“They can do that.” Ieuan himself was the father of two. He tipped his head toward the inn. “Introduce me?”
Cadwallon was built like a soldier at above average height with shoulders and arms designed for wielding a sword. His only flaw was that at thirty, he was prematurely balding. Rather than lamenting the loss, he simply shaved his head, making him look like a particularly robust monk.
The two men entered the inn just as a middle-aged woman with slate gray hair was adding wood to the fire. It hadn’t rained on their journey from Llangollen, which was a blessing, but the warmth was pleasant, and Ieuan approached with his hands out to the fire.
“Good day to you, madam.”
The woman curtseyed, eyes on Cadwallon, whom she appeared to recognize. “Are you here for breakfast, my lords? Cook is laying it out now in the kitchen. We don’t usually have guests at this hour.”
“There’s twenty of us, and we can pay.” Cadwallon put his hand to his right hip where his purse lay. “Did a company of men cross the bridge this morning?”
The woman’s eyes widened, and Ieuan had his first spark of hope.
“I’ll be wondering first who’s asking. You or—” She looked at Ieuan. “Him?”
“I am Welsh like Sir Cadwallon, but we mean you no harm.” Ieuan put a hand to his breastbone. “I am Lord Ieuan, servant of King Dafydd.”
The woman glared and shook her finger at Ieuan, making him think at first she was angry, but then she said, “I’ve heard of you, haven’t I? Servant of the King.” She scoffed. “Brother-in-law more like. Saved our good King David’s life a dozen times, haven’t you?”
Cadwallon grinned. “Indeed he has, madam. I’m sure he’d be happy to tell you a tale or two over breakfast, but first we’d be grateful if you would speak of what you heard this morning.”
“I heard ‘em.” She nodded. “Thundering through here. Disturbing my chickens. It was twenty men. I would have said they were highwaymen because they showed no colors, but they rode like soldiers and wore swords. We’ve known some august companies to pass through here, but not usually in the early hours of the morning like they did.”
“Was a woman among them?” Ieuan tried to keep the urgency out of his voice, but the way the woman whipped her head around to look at him told him he’d failed.
“A woman? Not that I could see, but it was dark, and I was focused on collecting the toll, not counting their number.” Then the woman frowned. “I did notice one thing, my lords. Several were dressed funny, not like I’ve seen before.”
“Dressed funny how?” Cadwallon asked.
“They wore no cloaks and instead were wrapped in blankets. I’ve never seen men-at-arms wrapped in blankets before. How do they fight like that?”
“The blankets are called a brat,” Cadwallon said. “It means they’re Scots, and they don’t wear them to fight.”
Ieuan raised his eyebrows. “How did you know that?”
“I’ve spoken with James Stewart. He dresses like a Norman, but many of his companions are Highlanders.”
“Highlanders in Wrexham?” The woman gaped at them. “Well, I never.”
“Did you see where they were headed?” Ieuan cut through her astonishment.
“East.”
“Not north?” Cadwallon said.
“If they were going north, they wouldn’t have crossed the Dee.” She nodded firmly. “They were definitely heading east.”
Cadwallon looked at Ieuan. “Where are they going if not to Scotland?”
“Be grateful we found them, my friend.” Ieuan found his features hardening into grim lines. “We are close. I can feel it. And they can’t run forever.”
Chapter Thirteen
19 March 2022
Anna
Before, when it was just herself she had to think about, Anna hadn’t seen the need for an actual plan to get home that was any more complicated than climbing up to the roof and jumping off. Given this genuinely lovely apartment building near Hyde Park, the opportunity to leave was constantly available.
But now she was deeply concerned not only about her family’s desire to return with her, but also Ted’s enthusiasm with what to her was a very personal thing, and a twist in her stomach had her actually thinking maybe Ted wasn’t the ally he had always been. It wouldn’t be because he had gone over to the dark side, but rather because he was naive, and he was still predisposed to trust where he shouldn’t. Back when MI-5 were the bad guys, Mom and Goronwy had come to Avalon to save Papa’s life. In the fallout from that event, Ted had given Mom the keys to his rental car, but he’d also worked afterwards with MI-5. He didn’t have a fundamental distrust of modern authority, which by now was hard earned in Anna.
