The Spellbinder (Tom & Laura Series), page 21
He looked deep into Laura’s eyes and she stared back at him.
“Do whatever you must to survive. I bid you good day.” Snood turned to walk out of the room.
“The Captain will be in the cellar, the tunnel leading to his boat has collapsed. I doubt he will be in a good mood.” Tom told him.
Snood smiled. “Is he ever?” he said and walked away.
“He’s a brave man,” Laura said. “Brave…, but almost as evil as the Captain. What ever are we going to do next?”
Mick noted the rifle Tom had placed against the wall when he healed Virtue. “Did you free the fishermen?”
“My Pat…?” Nan asked. She gave a sob when she saw Laura’s face. For a few moments nobody spoke.
“Devil gun,” Anne blurted out. The triplets had been trying to appear invisible up until then. Of the three, she seemed to be the one most likely to speak. “When we dock.”
Tom tried to find the right words. “We didn’t see them. Only a single body weighted down with stones at the entrance to the harbor. They could be…”
Nan shook her head. “They’re dead. I’ve known it for a while in my heart. But tell us all that occurred.”
Laura sat down on the side of Mick’s bed and told their tale. She found it difficult to talk of the man and boy they killed and Tom had to explain that part.
“I do like your clothes,” Cam said. “Very saucy. I want some.”
“I think the uniform suits, Tom,” Daisy said and winked.
Nan insisted on stopping the story to get food for the triplets when they got to the bit about how they had found them.
Cam explained what she and Daisy had been up to as soon as Laura finished and then they all sat in silent contemplation for a while. The only sounds in the room, being the triplets eating.
“Nan, what’s t’ watch for t’ snipers on t’ roof?” Mick said as he decided it was time to make plans.
“They change at eight at night and again at eight in the mornin’,” Nan said.
“Then we must take t’ snipers in t’ mornin’. After t’ new shift 'ave settled in. It’s vital no one sees us. That’ll be a job for me, Laura and Tom.”
Mick turned to Daisy.
“Is there anythin’ else tha’ gift can tell us lass?”
“No, I have dreamed that moment on the stairs a thousand times, when Laura and Snood meet, and it always went wrong. They would shout at each other, or run, or stand and talk, and in every case the soldiers would find them and they would be killed. And that would lead to everybody being killed. I have changed it, so now we have a chance.”
Daisy looked ready to burst into tears. She had done her bit. She had been strong and now it was up to the others to save her. Cam reached out and took Daisy’s hand in hers.
“You did well, Daisy. You have saved us. Now we have to go back to the others. We need to get them away to safety, but the fields around Hobsgate are too well guarded.” Cam looked at Laura expectantly.
Laura could barely contain her excitement as a solution came to her.
“I know just the place. You can hide in Smugglers Cove.”
“Go over the cliffs?” Cam knew how strong her fear of heights was. “I think I would rather die here.”
Laura became even more animated and took a small piece of parchment from her pocket. “There is no need. The tunnel is only bound to appear collapsed. I made the stone stretch down from the roof and shape itself into boulders. When this bind is torn the tunnel will be whole again. They won’t be guarding it anymore so you can get everybody into the harbor.”
Laura grinned in triumph and Tom was astonished. He thought the tunnel collapse had been real, though he supposed that in a way it was.
“All the servants too, the young uns. Though we ‘ave to keep one back to serve them coffee.” Nan’s contempt was clear in her voice.
“As many as possible must go,” Tom stated firmly. “They will kill anybody we leave behind.”
“’appen,” said Nan. “But we ‘ave a duty to save our own first.”
Nan, Cam, and Daisy huddled together and planned the route they would use. Laura would go to the cellar and break the bind. When everyone was in the cave she would remake the bind it so the Captain wouldn’t know where they had gone. While they discussed the quietest routes through the buildings, Mick got Tom to give him the rifle and he started taking it apart to clean it.
