The alley was filled with the stench of damp cold, and clotheslines and coarse clothes were swaying. Joseph Daly hid on the balcony of the second floor, his rifle muzzle passing through the gaps in the debris pile, vigilantly monitoring possible incoming enemies.
He let out a breath of cold air and his vision began to blur. He was terribly thirsty, a burning thirst spreading in his throat.
Joseph suddenly wanted to have a drink.
I'm too old and too tired. Maybe with a little alcohol to warm me up, I can cheer myself up again.
No, it can't be done. He told himself, You are not the same as you were before, Joseph. Just like this gun.
He fondled the new rifle with rare care. When Corporal Daly was still young, to load ammunition, he had to bite open the oil paper bag, pour the bullets and gunpowder into it, and then compact it with a purge bar to complete a firing.
At that time, his back was as straight as a bamboo pole, he had piercing brown eyes, thick black curly hair, and a neat and masculine beard.
It's just that fate played a bad joke on him. The former Corporal Dally became the homeless Joseph.
It's like a sugar cane that has been squeezed out and thrown as garbage on the roadside, he thought.
Until Colonel Haken found him——
Snap. A golden pound fell into a broken porcelain cup. He had never heard such a sound before.
"You have cuts on your face, veteran. What did they do to you?"
"I brought it upon myself, and broke the law by stealing the bread," he answered.
"That's their law, not ours." Colonel Haken replied.
"...This country is extremely rich, but it is unwilling to spend a copper coin to support the soldiers who have sacrificed everything for it. Since its glory has nothing to do with us, why should we abide by their laws?"
So the colonel gave him a gun and a reason to fight again:
Every soldier who was betrayed should be compensated. What Joseph had to do was to take the other four brothers to cause some unrest in the city and distract the police.
Taking advantage of the chaos in Silvermist City, Colonel Haken would bring the most reliable men to rob the Royal Mint. By the time the cops figured out what had happened, they would have gone far away with the gold bars.
As long as this vote is completed, veterans like them can stay away from this continent and go to the new world to spend their remaining years.
Warm islands, dream-blue waters, beautiful sunsets and palm trees, endless rum and the rest of your life...
He closed his eyes and enjoyed the beautiful fantasy.
Suddenly, a hand covered his mouth from behind, and the other hand grabbed his right arm, making the veteran unable to make even a single sound or pull the trigger to alert his teammates.
Complete suppression. He was terrified, but at a loss.
"Shh...Mr. Daly, I want to talk to you alone."
A familiar voice sounded in his ears, and Joseph was stunned.
And the hands holding him on the opposite side slowly released, and when he turned around, he saw a young face, dark eyes, and that familiar hat...
Edgar Waikolo.
But, why does he appear here?
"Are you...an agent of the Divine Bureau?"
The other party nodded.
Oh, I didn't expect that the young man who saved me this morning turned out to be a crow.
Destiny... How long will you continue to tease this bad old man like me?
"What are you doing here with a gun in your hand?" the young man asked.
"Someone hired me to rob a drug store." The veteran argued.
"But the drug store did not lose any property. Please tell me, what is Colonel Corus Haken's real goal?"
He knows what we are doing. Joseph sighed sadly.
"I won't tell. Do it, kid, and let me die with dignity."
He puffed out his chest, closed his eyes and just wanted to die.
"What if I'm here to help you?"
"Help us?"
What on earth is this young man talking about?
"This is a suicide operation. Your colonel underestimated the security force in this city. The Bureau of Divine Intervention still has an emergency response force in its hands. Once it is delayed, the garrison and the agents who come to support will block all your locations. Escape route, the Royal Society’s aerial gunship will arrive in thirty minutes at most, no matter where your target is, you are destined to fail.”
"So what, we have nothing. Failure can't take anything away from us."
"Many people will die, Mr. Daly. Duty men, innocent citizens, your comrades, and Colonel Harken. Do you think he will surrender?"
I'm afraid never. He will fight until the end and bleed to the last breath.
Corporal Daly closed his eyes in pain.
"There is still room for redemption. I will find a way to ensure that Colonel Harken and your brothers do not go to the gallows... as long as they have not committed irreparable crimes. But before that, I must know his goal Where is it?"
"Will you believe me, Mr. Joseph Daly?"
…
Inside the mint, the hostages were neatly tied into a row. They knelt in the corner, shivering, and whispered prayers.
Fortunately, in front of the veterans with live ammunition, no one dared to resist, otherwise Colonel Haken would definitely open fire to show his authority.
Maybe I shouldn't be here. Dr. Rowan lowered his head and covered his face more tightly with the mask. But what can he do? Colonel Haken once saved his life, and he would eventually repay it.
"Colonel, what should I do with the treasury door?" A veteran came forward and asked.
The cold steel door tightly sealed the gold bars inside, like an unbreakable bunker.
"Which of you has the key?" the colonel asked in a low voice, and the crowd fell into silence.
"I count to three, as long as no one speaks, someone will take the shot."
He held out three fingers.
"three."
Most of these people were simply dressed, and they were obviously just minting workers. Perhaps the person who really held the key was not here. Rowan knew that such people only came once or twice a week.
"two."
"Colonel..." Rowan finally couldn't help himself and said in a low voice.
"one."
