The Un-Rescued Princess; Chapter 8, Part 2

by Maryam in A Land Of Desert And Sun

Adair looked back at Jolinda, who had come up behind him and was also watching through the crack.
He nodded at her and watched her go to the back of the wagon to jump out, but instead of doing that he.. no, she was picking up.. a frying pan?
She tested it on one hand purposefuly as he was watching her, then met his gaze and narrowed her eyes slightly, as if daring him. He shook his head frantically and motioned to the back of the wagon. Her expression stayed the same, but she hefted it up onto her shoulder and stood there theateningly.
He rolled his eyes, gritted his teeth at her and briskly pointed to the back of the wagon and hissed, 'Out!'
Jolinda didn't speak. She didn't need to, as this little conversation was promptly broken off by one of the bandits's head stuck out into the cloth of the wagon, right next to Jolinda's foot and, grinning with rotten-looking teeth, he opened his mouth to yell.
She promptly brought the frying pan down on his head and was satisfied by the 'clunk' it made as the head sprawled to the floor, and looked at Adair triumphantly, a glimmer of a smile on her lips.
'Do I pass, Adair?'
This also went unanswered, for this was the exact moment an 'Oi, Smiffy! Wot do you fink?' came from outside.
'I tell you there's' - (Jeffery's voice now, sounding pained), 'There is nothing in there! Let me go now!'
(Clearly, he was being held by a couple of the thugs) Then a puzzled, 'Smiffy?'
Adair wordlessly held out his hand for a frying pan. She handed one to him.
Soon, another 'clunk' was heard, and there were now two heads on the floor of the wagon.
Jolinda distasefully nudged one with her shoe. Too hard, it turned out.
Her push made the already shakily-on-the-wagon person fall directly onto the ground below, and the inevtiable happened.
A big sound.
'Boss?' Tenatively, and the voices of the others came closer. Adair shook his head at Jolinda ruefully. Then,
'Follow me,' barely loud enough to be heard.
Adair crossed his fingers and prayed under his breath that the bandits were as stupid as they sounded as he led Jolinda to the side of the wagon. Then, ducking under the cloth and holding his breath, he went outside to the front where they had heard Jeffery's voice.
'Oi, wot's wrong wiv the boss?' 'Aye, 'e's go' a nasty bump on 'is head. Wonder why that is?' A whimper as the first speaker tapped the other on the head a bit too hard. 'You idjiit, vere are probably people in 'vere. Now wot we 'ave to do is just capture ve two peopwe and show 'em to ve boss. Vat 'is, if we can get 'im up.'
Adair looked sideways at Jolinda, who nodded, and mouthed the word he was thinking.
Stupid.