*
Pierce returned to the billiard room to find Colonel Bufford and Zeidt still at odds. Bufford was hollering and blustering so vehemently that Pierce could only piece together the words; cheat, money, and toad. Zeidt remained silent, but kept jabbing his cue stick towards Bufford in an attempt to keep him at a distance and to aggravate him further. This time however Schell did not intervene. In fact he sat lounging on a stool by the bar beside Veronique.
Pierce remained silent, watching the proceeding from the door, awaiting his valet’s arrival.
“I am not paying another dog gone cent to you mister!” bellowed Bufford loudly, pointing his finger at Zeidt’s face.
“You insult me sir!” replied Zeidt, throwing the cue stick to the floor.
“Do you throw down sir?” inquired Bufford, his rage turning to enthusiasm.
“Well I shall certainly not take any more abuse from you!” he countered indignantly.
Melrose appeared behind Pierce at that moment, distracting him from the scene inside.
“You sent for me sir?” inquired Melrose professionally, ignoring the tempest in the room beyond. Pierce motioned his valet to follow him into the hall.
“I’ve just heard that Lord Lodge is very ill and that Dr. Cleaver is attending to him in his rooms,” Pierce explained, pulling Melrose into a quiet corner of the hall.
“But that’s impossible, since you met him in the pub this afternoon.”
“Precisely. Something’s not right here. He’s in trouble, since it sounds like an easy way to explain his death.”
“His death?”
“Think about it Melrose. Cleaver’s got him locked up and away from the Manor. He’s made up this illness story so that if something were to happen to him, it could be explained away. They would simply need to bring the body back. I’m not sure what the good doctor’s plan is, but I intend to get Lodge out. Tonight.”
“I couldn’t agree more sir, what do you need?”
“I need you to gather the Brown Pack at once, but quietly. No one else can know about this. I will meet you all in their hall shortly.” Melrose nodded and calmly walked away.
As soon as he left, those from the Billiard room emptied out into the hall. They were quickly joined by the inhabitants of the salon, creating a noisy exodus. Schell walked over, seeing Pierce’s quizzical look.
“Bufford challenged Zeidt to a duel, word spread,” he explained waving towards the crowd with a bottle of Champagne. “Since there’s nothing else going on tonight, we figured we’d start a bonfire and watch.”
“Why is Zeidt duelling Bufford? He doesn’t seem like the duelling type.”
“It’s his turn,” offered Schell with a shrug. “Don’t worry, eventually we all take a turn. The Colonel is only happy when he’s duelling. Will you join us?”
“Perhaps later, my valet just informed me of something I have to look into. It shouldn’t take me long.”
“Well bring another bottle when you come,” he said lifting his. “This can’t possibly last me long enough.”
Schell turned and quickly joined the crowd walking down the corridor, their excited voices filling the otherwise quiet halls.
Pierce waited for them to get out of sight before setting off to the Brown Pack’s lair. Despite the darkness of the Manor he was able to make his way without any wrong turns or detours. Eventually he found himself in the foyer facing the three coloured doors.
He pulled out the ornate key he’d been given to unlock the massive door. The Brown Hall was always locked, due to the myriad of weapons stored inside and because they didn’t trust anyone. The key slid in and he turned it effortlessly. He entered quietly locking the door behind him.
In the anteroom he stopped, listening to the voices from the hall beyond. He could clearly hear Liam questioning what was going on. MacDuff quickly told him to wait and find out. He was hesitant to enter, having never been much of a leader before. Leader’s had to stand above the rest and he’d always taken the safer route and kept a low profile. But now he felt different, more confident and determined to take charge. A man’s life was potentially at risk and he knew he couldn’t sit by. Pierce took a breath and then confidently marched into the hall, ready to face his men.
“Gentlemen,” announced Pierce from the edge of the room. “I have an urgent request for you. It is not an order, as your discovery could be detrimental to your employment here. I need your help and there is no one else at the Manor whom I trust. If you want out of it, I won’t hold it against you.”
Melrose stood at attention along the wall, remaining motionless as if his feet were fastened in place. Being privy to the situation, he was prepared for the speech and displayed no emotion.
The pack however, reacted differently. MacDuff stood in the middle of the room, closest to Pierce. He had a wolfish grin, his eyes shining in amusement. Liam and Sean were together and stood slightly behind MacDuff. They looked at each other in mirrored confusion, before nodding to Pierce in unison.
“Good, I’m glad for the help. Here’s the situation,” Pierce began, quickly explaining his meeting with Lodge and the news from De La Gena. “I believe that Lord Lodge is in imminent danger, and we’re going to rescue him.”
“There’s no love lost between Lodge and Cleaver, that’s a fact,” replied MacDuff for the group. “I follow your logic, but are you sure lad?”
“If I’m wrong I’ll look foolish and everyone can have a good laugh. But if I’m right, than we need to do something.”
