Highland Bloodline

by Florence Love Karsner

  "Guess we'll see."

  "OK, ready now?"

  Paul put all his weight on one end of the iron bar and the central stone lifted the slightest bit, just enough for Robbie to slide his body through. He dropped, and called out to Caitlin.

  "Alright. Come on now. Hand the lantern down and I'll try to catch you."

  Caitlin didn't hesitate. She sat down at the edge, handed the lantern to him and lowered herself into the opening. She quickly let go and found herself lying flat on her back on the cold, wet ground below, struggling to catch her breath.

  "Sorry, Caitlin. I couldn't grab hold. You came down so quickly."

  Then, in a move that had Robbie scurrying backward, Willie fell through the opening. But unlike Caitlin, he landed on his feet, as he always seemed to do. And it was none too soon, as the stone above them crashed down heavily and they were trapped below the street.

  "Now what? Where do we go from here?"

  Caitlin needn't have asked that question. Willie lifted his snout and moved his large ears from one side to the other, hearing from all angles. He let out one deep growl then took off down the tunnel on the right.

  "Wait, Willie, don't leave us!"

  Caitlin had no doubt Willie's sense of smell would find Alex and Jack long before she and Robbie could begin to. Presently, all she could smell was the disgusting stench of raw sewage close by, accompanied by the odor of a rotting animal. Whether that was an animal or whether it was a human being wasn't clear. But the smell of death was everywhere.

  "Do you think he can find them?" Robbie had never known an animal that was this intelligent.

  "If anyone can, then Willie can. Our problem will be to try and keep up with him."

  "Watch where you walk. The sewer is a few meters to the left and some sections are open. Paul and I found a flight of stairs at the end of this tunnel. They lead up to another level where they keep the prisoners that will spend a lifetime here. Those are the ones we tried to get food to. If that's where Willie's headed, then we can find him. But there are several floors above this one, too."

  Robbie raised the lantern above his head, hoping to light their way. For a brief moment the lantern blazed brightly, then a gust of wind coming from one of the adjoining tunnels had it flickering. In another second, it sputtered and finally died out completely.

  This was a moment when Caitlin wished she had learned to light torches and candles with a nod of her head as Uncle Wabi and Ian could do. Something she needed to work out with Uncle Wabi when she saw him. She still didn't understand him not answering her call, and she greatly feared something had happened to him. But that was a problem for another day. She had enough to handle at the moment.

  "There, at the end of the tunnel, see that soft light? There's a torch there that lights the stairway leading up to the next floor. That's where the guard station is. We have to get in there and get the keys somehow." Robbie had no idea how they would accomplish this task.

  "I see. I'll use this pistol if I must, but I'm a healer, Robbie. Killing is not something I wish to do. But I will if I must in order to save Alex and Jack."

  She held the pistol with both hands. Alex had given it to her explaining that it was smaller than some. But right now it felt very heavy, and she wasn't sure she could pull the trigger.

  Robbie looked at her and shook his head. "I'm quite sure you can use it better than I can. Maybe one day I'll be better at shooting, but not yet." Robbie was woefully aware of his inadequacies in this endeavor they had undertaken.

  What now? Did I think I'd just burst in here and take the keys from the guards? Alex, my Da, would know exactly what to do, but I certainly don't.

  "I don't see Willie anymore. He's going too fast for us to keep up. Can you call him, Caitlin? Will he hear you?"

  "Oh, he can hear me alright. But he may not listen. He's got a mind of his own in situations like this. Trust me, he can take care of himself."

  No sooner had she said those words than a scream coming from the guardroom echoed throughout the hallway. In fact, it was so loud it was probably heard on several floors.

  "What was that?" Robbie asked, not daring to move another muscle.

  "That, dear Robbie, would be Willie announcing his arrival at the guardroom. We'd better hurry and hope we get there before he eliminates anyone who gets in his way."

  Rushing down the tunnel, they watched as a very young guard darted from the room and scooted up the stairs just as they reached the doorway.

