by L. L. Muir
“Keep going, lass.” Murdoch murmured.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel hard. “I will. I am.” She was whispering. Her grip continued to tighten as she drove by, worried the man beside the gate might glance up and see them. A chill ran up her spine as they passed by, but the man’s back remained turned. When they were in the clear, Sarah released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “What do we do now?”
“’Tis likely yer grandfather is kept down that road.”
“What do we do?”
“We wait until nightfall, then steal out and find him.”
The idea of her grandfather down that road, alone, perhaps hurt, made her want to rush back, ram the gate with her car, and drive until they found him. “Promise?”
“I always keep my word, lass.”
“Always?”
He nodded. “Always.”
He certainly had so far.
“In the meanwhile, we need to find an inn. Somewhere close by where we can get food, and respite.”
“Why?”
“We’ll wish to be well rested this eve.”
“You really have done this before, haven’t you?”
He shrugged. “Many a time.”
“I only have a few dollars. We’ll need more money if we’re staying somewhere.”
He glanced at her. “I have gold coins. Will an innkeeper take such payment?”
“You use gold coins in Scotland?”
He nodded.
“I didn’t know that. But no, I don’t think they’ll take them here. I have a credit card, but can’t the Russians track a credit card and find us?”
He looked at her blankly.
Suspicion roused, she narrowed her eyes. “I would think a spy, such as yourself, would know all about that.”
“Of course.” He waved a hand. “Things are done differently in Scotland. We’ll find a man of business and exchange my coins for the local currency. Sarah looked up directions on her phone for a nearby coin dealer. She found one about twenty minutes away.
Using the last of her cash they purchased hotdogs, drinks, and chips at a convenience store and forty minutes later, one of Murdoch’s gold coins netted them over a thousand dollars! They drove to a local hotel, and were denied a room unless they produced a credit card. They tried a smaller motel and the young smirking clerk behind the desk agreed to let them pay cash.
Murdoch thumped his fist on the counter and leaned forward. “Yer not to look upon my lady in such a fashion, are ye now, laddie?”
The man dropped his gaze and swallowed hard, and satisfaction tugged at Sarah’s lips.
A moment later Murdoch exchanged cash for a key card from a very respectful young man, and they headed to the room.
“Shouldn’t I get my own room key?”
“Why would ye wish for one? Ye are in my care.”
“Uh, huh.”
“Ye’re my responsibility. Ye were given to me for as long as I can keep ye. Do ye ken?”
She huffed out a breath. “Murdoch—”
“Say it. Admit that ye are mine.”
“What? Like we’re a couple? What is that even supposed to mean?” She wanted to be angry at his high handedness, so why did she melt for him when he said things like that?
When they reached their room he hesitated, so Sarah took the key card and opened the door. When it unlocked, she went to push it open.
“Let me.”
“I’ve got it.”
Taking her shoulders, he pulled her back and moved in front of her so he could open the door. “Ye would deny me this?”
This time she did roll her eyes.
“Come now. I like to open doors for ye.”
“Alright, already.”
He pushed the door all the way open, and she moved past him only to stop at the sight of the lone bed.
Her throat clenched. “Maybe we should just sleep in the car?”
“We have seven hours before nightfall. I doonae think ye’d last in the car that long, and we need to be well rested.”
Well rested, her foot. She shot him a suspicious, narrow eyed gaze. “What are we going to do this afternoon while we wait?” Before he could answer, she rushed into speech. “Oh, I know. We can read the book my grandfather sent. There’s got to be some kind of a hidden message in it, right?” She was babbling, and she knew it. “There’s got to be something within the pages that will let me know why he sent it, or what the microchip is, don’t you think?”
“Mayhap. If ye read it aloud, we can consider it together.”
“Of course.”
She looked around the shabby but clean room with its kitchenette, small table and lone armchair. She looked at the bed once again and heat pooled in her stomach. She took another step forward.
Following her inside, he released the door and it slammed loudly, almost a sound of finality.
He crossed the room, settled onto the bed, and patted the space beside him.
She hesitated, swallowed loudly.
He smirked.
She quickly sat in the chair. “How about that book then?”
She ignored his laughter as she opened the first page.
Chapter Six
Two hours later, Sarah’s voice was a bit on the hoarse side.
She hadn’t really liked the book the first time she’d read it with her grandfather, and had only agreed to read it for his sake. Aliens weren’t really her thing.
“Are ye done, lass? That didnae feel like the best of endings.”
“That’s because it wasn’t the end,” she said crossly. “This book is stupid, and has nothing to do with microchips. Anyway, you’re falling asleep.”
He sat up quickly and hauled himself off the bed. “I could eat again.”
She gladly closed the book. They weren’t finding anything anyway. “All right, let’s knock off and get something. We can pick this up again afterward.” Between the boring storyline, and the fact she was searching for something that just didn’t seem to be there, she was more than ready for a break. “Should we order in?”
“What d’ye mean, lass?”
“I mean, should we call someone on the telephone and have them deliver food?”
