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She nodded, taking a moment for her heartbeat to steady. The children were safe. But she needed a better look, and she had to get Felicity’s attention.
She patted Braden’s hand before removing it from her waist. Then she peeked out again, focusing her attention on the kidnappers.
Girvin stood with her back to the doorway, between Arthur and MacGowan, who were at opposite ends of a large table. A hulking brute stood behind MacGowan, glaring daggers at Arthur. Another man lingered closer to the children. Like everyone else, his attention was fixed on the argument.
“We need to cut our losses,” Baines said. “If we stay here much longer, they’ll find us.”
“We’ll have plenty of warning from up top,” MacGowan said. “Besides, like Becky said, we got the girl for protection. No one’ll try anything as long as we have her.”
“The Kendricks won’t wait,” Arthur warned. “And they won’t hesitate to kill the lot of us, I assure you.”
MacGowan sneered. “Yer a coward, Baines. I could never ken what my sister saw in ye.”
Since that precipitated yet more yelling, Samantha took a chance. When she reached back and tapped Braden on the thigh, she heard him quietly cock his pistol. Then, sending up a silent prayer, she stepped out fully into the light.
Felicity caught the movement, her gaze darting over to Samantha. She jerked with surprise and leaned forward, as if to leap off the cot.
Samantha rapidly signed.Wait.
Felicity subsided, her eyes wide and fixed on her. Samantha flattened her hands, moving down, up, and then out to the side. Then she pointed to the floor.
Children. Stay down.
Felicity nodded and started to sign back, but Samantha felt Braden’s arm go around her waist, yanking her back from the entrance.
“Where are the children?” he whispered.
“Against the back wall. Felicity will keep them down as best she can.”
They retreated several feet as Logan and the others came forward into a huddle.
“The children are against the back wall,” Samantha whispered. “The adults are clustered in the center of the room around a table, Arthur at one end and MacGowan at the other. He’s got a man behind him, but they’re all distracted.”
In fact, the shouting was getting louder, and Girvin had now joined in.
“Let’s crack on,” Logan said.
“Donny, there’s a guard on the children,” Samantha whispered.
“I’m in first and to MacGowan,” Logan murmured. “Then Donny.” He glanced at his brother. “No Marquess of Queensbury rules this time, lad.”
Braden rolled his eyes. Then he looked at Samantha. “Ready, my brave heart?”
She nodded. “I’ll take Girvin. You and Stevens go for Arthur and MacGowan’s other man.”
If they moved quickly enough, it should be over in moments. If not . . .
Logan, now poised at the edge of the chamber, held up a hand. He counted three, two, one, and then charged into the room, Donny right on his heels.
“Hands up,” Logan barked, pistol extended as he went straight for MacGowan.
The gang leader whirled, reaching into his greatcoat, but Logan was too quick and slammed into MacGowan, taking him down.
Donny rushed for the guard near the children. But from his left darted another man, one Samantha hadn’t seen. He barreled straight into Donny, who staggered but quickly recovered and wheeled about to deliver a punishing blow to his attacker’s face. Incredibly, the man shook it off and lunged in, throwing desperate punches at Donny. The children shrieked and cowered behind Felicity, who had dragged them down to the floor.
By now, the man guarding the children had fumbled in his coat pocket and pulled out a gun. He cocked it and aimed at Donny, trying to find a clear shot in the midst of the fight.
Samantha jerked forward. “Donny, watch—”
