Braham dropped the angel figurine he’d been holding. “She what?” He stomped over to the contrite sergeant and grabbed his shoulders, bunching the fabric of the shirt in his hands. “Why aren’t ye out looking for her?” Fear mixed with rage froze the breath in Braham’s lungs. A quiver of panic leeched all reason from his mind. He shook Clem until Cullen pulled Braham back hard, and his grip on the sergeant’s shoulders loosened.
The color had drained from Clem’s face. “Mr. Gaylord told me to stay put and wait for you.”
Braham’s heart raced. He swept his fingers through his hair in a quick gesture, trying to harness his raging fear. “Where’s McBain?”
“He was riding over to Maryland today to interview witnesses. Mr. Gaylord sent a man after him. It’s all I know.”
“Where’s Gaylord now?”
Clem shrugged. “I can track him down. He leaves messages around town so he can be found.”
Rock-hard anger the size of a fist lodged in Braham’s throat. “Then go find him now.”
Clem ran out of the room, slamming the front door on his way out of the house.
Edward entered the room with a broom to sweep up the broken china.
“Ye didn’t ask the sergeant what time she was taken,” Cullen said.
“Three o’clock,” Edward said. “Or thereabouts.”
Both men faced the butler. “Did ye see what happened?” Braham asked.
Edward shook his head. “No. I was at the door when Miss Charlotte went out. Within an hour, the sergeant returned, blood dripping down his head. Said he’d been hit over the head and when he came to, Miss Charlotte was gone.”
“Did he see the men? Were they hired thugs? Young, old?” Cullen asked.
“They were wearing soldiers’ trousers,” Edward said. “I sent one of the maids out to leave word at the shop up the street for Gaylord to come quickly. He came, talked to the sergeant, and then left, saying he’d get his men out to search the city.”
Braham’s jaw worked in barely controlled rage. “Why didn’t ye send word to me?”
Edward dropped his head. “I knew you and Mr. Montgomery were working on Mr. Jack’s case. I’m sorry if I did wrong, sir.” He glanced up at Braham, a sheen of tears in his eyes. “I didn’t think Miss Charlotte would want you to abandon Jack for her. She’s told me every day, ‘Jack comes first, Edward.’ Whatever else happened around her, Jack had to come first.”
Braham collapsed in a chair and buried his head in his hands. “Ye did the right thing, Edward.”
Cullen poured drinks and handed Braham a glass. “Do ye think Henly took her?”
Braham studied the glass for a moment before taking a quick gulp. “Yes. I don’t think he’ll kill her, but he’ll hurt her.” He set the glass aside and got up again to pace the room, thinking.
“Do ye think he’ll rape her?” Cullen asked.
Braham punched his fist into his palm, smacking it again and again. “He’s had her for six hours. He implicated Jack in a conspiracy. He’s capable of ruining her life, too.”
“But would he—”
“I don’t know.” Icy fear grew in Braham’s chest. “His drug addiction might have made him impotent. At least Charlotte thinks it has.”
“Which could make him more violent,” Cullen said.
Braham’s hand shook as he picked up the glass again and held it at his lips. “As soon as Gaylord gets here, I’m going out to look for her. Ye stay and prepare for tomorrow. Ye’ll have to handle the cross-examination.”
“If ye find Henly, for God’s sake, don’t play into his hands. We need him on the witness stand tomorrow.”
Braham swirled the contents in the glass, staring at the golden liquid as if it held answers. “If he’s hurt her, I can’t make any promises.”
The door opened, and David rushed in. “I got an urgent message. Has something happened to Jack?”
“Charlotte’s been kidnapped,” Cullen said.
David’s face held his usual immutable calm, but his hands clamped into tight fists. “How long ago?”
Braham took a short, calming breath. “Six hours. She could be anywhere in the city. Gaylord’s men are out searching. We just sent for him. He should be here shortly to give us a report.”
“I’ll find her.” The ruthlessness in David’s voice was chilling. He rolled up his sleeve and pushed buttons on the special watch he wore, much like the one Braham had seen on Jack’s wrist. David wore his device high on his forearm and out of sight. “Elliott anticipated this. If we were at home, I could locate her within seconds. This equipment will take longer.”
