Bill tottered to his feet. He felt like he was still in the air, unable to feel the ground beneath him. His hand was killing him, but he bit back the pain. Thank God the bolt had grazed it rather than going through. He started walking in the direction he'd come from. Bill picked up pace when he reached the edge of the mist and saw what was going on with Mark and Sophie. Tate looked like he was coming to help, but it'd probably take all of them to bring down Tanek. Even then it wouldn't be a walk over.
He spotted his discarded shotgun and snatched it up. Bill raised the weapon, hoping to get a clear shot at Tanek. But the big man kept dancing round, desperate to dislodge Sophie from his back. Bill couldn't chance hitting her by mistake.
By the time he reached them, Tate was already there — and had delivered a blow to Tanek's stomach with his stick that should have doubled him over.
Tate nodded a welcome to Bill as he joined him, and they both set about attacking Tanek. Tate with the stick, Bill with the butt of his rifle. He jabbed the man in the places he thought might hurt the most — including a wound on his upper arm that was still bleeding.
At last, Tanek managed to get a grip on Sophie, bending forwards and throwing her over his head to land in a heap on the floor. He was about to stamp on her, when Mark crawled between them and caught Tanek's foot.
Grimacing, he pushed and, with the help of Tate and Bill's battering, the giant was toppled. Bill swiftly struck him in the face with the butt of his shotgun. "Ram me, would ye!"
Tanek took the beating and more, holding up his huge forearms to protect himself. Then he reached up to swat away the annoyances. He grabbed Tate's stick and shoved, knocking the holy man over backwards. Then he rose and took hold of Bill by the throat, squeezing hard as he got first one knee beneath him, then both legs.
"Now, I finish this," he said, his face only inches from Bill's. So near he could smell the big man's fetid breath.
It was then they both heard a whistling sound from close by.
Robert was on his way to help Mary.
Not that she needed it. Somehow, she'd come to, and was grappling with Adele. Mary was trying to wrestle the Peacekeeper out of the short-haired woman's grasp. And, as Robert watched, Mary punched her in the face. Hard. He recognised that look, Mary was furious. Enough to spur her on, tackling the person who'd been a thorn in her side since day one.
Then came the noise. The sound of one of the armoured vehicles backing up, its eight wheels spinning, creating smoke that was soon lost in the mist.
So someone is still inside one of those things. Has to be The Tsar!
Robert saw that the cannon on top was swinging in their direction. The mad Russian was going to fire; obliterate him and his core group in one decisive stroke. Robert guessed Tanek and Adele didn't mean a thing compared to a win like that. Anxiously, he looked from Mary to the AFV.
He started after the vehicle, running as best he could with a leg that was far from healed. The AFV was reversing, backing into the mist. But it thudded into the hidden wooden dividing posts on the left-hand side of the entrance, where it juddered to a halt.
At the point of collision the cannon spat its load. Robert dropped to the ground. All he could do was watch as the shell flew overhead, whistling as it went. But the cannon's aim had been spoiled by the prang, and it flew over the top of the group. It cut through the mist, and exploded somewhere off in the trees beyond. But it was enough to blow those who weren't already on the ground off their feet, dust mixing with the mist coming in from the forest.
He had no time to check whether Mary, or indeed any of the others, were okay, because the hatch of the AFV was opening. A soldier, probably the driver, was climbing out. Or rather, was being pushed out. He was armed with a pistol, and began shooting in Robert's direction. Robert rolled over, bringing his sword close to his body. The bullets made a ping as they ricocheted off the concrete. Robert glanced up and saw another figure climbing after the first. The Tsar, using the driver to cover his own escape.
Robert swore loudly, then got up on one knee. Bullets came again and he rolled, sideways this time, so that he would end up underneath the AFV — out of the driver's range.
He waited under there, knowing the man would come down eventually, knowing that he would have been issued with precise orders to finish off The Hooded Man. Robert was only one guy, after all, and he had no gun. Sure enough, he saw two boots drop to the ground and the driver bent, shoving his pistol underneath.
Robert prodded his sword through the gap in the tyres, feeling the now familiar resistance of flesh against tip. There was a grunt. The gun went off, but it was already falling from the man's hands. He fell to the ground, clutching at his wound.
Robert scrambled back out, catching sight of a shadow disappearing into the mist off to his left.
He got up and, as quickly as he was able, gave chase.
The blast from the shell caught them all off guard.
Tanek let Bill go as they were both blown over — black smoke from the flames covering them along with the mist. From the far off hint of yellow and red, Tanek could see that the forest was on fire, or at least this part of it. Tanek coughed, then immediately surveyed the area to assess the situation. Hood's people were already stirring, as was Mary. Adele was laying motionless a little way from Hood's woman.
It was time to retreat.
The whole thing had gone to shit and he needed to get De Falaise's daughter to safety. He'd promised. Tanek got up, kicking the farmer across the face and grabbing his crossbow as he made his way to Adele.
"Time to leave," he told her, taking her by the arm and lifting her to her feet. She didn't complain, a ripe bruise flowering on her chin and eye. It seemed that Hood's woman still had some fight in her after all.
Tanek pulled Adele towards a jeep which had one working headlight. But, just as they were about to climb in, the sound of gunfire came from somewhere across the way — from the direction the shell had originated. Somebody was being shot at. Tanek hoped it was Hood.
Adele slumped forward, hanging heavily in his arms. She was staring up at him, as if shocked. When Tanek shifted his position to help her into the vehicle, he felt the wetness at her back.
More shots — only these were closer, in tandem with the others. Tanek traced them back to Mary, who was sitting upright, holding one arm with her other hand and shooting the Peacekeeper. Once the gun was empty she slumped — only having enough energy to perform that one, last act.
Adele was bleeding heavily from the wound in her back. Tanek lifted her into the vehicle and ran round to the driver's side. Gunning the engine, he pulled the jeep round and retreated, urging Adele to stay awake, telling her he'd get her back to the castle, get her fixed up.
"Hold on," he kept repeating as he drove past the stuck AFV and back onto the main road, cutting a swathe through the fog. He knew once he got far enough away from Sherwood, the mist would clear.
"Everything will be okay. Just hold on!"
As he stumbled through the undergrowth, the mist thickening, The Tsar couldn't help thinking that this was just like one of the old folktales, something parents would tell their children to stop them running off. Don't go into the forest, especially after sunset, because something might just come for you. Something might just be hunting you.
Well, something was definitely hunting him.
The Hooded Man, on his own turf. He knew every single one of these trees, whereas The Tsar was completely and utterly lost. They might only be within spitting distance of the road, but he couldn't see a thing. He ventured on, stumbling through the fog, his great coat flapping behind, waving his Cossack Officer's shashka blade ahead of him.