  As they entered, they saw another guard backed into a corner as far as he could possibly be, and his face registered the fear he felt within. He was unarmed, so had no way of defending himself.

  In order to leave the room he would have to go past the wolf, and he didn't think that was a good move. Another guard was lying on the floor and Willie's tremendous jaws were clamped solidly on his throat. Blood gurgled from his wound as he tried to push the wolf off and he was quickly losing all strength. Finally he refrained from his struggles and his eyes closed.

  Caitlin handed Robbie the pistol and got down on her knees.

  "Willie, good boy. Come here now." Caitlin wrapped her arms around her great protector.

  How could I possibly have thought I could do this without you?

  Caitlin turned then to the guard cowering in the corner. "Robbie, let me hold the gun and you get the keys and tie this one up. There, up on the wall, a set of leg irons should do the trick." Next she tore a sleeve off the uniform of the guard on the floor and handed it to Robbie.

  "Now stuff this in his mouth." Then, unable to stop herself, she returned to the guard on the floor and lay her fingers against his neck, feeling for a pulse.

  "Aye, there's a pulse. He's not dead, but he's not going anywhere any time soon." She stood, looking at Robbie as if he would know the next steps to take.

  "Uh, I think we should go up one flight of stairs to the main floor. That's the most likely place they would hold them."

  "Alright. Come Willie. Find Alex. Go now!"

  With that instruction, Willie flew through the door and bounded up the stairs to the left, with Caitlin and Robbie hurrying to keep up with him.

  CHAPTER 23

  T

  he prison confinement was getting to both Alex and Jack and their nerves were on edge.

  "Alright, the guard just made his final round for the evening. If we're ever going to try this, now's the time."

  "I don't know, Alex. Even if ye can get through the hole, ye'll have a hard time pulling me up."

  "Aye, that could be a problem. Then maybe ye ought to be the one to go up first. Maybe ye can stand on my shoulders and once yer up there ye can pull me up. It's worth a try. We don't have any other plan."

  "Aye. Just know that ye may have a shoulder ache the rest of yer life, brother. Don't say I didn't warn ye."

  "Then, just like we did when we were lads, I'll bend over a bit and ye can put yer foot on my thigh, then up on my shoulder. Make it quick, brother. I don't relish holding a sixteen stone weight very long."

  "Alright, here goes."

  Jack quickly stepped from Alex's thigh and onto his shoulders. But as soon as he reached the opening, he knew it was hopeless. There was no way his broad shoulders would go through the tight space.

  "I'm coming down now. Easy does it." Jack stepped back down on Alex's thigh and onto the floor. "It's no use. You might could get through that hole, but I can't."

  "Then let's try that. If I can make it through I'll make my way to the guardroom. If I can get there, mayhap I can overtake the guard and get his keys. Then I'll come get ye out."

  "I don't know. What if the guard comes by again? He'll notice yer missing, don't ye think?"

  "But his routine is that he never comes back after he delivers the gruel and water. He's just done that, so I don't think we'll see him again until morning. That leaves all night for us to work our way out of this place."

  "Then come on. Get up on my shoulders. I'll wait quietly, but I'd apprecia
te ye moving quickly if ye will."

  Alex put an arm around his big brother. "Ah, Jack. We're not done in yet. And we don't want to make Caitlin and Millie young widows either. They'd figure out some way to punish us even in our next life." He smiled at his brother and both knew this plan might go haywire.

  Alex had no trouble getting to the opening. Jack was just a tad bit taller and his shoulders were plenty wide enough to stand on. In just a matter of minutes Alex was hefting himself up through the hole, but it was really tight even for him.

  Good glory. This opening must have been put here for some reason, but I may not be able to get through it. Why would they put it here anyway?

  He pushed harder against the right side of the opening, and he felt the skin on his shoulder tear as he continued to push. Finally, with his shoulder bleeding and his sleeve almost torn off, he managed to squeeze through. He stood and immediately hit his head on the ceiling.