Murdoch looked startled. “Ye can do that?”
“Of course. Don’t they do take out in Scotland?”
He shook his head. “We usually eat at home, at a campfire, or at a local inn. If it’s just the same to ye, I’d like to go outside and have a look around.”
She set the book on the table and stood. “Alright, come on. Let’s go get something to eat. Dine in or fast food?”
“Fast food? What does that mean? Is it hard to catch? Where are yer skilled hunters?”
“Ha ha, very funny. Come on, let’s go see if we can find something close by.”
They left the motel to walk down the sidewalk. Murdoch was quick to take her hand, and Sarah, enjoying the warmth of his big powerful body next to hers, was quick to pretend it was the most natural thing in the world.
The first restaurant they came to was a McDonald’s. “Do you want to eat here? Or do you want to keep looking?”
“This establishment looks fine.”
They went inside and Murdoch glanced around, curiosity and a slight astonishment in his gaze. He studied the meals the other customers ate and seemed to approve, so she led him to the counter.
He pointed to a cheeseburger on the screen. “How many can I have?”
“As many as you can eat, I guess.”
He ordered ten burgers, ten orders of French fries, two pies, and a drink.
Sarah finally found her voice again. “Are you serious?”
“What d’ye mean?”
“How are you going to eat all that?”
“I’m starving. We haven’t eaten in hours. And I’ve never had food like this.”
She narrowed her gaze. “You’re one of those guys, aren’t you? The ones who can eat anything they want and never gain a pound? You know
we’re going to have to be sworn enemies after this, don’t you?”
He grinned.
After making a comment about somebody’s eyes being too big for his stomach, Sarah ordered her own meal. “That will be to go,” she told the boy behind the counter. He was busy staring at Murdoch.
“To go, please?”
The boy finally snapped out of it and finished their order. Murdoch paid, and while they waited, a young couple approached and wanted to take their picture with him.
He glanced at Sarah, and she shrugged. So, standing next to the McDonald’s drink machine, Murdoch got his picture taken with a couple of tourists and some locals before the boy behind the counter wanted in on the action.
When their order was ready, the boy went the extra mile and placed the bags inside a box so they could easily carry it all. She hurried Murdoch out of the restaurant.
She froze when a black SUV passed in front of them. The driver had his bulky arm half outside the window, and she thought she recognized him as one of the thugs from her grandfather’s place. The one who’d opened the gate. Luckily she and Murdoch were still semi-blocked by the building, and weren’t spotted themselves, but it scared Sarah to death. She could feel her heart thud in her chest.
“We need to get out of here!”
Murdoch’s eyes narrowed. “They’re probably doing the same thing we are – scavenging for food.”
Murdoch took the box from her and as soon as the SUV was out of sight, they hurried across the street. They headed straight back to their motel while keeping an eye out for the vehicle.
She didn’t feel safe again until they shut themselves inside the room. She breathed harshly as she pressed herself against the door.
Murdoch grinned at her.
She slapped his arm. “You think that was funny?”
Gazing down at her, he laughed out loud. “I do. Verra much so. Ready to eat?”
She took a deep breath, and rather than screaming, expelled it slowly. “Why am I even surprised you haven’t lost your appetite?”
He winked at her. “If ye’re no longer hungry, can I eat yer portion as well?”
She didn’t exactly scream, but let out a groan that turned into a laugh. The guy was driving her crazy. So why did she like him so much?
~~~
They finally finished the book, much good as it did them. It was just as boring the second time around, and they hadn’t found anything that referenced a microchip.
Murdoch was eating one of his pies. She’d been gratified to note he put some of his hamburgers in the refrigerator. His eyes had been too large for his stomach.
She headed to the window and looked out once more. There was nothing there. No bad guys lurking about, hiding in bushes, and definitely no black SUV. They were still safe. She’d probably have nightmares for the rest of her life about black SUVs hunting her down.
She slapped the book against her hand. Why had her grandfather sent this? There was nothing in it and it was getting pretty frustrating.
Murdoch, relaxed against the headboard, finished his pie.
Her brows drew together. “Well? What do you think?”
“About what?”
“About the book!”
Murdoch simply shrugged his big shoulders.
“Thanks for the help.”
“I dinnae know what ye wish of me. We already have a plan in place, and tonight we’ll execute it. There’s naught to do until then, except eat, read the book, or take a nap.” When he said this last, he wiggled his brows at her.
She tried not to smile. “In your dreams, buddy.”
He laughed.
She couldn’t help but study him, so handsome her heart twisted. As the hours passed, she became more and more tense. But he seemed as relaxed as ever. “Aren’t you even a little bit afraid? About tonight?”
“Would it make ye feel better if I was?”
“Maybe.”
He grinned, completely confident. “Ye know ye are safe with me. There’s no need for nerves.”
He was so irritating, lying there as if he didn’t have a care in the world, his chiseled features highlighted by the sun coming in the window. “Do you know what your problem is? You’re too attractive, and you know it, don’t you?”
