by Nhys Glover
Once I’d rubbed some life back into my limbs, I stood up, testing out how well my legs worked. Except from some sore spots I took for bruising, I seemed no worse for wear. Glancing in Fred’s direction, I caught sight of a pair of shining eyes in the shadows under the bed, watching intently.
On stiff legs, I made my way to the table where a sheaf of papers had appeared. I really wanted the bathroom, but I could see these men were not about to indulge me until I’d done my part. And once I had, maybe I wouldn’t need the bathroom. I was counting on them seeing the sense in not killing me, but from everything I’d seen of William Watkins so far, seeing sense was not a high priority for him.
But I had to try. And who knew, maybe there’d be a window in the bathroom I could use to escape. Not that I held out much hope for that. I was not built for squeezing through tight spaces like Fred. And if I was too long my captors would come looking for me. On the open moors there weren’t many places to hide.
“Can I make a quick trip to the loo?” I asked, pressing my legs together as my cheeks began to burn.
Watkins huffed out an impatient sigh and waved me in the direction of the door I’d assumed led to the bathroom. I hustled inside before he changed his mind and felt immense relief once I’d used the toilet. Only then did I glance around to check out any escape routes. Sure enough, the small narrow window over the shower was the only way out. There was no way I could get up there, no less squeeze through it.
Once I’d flushed and washed my hands, I left the room, ready to sign away my home. This was my life I was gambling with. I just hoped the gamble would pay off, and I proved as good an actor as Mason—or Jordan, or whatever the hell his name was—had proven to be.
Without fanfare, I picked up the pen as soon as I entered the living room. In the shadowy light I could barely make out the writing on the page, but the little Post-its pointed to the places where I needed to sign, so I dutifully did so.
Once Watkins had signed as well and the two witnesses did their part, I think the madman expected trumpets to blare or something otherworldly to mark the transfer. When nothing happened, he packed up the papers into his briefcase and stared at me smugly.
“I think I’ll keep you for a little longer, Miss Wimple, just in case you think to double-cross me before I have a chance to catch the dragon. Once I have it secured, I will release you, and you can do as you said you would. Of course, if you try to back out once you’re free, I will have to kill young Bryce and the rest of your pets. An unfortunate fire at the Mitchell residence would do the trick for the boy, I think.”
I gritted my teeth, feeling as if I’d been out-manoeuvred. Not knowing how many of these damned Watkinses there were meant I could never be sure one of them might not stay free to take revenge on those I cared about.
Could I therefore just walk away as I said I would?
No! Because no matter what Watkins thought, he wasn’t going to get control of the dragon. And if he didn’t, then it would be up to me to do it. If he let me live that long, of course.
“You’re going to leave me up here?” I asked, looking around at my prison.
“Yes, I think that would work quite admirably. We have the place rented for the season so no one will bother you. Kevin has kindly nailed the windows closed from the outside and the door has a sturdy lock. I think you’ll be perfectly safe locked away up here for a few days. There’s even food in the cupboards.”
My mouth dropped open. “You had this planned all along? You planned to keep me imprisoned up here, no matter what I agreed to?!” I accused furiously.
“I did. But, I also planned to torture you to get your signature, so you have avoided that unpleasant outcome by your wise decision.”
Huffing out a breath, I began to pace. My mind was running a mile a minute, trying to come up with solutions. But there didn’t seem to be anything I could do. I was going to be locked up in the middle of nowhere for the foreseeable future. Maybe this is where I needed a trusty Skippy to go for help.
As the three men tromped out, I went to the window to watch them drive away. The window had four small, double-glazed panels, so even if I succeeded in breaking one, I couldn’t climb through the small space. These windows were made to withstand all weathers and anything a burglar attempted to use on them.
Once the big black four-wheel-drive had driven down the rutted track, I took in my surroundings, hoping I could work out where I was. But though more light was becoming visible with every passing minute, it didn’t help a lot. All I could see from the window was a panoramic scene of rolling moors. I was clearly sitting on the side of one of those moors, many miles from civilization.
