by Brina Cary
Strong arms wrapped around her from behind. She screamed and fought.
“Dear Lord, shut her up. She makes more sound than a witch burning in water.”
Another hand came from beside her and pressed a cloth to her mouth. It smelled foul. She tried to shake it off, but her strength was waning. Her eyes were closing. Her strength fled and her eyes closed. So this is it. This is how I die.
Chapter 30
The cab rolled to a stop outside of the parliament building. Jacob glared at it. Steps. Tons and tons of steps stood between him and Amelia. At the top of those steps loomed the building. The cloudy sky echoed what he felt. Its darkness reflected his inner emotions. Trepidation. Fear. What would he find inside?
As jagged lightning lit up the sky, he reached for the handle. His hand shook as he opened the door. Amelia needed him. That was all that mattered.
He carefully walked around the side of the building. There was a wheelchair ramp that had been put in last year. That would be easier than the stairs.
****
As he carefully pushed the door open and stepped inside, he held his gun ready. Aiming for the first threat that should appear. When none did, he walked further inside. It was dark. The oncoming storm lit up the rooms just enough to where he could see in front of him. He stayed as close to the wall as he could, using it to support his weight. His legs felt so weak. As if he would fall at any moment, unable to take another step.
Listening for sounds of danger, he was surprised at a slight scratching sound. It seemed to come from deep within the bowels of the building. Yet, it also seemed to come from above him and below him. Leaning against the wall, he listened harder.
Morse Code. The scratches were in Morse Code.
Help trapped boiler.
It repeated over and over. Without stopping. It was not something his guys would do, but Will had messaged him that some Americans had showed up to help. Maybe it was one of them.
Carefully he made his way to the boiler room. Taking a risk, he used the small old elevator. As the doors closed behind him, he checked his weapon. The pain in his spine had intensified. He would not be able to go much further. He had done too much too soon.
At the ding of the elevator doors he slid to the side. As they opened he peered around the edge. The sound alerted him before the bullet hit the back of the elevator. He tapped the button to hold open the doors. “Ye missed me!”
“Oh, we’re just getting started. You think you’re getting out of that box alive? Think again.”
Jacob grinned and pulled a special device from his pocket. It looked like a small flashlight; however, it was so much more. Deacon had designed it, which meant it was worth its weight in gold. Anything designed by the weapons expert was guaranteed to work, and to work well. If it didn’t then he’d never let Deacon live it down. He pressed the button to turn it on. He fired one shot out, shattering the overhead light. As they returned fire, he slid the device out towards them. Then hit the close button on the elevator doors. He smiled in anticipation. “One. Two. Three…”
Muted sounds of three bodies falling greeted his ears. Straightening up, he pulled up his shirt to cover his face before hitting the open button again. The device worked quickly at dispersing the colorless and odorless gas, which was why he carried it at all times when he was working. They would wake hours from now with hangovers. Plenty of time to find Amelia and get her out.
Stepping out he looked around to make sure none had survived the device’s effects. Stooping low, he picked up the device. Cringing when his spine made a cracking sound as he stood back up. The Morse Code had stopped once the gunfire had sounded. Stepping forward he stumbled slightly. The boiler room was still close to thirty feet away.
Every step was more painful than the last. As he reached the door, his strength gave out and he fell to the ground. Reaching up, with the last of his strength, he pulled the leaver to release the bolt which held the door shut.
Chapter 31
As she awoke, the first thing Amelia realized was that she was tied to a chair. The second thing was that she smelled the ocean. Keeping her eyes closed, feigning unconsciousness, she listened. A bell sounded from far away. Pipes clanged together. Was she in a metal building? A door opened, screeching from non-use.
“You can quit faking now,” he said before crunching on what sounded like an apple.
She refused and listened to his footfalls as he stepped closer still munching on his apple. A sharp stinging pain laced her face as his hand made contact with her cheek. Her eyes shot open. “Figures you’d respond to physical pain. Don’t worry. There’s plenty more coming. The Master likes to play with all of his pets.”
“Do I even need to ask who the Master is?”
“The Head of the SNP, Thomas Cornwell, of course.”
Of course… The slimy man just had to be involved. “What do you mean play?”
He laughed and swiped at the juice flowing from the corner of his mouth. “Oh, you’ll see. He likes to make his women bleed. And beg.”
“I will never beg.” The might hurt her, but they would never get her to beg or plead for her life. She was a MacRory and a Brandir. Neither one begged for anything.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “They all say that. In the beginning.”
“You don’t know me.” He didn’t either. None of them did.
“Ah, but I do. I know what you’re afraid of. I know your weaknesses. I know everything about you.”
She smiled. “I think you’re underestimating me.”
“Doesn’t matter. No one is coming for you. We have all the time in the world. The Master will come to see you soon. Then you will beg. Then you will learn to obey.”
“Someone will come for me…”
“Who? I’m all ears. Tell me who is left to come for you. We’ve killed them all, even Jacob.”
