by Eva Andrews
Narrowing her eyes at Genevieve, “You must be anxious to see your sweet little brother, no?” Leaning forward, Jade warned, “be a good prisoner and I might just let him live, give me troubles and I’ll kill him while you watch.”
Genevieve gritted her teeth as she exhaled, sitting back in her seat she raised her chin and awaited the arrival to her prison. Moments later, the carriage slowed down and the light disappeared from around the windows; she assumed they had driven into one of the warehouses by the wharf.
Hearing the sounds of men outside, Genevieve prepared herself for the attack of anxiety that would be presented around every corner, willing herself internally to stay strong and carry herself with grace and dignity, she took a deep breath in as the door opened.
The face she saw shocked her, Lord Lucius VanEtter, the Viscount of Rossdale. His smile made her skin crawl, he leaned in and held out his hand for Jade, helping the Irish woman out of the carriage.
As Lady Jade smoothed out her skirts, Rossdale stepped in front of the open carriage door and leaned in, “Good afternoon Genevieve, I hope you won’t mind staying with us for a while, we have need of your services my dear. Now, get out of the carriage!”
Widening her eyes at his quick change of attitude, she exited the carriage as gracefully as possible. Stepping out onto the ground, she familiarized herself with her surroundings.
From behind him, Jade spoke, “Take her to her brother, tie her up and wait my orders, we have work to do,” she ordered to Rossdale in a delegating tone that demanded attention.
Watching Rossdale bow to the redheaded woman, Genevieve couldn’t help herself, “You? You’re the Jackal?”
Slowly turning, Jade slyly smiled, “I know, being a woman was such a fabulous cover, no one expects women of such nefarious scheming and treachery from a common whore,” shrugging her shoulders, “fools, all of them!”
The entire warehouse was buzzing with activity, sailors hauling crates off carriages and into new shipping containers, others hauling kegs of fine wine. None of the workers dared look in the direction of Lady Jade, or the Jackal, whatever they called her.
She felt a large hand encircled her upper arm and hauled her backwards towards the back of the warehouse. Struggling to contain the immediate reaction to Rossdale touching her, she focused on her breathing and heartbeat, reminding herself that Michael was waiting for her.
Rossdale squeezed her arm as he walked her back across the large warehouse floor; his mousy brown hair was slicked back across his head. He didn’t even bothering to look at her, his dead brown eyes looked ahead towards their destination. Walking calmly, she scanned the cargo and workers; she looked for exits and noticed the markings on the crates being transported. Without causing a scene, she was able to gain her bearings and focus on her heartbeat. Rossdale’s presence alone was causing her heart to skip irregularly, the fact that he was touching her bare skin made her body tense up, enough that he noticed.
Turning his head, almost of equal height, he scowled as he tried to increase the pace, “You never did like me near you, did you? Do I disgust you? Do I make your skin crawl fair Genevieve? The elusive, aristocrat bitch that turns her nose up at every man in her sight, an ice queen is what you are! Always thinking you were too good, too beautiful for the peasants around your skirts, you’ll learn, oh you’ll learn.”
Without even thinking she barked back, “I never thought I was too good for others, I never thought my beauty was beyond compare, you know nothing of who I am, or why!”
Chuckling at her reaction, “I don’t even care, I just want my money from Jackal for my years of service, and then no one will ever see me again. I’ve risked too much and wasted too much of my time to have your fiancé ruin my future. Now, let’s get you reacquainted with your hellion brother,” finally arriving to a locked door, he slid the bolt and pushed her into the dimly lit room.
“Vieve?” A little voice asked from the dark corner
Turning around she cried, “Michael!” as she heard the door slam shut behind her. Locked in a room, she squinted looking for her brother, hearing his movement, she saw him running towards her, still in his bedclothes from last night. Falling to her knees she held out her arms as she felt him crash into her, digging his fingers into her back as he hugged her.