With a sinking heart, I tried the door-handle, just to make sure they’d locked it. Of course they had. They may be insane, but they weren’t idiots. Hadn’t they just pulled off a very clever kidnapping, right under the nose of a professional bodyguard? Forgetting to lock the door would have been a rookie mistake.
I went to the other window. From here I could see only scrubby gorse and heather sloping up what was left of the hilltop. The sky overhead was filled with roiling clouds. This was literally a converted shepherds’ hut meant only to house a man taking care of a flock of sheep grazing the highlands.
Fred skittered out from under the bed and wound himself around my legs. I picked him up and held him close. No matter how he’d managed to get himself here, I was glad of his company. I didn’t feel as hopeless or as alone with him in my arms.
A sudden idea struck me. If I could pull the pipes out from the wall under the sink Fred might be able to squeeze through the space and get free. But what help would that be? He wasn’t a homing pigeon. He couldn’t find his way back to the house. And even if he could, he wouldn’t be able to lead people back here. It was a stupid idea.
While I was nibbling on my lip, I heard a roaring sound. My first thought was that the dragon had found its way to me and was about to toast me for breakfast. Then my commonsense kicked in, realising the sound was an engine. Dropping Fred to the floor, I rushed to the front window. There I saw the most impossibly beautiful sight I’d ever seen.
Jake was roaring up the hill toward the croft, making easy work of the rutted and uneven path beneath his motorcycle’s big wheels. I started to cry then, big sobbing tears of relief. When he reached the hut, he jumped off the bike and dashed to the window where I was beating at the glass, yelling his name.
“God, Alfie, I thought you were dead!” he yelled, placing a hand over the spot where my fist was still positioned.
Through my tears I smiled. “I signed the damn contract, so they let me live for now. How did you find me?”
The sound of more engines in the distance had me breaking eye-contact with my saviour to look down the track.
“The cavalry’s on its way,” Jake jerked his head back the way he’d come. “I couldn’t wait for them.”
Reluctantly, he left the window and went to the door. From my position, I couldn’t see what he was doing. But I could see the handle on the door wriggling a little. It didn’t open. Of course it didn’t. They’d locked it before they left. I’d just tested it myself.
I bent to watch as the keyhole was suddenly filled with pieces of metal. They wriggled around a bit. Finally, with a loud click, the locking mechanism gave way. Exhilarated, I stepped back, expecting the door to open at any moment. When it did, Jake rushed in to scoop me up into his arms, holding me so tightly I could barely breathe. I didn’t care. Being held by him was all that mattered.
“God, you feel good. So feckin’ good!” Jake exclaimed, the relief obvious in his emotion-roughened voice.
My answer was just as heart-felt. “So do you!”
When we’d hugged our fill, he put me down and we walked toward the approaching vehicles. There was a marked police van, an unmarked police car and another vehicle that held Bryce and his sister, as well as several people I only knew by sight.
While uniformed Authorized Firearms Officers, with guns
drawn, began ‘securing the site’, Jason and Moore approached us, their expressions showing relief.
Still firmly attached to Jake’s side, I said, “There’s nobody here but me. They’ve left to go...” I was going to say hunt dragons, but that would be unwise to share with the police. “...wherever. They got my signature on the contract and said they’d be back when they were sure the contract was binding.”
Bryce and Danielle rushed over, and I was forced to let go of Jake to hug them both. Danielle was jumping around with excitement so much that she caught my jaw with her head as she bounced.
“Ouch!” I cried in pained amusement. “You’re doing me more harm than the kidnappers!”
Danielle backed away in horror, but her exuberance wasn’t dimmed in the least. She squealed and continued to bounce, albeit at a safe distance.
“I knew we’d found you! I knew this was it!” Bryce exclaimed, almost as excited as his sister.
“How did you all find me?” I cried, fresh tears pouring from my eyes.
