Susan ‘came to’ only seconds after being knocked out but it was more than a minute before she could shake off the dizziness and nausea that followed. She grabbed her gun as she rose unsteadily to her feet. The house had become as quiet as the grave as she staggered onto the landing at the top of the main staircase. Uncertain about what to do next, she decided to go downstairs and look for Richard, gripping the handrail tightly she crept downstairs in silence. Reaching the hallway she saw Tsuba standing motionless in the open front doorway. She walked swiftly over to him hearing a car speed away across the gravel,
“Has she got away?” She asked him, peering outside over his shoulder. Tsuba nodded grimly, staring after the car, trance-like again. Susan pulled him around to face her,
“Have you seen Richard?” She demanded impatiently, shaking him until he was back to normal, his eyes bright and sharp.
“I have not seen him…” He replied, adding, “…But I do not believe he is on this floor.” They heard distant hammering.
“The cellar!?” They ran into the kitchen, guessing that it might lead downstairs, inside, cowering but still managing to look defiant, Anjelica and Fidelma clutched kitchen knives, their backs to the wall. It was Fidelma who spoke out for them, her Irish accent even more pronounced than usual,
“Why don't youse just go away and leave us be? We’ve done you no harm, be off with you!” Susan raised her gun, Tsuba raised his hand.
“No Susan. These people are not our enemy.” He spoke more to them than to Susan.
There was a pause while Tsuba searched the eyes of the two women, he spoke softly,
“We mean you no harm.” He said,
“Put down your knives and please, tell us where is the cellar?” The two women looked quickly at each other and nodded,
“It's t’rough there!” Fidelma pointed with her knife before placing it on the work surface beside her. Anjelica followed suit,
“I need a drink.” She mumbled.
Susan dashed through the door into the corridor that led to the steps down; the hammering had stopped and had been replaced by a loud scraping noise. She hesitated at the top of the gloomy steps, Tsuba beside her.
“Someone's coming up.” He whispered. Susan stepped back a pace and raised her gun.
Three figures came into view, a pale and bloodstained Richard helped on either side by two identical looking girls.
“Richard!” Susan gasped out his name, dashing forward to help him. The twins were affronted,
“It's quite all right!-” Emm said frostily.
“We've got him!” Added Pip. They held on to him, steering him on to a kitchen chair. Susan bit her tongue and watched as they peeled off his shirt to examine his wound.
“Not that bad after all-” Emm reported. Pip nodded in agreement,
“A little deeper than last time...” Pip noted, comparing the size of the hole to the scar left after they stitched him up before, “…But we’ll soon have you patched up and as good as new again.”