The sun was sinking low on the horizon when they saw the sea. Petrobey called a halt, then pointed ahead. “Smoke. They are on the beach.”
“Perfect,” Argos said. “We know this harbor well. Only one route leads in and out. They are trapped.” He grasped onto his sword and moved as if he’d charge down the path, but Dino put a hand on his shoulder. The action looked brotherly enough, but by the way Argos’s knees buckled, Alex could tell it was not done gently.
“We need a plan, first,” Dino said.
Argos’s face was red. “The plan is to charge down the path and kill all the Turks.”
Dino shook his head. “We must proceed cautiously. The children are also down in the harbor.” He glanced at the other men and at his father, who jerked his chin up in a nod for Dino to take charge.
Alex shifted his feet, knowing they needed to act with caution, but he was impatient to find Diana. He held his hands behind his back, gripping his wrist as he scanned the area but did not see her anywhere. Was she closer to the Turks’ camp? Had she been captured? Or worse . . . ?
“Petrobey, Sebastianos, there is a stream about a hundred yards in that direction.” Dino pointed with his rifle. “Argos knows the way. Let the men rest and prepare to attack. Themis and I will scout ahead and report back when we have a better idea of what we’re up against and where the children are.”
“We need him too.” Themis nodded toward Alex. Seeing both Dino’s and Alex’s surprise, Themis frowned. “I do not like you, Mr. Metaxas, but this is my daughter. Assessing a situation is your strength.”
Alex bowed his head. “Thank you.” He knew the man had not meant his words as a compliment, but he felt relieved not to be waiting by the stream. He would be able to continue on and hopefully discover where Diana was.
Dino led them away from the harbor and over a craggy trail that ran in roughly the same direction as the curve of the shore. He motioned for the two to keep low. They emerged from the rocks and bushes on the far side of the bay, giving them a view of the entire beach.
Keeping low, they moved forward with caution, crouching behind a cluster of rocks. The sight of a ship drawing toward the shore increased Alex’s tension, and he was glad for Dino’s wisdom in scouting out the situation before rushing in.
He swept his gaze over the spoon-shaped area of the harbor. High rocks and cliffs circled the blue water, and the only scrap of pebbly beach was at the very tip, directly across from the harbor opening.
The horses were housed in a shoddy pen on the side of the beach nearest the cliff. Large rocks came together forming natural walls on the sides of the animals’ pen, and a mismatch of branches closed off the opening of the enclosure. He moved his gaze around the curve of the shoreline. The majority of the Turks rested on the far side of the beach, near the path, but Alex could see one man sitting before an opening in the cliffside. There appeared to be no guards watching the path, and he realized the Turks had no reason to fear attack. They were not near the klephts’ mountains and had not been challenged by the Greek peasants before. Today, that would change.
“There is a small alcove between the rocks.” Dino indicated the opening behind the lone man; the inside was cast in shadow. The children are likely being held inside.”
Alex felt Themis stiffen.
He glanced to the side and saw Themis’s face was tight and lined with worry.
Alex continued to scan the harbor and the surrounding area, but he still saw no sign of Diana. Hopefully, once she knew where the Turks were making their camp, she had hidden herself away, waiting for reinforcements. He wished he could force his jaw to unclench and the burning to leave his stomach, but until he saw her, he wouldn’t be able to rid himself of the worry.
“We would be wise to attack before the ship reaches land and sends reinforcements,” Dino muttered.
“What are we waiting for?” Themis shifted his weight, getting his feet beneath him.
Alex prepared to follow him, ready to run back to Petrobey’s camp and order the attack. He was sick of waiting. They needed to end this, then find Diana.
“Wait.” Dino pointed. “Look there.”
At first, Alex could not see what had caught Dino’s attention, but then he noticed what appeared to be a large thicket sliding toward the ridge of the cliff. He leaned forward, squinting his eyes.
The clump of brushwood fell down through a crevice that led to the beach.
He glanced back toward the company of Turks, but they had seen nothing. The fissure was hidden on the far side of the horse’s pen.
“What—?” he started to ask, but just then, a person peered over the edge, looking down at where the branches had fallen. Not just a person, a woman. Diana!
Alex leapt up, but Dino grasped his arm, tugging him back down. “If you call attention to her, she will be killed.”
“We must . . .” Alex’s pulse was physically painful.
Dino kept his hand firmly clasped on Alex’s arm. “Wait. You must trust her.” He pointed.
Alex remained tensed, ready to spring to action, but he knew Dino spoke the truth. He pulled his arm away from Dino’s grip and watched to see what she would do.
Diana slipped carefully down the crack in the cliffs, pressing her hands against both sides of the fissure. She slipped when she neared the bottom, dropping and tumbling into the pile of branches.
Dino must have anticipated Alex’s movement and clamped a hand back onto his arm, holding him in place. Alex frowned but did not take his gaze off Diana.
Below the fissure, Diana crawled from the pile of brushwood and stood, picking bits of wood from her skirt and sleeves and shaking twigs from her loose hair. She pulled and pushed the mass of branches toward the horse pen, carefully staying out of sight behind the rocks as she bunched the mound against the branches of the fence.
