Shrugging off the distraction, he waited for Nikolas to respond. He needed to hear the defeat in the old man’s voice.
    Bakon staggered to his feet and bent over, placing his hands on his knees. He was shaking his head to try and clear the ringing and the last of the dizziness.
    Nikolas, meanwhile, turned his head up and looked LeLoup in the eyes. He could barely hear LeLoup, but he could read his face and lips enough to understand what LeLoup was saying. Like the others, Nikolas’ head was spinning.
    “Well?” asked LeLoup, licking his lips and relishing the moment.
    Nikolas glanced around. The girls were safe. Bakon was dealing with the effects of the blast, but clearly couldn’t be of any help. Squeals and Bore were not in good shape.
    He hoped LeLoup was enough of a professional that if everything were over with quickly, he’d immediately leave and Nikolas’ family and friends would be unharmed. Nikolas bowed his head and quietly said, “Whatever you want—the answer is still no .”
    “If I can’t get what St. Malo wants,” said LeLoup, teeth clenched, “then at least I’ll have this .”
    “I’ve got one!” yelled Elly, tossing the stone to Tee, who snatched it out of the air.
    Bakon was finally over the last effects of the explosion. He charged at LeLoup.
    Tee pulled back on her slingshot.
    A gunshot rang out.

CHAPTER NINE

What Keen Eyes
     
    Captain Gabriel Archambault marched into the hospital and down the hallways until he came to a white door with two guards outside. He nodded to them as he opened the door and entered the room.
    Over many years, his desire for adventure and action had been replaced with acceptance of a much more mundane world. Time had traded his slim, muscular body for a fat belly, a big bald spot, and a bit of a hunch. Even his gray mustache seemed to have gained weight.
    The room was crowded and noisy. “Who are all these people?” yelled an annoyed Gabriel to everyone. “All of you! If you don’t have to be here at this moment, get out!” 
    Everyone stopped in surprise and looked at him. Most of them immediately left. Three guards, a doctor, and a nurse remained. 
    “What’s the story?” Gabriel asked them, annoyed that he’d had to come all the way down to the hospital to find out. It had already been a long day, and the last thing he wanted was to spend time in the house of sick people , as he often called it. 
    A sergeant stepped forward. “Captain Archambault,” he said, saluting.
    Captain Archambault tried not to roll his eyes at the salute; he was not in a patient mood. “Did we get LeLoup?” he asked hopefully.
    “LeLoup is over there, sir,” answered the sergeant, pointing to a hospital bed partially obscured by the doctor and nurse. “He’s not going anywhere, sir.” 
    Gabriel glanced over at the two occupied hospital beds.
    The sergeant continued, “He took a pretty serious pounding from one of those Cochon brothers.”
    “Are we laying charges?” asked Gabriel, concerned. He wondered if he would have to reveal his relationship with the brothers.
    “I wasn’t planning on it, sir,” said the sergeant, shaking his head.
    “Good. But I think you need to correct your wording. If someone were to assault someone else in this town, they would have to be charged. However, if someone fell on someone else, that would be a simple accident. So—are you saying that the Cochon brother fell on Monsieur LeLoup?”
    “Yes, sir,” said the sergeant, nodding to the new version of events. “He fell.”
    “How unfortunate for Monsieur LeLoup. What about the other one?” asked Gabriel, nodding toward the second bed.
    “He died a half hour ago. Shot by LeLoup at close range. There was nothing we could do for him, sir.”
    The captain rubbed his chin. “Any