Plead Forgiveness: Betrayed Twice (Loyalty Series) (18 page)

Ella entered the
secret tunnel that lead into the Mackenzie fortress a few hours before dawn.
The trap door lay hidden in the hollow of an ancient yew tree, a furlong from
the castle. She moved her hand along the wall of the long, narrow tunnel until
it branched into two, one leading to the dungeons, the other to the far side of
the castle. She turned toward the iron ladder built into the wall that went to
the passageway behind the bedchambers..

Scurrying up the
ladder, she heard voices of those occupying the hall. When she reached the
first floor, she recognized Philip voice, speaking with one of his men. She quickly
learned that Gabriel, confined to a bedchamber above stairs, would receive
neither food nor water. Good, she thought, they will not notice Gabriel’s
absence immediately.

With slow, quiet
movements, she continued up the ladder to the second floor. Unaware which
chamber belonged to Gabriel, she began to panic. She then heard the soft
weeping of a child. Gabriel.

Careful not to
startle the frightened boy, she slowly entered the chamber by pushing aside a
hidden panel in the wall. To her surprise, the little boy lay face down on the
bed. She moved to the bed just as he turned over and before he could react, she
quickly covered his mouth with her hand.

“Gabriel, it’s me,
Ella.”

He recognized her
at once, threw himself into her arms and cried, “Ella, thank God! They have-”

She put her finger
to his lips and said, “Shhh . . . I know all. We will get them out. You must
listen to me very carefully and do exactly as I say.”

When he nodded,
she continued, “First, you must remain silent, especially when we are in the
secret passageways.”

When she saw his
look of confusion, she explained, “There is a reason why you were not told. You
have not yet reached your ninth summer, only then are children shown the
passageways. We do not have time for me to explain all, for we must get your
father and uncles out of the dungeon. I can’t do this alone. I will need your
help and complete trust.”

Gabriel nodded,
remembering that she had told him not to speak.

Before leaving the
chamber, she stuffed clothes under the bed cover to give the appearance of
Gabriel sleeping.  Moments later, they descended the ladder leading to the
dungeon.

She picked up her
medicinal satchel that she left at the split, and then headed to where her
brothers were imprisoned.  Her brother may have injuries that needed
immediate attention. In addition, some of her iron tools would assist in
removing their shackles.

After ordering
Gabriel to stay in the tunnel, she knelt on the ground and pulled a huge stone
out from the wall. She crawled through the small opening, and once inside with
her satchel over her shoulder, she walked slowly toward the three figures
sitting at the opposite side of the dungeon.

The torch above
the stairwell provided enough light to see her brothers shackled to the stonewall,
and only Guy looked conscious. Each one had been beaten, but their injuries
appeared not to be life threatening. As she approached, the partial light
afforded her a glimpse of the three faces she had not seen in eight years. Even
with the bruising, to her, they still looked devastatingly handsome.

Guy’s brow pulled
into an affronted frown and a muscle flicked angrily in his jaw, as he stared
at the small dark figure before him.

“Please, dinna
speak. I must get ye out of here.” She spoke with a Scottish accent to alleviate
suspicion then pulled iron tools from her satchel.

Guy choked out,
“Gabriel?”

“He is safe and in
the tunnel,” she explained, not bothering to look up as she worked on the
shackles. Thankful that her mother had taught her this valuable skill, she worked
diligently until they opened. She then pulled his ankle free from the iron.

“Who are ye? How
do ye ken of the tunnel?”

“Ye can ask me
anything after I get ye three to safety.”

Guy nodded and
watched as she removed his brothers’ shackles with strange tools that looked
quite familiar to him. When she waved something under Keir’s nose, he assumed
that she was a healer. When his brother woke, Guy quickly covered his mouth.

“Keir, dinna
speak. Gabriel is well and waiting in the tunnel. This strange lass removed our
shackles and wishes to help us to safety. All will be answered in time, but for
now remain silent.”

Keir nodded as he
looked at the female in question, but could not see her face clearly. When she
tried to wake Hamon using the same method she had used with him, he whispered,
“Drugged.”

Wasting no time,
she grabbed Hamon’s wrist and proceeded to drag his limp body to the tunnel.
Both Guy and Keir just stared at her in disbelief, then, on wobbly legs, moved
to help her.

She went through
the tunnel first to give Gabriel her satchel and instructed him to follow the
tunnel to the end. “It will be dark, so let the wall be your guide. Dinna fear,
sweetling. We will follow, but at a slower pace. They have been beaten, but
‘tis naught I canna fix.”

