“I’m fine.”
“What is going on?” I jump up and offer Daniel a hand. He sits up, but doesn’t stand. “Daniel Whedon, I am your wife and you will tell me why you are on the ground instead of up here.”
“Because the stupid jerk shot me.”
“What?” I’m back on the ground before the word leaves my lips. “Where are you hit? Why didn’t you say something?”
“I’m fine.” He lifts his hand away from a spot on his leg and it comes away shiny in the minimal moon light. “I think the bullet just grazed my leg.”
I don’t know if I should hug him or punch him. “What part of getting shot makes you fall into the ‘fine’ category of wellness?”
“Rebecca, we don’t have time for this.” Liam’s voice is steady, though I don’t know how. “We need to get out of sight and regroup.”
He’s right. I bend down and force Daniel to put his arm around my shoulders. Using his good leg, we leverage up until he’s mostly standing. “We’re right behind you.”
Liam and Thomas take the lead, pushing their captured guards back toward the rest of our group waiting by the horses. Ethan and I follow with Daniel hobbling between us to keep from putting pressure on his injured leg.
Back with the group, two guys jump up and tie the guards as soon as it’s clear what happened. Ethan and I maneuver Daniel over to a clear spot beside a boulder and ease him down to the forest floor. “Ethan, can you get some water?”
“I’ll be right back.”
“Elizabeth.”
“Right here.” She kneels down next to us. “What happened?”
“We need a med kit.”
“On it.”
She runs off, and I turn my attention back to Daniel. In the dim glow of a light stick, I get my first look at the wound. There’s so much blood I can’t even see it. I swallow to keep the panic from my voice.
“Alright, tough guy. These pants have to come off.”
“Is it too soon to make an anxious bride honeymoon joke?”
I give him the best glare I can muster. “I suggest you keep that to yourself unless you want a matching hole in your other leg.”
“Yeah, too soon.”
Elizabeth comes back with Eric just as I get Daniel’s pants down around his ankles.
“Just couldn’t wait—”
“Don’t make me kill you while my husband lies bleeding on the ground.”
“Right.” Elizabeth has the decency to look slightly remorseful.
“Let’s take a look.” Eric comes around her with the medical kit in hand.
He takes the small light stick and dumps a whole canteen of water on Daniel’s leg. The wound seeps blood as soon as he stops pouring. Eric moves the skin a bit with his thumb and Daniel lets out a sharp hiss.
“It’s not good.” Eric reaches into the kit and moves a few things around. “The bullet is still in there. It needs to come out, but if I try to do it out here without the right tools I might cause more damage. Best I can do is clean it and stitch it until this is over and I can get you on a real operating table.”
“What can I do?” My eyes never leave the little hole in his leg, still flowing with blood.
“Go unhitch some of the reins from the horses. Three would be good.”
“I’ll help.” Elizabeth lifts me up by my shoulders.
Once I’m on my feet, my brain clicks on again, and we rush to the horses. It’ll take too long to undo all the ties and buckles. I grab a knife out of my saddle bag and slash through the straps. Elizabeth does the same and we have what we need in only a few minutes.
Back where Daniel lies bleeding, Thomas holds several light sticks strategically over Daniel’s leg while Eric preps his equipment.
Eric grabs one of the leather straps and ties it around Daniel’s thigh above the wound. Daniel jerks against the pain, but the flow of blood from the bullet slows down immediately.
“Thomas, can you loop one of these around that branch there?” Eric points to a thick limb above Daniel’s head. “Test it to see if it can handle your weight.” He takes the last strap and cuts a piece about six inches long.
“Are you sure about this?” Now that I’m standing still again, panic creeps back into my chest.
“Nope, but it’s the best I can do out here.” He turns back to Daniel. “Take the ends of the strap above your head and pull those against the pain. I’ll warn you, it’s going to hurt like the fiery blazes.”
“I lived with your sister for three years, so I’m comfortable with torture.”
“You’re injured so I’m going to let that go.” Elizabeth grinds her fist into the palm of her other hand, but winks down at Daniel. “For now.”
“Alright, hold still and try not to scream while I get this disinfected.”
“Do I look like some kind of—sweet mother of the Cardinal, kill me now.”
Eric moves with speed to dab at the wound with whatever was in the bottle. “Open up and bite on this.” Daniel accepts the short leather piece and clenches down with his jaw.
“Thomas, sit on his ankles here to keep his legs still.” Eric wipes down a needle with the same liquid he used to clean Daniel’s leg. “Girls, hold his shoulders back as much as you can, but watch out for elbows. Once I start, he’s going to jerk and we don’t want any broken noses.”
We all move into position, but our eyes stay glued to the needle. With a practiced hand, he pulls Daniel’s skin together and places the first stitch. Daniel convulses against our hold and the tree branch creeks where the leather strap hangs over it. I look away so I don’t have to see Daniel grimace from the pain. Three more times, Daniel spasms against my hands. Even with the leather gripped between his teeth, his screams tear at my heart.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Eric sets the needle down and presses a clean square of gauze over the wound. He wraps some stretchy cloth around that before sitting back and wiping his wrist across his forehead.
