A World Apart (The Hands of Time: Book 3)

by Irina Shapiro

  Valerie used her bound feet to try to rotate herself to bring her hands closer to the scythe. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as every movement put pressure on her injured arm, grinding it into the dirt floor. She had to stop every few minutes to catch her breath while stretching her fingers in an effort to reach the scythe. Her head was pressed to the floor, so she couldn’t see where the metal was, having to grope blindly. It must have taken her nearly an hour to finally position herself in such a way that her fingers could grasp the piece of metal. It felt cold and hard in her hand as she carefully wrapped her fingers around it, feeling for the sharp edge. She had to position the sharp part against the rope and cut through it without cutting her wrists. If she cut herself, she could bleed to death.

  Valerie moved the scythe experimentally, sliding it against the rope binding her wrists. She scratched herself painfully, stopping to readjust her grip on the metal. Valerie tried again, more carefully this time. She felt the resistance of the hemp against the blade, but at least she had it at the right angle. She moved the scythe very slowly, moving the blade only a few millimeters at a time. Her left side was growing numb from lying on the ground with the chair pressed against her, and she was shivering with cold and the need to go to the bathroom, but she forced everything out of her mind, focusing only on the broken piece of metal in her hand.

  The light in the shed grew dimmer as the moon rose higher in the sky, no longer shining through the cracks. The light was so feeble that Valerie could barely see the door. She closed her eyes in concentration, continuing to saw at the thick rope. She had no idea how long passed before she finally felt the rope loosening around her wrists. She had to be even more careful now, not to cut herself as the blade came closer to her skin. She moved it carefully back and forth, back and forth, until the last of the fibers finally gave, allowing her to free her hands. Her fingers were bleeding from slipping on the sharp blade, but it was nothing – just scratches.

  Now she had to free her feet. That went quicker, since at least that was in front of her rather than behind, but she could only use her right hand since her left arm was still pinned under the chair, and she couldn’t manage to push herself back up. Valerie must have been on the floor for several hours before she finally managed to saw through the rope and free herself. Her legs shook so badly she could barely stand, but she pulled herself up, walking around the shed to get the circulation back into her numb legs and feet. She held her left arm against her side, unable to move it even a little without extreme pain. She stepped into the corner and peed, sighing with relief as her aching bladder finally emptied itself. Now, she had to get the door open before they came back for her. If she couldn’t do that, she had to be prepared, striking her captors as they entered the shed.

  Valerie looked around again. There wasn’t too much she could do with a broken rake or bits of furniture, but the spade could be useful. She tried inserting it between the planks and applying all her strength, but the wood wouldn’t splinter. It was too thick and might break the spade. She needed a new plan, and she didn’t have too much time. Valerie began to dig frantically, trying to make a hole large enough to crawl through to the other side. She had to get away from this place well before dawn, or all her efforts would have been for naught. Every time she lifted a spadeful of dirt, she thought she would pass out from the pain in her left arm, but she had to keep going.

  Valerie was shaking with strain as she emptied one shovelful after another onto the shed floor, digging with all her might. She was drenched in sweat, her dress covered with dirt, but she didn’t care. There was no chance of rescue, so she had to rescue herself. It couldn’t be more than a few hours till dawn, so she didn’t have much time.

  Valerie froze as she saw a dark shadow just outside the shed. It stood silently, listening, barely breathing. She had no idea what to do, so she huddled in the corner, holding her breath. Was she safer in or out of the shed? The shadow shifted, moving away from the door.

  Valerie leaned against the wall, panting. Whoever it was seemed to have gone and she needed to keep digging. She was just about to drive the spade into the dirt when the sound of wrenching metal stopped her in her tracks.

  Chapter 42

  Valerie positioned herself in the darkest corner, spade raised above her head. Her heart was pounding, her knees buckling with fear, and her arm was on fire, shaking with the strain of holding up the spade. The door of the shed vibrated with every blow, the sound of screeching metal thunderous in the quiet of the night. Valerie slid to the ground with relief as Alec burst into the shed, catching her just before she hit the ground.