  Good Lord! I'll have to crawl on all fours to get out of this place.

  Now down on his knees, he felt numerous pipes running across the floor in all directions.

  Some kind of water pipes? Certainly not heating as this place is frigid and it's not even winter. What do they use this space for?

  Still on his knees, he called out to Jack. "I'm in. Sit tight and I'll come for ye as soon as I can." Listening for a moment, he heard critters skittering about and felt something warm brush across his fingers.

  Probably a good thing Jack didn't get up here. Pretty sure that was a snake that just crawled over my hand.

  It was so dark in the room that Alex had to feel along the wall to find the door and was relieved to find it was not locked from the outside. Stepping out into the dark hallway, he saw one small torch at the other end. That would have to be the stairway to the guard station. He put his back against the wall and began to make his way slowly in that direction. Holding his dirk in his left hand, he was prepared to do whatever was necessary to get the keys and return for Jack.

  CHAPTER 24

  S

  tanding at the top of the moor, Daniel looked about. The sun was setting and a warm red glow covered the entire farm. How many times had he stood here over his lifetime, watching the seasons change, and observing the rituals that made them official.

  Of course...the Beltane fires.

  Alice had particularly enjoyed this ritual that marked a time of renewal. She had always insisted on a large fire on that occasion and she'd recite several passages from some of her favorite readings. Beltane was a time for celebrating many things she'd said. Some folk gave thanks for their crops, their homes, and their animals.

  "But, Daniel, we should always give thanks for our family. That's more important than anything. Without that nothing has any meaning."

  He strolled slowly through the circle of stones, and for a brief moment he stood at Alice's grave and said his usual prayer. After his prayer, he began to talk to her as he always did.

  "Mo chridhe, I know ye can hear me and I can feel ye when I come here. Ye always told me if I would learn to listen then I'd hear what ye were saying to me. Well, I'm asking ye to listen to me now, and I expect ye are better at that than I ever was. We've been blessed with a fine family as ye always reminded me. And yer right about that. Our lads are fine men, ones to be proud of. And their women, Caitlin and Millie, would make ye smile. Then there's the bairns. But I've already told ye about them. So, I'll just tell ye about my latest concern.

  "The Brits have decided to try and take control of the Highlands—actually our whole country—once again, just like in the '15 uprising. Many clansmen have died and it's an awful predicament at the moment. Alex and Jack are missing and Caitlin and young Robbie have gone looking for them.

  They left without my knowledge, but then perhaps that was best. I'd have tried to keep them here, but I've learned it's near impossible to stop Caitlin when she's set her mind on something. She can be quite a challenge. Sound familiar?

  "Our grandson, Robbie, the one I told ye about earlier, he's verra fine, Alice, verra fine. He's not found his bearings just yet, but he will. And one more distressing detail, one I'm sure ye know. Andrew has passed on. The Scarlet Fever did him in and he now rests up here with you and Florence. Jamie's here, too, of course, so I suppose ye all can have a ceilidh of yer own now. What a sight that would be." He laughed at his own attempt at humor.

  "I'm not real sure what I should be doing, but I know I can't leave Millie and Aileen and the bairns by themselves. So I suppose I'll just sit tight and hope for help from above. I don't think it's going to come from anywhere else. But talking with ye always clears my mind. Seems if I run things by ye first, then they work out better. Ye are my heart, and as ye would tell me, 'my heart will always find ye.'"

  Slowly, he walked back down the moor and headed to the lodge. It was evening and story time was still the best time of the day for him.

  CHAPTER 25

  A

  lex stopped abruptly, listening closely. Was that a scream? Sounded like it was coming from either this floor or the one below, he couldn't tell which. And then there was another sound. A growl? Did they have guard dogs as well? Maybe. Hope not.

  Alex thought for a moment. Jack was downstairs in the cell, which meant he had to get to the guardroom. Once there he would have to convince the guard to give him the keys, which probably meant there would be bloodshed. So be it.