Daniel’s arms drop from the leather strap and he spits the piece out of his mouth. “Thank you.” His voice comes out breathy.
He’s covered in a layer of sweat. I wipe his face with the bottom of my shirt and wish there was more I could do.
“That will keep it clean until we can get back and have Doc look at it.” Eric closes the kit and stands up. “You need to stay off it so you don’t cause any more damage.”
Elizabeth and I ease his pants back up while the pain is still on edge. Better to get it all over with now than drag out the agony.
“Stay here.” I lean in and kiss him on the forehead. “You promised me I never have to be alone again so don’t you dare die on me now. Understand?”
Daniel nods, though his lips are pressed into a thin line. His eyes close, and it only takes a few seconds before he’s out.
A few yards away Liam is standing in front of the captured guards, his bow swapped out for one of their guns.
Eric grabs my arm before I make it over to Liam. “We have to speed this up.”
“But you stopped the bleeding, right?”
“I fixed what I could see.” Eric puffs out a slow breath. “I have no idea what kind of damage that bullet might have done inside.”
I nod and run over to Liam. The faster we get this done, the faster Daniel gets what he needs.
“Rebecca,” Liam says, without taking his eyes off the guards, “is Daniel okay?”
“Eric has him patched up as best he can out here, but he needs us to hurry up. What’s the story with these two?”
Liam nods at the tied up guards. “They refuse to tell us if there are any more guards inside. I would think they would have come running with that gunshot if there was anyone in there.”
“But we can’t assume there isn’t. We need to get in there.”
“Any suggestions?”
I survey the camp. Our arsenal is up now from a few bows to include two guns. We still have the manpower. We can do this, but it needs to be now before someone comes looking for our guard
s. And we need to do it without drawing the attention of the guards at the schoolhouse.
“You and Ethan take the guns and go in through the front.” I point to the edge of the forest at the unseen destination. “I need the two best shooters to go in the back with loaded bows. If you go at the same time, it should disorient any guards still inside long enough to take the advantage. The rest of us will be right outside with bows, ready to charge in at the first sign of trouble.”
“Simple, but effective. I like it. We should be good to go in five minutes.” Liam runs off to find Ethan and the others.
“Hey, how are you holding up, princess?”
“Me?” I turn to Elizabeth even though I can barely see her. “Swell, really. Great even. You know, just leading a military coup while my freshly minted husband watches on with a gunshot wound. I’d say pretty typical day, all and all.”
“Good.” She punches me lightly on the arm. “I was a little worried you might crack under the pressure.”
“Crack? No, that would be for people who have no idea what they’re doing.”
“Rebecca.” Ethan comes running up putting an end to our conversation. “Liam wants to see you.”
Thirty-Three
“Are you guys ready to go?”
Liam stands in a small grouping with several others.
“Ethan and I are taking the front with the guns. Jeremy and Mary are going in the back with bows.”
“Mary? Are you sure about that? She hasn’t slept in at least a day and the emotional toll—”
“I’m sure I’m the best shot in this village or any other.”
I hold up my hands in surrender. “Alright then. We’ll all be right outside the back door waiting.”
What else is there to say? ‘Good luck’ feels weak, like something you say to someone hoping to snag the last of Carol’s rolls at dinner. They all look to me, but I’ve got nothing. I nod at Liam, and that’s all it takes.
The armed foursome splits into two groups, and they head for opposite ends of the dining hall. The rest of those brave enough to come with me on this ridiculous mission crowd behind me at the edge of the forest. The night is silent, but deadly loud at the same time. All around me dead leaves crunch as small animals scurry along the forest floor in search of their next meal. Crickets and frogs sound against each other like competing sections of an orchestra. And not far from here, the river rushes over rocks and sand.
From the front of the building, a flash of light pierces the darkness. The signal from Ethan that they’re ready to go in. I hold my breath and wait for subtle noises to fill the night.
Boots on wooden planks, a door creeping open, shouts from inside the building.
A bang, just like before, breaks through every other sound. Another gunshot.
“Archers with me.” Everyone with a bow jogs behind me as I make a path straight for the back door. I’m a few steps away and the door opens. I freeze and from the corner of my eye, the archers lift their bows to aim.
“Weapons down.” I run up the stairs to the back door. “Mary, who’s shot?”
“No, it wasn’t us. We thought you guys were found.”
“We’re all fine.”
“The schoolhouse.”
She doesn’t have to explain. If the gunshots didn’t come from them or us, there’s only one other place in town, and that sound can’t possibly be good news.
“We’re going to get them. Are you clear in here?”
Mary snaps her head back from staring off into space. “Yeah, there was only one more guard, and he gave up the second we came in.”
I run back out to the tree line and hustle the rest of our group inside. Eric and Thomas carry Daniel between them. His face has lost its vibrancy, turning his dark skin almost gray. He needs Doc, but that has to wait for now. I follow them inside and pull the door tight behind me.
The room is packed with people. Some of them huddle on the floor in small groups while others move about, asking anyone and everyone what’s going on. It’s chaotic and way too loud.