  “Valerie, are you hurt? Val, look at me.” Alec grabbed her by the arms, gazing into her face. She could barely see him in the darkness, but she didn’t need to. He’d found her. She opened her mouth to answer him, but a terrible blackness seemed to swallow her up as her body gave up after hours of fighting against the fear and excruciating pain.

  Valerie heard Alec’s voice coming from somewhere very far away. He was calling her name, begging her to wake up, but she simply couldn’t. She was floating peacefully up above, no longer scared or hurting. He’d come for her, and now she could just rest for a while, safe in the knowledge that Alec would take care of her.

  “Valerie, please wake up.” Alec was gently slapping her cheeks in an effort to get her to come around. He sounded frantic. Valerie felt a jolt as her soul rejoined her body on the cold, damp floor of the shed. She forced herself to open her eyes, gazing up at Alec.

  “Alec, how on earth did you find me?” Valerie was shaking now, the shock wearing off and the pain setting in again. Her arm felt as if an elephant had stepped on it. Valerie made an effort to sit up, but fell right back with a moan of pain. Her teeth were chattering, her body convulsing uncontrollably. Alec held her up as he wrapped his coat snugly around her, holding her close. He took in the overturned chair, rope, and the hole she’d been digging, gaping like a freshly dug grave.

  “They left you here tied up overnight?” he asked, his voice low with fury. Valerie just nodded.

  “Alec, let’s go before they discover I’m gone. How far are we from Williamsburg?” Valerie nearly fainted again as Alec took hold of her arm, helping her to her feet. “My arm…” she gasped.

  “Is it broken?” Alec was gently feeling her upper arm, looking for broken bones.

  “I don’t know, but it hurts like hell.” She held her arm by the elbow with her right hand as they walked toward the woods. It hurt less that way.

  “I want you to wait for me in the woods, Valerie. I have some business to take care of before we leave and I need to know that you’re safe.” Valerie saw the gleam in his eyes and shook her head.

  “What are you planning to do? They are at least two of them, and they’re armed, Alec. Please, let’s just go,” she pleaded. All she wanted was to get away from this horrible place and lie down for a while. Her head was spinning, and her legs were wobbly from strain and fatigue, but Alec had his own ideas.

  “Valerie, I can forgive a few bruised ribs, but I can’t forgive the kidnapping and beating of my wife. God only knows what they were planning to do to you. I can’t walk away from this – not now.” Alec’s face was set in a look of grim determination, leaving Valerie in no doubt that he would see this through.

  “I’m coming with you, and nothing you say will change my mind.”

  “All right,” he answered with a sigh. “Let’s go then. I have a plan.”

  The sky was just beginning to lighten in the east, going from an inky black to a muted gray, as they slipped into the woods at the edge of the clearing. It was still dark in the woods, the milky light of early morning unable to permeate the thick foliage nearly blocking out the sky. The house was clearly visible from their vantage point, a thin spiral of smoke curling lazily from the chimney. It was a one-story structure with a sloped roof and two small windows at the front, the shutters open and hanging at an odd angle. The whole place looked derelict and unkemp
t. Percival Gale was obviously not especially handy. There were only two outbuildings on the property. A barn and a privy. Alec primed his gun and pushed it into the waistband of his breeches. He wasn’t wearing a sword, but a dagger was sticking out of his boot, just barely visible above the shaft.

  “What if there are women and children in there?” Valerie whispered, grabbing his arm.

  “There aren’t.”

  “How do you know? Alec, I don’t want you to have the death of these men on your soul. Let’s just go. We can report them to the authorities once we get back to Williamsburg.”

  “Valerie, let me handle this my way. I walked away once, and look what happened. I nearly lost you. I didn’t aim to kill Percival Gale when he attacked me, but I should have. They were going to hurt you and possibly kill you. I would kill a hundred men to protect you and keep you safe. Now, let me do what I came here to do. Please wait for me here.”

  Alec didn’t wait for her to answer, walking stealthily toward the house. He was just a few feet away from the door when it began to open, revealing the squat figure of Percival Gale. He looked sleepy and disheveled as he stumbled from the house, unsteady on his feet and probably hung-over from a long night of drinking. His face was covered with dark stubble, his unbound hair in disarray. Alec had just enough time to step behind a pile of chopped wood before Gale passed him on the way to the privy. He was scratching his balls as he entered the outhouse, closing the door behind him with a bang. Valerie watched as Alec calmly emerged from behind the stack of firewood and yanked open the door to the privy. Percival Gale sat there, his breeches around his ankles, his face slack as he did his business. His eyes flew open in shock as he realized he was no longer alone.