He grinned from ear to ear. “Well, ye can hardly be fashed at me for that, because ye are beautiful, and I’ve no doubt ye know it well.”
She gave him a dirty look and turned away. She locked her arms tight about her as she tried to hide her expression that no doubt said she was pleased. Time to change the subject.
She lifted the science-fiction novel in the air. “What could it be about this book? My grandfather was into science-fiction, and this whole thing feels like science-fiction. Kidnappings, ransacking, my grandfather being held for ransom or for some nefarious reason we don’t know about. The entire thing feels surreal.” She shook the book. “Sort of like the stupid novel.”
“Yer grandfather likes his stories, does he?”
She nodded. “We both do. Maybe he was trying to tell me this little adventure of his is like a science-fiction novel?”
She sighed. That was stupid.
She paced back and forth in front of the bed. “Even if I don’t like it, I know the book is a classic.” She closed her eyes briefly. “But that has nothing to do with anything. I can’t see one thing in it that my grandfather would want me to notice. This is driving me crazy!”
She paced again. “Space travel?” She considered for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t see how that has anything to do with anything. If there is some sort of a message, I’m just not getting it.” She paced to the window again. “Grandpa! What did you mean by this?”
Murdoch was laughing at her again, but she didn’t care. She was going to figure this out.
“Think! Think! What could he have been trying to say? Those Russians talked about a microchip, but there were no discussions of microchips, there were no references to microchips, there weren’t any robots with microchips. So what is grandpa trying to say?”
She flipped through the pages of the book once more, but once again there were no explanations to be had. She looked at the cover again, a picture of two aliens, with a distant planet in the background. There was nothing!
“How big is a microchip?” Murdoch wanted to know. “Is it the size of a bed? A vehicle? What exactly are we looking for?”
Sarah turned to stare at him. “Are you kidding me? It’s a microchip. It would be tiny. Itty-bitty tiny.”
“How small is that?”
Using her index finger and thumb she made a space about the size of a dime. “About this big. How could you not know this?”
“So, he actually could have hidden such a thing within the pages? Mayhap when ye opened the package it fell out?”
“I was sitting at my desk. I would’ve heard it fall out.” Still, her stomach did a tug-of-war. She supposed that might’ve happened. Anything was possible.
Murdoch warmed another pie in the microwave, his favorite new toy. Apparently they didn’t have those in Scotland either. “Ye need to calm yerself, lass.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“I could tell ye a story to pass the time.”
“Okay, fine. First, tell me why you’re wearing a kilt. I’d love to hear that story.” And she genuinely would. She’d wondered about this man since the moment she’d met him.
He grinned at her. “As it happens to coincide with the story I had planned to tell ye, then we are in accord.” He leaned back against the counter, and crossed his arms.
“I was born in 1721 and I died in 1746, at the battle of Culloden Moor. I was twenty-five years of age.”
She nodded. “That’s great. Another science-fiction story is just what this day needs.”
Laughing, he grinned at her. “Ye dinnae believe me?”
“Oh, sure I do. And since I like a good story as much as the next girl, and I hate to be outdone, it’s my turn. So here goes
. I was a pirate in the Royal Navy and I totally sailed the seven seas. Someday I’m going to go back and get all my buried treasure; that is, if Jack Sparrow hasn’t found it first. Oh, and this was all in 1646, so I’m totally older and wiser than you.”
He laughed again. “I wasnae finished. As I was saying —”
“What is this?” Sarah, rubbing her finger along the spine of the book, felt something, a small bump, and realization had her lifting her face to Murdoch, her mouth gaping, eyes wide. “Quick! I need a knife!”
He handed a dagger to her, and where it had come from, she wasn’t sure.
She carefully picked the spine with the tip of the knife and slid it down.
As the spine split, a tiny black chip was revealed. Mouth parted, she raised her eyes to Murdoch. “Oh my gosh! There’s something in here.” Within moments a tiny chip lay in the palm of her hand and she started to shake. She closed her hand around the microchip. “This is what they’re looking for.”
“There’s truly information on that?”
“Yes. There could be a lot of information on this.” She stared down at her clenched fist. “I don’t know what to do. We have to get grandpa out of there. Obviously, he didn’t want the Russians to have this. We need the police, or the FBI, but I don’t know who to trust.”
“Ye can trust me. What kind of information is on it?”
“I don’t know. How could I know that?”
“Calm down, lass. This will all be just fine.” He looked confident, strong, like a man who could take care of any situation. She nodded and felt herself start to relax.
He waved a hand toward her. “Come. We’ll take a nap and when it gets dark we’re going to go and find yer grandfather.”
Carefully setting the chip on a table, she held out her hand.
He took it and urged her toward the bed. “All will be well, I promise it.”
~~~
Sarah couldn’t sleep.
And it wasn’t just because the big guy was lying next to her.
Finding the microchip made the danger seem all the more real.
Somehow, Murdoch slumbered next to her, which was irritating. Here she was, worried about something happening between them, and he’d zonked right out.
She was getting sick of this crappy motel room.