  He was one floor above where the guardroom and Jack were located, so he had to carefully make his way to the end of the hallway without being seen, then take the stone stairs down.

  If the other prisoners saw him, he didn't think they would reveal his presence, so he began silently moving along. He moved past several cells before anyone seemed to notice. But then he heard a crackling voice calling.

  "Psst! Hey! Who are ye? How'd ye get out of yer cell?" The prisoner in the cell on his right was an older gentleman who had been there so long he couldn't even remember what year it was.

  "Shh! Keep quiet now. If I can get the keys I'll let ye out, too. Don't give me away."

  Alex feared the old man might not understand what he was saying, but he kept moving forward. Then he heard a sound that had him wondering if this had been a good idea after all.

  Grrrr! Grrrr!

  The hoarse, throaty sound had Alex's skin prickling. If the guards had let the dogs out on him he was done for. He'd seen what a pack of angry dogs could do to a man, and he hadn't forgotten the sight. He had his dirk ready and looked from one side of the hall to the other. Nothing.

  Then even more unsettling sounds filled the air—another angry growl followed by another scream. And this time the growl and the scream ended as quickly as they began.

  Glory, how many dogs did they let loose?

  A very small torch placed high on the wall lighted the hallway, but as he entered the stone stairwell it was totally dark. He approached the bottom stair and quickly found himself being slammed up against the wall, his breath completely knocked out of him. He doubled over, then, finally catching his breath, tried to stand. A whimper caught his attention just before a large wet tongue found his face.

  "Jesus Christ! Stop you mangy dog!"

  He struck out with his dirk, but missed his target. Then, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he was astounded.

  "Willie! What are ye doing here? Ye scared the daylights out of me!" He took the wolf by the jowls and looked at him.

  "If yer here, then ye've either tracked us on yer own or Caitlin's close by. Good God, I hope she's not here."

  His heart was already racing from having been flattened by Willie, but now he could feel his pulse pounding in his head as well.

  "Where is she Willie? Find Caitlin."

  Willie immediately bounded back up the stairs. Suddenly the blast of a whistle tore through the air and the incessant blare had Alex covering his ears trying to escape the sound. It never stopped and no doubt was heard throughout the prison.

  Then the guards know there's be
en a breakout, which means every entrance will be closely guarded and I still have to get Jack out. How am I going to do that? I must get those keys!

  He began to make his way up the stairs and as he did so he caught a whiff of lavender. That could only mean one thing.

  "Caitlin! Are ye here, mo chridhe?"

  He almost wished she wouldn't be. At least she had been safe at the lodge. Now he had her to worry about also.

  About half way up, he found himself flattened against the wall again, but this time his arms encountered softness and lavender—Caitlin.

  "Oh, lass! What are ye doing here? Ye should be at the lodge where I left ye."

  "Alex, you're alive. I knew you were. Thanks be to the Creator." She held on to him for dear life and thought she would never let him go again.

  "Aye, we're both alive. But Jack's still in a cell at the end of the hall on this floor. I've got to get the keys somehow and get him out of there. The guards must have discovered I'm on the loose, so this could be very difficult."

  He quickly raised his head when he saw someone rushing through the door, heading down the stairs in their direction.

  His dirk was drawn and before the man could say a word, Alex had him down on his knees with his arms held behind him.

  "Hold there, fellow. What's yer hurry?"

  In the darkness he couldn't see facial features very well, but he knew the voice.

  "Uh, Da, it's me, Robbie."

  "What? Robbie? How in heaven's name did ye get here? I almost killed ye, lad!"

  "It's a very involved story, Da. But Caitlin and I took the keys from the guard and were looking for you and Jack."

  "What? You have the keys? How? Never mind. Let's hurry then and get to Jack before this whole place is overrun by Redcoats."

  Down the hall the three of them fled, with Willie leading the way. He knew where Jack was and reached him several seconds before the others did.

  "Willie!" Jack kneeled down and reached through the bars to ruffle Willie's fur.