Thank you all for reading and leaving comments with speculations that Athos was the one who needed to be careful. (You know me well!)
So what has happened?
35 DAYS EARLIER
PORTHOS
"What d'you mean, Athos is missin'?" I growl, not wantin' to hear what the Captain has to say. Everythin' was fine earlier, sittin' at our usual table, sparrin' with others an' drinkin' wine. That was when the Captain joined us to give us more tasks; easy ones 'e said, after all the excitement of the mornin'. He wanted Aramis an' me to escort one of the Queen's ladies-in-waitin' south of the city to the family estate where her father's been taken sick.
'E was right that it only needed the two of us. It was an easy journey with a good road an' the poor woman kept 'erself to 'erself in the carriage, she was so distracted with worry. I kept an eye on Aramis to make sure 'e didn't try pesterin' her to give her any kind of solace, but 'e was good an' the journey passed quickly. We stayed long enough to 'ave the food an' drink that was offered an' then we were on our way again, intendin' to spend the evenin' with Athos in the Wren for our supper an' wine. As expected, the whole thing was uneventful from first to last – until we arrived back at the garrison, that is.
We knew somethin' was wrong the moment we saw Serge sittin' at our table , preparin' vegetables. 'E's never done that before, sittin' in what we regard as our space an' workin'. As soon as 'e saw us, 'e was on 'is feet an' from the look on 'is face, I knew somethin' 'ad 'appened. We couldn't get anythin' out of 'im; 'e just kept repeatin' that the Captain wanted to see us.
Think I took those stairs three at a time with Aramis close on my heels.
"Where did you send 'im? We should never have let him go on 'is own? How d'you know 'e's gone?"
A hand closes on my forearm. Aramis. In the Captain's office, the air is filled with tension.
"Why don't you give the Captain a chance to answer, my friend?" 'e says softly, tryin' to sound normal, but I can see the pinched lines around 'is eyes; he's worried, an' tryin' damned hard not to show it.
The Captain tells us to sit but I don't want to. It's Aramis who pulls over a couple of chairs from where they are standin' against a wall an' pushes me down on one of 'em.
Treville starts speakin' but I'm only half-listenin'; all I'm hearin' is that Athos has gone an' I want to get out there and look for 'im.
"You were there when I gave him his instruction. It was so simple and should have taken him a couple of hours, three at the most. The Cardinal had those letters he wanted delivered to his council members, inviting them to individual meetings. That's all there was to it. I was working in here and didn't even realise that he wasn't back until his horse returned, riderless, over four hours later."
I jump to my feet. "Where do all these council members live then? We'll start with them an' work our way back."
"What do you think I've been doing since then?" Treville demands.
I can tell he's short on patience by now an' I try to sit still so's not to anger 'im any more as 'e goes on to explain that he's sent some men out, first to see if Athos' had delivered the letters as expected.
"The reports that came back from the men were that all letters had been delivered apart from two. Working on the timeline of when those letters were delivered, I can see the route that he probably took, especially as the remaining residences are closer to the Louvre and garrison so he was definitely on his way back," the Captain continues.
"Soubert in next geographically but he never received a visit from a Musketeer with a letter, so I sent men back to the route between the last house Athos reached, that of Philippe Villart, and Alain Soubert."
Aramis leans forward expectantly. "And?"
The Captain sighs. "There were two possible sightings near the market, but the people concerned wouldn't swear to it. They say they see Musketeers heading through there all the time - which is true - and could not be sure that it was this afternoon."
I crack my knuckles. "Perhaps they need a little 'elp to recall things more clearly."
Aramis glares at me. "I really don't think that will help things at all."
"It'll make me feel better, like I'm doin' somethin' positive," I fire back, as a pain begins to gnaw at my insides. Athos is out there somewhere, more than likely needin' our 'elp an' we're not there.
Aramis is frownin' hard before he speaks. "It's a maze of narrow streets and alleys the other side of the market. If he had occasion to go down any one of them …"
His voice trails off.
"Why would 'e do that?"
The moment the words are out of my mouth, I know it's a damned stupid question, but Aramis provides the answer anyway.
"He saw something that wasn't right; heard a cry of distress; someone asked him for help. This is Athos we're talking about. I know he hadn't yet finished his task and, under normal circumstances, that would take precedence but if the distraction, whatever it was, was sufficiently serious, he would naturally offer his assistance and become involved…"
His stops but 'e doesn't need to say anythin' else. I know he's right. Somethin' or someone lured Athos into one of those side streets an' that was it.
"He's not stupid; he'd 'ave been alert so 'e was either taken completely by surprise, like a blow to the back of the 'ead, or was outnumbered."
"Even if outnumbered, he would have tried to put up quite a fight," Aramis sounds really worried now. "He would not let them take him easily so he could be hurt."
I'm lookin' at the Captain when I see the expression on 'is face change as Aramis speaks an' he studies the top of 'is desk.
"What is it?" I spit out. "What are you not tellin' us?"
Treville raises 'is eyes and looks at each of us in turn. "He is hurt. There was blood matting his horse's withers and on the saddle."
Aramis an' I are on our feet.
"We need to be out there searchin' for the place he was attacked. There must be some clues," I insist, "an' we should be findin' them before they get destroyed an' just disappear."
Tréville takes a deep breath. "There's more."
We never take our eyes off 'im as he waits for us to sit again. My heart's poundin' in my chest fit to burst. There's somethin' in his face, 'is voice, an' I know we're not goin' to like what 'e has to say.
"Athos has been abducted and I know who is responsible."
Aramis an' I are talking at the same time, almost shoutin' out our questions.
"Who?"
"Where is he bein' held? We'll get after him now."
The Captain shakes 'is head. "I have no idea where Athos has been taken but …"
Aramis interrupts 'im. "You said 'abducted'; you believe he's still alive then."
Tréville fixes us with a look that's so full of mixed emotion that I'm not too sure what I'm seein': sadness, fear, anger, determination, revenge. One of 'em? All of 'em?
"I'm sure of it. His immediate death would not serve any purpose, but we must accept that we are on borrowed time, and so is Athos."
"Who is it?" I grind out. My teeth are clenched to the point of making my jaw ache.
"You heard Bircann and what he said when he was arrested. This note was tucked under the horse's saddle; the animal didn't just run off and make his way back to us. He was sent deliberately as a messenger," an' Tréville pushes a piece of paper across his desk towards us.
Aramis snatches it up first and holds it so that we lean together to read it. The first thing that draws my attention is the dark smear across the corner of the page.
Dried blood. Athos' blood. An' then I read the words.
"I told you that my reach was long, Tréville!"