“That is enough, Marcus.” Thomas stepped in the room. The dark suit was gone, replaced with dark loose slacks and a slate gray button up dress shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. A jacket hung loosely from his fingers. He placed it over the old metal radiator beside the door. “Marcus, will you please leave us. Amelia and I have much to discuss.”
“Yes, Master.”
As the door closed behind Marcus she realized just how much trouble she was in. The chance that anyone knew where she was… It was slim at best. Non-existent maybe. Would they really come for her?
“Before I am finish with you your father will roll over in his grave. You will beg me to kill you just so the pain will end. You will scream and I will laugh. I might even take advantage of your beauty, for pain is beauty, and…” He reached out and caressed her face.
“Don’t you fucking touch me!”
“Such spirit. Just like your mother. That is easy to get rid of.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. That’s where you’re all wrong. You see, I get my spirit from my father.”
“Ha! We shall see about that.” He smirked and pulled a knife from behind his back. “Yes, we shall see about that.”
Chapter 32
Jacob frowned as he looked through the binoculars. The old industrial building had been shut down for years, but people were crawling all over it. The American named Chris laid down next to him. “Jacob, these men hurt my wife. I want the assassin. You can have all the others.”
“That will nae be a problem. I want someone else.”
“Who?”
“Ye see that vehicle?” Chris nodded. “It belongs to the Head of the SNP. He has my Amelia. I shall see him drawn and quartered.”
“Deal.”
Jacob tried to roll over to signal his men, but the stabbing pain stopped him. A small hiss escaped from him.
“Man, are you going to be ok? I heard your guys talking. They’re pretty amazed that you’re up and walking around.”
“Pay attention to yerself. Not me.”
Jacob watched as Chris fished in his pocket and pulled out a small metal box. “Here, take this.”
“What ‘tis it?”
“It’s a painkiller. Something special in my line of work. It’ll block pain from the nerves. Just be careful. Not feeling anything is dangerous. Especially when it’s the spine.”
“Amelia trusts ye.”
“Her best friend is my wife.”
“Why does she trust ye?”
“I was assigned to protect a diplomat. Unfortunately, two women got caught in the crossfire. I fell in love with the one who got shot and taken. I tracked them both down and saved them. I owe a lot to Amelia. I owe my wife’s life to her. Drug-runners took them because of me. I failed to see something that was right in front of my face… If it wasn’t for Amelia, then Gen wouldn’t have lasted until I could get there, she wouldn’t have made it…” his voice broke.
Jacob felt for Chris. He knew what this meant and knew that he could trust him. Chris wouldn’t give in on this fight, not until Amelia was safe.
Chris cleared his throat, “I’ve been waiting for the day that I could return the favor. When Gen told me that Amelia needed help, there wasn’t a single moment’s hesitation.” He sighed deeply. “Gen loves Amelia, as if they were sisters. My wife would be devastated if something happened to her.”
Jacob reached out his hand and took the pill that Chris offered. If it would help him save Amelia, then he would take it.
“We need to get around the back. If the tracker is right, then she’s in the back of the building.”
“My guys will take out the guards around the back. ‘Tis an ole’ miner’s entrance we can use to get in.”
“Is the assassin aware of it?”
Jacob shook his head. “We never used it with him as boys.” No, as children they excluded Marcus at most things. Their games outside of training, that was the main thing. Was that part of why Marcus took the contract? Was that why he was helping the Head of the SNP now?
Marcus had been different. As a child he had not understood that Marcus’ differences were an asset to their team, an asset that made him dangerous. Jacob hadn’t realized that Marcus’ differences could be used to help them all, instead it made him susceptible to changing sides. That had been part of the reason that he never told anyone who killed Amelia’s father. Shame. Shame for how they excluded Marcus. It was his one regret. The one thing that he could not fix, no matter how hard he tried. Now, Marcus had Amelia. An assassin held the woman he loved, the woman he had sworn to a dying man to protect. It was an oath he would not break.
Chris’ voice brought him back to the present, away from the pain of regret to deal with the here and now. “Kid, remember, payback isn’t for now. Don’t let Amelia see the wolf within. It might scare her. Let’s get her out first. Then you can extract payback. Sound good?”
Jacob had no wish to extract payback. He had a wish to make them suffer, but that was not payback. That was retribution.
Chapter 33
As Chris’ men dealt with the guards outside of the building. Jacob, Will, Deacon, and Darren carefully slipped around the edge of the mound of rocks. Such tiny things that could slide loose at the slightest breath. They had to be wary of dislodging any pebbles. Winding down the pathway that they had once used as children, Jacob felt the drug that Chris had slipped him taking effect. His muscles were loose and his legs felt stronger. The knot in his spine felt relaxed and nonexistent. Yet, he held his gun ready and remained alert.
Will walked in front of him, Darren behind him. Deacon took point off to the side, ready to take care of threats that might appear. His friends were determined to protect him as they walked into the mouth of Hell. As they came upon the old hidden entryway, Jacob felt as if everything would be ok. They were playing an ancient game. One that his ancestors had been quite adept at. Praying that the same skill ran in his blood, he took a deep breath.