But she didn’t say anything to her family, just said goodbye and hugged them to speed them on their way. There was enough for them to think and worry about without her adding to their burdens.
Elisa, however, was a mother herself, and thus half-psychic. Before she had walked four paces down the corridor, she turned back to Anna. “Don’t you dare go jumping off any roofs without us.”
Anna blinked. “I won’t.”
Elisa moved back to her. “Promise me.” She took Anna’s arms. “You have to promise me you won’t leave without us.”
Anna took in a breath and managed a smile. “I promise.”
Elisa looked into Anna’s eyes for a few seconds, and then she nodded. “Okay.” She pulled her into a hug. “I love you. We’ll be back tonight.”
There wasn’t anything Anna could do after that but stand dully in the doorway of the apartment, watching them walk away.
Mark stepped beside her. “She’s right you know.” He took her arm and guided her back inside.
As Mark shut the door, Anna moved towards one of Callum’s couches, both of which were incredibly soft and squishy. Though Anna had slept for a few hours, she was still exhausted, and her wrist was hurting again. Heedless of propriety, she lay down full length on the cushions, while Mark sat in a chair opposite.
“I know.” She relaxed and closed her eyes. “I’d be fooling myself to think I can go anywhere until I have what I need.”
“And what’s that?” Mark was only paying half-attention as usual, since he was again on his phone.
She didn’t answer because what she needed most was him. The problem was how to tell him.
So instead, Anna said, “With all those precautions Callum took, are you comfortable with Ted and Elisa knowing about this safe house?”
Mark didn’t answer at first, and Anna opened her eyes. He had actually looked up from his device. “Aren’t you?”
Anna grabbed a throw pillow to put under her head and turned onto her side. “I don’t know.”
“Nobody knows about this place but us. You need to rest and heal up a bit.”
“I don’t feel safe.”
Mark grumbled but set his phone aside. “Nobody followed us.”
“Someone could have followed Ted and Elisa, and Ted seems to have thought an awful lot about how the time traveling works and what it means.” Anna found herself torn in two. On one hand, it had paid in the past to be cautious, but on the other hand she couldn’t fundamentally distrust her uncle. She knew he loved her and wanted what was best for her, and the man didn’t have a deceitful bone in his body.
“He would have if he was planning to take his family with you.”
“That’s just it. I’m not comfortable doing that. David would kill me.”
Mark leaned back in his seat. “As you may recall, a few years ago, you took an entire busload of people to the Middle Ages, including me!”
“That was an accident. This would be on purpose.” She eyed him. It was on the tip of her tongue to say what she was wanted from him—what she, in fact, needed.
Mark rubbed his chin. “You made things right in the end by bringing them back. You have to admit the traveling has become a bit more like a revolving door than a one-way ticket.”
“I’m glad to h
ear you say that.” Anna swung her legs back to the floor, no longer feeling as tired.
“Are you? Why?”
Anna let out a breath and took the plunge. “We need you to come back with me.” And then before he could make any reply, she put out a hand. “Just for a little while.”
“A little while? You think you can promise that?”
She gestured around her. “Can’t I? Didn’t you just say that our time traveling has become a revolving door?”
Mark scoffed and rose to his feet. “Putting me aside for the moment, let me show you what I have for you, and we can talk about what else you might need.” Mark went to the entryway closet, from which he pulled a mid-sized army-green backpack and set it on the floor. “The bag I brought from MI-5 is only the tip of the iceberg. I’m ready for you to leave at a moment’s notice. I’ve been ready.” He unzipped the bag and laid out a myriad of electronic items, most of which Anna couldn’t identify. Before she could object to the obvious problem—that they all needed charging—he pulled out a flat packet, which he unfolded into a series of small squares and triangles, hinged together, with a little stand. “The piece de resistance!”