Sensing Pierce’s determination, MacDuff concurred and started organizing his men. When he was finished they left to gather what was required for the night.
Liam returned first, placing four holsters complete with pistols and extra magazines on the table. Sean arrived soon after, putting a rucksack on the table.
“I’ve got flashlights, night vision goggles, rope, and plastic restraints. You think we need anything else Duffy?”
“No that’ll do.”
With this done, the three men retreated to the adjoined cloak room, donning their long dark brown hunting jackets. These were copies of the black ones worn by the intruders that had accosted Pierce in his home when all of this began. After putting on his jacket, Sean looked at Pierce, still in his dinner jacket and turned back. He immediately returned holding another long brown leather jacket, handing it to Pierce.
“This belongs to you sir,” he said taking the dinner jacket from Pierce and helping him into the new one.
“The Pack hunting jacket is usually handed over to new members before their first hunt,” explained MacDuff. “But under the circumstances…”
“Thank you. Thank you all,” replied Pierce with heartfelt appreciation.
“Well we can’t have you running around the island looking like a waiter. That white vest and shirt are a dead giveaway on a dark night like tonight. This way the odds of us getting shot at because of you have diminished. Slightly,” observed Liam wryly.
“Not to worry, they’ll hear us first from those fancy squeaky shoes,” joked Sean, glancing at Pierce’s patent leather shoes.
“Not enough time to fix everything,” countered MacDuff. “So what’s the plan Patrick?”
“Well, I hadn’t really thought it out too much. Melrose stays at the Manor, keeping an eye on the doors. The four of us run down to the village. Horses would draw too much attention and I haven’t ridden a horse in ages. We break into the pub through the back door, race up the stairs, knock out the one guard, and get Lord Lodge. We return the way we came.” They all nodded while they donned their holsters and did up their jackets.
“Good enough for me!” laughed MacDuff when he finished. “We go as a group; if anything happens we split in pairs. Liam and Sean together and I’ll team up with our leader here.”
They all nodded in agreement and headed out for the door. Melrose led the way through the Manor, detouring when people approached. They followed slightly behind him, but walking casually in case th
ey were observed. Melrose led them to a side door, opened it, and whispered good luck.
The night was indeed a very dark one with no hint of a moon or stars in the sky, with a fog creeping up from the lake below. Liam passed around the NVG’s, and each man’s world immediately turned from darkness to various shades of green.
They quickly made their way through the Manor’s immediate grounds, crouching and looking out for any observers. As they approached the arboretum, they all saw a bright green flare of light on their goggles’ displays. MacDuff held up his hand and they all stopped and dropped to the ground.
“I forgot to tell you,” whispered Pierce, creeping up to MacDuff. “There’s a duel tonight. They headed out before I met up with you.”
The group got up and began jogging through the arboretum, giving the duellists and revellers a wide birth. Within a short time they reached the roadway that led to the village. After a quick look in both directions they crossed and resumed their jog towards the village.
It was late, so there was no traffic along the road, much to Pierce’s relief. He was about to say this when his companions threw themselves into the ditch. Liam had barely reached up and pulled Pierce down before a four horse carriage sped past, moving as if it was being chased by the devil.
“Thanks,” acknowledged Pierce self-consciously. He was feeling a little out of his element, but tried to ignore the feeling as the others approached.
“That was Cleaver’s coach,” whispered MacDuff as they regrouped in the ditch.
“With his Pack riding shotgun. Literally,” agreed Sean. “They were armed to the teeth.”
“Probably terrorizing the countryside,” offered Liam.
“I wouldn’t bet against it.”
“Let’s go,” ordered Pierce eager to get Lord Lodge and get back.
They all took off at a greater pace, Pierce managing to keep up despite the slippery dress shoes. When they reached the first set of buildings they removed their NVG’s. The light from the lamps and windows would make the goggles troublesome at best, a hazard at worst.
Liam took off first, leading them through the back alleys of Rooks Bay, weaving them closer to their destination. Having only reached the pub by the main road and front door, Pierce was totally lost. They finally stopped at the corner of a shop.
“That was a sneaky way Liam,” commented MacDuff.
“How many angry husbands did it take you to figure out all those shortcuts?” inquired Sean with a smile.
“Didn’t you know, I’m a geographer of great renown,” countered Liam with his own mischievous smile.
“Sure, but you’re no locksmith,” countered MacDuff. “Sean, your skills are up next. You pick the lock on the back door. Patrick and I will be at each side of the door. Liam, you back us up from across the street. When the doors open I go in first, then Patrick and we head up to the top as fast as we can, taking out the guard along the way. You two follow us in and secure the ground and second floors. I don’t want any surprises popping out behind us.”
Quietly they all removed their pistols and screwed on silencers, except for Sean who took out his lock picking tools.
MacDuff held up an open hand and started to count down. When his last finger closed in, they all charged towards the back door of the pub.
Chapter 9