“Oh Michael, I’m so sorry love, are you okay? Are you hurt? Did they do anything to you?” She asked as she rubbed his back, sending up a thank you to the heavens for keeping him alive.
“Nah, they didn’t hurt me, but they told me they were going to kill you and Luke, that isn’t true, is it Vieve?” He asked, worry evident across his small ten year old face.
“Luke will save us Michael, he will save us, and these bad people will pay, he has father and the Duke of Montrose and Blackstone by his side, together they will be unstoppable my dear,” standing up, “Come on love, let’s go sit over here and I’ll tell you a story about a great Scottish Laird that mother use to tell me when I was your age, it is one of my favorites.”
Gathered at the Duke of Montrose’s home, Gideon’s library was filled with men who were pacing and trying to put the pieces together. Luke and his brother stood behind the desk and looked over the map of London, trying to narrow down locations of where the St. George siblings were being held.
Lord Phillip paced on the other side of the room as Alastair read over missives his agents had gathered the past few days.
Looking up from the letters, Alastair declared, “We know the location is in town, we know it’s easy accessible to the shipping yard, I’m sure they are tucked away in one of the thousand warehouses surrounding the main port, now, how to narrow down the search from there? I have no clue.”
Gideon looked up and added, “I would imagine the warehouse will be owned by none other than our Lady Jade, the two timing whore,” swinging his gaze to his brother, “Do you really think she is the one? Is she the Jackal?”
Shoving his hands in his pockets he clenched his jaw and tilted his head, “We always assumed the Jackal was a man, it never dawned on us that a woman might be the greatest traitors to the crown. The pieces fit, The Irish Thistle was most likely her hub of operations, and she played her part exceedingly well.”
Picking up a glass of whiskey, Luke took a bracing drink and admitted, “She has them as leverage so she can get her money, she’ll use them to see herself safe and rich, she’s a conniving bitch that sent thousands of innocent lives to early graves, she shall be shown no mercy.”
“Aye, woman or man, they will pay for the information they sold to the French, the lives they cost and the pain they’ve created, if she is indeed The Jackal, I’ll see her hang.” Gideon said, his tone carried no sympathy.
“What do we do?” Lord Phillip asked, still pacing before the fireplace, drink in hand.
Standing up, Alastair walked over to the nervous earl and offered his advice, “We need you to protect your home, your wife and Annabelle. The three of us are trained and exceedingly good at doing our jobs; we will bring your children home safe to you and your wife. We need to focus, and we cannot do that here with you pacing a track into Gideon’s floor. We will send word if we learn of anything, I give you my word.”
Lord Phillip looked over at Gideon and Luke, who still stood before the map stretched out on Gideon’s desk. Alastair had a point; the older earl was hindering them more than helping. They needed him home with his wife and other daughter.
Gideon nodded, “I agree, Lord Phillip, we need you there in case a ransom is sent, you cannot imagine Selina and Annabelle can handle that type of situation without you.”
Nodding, the older earl conceded, “You know where to find me, bring them home safe gentlemen, and may God be with you.” Sitting down his glass, he made his exit, leaving the three men behind.
Walking around the desk, Luke sunk into one of the leather chairs that sat in front of the desk, running his hands through his hair he admitted to his brother and best friend, “There are literally thousands of
warehouses in the vicinity, how the fuck do we find the preverbal needle the haystack?”
Gideon watched his brother and remembered what it was like when his own wife was in danger months ago, he knew what he was going through, the agony and torment of not knowing if your loved one was okay. Quickly running through the lists in his head, he offered, “We know the major players in this game, Rossdale and Jade, one of them is the Jackal, there is no doubt. We find a connection between them and a warehouse, we collect all the men we know to set up throughout the wharf and watch for either of them, for anything amiss.”
Alastair nodded and took the seat by Luke, as he sat down he added, “I think this is a move to keep us worried over Genevieve and Michael so the missive regarding the war prize will be forgotten, don’t forget that letter should be arriving in the next day. Ultimately they want their prize, and not only do they have a smokescreen going by kidnapping the siblings and diverting our attention, but they also have massive leverage over us knowing we won’t endanger either of their lives.”
