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Chapter Twelve
One a.m., Splendor Orchard Farm...
Aria shifted restlessly in bed as the distant sound of dogs barking first penetrated her dreams. After tossing and turning most of the night, she had only just managed to slip into a deep sleep when the noises jarred her awake again. At first, she tried to ignore it, pulling the covers over her head, and willing herself back to sleep. But the sporadic barks grew louder and more frequent until it was impossible to tune out.
“Oh, for shit’s sake.” With an irritated groan, she blinked her eyes open and stared for long moments at the dark ceiling. The old farmhouse was silent except for the muffled commotion outside. Throwing off the covers, Aria shuffled over to the window and peered out into the night.
The full moon bathed the farm in a dim bluish light, casting eerie shadows across the overgrown fields. In the distance, the newly painted barn loomed like a hulking beast, backlit by the moon. She could just make out the silhouettes of the two Belgian Malinois dogs gathered near the barn doors, barking wildly into the darkness. Their cacophony echoed through the still night air. Aria squinted toward the tree line, searching for any sign of an intruder, but the world outside looked empty and abandoned.
After watching a few minutes more, she sighed and leaned her forehead against the cool glass. Perhaps it was nothing other than a lost bunny or a jackal looking for food. The dogs squeaked shrilly before they continued barking, this time growling viciously. Her head snapped up, and she looked around once more. Tensing, she detected two dark bodies skulking outside. When they passed under the overhead light at the barn door, she could see they wore ski masks. The dogs had run off chasing a third perp.
“So, just who the fuck are you assholes, and what are you doing lurking about my barn?”
Begrudgingly and muttering incoherently about the night watchmen who were being paid an astronomical amount to keep the farmyard safe from perpetrators, especially when they have guests, she turned and stomped to the closet for clothes. A few minutes later, she was dressed in jeans, boots, and a sweater against the autumn chill.
“Clearly, no one else is going to deal with this,” she muttered as she strapped on a leather belt holding various knives and ninja stars while briskly walking toward the back door and into the night.
Aria crept silently through the moonlit night, stepping lightly across the overgrown fields as she made her way toward the distant barn. The occasional furious bark of the dogs was the only thing piercing the heavy silence hanging over the farm.
“Where the hell are those night watchmen?” she muttered as she drew closer. Approaching carefully, she could see shadows moving inside the barn, barely visible through cracks in the worn wooden walls.
Heart pounding, she paused just outside the large barn doors to listen. Nothing, except the light scurrying of rats within. Taking a deep breath, she slipped through the entrance. Inside, dust motes danced in the dim beams of moonlight streaming through the rafters. Keeping to the shadows, Aria scanned the interior for any signs of intruders, who magically seemed to have disappeared.
“I’m gonna be highly pissed if I got up and came out here for nothing,” she said sotto voce as she wondered if she hadn’t imagined the movements and that the barking dogs had been a false alarm.
A floorboard creaked right behind her. Whirling around, with her trusted K-bar at the ready behind her back, she found herself face-to-face with a tall, ominous figure. Since he was much bigger than her, she stumbled back as if in surprise, a small gasp escaping her lips. It worked to fool the man into believing she was a scared little ninny since he stopped his approach and stood silently watching with his face obscured by a dark hood.
Aria waited with her muscles tightening with tension. The stand-off stretched on for what felt like an eternity. The only sound was her drumming heartbeat as she physically prepared herself to attack. He wouldn’t expect it since she was so much smaller than him. Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t a deterrent for Aria, and a huge mistake on his part if he believed he had the upper hand purely because he had muscles bulging like Hercules.
“Are you lost? Perhaps you’re tired, hungry, and seeking a place to sleep?” she cooed colloquially. A flash of pearly whites in the darkness under the hood irked Aria to no end. The asshole truly didn’t know who he was up against.
“I’m not lost.”
“Then you’re trespassing, and I politely, yet firmly, request that you leave.” She cocked her head sideways. “I’m sure you don’t want me to call the sheriff, now do you?”
“You won’t be calling anyone.”
“Such confidence.” Spreading her legs wide, one slightly to the side and forward from the other, she readied herself for the upcoming confrontation. “Unfortunately, it’s not your call to make. So, lemme just grab my phone... ahh, you shouldn't have done that, mister,” she snorted as he lifted his hand and aimed a pistol at her. Before the perpetrator realized what was happening, she swung the arm that clasped the K-bar behind her back forward, releasing it at the same time. She might be petite, but she had learned to center her power, and when the blade slid through his palm, it was done with such force that the man was flung back against the wall with his hand pinned into the wood. The pistol clattered to the ground.