“How much longer? Days?” Anticipation tightened the back of Braham’s throat.
“If it works, minutes.” David’s broad shoulders tightened, and his muscles were starkly defined beneath the tight fit of his linen shirt. The room grew quiet, motionless except for the occasional flutter of a curtain hanging in front of the open window. David kept his eyes on his watch. “Braham, do ye remember how Charlotte and Jack found ye in Kentucky?”
Braham walked up behind David and looked over his shoulder, glancing at the watch. “Elliott called it a tracking device.”
“Charlotte has a tracking device similar to those used to locate Alzheimer’s patients who wander away from nursing homes. I just activated it. If it’s going to work, we should get a signal very soon.” Within seconds, the watch beeped. “Bingo. She’s about two miles in a northeasterly direction. At home, I could give ye a street address. Here all I get is a general location.”
“How do ye know ye’ve found Charlotte? The kidnapper could have taken the device,” Braham said.
“Or it could be lost like the sapphire brooch,” Cullen said.
David gave Cullen a dark, sideways look. “It’s implanted in her hip. She doesn’t even know she has it.”
A vision of Charlotte au naturel with David’s hands on her left Braham aghast. “Ye put the device inside her without her knowledge?” Anger bubbled to the surface, and he raised his fist to slam it into David’s face, but Cullen caught his arm.
“Why didn’t ye tell her?” Cullen asked, holding tight to Braham.
David shrugged. The movement was tight, impatient. “It’s a device. I didn’t know if it would work here or not. Besides, knowing she had the implant could have given her a false sense of security, and we didna need her going off half-cocked.”
Outwardly, McBain appeared unruffled, but a small tic in his jaw as he ground his teeth told Braham the lad was truly worried about Charlotte. Braham’s eyes stung, and he turned away, noticing for the first time one of her shoes peeking out from under the sofa. Fear settled on his shoulders like a confining cloak he couldn’t shake off. “If ye know where she is, then let’s go.”
David shook his head. “I need backup. We’ll wait for Gaylord.” He left the room and leaped up the stairs, taking them three at a time.
“Do ye think the signal will lead us to her?” Cullen’s voice held doubt.
“I drove five hundred miles from Mallory Plantation to MacKlenna Farm, and Jack and Charlotte found me using a similar device. It fit in the palm of my hand. I hope the one Charlotte has implanted is a wee bit smaller,” Braham said.
“Henly’s forcing ye to choose one Mallory or the other.” Cullen’s voice was low and gravelly.
“Whichever one I don’t fight for, he’ll kill, or, in Jack’s case, perjure himself and let the commission send Jack to the gallows. When I get my hands on Henly…”
Cullen squeezed Braham’s shoulder. “We’ll rescue her, and ye’ll destroy Henly on the witness stand and exonerate Jack.”
“Let’s get the lass back first.”
David reentered the room dressed in black pants and shirt, plus a black cap, and he’d covered his face with black paint. He hoisted a bag over his shoulder. “Braham, if ye’re coming, ye have to stay out of my way. I have no doubt ye could rescue Charlotte if I weren’t here. But Jack needs ye more than she or I do right now. I can ex
tract Charlotte and set up reconnaissance to catch the kidnapper. But I can’t do it if ye’re in my way.”
“If ye’re expecting me to stay here, ye’re wrong.”
“Ye can go. But when I tell ye to stay put, ye stay. If ye get shot, Jack’s chances of beating these charges diminish. Gaylord’s out back. Let’s go.”
David hustled out of the room. Braham turned to Cullen. “If anything happens to us, get Jack out and take him home. He’ll see ye get back to MacKlenna Farm.”
Cullen nodded. “I’ve no heart for traveling to the twenty-first century, but I’ll see to it.”
They hugged each other, slapping backs. Braham left the house by way of the rear door, and found Gaylord in the barn with David.
“Where’re we going?” Gaylord asked.
