Gather The Children (Chronicles of the Maca Book 2)

by Mari Collier

  “Not physically, Grandma. Right now, I figure, y'all are stronger than Papa, and he's the strongest person I've ever known.”

  “Then how do ye think ye could win?”

  “Don't even ask.” He smiled. “Papa can tell y'all everything for it's his tale to tell.

  “Ye canna ken my laddie!” Her voice was harsh and she was shaking him, then stopped. “Get out, and nay of ye come back!”

  “We paid for that room, and I'm bringing him here tonight.” He turned and headed for the door. Her next words stopped him.

  Did they tell ye that Miss Lawrence is moving out and refuses to let me see the wee lassie again?”

  “Yes, ma'am, and they said Mina was crying. She's probably figured out that you're our grandma, or someone that looks like her. Haven't y'all talked with my older sister?”

  “Nay, I have but seen her from a distance.” Her voice was harsh and bitter.

  For a moment they stared at each other, each taking the other's measure. LouElla could nay help but see the determination tinged with admiration in his eyes. People in this world did nay look at her with admiration. Who had taught him? Was this some sort of elaborate scheme to ferret her out of hiding? She had remained hidden for so long from the searches she knew the Justines and the Kreppies must have instituted that she was certain this was one of their minions. While a Kreppie might use a child as a decoy, a Justine would probably nay, and she continued to search his face and could see nay but a youth from this planet.

  “We'll be back in a couple of hours.” He closed the door behind him and almost bumped into a red-faced, walking backwards Milly.

  She's probably been listening, thought Lorenz, but he was too rushed to sweep into her mind. “I need a piece of paper and pencil to write a note to Miss Lawrence. Is either available?”

  “Yes, sir.” Milly led the way to Miss Walls little room that doubled as an office, her breath coming in short, little in and out puffs, her heart beating faster than it should. Her timid knock brought Miss Walls immediately. “Miss Walls takes care of all our guests and their needs.” Milly explained.

  Lorenz looked at the diminutive form of Miss Walls, drawn into a grotesque curve by the hump on her back. The grey hair was braided and pulled back from the no longer youthful face, the lips surprisingly full, and the brown eyes very sharp.

  “Ma'am, I'm the younger Mr. MacDonald. I'll be bringing my parents here early this evening. Mr. MacDonald is still an invalid so the room will need to be heated.”

  Miss Walls folded her hands in front of her. “Then will you, Miss Lawrence, and the little girl need your rooms too?” She sniffed. “Miss Lawrence gave notice this morning to vacate.”

  “Miss Lawrence was in error.” Lorenz couldn't keep the irritation out of his voice. “May I borrow a piece of note paper and a pencil? I'll pay you for them if necessary.”

  “Oh, my goodness, no, we don't ask for a payment for paper and pencil. Just a moment, please.” He heard her shuffle back into the room, and she returned with a pad and pencil. “Give the remainder to Milly when you finish.”

  “The room will be warm when we get here?” Lorenz felt her resentment at the question.

  “Of course, we always make our guests very comfortable.”

  Lorenz took the pad and pencil, went to the large table in the dining room, and rapidly scribbled out a note informing Rity of the necessity of bringing Papa here, and that Mrs. Gordon was Papa's mother. He figured the staff here would read it, so avoided any explanations. He folded the paper, wrote Margareatha Lawrence on it, and handed pad and pencil back to Milly who was looking at him with adoring eyes.

  Both were surprised by LouElla banging her door behind her as she strode into the room dressed in her heavy, woolen coat and wrapping a muffler around her throat. “How do ye intend to get yere fither here?” she demanded.

  “Why I'll rent a buggy when I return the horse to the stable.” Lorenz's eyebrows traveled upward. The woman's eyes were hard as though she did not trust him.

  LouElla was a warrior. She had decided if she were discovered, she would go down fighting. All she needed twas a chance to get close enough. “We have a conveyance that should work, and I am, nay doubt, stronger than yere mither. My man can drive. Twill that do?

  “Yes, ma'am. Thank y'all, Grandma.”

  “I dinna say ye could call me that!”

  “Yes, ma'am.” Lorenz grinned. “I'll go help hitch up.”