This was the second time I’d asked this question, but it looked like I was no closer to getting an answer because, at that moment Fred, unwilling to be left out, rushed up to join the welcoming party
Bryce let go of me to pick Fred up. Danielle stopped jumping to approach the ferret, her eyes alight with curiosity.
“Ohh, ‘e’s sooo cute!” she declared.
Fred submitted to more petting, as if it was his due, and I grinned at the three of them. Finding Fred seemed as wonderful to the teens as finding me had been.
“Who kidnapped you, Miss Wimple?” DS Moore demanded stiffly, seemingly uncomfortable with the outpouring of emotion. Or was he just impatient to find the culprits.
“William Watkins; a Kevin someone, a cousin of Watkins; and Mason Smart, although they called him Jordan, so I assume Smart was an alias.”
“There were only three men?” Moore clarified.
“That’s all I saw. But from the way they were talking I think there might be more of the Watkinses involved. They’re crazy. I mean certifiable. Even Mason seemed to realize for the first time what he’d gotten himself into.”
“In what way?” Moore was writing frenetically in his little pad.
My first reaction had been to avoid mentioning the dragon. But Moore would hardly take such a story seriously. Maybe playing up how insane it was would keep the police from considering it more closely. A bit like hiding the truth in plain sight.
I looked at Jason, trying to determine how much he wanted me to say. He nodded cautiously. That’s all I needed. Drawing in a deep breath I let the dragon out of the bag. Or was it more like mentioning the dragon in the room?
“They think it’s a dragon that’s starting all the fires. They want to capture it,” I said, rolling my eyes dramatically.
“What has that to do with you and your place?” he demanded in surprise.
“Watkins said only the owner of Ahman Hall could take possession of the dragon. I’m not sure why. As I said, he’s a man who’s lost the plot and has taken others like Mason with him.”
I thought about how he’d placed Mason in my path, to win me over. My heart ached a little, remembering the kiss Mason had given me the day he was accused of killing my dog. He’d seemed so genuine, so filled with righteous anger. When he’d kissed me it had seemed so real.
But what did I know about real?
Now I knew Mason Smart was nothing more than a fabrication created by Watkins, who’d thought such a man would entice me. Maybe he would have, had Jake not already grabbed my attention.
No, that made me sound like an idiot who gave her heart to the first man I laid eyes on. And that wasn’t the truth. Certainly, Jake had attracted me right from the start. But as I’d never thought I had a chance with him, I’d been willing, even desperate, to look elsewhere for attention. Therefore, Mason could have won me.
I laughed at myself. I sounded like I was some fairytale princess whose suitors had competed to win her hand. Other girls might have that happen to them, but I’d been a fool to believe it could happen to me. I’d been played for the poor pathetic loser I was.
Jake must have picked up on my feelings because he placed a hand on my shoulder. “He’s a bastard and I’ll enjoy beatin’ his head in when I get the chance,” he growled against my ear.
I should have been horrified by that idea. I wasn’t. Something in me wanted Mason to feel the pain I felt now. He’d conned me. He’d played me. And then he’d helped kidnap me. It was boarding school all over again. Had I not been able to negotiate my reprieve, he would have stood by and watched me being tortured and killed as well. At least the Mean Girls at school hadn’t gone that far.
Mason was a bastard! And I hated him more than I did Watkins. It took me a moment to realise why. For a short time, I’d really had feelings for Mason, whereas I’d never been fooled for a moment by Watkins.
“All right, Miss Wimple, I think that’s all we need from you for the moment. I suggest you go home and get some rest. This has been a harrowing experience for you. One of many in the last week. I’ll have a patrol car posted outside your place until Watkins and his people have been apprehended. I don’t expect it to take long.”
I nodded without arguing. Though I’d like to think this would be the end of it, I didn’t believe it would be. Watkins was canny. And a canny man who’d lost the plot made for a dangerous and unpredictable adversary.
Chapter Fourteen
We all sat crammed into the kitchen. While Jake and Danielle took the other kitchen chairs, Bryce sat on the edge of the pet’s crate, both my furry fiends subtly fighting for control of his lap. Daphne and Squib sat on the bench enjoying the activity.
