Blood Blade Sisters Series (31 page)

Chapter Twelve

Brynne knew Richard wouldn’t allow her to leave the clinic while the epidemic was raging, but her new boy Charlie had become a very handy messenger who had been taking letters and messages back and forth for those quarantined in the clinic. She sent a message out to Taggart the moment Richard went back to his patients. She prayed Taggart was both loyal and able enough to do what she needed.

She didn’t have to wait long. Within the hour, Charlie had returned with a parcel and a note from Taggart. Brynne tossed the boy a coin and sped up the stairs to her room. The note was simple and to the point:

I will be waiting as directed.

Brynne unwrapped the parcel. Lying inside were a pair of sturdy black trousers, a black men’s shirt, a black bandana, and her long leather duster. Brynne’s fingers skimmed over the soft leather of the coat. It had been a very long time since she’d worn this outfit. She hadn’t been sure why she’d brought it when she’d moved east, but now she was glad she had. She couldn’t do what she had planned in full skirts and corset.

Brynne stashed the clothing in her wardrobe and went back downstairs. She’d have to wait until the household had quieted for the night. There was always at least one nurse on duty, but most of those currently inhabiting the house would be tucked in their beds soon after dark.

She went impatiently about her duties for the rest of the evening, glancing at the clock in the foyer every so often. She caught Richard looking at her quizzically a few times and tried to rein in her eagerness, but it was difficult. What she was about to attempt was both foolhardy and dangerous…and completely exhilarating. And, if it worked, would both help Richard and the poor suffering souls in the clinic. She only had to wait a few more hours.

At last, it grew late and, one by one, everyone settled in for the night. Brynne went through the house, making sure all was quiet. She peeked into Richard’s office. He was slumped over his desk, quietly snoring with his head pillowed on his arms. Tenderness welled up in her. She wanted to wake him and make him go up to bed, tuck him in snug and tight where he could be comfortable and get some real rest. But if she woke him, there was no guarantee he’d go back to sleep.

She closed the office door and hurried upstairs, changing as quickly as she could. She threw a dress, sans corset, petticoats, and various under-trappings, over her trousers and shirt and carried the coat in her arms. If she were seen by anyone, she didn’t want it to look too strange. She secured her hair in a black hair net, wishing she could disguise it better. But the western style hat she’d worn in California would look too out of place in Boston.

Lastly, she strapped on her weapons. A gun at her hip, one in her boot, and her knife at the small of her back. It felt good to be armed again. In her old clothing, with the familiar weight of her weapons, she felt more like herself than she had in a very long time.

Sneaking quietly out the back kitchen door, Brynne hurried to the building undergoing construction down the lane, and went to the far eastern corner. The walls had been constructed, but a large hole gaped where the doorway would soon go. Brynne didn’t hear anything and it was too dark to see. She was about to risk going inside when she heard a soft whinney.

“Mrs. Forrester.”

Taggart had spoken softly, but Brynne still jumped. She pressed a hand to the pulse pounding in her throat and tried to calm down. If she was this jumpy before they’d even left, she’d never make it through the rest of the night.

Taggart led two horses out of the building, their hooves wrapped in cloth to help muffle the sound of their passing.

“Excellent, Taggart. Thank you.”

He simply nodded and waited for her to continue. She hadn’t told him much in her message. Hadn’t wanted to commit too much to paper in case someone else were to see it. She’d simply asked him to bring her the parcel from the top shelf in her armoire, and to “quietly” meet her with her horse across from the clinic and hoped he’d behave accordingly. And he had. Splendidly.

She quickly filled him in on the supply situation.

His eyebrow rose slightly. “And what do you intend to do, ma’am?”

“I intend to get our supplies back, Mr. Taggart. I’m sorry to involve you, but with Lucy gone, I need someone at my back. And since you were so helpful with Lucy’s situation, I hoped you might use those wonderful connections of yours to help me out again.”

“What exactly do you need from me, Mrs. Forrester?”

Taggart seemed amused, not horrified, and not surprised, which Brynne took as a good sign.

“I need to know if you have any idea where I might find the supplies that we need.”