  “Ah, I see you remember me,” Alec said conversationally, leaning on the door jamb, his gun pointed at Gale’s chest.

  “Please, it was just a prank. We weren’t going to ‘urt her or nothing, I swear. Just let me get dressed, and we can discuss this like men.” He began to rise from the wooden seat, but Alec pushed him back down.

  “There’s nothing to discuss. You sealed your fate the minute you laid a hand on my wife.” Percival Gale seemed inclined to say something else, but Alec didn’t wait to hear what it was. The shot sounded surprisingly feeble in the quiet of the early morning. Alec stood still for a moment as a trickle of blood ran from the man’s forehead down his face. His eyes were still open, staring in horror as his body slumped on the privy. Alec kicked the door shut and turned toward the house. Bobby Mann was already running out the door, a rifle in his hands.

  “I’ll kill ye, ye bastard,” Bobby yelled as he raised the gun to fire. He never stood a chance. He fell face down, sprawled in the mud of the yard, the musket trapped beneath his body.

  Alec made sure Bobby was dead before turning his back on the corpse. His eyes met Valerie’s across the yard as she came toward him, eager to get away from this gruesome scene. She made sure not to look at the privy. The door was half open, the body of Percival visible within.

  “Alec, please, let’s go,” she begged. Her head was pounding, and her stomach did a summersault as she was sick against the wall of the house. Alec was at her side in a moment, grabbing her before she collapsed again.

  “Let’s go,” she whispered.

  “We can’t leave them this way. I don’t want to be accused of murder, justified though it may be.” Alec led her to a chopping block and sat her down, cupping her cheek tenderly. “Just sit down for a moment. I won’t be long.”

  Valerie was too sick to argue. She sank onto the chopping block, grateful to be off her feet. Alec handed her his gun before setting to work. He pulled Bobby’s body back into the house and went back for Percival. Valerie looked away as he dragged the corpse past her, Percival’s eyes staring accusingly at his killer. Her head was spinning, and all she wanted to do was lie down somewhere and never get up. Alec reappeared a few moments later, closing the door of the house behind him. Valerie was about to ask if he was going to just leave the two men inside when she saw the orange glow of flame through the window.

  “Come, love. It’s time we were going.” Alec put his arm around her waist, leading her away from the house. Valerie could hear the crackling of flames behind her, the smell of burning wood strong in her nose. Her attackers would never have a Christian burial, but they would be cremated.

  The horse was grazing about half a mile away from the farm, oblivious to what just happened. It looked at them indifferently as Alec gave Valerie a leg-up, getting on behind her. Valerie made sure not to lean against him, knowing it would hurt him, but he pulled her close, inhaling her scent and kissing her temple. “All the way here I kept thinking that had I been man enough to kill Gale the day he attacked me, none of this would have happened. Men like him don’t accept defeat easily. I should have known. I nearly lost you because I failed to recognize the danger.”

  “Alec, it’s over. Don’t blame yourself. Just tell me how you found me.” Valerie snuggled against him, needing to feel his solid form behind her. She was still wearing his coat, but she was shivering as much from the shock of what happened as from the cold.

  “It was by sheer luck,” Alec answered cryptically, refusing to tell her any more. Valerie’s eyes began to close as the motion of the horse lulled her to sleep. She drifted off, surrendering to the oblivion of sleep after the trauma she’d been through. She’d get the story out of Alec later.

  Chapter 43

  Alec felt Valerie grow heavier against him as she finally fell asleep. They still had a while to go until they reached Williamsburg, and she needed to rest after her ordeal. His ribs burned every time the horse moved beneath him, making it almost impossible to draw a deep breath, especially with Valerie slumped against him. He tried to examine his conscience and pray for the souls of the men he’d killed, but he just couldn’t. He simply didn’t feel any remorse.