At her questioning look, he added, “It’s a solar charger.”
He placed his hand on a leather case he’d put next to it. “This is a tablet with every resource I could think of loaded on to it. Schematics, plans, designs, maps, books, books, books.” He gestured to the bag. “I have a dozen more, plus more solar panels. Your kids will be able to read, Anna.”
Anna put a hand to her heart. “Thank you.” She paused. “You haven’t said no.”
He laughed, but without humor. “Of course the answer’s no.” He canted his head. “I do want to hear why you’re asking.”
Anna let out the breath she’d been holding. “A year ago, we saw how foreign Avalon’s technology was to us, and even though I’ve been here half a day, I can see that the gap between our knowledge and what we need to know has only gotten larger. You can send this with me, and we’re delighted to have it, but there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to work any of it, and what we already have we don’t know how to repair. If we are to survive with one foot here and one there, we need your expertise. At the very least, we need you to teach someone else to do what you do.” She paused again. “You have no idea how much we need you.”
As she’d been speaking, Mark had started packing up the solar charger. All the while, he kept his eyes on the electronics rather than on her and didn’t answer.
She drew in a breath. “And we’ve missed you. That’s not a reason to come with me, I know, because you have a family and a life here, but you need to know that part too.”
Still avoiding her eyes, Mark started putting everything back into the bag. “I can show you how all this works before you go.” He hefted the bag with one hand. “Is this too heavy for you to carry?”
Anna took the pack in her good hand, and awkwardly slung it over her right shoulder. She guessed it weighed thirty pounds. “I could carry it for a while. If I took off the sling, I could put both arms through the straps, which would make it easier.”
“Good, because I have a second one that’s heavier.” Mark reached again into the closet and pulled out a bag larger than hers.
She stared at it and him. “So you are coming with me?”
He snorted. “I’m carrying it for now. Vehicles have been working for you, so I’ll load one up with everything you need before you crash it. I don’t see how else to get your family and all this stuff there in one piece.”
Mark helped her adjust the straps so her back and shoulders were more comfortable, and as Anna didn’t bring up the subject of him traveling again, she saw him become more businesslike and relaxed. For Anna’s part, she could bide her time. Mark was adamant about staying in Avalon now, but he might not always be. At the very least, she’d planted the seed. It was better too that she had been the one to ask. On one hand, Mark could say no to her more easily, but on the other, if she eventually got a yes, it would be genuine. David wanted a yes—no matter what—but today that wasn’t his call to make.
Then a knock came at the door. Mark put a hand on her shoulder in a brief gesture of reassurance and walked on quiet feet to the foyer, making sure as he did so that he stayed to the left of the door instead of walking directly to it. Long ago when Anna had watched cop shows, she’d seen police take that precaution so they wouldn’t be shot through the door.
Before opening the door, Mark checked the security camera monitor, which was a small flat device on the wall—another tablet it seemed. Like cell phones, they were everywhere.
“Who is it?” Anna whispered.
“Ted.” Mark checked the security camera feed again, to make sure nobody else was with him, and pulled the door wide. Uncle Ted stood on the threshold, just raising his hand to knock again.
“Hi.” Mark didn’t step back. “Did you forget something?”
“You were leaving?” Ted looked past Mark to where Anna stood, appearing for all intents and purposes as if she was prepared to walk out the door.
“Just practicing.” Anna wished Mark hadn’t put her sling back on because she was stuck with the pack on her back. Uncle Ted was looking at her with such disappointment, as if it had just occurred to him that she would leave the safe house—and ultimately Avalon—without telling him. But Anna had promised Elisa, and she probably couldn’t have justified leaving even if she didn’t need Mark’s help to carry all this stuff.
He turned back to Mark. “Great minds think alike, I guess. I’ve had second thoughts about leaving you here, and it seems you’ve had second thoughts about staying. I can’t shake the feeling we were followed this morning, and there was a vehicle that looked suspicious outside the building as we came out.”