Luke slouched back in the chair and let his head roll back, looking up at the ceiling, “So, we make two teams, one to go after Vieve and Michael, and another to pursue to coded message.”
Sitting down behind his desk, Gideon nodded, “Agreed, we go after both, with no mercy. Those who stand in our way will be cut down, everything we’ve worked for ends with finding justice for our comrades. We will win this day, we will save Vieve and little Michael and we will see that justice prevails.”
Chapter 18
Two agonizing days later, the men had yet to find Genevieve and Michael. They had scoured countless warehouses that surrounded the harbor with two-dozen of their men. The men had taken over Gideon’s library; it had become their base of operations. Teams would come in and out at all hours of the day, reporting their findings.
They had received no ransom for either Michael or Genevieve, no communication, nothing. The hours had dragged into days, nerves were on edge and none of them had slept more than a few hours.
Hoping to God that Michael and Genevieve were together, Luke attempted to keep his thoughts focused as his worry increased tenfold. After two days of failed attempts, his heart began to ache more than he could stand. He would take their places a million times over just to see them safe. Focusing his rage and anger, his worry and heartbreak, Luke entered Gideon and Helena’s home once again empty-handed.
The two teams spread out and combed through the London streets in search of information regarding the kidnapped St. George siblings hour after hour, and of course the information on the incoming shipment they needed to intercept. The fact that Genevieve disappeared the day her engagement went public in the paper had created quite a fiasco for Lady Selina and Lord Phillip, numerous well wishers appeared on their door step, eager to congratulate Genevieve on her engagement.
The last thing they wanted to do was tip off the Ton that the new fiancée of the Earl of Devonshire was missing. The families’ decided to keep it a secret, eventually they even told Annabelle the entire truth about Rossdale, and her kidnapped siblings.
The St. George family insisted that Genevieve had came down with a terrible cold and was bedridden for the time being, the news was accepted easily as guest left their well wishes with Phillip and Selina.
Striding into his brother’s quiet library, Luke rounded the desk and looked for any new information that might have been left by passing teams, hearing a light knock he looked up to see his sister-in-law Helena. She looked so unlike herself, disheveled, tired, she hadn’t taken Genevieve’s kidnapping well.
Shutting the door behind her, Helena held a hand over her growing stomach while tears pooled in her eyes, “Find her Luke, she is to be this baby’s Godmother, I need my best friend back and you need your future wife…this has to end. Soon, something has to happen soon.”
Bowing his head in disappointment and then lifting his heavy head to meet her tearful eyes, “I’m trying Helena, on my parents’ grave I’m trying...I want her back more than you can possibly know. I will never quit looking for her,” he offered, trying to keep his emotions at bay.
Helena’s heartache hurt him; she had always been like a beloved sister to him. He had protected her while Gideon was at war, had saved her life several times, and likewise, she had saved his life.
He knew how close Genevieve and Helena were, he hated seeing her so upset while she was pregnant. These past few days he had felt disappointment flood his senses as each hour passed that Genevieve was away from him. He prayed for her to have strength to endure her attacks.
Crossing her arms, rubbing her shoulders as if she was cold, “Something isn’t right,” shaking her blonde head, “I can feel it Luke, something will give way soon, please bring everyone home safe, I have faith in you.”
Learning long ago to trust a woman’s instincts, he nodded, “I’ll go back out, the evening is almost upon us. Gideon is due back soon, let him know I’ll be back later tonight, please Helena, get some rest, this stress is not good for you or your baby.”
Walking past her, he patted her shoulder and walked back out of the library into the foyer and out into the evening air. Running his hands through his hair, he quickly walked down the stairs and back out into the chaos that was London.
In the damp room across town, Genevieve wrapped her arms around her small brother, hearing the familiar scratching of keys upon the lock. Tucking him in her arms, she shielded him with her embrace.