Gabriel nodded,
and then started down the tunnel. Although petrified, he knew Ella needed him
to conquer his fear for the sake of all their lives. He would question her
later to why she suddenly spoke like a Scot, rather than an English lass.

The small space
proved quite difficult for the large men, but with her assistance in dragging
them through the opening, they soon all stood in the tunnel.

Ella quickly slid
the stone back into place to conceal their escape route, then took hold of
Hamon’s wrists again and began to drag her limp brother down the tunnel.

Guy and Keir
grabbed their brother’s feet, lifting him to silence the dragging sound. They
used the wall to brace themselves, but had to stop twice before they came to
the end of the tunnel.

“Gabriel,” Ella
whispered.

“Aye, I’m here.”

She found his
outstretched hand, pulled him into a hug, and then pushed him into Keir.

Her heart melted
when she heard the two embrace.

Keir whisper
softly, “Gabriel, are ye hurt or harmed in any way?”

“Nae, Papa. But,
we canna talk, Ella says so.”

“Aye, but I
believe she will need our assistance,” Keir replied.

When Ella tried to
climb up the stones embedded in the wall leading to the trap door, a large hand
fell upon her shoulder.

“Let me go first,”
Guy whispered.

“Nae, ye will need
my help at the top,” she said in a hushed tone as she continued to climb up.

“Then allow me to
help.”

“Nae-” Her protest
faltered as Guy grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up to the trap door.
She did not want Guy wasting his strength on her, but knew they had little time
to argue.

With haste, she
retrieved the rope from her saddlebag, tied one end to Apollo, and then dropped
the other end to Guy.

Ignoring the rope,
Guy and Keir easily lifted Gabriel into her waiting arms. The two oldest
brothers then tied the rope around Hamon and allowed her to use her horse to
pull him through the opening of the tree hollow. She used the same method to
lift Guy, followed by Keir.

Once safely out of
the tunnel, Ella had Guy mount Apollo, the easiest of the three horses to ride.
With Keir’s help, she then tied Hamon to Guy’s back. Before mounting Righ, she
helped Keir and Gabriel onto Coisi.

Dawn had yet to
come when Keir led them through the woods towards the burn. The moon bathed the
landscape in a soft white light as it cast shadows that concealed their escape.
They stopped occasionally to listen for signs of other riders, but hearing only
crickets and moving water beyond, they continued their slow pace.

As they approached
the bridge crossing over onto Fraser land, Ella asked, “Are the Fraser’s nae
yer enemy?”

Due to the
excruciating pain rippling through his body, Keir barely heard the feminine
whisper. Baron Greystone’s men had whipped his back and feet until he blacked
out from the blood loss. He silently prayed to remain conscious long enough to
get his son, brothers, and the lass to safety.

“They are neither
enemies nor allies,” replied Guy. “Our chances are better with them than the
English.”

“RIDE,” Ella
screamed when she heard horses galloping towards them.

Both Guy and Keir
kicked the flanks of their horses, bolting to the bridge as she stayed behind
and moved into the shadows. When she pulled out her bow, she saw flaming arrows
light up the darken sky and impale the wooden bridge. They were trying to burn
the bridge down, effectively cutting off their escape route.

There were three
of them, she noticed as she took aim, and then let loose an arrow at the lead
rider. He fell dead to the ground while his companions continued their chase.
She let a second arrow fly, but a sudden gust of wind misdirected it, giving
them sufficient time to hit the bridge with two more flaming arrows. She let
loose another arrow, hitting one in between the shoulder blades, while the last
soldier raced toward the bridge.

Ella rode hard, following
in his wake. Beyond the last soldier, she saw her brothers and Gabriel moments
from crossing the bridge, which had caught fire.
 
With her heart
pounding in her chest, she took aim and killed the last man.

When Ella reached
the bridge and pulled Righ to a stop, her brothers and Gabriel stood safely on
the other side. She closed her eyes, hearing the timber splinter apart and the
splash of the wooden bridge falling into the burn. She lost her chance to cross
and be with her family. A flash of loneliness stabbed her heart as she opened
her eyes and gazed across the water.

The dawn bathed
the horizon in a red and orange glow, illuminating the landscape around the
lost sibling. Keir and Guy stood motionless, staring in utter disbelief. In the
light of the new day, they saw the face of the one they had loved so fiercely,
but thought never to see again. To recognize the sister they believed had died,
only to be separated once again, left them trembling with vicious agony and
wretched helplessness.