Cam and Daisy went back to the other students, giving a last hug to Virtue who would have to stay where she was until it was time to escape.
“What about the teachers? They are as innocent as the rest of us,” Tom asked.
“Too dangerous,” Mick said gruffly. “We don’t know for sure they are who they say they are. They’re also t’ best guarded. The enemy needs ‘em to be standin’ outside t’ buildin’ when t’ Prime Ministers coach arrives.”
Mick turned to Nan.
“Do yer best if they notice any one missin’ in the mornin’. They’ll be panickin’ over t’ coach and rushed. It’s up to us to stop t’ snipers on t’ roof and protect t’coach. A lot will rest on your head, Laura.”
“I will not kill anybody else,” Laura stated and folded her arms in a gesture of defiance. “Nor will I transform them so they might be trampled to death.”
“’appen,” Mick said and went back to cleaning the rifle.
“We don’t wanna go back to the Pride.” Anne said on behalf of her sisters. All three pouted. The others had forgotten they were there, they had been so quiet.
“Nor shall you,” Tom told them. “You can stay here with us, and hide here after we’ve gone to the tower.”
Nan left them to return to the kitchen. The evening meal would need serving soon. They would hide in Mick’s room for now. They knew they would have to be quiet, because when the Captain discovered that the Headmaster was dead, Hobsgate would very likely be torn apart in the search for Virtue.
The Captain was in the kind of rage that leads to murder. His soldiers brought him down to the cellar, waking him up from his siesta to tell him the tunnel was destroyed. He had gone to see for himself, ranting and raving when he saw the state of it. Drawing his pistol he shot at the rock as if he expected to intimidate the tunnel back into existence. As his third shot rang out, Snood strolled into the cellar, hands in his pockets.
“Where’ve you bin, you bastard. Where’s Turner?” The Captain was so angry spittle dripped from his mouth. Snood considered that the Captain was seriously unhinged and so replied in as mild a manner as he could manage.
“I’ve been in Snood’s office. I’m almost attached to it. I haven’t seen Turner for a few hours. I think he went to talk to one of the female students.”
To Snood surprise this enraged the Captain even more.
“That sonofabitch. I told him to keep his pecker outta sight until after the mission. He’s probably cutting some girlie right now, damn him.”
The Captain put his gun back into his holster and paced through the smoke his shots had created. He appeared to have forgotten that Snood and the soldiers were in the cellar as he muttered angrily to himself. Then he snapped back into the real world and turned to the nearest soldier.
“Get some men and start searching the place. I want Turner found. He’ll be in a room with a carpet. Likely he’ll be a mite messy when you find him, but bring him straight to me. Glen, you come with me.”
The Captain made his way back to the Headmaster’s office with Snood in tow.
On the way, they encountered a team of men moving the Gatling Gun down the corridor. The Captain stopped them and they saluted him.
“Is the tent set up properly?”
“Yes sir, Captain Wayne, sir!” the leader of the group said smartly.
The Captain turned to Snood and winked.
“Make sure you got them shootin’ angles right, soldier-boy.”
“Gunner Harris, sir. Yes, sir.”
“You gotta love these soldier-boy’s. You set that gun up right an’ proper, Gunner Harris.”
More salutes followed and the Captain touched his hat in mocking salute.
Once they were back in the Headmaster’s study the Captain poured Snood a whiskey. He then poured himself a much bigger glass.
“Do you remember that time in Atlanta? We’d had a skin full and Turner vanished. By the time we found him he’d only gone an’ killed the Mayor’s daughter. We sure had to get out of that town in a hurry. Course that was before we went legit into the spyin’ game, and before the boss pulled us outta that hangin’ we were gonna play leadin’ parts in.” The Captain slumped in the big leather chair behind the desk. “A chance to get back at the Limeys is all I ever wanted. Guess we got that, eh’ Glen?”
“Sure Brent, we’re getting’ our revenge,” Snood did his best at an American accent, or at least half a one. But the Captain didn’t notice one way or the other. He sat brooding and nursing his drink.