I jump up on the bench behind me and cup my hands around my mouth. “Attention.”
At my shout, the din quiets down and everyone turns to me.
“I know you are all scared and worried right now, and you probably have a million questions. But we need to keep the noise down so we don’t draw the attention of the other guards.” Several faces in the crowd pale at the mention of more guards coming back. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep each of you safe, but we need to move quickly and don’t have time for questions. For now, I need everyone to go have a seat, and please keep your voices down.” They all stare at me expectantly, but I don’t have anything else to say. “Okay, then. Uh, thank you.”
I jump off the bench and quickly shake hands with a few people standing nearby. I nod at a few others and then move away from the group. We don’t have time for niceties.
“Liam.” I push my way to the front of the room where he’s standing with Ethan and a few others. “What’s the plan?”
“The schoolhouse only has one entrance, and there are a ton of windows by the door that would leave us completely exposed. This plan won’t work over there.”
“Think, think.” I step away for a second, pounding my fists against my head. There has to be a way to get in there. “Okay, talk to me about the building.”
“It’s old,” Mary chimes in. “We let it sit for a long time, but the older kids needed their own room for school. They’ve only been in there a few months.”
“Okay, that’s a start. What else?” I pace a bit to keep my brain moving. What I really need is a nap, but there’s no time for that. “Was it remodeled inside or left alone?”
“They didn’t do too much to it. Fixed a hole in the ceiling and sealed up the windows. They just got the new parts for the furnace installed last week so we’ll be ready for winter.”
“Wait. The furnace. You’re sure it’s working now?”
“I don’t think they fired it up. The ducts need cleaning first, but the guys working the crew seemed pretty confident.”
“Ah ha, that’s it.” I stop pacing and spin around the room. “Where’s Thomas?”
I don’t wait for a response and take off down the hall. He’s parked on a bench munching on a piece of bread and watching over Daniel’s sleeping form.
“Thomas.” I sit down next to him and pinch off a piece of his bread. It’s stale, but better than nothing. “Is there a way to activate a furnace without using the switch on the home control panel?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The furnace in the schoolhouse. They just got it working but haven’t cleaned the ducts yet. You told Daniel about clearing the systems of debris. I want to flush out the guards, but I need to turn the system on from the outside.”
Understanding flashes in his eyes. “Someone would have to shimmy under the building if they can. It’ll be a tight fit. Most of these buildings have a manual override panel hidden under the house just in case all the programming goes wonky.”
“And I could use the override to start the furnace.”
“No, but someone else could. Daniel would kill me if I let you get into trouble.”
“Someone else small enough to wedge themselves under a building and activate an ancient heater?” I stare at him until he’s forced to meet my eyes. “It has to be me and we both know it. Daniel can’t protect me from everything. Now tell me what to look for.”
“It will be an open metal box, maybe with a door, maybe not. Inside, you’ll find switches that are hopefully labeled. If not, then get out of there because your only option is to try every switch until you get the right one and that will give you away instantly.”
“So which ones do I turn on?”
“Look for something labeled either CUH or EUH. You’ll need to flip one of those on, plus check to make sure the fan is on. Otherwise the debris will leak out and barely cause a stir, let alone send them running in panic.”<
br />
“Anything else?”
“Don’t go.” A now awake Daniel lifts up on his elbow and grabs my arm with his free hand. “I’m a selfish, overprotective husband.”
“Rebecca.” Liam comes up from behind me. “We need to get moving. The sky is already starting to turn a little pink.”
I kiss Daniel on the forehead and lean in until our noses meet. “I have to do this, and the sooner, the better.”
I pull away and walk with Ethan to where the others are waiting. “Okay, we have a plan. It’s not exactly air tight, but it will have to do.” I look around the room bustling with quiet activity. “Where’s Jeremy?”
“Right here,” he calls out from behind Mary.
“Perfect, listen up, everyone. The ventilation system of the schoolhouse hasn’t been cleaned out yet. Thomas walked me through how to activate the furnace from under the building. Hopefully, I can get it going full blast and the whole place will fill with dust, sending them running for the front door.”
“So we’re going to flush them out?” Liam asks.
“Exactly. There’s only one way in or out so we know exactly where they’ll come running.”
“And we’ll be ready.” Mary hoists up her gun like she’s ready to storm a castle.
“To disarm.” I push the tip of her gun back toward the ground and pause while I catch the eye of each of the shooters. “We need information about what the Cardinal is planning, and we can’t question dead men.”
“What happens if the furnace doesn’t kick them out?” Ethan shifts next to me.
“Once the furnace fires up, they’ll know something is going on. They’re coming out no matter what. The question is if they’ll come out ready for us or not. We won’t know until the door opens.”
“No way.” Liam grabs the gun from Jeremy and reaches for Mary’s. “I’m not putting the rest of you at risk. I’ll stand out front and take care of whatever comes out.”
“Over my pile of smoking ashes.” Mary pulls her gun out of reach. “We have no idea how many guards are in there. If they come out with a heads up, you’re a dead man walking.”
Rite of Revelation (Acceptance Book 2) Page 21