Hearing riders in
the distance, Ella’s chest tightened knowing that this would be the last time
she would see her family. She took once last look at her brothers, and then put
her hand over her heart to convey her love. Tears blurred her vision as she
turned and rode back into the dense woods.

Had she looked a
moment longer, she would have seen Keir and Guy put their tight fist over their
hearts while they stared at their beloved sister. Stone-hard determination
replaced shock and pain.  

Riding hard to
Doran Castle, they thought only of their sister. She risked her life to save
them. Now, like a sacrificial lamb, the wolves stalked her. 

With ardent
purpose driving them to neck breaking pace, they raced across Fraser land
determined to reach the Macleod fortress with haste. They silently vowed not
fail her, not lose their beloved sister again.

A two hours past
dawn, Gavin and Alex spotted a large party of Highlanders riding as if the
devil chased them. When the two lairds recognized the Fraser plaid worn by the approaching
riders, they gave the signal to halt the hundreds of warriors following in
their wake.

“They have Keir
and Guy,” Gavin hissed.

When Laird Fraser
slowed his mount to a stop, Alex roared, “Explain!”

Neither
intimidated nor offended by the gruff reception, Laird Cormac Fraser faced the
man he had once called ally and friend. It had been many years since Alex
allied the Mackenzies with the Macleods. Due to this disloyal act, Cormac had
severed all ties with the Mackenzies. That was until now.

Gavin Macleod’s
wife and brother had rescued his daughter yesterday, forcing Cormac to consider
putting the past behind him. Last eve, he had trouble forgetting the winsome
face of the lass who boldly threatened to cut off his tongue. She had her
mother’s green eyes and her father’s memorable smile. She inherited her sun
kissed blond hair from both her parents as well as her undeniable spirit. She
was Alex Mackenzie’s daughter, and she was very much alive. Realizing the
earth-shattering discovery, he did not hesitate to inform his once closest
friend.

“I was on my way
to see ye when I happen upon yer sons and grandson. Yer sons have taken a
beating, and nae would have made it without our help.”

Alex saw that Keir
and Guy were on their own horses, but looked as if they had just returned from
battle. Gabriel sat in front of a Fraser soldier, thankfully unharmed.

Before Alex could
ask about Hamon, Keir rode forward and said, “Hamon was drugged and has been
unconscious for many hours. Laird Fraser had him put in a cart and escorted to
the Macleod stronghold by his men.”

Although grateful
for the return of his sons and grandson, Alex wanted his daughter, who remained
in great danger. Deciding not to mince words, he stated, “Yer sister is alive.”

Keir, Guy and
Laird Fraser said at once, “Ye ken?”

“Aye, and I will
have the bastard’s head on a pike afore the day is out. Baron Greystone has
made her life hell for eight years as revenge against me. My daughter went to
him in hopes of bartering herself for yer lives.”

“She dinna go to
barter herself, she-” Guy started to say.

“Explain!” Alex
roared with sudden fury.

“She rescued us,”
Guy said slowly.

Simultaneously,
Alex and Gavin asked, “What?”

“She appeared in
the dungeon after retrieving my son from his chamber,” Keir imparted. “She
freed us from the shackles-” He startled, hearing his father’s bellow.

“Where is my
daughter?”

With haste, Keir
explained that she stayed behind without their knowledge, to kill the three
English soldiers that chased them with flaming arrows.

“The bridge caught
fire, trapping her on the other side of the burn just as the sun broke the
horizon. Only then did we see that our baby sister had saved us and . . .” He
broke off, overcome by emotion and heartache.

Rage filled the
air as Gavin and Alex listened to the events that occurred only an hour past.
The mighty lairds formulated a new plan, which Laird Fraser strengthened by
adding his warriors to the mix of fighting men. Their fighting force, well over
600 highland warriors, would split into four groups and surround the enemy,
cutting off any chance of escape.

Before leaving,
Alex went to Keir and said, “Ye must take Gabriel to Doran.” Seeing his son
about to protest, he stated, “I ken ye want to help get her back, but ye canna
fight in yer condition. I can see that yer feet bleed and suspect ye will nae
be able walk. Get yer son and my grandson to safety.”

Although his
father spoke the truth, it did nothing to ease the pain torturing his heart. He
turned to Guy and said, “I thought ye were whipped as well?”

“Aye, but nae to
the extent ye were, and nae on my feet.”

“Then go and get
our sister back.”

Guy stated with
fierce determination, “Aye, she will be with us once again.”