They were on their second bottle of whiskey where there was a knock at the door and a soldier entered. He walked round the desk and whispered in the Captain’s ear. Snood noted that no one ever said things out loud when reporting to the Captain. It was always a whisper in his ear. It was like he didn’t want anybody to know what he knew.
Whatever was said energized the Captain. He leapt over the desk in a single bound and was halfway down the corridor before Snood could get to the door. Snood ran after the man letting him stay ahead. He was pretty certain where they were going.
Snood entered the room a minute or more after the Captain. The Captain was kneeling on the floor hugging the Headmaster’s body and crooning to it. “Can’t be dead. Can’t be dead.” Snood stayed by the door and said nothing.
Some time later the Captain looked up at him. There were tear stains down his face. “Some straight-laced tart killed Turner, Glen. Some stoopid English whore ripped his guts right out. I want her found, Glen. Tear the place apart and find the bitch. I’m going to enjoy torturing her. She’ll scream so loud they’ll hear her all the way over in London.”
Snood considered carefully what to say. He consulted his fob watch before answering
“The students will be at dinner. One of the soldiers guarding them may know what she looks like.”
“Hah! What she looks like is cut on the breasts, cut bad I’d say.” The Captain pointed to large spots of blood on the carpet leading to the door. “Cut and running. She won’t be at the meal and I’ve got business there that won’t wait. Get the men to search every inch of this place and find her.”
He stalked out of the room, not looking back. Snood called over a soldier and explained what the Captain wanted. The soldier saluted and ran off to get aid.
Most of their men were guarding the captives, but those that weren’t would start searching for the missing girl. Snood was pretty sure they would not find her and smiled at that pleasing thought.
The Captain entered the mess and seconds later the room became silent.
“Now here’s a nice howdy-do!” The Captain paced the front of the room, “Seems while all you people were a eatin’ of your dinner, my good friend..,” he paused and surveyed the frightened faces staring at him. “My good friend who has bin playing at be-in’ your Headmaster has taken a knife through the guts.”
Cam faked a gasp of surprise as did several of her brighter friends.
“Now don’t you worry none. I’m a go-in to find the bitch that did for him and I’m going to kill her nice and slow. Maybe hang her up there on the wall for you all to look at while I do it. Would you like that?” Nobody answered.
“I cannot abide those that dare to defy me. Take these here teachers of your’n.” He paused as he looked at the teachers huddled together, “Sterling White and Philus Brown, you come on down where I can see you up close.”
The men stood and walked towards the Captain, making a point of walking with backs as straight as ramrods. The Captain squinted into each of their faces, getting only inches away from them. Dr. White pulled back from the stench of whiskey that hit him.
“You see. These two look like reasonable men. But they defy my will and I will not have it!” The Captain went from angry to smiling in the blink of an eye. “You all go and sit back down again.”
As the men turned, the Captain drew his revolver and shot both of them in the back. Philus Brown died instantly, but Dr. White groaned on the floor. His head was next to the feet of some of the students. They shuffled down their bench to get away from him. The Captain bent down to close to Dr. White’s head.
“Traitors deserve to be back-shot, not killed like honorable men, face to face.” The Captain rose from his bending position and casually shot Dr White in the head. He holstered his gun and stared at the cowering students and teachers.
“I don’t want no more trouble. See you-all remember that.”
He strode out of the room.
Snood was waiting outside. “We’ve searched every room in this place and she isn’t anywhere. What do you want us to do?”
The Captain seemed satiated by the killings and smiled at Snood before answering mildly.
“Nothin’ Glen, Nothin’ at all. Nobody’s goin’ anyplace. I got this house locked down tighter than a drum. We’ll find her soon enough.”
Having said his piece, the Captain walked back to the Headmaster’s office as though he did not have a care in the world.
