20
“The drawbridge is lowering!”
Sarah scooped up Siobhan and stumbled out of her tent into the dark and the cold. Three lanterns near the castle entranceway glowed brightly revealing the portcullis as it slowly rose. Siobhan began to cry and Sarah gathered with a group of other women at the front of the castle.
She had no trouble picking Mike out—always the largest in any group—as he stood waiting for the drawbridge to finish its descent. The interior of the castle was lighted too. Sarah gasped as she saw Fiona standing inside in stark silhouette in the middle of the gate tower archway—holding a gun to the head of a woman while two people operated the pulley system to open the gates.
Sarah’s heart thudded in her chest when, in spite of herself, the first thought that burst from her was, Thank you, God.
The moment the drawbridge spanned the moat and touched the ground Mike and all the men swarmed across it, weapons drawn, into the interior. They’d clearly been waiting for this moment.
Sophia ran to Sarah, her wailing baby in her arms. Her breath was visible in the cold air as she spoke.
“We’re going inside, Sarah!”
Sarah jostled Siobhan to quieten her. The rest of the women huddled in a shivering, animated group, their voices rising and lowering in excited levels of agitation.
Sarah could see Mike inside the castle talking to the man they’d seen from the window. Mike’s gun was still in his hand. Fiona ran out of the castle and back across the drawbridge.
Did it matter how they’d pulled it off? As long as nobody died and they got inside?
“Sarah!” Sophia said. “Gavin is waving for us to come inside!”
“It must be safe then,” Sarah said hurrying beside Sophia. The drawbridge couldn’t have been the original one that came with the castle, Sarah thought as she and the rest of the women picked their way across it into the castle.
Once inside, she saw two women and a man held at gunpoint by Mike’s men. Mike had holstered his gun and his eyes searched the group of women entering the castle.
He’s looking for me, Sarah thought. She got eye contact with him.
You were right her eyes told him. He smiled tiredly before turning his attention away again.
Sarah and the rest of the women moved to the curving patch of lawn in the interior of the castle. She shook her head in amazement at how manicured and beautiful the lawn looked, like nothing looked anymore in post-EMP Ireland. She thought it odd that the castle residents hadn’t paid any attention to the outside gardens but the lawn inside was meticulously maintained.
As Sarah looked up at the second floor windows that lined the castle interior, a few heads popped out to stare down at them. Terry and Tommy ran with weapons drawn into the first castle stairwell. Soon, the heads withdrew from the windows, accompanied by shrieks.
How many were in here? Sarah glanced nervously at the women around her holding babies or trying to keep little ones quiet. If they were outnumbered, could they still fight them? One thing Sarah knew now that she was inside—she wasn’t leaving.
Within minutes, Terry and Tommy were back in the courtyard leading a small group of nine women in their robes and slippers to where Mike stood.
“Everyone in the great hall,” Mike boomed out.
While it felt remarkably warmer within the castle walls than outside, it was still cold. Sarah watched as Mike and the man led the way through a wide archway toward the back of the castle. As she waited to follow, she caught a glimpse of Gavin and Fiona helping Declan walk through the front gate and then allowing him to rest while the two of them operated the pulley system to lower the portcullis and raise the drawbridge.
Sarah watched in fascination as the door closed solidly against the world and when it did a feeling of utter security and peace came over her.
Oh, my God, she thought.
I think we just captured a castle.
It was everything Mike had dreamed it would be. A small village fortress complete with a cow, two goats, dozens of chickens, enough housing for a hundred people, a small working mill house, a spring—and absolutely no way for anyone to get in.
Unless they were one tricky son of a bitch.
He was sitting at the end of a massive dining table in the great hall. Now that all the excitement was dying down, he felt the weariness of the early hour and the fact that he’d not slept last night.
Amazingly, there were only fifteen people inside the castle. One Shaun Morrison, his sister Saoirse, his mother Beryl—who had also been the museum docent and gift shop manager for ten years before the Crisis—and eight women from the village with two children.
They sat now, their backs to the walls, watching Mike and the others with hatred and fear.
Shaun sat next to Mike, his hands on the table, although Mike wasn’t worried. This lot didn’t seem to have any weapons but even if they did, Shaun Morrison didn’t strike him as the type who’d know how to use them.