  LouElla glared at him and turned to Milly. “Fetch one of the blankets off the bed and bring it to the back.” Lorenz followed her to the kitchen where Ruth held court, and Charley was emptying a load of wood into the bin.

  LouElla continued to snap out orders. “Charley, we are taking the cart to the hospital. Ruth, we twill be acquiring the rest of our guests. One tis nay well. Ye twill have a decent table spread when we return.”

  Charley shrugged. It would be a cold night. Ruth put both hands on her hips and glared at LouElla's back as the rest marched out. Decent, indeed, the Missus had her back up about something.

  It was as cold as Charley expected. By the time they dropped off the rented horse and Lorenz hopped into the back of the cart, the sun was fleeing westward, and graying dusk began covering the earth while the cold, moist November air was stabbing at the bones. Lorenz was glad that Charley knew this city and where the major hospital was. He could cross miles and miles of open space out where there were no buildings, but a town was filled with twists and turns and strange pools of darkness. He wasn't sure he could have found the way back to the hospital and then the boarding house as quickly as necessary.

  “We won't be long,” Lorenz promised as Charley pulled the horses to a stop.

  “They twill nay let us in this time of eve.” LouElla was surprised that Lorenz had simply said which hospital and not directed them by streets which would have led to a trap.

  “They don't have the door locked.” Lorenz grinned at her as they took the steps two at a time. He pushed against the door and held it for her.

  LouElla stepped in. Instead of Justines waiting for her, there were but empty chairs against one wall and a desk with one man sitting behind it. The medical, or at least a man dressed in white clothes looked at them from behind the desk and said, “We're closed. Come back tomorrow.” Then he recognized Lorenz. “Oh, it's you. Is that somebody else to take care of your pa?”

  “In a manner of speaking.” Lorenz took LouElla's arm and led her to the stairs. Suddenly, he stopped at the foot of the stairs and then began running up them.

  “Something's wrong,” he muttered.

  Instinct caused LouElla to pound upward behind him. From the floor above they heard a man yell and then a clanging noise. She followed him to the second door on the right. As Lorenz started to open it, the door resisted. Lorenz backed up and drew out a revolver when LouElla grasped the doorknob and pushed inward, dislodging the man leaning against it.

  The man raised a knife, and LouElla grabbed his upright arm, put her left around him, and squeezed. He screamed. She saw a woman using a chair to beat on the enameled thunder mug overturned on another man's head, his shoulders covered with urine and human waste, the smell of it filling the room. Another man was over by the bed, his knife arm caught in the grip of the patient. The pressure was great enough that the knife-wielding man was slowly sinking to the floor. The man in front of her was gasping, and she heard ribs crack through his screams. She released the knife arm, lifted the man high in the air, and brought his back down across her thigh. The man quit screaming, and she threw his crumpled body against the wall and moved over to the bed. Lorenz, she noted, had gone to the woman's assistance and drove his knee in behind the man's knees, toppling man and pot to the floor. She heard a muffled yell as Lorenz tugged the pot off the man's head and rapped the exposed head with his gun. The man fell forward on the floor.

  The knife wielding man by the bed was pounding at the man he was supposed to kill with his free arm, but the dark-haired patient did
n't loosen his grip while he was looking up at her, staring, hoarsely whispering, “Mither.”

  LouElla felt her heart leap and she kenned this twas a Thalian. Not just any Thalian, but a larger duplicate of her brither, Lamar, and rage pounded through her. She could nay lose her laddie now. She moved forward and heaved the kneeling man with the knife upward by the neck and head, twisted, and heard the neck snap. She tossed him next to the other on the floor. Then she sat on the bed and gathered her Llewellyn into her arms, murmuring, “My laddie, my laddie.”

  MacDonald's massive arms enfolded his mother as he laid his head first on one shoulder and then the next, his tongue making the tsking sound, and he began to whisper, “Mither.” Their huge forms were rocking back and forth.

  Anna looked at the two forms rocking on the bed and put her hands on both their shoulders. “Stop it, stop it,” she commanded in German. “You will start the bleeding again.”

  LouElla glared at her, but MacDonald smiled. “Mither, this tis my beloved counselor, Anna. Ye must love her as I do. Anna, this tis my mither.”