David led his horse out of the stall and tossed on its saddle blanket. “Two miles in a northeasterly direction. What’s over there?”
“It must be near the docks. One of my investigators discovered Henly has an interest in a vacant apartment building, unless he’s lost it at the gaming tables, too.”
“If that section of town closes at night, it will be to our advantage.” David lifted the saddle, placed it gently on the horse’s back, and tightened the cinch. “Where are the rest of yer men?”
“Canvassing the city. As soon as we know Miss Charlotte’s location, I’ll pass the word.”
As soon as Braham saddled his horse, the men mounted up and David led the way. The moon appeared only as a sliver, thin as a nail paring. The pattern of stars which formed the Big Dipper was clearly visible in the night sky. They rode through the city in silence, and fear tightened in a band around Braham’s chest.
A wire stretched from David’s ear to his watch. He stopped at intersections to study a map, using a small light which snapped on and off with a click of his finger.
They traveled down a street lined with residences, businesses, and a few warehouses, sticking to the shadows cast by gaslight. The traffic was light, with only a rare carriage or a man on horseback. David stopped on the side of the street, dismounted, and signaled for Braham and Gaylord to wait for him. He took his bag and disappeared into the darkness.
Braham dismounted, his heart squeezing in his chest. He was responsible for this. He should have been honest with Charlotte from the beginning and explained she couldn’t stop him from returning to his time, and assured her whatever happened was not her responsibility. But he hadn’t done it. Instead, he’d endangered the lives of both Charlotte and Jack.
David returned after several minutes. “Found her. She’s in a root cellar beneath a three-story building. She’s alive.”
A small shudder of relief skimmed through Braham, gradually releasing the tightness in his neck and shoulders.
“There’s a guard sitting in a chair next to the outside cellar door. The first floor is unoccupied. I’m going to break into the building, cut a hole through the first floor, and bring Charlotte out through the hole. Gaylord, ye keep an eye on the guard. If he attempts to enter the cellar, take him down. Once we get her out, we’ll plan twenty-four-hour surveillance of the building until we catch the men responsible.”
“Is she hurt?” Braham asked.
“I can’t tell. She is lying on the ground and not moving, but she could be asleep.”
“Did ye see her through a window? I’ll stay out of yer way, but I have to see her for myself,” Braham said.
“Come on,” David said. They went around to the opposite corner of the building from where the guard was positioned. David gave Braham an odd-looking pair of binoculars. “Ye can see her lying curled on the ground.”
Braham saw a reddish-yellow human figure, curled in fetal position. “How do ye know it’s her?”
“The signal puts us in the right location.”
“How do ye know she’s alive?”
“If she weren’t, we wouldn’t be able to see her. The object has to emit heat in order to be seen. I’m going to open a hole in the floor above her.” David pointed to a window up above. “I’ll go through first. When I know it’s safe, ye can come in. Now, give me a leg up.”
Braham laced his fingers and hoisted David, who raised the window and silently dove into the room and out of sight.
88
Washington City, 1865
Braham sat on his haunches, waiting impatiently for David to come back for him. A part of him hated McBain. He was a good lad, intelligent, and resourceful. Elliott trusted him implicitly, and from what Cullen said, Kit adored him. From the rare facial expressions David allowed to show, he obviously was in love with Charlotte. Braham was sure he’d never admit it, though, and maybe only another man in love with the same woman would notice the occasional discreet glances. Nothing inappropriate, but they were there—a smile, a flash in the eye, a brush of the hand, small gestures.
What would happen when they returned to their time? Charlotte had said David was too young for her, and he spent most of his time in Scotland, but Braham was certain the lad would spend most, if not all his time in Richmond if he believed he had a chance to win Charlotte’s heart. Unless Braham intended to go live in her time, he mustn’t stand in the way of their happiness. And no matter how much he loved her, he couldn’t go with her. If the trial went the way he and Cullen expected over the next two days, the judge advocate would have to drop all charges against Jack, and the time travelers would be free to return home.
A light flashed in the window. It was David’s signal. Braham sprinted the short distance from his secluded spot between buildings and reached the window within seconds.
