Tommy and Philippa wasted no time swinging their weapons at their attackers, but this time, the soldiers drew their swords. Unfortunately for them, the soldiers did not anticipate Adrian sneaking up behind them with wooden clubs of his own. Down went two more soldiers.
Only two remained to defend themselves against four Wynchesters. The startled men reached for their swords, but it was too late. They were no match against the speed and surprise of the attack.
In no time, Marjorie and Philippa had all six soldiers’ hands tied behind their backs and their ankles bound tight. Tommy and Adrian dragged the men into the waiting cells. The iron doors locked tight.
Stephen’s blood sang, thrilled that his machines had given the Wynchesters a tactical advantage. They were winning.
Marjorie and Adrian disappeared from his line of sight. Tommy and Philippa retook their positions.
Stephen hurried back to the other side of the turret in time to see two of Redington’s extra soldiers break away from the rest of the idle regiment and disappear into the forest. Since six of the eight active combatants had been captured, only Reddington and two final men remained. Fortunately, the castle door was still shut tight. There was no way Elizabeth would allow—
The clang of metal on stone sounded behind him, and Stephen spun around.
“My apologies for startling you,” said Graham. “I wanted to bring you the weapons we confiscated from the soldiers who fell through the trapdoor.”
Stephen collected the stray sword and handful of daggers and placed them on a wooden chair beside the open archway leading to the spiral stairs.
“The battle is almost over,” he said with a grin. “Reddington is down to two men.”
Graham smiled back at him. “We couldn’t have planned it to go any better.”
“You literally planned every possible contingency,” Stephen said dryly. “Of course it would go your way.”
“Elizabeth is the war general. But with Reddington, one never knows—”
The bugle sounded again.
Stephen arched his brows at Graham. “White flag of surrender, already?”
They hurried to the front window and peered below.
Reddington was pointing his blade at six new men, who each stepped forward in obvious delight at being chosen as replacements for the six captured soldiers.
“That unscrupulouscheater,” Graham exclaimed in outrage.
Stephen groaned. “I knew he agreed to the negotiation terms too quickly. We failed to specify nine men intotal. Reddington is attacking with nine at atime.”
Graham ran a hand over his black curls in frustration. “He won’t surrender easily.”
Stephen calculated quickly. “It will take forever to vanquish onehundred men, even if we had enough supplies and could stave off exhaustion long enough to try. Perhaps Elizabeth can still convince him to—”
Graham snorted. “She wants this fight as much as he does. I’d wager it’s killing her to be trapped behind a locked door with so many armed soldiers to defeat on the other side.”
A dullthwackechoed in the forest.
“What was that?” Graham scanned the horizon.
Stephen closed his unobstructed eye and searched the forest with his field glass. “An animal?”
“Maybe.” Graham looked unsettled. “And maybe we need another contingency.”
“The original distraction worked brilliantly,” said Stephen. “Do it again.”
“With pleasure.” Graham retrieved a fresh satchel of rocks and slipped out through the window. In seconds, new projectiles soared down at the men below, several of whom shouted in surprise at being struck on the head and shoulders with rocks the size of fists.
Blood trickled down from two men’s foreheads.
“First blood!” Graham called. “They’re out!”