  “Of course she's your mother, but you must lie still. The surgery hasn't healed.”

  “Anna, ye are speaking Deutsch.” He turned to his mother. “Ye must forgive her. Tis her first language.” LouElla continued to eye Anna with disproval.

  Lorenz had been standing by the window as though in a trance. Now he turned to them. “He's gone. Forget the pleasantries. Mama, get him dressed and get your coat. It's cold out there, and we've got to get Papa home.”

  “Du are sure he's gone?” asked Anna.

  “Yeah, he's gone. He won't hang around now that his plan hasn't worked. I don't know if he figured out I was gone, or if this was just some fluke.” His voice was grim.

  “Who tis gone?” LouElla was frustrated and angry. She did nay wish to share her laddie.

  “That twould be Toma, a Justine,” answered MacDonald.

  The words brought LouElla to her feet. “He tis searching for me. I'll go out and ye may rest easy.”

  “Nay, Mither. He tis stranded here. The ship I came in twas looking for him, nay ye.”

  “Y'all can explain later. Get him propped up, Mama, and get his socks and trousers on. We have to leave.” Lorenz was gently guiding his mother by the shoulders. “Mama, get the things out of the trunk.”

  MacDonald agreed. “Aye, tis a long tale for telling later.”

  “And Grandma, y'all didn't do this.” His arm swept toward the two bodies against the wall. “Y'all did, but y'all didn't. We don't want questions.”

  LouElla stared at the young, slim frame. “Ye are an annoyance.”

  “It seems ye are acquainted with our laddie.” Pride swept through MacDonald's voice.

  “He tis a scamp who thinks he tis a man.” LouElla snapped the words out.

  “Aye, but he tis correct. We dinna want questions.”

  Heavy footfalls could be heard racing up the stairs and to the door. Within seconds, two attendants and two policemen appeared. They stopped as they entered and paused to take a deep breath. All regretted the action as they noted the human excrement on the one man and the emptied enameled pot. One of the policemen knelt by the two against the wall. “They're dead.” Awe was in his voice. “What about the other one?”

  “He's alive,” came the reply. The second police officer straightened. “But he'll be out for a while. There's a huge lump on the side of his head.”

  “What happened here?” demanded the first officer.

  “These men attacked my father with knives. Fortunately, my mother was able to keep that one away from the bed and those two didn't realize his strength. By the time Grandma and I got here those two were incapacitated, and I knocked the other one out.”

  “We'll have to take everyone down to the station.”

  Lorenz's face hardened. “No, we're taking Papa out of here before someone else tries to kill him. I'll be down to the station tomorrow and give a statement. Where's it located?”

  LouElla was gaping at the young man controlling the situation. She noted the one enforcer twas swallowing. Why would they respect such a youth?

  “We need to know who these men are, and why they tried to kill your Pa.”

  “Ask him when he comes to.” Lorenz pointed at the one man. “I suspect someone by the name of Thomas Lawrence is to blame. There's bad blood between the two since Papa ran him out of Arles, Texas. Someone hired the men who ambushed Papa and put a bullet near his spine. That's why he's here, but it's not safe, and he's supposed to stay in bed.” He knew these men would infer Toma instead of the “someone” being Shelton. He knew it was close to a lie, but he wanted Papa out of here and safe.

  One of the attendants broke in. “He ain't supposed to walk. How's he gonna get out of here?”

  “I twill carry him.”

  That stilled everyone as they looked at LouElla, their mouths dropping. She put her hands on her hips and glared back, daring any of them to nay say her.

  Anna had finished putting socks on MacDonald and had the trousers up to his knees. “Someone must lift him so that I can draw these on.”

  LouElla moved in front of her, and MacDonald put his hands on her shoulders to help. She reached under his hips, bent her knees and hefted. Quickly Anna pulled up the trousers, and LouElla lowered him.

  “Leave it unbuttoned, Mama. That bandage is too big. Just get his boots on.” Lorenz turned back to the four men. “You all didn't tell me where to find your station.”

