Aramis and Lynn arrived at the pub the same moment Milady did. Lynn hid behind Aramis when she recognised her.

"What is she doing here?"

"It's as I thought." Aramis whispered. "She's our date."

Lynn threw him a dark glare. "That's not funny."

Milady sat down at a table in the middle of the tavern and signaled for the barkeeper. The man nodded and walked over to her table.

The door of the tavern went open and two men entered. The barkeerper nodded to them and they went to sit down on a table in the corner, near the door. He didn't make any moves to go and take their orders, however. They didn't seem to mind, however. Aramis gave the two a second glance before he motioned for Lynn to sit down at a table near the bar.

Not sooner had he turned to the barkeeper behind the bar to order something when the door opened again. Another man entered. He nodded to Lynn and to the other guests and walked through to another corner.

The barkeeper seemed uneasy at the sight of the man. "Sorry, Sir, we are going to close over a few minutes." The man spoken to looked at the barkeeper.

"Why, my friend, I noticed all these gentlemen and the ladies come in just a few moments ago."

The barkeerper started to become visibly nervous.

Milady made a movement with her hand. "The poor chevalier is right. We have a good couple of minutes to spare. Let him in and enjoy a cup of beer. To my costs." She motioned for the guy to come and sit down with her. The man seemed not eager to do that but complied to the request. The moment he sat down and pulled his hood of, it seemed as if an explosion took place.

D'Artagnan reached for his sword but was too late to stop Milady from shooting at him with a handgun she got from nowhere. He had to dive to the ground to avoid the bullet, which flew towards Lynn. Aramis threw himself between the women and in a little miracle did he succeed in cathing the bullet on his musket. The next second he fired an answer in the general direction of the place Milady had been but of course she was no longer there.

"Aramis!"

In the heat of the fight Aramis didn't wonder how it could be when he recognised the voice of Athos. The next thing he heard was a scream, probably from outside.

Some brave or reckless witnesses stormed into the tavern after Milady left it. "What's going on in here?" asked one of them with an authority he possible didn't possess. The only answer he got was Aramis appearing on his left hand. The musketeer didn't take the time to ask him to step aside. He simply pushed himself roughly alongside him.

"Hey! You bastard!"

"Where is Aramis?" called Athos. The authority in his voice making anyone stop moving at once for a moment.

"That little culprit did it again." D'Artagnan stated, dusting himself off. "He left."

"He better prayes to God I don't find him or else things will turn awkward." Porthos grumbled.

D'Artagnan placed a hand on his shoulder. "Easy, there. Don't do things you will regret."

Porthos glared at him but there was a clear amusement in his eyes. "You do know you really start to sound like Athos to much, don't you?"

"Goes to prove there are things in this world you really should not do." The Gascon answered evenly.

The barkeeper stopped Athos from replying by angrily knocking on the bar. "That wretched woman! The ..."

A shot rang through the air.

"Lie down!" Athos called to the barkeeper. Porthos dived to the ground, forcing Lynn to do the same. D'Artagnan dropped to the floor next to them.

"Athos!" the youngest musketeer called out. "Down!"

The older musketeer still stood, however. Another shot rang out.

"Aramis!" Lynn leapt to her feet and ran to the door. Athos, who had looked like a statue, stretched his arm out to stop her from passing him.

"Let me through!" she called, wrestling in vain against Athos strong arm.

Athos didn't answer but pulled stronger.

"Athos?"

Porthos looked worriedly at his friend. He and D'Artagnan knew Athos long enough. They came to the same conclusion.

D'Artagnan looked at his own musket as if the weapon had wronged him. "Three shots. No time to reload."

"Even Aramis can't do any magic tricks with muskets." Porthos said, with warmth in his voice.

"So it must be Milady who fired the two last shots." D'Artagnan stated. "But why shoot two times? I can't imagine her to miss."

Porthos glared at him. "She better did. If not, I won't miss her either."

"Calm yourself, Porthos." Athos said.

"And how is it you can stay so calm anyway?" Porthos barked.

Lynn cowered back at Porthos's yelling. D'Artagnan intervened. "Maybe Porthos is right, Athos. Or she killed Aramis or she wants to spare him for some reason. But I simply cannot believe they work together."

"She wouldn't kill him if they did." Porthos said.

Athos nodded thoughtfully. "Unless they want us to believe so. If we believe Aramis to be death, no one will bother to spy on him anymore."

"Spy on him! God, kill me if I would ever do a thing like that." Porthos said, offended by the idea he was said to be spying on his best friend. Athos ignored the statement.

D'Artagnan nodded. "The other possibility is she wants us to feel pity on him. We take him back with us and she has her spy in the garrison, ready to lay another trap for us."

"There's also the posibility she used him to get to us and now she wants to get rid of him. Or maybe she doesn't mind wether he is death or wounded." Porthos said sourly.

"Your friend only wanted to help me and my sister!" Lynn called out suddenly, silencing the three men. "My sister wanted to kill her husband. That woman wanted to claim the crime to be noticed by you all. Aramis pursued my sister who told him how things were. He promised not to betray my sister and to stay with me for a while."

Porthos made a I-told-you-so-gesture with his arm. D'Artagnan had a more than normal interest in the floor. Athos, as usual, seemed unmoved. His voice sounded sternly when he stated: "So it appears she wants to get rif of him because he knows to much."

Lynn nodded. "I had the idea however she wants more with him. Aramis understood she wanted you all dead, but we think she was trying to seduce him or something. Part of her plan to get him on her side."

"That I have seen." D'Artagnan said with disgust. "Tough, Aramis didn't seem to dislike it."

"What are we still standing here for?" Lynn stated abrubtly. "Aramis is at least injured and in need of our help and all we do is doubting his loyalties."

The musketeers looked at each other. They knew the girl was right.

"All right." Athos said. "Let's go."

It was soon clear they ahd misjudged the situation. There was no blood and no body. In fact, there was no Aramis at all.

(to be continued)