“Give me yer hands,” David said.
Braham grasped David’s arms, scaled the wall, and then rolled through the open window, landing softly on the floor. “How is she?” he asked, climbing quickly to his feet.
“I cut a hole through the floor and heard her moaning. I’m going in now. I’ll need ye to help us out.”
“Can ye see her?” Braham asked.
“She’s only a few feet away, curled up in the corner now. It’s good. She’s moving, and she’s conscious.” David sat on the edge of the hole, dangling his legs. It was about an eight-foot drop. He put his arms through the straps attached to his bag, snugging it to his back. “Keep an eye on the window till I call for help.” David then dropped through the opening and Braham reluctantly returned to the window.
“Where are you, David? Help me.”
Charlotte’s plaintive call for him cut through Braham’s heart in sharp, jagged slices. The lad was the man she wanted in her moment of darkness, not him. A strange, tight sensation gathered around his eyes, and he wiped them with his forearm.
“I’m here, Charley.” The unutterable tenderness in David’s voice took Braham by surprise and the vise around his chest tightened.
“I knew you’d come,” she said hoarsely.
The looming, dense clouds had lifted now, shredded away by a light breeze, allowing dark streaks of a starlit sky to show through the breaks, much as David’s appearance had broken through Charlotte’s darkness, bringing light and safety.
“I’m going to check ye over before I move ye. Where do ye hurt?”
Braham listened closely, holding his breath, praying Henly had not…
“My head, mostly, and my ribs.”
“How ’bout yer neck?”
“It’s okay. I think.”
“Did he rape ye?”
“No…”
Braham had been holding his breath, and now he let it stream out of his lungs.
“But I have a hot spot on my butt, and rats have been trying to eat me.”
David chuckled. “It’s not a bite, lass, but ye might slap me after ye hear what I did to ye.”
“I doubt it. Let’s get out of here.”
“I’ve checked ye over. There doesn’t appear to be anything broken, and ye’re not bleeding. I’m going to carry ye a bit, then lift ye up to Braham—”
“He’s here? He should be in court,
not looking for me.”
“Court’s over for the day. If I hurt ye, tell me to stop.”
She made a noise like someone absorbing a body blow.
“I’m sorry. What hurts?”
“My ribs.”
“I’ll be easy. But we have to get ye out of here.”
Braham moved over to the hole and prepared to grab her. They were right below him now. His heart jumped into his throat. He almost had her in his arms.
“Try to keep her head steady,” David said. “I’m going to pass ye up to Braham now, lass. It will hurt a bit, but try not to cry out.”
Braham grabbed her beneath the arms, and she cried out.
“Grip her around the waist,” David said. “She might have a broken rib or two. Her breasts are bound, so I can’t tell.”
Braham pulled her through the hole. “I’ve got her.” He wanted to hug her to him, but he didn’t dare squeeze her. He very gently kissed her forehead. “Thank God ye’re all right.”
“I didn’t want you to come for me. Jack needed you more. Are you sure you’re not missing court?”
“I’m not.” He chuckled, relaxing into a warm pool of relief. He picked straw out of her hair and clothes.
“How long have I been down there?”
“Six or seven hours.”
“I thought I might be there for days. How’d you find me?”
“It’s a story for David to tell ye.”
“Thanks,” David said. “I got the tracks covered. Help me up.”
Braham set Charlotte aside, grabbed David’s arms, and hauled him up.
“As soon as I seal the hole, we’ll get out of here. Take Charley over by the window and keep watch.”
Braham held her shivering body in his arms as he squatted next to the window, watching. A few minutes later, David tapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll go out first. Then ye can hand her over before ye climb out and close the window.”
Braham nodded, and David slid out of the building. After a quick check of the premises, he returned for Charlotte. Braham passed her through the window and followed them out.
“Take her home,” David said, handing her back to Braham. “I’m going to work out surveillance with Gaylord. I’ll see ye at the house later. If she goes to sleep, wake her every hour. Make sure she knows where she is and can follow commands, like squeezing yer fingers.”
The Sapphire Brooch Page 60