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“It was. She’s got a lot of things in her room that Mercy has given her too. If you wanted to take her too, she’s been there. She might be able to help Abe and Tracy find something they want.” Grandda thought that was a grand idea. “Great. Just let someone know when you’re going, so we know when to start to worry.”
“You’ll worry, anyway. But in the morning I want to walk up there. I’m needing to get out more, and we’ll have us a lunch there too. Spend the day going through the caves.” Duncan reminded him how much colder it would be in the mountains. “Yes. I thought of that too. I’m glad you reminded me. Not a picnic, but perhaps some cookies and hot cocoa. I’ve not had any of that for years. Yes, I’ll get on that.”
Grandda was still talking to himself as he moved toward the kitchen. Duncan shook his head, thinking how much he loved having the two of them here. And Abe seemed to be coming out of his shell too. Duncan reached for Judith. He wanted her to know that Hanna was out and about so she’d not be startled if she saw her. She knew, thankfully, and didn’t seem to be upset.
It was on the news. The six of us were talking about it. I don’t think they’re going to find her. He didn’t ask. Duncan was sure he already knew the answer to why she’d not be found. I’m tired of dicking with her. If Abe finds out she’s around, he’s going to hide away for the rest of his life. I want him to feel safe, no matter what.
I agree with you. Duncan told her what Grandda and the others were doing tomorrow.
That’ll be great for all of them. To get out of the house for a little while. Maybe we can work around that. I’m not sure how you feel about us—
You do what you do best, Judith. I don’t want her around any more than you do. And the simple fact that she was able to escape makes me think she’ll do it again until she hurts one of us. Judith told him she believed that as well. Good. I’ll not make any plans for tomorrow then. You want me to join you six?
I think it would work better if you were to go with the others to the cave. We can handle one little human. Especially since she’s got to be hurting about now. He said he could do that. While you’re there, see if you can find a painting that was in the main part of the castle. Mary said it’s a painting of the sea beyond the castle walls that shows several ships out to sea. I’m not sure what else I can tell you about it, as I’ve never seen it.
I think I know the one she’s talking about. The ships are ours. Mom sent them out for foodstuffs, and when they returned, there was a great deal of celebration. Judith said she and the others were going to try and find the king’s ship that went down. Really? You think it’s still there?
I don’t know why not. Mercy knows where it is. She’s the one that put it down anyway. She said that with the king traveling, there might well be enough treasure on it to open a showing of it all. I’m thinking she just wants to make sure the fucker is dead. I’d think he was, but you know Mercy. He did and laughed with Judith. Also, there was some jewelry on the ship. He was coming here to marry your mother, so he would have brought riches to the area to try and sway her. Not that it would have worked. But I’m betting we can find it.
That sounds like it would be a lot of fun. Especially if we can find some of the nicer things to put in a museum, as you said. Duncan didn’t think there was any other reason they’d be looking for a centuries old ship that had gone down when large stones were dropped atop it. Is that why you left here to go there? I had no idea you were even gone.
I came here to talk to Mercy. She’s getting incredibly nervous about having a baby. None of us have ever had children before. She was freaking out a little, thinking that Joel would be upset if it was born like a bird. I think he’s just thrilled to death to be getting laid on a regular basis, but that could be just me thinking outside the box. He laughed again, sitting down at his desk to work while she was gone. I do have a question for you. When did you think we should have our own children? I’m a little nervous myself about it. I was thinking we could wait until Mercy has hers so we can all figure it out.
I’ve never given it any thought, to be honest with you. It’s your body, and whenever you feel the time is right, we’ll work on one. In the meantime, we’ll keep practicing. He smiled when she laughed at him. I have never seen Mercy nervous. I thought she was above such feelings. I wish she was here. I’d really give her a hard time about it.
I wouldn’t. She could hurt you, king, or not. She really is a little on the intense side about this. When she laughed again, he didn’t ask what was going on. She was with the others. And they forever had a great time together. I’ll see you tonight. I have a few things I want to pick up from the store on the way home. Also, before I forget again, I signed Tracy up for driver’s training. She has to have it before she can get her license.
Duncan marked his calendar with the date and times she had to be there. Judith told him Tracy didn’t know about it yet, and for him to go ahead and tell her. He would too. That was another thing he added to his calendar. She’d need a safe car to be able to drive.
For the next two hours, instead of working, he was looking at cars for his daughter. Duncan thought he was enjoying that a little more than working. He had three that he really liked, and they were rated among the highest in safety. Since they all had to be ordered, Duncan ordered the three of them in different colors. He knew his grandparents needed one each, and Tracy could have first pick. When he was finished with that, he started on his paperwork.
Duncan was working on a proposal that had been given to him to open up a little floral shop near the chocolate shop in New Town when the lamp next to him shattered. It took the stuffing coming out of the back of his chair before he realized he was being shot at. Getting down on the floor, he wondered what the fuck was going on when Tracy came into the room with him.
“Get down.” He was too late to save her from being shot, but she assured him it wasn’t that bad. “Where is your brother? I don’t want him down here to get hurt either.”
“He’s gone to the movie rental place with Grandda.” Good. At least he was out of the house. “I have my cell. Want me to call the police, Dad?”
It startled him every time one of them called him that. But telling her no, he’d tell her mom first, had her crawling like a crab across the room towards him. The wound on her arm was bleeding pretty badly, but the bullet had gone through her arm. It was, thankfully, healing a
lready.
Duncan tried to be as calm as he could when he reached out for Judith. She could feel his fear and anger, he was sure. When she told him they were on their way to him, all he could think about was six exceptionally large angry birds of prey coming down on whoever was out there and smashing them to smithereens. He told Tracy what he was thinking about when she asked him what was so funny.
“You don’t think they’ll be their big birds, do you? Holy crap, Dad. They’ll bring the entire town out here to see what the heck is going on.” Duncan told Tracy they’d take care of it. “Yes, I guess so. Mom, she’s going to be really ticked off if one of the others saves our butts before she can. I only hope they’re all safe.”
The loud squawking noise was the first thing they heard. He didn’t know which bird it was, but it didn’t sound like anything he’d want to hear again. Then there were dark shadows that flew over the windows of the room he and Tracy were in. They both stayed on the floor, not moving around in the event the shooter hadn’t been found yet. While they laid there, he told her about her driving school, as well as the cars he’d ordered for her and her grandparents.
He could feel her excitement. Duncan wasn’t sure if it was the fact she was going to start driving soon or that she was going to have a new car. After he and Judith talked about her driving, they’d decided a new car for her was the best way to go, especially since she might be driving her brother around too.
When the front door opened, neither of them said anything. It wasn’t until he saw a shadow that he realized it was none of the birds. Pulling Tracy to him, both of them laid there as still as they could as Hanna started toward the back of the house with a gun in her hands.
~*~
Hanna was light-headed, and she was ill. The stitches they’d put into her leg had long since come loose. She knew too that she was bleeding badly. The furnace tape that Harland had put on her was too tight, and Hanna thought she might not make it if she had to go up another flight of stairs.
She’d been able to get free of the hospital by going down a lot of stairwells. Twice she’d had to have a seat and wait a minute or two, but Harland had been right there with her with each step. Having to kill him had broken her heart, but she didn’t have time to mess with him right now.
He had wanted a grilled cheese sandwich because it was Thursday, and that was the day she made them for him. It had been her fault her brothers had to have certain things made for them through the week. Having a schedule like that was the only way at times she knew what day it was. Things had been running together for some time now.
