57. Chapter 57 - Kaitlyn

CHAPTER 57 - KAITLYN

A CELLAR UNDER A brOTHEL IN STAUNTON, VIRGINIA - 1775

T he hatch was bolted above us and we were in total darkness.

I could hear Asgall’s footsteps recede on the damp ground, then I heard his creaking steps above us as he crossed the wooden floor.

Then I realized, very far away, like on the second floor I could hear moaning, what was...?

Someone was having loud sex.

I said, “Someone is having sex? What is happening?”

Magnus’s voice through the darkness near me. “Aye, tis a brothel. I want ye tae stay behind me.”

I stepped closer and stood there, both of us facing the door until it became obvious that no one was coming for us. That was it, we were locked in a dark basement.

He asked, “Dost ye hae a knife on ye?”

“I did, for the first time I did, Magnus, but they removed it before they threw me onto the helicopter.”

“Och nae, ye finally learned the lesson and yet were foiled. Well, we need tae find something tae cut the bindings from my wrists.”

“Yes, definitely.” With my hands in front of me I felt around at the height of my waist, but then finding nothing I started looking higher, being very cautious not to... I banged my knee hard. “Owie.” I rubbed it.

Magnus’s voice through the darkness, “Ye are well, Kaitlyn?”

It took me a beat to get my breath back, but then I said, “Yeah, yeah, fine. It was just a…” I felt a piece of vertical wood. “…a stud where I—” Something sliced the pad of my left middle finger. “Ow, shit, I sliced myself.”

It was instantly damp, that was going to be...

Magnus asked, “Tis bad?”

“Let me see... or rather, I can’t see, let me... hold on.” I wrapped my hand in my skirt and held it tight. Then I put it in my mouth for a second. It was still bleeding. I put the finger back against my skirt. “It’s not bleeding much, it’s going to be okay, I think.”

“I will kill him.”

“But the good news, there’s something sharp near here, bad news, it bites.” I added, “Let me use the force... see if I can figure it out without getting cut again.”

Magnus said, “The force like in Star Wars.”

“I can see you are a good modern boy.”

“Ye canna see anything, tis why ye are usin’ the force.”

I chuckled and used my foot to prod around. I was in a corner. I felt along the bottom of the walls, keeping my face well away, and established that about two feet up was where the sharp thing was situated.

I wadded up my skirts and carefully reached forward, making small swipes and tentative juts until I felt something out of place and homed in on it. I came in from the side and figured out it was hard and flat, the sharp place was pointing left. Then I figured out I could lower my bundled hand down the length of… it was a blade, a long blade, and then finally a handle.

I whispered, “There’s a machete right here, it’s a gardening implement, I think, stored between the studs. It’s blade up though, the handle is down, it’s not going to be easy to get out.” I added, “Man, it is dark, wish my eyes would adjust.”

“Aye. Maybe ye daena hae tae get it out, could I just rub the bindings against the blade?”

“I don’t think so, it’s too… how much room do you have between your wrists for a blade?”

“Barely any light between them.”

“Yeah, we’re not doing that, I’m going to get this knife out of the wall. I’m going to be very slow and cautious, the kind of slow and cautious that means no one gets hurt.”

I crouched and moved slow like in tai-chi. “Slowly… slooowwwwlllly…” I added, “Can you step back just a bit?”

He did, but asked, “How come, if ye are being cautious?”

“Because I changed my mind.” I reached out and with the fabric around my hand, grabbed where I assumed the handle was. I lift-tossed it up — it dropped back.

“Trying again, one, two, three…” I lift-tossed it, knocked it away from the wall, and jumped back. The machete flipped out and clattered to the ground.

We both listened.

There was nothing but the sounds of someone going, oh, oh, oh, oh, and a man going grunt grunt . “How long will that last?”

“Depends on how drunk he is.” He put his foot out to feel the blade, where it was, tapping back and forth and then he reached down and with the machete in his hand said, “Here, hold it out like this. Daena move it. I am going tae put m’wrists against the blade.”

I held it in both hands. I held it as still as I could.

He was close, his breathing shallow with exertion as he worked on the bindings.

He asked, “Tis alright, ye hae it?”

I said, “Yeah, go for it, I got it.” The end of the blade went up and down against his force. I wished I could hold it more securely, but I did my best. Finally there was a strong downward push,

He said, “I am free.”

“Oh thank God.” He put his arm around my shoulders, feeling down my arm, and pulled the knife from my hand. “I will hide the blade, how is yer finger?”

I put it in my mouth again. “It’s good, stopped bleeding.”

“Good, now we are goin’ tae sit down.”

He shifted his feet around, checking the floor. “Sit behind me, I’m goin’ tae face the door.”

We lowered to the floor at the same time and then I hugged around his back. I kissed his shoulder and nestled my head against the back of it. “Do you think the kids are okay?”

“I think they are verra frightened, but Emma is there, and Hayley. They will take care of them for us, until we return.”

I nodded my head against his shoulder. The tears were coming, welling up. “I am so sorry about Sean, so so sorry, my love.” I held him tighter.

I felt him nod quietly. He lifted my hand and kissed my closest finger. “I ken.”

We sat quietly, until he said, “I canna believe he is gone, he has been the most important man in m’life since I can remember. He was always m’older brother, the one who would look after me. He died tryin’ tae look after me. He wanted tae build m’walls and keep m’son safe, och nae, his sons are goin’ tae miss him. He was goin’ tae be important. I was goin’ tae make him a laird of his own castle, as soon as this was over.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I kissed his shoulder and held on.

He said, “I ken we are in dire straights, and I ought tae be fightin’ our way free, but seein’ m’brother slain in front of me has knocked me loose from m’moorings. I daena ken how tae do any of this.”

I tightened my grip.

He said, “He was always the head of the castle. He had gained the job well before twas his. He was a better leader than the Earl. He was more skilled than Uncle Baldie. And after Baldie passed, Sean assumed the position of head of the castle. The Earl’s son dinna have a thing tae say on it. He left and went tae Edinburgh, because Sean was the only man the Campbells would follow.”

“And Maggie loved him, he was a good man.”

His hand stroked the back of mine. “Aye, she will be devastated.”

We were quiet as sounds above us went from ungh, ungh, ungh, ungh , to a loud uuuunnngggghhhhh .

Magnus said, “Thank God, that is over.”

We were quiet for a moment until I said, “It was distracting at least, now I’m thirsty.”

“Aye, I hae been imprisoned before, tis the thirst and hunger that will break ye.”

Tears welled up. “Is anyone looking for us, will they find us?”

“Aye, they will find us, once they are looking, and the good news is that they will be lookin’ for us, because he plans tae trade us for something. He will tell Lady Mairead that he has the King and Queen of Riaghalbane and I expect she will find us within about three minutes. She might already ken where we are.”

I nodded. “That makes me feel better.”

He said, “And once they open the door at the top of the steps. I will fight us free.”

“Don’t die, my love.”

“I winna.” He joked, “I canna die, I hae too much revenge tae seek.”

“Plus Jack needs you. He’s barely met us — if something happens to us when he’s one year old, he will never remember.”

“He will remember us in his heart, but I ken what ye mean. It has not been enough, and goes back tae what I was saying, I will kill him for this. Asgall is maggot-food, he just haena realized it yet.”