“What kind of vehicle?” Mark took the tablet off the wall and showed Ted how he could access cameras set up all around the building. As with Mark’s big phone, now proven to be an entire computer the size of her hand, his fingers flew effortlessly across the screen.
“It was a repair van with no windows. A plumber.” Ted went to the window and looked out. “I took Elen to school, and Elisa set off on foot for the embassy, trying to draw anyone away from you and not wanting to look anything but normal, but I don’t feel good about any of this.” He looked at Anna again. “Other than seeing you, of course.”
“Can’t we come to Avalon one time without being chased all across the planet?” she said.
“Apparently not.” Ted looked again at Mark. “Is there a back way out? Maybe I’m wrong. I hope I’m wrong, but I think I have a better place for Anna to stay than here.”
“It’s hard to imagine better,” Anna said.
“Where is it?” Mark had been focused on the tablet, swiping between images, but now he looked up.
“It’s a private house owned by a friend of mine. He’s got tons of security. There’d be no reason to suspect you would go there, and it’s a big enough estate that nobody will stumble upon you by accident.”
“Who’s the friend?” Mark said.
Ted swallowed. “Chad Treadman.”
Anna gaped at her uncle. “Your boss at Treadman Global?”
Ted nodded. “He has invited Elisa, Elen, and me up to his house a dozen times since we moved here.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a keycard. “See. I have access any time I want.”
“I didn’t realize you were so close,” Anna said.
“I’m the CFO of his company, Anna. We’d better be close.”
Uncle Ted was so earnest and nice, it was amazing to Anna that he was such a star in his field. You’d think he’d have at least one cutthroat bone in his body, but she’d never seen it.
Mark had gone back to his tablet. “I don’t see the van now, but it doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. If someone was following you, Ted, he’ll know you entered the building again. We need a vehicle to get to Treadman’s house.”
“I can call for a car from the flee
t. I work just down the street.”
Now Mark turned to Anna. “It’s your call. This isn’t a decision I can make for you, even if Callum would.”
Anna actually managed a bit of a laugh. Callum would have made the decision, and she would have trusted him implicitly to do so. She trusted Mark too, but he was right that the decision had to be hers. “Do you agree that we are no longer safe here?”
He drew in a breath. “I don’t know. This building is a fortress, but—” He checked his watch. “You arrived less than twelve hours ago. If we can get you out of London—” He glanced at Ted. “That’s what we’re doing, right?”
“Right,” Ted said.
Anna gave a jerky nod, making up her mind. “It could be that a private car belonging to Treadman Global is the safe passage I need.”
Mark nodded too. “Even if Livia was able to make my role more innocent than it is, there were cameras at the hospital and the parking garage. Realistically, she and I were seen. Once Five begins to focus on me, they’ll eventually get to you—and then Ted—and the truth will come out.”
Anna sighed. “Sorry about all this. I’m sorry you may lose your job over this.”
“Oh—I could lose a lot more than my job.” Mark laughed. “But this is what I signed up for. We’ll use the back stairs.”
“How can you be sure we won’t be followed now?” Anna twitched the pack higher on her shoulders. Standing with it on her back for the last ten minutes had shown it to be heavier than she’d thought, and she hoped she wasn’t going to have to carry it very far. While she never had to carry anything of her own—ever—in the medieval world, because she had servants to do that, she did carry Bran, and she’d even been known to heft eight-year-old Cadell now and again on her back. She told herself he weighed more than thirty pounds and not to be a wimp.
“We will be careful,” Mark said.
Ted started dialing, and Anna hoped it was a burner phone he was using. Mark had given her one too, and though she’d tucked it into the side pocket of the sweater she was wearing, since then she hadn’t given it a second thought. Everyone else was constantly pulling out their phones and poking at the shiny screens. At breakfast, everyone had left their phone on the table beside their plate, and Elisa had been carrying hers as she’d walked away. Even Elen, who was only twelve, had one.
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