32

How does the blackguard know my name?

Mike turned to go into the stairwell before climbing to the top parapet where Terry stood. Unlike where he and Shaun spoke to each other when Mike was on the outside, the parapet afforded a comforting shield against possible gunfire.

“Stay here,” he said to Gavin. The lad was right on his heels. Mike winced at the first step up but the question of how the bastard outside knew him combined with his growing belief that the attack might be coming to a head blunted the pain in his shoulder.

Terry met him at the most exposed corner of the catwalk and nodded in the direction of where it was enclosed over the front gate tower.

His initial impulse was to stand unobstructed and deal with their visitors face on. But with so many soldiers and possible points of attack it would be impossible to watch them all. A sniper could too easily pick him off. He slipped into the tower and stepped to the right of the nearest loophole window. Used largely in medieval castles for archers to shoot without being seen, Mike would be able to speak from here without danger of being shot.

“I am Mike Donovan,” he bellowed out the window. “Why are you here?” His heart was pounding in his chest. Seeing the army was much worse than hearing about it. They stretched as far as he could see. It was getting less possible to believe it was all a mistake of some kind.

A large man in full army regalia materialized out of the morning mist and stood in front of the moat staring up at Mike’s window. Again, Mike had to force himself not to step forward. Pride goeth before being shot through the heart, he reminded himself.

“My name is Centurion Commander Padraig Hurley,” he said. “I am here to destroy this castle and all who cower within its walls.”

Can’t be clearer than that.

“You cannot fight me and win,” Hurley said. “But there is another way.”

“I’m listening,” Mike said.

“My men and I will pack our tents and leave you in peace, not a hair touched on your good people.”

“And all we have to do?”

“Not we, Donovan. You. All you have to do is come out and face me.”

A trickle of fear burned in Mike’s stomach.

“Do I know you?” he asked.

“Not at-all.”

Mike watched the army begin to move about. He could only imagine how they’d fed themselves on the road. Likely at the expense of anybody they met who had something of value that could be taken from them.

“Do I have your word if I come down you won’t try to come in?”

“Aye. I’m a soldier. My business is only with you,” Hurley said. “You have ten minutes. If you make us go through the siege, I’ll torture everyone inside including the bairns. And you’ll be the last to die. Think about it.” The man turned and walked into his tent.

I should have given orders to shoot him, Mike realized. Too late now.

He glanced at Terry who stood by the back wall staring at Mike. Mike stepped back onto the catwalk over the castle interior. Sarah was there.

“Sarah, I’m nearly sure I asked you to stay with the other women.”

“You’re not going out there,” she said. “That is not happening.”

Did he have a choice? Or any time to come up with another plan?

“You heard what the bastard said,” Mike said wearily. And in that moment, he had the sickening realization that there was no way out of this. If the maniac on the other side of the wall had a beef with him and was willing to let the castle alone, then that beat sieges or whatever other desperate plan the castle had at the moment.

“You know he intends to kill everyone no matter what you do!” Sarah said.

He put a hand out and drew her to him. She felt thin as her shoulders trembled under his hand.

“We can’t withstand them,” he said softly.

“You said this castle was impregnable! Why the hell did we march all the way across Ireland?”

“It is. Or it would be. But with fire bomb launchers like the one this morning? Even if they don’t batter down the front gate, we’ll be starving within two weeks. All they have to do is wait us out.”

“Then let them wait! Don’t make it easy for them. We’re safe in here as long as we don’t open that gate. Same as before when we were the ones trying to get in.”

He took her by the hand and led her down the stairwell to the courtyard interior. Most of the women had gathered there now with their babies in their arms and small children sleepily by their feet.

Sarah shook off his hand. “We’ll post a sniper. Next time he shows himself…Bam! Head of the snake. Once we take him out the army will leave.”

Shaun stood next to Ava as he watched Mike and Sarah emerge from the stairwell.

“Sarah,” Mike said helplessly, “we don’t have time for that. We have ten minutes.”

“You can’t go out there!” she said, her eyes wild with horror. Mike turned away. He couldn’t bear to see his own fear reflected in her face.

Shaun, his face solemn, took two steps toward him.

“I swear I’ll do everything to protect and care for them,” he said.

“Mike, no!” But the tears in Sarah’s voice told him she knew it was the only way. She was just railing against the unfairness of it.

He turned to Gavin and embraced him. Sophia ran to them with Maggie and he brought her into the hug.

