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“Why are ye tellin’ me this?”
“Because I want ye to ken that yer an amazin’ woman. Nae many lassies would have the conviction in their hearts as ye dae.”
“And ye must find the same conviction,” she said. “When yer questionin’ Joseph in the mornin’, show him yer unbridled rage. Show him what the consequences are when someone tries to defile yer wife and defy ye as the laird.”
* * *
Conner’s hand flew through the air and crashed down on Joseph’s face, knocking Joseph off his chair. “Enough of yer lies,” Conner said.
“I tell ye the truth,” Joseph said panting as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. “I daenae ken anythin’ about yer sister and maither.”
Conner’s hand rose as Joseph flinched anticipating Conner’s next blow. Throwing his hands up, Joseph whined and pleaded.
“Please, me laird,” Joseph mumbled. “Spare me from yer ire.”
“Then tell me what I wish to ken. Who took my maither and sister and where are they?”
“I daenae ken,” Joseph said.
“Should I gather yer family in here and have them tell me what I wish to ken?” Conner asked as he heard the clatter of metal behind him. Pausing to glance over his shoulder, Conner caught glimpse of Sionn as the old man shuffled into the cell.
“Perhaps me Laird, there are other ways to get a man to talk,” Sionn said with a crooked grin. “Other than brute force.”
“And what would ye have me dae, Sionn?”
“Give me a few moments alone wit’ the man, I’m certain I’ll be able to loosen his tongue a bit.”
Conner exhaled sharply as his eyes narrowed on Joseph. Pain rippled through his hand and he found interrogating Joseph was wearing on him. Conner rolled his shoulders back and arched his eyebrow.
“Dae what ye will,” Conner said. “But dae nae kill him, nae until he tells me the location of my maither and sister.”
“Understood,” Sionn said with a bow. Conner left Joseph with Sionn and moved down the hallway. The moment he was out of sight from the cells and the guards, he leaned against the wall and sighed.
Deep within his heart, he wished he didn’t have to revert to such extremes. Yet, Conner was fully aware of the man’s ability to lie and couldn’t take him at his word.
“Stop. Stop that man!” A voice cried and echoed down the hallway catching Conner’s ear. He bolted upright and raced toward the commotion. Skidding to a stop at the cell, he caught Sionn on the floor.
“Where is he? Where is Joseph?” Conner asked rushing to Sionn’s aid as he shouted to the gaurds.
“Gone,” Sionn groaned as he struggled to lift his head.
“Where?” Conner demanded as Sionn lifted a heavy hand and pointed.
“Nay,” Conner gasped as Sionn passed out. “Find him. Now. Lock this castle down NOW. Let nay man come or go until we find him.”
“Conner, Henry is missing too,” Damon said rushing into the cell. “They both must have taken off.”
Conner rose to his feet and stared at Damon. “Are ye still one of the best hunters in all of Scotland?”
Damon flashed his crooked grin and nodded. “I’ll nae let ye down.”
Chapter 26
Damon glared at the thick, heavy boot print in the mud with a smile on his lips. Although the sun had set, he could easily tell the path of the prisoner by the various signs any skilled hunter would notice. First there were the snapped twigs from the shrubs and branches. Then it was the heavy boot prints in the mud evenly spaced, indicating the man was running.
Slowly, Damon rose to his feet and tilted his head as he squinted his eyes. Through the random scattered trees and thick ferns, Damon couldn’t help but wonder where the prisoner was going. While he expected Joseph to make his way east toward Gairloch, Damon found the steps charging onward toward the west.
“Where are ye goin’? If the city is in the opposite direction, then yer headed someplace specific…” Damon mumbled to the empty forest. The sound of the crickets filled his ears as he listened for other signs of life. In the distance Damon heard the rustling of leaves and small stones being rolled against one another. His first instinct was to dismiss the noise as some random creature of the night out for a hunt. But when the hard snap of a branch disturbed the peaceful harmonics of the forest, Damon took off after the source.
