Chapter 1 #2
“A few pages in the beginning,” Maxham said. “But the latter halves of all three notebooks are entirely in cipher.”
“Bianca was even more distrustful than you are,” Jack muttered.
Being in front, Jack couldn’t see Maxham’s face, but he kept his expression neutral nonetheless. Maxham was rather dismayed that he had not discerned Bianca’s true nature. He’d had no idea of the depths of her caution—otherwise he wouldn’t have been so quick to suggest that they kill her.
He had only begun to suspect she was more devious than he believed her to be when they realized that she had hidden her notebooks—they couldn’t find them, no matter which obscure place they looked.
They eventually concluded she must have given them to her lover to sequester away, but even though they searched all of Lord Wynwood’s properties, they still found nothing.
“Norton said that they solved the cipher—” Maxham began.
Jack whirled around, his eyes wide, his teeth bared like an animal. But before he could speak, Maxham raised a hand to forestall him. “It was the little chemist who solved it. But Drydale did not share the key with Norton. He has tried, but he does not know how she accomplished it.”
Jack’s jaw dropped, then he closed it with a snap. “I had no idea Bianca was so clever.”
“Nor did I,” Maxham said with some irritation, aimed not at Jack but at himself for disregarding Bianca as he had.
Jack opened the wooden door to the warehouse, which was deserted at this time of night. He clumped down an aisle between rows of stacked crates as he asked over his shoulder, “Can’t your little pet find the key?”
Maxham knew that Norton’s value as a Ramparts agent would soon come to a close when they had made plans to injure the young botanist and force Drydale’s team to enter into the bargain with Jack for the notebooks.
He had initially intended to have the entire team killed, but Norton had said that while it would take some weeks to make preparations, he had an idea that would bring them great advantage.
Maxham had agreed to the plan even though it would mean cutting Norton’s ties to Drydale like cutting the leash of a wild dog. Maxham had weighed the advantages and the consequences and eventually decided that it was more valuable to have Norton in a position of some authority at the Ramparts.
After all, now that they were fugitives, what would Drydale and his team be able to accomplish without the Goldensuit plants?
The two people who had taken the Goldensuit would be dead soon, or else they would seek out Maxham directly for the Blood Nectar.
He would be satisfied with either situation.
So there had been no need for Norton to remain with the team.
But the true problems had begun when Norton was forced to kill Sir Derrick. Maxham had been livid, although he recognized that Norton had had no other choice but to kill him once he’d been seen.
Norton apologized so profusely that Maxham had relented.
After all, Norton had always done everything Maxham asked him to do.
However, he would have been a great deal easier to control if Mifflin had lived.
While Norton was grateful to Maxham and accorded him respect, he had truly been devoted to Mifflin.
“Norton betrayed Drydale and his team in order to solidify his own position within the Ramparts,” Maxham said.
“We should just kill them all.”
“You mustn’t be so hasty. We’ve seen how effective Mr. Ackett is, and that Coulton-Jones boy is a fine fighter.
Now that Dr. Heddetch is gone, it may be useful to keep the little chemist, also.
” Maxham knew not to suggest they keep the botanist because Jack would be threatened by her and probably just kill her eventually.
“Two more people? Do you not wish to simply destroy them?” Jack’s voice was full of relish.
“They might be willing to die in order to thwart us, but I could simply watch them for a few months and see.” After all, he could always tell if they were lying, and it would be quite easy to kill them the first time he suspected them.
They exited the warehouse onto a darkened street, devoid of people.
“At the very least, we should kill the other members of Drydale’s team except for Coulton-Jones and Miss Gardinier.
But we shall need hostages if we allow them to live.
” In Maxham’s experience, threatening to kill someone in order to force them to obey was never as effective as threatening to kill their loved ones.
People with nothing left to lose became more reckless, whereas if someone’s loved one was in danger, a person would be willing to do a great many things they would not otherwise.
“The pretty boy would be easiest,” Jack said.
Maxham assumed he meant Mr. Coulton-Jones. “Yes. While he is currently in hiding, if we could manage to kidnap his mother or his sister, he would be quite malleable.”
“Shall we do the same for the chemist?”
“That might be more difficult,” Maxham said slowly as he considered the matter.
“Norton discovered that her brother-in-law also works for the Ramparts in a minor capacity. We shall not be able to sneak a servant into his household. She is apparently not close with the rest of her family in the country, although she does care about her uncle and aunt, so they could be potential hostages.”
“So we find the others and kill them?” Jack asked. “Although … Milady might be useful in society, don’t you think?”
“No,” Maxham said flatly. “Even if we took a dozen hostages, she would not obey us. She would find a way to get herself killed.” When Maxham had spoken to her on the roof of the hunting lodge, he had seen her fear—which had been delicious—but there had also been a core of steel inside of her.
He instinctively knew that he could hit it over and over, and he would not even leave a dent.
Jack tilted his head as he thought. “Yes, I remember I didn’t like the look in her eyes when I questioned her at the hunting lodge.” He shrugged. “That’s a shame. I don’t like high society, but it might have been useful to control someone inside of it.”
“So until we can find them and kill them, shall we take hostages for the Coulton-Jones boy and the chemist?” Maxham asked.
“My men could invade their houses and kidnap people.”
“It will bring too much attention upon us from the constables. They would be quite interested in the men who murdered members of the nobility.”
“I’m not afraid of them!” Jack snapped, but at Maxham’s sharp gaze, he made an effort to calm himself.
“But I wouldn’t want the constables interfering with my fun.
” He suddenly stopped walking, one foot poised in the air.
“But if no one saw my men entering the house or leaving with the hostages, the constables would not know where to start looking.”
Maxham thought about it. “I would agree to that plan, if—” He stuck a finger at Jack to stop him from interrupting. “—you make it clear that they cannot be seen. If there are any witnesses or anyone they have to kill, they’re dead. I will kill them myself.”
Although if that were the case, it would already be too late. It would alert Drydale’s team that the Citadel was attempting to harm their families.
Jack peeked at him coyly and clapped his hands in delight, as if he were a young girl.
Maxham regretted saying anything. “Can you assure me that there will be nothing to connect the murders to us?”
Jack waved away his concerns as if they were trifles. “I shall tell them to wait until the family is asleep so that they cannot be recognized in the dark. In the meantime, some of them should watch the houses.”
“I will hire men to watch the houses and observe the occupants. The Coulton-Jones boy might recognize your men, not to mention smelling the Root.” Maxham wondered how many of Jack’s men would remain after he learned about the little rebellion that occurred in his absence.
“Oh, very well,” Jack said. “I know a burglar I could hire to sneak inside and make a map of the building, the family’s rooms, and the servants’ rooms.”
“How soon could he do it?”
Jack smiled widely at him. “Probably tomorrow night. We can take them in a day or two.”