  Alec had told Valerie the truth when he said he’d found her by sheer luck. After finding the broadsheets scattered in the street, he had no idea what to do. The street was dark and deserted, the windows shuttered against the cold, rainy night. He stood there for a little while, trying to imagine who might have wanted to harm her or where they could have taken her, but his mind was blank. No one except the proprietors of Shield’s Tavern knew them, so he couldn’t imagine what could have happened. Alec felt helpless just standing there, so he decided to walk back to the inn and get his gun. He’d walk around all night if he had to searching for Valerie, then come morning, start asking if anyone had seen her.

  He was just passing Whetherburn’s Tavern when two men came stumbling out, drunk and unsteady on their feet. One of them nearly fell in front of Alec, as the other caught him and pushed him up against the trunk of a tree. They were laughing and cussing as they trod behind Alec, obviously bound for home.

  “I’d love to see the prick’s face when ‘e found out ‘is wife was gone,” one of them blurted out, laughing hoarsely. “I ‘ear she’s comely. Percival and Bobby will use her well before they’re through with ‘er. I ‘ear Percy likes to rough ‘em up a bit –- ‘elps him get it up, if ye know what I mean.” The man was still chuckling as he shuffled behind Alec.

  “Gale is a coward,” the other man answered. “If ‘e wants revenge for getting stabbed, than ‘e should take it out on ‘er husband, not on the poor woman. She’d nothing to do with it. Percival’s just afraid to be outsmarted again. That British sod might not be as strong as Percy, but ‘e’s definitely smarter.”

  “I’d say Percy is the smart one, Joe,” the first man argued, slurring his words. “The man will never know what ‘appened to his wife, and blame ‘imself all the while. ‘Tis much better revenge than just sticking a knife between ‘is shoulder blades when ‘e’s not looking. It lasts longer.”

  “A little humiliation and blood doesn’t warrant killing an innocent woman, ‘specially since we both know Gale attacked the man and not the other way around,” Joe said, suddenly sounding sober. “No one dese
rves that. What if it ‘ad been yer wife?”

  “I’d thank the man who did it,” hiccupped his friend. “‘E’d be doing me a great favor, ridding me of that dumb cow.”

  Alec couldn’t bear to hear any more. He quickened his stride, nearly running back to the inn. He had to find out where Percival Gale might have taken Valerie without arousing suspicion, and get there as soon as possible. He prayed that he would find Valerie alive when he got there. He didn’t want to ask Mr. Clements since the man was sober and would remember come morning, so Alec asked a man taking a piss behind the inn. He never even bothered to glance at Alec as he answered.

  “Oh, aye. Percy’s place is about eight miles north of Williamsburg. Right past the fork in the road, and to the left. Can’t miss it. Why are ye looking for him?” The man laced his flies, ready to go back inside.

  “I owe him some money,” Alec answered evasively.

  “Oh, he’ll be glad to see ye then,” the man was already halfway back inside. Alec went around back and entered through the back door. He didn’t want Mr. Clements to see him walking in and walking out with his gun. Alec grabbed his gun and a pouch of powder and stuck a dagger in his boot. He considered taking his sword, but changed his mind. It was too cumbersome.

  Alec slipped out the back door without being seen by anyone. Mr. Clements had several horses in the barn behind the inn that he used as a livery. Alec would just “borrow” one. It would take him too long to walk eight miles, and Valerie might not be in any condition to walk by the time he found her.

  Alec could barely remember the ride to Gale’s farm. He’d whipped the poor horse into a lather, galloping down the dark road at breakneck speed. If his ribs had been cracked, they were surely broken by now, the pain a constant agony. Alec had come upon a farm after the fork in the road, but it turned out to be the wrong place. It took him nearly an hour to figure that out and then another hour to find the next farm. He hobbled the horse at a safe distance and crept to the house, peeking inside. The fire had nearly died down, but he could see the silhouette of Percival Gale in the feeble light from the dying flames. He was slumped in his chair, his head resting on folded arms as he slept at the table. Bobby Mann was sprawled on the floor in front of the hearth, snoring loudly. There was no sign of Valerie. Alec checked the back of the house and then the barn before finally noticing the shed some distance away. All was quiet as he approached the shed, but he heard someone inside and prayed it was Valerie.