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

witnesses?”
    The sergeant straightened up proudly. “We have many witnesses. The victim also lived long enough to tell me what happened. I’d arrived on the scene first, along with one of our graduates.”
    The captain nodded approvingly. “Okay,” he said, unfolding his arms and looking around. “Why are there still a doctor and a nurse here? This man died, and LeLoup just suffered injuries caused by someone falling on him.”
    A young woman in guard uniform stepped forward and saluted the captain. “Sir, that’s because they just removed the bullet from LeLoup’s shoulder. I shot him before he took the pounding from Monsieur Cochon.”
    The sergeant stepped between the woman and the surprised captain. “Sir, allow me to introduce one of our newest graduates. She only started this morning and has already started making a name for herself. Her name is Egelina-Marie… ah… Archambault.”
    The captain glared at the sergeant. “Really? I know I look old, but do you think me a stupid old man who can’t recognize his own daughter?”
    “Ah, s-s-sorry sir,” stammered the sergeant.
    Gabriel rolled his eyes before looking at his daughter. “Hello, love.”
    “Captain!” she replied professionally. 
    Gabriel looked at the floor and mentally kicked himself. He’d done exactly what he’d told her not to do. Many times he’d said: You can’t call me Papa when you are on duty. You will need to call me Captain. I will be calling you by your rank or last name or both—the same as I do with everyone else. 
    Yet here he was, the first time he ran into her, and he’d failed to follow his own advice. He thought back to an old conversation with Nikolas about rules, and smiled.
    “Report, Archambault,” the captain ordered, trying to look and sound official.
    “A young boy found us on patrol, sir. He claimed that lives were in danger, including that of Monsieur Klaus. We followed the boy and handled the situation.”
    The sergeant was sweating bullets.
    “Sergeant?” asked Captain Archambault. He could sense that something wasn’t being shared with him.
    The sergeant smiled awkwardly. 
    The captain turned to his daughter, who gave him an all-too-familiar look. He knew then that something was bothering the sergeant, but his daughter didn’t want him asking about it; she was handling it. 
    Deciding to move on, Gabriel asked, “Why was LeLoup shot?”
    “I arrived on the scene just as he was preparing to shoot Monsieur Klaus,” Egelina-Marie replied.
    Gabriel’s eyes opened wide. “Then what happened?”
    The sergeant jumped in. “Sir, she shot him at a distance of at least three hundred yards. She shot him precisely in the shoulder, making him drop his pistol just before he could execute Monsieur Klaus. LeLoup fell to the ground immediately.”
    Gabriel was beside himself in disbelief. He’d had no idea how skilled she was with rifles. His wife had kept Egelina-Marie’s secret to herself. “Three hundred yards… that’s… that’s nearly impossible.”
    “I know, sir,” said the sergeant. “What’s more amazing is that she arrived on the scene, and in one second realized what needed to be done—then took the shot. She shot from a standing position.”
    The captain looked at his daughter in amazement. “A snap-shot?”
    Egelina-Marie smiled. “They’ve been calling me Eg the Crack Shot . Not bad for my first day, sir?”
    Gabriel beamed with pride. “Not bad.” Then he violated a few more pieces of his own advice and gave her a big hug. “You saved a very good man today, Egelina-Marie. A very good man.”
    “I know, Papa. I know,” she said, hugging him back.
    Egelina-Marie had left one thing out. When she and Nikolas had pulled Bakon off LeLoup, she had—for the briefest moment—exchanged a glance with Bakon and, ever since then… she couldn’t get him out of her mind.

CHAPTER TEN

Licking Wounds
     
    The third floor of the treehouse was a six-foot square platform with a sturdy