"What the hell just happened?" Jesper asked Kaz as Niklaus reached the deck. He was leaning against the railing, his rifle beside him. Matthias was bent over the railing, vomiting his guts out. Niklaus took a special joy in his pain. "We were ambushed" Wylan said from his perch on the forecastle deck. Jesper shot Wylan a withering glare. "Private tutors from the university, and that's what this kid comes up with? 'We were ambushed'?" He asked. "Does anybody want to try not pointing out the obvious?" Niklaus asked, his worry for Inej had put him in a sour mood.
Wylan reddened. "Stop calling me kid. We're practically the same age" he protested "You're not going to like the other names I come up with for you. I know we were ambushed. That doesn't explain how they knew we would be there. Maybe Big Bolliger wasn't the only Black Tip spy in the Dregs" Jesper suggested "Geels doesn't have the brains or the resources to bite back this fast or this hard alone" Kaz said. "You sure? Because it felt like a pretty big bite" The sharpshooter said.
"Let's ask" Kaz limped over to where Oomen was stashed. Niklaus and Jesper dragged Oomen over to the rail, his hands bound. "Stand him up" Matthias hauled Oomen to his feet. Oomen grinned "Why don't you tell me what brought so many Black Tips out in force tonight?" Kaz asked. "We owed you" Oomen said. "A public brawl with guns out and thirty men packing? I don't think so"
Geels doesn’t like being bested" Oomen snickered "I could fit Geels’ brains in the toe of my boot, and Big Bolliger was his only source inside the Dregs" Kaz responded "Maybe he-" The black tip was cut off "I want you to think real careful now, Oomen. Geels probably thinks you’re dead, so there are no rules of barter here. I can do what I want with you" Kaz said.
Oomen spat in his face. A very very bad idea. Kaz took a handkerchief from his coat pocket and carefully wiped his face clean. "Hold him" he told Jesper and Niklaus. Kaz flicked his coat sleeve and an oyster shucking knife appeared in his hand. He made a neat slash across Oomen’s eye from brow to cheekbone and before Oomen could draw breath to cry out, he made a second cut in the opposite direction, a nearly perfect X. Now Oomen was screaming. Kaz wiped the knife clean, and returned it to his sleeve.
He then grabbed Oomen’s jaw, his gloves leaving red smears on the enforcer’s chin. "Listen to me" he hissed, his face inches from Oomen's. "You have two choices. You tell me what I want to know, and we drop you at our next port with your pockets full of enough coin to get you sewn up and buy you passage back to Kerch or you'll be begging for death"
Oomen glared at him, remaining tight lipped. "Helvar, grab him" Kaz ordered "Klaus, he's the one stuck Inej" he informed, watching the shadow summoner's impassive face twist into rage. His fists clenched, a deadly calm settled over him though fire burnt bright in his eyes.
Niklaus dropped Oomen and let Matthias take his place. He crouched in front of the black tip as he put on a sleek black glove. It was fabricator made, Niklaus had put the order in for it just a few weeks ago and had received it yesterday.
He flicked his wrist and small but sharp, lightly curved spikes appeared at the ends of his fingers like silver claws. They were meant to help him climb mostly but they worked as a weapon just as well. Niklaus grabbed Oomen by the neck, the claws drew blood at the barest of contact. He slammed the black tip against the wall harshly, pressing his knee against his throat. Oomen tried struggling against him but the more he gasped for air the more pressure Niklaus put.
The black tip looked into his eyes pleading, searching for any sign of mercy but he was met with nothing but cold vengeance. The Phantom, every bit as dark and soulless as the one he answered to, had come out to play. A dark chill had set over the deck. Nobody dared to move. Even the shadows held their breaths.