The old metal door was warped and heavy. It was just as he remembered it. No lock held it in place, but it would not have mattered if it had. The old pipe they had used as children still lay in the grass a few feet away. Jacob watched as Darren grabbed it and slid it between the cracked frame and the warped spot of the door. It would make a sound, but if they timed it just right then Chris’ men would be making enough noise to cover the sound up.
Keying up the microphone Jacob whispered, “Green.” An answering BOOM resounded in the distance, and Darren pushed on the pipe to break the door loose.
They all jumped back and waited. They waited to see if anything surged forth from the entrance, man or beast. After what seemed like a lifetime it was ready to be chanced. As children they had once surprised a wolf cub. To this day he had no idea how the wolf had gotten inside, but Jacob liked to think it was a good sign that they had freed it.
Will pulled several lights from his bag. Popping them in the center caused the liquid interaction and the bright neon light to surge forth. Shaking them a few times to ensure that it swirled together to produce the bright light necessary for the tunnel, he grinned. They were good to go. He tossed them. Quickly they rushed in.
The miner’s entrance had seemed larger when they were children; however, as grown men they had to slightly stoop. Light filtered throughout it from the lights Will had tossed in. The lights revealed spider webs from ceiling to floor and mice scurrying alongside old tracks that ran the ground from the entrance to deep within the facility. The old pipes that lined the side walls that took water from the facility out to the side of the Miner’s entrance, had corroded with age. Looking at them now, Jacob wondered how he had avoided Tentnus as a child.
About two hundred yards in he found a baseball cap. It had belonged to their friend Seamus… Seamus had been killed in a car wreck so long ago. Steeling himself against the emotion he continued on. There was no telling what other trinkets they would find. So many had been lost over the years. The three of them had once belonged to a group of fifteen. Some had gone their different directions and been lost over the years, but some had been lost like Seamus.
Continuing along the tracks, they found the entrance into the facility. Untouched since the last time they were there, if the layer of dust was anything to go by. It was a large rusted metal door with bars across it. One could see through the bars into the underground area. It resembled a basement with the large pipes that ran across the ceiling.
At one time the facility had been quite large. It had once been the most advanced mining company in all of Europe. Then tragedy struck and it was abandoned. Such a shame to be once again used for tragedy.
Chapter 34
Amelia took a raggedy breath. The wheezing broke through and caused the bastard to remove the knife from her calf, where he had been carving his initials. “What is that horrid sound?”
She smiled, at least her asthma was finally protecting her. She would pass out long before he could truly hurt her. Long before the pain became unbearable. Long before she begged him. He would kill her, but it was ok. Jacob didn’t remember her and she had no one else. Well, no one except for Gen, but Gen had Chris. Chris would make sure Gen was ok. He would be there for her. Gen was a strong woman, but Chris was her equal.
The sting of the slap across her face took her by surprise. “I asked ye a question!”
In answer she laughed — a dry wheezing sound, with a slight cackle. Jacob had protected her quite well. No one outside of the few involved knew of her asthma. She just had to bide her time until the darkness claimed her.
As he hit her again, the blackness tinged at the outer edges of her vision. It would not be long now. There was so much in life that she wished she had been able to do. So much that burned at her, left unaccomplished… Her wheezing grew worse. He took the knife and dug it into her thigh, bringing her back from the edges of unconsciousness. “Answer me!”
Biting her lip to avoid crying out, she sent silent prayers up to Heaven. Maybe one would be answered. The loss of blood made her woozy. She felt her hands and lips going numb. Not long now. Her eyes began to close.
As muted sounds of gunshots foun
d their way to her ears, she felt herself falling. Falling into the blessed unconsciousness that the failure of her lungs would bring. Falling into freedom from the pain he would inflict and freedom from the pain death at any other avenue would bring. Finally, her asthma was a blessing. As she let go, she imagined that she heard Jacob’s voice, telling her not to go. Telling her to stay with him. Telling her that he loved her.
Chapter 35
Jacob pressed his hands to both sides of her face. “Please lass, stay with me!” He begged her to wake up. He begged everything holy in all of time and space, to leave her there. To spare her.
“Here!” Will shoved a small metal (or plastic) container into Jacob’s hand. “’Tis her inhaler.”
He was barely aware of Darren freeing her from the chair she was bound to. As Will pulled the knife from her thigh and focused on staunching the blood flow, he tilted her head back. Pressing the inhaler to her mouth he pressed down on the actuator twice. Dropping the inhaler into her lap, he moved forward quickly. He pinched her nose closed and blew a deep breath into her mouth. If he could get the medicine to her lungs it might save her. It had to save her.
He could not handle life without her. Amelia was everything to him. She was the wind, the rain, the sun. She was even the stars above. She was the reason he lived, and to be without her was… to simply exist. To walk along life, a shell of the man he had been. His heart carved from his chest and left with her… Existing meant nothing without her.
She didn’t move, but her breaths came in shallow, light whisps that caressed his face. A fleeting memory of her father came to mind. Something he had once said. “Son, there will be a time when pain will come. To spare a loss, the pain must be spread.” Pain. That was the key.