“I love ye both so dearly,” he said. “And God willing, I’ll see ye again before the day’s end.” He kissed Sophia’s cheek and then the baby’s head. They turned away, Sophia openly sobbing.

“We love you, Mike,” Nuala said as she brought Siobhan to him.

He nodded and took the baby, then turned and opened his arms to Sarah. She came stiffly to his side as if hypnotized.

“No, Mike,” she murmured into his shoulder with the baby between them. “You can’t leave me. You swore you never would.”

“I need ye to tell Fiona goodbye for me,” he said softly. “I pray I see you later…on the other side of…things.” He looked at Terry. “Tell ‘im I’m coming out.” Terry reached out a hand to grip Mike’s shoulder and then, with tears in his eyes, turned toward the stairwell.

“Raise the drawbridge,” Mike said to Tommy. “Gavin and Kev, stand ready, guns aimed. If it looks like anyone is coming toward the castle while the door is open, shoot to kill.” As he looked at Sarah, his eyes softened with how much he loved her and the burning guilt of how he’d let her down.

“I’m sorry,” he said and kissed her. Then he turned and straightened his shoulders as the drawbridge began to lower.

---

“It’s so quiet, isn’t it?” Beryl said as she folded the last of the clean bandages and stacked them on the counter by the window. “I wonder if the blighters outside will give up and go away when they realize how hopeless it is.”

“I pray for that,” Fiona said as she helped Declan to a sitting position in his bed. He smiled at her weakly but at least seemed to know who she was. “Are ye hungry, Dec?” she asked.

“Aye,” he said woozily. “Is Ciara near?”

“Sure, no,” Fiona said as she settled next to him with a cup of broth. “She plays all day in the castle nursery.”

“She’s happy then?”

“As two clams,” Fiona said, smiling bravely as she poised a spoon of broth by his lips. “I’ll bring her by this evening after dinner. How’s that?”

“That’s grand,” he said wearily and took the broth.

“He’s looking much better,” Beryl said shyly. “Getting stronger every day, so he is.”

“I think so too,” Fiona said. And she did. Declan was definitely making progress.

“Where is everyone?” he asked, looking over Fiona’s shoulder.

“Working,” Fiona said. “Mike was in here a few minutes ago. You slept right through it.”

“What happened to him?”

Fiona glanced at Beryl who blushed and looked away. It must be hell to constantly be apologizing for Saoirse, Fiona thought. Although it looked as if Beryl had given up on that, allowing Shaun to carry the load of responsibility for his difficult sister.

“Nothing that wasn’t easily sorted out with a well placed stitch or two,” Fiona said brightly, “and some of Sarah’s miracle antibiotics.”

Declan gestured to the handgun laying on the side table by a pitcher of water.

“You can never be too safe,” Fiona responded cryptically.

“Is there something going on?”

“Nothing to worry about.” Fiona caught Beryl’s eye again and the older woman shrugged sadly. No sense in upsetting Declan. He could hardly do anything about what was happening.

“I miss being…a part of things,” he said wistfully.

“You will be soon enough,” Fiona said. “Don’t forget there’s the castle toilet needs retrenching so you might want to enjoy your time off while you can.”

Declan grinned and shook his head at the broth spoon. His smile faded as he regarded Fiona.

“Not what you signed on for,” he said.

“Don’t be daft.”

“I love you, Fi.” His eyes filled with tears.

“I love you too,” she said, rubbing tears from her own eyes and trying to smile. She noticed Declan was distracted by a movement behind her where Beryl was working. Fiona turned to see what he was looking at and realized that Beryl was standing perfectly still by the supply closet with her face gone bone white.

“What is it, Beryl?” Fiona asked, and stood up. That was when she heard the sound. An indescribable rumbling or vibrating noise was coming from the walls. Fiona felt the tips of her fingers begin to tingle. She watched Beryl’s face as the woman stared at the closed door of the closet.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Two men in camouflage filled the entranceway of the closet, their rifles pointing at shoulder height.

Beryl screamed. Instantly a belch of fire erupted from both guns and Beryl staggered backward with a fountain of blood shooting from her chest.

Fiona stared in horror as Beryl fell groaning to the floor. Another gunshot exploded in the air—this one near Fiona’s face—and she saw one of the soldiers jerk spasmodically as if yanked by a rope. Blood gushed out of his neck and he dropped his rifle.

Fiona lunged for the dropped gun as more shots shattered the small room.