“How long have you been here?” Mike asked, glancing at the compound women standing around the massive floor to ceiling stone fireplace at the far end with their children. Nuala’s two lads had discovered the castle dogs and were already on the floor playing with them. He spotted Sarah, Siobhan on her hip, watching him. It wasn’t like her to stand back but then, not much had been like her lately.
“You can’t stay here,” Shaun said tersely. His face was pinched and tense. Mike guessed him to be in his early forties. He looked lean and malnourished like all of the castle folk.
“What happened to the people in the village? We passed through and it was deserted.”
“You can’t hold us here!” one of the seated women shrieked out. Mike recognized her as Shaun’s sister.
“Regardless of how we came to be here,” Mike said to Shaun. “I’d like us to work together.”
“Impossible,” Shaun said, jerking his hands into his lap. Mike guessed it was to prevent Mike from seeing they were shaking. “You sicken one of our children, trick us…so you can come in here…you’re despicable.”
Mike turned to Gavin standing next to him. “You’re sure this is everyone?”
“Aye.”
Mike nodded. “Take Tommy and do a security sweep of the place and report back.” Gavin disappeared.
“We could help each other,” Mike said to Shaun. “You look like you could use a decent meal. I see you have a cow but when was the last time you had fresh greens?”
“Feck you and your fresh greens. We’re doing fine without you.”
“That may or may not be true but as I’ve been trying to tell you, that’s come to an end now, so it has. You’ll not be doing shite without us from now on.”
“You can’t just come in here and take over!”
“That’s exactly what I’ve done and the sooner you accept it, the better it’ll be for all of ye.”
“Are we prisoners then?”
“That’s up to you. Will ye fight us?”
The look on Shaun’s face was nearly laughable. Even he must have thought the idea of fighting Mike absurd. Mike tried another tactic.
“I see you haven’t planted the garden out front. How is it you’ve survived so long?”
Shaun looked like he wouldn’t answer but pride obviously won out. It was no easy thing to have kept his group together and at least minimally healthy for five long years.
“Trading, mostly,” he said reluctantly. “Some hunting.”
“What do you trade?”
Shaun blushed to his roots and Mike glanced at the women seated and staring at him.
Jaysus. Henredon Castle—post-apocalyptic hoor house.
“Well, that’s over now too.”
“It’s not like that,” Shaun snarled.
“Not any more it’s not.” He saw Sarah heading his way, finally too curious to stay away. As untroubled as he was about Shaun’s ability to hurt him, Mike still didn’t like the idea of Sarah or Siobhan too close to him. The man may not be armed, but he was definitely desperate.
“On my left side, Sarah,” Mike said to her as she approached. Her eyes flickered to Shaun and then sat where he’d indicated. He nearly grinned. Was this the first time she’d ever done as he’d told her to? He’d try not to get used to it.
“I’m Sarah Donovan,” she said to Shaun. “In case my husband hasn’t mentioned it, I’m sorry we had to do things this way and I understand why you were hesitant to let us in but you could see we had children and babies out there in the snow and the rain. Shame on you.”
Her admonishing tone surprised Mike but he was glad to hear it.
Almost like the old Sarah…
Shaun stared at her. “You’re American?”
“I am. So you can appreciate the damage you’ve done to international relations. My embassy will hear of it.”
Shaun’s mouth fell open and Mike laughed.
“I admit her sense of humor is peculiar,” Mike said. “But likely you’ll get used to it.” He grinned at Sarah and received a faint smile in return.
One of the castle women stood up from the bench by the wall and tentatively approached them. Mike recognized her as Shaun’s mother. He waved her toward the table.
“I just wanted to know…to ask what is to become of us,” she said in a shaking voice.
“Mother…” Shaun said, standing up.
“Sit,” Mike said to him calmly but coldly.
Shaun took his seat. Mike addressed the older woman.
“Ye’ll not be harmed, none of ye. But we will be living with you from now on.”
“Living with us?” Beryl looked from Mike to her son who was staring at his hands. “You mean in the castle?”
“Aye. And as I was just saying to your son here,” Mike locked his eyes back on Shaun, “we can do it hard or easy but sure it’s your decision.”
“That’s a threat,” Shaun said, his voice low but trembling again.
“I’m grateful you can see that without me having to spell it out.”
“But…but,” Beryl said, taking a seat at the table as her legs seem to give out on her, “this is our castle.”
“No, Missus,” Mike said gently. “Not any more it’s not.”