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“Besides the fact that she’s disappeared off the face of the earth for the last few days? Because Felicia would never do anything to hurt her mother. And she wouldn’t ignore a client appointment to go somewhere with a stranger.”
“Good enough reasons for me.” He took her elbow and nudged her toward the hall. “You promised to get her answers. Let’s go back to the castle so we can discuss it with MacDuff right away.”
“You’re in a hurry.” Her eyes narrowed on his face. “And it’s not usual for you to be so eager to involve MacDuff. Tell me why.”
“Did your agent, Felicia, know where you were going when you left London?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Then you should know why I want you behind those castle gates with MacDuff and his little army.” He pushed her toward the front door. “And I believe you know why you should be there.”
“You think she’s dead.” She felt sick at the thought. “You think one of Bohdan’s men took her to find out where I was. Then he killed her when he no longer needed her.”
He nodded. “When he got his information. I’m sorry. Bohdan would have only considered it efficient.”
Jane closed her eyes for an instant. “Efficient? Felicia was sogood.”
“Jane.” He had opened the front door. “I think we should hurry. He’s evidently known where you are for the past few days. I don’t know why he hasn’t struck yet. Perhaps if he’s had eyes on the Run, he’d know it wouldn’t be an easy victory. MacDuff’s men might have intimidated him. Or he could have been waiting for Caleb to show. Or maybe he’s just sitting like a cat outside a mouse hole seeing if he could scoop you up.”
“I’mnota mouse,” she said through set teeth. She shook her head to clear it. “Let’s go!”
She ran out into the darkness and down the formal path. Then she shouted at Fergus as she passed the Range Rover he and the marines were occupying. “We’re going back to the castle. Move, Fergus! MacDuff might need you.” She dove left into the trees where she’d tied the horses.
Rodland was already there and throwing her art case over the pommel. “You should have gone with Fergus.”
“I’m fine. It’s not as if we’re even sure there’s a threat yet. We’re just on edge because of Felicia.” She swung onto the stallion. “But you’ll have to be a little more stern with Maisie. I’m not going to wait for you this time.”
“I’ll rise to the occasion.” He was on Maisie’s back and following Jane out of the forest onto the road. “Stop talking and get the hell out of here. Fergus is already halfway down to the gates. Caleb wouldn’t like you to be in this situation. He’ll have my ass.”
“He thought there was a chance it might happen. That’s why he arranged to get extra agents here at the property.”
“He’ll still blame me.”
“No, he’ll blame himself, and that’s much worse.”
“It depends on how you’re looking at it.”
“I can’t worry about that now. There are few things more—”
Jane suddenly pulled her horse’s reins and drew to a halt. “Stop!”
Rodland stopped alongside. “What?”
“Listen.”
They sat in silence for a moment. In the distance, there was a high-pitched buzzing sound, like a swarm of bees.
Rodland nodded. “I hear it. Where’s it coming from?”
Jane turned her head. “That’s just it. The sound isn’t coming from just one place. It’s coming from…everywhere.”
The buzzing grew louder.
Jane spun around. “They sound like—”
“Drones!” Rodland pointed behind her, where dozens of small drone helicopters roared over the hillside, silhouetted by the twilight sky.
The ground exploded in front of them!
