Dual Release

by Tara Nina

  Silently they crept through the underbrush and trees until they reached the area where the animal had dug under the fence. Gavin crawled toward it while the others hung back in hiding. It took him a matter of seconds to cut an opening large enough in the fence for them to clear. Once he was on the other side and had taken a post to protect them, he gave them the signal to advance.

  Not a moment was wasted as they scurried through the fence and took their positions. Dour tripped over a body, caught himself from falling, then looked to Ian, who whispered, “Had no choice. He came around the barn.”

  “Is he dead?” Gavin asked.

  “No,” Ian replied. “Unconscious.”

  Without a word, Struan whipped a piece of twine out of the pouch on his hip and hog-tied the unconscious man and then stuffed a wad of cloth in his mouth. He and Ian dragged him into the shadows of the barn and left him where he wouldn’t be easily found. Struan stated softly, “He won’t be causing a problem when he wakes.”

  Gavin took point. Carefully, they maneuvered their way across the compound to the bunker where Jenny had seen the prisoners taken. It took a few moments to find the door, since it blended well with the camouflaged exterior of the bunker. While the others remained vigilantly on watch, Ian worked to open it with tools unfamiliar to Dour. He inserted the tip of a tubular item filled with a clear liquid into the lock. After emptying the contents in it, a puff of smoke appeared as it sizzled and the lock popped, releasing the door.

  Dour had no chance to ask questions. A noise came from one of the other bunkers. Gavin, Struan, Padon and Dour drew their swords. With his back against the door, Ian readied his crossbow, aimed in the direction of the sound.

  Two men stepped out of the door from the closest bunker to them. The group melded into the shadows, watching and waiting to be discovered. Dour held his breath, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. If it came to it, he and his brathairs would not hesitate to kill in self-defense. His family were not cowards. They were known to defend what was rightfully theirs.

  From the direction the men were headed, he guessed it must have been changing of the guards at the front gate. He didn’t take a full breath until the men were across the compound. That meant they had a matter of about thirty minutes before the patrol made another pass through the area where they’d entered the fence. Even though Padon had pushed the fence together to conceal the damage, it would fail any close inspection and quite possibly give them away.

  Dour didn’t like this strict time constraint. It added tension to the situation. Ian succeeded in unlocking the door. One by one they slipped in. Once inside, Gavin made a motion and Dour knew Jenny must have spoken to him through the ear thingy. He confirmed Jenny informed him about activity at the gate. The tunnel was dimly lit and descended into the ground. The farther they walked, the cooler the temperature. At the end, they came to another locked door.

  Gavin whispered, “Follow mi lead.”

  He boldly tapped on the door, which surprised Dour. But it made more sense than wasting time with Ian and his tools. Gavin leaned into the door with the intent of adding enough force to knock whoever was on the other side to the ground. Everyone made ready for whatever stood waiting for them.

  The lock clicked.

  The door swung open rapidly, throwing their plan off balance. Gavin lunged forward, was grabbed and thrown several feet. He tucked and rolled, then sprang upright into a fighting stance. Ian ran in, ready for the fight, but was quickly stopped short by someone snatching him by the arm and spinning him into a headlock. A sharp but rather tiny knife pressed to his neck. Struan followed, caught a full face of something sprayed by a hand sticking out from behind the door and stumbled about blindly. Padon hit the door, crushing whoever was attached to the spray. The hand dropped the bottle.

  Dour entered with his sword drawn, ready to fight, but swallowed his laughter at the sight that met his eyes. Relief washed over him.

  “It shall take more than that to pierce mi thick skin,” Ian pronounced loudly. The man suddenly released him, helping him to regain his balance.

  “Ian.” Donnell grabbed him in a hug. “Am I ever so glad to see ye.”

  “As am I,” Ian claimed, returning the hug to the man who moments ago tried to skewer him with nothing more than a child’s toy. The other brothers followed suit, each expressed their happiness to see him, especially Dour.