Alex’s heart was in his throat. He glanced back and forth between the Turks and Diana.
She raised her face toward the exit route, holding up her hand to shade her eyes. Then she knelt on the pebbly beach by the mound of brushwood.
Dino kept his voice low. “She’s causing a distraction. The sun will blind the Turks as it lowers over the cliff, giving even more advantage to the escape . . . Clever woman.”
Alex’s muscles were so tight they ached. “We must do something.”
Dino nodded. “Themis, return to the others. Give the order to attack when you hear the horses.”
Themis hurried away.
On the beach, Diana leaned close to the branches, and soon, Alex could see a trail of smoke rising from the wood in front of her. She blew on it then set more branches on the flame until she appeared satisfied with the blaze. She ran back to the crevice she’d slid down and started pulling herself up between the rocks.
With the help of a sea breeze, the fire spread rapidly, and within a moment it had grown, flames licking at the thicker branches.
The horses jerked their heads, stomping and whinnying at the wall of fire that trapped them in their pen. A large black stallion reared back, and with his front hooves, broke through the burning barrier and galloped on to the beach. The other horses followed him through the burning opening, running in every direction in their fright. Chaos broke out over the beach as the horses crashed through the camp. Some of the Turks chased the horses, and others ran to put out the fire.
Dino squeezed Alex’s arm and pointed. Elena and a young man led a line of children from the crevice. They remained near to the cliffs and ran unnoticed in the confusion toward the path leading up from the harbor.
“How did they know?” Dino muttered. “Unbelievable.”
Diana had pulled herself up into the crevice, but it appeared the rock walls were too smooth for her to get a sufficient grip. Finally, kicking aside her skirts, she got a toehold and reached up higher.
Dino sucked in a breath and let out a curse. He raised his rifle.
A large Turk with a feather rising from his turban stepped around the rocks of the horse’
s pen. He spotted Diana and started toward her, drawing his sword.
Pain compressed Alex’s gut. He bolted toward her just as Dino fired.
Chapter 22
Diana was jerked down from the crevice by her leg. She hit the ground hard. Fighting to catch her breath, she raised her eyes to see the Turk with the yellow feather glaring at her. He lifted his curved sword, ready to slash it downward.
Shock emptied her mind, and she threw up her hands.
A gunshot echoed in the harbor. Blood sprayed over Diana, and the man toppled forward, his sword dropping to the sand.
Diana rolled out of the way of his fall and scrambled backward, gasping for air. She blinked as terror rushed through her blood. What had happened? Her hand bumped into something solid and she looked down at the jeweled hilt of the sword. The realization of how near she had come to being killed jolted her mind back into action. She was still in the Turks’ camp and could be discovered again at any second. Grasping the sword, she jumped to her feet. Just holding the heavy weapon gave her a swell of courage, and she bolted past the smoking horse pen and over the rocky beach.
The sun had sunk farther. Patches of shadows and twilight played tricks on her eyes as she darted through the confusion of the Turks’ camp. She prayed it did the same for her enemies. She didn’t dare to stop to assess her route or conceal herself. The time for stealth had passed. Heart pummeling into her ribs, she expected to be stopped at any moment, and the energy that came from fear pushed her on, fueling her speed. She ran directly across the beach toward the path, occasionally dodging a rock or a bounding horse.
Around her, men yelled to one another, horses whinnied, the surf crashed. She thought she heard someone call her name, but she was certain that pausing or looking away from her destination would increase her chance of being stopped.
Diana clasped her skirts with one hand and the sword with the other as she ran up the winding path. At the top of the cliffs, she did not pause or risk a look backward to see if she had been followed. The night was darker now, but the outline of the terrain was just visible. And if seeing was difficult for her, it would be for the Turks as well. She dashed over the rocky ground to the little church. “Elena!” She spoke in a loud whisper. Please be here.
“Missno!” Elena’s voice was a hiss. She ran from the building, and Diana pulled her in with one arm, pressing a kiss to her friend’s cheek. Stella hurried from the church.
Diana embraced her. “Thank goodness,” she breathed. “Are you all here?” She shifted the heavy sword into her other hand.
“Yes.”
She looked behind Elena and saw the shadows of the other children in the church doorway. Her moment of relief was replaced by a spike of urgency that pulsed through her body. The longer they remained, the better the chance of capture.
She looked back and forth, trying to decide which way to go. If they continued to follow the shoreline past the church, there was minimal cover, and she did not want the children to be exposed. But traveling back toward the safety of the hills would mean nearing the path from the harbor. She debated for only a moment, and since the moon had not yet risen, she decided they would have a better chance of remaining hidden in the hills.
She moved closer to the church where all of the children could hear her lowered voice. “We must run. All of you, link hands.”
She heard shuffling and whispers, and the shadows of the children showed they followed her direction. “Spiros, Elena, follow along in the rear. Make sure no one gets left behind.” She grabbed on to Stella’s hand. “We must be absolutely silent.” She pulled the line in the direction of the road.
As they neared the path down to the harbor, shouts, the clang of metal, and the sounds of gunshots echoed from below. Diana did not dare slow. Even if it was the sound of rescue, she could not predict the outcome of a battle. The children would not be safe until they were as far away from the Turks and their ship as possible.