The endless days of being a prisoner had taken a toll, refusing to sleep; Helena was drained of all energy. Lady Jade and Rossdale had been merciless in their attempt to gain knowledge about what the War Office knew.
The sadistic bastards were determined to break Genevieve of her silence, they had resorted to torturing her in front of her little brother, hoping his screams would get her to speak. She had been beaten to the point of passing out several times, Michael’s pleas went deaf upon their ears as they laughed and taunted the siblings.
Genevieve had survived hour after agonizing hour of the past few days being questioned, and beaten at the hand of Jade and Rossdale. Jade’s Irish temper had flared beyond measure the longer Genevieve withstood the torment.
She had been tied to a chair for a day and a half before Michael was able to free her from the chair this morning. Her wrists were raw from the ropes that constrained her; her left eye was black from a right hook Jade laid on her last night. Her right rib cage hurt when she tried to take a deep breath, unsure how much more she could physically take she had devised a plan with Michael as soon as they had been left alone this morning.
She convinced Michael he had to escape and run for help, she physically couldn’t move fast enough, she knew she had several broken ribs. Michael refused to leave without her; it had been an upsetting morning arguing with her brother about leaving her behind. Regretting the fact she had to scare him with the truth, she explained she wasn’t sure she could survive another attack by Jade before he finally agreed to her plan.
Leaning down to whisper into his ear, she spoke with such determination, everything rode on his escape, “Michael, when that door opens, you know what to do. You must escape little brother, find Luke,” squeezing him tight and placing a kiss on his head, “Remember, as soon as you exit the door, two lefts then a right, and do not stop running for anything Michael, you run until you find one of the duke’s or Luke or papa.”
Michael nodded and pushed away from his sister slowly, looking upon her bruised face, “I’ll find him, he’ll save you Vieve, please don’t die.”
Shaking her head, she knelt down by him, “Never, now get ready, I love you Michael, always remember that.” Silently running over to the side of the door, he knelt down in the shadow and waited for the door to open.
The rusty door creaked open slowly, “Good evening my pets, are you hungry?” Rossdale asked as he stepped inside of the dark room trying to find them in the room’s shadows.
Michael seized his chance and ra
n out of the room before the door closed behind Rossdale. Hearing the shuffle, Rossdale turned around to see Michael running out of the room just as Genevieve hit him across the head with a stool, knocking him down.
From behind the closed door, Genevieve screamed, “Run Michael! Run!”
As Michael ran through the warehouse, he heard his sisters screams fade behind him as he hit the door, and ran into the fresh air. Hearing men shouting behind him, he quickly picked a direction and ran as quickly as his little ten-year-old legs would carry him.
Luke’s carriage had just pulled up on the corner of North Street when he saw Alastair and his team arriving as well, stepping out of his carriage he greeted his old friend, “Evening Alastair, I just came from Gideon’s, nothing new to report, you?”
Shaking Luke’s hand, the duke replied, “No, my team searched thirty two warehouses on the lower east wharf, absolutely nothing could be found, I’m sorry Luke.”
Luke handed him a new list of warehouses they were bound to search tonight, all of Luke and Alastair’s men were armed and ready to unleash hell if need be, “We’ll focus on the North end tonight, we have to find them soon, I’m not sure Genevieve can withstand a major attack for this long,” Luke admitted, grim thoughts ran through his head as he heard his name screamed behind him in the distance. A young child’s voice rang out.
In that moment, everything happened in slow motion for Luke.
Turning towards the familiar youthful voice, he saw a disheveled Michael running full bore towards him seventy yards away, directly behind him three henchmen, who were closing in fast.
Without even thinking, Luke tore off towards Michael, running towards the little boy, Luke saw the henchmen draw their pistols just as he reached Genevieve’s little brother. Hearing three shots ring out behind him, Luke tackled Michael and wrapped him in his arms, protecting him as the henchmen dropped around them.