  “Did ye suffer the curse again?” Dour asked clasping his brathair tight in a brotherly bear hug.

  “Aye,” Donnell replied as he leaned back looking Dour in the eye. “Did ye?”

  Dour nodded. His brows pursed as he looked around. “Where be the lass named Cait?”

  She stepped from behind the door. Apparently she’d been the reason the door opened so quickly and was the hand behind the hand sanitizing spray that temporarily blinded Struan.

  “We’ve got a problem,” Gavin interrupted as he dropped his hand from his ear. “Our eyes on top states the compound sprang to life.”

  “Jenny,” Cait asked, touching his arm. “Is she all right?”

  “She be well, milady,” he answered. He moved to stand in the circle of brothers. “The lights be on throughout the compound and about fifty people spilled from several bunkers. A group of them have surrounded the door we entered. Seems they expected our arrival. We be trapped. This could get bloody.”

  Each brother wielded his sword. Ian readied his crossbow. Padon removed the second sheath he carried and handed Donnell his claymore. “Ye be needing this.”

  With a nod, Donnell replied, “Aye.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jenny’s heart raced. Her mouth dried. This was bad. This was really, really bad. She forced her hands to steady as she remained focused on the activities of the men at the bunker’s door. Their actions had been stalled temporarily by a skirmish that ended with an elderly man being shot. He desperately tried to stop whatever they were doing at the door. On reflex, she’d ducked down beside the car even though they couldn’t see her. Her stomach churned and for a few seconds she thought she was going to heave. She’d never seen anyone get shot before, not in real life, only in the movies.

  Taking a deep breath to quell her nerves, she returned to her position leaning on the hood with the binoculars glued on the bunker. A small group tried to assist the injured person but was not allowed. If she was reading the situation correctly, it appeared to be some sort of mutiny among the troops. Something definitely wasn’t right. A man wearing a monk’s robe appeared. Fireballs shot from his hands and the group huddled together. How did he do that? It had to be some sort of magic trick.

  Two men with what looked like machine guns surrounded the scared individuals. The monk turned to the large man with a handgun and his arm in a sling. It didn’t appear as if he was happy with the man. But his next actions had her grinding her teeth. The monk heartlessly stepped over the gunshot victim as if he were nothing more than a speed bump in the road. He wasn’t moving and she said a silent prayer for his soul.

  She returned her sights to the bunker and her heart stuttered. Several people rolled keg-sized barrels marked Black Powder into the tunnel. How the hell did they have that much of something like that? Then it hit her. This used to be a mining area. It quite possibly could have been left behind, forgotten. The barrels looked old and wooden. Her attention shifted to the man who worked outside the door. What was he putting around the door? Jenny didn’t know anything about explosives but she’d watched a lot of action movies and this looked like some sort of putty or molding clay. She racked her brain.

  C4!

  They were lining the exit and loading the tunnel with explosives. Everyone in the bunker would be buried. Her chest pounded and her throat tightened as she sank to the ground beside the car. She had to calm down and relay what she’d seen. Her fingers shook as she pressed the ear bud. In a panic, she told Gavin what she thought was happening on this end and hoped she’d spoken clearly enough.

  She shifted onto
her knees, leaning against the car, her eyes glued to the binoculars, watching the enemy ants as they scrambled. She’d warned the MacKinnons. Did they have enough time to escape? Could they make it out the same way they went in? Was there another way out?

  What could she do to stop this from happening? An idea blossomed. She stood and hurried to the driver’s side, slid inside and started the car. She’d drive into the compound, break down the gate if she had to and act like a madwoman. That’s what she’d do. She’d make a big scene and stall the impending explosion. Jenny shifted into reverse and twisted to see behind her.

  A huge boom echoed and melded her to the seat. A low rumble shook the ground. Her foot slipped off the clutch. The engine stalled. As if the world switched into a slow-motion spin, she turned around and focused on the compound. The trees rustled in the wave of manmade wind. The car vibrated for a split second as if a miniature earthquake happened.