Whenever Kaz wanted to send a message Niklaus had a specific way of carving into his victims. Usually he did that when they were dead, Oomen would not receive that mercy. He drove his 'claws' into the enforcer's left eye, before ripping it out. The eyeball rolled on deck, he didn't care enough to see where it went. Blood poured from Oomen's eye as he screamed. Wylan started heaving. Niklaus retracted the claws on one hand and grabbed the enforcer's head to hold him still. With the other hand he used a single claw to etch into Oomen's face. He dragged the elegantly curved spike in a large rough diamond around the missing eye, matching the burn scar on Niklaus's face.
Kaz stepped in, placing a hand on the shadow summoner's shoulder. "Answer me, and Klaus will do you no further harm" he said cooly. Niklaus bristled but complied, moving his knee from Oomen's throat. "It was just a job. Geels got five thousand kruge to bring the Black Tips out in force. We pulled in some Razorgulls, too" Oomen babbled "Then why not more men? Why not double your odds?" Kaz asked.
"You were supposed to be on the boat when it blew! We were just supposed to take care of the stragglers" The enforcer explained "Who hired you?" Kaz asked. Oomen wavered, sucking on his lip, snot running from his nose. "Don’t make me ask again, Oomen. Whoever it was can’t protect you now" Kaz said quietly. "He’ll kill me" Oomen whimpered. "Klaus, feel free to continue" Kaz said.
Niklaus raised a claw to replicate the other burn scar on his cheek. "Pekka Rollins" Oomen sobbed. "It was Pekka Rollins!" The shadow summoner paused, he looked back at the others. If Pekka Rollins was after them it was bad news. Very bad news. He fancied himself king of the barrel and despite everything, held to that title. He had the numbers, the wealth, the manpower and nearly every advantage. Nearly. The crows had just one, Kaz Brekker. Call him a fool for putting so much trust in Kaz, Niklaus would agree. Except he'd learned from experience that Kaz was not to be underestimated.
Jesper and Wylan looked nervous. Matthias was too oblivious to be intimidated. "Saints, we are so screwed" Jesper groaned. "Is Rollins leading the crew himself?" Kaz asked Oomen. "What crew?" The enforcer asked "To Fjerda" Niklaus said. "I don’t know about no crew. We were just supposed to stop you from getting out of the harbor" Oomen said.
"I see" Kaz murmured "I need a medik. Can you take me to a medik now?" The black tip asked. "Of course, Niklaus, help the man" Kaz ordered. The shadow summoner helped lift him to his feet before slamming him against the railing "I told you what you wanted!" Oomen screamed, struggling. "You told Kaz what he wanted. I agreed to nothing" Niklaus corrected. He knew that if Kaz had a problem with this he'd interfere but he let the shadow summoner do what he pleased. Niklaus carved a crude drawing of a crow head into Oomen's arm "This is for Inej" he tipped him off the railings into the sea.
"No!" Wylan shouted, leaning over the railing, trying to spot Oomen amongst the waves "You… you said if he helped you-" he stammered "He hurt Inej" Niklaus said simply. He glanced down at his glove and sighed, they weren't even at Fjerda yet and he'd already ruined them "Would you like to join him?" Kaz asked.
Wylan took a deep breath "You won’t throw me overboard. You need me" he sputtered "Maybe, but I’m not in a very good mood" Kaz responded. Jesper lay a hand on Wylan’s shoulder. "Let it go" he said gently "It’s not right-" the merchling tried to protest "Wylan. Maybe your tutors didn’t cover this lesson, but you do not argue with two men covered in blood with several hidden weapons" Jesper said, giving him a little shake.
Wylan pressed his lips into a thin line. Matthias stood silently and observed it all, though he looked a little seasick green. Kaz turned to Jesper and Niklaus. "Fit Helvar with some shackles to keep him honest" he said as he headed below. "And get me clean clothes and fresh water" he instructed "Since when are we your valets?" Jesper asked incredulously "Man with a knife, remember?" Kaz said over his shoulder. "Man with a gun!" Jesper called after him. "Man with several knives and guns!" Niklaus reminded. Kaz simply gave the two a time saving vulgar gesture as he disappeared below deck.
•~•~•~•
I pity Jan Van Eck already
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