“Who wants to start,” I said, once I’d swallowed several refreshing sips of tea. I could have had food, but my stomach was acting up, probably from the chemicals I’d inhaled or the excitement.
“I will, I will,” Daphne spoke up, holding up her hand like a school girl in class.
“Daphne has volunteered. Do you all know what she’s going to say?” I asked the kids.
They nodded.
“Jake told us,” Bryce said.
“Good, okay, well, go ahead and fill me in. I was out almost before it started.”
Daphne beamed as if she’d won a prize. “Well then, when Jake went out to see about the blaze, I went to the side window to watch. Squib went out with Jake.” She nodded at her companion almost proudly.
“Squib turned back for some reason and saw the rough character sneaking towards the back door.” She paused before digressing. “One of the things we’d been discussing as a possibility in our training was the idea of using our ethereal bodies to move things, rather than just thinking them to move. Because we’re programmed to use our bodies, aren’t we? Even if we don’t have them anymore.”
“Daphne, is there a point here?” I asked impatiently.
“Be patient, niece, I’m getting there. You need to know how brave Squib was.”
“It wasn’t brave. What was he going to do to me, kill me again?” Squib’s tone was cynical and a little embarrassed.
“Short circuit you forever? That’s a real risk, you know,” Daphne snapped back, not liking the drama being sucked from her story.
“Go on then, my tea is getting cold,” I complained.
Daphne stopped shooting daggers Squibs way and resumed her tale.
“We had this idea that if we garnered all our energy and focused it into our bodies we could push inanimate objects, like chairs and tables with our bodies. So when Squib saw that awful man coming into the house he raced at him, focusing all his energy into his body and knocking him into the door. If only I’d come to look when I heard the crash I might have been able to warn you sooner. Anyway, Squib paid the price and short-circuited. Longer than normal because of the amount of energy he used.”
Daphne paused so I could fully appreciate what Squib had done. To be honest, I was gobsmacked and a little bit dubious. Thi
s was not the Squib I knew!
“You really tried to stop that intruder from getting me?” I asked him uncertainly, sure he’d scoff at me and say he was just practicing his skills or something.
Instead he looked almost bashful. “I tried to stop ‘im gettin’ in the ‘ouse. Though the tactic worked, I didn’t manage it. Made him sick, o’ course. All down the side to the back steps, but it didn’t stop ‘im. I should ‘ave come in and told you instead. But I didn’t think.”
I stared at him for a moment more, my emotions suddenly overwhelming. I felt touched beyond belief that this difficult and annoying hanger-on had tried to help me, putting himself at risk by doing so. That he didn’t succeed didn’t matter. It was the thought that counted.
“Squib, I’m very grateful for what you did. We can all use 20-20 hindsight to see what might have worked better. You saw a situation and you acted on it. That’s huge. If a certain fortune teller was right, then I think you might just have met the minimum requirements for entry into the Hereafter.”
Squib looked a little shell-shocked at that idea. I wasn’t sure why.
“You think that was a selfless act?” he croaked out.
I nodded. “Definitely. You knew you’d short-circuit, and it might have been for good, yet you did it anyway, for no other reason than to help. Score one for team Squib!”
I licked my finger and drew an imaginary one on the board for him, grinning all the while.
He puffed out his chest as the words sank in. “Well, I suppose that was what I did. I didn’t see what Daph was makin’ a big deal about, but I suppose... Aye, I was a bit of a ‘ero, wasn’t I?”
I groaned. “Don’t get a big head over it. But yes, I suppose you were.”
“All right then,” Daphne stepped in to fill the uncomfortable moment. “What happened next was me catching sight of the intruder just as he lunged for you with that cloth. If I’d only been paying attention... Anyway, you went out fast. He dragged you to the front door and down the stairs to a van, where another man hauled you inside and the van took off down the drive. I managed to get the number plate, even though there was almost no light left.”