“And if I do?”

“Then, Mr. Taggart, I’ll need you to watch my back while I retrieve them.”

Taggart pondered for a moment, long enough that Brynne had time to worry she’d trusted the wrong man. Finally, he spoke.

“It so happens that I do know where such supplies might be kept. However, they won’t be easy to get to. Would you perhaps like to arrange a deal instead? It would be far easier to purchase the items you need.”

“Yes, Mr. Taggart, I’m sure it would be. And Dr. Oliver is prepared to do exactly that. However, I’ve always been disinclined to purchase the same item twice. I have little doubt the items in question were the same ones stolen from Dr. Oliver. I intend to see they are returned to him.”

“How do you propose going about that, ma’am?”

“I…have a little experience in this area.”

Taggart’s eyebrows rose in disbelief and Brynne suppressed her irritation. Most men would find it difficult to believe a sweet, innocent, weak woman could be a bandit, and a successful one at that. Even Leo, her brother-in-law twice over, had had a hard time accepting it, even when he’d been faced with three gun-wielding women.

“Believe me or not, Mr. Taggart. All I really need from you is the location and your eyesight.”

Taggart’s smile looked terrifying in the dark, the tattooed lines on his chin making his mouth look distorted in the weak moonlight. “All right, Mrs. Forrester. I’ll show you where you can find your supplies.”

“Wonderful. One moment, please.”

Brynne quickly removed her dress, ignoring Taggart’s huff of surprise when she started unbuttoning her clothing. She rolled the dress into a ball and stowed it in a saddle bag, then shoved her arms through her coat sleeves. She hesitated about covering her face with the bandana. While she didn’t want anyone to recognize her, she might pass for a man in the darkness. But with her face covered, it would be too obvious she was up to something. She left it tied about her neck. She could always yank it into place if necessary.

Taggart couldn’t hide his surprise at her appearance.

Brynne sighed. “It’s a very long story, Mr. Taggart.”

“It’s one I would very much like to hear one day, Mrs. Forrester.”

Brynne laughed. “Help me get through this without getting caught and I’ll tell you every sordid detail.”

“That definitely makes what we are about to do worth it, ma’am.”

Brynne snorted and mounted her horse. They moved out quietly, sticking to the side streets and back alleys as much as possible. There were a few poor souls out, but with the recent outbreak of scarlet fever, most people were keeping to their homes. It was too late and too cold to be out and about anyway.

Still, Brynne reveled at the feel of her old clothes on her back. The bandana still held the familiar smell of the ranch. She could almost imagine she was once again riding the trails with her sisters, on their way to a raid or on one of their trips to bring supplies to the townspeople they had helped under the guise of the outlaw.

“Blood Blade rides again,” Brynne murmured.

Taggart led her to a rundown warehouse near the docks. Brynne glanced around. She couldn’t see anyone, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anyone there. She let her hand stray to the gun strapped to her hip, feeling some comfort in its solid weight.

Taggart pulled his horse up alongside hers and leaned in close.

“The supplies you seek are inside that warehouse, on the east end,” he said, pointing toward a corner of the building. “There is a window near the back that is missing. You should be able to fit through it. It leads to a small basement area. I’m not sure where the medical supplies might be. You might need to go upstairs, but the basement is relatively secure and would be the best place to store their more valuable acquirements. I’ve heard they have medical supplies for sale, though I can’t be positive they’ll still be there.”

“Do I want to know how you know all this?”

A wry smile passed his lips. “Most of it is easy enough to discover if you keep your ears open. As for the rest, I followed them.”

“You what?”

“I met with them some weeks back. Afterwards, I followed them back here. The men I dealt with are certainly not the brains of the business. They had no idea they were being followed.”

“Do I want to know why you were meeting with them?”

“Probably not, ma’am. I assure you, it had nothing to do with you or yours and in no way endangered your family. It was a…small personal matter.”

Brynne took several deep breaths, worrying for a moment about what kind of man she’d invited into her home. His familiarity with thugs and black marketers was disturbing, to say the least. Then again, he appeared to be on her side. He might have dangerous connections, but as of yet, he’d used them to help her and her family.