  Ohmygod! They’d set it off.

  Cait? Dour? The others?

  “Gavin,” she screamed, pressing the ear bud. No reply came from the group beneath the ground. Only Charles’ voice cut the deafening silence.

  “What the hell happened?”

  “An explosion. Call for help.”

  Jenny gathered every ounce of strength possible, opened the car door and stood. With heavy hands, she held the binoculars to her eyes but she didn’t need them to see the cloud of smoke and dust funneling around the compound. Dirt thickly curtained the area, making it difficult to see even with the bright spotlights. Unfortunately it gave an eerily macabre hue to the whole scene, like a horribly foggy night in London during the reign of Jack the Ripper’s terror. Lowering the binoculars, she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping without hope she’d open them and the bad dream would disappear.

  It took everything she had to pry her eyelids apart. She dried the tears that fell and looked again. She had to know if there was even a chance of any survivors. The heavy cloud of dust and debris lingered but she couldn’t miss the headlights of several vehicles leaving the compound. In her gut she knew one of those carried that demonic monk. She’d never prayed in her life for the demise of another but she did in that moment wish for his death to be extremely painful.

  Jenny noted the direction they drove, then returned her attention to the compound. She needed to determine the extent of the damage so she could relay it to the authorities and hopefully get help here immediately. As the dust slowly cleared, her heart sank.

  Part of the bunker was gone. What hadn’t been scattered across the compound fell into what must have been a tunnel leading underground. In slow motion, sections of the bunker crumbled, adding layer upon layer of dirt into the sunken section. Hope evaded her. Jenny couldn’t take any more. Quickly she relayed what she saw to Charles, who told her to stay put until he reached her.

  Tears flowed freely as she settled with her back against the wheel well, dragged her knees to her chest and cried. She battled her grief long enough to dig out her cell phone and text.

  Please send help. There’s been an explosion. A bunker caved in with all the brothers and Cait inside. Communication with them has been lost. Possible multiple casualties. Please help.

  *

  May reread the text. It couldn’t be. This wasn’t happening. She looked at her niece, Ericka. She couldn’t tell her Gavin might not be coming back. When she looked from face to face of the women who loved the MacKinnon brothers, reality slapped her hard. There was a possibility none of them would return. A strong hand reached for the wrist of the hand holding the cell phone. She met Jameson’s questioning gaze. It took everything she had to speak.

  “There’s been an explosion. We need to send emergency help immediately.” It was all she could say on a whisper before she handed the phone to Jameson.

  He quickly took action. She vaguely heard him relaying the coordinates and explaining the situation to someone on the other end. This was not happening. Brother Leod was not winning this battle. Or had he? Her gut twisted into a bundle of electrified nerves.

  She gathered the ladies and made them sit upon the couch. Knowing Ericka’s delicate condition, she didn’t want her to faint and injure herself or the baby by hitting the floor. It damn near killed her to have to tell them the news. But she knew she couldn’t keep it from them. Ericka, Izzy and Caledonia each stared at her with apprehension on their faces. It was as if they already expected the worst and she was about to confirm it.

  May dug deep and managed to make the words exit her lips. “There’s been a terrible accident. An explosion. The bunker the brothers went in to rescue Donnell and the young lady from has been destroyed.”

  Ericka grabbed her stomach. “The men? Gavin?” Panic filled her voice and terror showed in her expression.

  “At this point, we don’t know.”

  Ericka turned to Izzy. “Did you hear anything? You were in contact with them, weren’t you?”

  Izzy shook her head violently as she jumped up and ran to the desk where her laptop sat. “No. I lost contact after they went below ground. Charles warned me that might happen due to distance.” She frantically tapped the keys.

  Caledonia gathered one of Ericka’s hands and calmly stated, “It’s going to be all right. Our men are strong. Considering what they’ve endured, this won’t be what kills them.” She lifted her gaze to May’s. “I believe this, as should we all.”