Chapter 31 On Their Way
Trelawney was regretting the journey before they left the station. They were in a train supplied by the people he had appointed to protect Hobsgate. They would not change trains on the journey as this one would travel directly to Hobsgate.
“I hate everything about this damnable visit,” he informed Belinda.
“And what does your talent tell you?”
Trelawney paused and gave that question serious thought. “There’s been a dark cloud over the future for months. This evening it lifted a little, though I could not tell you why.”
“You have seen no detail?” Belinda asked, though she knew enough about how the Precog talent worked in Trelawney to guess his answer.
“I never do. You know how it works with me. I make decisions before things happen that reduce their damage. Only when it is over can I see the pattern. But there are dark clouds gathering, mark my words. We will not escape this untouched.”
He sat down and Belinda went back to her knitting. This train contained a contingent of cavalry, two coaches, horses in special carriages, the Prime Minister, and the Prince of Wales. It would take eight hours to reach their destination and another two for the cavalry to disembark their horses and the coaches.
The plan was to leave the railway station and make the final part of the journey to Hobsgate at ten o’clock the next morning. The enterprise was far too visible for Trelawney’s tastes. It felt as is the Prime Minister had put up a hoarding with a notice saying ‘Secret Journey with Very Important People Onboard’ for all to see.
“Stop fussing, Ernest.” Belinda said with a certain sharpness in her voice. It is difficult for an Empath around agitated people. Their feelings spill out making it hard to concentrate. The anxiety of the cavalrymen was bad enough, but Trelawney was radiating his worries like a lighthouse and she had just messed up a whole row of knitting.
Trelawney stared glumly out of the carriage, though he could see very little. There was a scream of a whistle from the engine driver followed by another from the guard on the train and then a final whistle from the guard on the platform. The train shuddered as it began to move.
Trelawney and Belinda stayed in their compartment, not tempted by the late supper on offer in the sumptuous dining car. That came with the company of the Prime Minister and he would insist that they laugh at all of his jokes. There was a sleeping compartment available, but neither felt like sleep. Instead they both looked forward to a period of quiet introspection.
A figure staggered down the corridor and bounced against their compartment door before bursting through it. They were surprised to find it was the Prince of Wales, somewhat the worse the wear for drink.
“I’ve slipped passed my security guard to have a word if you don’t mind?” The Prince was, as always, immaculately turned out, looking like a dandy. He was nineteen years old and known to be headstrong to a fault.
“Please take a seat, your highness,” Trelawney said. He and Belinda had risen to their feet automatically as soon as they recognized him.
“Ah, the most worthy, Miss Mann,” the Prince said reaching forward to kiss Belinda’s hand, pausing just a fraction too long on the kiss. “Beautiful as ever, and still waiting for Sir Ernest to make an honest woman of you.” His warm smile took away the offence his words might otherwise have caused. He waved them to be seated.
The Prince sat down facing Trelawney. “I gather we are going to visit your young lion cubs: in training to serve Her Majesty, Empress of Just About Everywhere, or Mama as I prefer to call her.”
“The Prime Minister believes his visits support them in their endeavors,” Trelawney said dryly.
“More likely Henry is looking for a young lady suitably overcome by his high office to offer him her favors. At his age, he should be ashamed of himself, not that one does not admire an old man who can still get his end up.”
The Prince smiled at Belinda, “I trust my frank language does not shock you, my dear. If it does, feel free to give me a sharp poke me in the ribs.” Again he used a smile capable of launching a thousand ships or bedding easily as many women as his defense.
“The Prime Minister is seventy six years old, Bertie. You should show him more respect.” Trelawney said severely. Though he was well aware there was more than a smidgeon of truth to the Prince’s comments.
“As well I should, but that is not why I have come to visit you two lovebirds.” The Prince leant forward in his seat and spoke conspiratorially. “Mother listens to your opinion, Sir Ernest. She is as captivated by your magical capabilities as Father. She will listen to you and I need your assistance.”