She pulled the group across the road and up into the hills. Climbing a steep, rocky incline hefting a cumbersome sword in one hand and pulling a line of children with the other was more difficult than she imagined, and within a few moments, Diana was perspiring, and her breath came in heavy bursts. The group moved down one rise and up the next, the line jerking when a child tripped or slid on the loose rocks.
Behind them, the sounds of battle grew softer, and Diana started to look for a suitable place to hide. The sky was growing lighter in the east, and she knew the moon would rise soon—illuminating the way but making them visible to anyone searching. Pulling the line of children was becoming more difficult, and she knew after walking for the entirety of the day, they would soon lose the strength to continue. They needed to be secreted away as soon as possible, and then she could speak with Elena and Spiros and determine the best way to get them all home to Tsímova.
After a bit of searching, she found what she was looking for. A shallow bend in a sheer rock face surrounded with a thick clump of bushy trees would at least provide heavy shadows for concealment. The ground beneath the trees was flat, and the rock protected them on two sides.
She led the children into the space, checking each of them for injury. Aside from stubbed toes and scraped arms and legs, they were all unharmed. Elena, Stella, and Spiros helped to soothe the worries of the younger ones. Diana realized the children had probably not eaten for hours, and they must be thirsty.
She surveyed the group. The small children now lay quietly, either asleep or near to it. A day of walking combined with fear had left them weary, and she was glad they could finally rest. The two Mavromichalis girls were seated beside each other with their heads bowed, exhausted. Spiros remained near his sister, leaning back against the rock and stretching his legs in front of him.
“Spiros.” Diana knelt next to him. “In a few hours, when the moon is bright, we will need to find water or the children will not be able to make the journey back to Tsímova.”
He nodded. “I will find water.” His eyes moved over the others and returned to his sister. “Thank you for saving her, Missno. For saving me.”
She patted his hand, thinking of Daphne. “Theodora is lucky to have a brother willing to fight for her.”
The side of his mouth pulled into a small smile, and Diana could see exactly why Elena was so smitten with the handsome young man. “She is also lucky you were brave enough to follow us and that Elena learned to read.”
Diana raised her brows, pleased that he had thought to give credit to her friend. He hoped Spiros would tell Elena that her reading had impressed him.
Spiros bent his head to the side, rubbing his neck. “Sleep, Missno. I will keep watch.”
She nodded her head and opened her mouth to tell him good night, but a man’s voice stopped her.
“What is this?” A man stood in the shadow of trees. Diana did not know how he had approached without their notice.
Spiros jumped to his feet.
Diana rose and held the sword in front of her. All of her muscles clenched, and her heart raced. Angry tears pushed at the back of her eyes. She should not have stopped the group. “Do not come any closer.”
More men joined him, and he folded his arms in front of his chest, tipping his head to the side. He stepped forward.
“Sir, I am in earnest. Do not take another step.” Diana could hear her voice quiver but tried to sound confident. She knew she could not fight off the men, and her stomach twisted into a hard knot. The children were trapped.
The heavy sword dipped, her knees felt weak, and her arm began to shake. She grabbed on to the hilt with the other hand, wishing her arms were stronger, and stepped to the side, moving between the stranger and the children. The man drew closer, and she saw that he wore the white kilt and blue vest of a klepht. His sword remained in his sash. “I’m afraid I do not obey orders unless I know from whom they come. You dress as a Maniot, but your accent is strange. However, I am fairly certain you are not a Turk, even though your weapon would indicate
otherwise.”
Diana took another step, hoping to keep him away from the shadows where the children were hidden.
The man’s brows rose, and Diana realized she had stepped into the moonlight. She glanced down and saw her clothes were torn, her hair full of twigs, and blood spotted her white sleeves and collar.
“I am neither Greek nor a Turk. I am British. My name is Miss Diana Snow.” Out of habit, her knees bent to curtsey as she introduced herself, but she decided adhering to propriety was not necessary when one was covered in blood and holding an enemy’s sword. “You are a klepht.”
He lowered the sides of his mouth and nodded. “Yes. My name is Kapetan Ionnis Karahalios.” His stance did not appear threatening. She didn’t think a klepht would harm the children, but she would not take any chances and kept the sword raised, pointing it at Kapetan Karahalios.
He did not seem bothered by it in the least.
The moon revealed the faces of some of his companions. Diana’s eyes traveled over them. “I know you,” she said to the man standing behind the kapetan. “You and another man came to Tsímova and left with Alexandros Metaxas.”
The man squinted, then nodded. “Yes. I am Lieutenant Markos.” He inclined his head.
Kapetan Karahalios raised his chin. “We actually journeyed to Tsímova for the express purpose of speaking with Alexandros Metaxas, but we were told he was chasing after a band of Turks that stole children from the village.” He rubbed his cheek as he studied her, then glanced toward the shadows.
“And if I’m not mistaken, those are the children behind you. So you can see why I might be curious about exactly who you are, Miss Diana Snow.”
Spiros stepped next to Diana. “Missno rescued us, Kapetan.”
A Place For Miss Snow Page 20