  “No, and you ain't told us who this Thomas Lawrence is, and how you know he hired these men.” This one had a lantern jaw and it jutted forward as he spoke. He turned to the attendants. “Did you two ever see these three yahoos before?”

  “Never.” Both attendants were quick in their response.

  “Why not ask him.” Lorenz jerked his thumb back at the man moaning on the floor.

  The lantern jawed man moved and went to check on him, trying to evade the human waste on the floor. The man on the floor began cursing and searching for the knife. Lantern jaw decided this was a good time to put the cuffs on him. “Shut up, you. There's ladies present.”

  The man tried to sit up and sat back down. “Ladies, my ass. She got me with that pot.”

  “Keep your mouth closed except to answer me. Why did you three attack this man?”

  “Ain't got nothin' to say.”

  “Did somebody by the name of Lawrence hire you three?”

  “We ain't got nothin' to say.”

  “You mean you ain't. The other two aren't going to do anymore talking–ever. The big man took care of them. Maybe we should let him loose on you.”

  “Gawd, no.” His eyes shifted from face to face. “Both of 'em are dead?” He began to look wildly around. “Get me out of here.”

  “Did somebody hire you?”

  “I don't know nothin'. Bret said some tall, red-headed dude was payin' for it. That's all I know.”

  The two blue clad men hoisted the man to his feet. “It looks like you knew what you were talking about. If nothing else, we got this one for assault and attempted murder. We still need you to come with us.”

  “I'll be down tomorrow.” Lorenz gritted the words out, staring at them intently. “My mother is worn out. I have to get her and Papa to a safe place tonight.”

  LouElla watched in amazement as the five men filed out after lantern jaw had recited the address. She ran every possible scenario through her mind and none provided an answer as to why they had meekly obeyed this youth. She looked at Llewellyn and raised her eyebrows. Anna finished buttoning his coat and went to the wall pegs to retrieve her own coat, muffler, and hat.

  Llewellyn smiled at LouElla. “Tis a long tale, Mither, and I twill tell it to ye at yere home. Our laddie tis right. We leave now. If ye would give me a hand up, I think I can make it. I've been moving without the staff here being any wiser.”

  LouElla tightened her lips and moved forward. “Ye twill nay walk down those stairs.” She flexed h
er shoulders, started a squat, and slid one arm under his legs and the other under his right arm, and lifted him as though he were a newborn babe.

  Lorenz picked up the steamer trunk and hefted it up on one shoulder as Anna grabbed the carpet bag and her purse. Forty-eight hours with but four hours of sleep had taken their toll, and she was moving like a wooden figurine. Her teeth were clenched and sheer will power got her down the stairs and outside. She never saw the two attendants staring at them, once again with open mouths. The cold wind cut through her clothes and she was grateful for Lorenz's steadying hand around her bicep.

  Charley was busy walking up and down the length of the wagon. When he saw them, he dropped the gate. What he thought of his employer carrying the huge form, he kept to himself. He steadied the horses as the group climbed into the back of the wagon. He heard the wagon gate being lifted and locked into position, and then Mrs. Gordon called out to him. “Take us to home, Charles.” Formal she was, as always.

  It was a strange, silent journey through the windy streets. Stars blinked overheard between the clouds, and Lorenz was grateful that the driver knew the way. He had a hunch that he hadn't marked the way as clearly in his mind as he would have in the wild lands of Texas. A city was unknown territory, and to him everything took on a dull sameness. Mama had immediately dropped into sleep, and he could feel her shivering. He too felt the cold as the blanket barely covered Papa, Grandma, and Mama. Throughout the ride LouElla kept making soothing sounds, and he figured she was massaging Papa underneath the cover and the darkness. Thalians were definitely different: driven by some primeval urge to touch and stroke.

  “Should I drive up front, Miz Gordon?”

  “Nay, use the back. Tis flat, and we can go straight in. Ye take care of the horses.”

  Charley pulled up by the kitchen. Before he could step down, the young man jumped from the wagon to let down the gate. Let the white man, he decided. The horses needed to be put up and rubbed down.

  “I'll be back to get the trunk and help with the horses,” said Lorenz, and the strange group headed inside, LouElla carrying Llewellyn again, and Lorenz carrying a sleeping Anna.