Read TARN & BECK for Free Online

Boardinghouse.
    Despite the trouble at the graveyard and the nightmare that Vampiric monster had given him, he managed to sleep a few hours during the night. But he awoke early, agitated by the desire to get going and leave Silvo as soon as possible.
    The gold coins might have also fueled this desire and anxiety, for he didn’t want to lose them. That guard, Tarn, might have been willing to let him go and not take any blame for what happened with his friend Ralph or that Vampiric when Beck had saved his life.
    But giving that gold coin to Tarn, albeit out of the kindness and generosity of his own heart, might have been a mistake. Tarn might have realized then that Beck was walking out of there with a full bag of similar gold coins and might want to take some more for himself.
    So Tarn could very well inform the authorities that Beck was entirely responsible for what happened there that night, and take the gold coins for himself when Beck was arrested. Or maybe Tarn might decide to track Beck down himself and trap the man, taking the coins away and maybe even killing him.
    Beck didn’t know what the man was capable of, after all, for he could be a fiend who acted friendly enough. And Beck’s first impression of Tarn was the man pointing a musket at him, so he could be capable of killing someone. Thus Beck decided to take the coins with him and leave rather than wait around and see what Tarn might do to him.
    Several attendants loaded mailbags, packages, and trunks onto the top of the coach while the coach driver spoke to the owner of an inn nearby. Beck handed off most of his bags to an attendant to load up there, but he kept the small bag of gold coins close to himself.
    He mounted the step into the coach, looked up, and stared in shock at the person sitting there. “Greg! What are you doing here?”
    Greg, holding a small case in his arms, recoiled from Beck, afraid of getting punched by him again. Two soldiers, armed with swords, pistols, and muskets, watched the scene intently as they sat on the seat opposite Greg. One of the soldiers looked like he was prepared to shoot Beck, if necessary.
    “What am I doing here? My job! Which you clearly did not deserve.” Greg told Beck.
    Disgusted by Greg, Beck stepped down from the coach, careful not to alarm the soldiers on duty.
    He drew the attention of one of the attendants. “Is there any way I can get on a different coach today, preferably one without that rat?”
    From inside the coach, Greg called out, “Hey! You’re no king yourself!”
    The pair of soldiers half chuckled while Beck grimaced and blushed. However, the attendant shook his head.
    “I’m sorry, but you paid for that coach today and it’s the only coach you’ll get to ride today. Unless you want to pay another fare and wait until tomorrow to take a trip?” The attendant asked.
    Beck hesitated, glancing at the coach with the hated Greg inside, and then back at the attendant. He didn’t want to pay extra for the fare when that meant he would have to spend a gold coin, having no money left of his own. He mourned to part with one single gold coin, which shone so brilliantly bright, and so he was reluctant to spend.
    “What should I do?” Beck asked himself.

Chapter 4:
    The Coach
    Tarn raced down Willow Street, heading to Duke Boardinghouse as a small crowd of people gathered there, exclaiming over the break-in that had just occurred. With a few quick words to Beck’s landlord, Tarn was able to step into Beck’s apartment, which had been wrecked much like Nutmeg’s office, under the landlord’s supervision.
    The furniture had been overturned with drawers pulled out and curtains, bedding, and seats had been slashed, obvious signs of Carroll’s gang searching for the gold coins. But there was no sign of the coins having been found or of Beck himself.
    “You’re certain he left before the break-in occurred?” Tarn asked the landlord as he looked around.
    Please let him be all right, not hurt like