And she was the last person who had the right to judge him either for his less-than-legal actions or for the company he kept. For now, at least, he’d earned her trust. “Thank you, Mr. Taggart.”

“Are you intending to take all of the supplies?”

“The thought had crossed my mind,” she said, trying not to layer her words with too much sarcasm. The man was helping her after all, most likely going against his comrades. Which was something they would need to discuss if they got out of this in one piece. For now, she was grateful he was willing to double cross them to help her.

“How, exactly, are we going to do that, ma’am?”

“I hadn’t quite figured that part out yet, Mr. Taggart.”

Even in the darkness, she could see his eyebrows rise.

“I’ll think of something.”

“Very well, ma’am.” His voice was thick with amusement. “If I see anyone, I will whistle.”

Brynne nodded. Here went nothing. She dismounted and helped Taggart get the horses settled in an alleyway across from the warehouse.

“If I’m not back in fifteen minutes…” Brynne started.

“You aren’t going to ask me to leave you, are you ma’am?”

“Hell, no. If I’m not back in fifteen, you’d better get some reinforcements and come in and save my sorry skin.”

Taggart laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

If things went bad, the last thing Brynne wanted was to drag him down with her. But she had a daughter to worry about now and she had no intention of leaving Coraline orphaned if there was any help for it. She felt bad about involving Taggart, but she had to admit, having him as backup did make her feel a great deal better about skulking around in that warehouse where who-knew-what awaited her.

The warehouse appeared empty and deserted and had been for quite some time if appearances could be believed. The perfect place for a load of contraband, she supposed. Brynne followed Taggart’s directions, keeping her back pressed along the side of the building as she made her way to the far eastern corner. Once there, she saw the window he said was missing. It was missing all right, but how he supposed she could squeeze through it, she had no idea. It was tiny.

There were other windows, but not many and most were several feet off the ground, higher than she could reach. There were no doors along this side of the building either. She debated scouting along the perimeter of the building for another entry point but didn’t have the time to waste.

She took a deep breath and slowly blew the air out. She crouched down and looked through the window. It looked into a small basement area. The floor of the inside was sunken several feet below the level of the window. The rest of the interior of the building was so dark she couldn’t make out anything for a moment. Stacks of boxes were scattered near the window and back walls. There was a faint light coming from somewhere, but it was far enough off that she should be safe enough entering through the window.

In fact, despite its ridiculous size, the window was the perfect point of entry. It was low to the ground and hidden enough that even if there were people inside, they wouldn’t see her.

Brynne took off her coat, instantly missing its warmth, and then removed her gun belt. There was no way she’d fit through the window with them on. She took comfort in the fact that she still had the other gun if she needed it. She folded her coat over a few times, wrapping the gun and belt inside it, and stashed it behind a broken crate. Hopefully, it would still be there when she got back.

She nudged out the few remaining shards of glass in the frame and shimmied through the window feet first. Brynne did fine until she got to her hips. She had a terrifying moment envisioning herself being wedged halfway inside. She bet a few years ago she wouldn’t have had a problem. Then again, she’d given birth since then, and hadn’t been particularly active since moving to Boston. She resolved to remedy that situation as she wiggled and squirmed her way through, dropping lightly to her feet inside the warehouse.

Brynne immediately crouched down and ducked behind a stack of crates. It didn’t take long for her eyes to become accustomed to the dark and she got her bearings as quickly as possible.

There were crates, piles of sacks, and miscellaneous bundles everywhere. How in the world was she going to find the supplies she needed?

Several boxes of supplies were piled up in the room, but not what she was looking for. Of course, the clinic could use everything the bastards had stashed, but without a wagon to haul it all back, there was no way she could get it all out of there. Especially not if she had to cram everything through the tiny window.

Brynne hunkered down and thought for a moment. A sound up the stairs where the light originated drew her attention and she crept closer. Two men’s voices drifted to her and Brynne pressed back against the wall, her heart pounding in her throat. Muffled voices muttered about something Brynne couldn’t quite catch. Something about a deal and…the doctor! They must be discussing Richard and the proposed drop for the next day.