  Jameson rolled into the room. “I contacted Charles on his cell phone. He heard the explosion from his position, has been in touch with Jenny and is already in the air searching for them. The explosion didn’t go unnoticed. Emergency crews were already en route when I called. Apparently everyone within twenty miles of the event notified the authorities. With all the activity going on there now, I doubt the helicopter will be noticed like it might have been before.”

  Izzy shut her laptop. Caledonia stood and helped Ericka to her feet. The ladies faced May as a united front until pain riddled Ericka’s features. Water pooled at her feet. Caledonia wrapped an arm around her waist as May grabbed her hands and helped her return to the couch.

  “Looks like we’re going to the hospital,” May stated. She gave a weak smile. Happiness over the impending birth was overshadowed by the uncertainty of the men’s safety.

  She turned to ask Jameson to call but he was already on the phone. He clicked it shut and smiled. “The ambulance is on the way.”

  *

  Due to the baby being a few weeks earlier than expected, a doctor had been assigned to Ericka’s care. At first Ericka balked. She wanted Mary Small, the midwife she’d been seeing in Scotland, to deliver the baby. Doctor Carson agreed that if Ms. Small arrived in time, he’d have no issue with her being present if it made the mother more at ease. May called her. Lucky for them, she happened to be in Edinburgh visiting a relative and not doing her usual rounds in the highlands. This put her much closer to them. Jameson arranged for a private rental helicopter to pick her up. A few hours later, she landed at the hospital’s emergency helicopter pad.

  May paced between Ericka’s room in the maternity ward and the waiting area across the hall. Jameson lingered near the doorway of the waiting area. She stopped and stood beside him as they focused on the TV.

  “I can’t believe you were able to convince that chopper pilot to take Izzy and Caledonia out to the explosion site.” She looked down at him. “He acted like he didn’t want to get involved.”

  “Money speaks loudly,” Jameson replied as he took her hand in his. “Especially to a sightseeing tour pilot with a family to feed. I promised him a bonus if he made sure they got back safely as well. I just wish I could’ve gotten a hold of my usual pilot. Guess he went off grid for the night when Charles took my helicopter.”

  “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you right now. With everything that’s going on, I can’t seem to think clearly.”

  “You don’t have to, May,” he assured her. “I’ll take care of the crazy stuff and you make sure Ericka gets through
the delivery. We’re a team.” He smiled. “Okay?”

  “Okay,” she agreed on a heavy sigh. “I just hope the girls find them.”

  “Me too.” Jameson kissed her knuckles and she knew he did his best to soothe her rattled nerves.

  The images on the television were horrendous. Several news crews were covering the explosion just this side of the Scottish border. The tag rolling across the bottom of the screen listed it as a suspicious event with uncertain ties to a possible militant or a terrorist group. But she knew the truth. Leod was behind this. Fire trucks, police vehicles, ambulances and emergency crews were on site helping in the search and rescue of any survivors. To May it looked like total chaos.

  It was reported that the body of an elderly gentleman had been pulled from the rubble close to where authorities believed the initial location of the blast occurred. Faces of injured people who apparently lived in this bunker society were flashed upon the screen as they were taken to safety. Desperately she searched the survivors found so far for any of the brothers, Cait or Jenny. Jenny’s last text informed May she had joined in the search and rescue and would keep her abreast of the situation as much as she could.

  That had been hours ago. With a heavy heart, she returned to Ericka’s room. She did her best to smile but her mask was transparent and she knew it.

  “Any word?” Ericka asked, then breathed as she’d been taught when a contraction hit. May took her hand. Mary acted as her birthing coach and helped her concentrate and breathe through the pain.

  She and Gavin wanted so much to start the new generation of MacKinnons in the same tradition as their clan, to be born at Castle MacKinnon. Ericka had agreed with Gavin’s terms as long as there was someone present with medical knowledge. She’d done her homework and found an experienced midwife who came highly recommended.