Never Never (21 page)

“Shaun, there are still women in the kitchen,” she said.

“I'll get them,” he said. “Is my mother with you?”

She nodded.

“Tell her to go to the clinic.” He turned and ran back downstairs and across the courtyard. Any moment he expected another fireball to come flying through the air and drop right between his shoulder blades. He ran to the dining hall.

“Oy!” he shouted. “Is anyone in here?”

Sophia and Catriona came running into the dining room from the adjoining kitchen with hands full of dishtowels and eyes wide with fear.

“I need ye to stay here until someone comes for you,” he said.

“What's happened? Is anyone hurt? Are they attacking?”

“You'll be fine as long as you stay inside,” he said. “I'll send someone for you when it's safe.”

They nodded grimly and he bolted back outside.

Was that the first volley? Would there be more? Would they wait until the castle relaxed again? Or would they know that everyone would stay indoors now and further attacks of that kind would be wasted?

Shaun ran back through the exposed courtyard and dashed into the stairwell—the furthest one by the north watchtower.

He glanced up to see one of the compound men, and cursed the fact that they had not decided on a way to signal or communicate. Were the bastards setting up for another onslaught? Once inside, he ran to the clinic on the second floor. Mike was waking but still groggy. His mother was there too with Sarah and Fiona. A fledgling worry throbbed at the base of his skull but he couldn't put a finger on what—among everything else—it could be. All he knew was that something else was wrong and if he could just take a moment to focus his thoughts, he'd probably realize what it was.

He just didn't have that moment right now.

“What do we do now?” Sarah asked. She was holding her daughter in her arms and looked like she was going to break down any minute.

He turned to his mother.

“How do we secure the castle?” he asked bluntly. “Tell me what we should do.”

Beryl stared at him with her mouth open and then glanced at the others in the room.

“Shaun,” she said in a small voice. “Henredon Castle is a tourist destination. We have no defense against modern weaponry.”

“Come on, Mother!” he said, feeling the fury pulse through him. “For years you've been telling me this place is fecking impregnable and now I need to know
how
!”

“It…it
is
impregnable against medieval weapons, Shaun,” his mother said, her eyes filling with tears. “But against mortars or…or rocket launchers…be reasonable.”

He couldn't believe what he was hearing—and who he was hearing it from. He stared at her as if she had betrayed his entire childhood.

“You are telling me that all this time it was rubbish?” he screamed. “We are fecking defenseless?”

Mike swung his feet from the bed and sat on its edge, but his shoulders flinched with the pain.

“Steady on,” Mike said. “How were any of us to know we'd have to deal with assault rifles and flying incendiary bombs?”

As soon as Mike spoke, the undeveloped thought that had been nagging at Shaun jumped to the forefront of his mind like a sledgehammer pounding home.

Where was Saoirse?

“
C
ommander
, sir!” the private said loudly as he snapped to attention. “Permission to approach!”

Hurley frowned and looked at Brady who stood beside him in the tent. The Prefect widened his eyes as if to say he had no idea what the private wanted. Fury coursed through Hurley.

Did the imbecile know nothing? It was his job to know!

“Enter!” Hurley spat out, his eyes never leaving Brady's. The man had begun to sweat.

The tent flap opened and two soldiers entered with a homely stout woman between them. The fury welled up inside Hurley until he thought he might murder everyone in the tent in the next few minutes.

“I don't care if she shits gold bullion,” he snarled at the soldiers as he pulled his gun from his shoulder holster, “how dare you bring her to me?”

“She says she knows a secret way into the castle,” one of the soldiers blurted.

Hurley slid his piece back into his holster. An oily smile spread across his face.

“Does she now?”

N
o one slept that night
.

Mike's head was pounding and his shoulder was a dull spasm of ongoing pain, but he dragged himself off the bed. Fiona, Beryl and Sarah—holding Siobhan—had spent the night in the clinic. The three women looked at him in surprise as he moved to Declan's bedside. He found the handgun that he had instructed Shaun to place there on the table by the bed.

Satisfied, he turned to face the women, their faces alert and expectant.

“What do we do now?” Beryl asked.

Mike felt sorry for her. It wasn't her fault that the castle wasn't capable of withstanding a twenty-first century assault. She acted like she had let everyone down somehow.

“Will you stay in the clinic and help Fi with Declan?” he asked.

She flushed with relief. “Of course I will.”

“Is that Dec's old handgun?” Fiona asked.

“It is. Not that I think you'll need it but I don't know what to expect from today.”

He looked at Sarah.

“Will you listen to me and mind what I say, Sarah?” He didn't have the strength to fight his wife
and
the bastards outside.

She hesitated but then nodded.

“Gather the other women and take Siobhan to the nursery. Wait there until this is over.”

“Shaun said there are still two women in the kitchen,” Sarah said.

“They're safe enough where they are,” Mike said. “No sense in crossing the courtyard if we don't have to.”

Shaun opened the door and stepped inside.

“Everybody ready?” he asked, his eyes going to his mother first.

“Where are the lads?” Mike asked, wincing in pain but gratified to realize it didn't hurt has bad as it had even minutes before.

“All four men are either on the parapet or patrolling the crenellated towers,” Shaun said. “Basically just watching.”

“What about the girls and their longbows?” Fiona asked. “They've been practicing for weeks now.”

Mike shook his head. “They'll be useless against repeating rifles. I'd rather they stay safe for now.”

“How are we for guns and ammunition?” Sarah asked.

“We're fine,” he said. They weren't at all fine. There was no way they could go head to head with that lot outside when it came to gun power. He saw the fear in Sarah's eyes and he hated seeing it worse than the pain in his shoulder.

This is exactly what she was afraid would happen.

He glanced at Beryl. “Do we have any kind of weaponry at all in the castle?”

She paused. “There's a trebuchet,” she said.

“Isn't that for
taking
a castle?” Shaun said, his frustration pinging off him in waves.

“It's for whatever we can use it for,” Mike said. “Get Gavin and Tommy to position it in the courtyard.”

“What are you thinking of loading it with?” Shaun said with exasperation. “We're a little short of boiling pitch.”

“The fire bomb killed the cow,” Sarah said as she gazed in the direction of the courtyard. “It's at least something to throw.”

“Dear God,” Shaun said. “My life has turned into a Monty Python skit.”

Mike grinned and saw that some of the tension had been let out of the room. He sobered and narrowed his eyes at Shaun.

“Where's your sister?” he said. Somehow he couldn't see Saoirse sitting with the rest of the women, knitting and waiting quietly for her fate to be decided by the menfolk.

“Sophia said Gavin had someone watching her,” Sarah said.

“Find her.”

“Aye,” Shaun said, his face flushing. Mike knew the responsibility for his sister must be onerous. But now was not the time for mentally disturbed women to be roaming the castle.

As Mike left the clinic he gave Fiona a reassuring smile and motioned for everyone besides Beryl to leave. A glance out the window told him it was no longer the darkest part of the night. Dawn couldn't be far off.

T
he rest
of the early morning was spent positioning the trebuchet in the courtyard and periodically looking down at the army encampment in front of the castle.

Mike placed Terry and Kev on opposite sides of the castle. Kevin watched the oceanside and Terry the front. So far, it appeared that the army was focused on getting a good night's sleep.

That's more than any of us will have
, Mike thought tiredly as he braced himself for another wave of pain in his shoulder. Sarah had stitched the gash closed right after he was brought to the clinic. So long as it didn't get infected, it should mend well enough.

The trebuchet was a recent reproduction but it was still a rickety contraption. They quickly rejected the idea of loading up the smoldering, bloody cow carcass, but had little else to toss over the ramparts. Even if they had something to launch, Mike reflected, there was little hope it would do enough damage to warrant the effort.

The only real plan with any chance at all was the one that involved withstanding a siege. Mike felt a wave of hopelessness crash over him. What kind of bad luck was it that they should be attacked before they had a chance to build their stores? Sarah was right. They couldn't last long in a siege. They just weren't ready. It never occurred to him before how passive that kind of battle was. It was almost as bad as hiding and hoping nobody found you.

Almost.

Mike stood by the stone archway that led to the main courtyard and watched the sky begin to lighten. Gavin had rescued the two women from the kitchen—one of them Sophia—and delivered them upstairs to wait with the other women and the sleeping children. He stood now beside Mike and scanned the tops of the castle walls while Tommy knelt by the trebuchet, unable to give up on it. Shaun emerged from the archway on the far side of the castle.

“Did you find her?” Mike asked.

Shaun shook his head. “She's not in the castle,” he said.

A shank of ice drilled into Mike's spine. “How is that possible?”

Before Shaun could answer, a voice shouted down to them from the front gate tower.

“Mike!” Terry yelled. “They're calling to us! They're ready to parlay!”

Mike pushed off the stone wall, his excitement building.

“Ask them what they want,” he called up.

“Nay, Mike,” Terry said, his face streaked with dirt. “The bastard says he'll only talk to Mike Donovan.”

H
ow 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.

“
I
t'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.