Iris Johansen - Eight Days To Live

“Where’s Caleb?”

“I don’t know. I don’t care.” He dragged her behind a hillock and pushed her to the ground. “We’ll wait until they get to the cave, then start across the field.”

Four running men were only yards from the hills now.

Dammit, where’s Caleb? What happened to him?

Guns. The men were carrying guns.

They were almost upon them.

Then they were climbing past them up the hill toward the cave, where Jock had dropped her flashlight.

“Just a little longer,” Jock whispered. “Get ready.”

Her muscles tensed.

“Now!”

She leaped to her feet and streaked after him down the few yards to the field.

She heard a shout from up the hill.

The clay sank deep beneath her feet as she ran.

Another shout.

She glanced over her shoulder. The four men were bolting full speed down the hill.

She stumbled, caught her balance, and kept running.

“Okay?” Jock asked.

“Yes, but where’s Caleb? We shouldn’t leave him.”

“He may have left us. Keep running.”

She wasn’t about to slow down. Their pursuers had reached the field and were gaining on them.

A bullet whistled by her ear.

Shit. They’re firing on us, she thought.

“Zag to the left!”

Caleb’s voice. Caleb himself in the stable yard, kneeling on one knee, leveling a rifle.

“Left!” Jock said. “He needs a clear shot.”

She zagged left.

Another shot. But this one was from Caleb’s rifle.

A scream from behind her, and she looked back. The leader of the pack had fallen to the ground, and the other three men were splitting to either side. They were hesitating, their attention fixed on Caleb.

The next moment, Jane and Jock reached the farmyard.

“Get to the car.” Caleb was sighting again. “One more down should distract them enough to hold them.”

She slowed, hesitating.

“Come on,” Jock grabbed her arm. “He’ll take care of it. He doesn’t need us. You’ll get in his way.”

Caleb pressed the trigger, and another man fell to the red clay.

Field of Blood.

And no one knew more about blood than Caleb.

No, he didn’t need her.

She ran with Jock toward the car.

Gillem was standing beside the car. “Get in. What were those shots? I was supposed to get you in and out with no trouble. I don’t like this.”

“Neither do we,” Jock said. “So get in that driver’s seat and get us out of here.”

“Wait.” Jane said. “Caleb.”

“I wasn’t going to leave him.” He was watching out the window. “Here he comes.”

“Go!” Caleb dove into the passenger seat. “We have maybe two minutes before they reach the cars parked in the driveway.”

Gillem pressed the accelerator, and the car jumped forward. “I don’t like this,” he repeated.

“But you’ll do what you’re supposed to do, what we want you to do,” Caleb said. “Won’t you, Gillem? Whatever it takes.”

Gillem muttered a curse as he raced away from the farmhouse. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Attitude adjustment,” Jane murmured.

Caleb met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “I had to keep busy. You had both Jock and me twiddling our thumbs. Did you find it?”

“I found a bottle. I think it may be alabaster. I’ll have to see if there’s anything in it. I didn’t want to risk opening it.”

“You blew it, Caleb,” Jock said. “You were supposed to keep those two guards from giving an alarm.”

“I took care of the guards. Someone from the house must have spotted the light.” He glanced back over his shoulder and stiffened. “I see headlights. Lose them, Gillem.”

Gillem stomped on the accelerator, and the tires screeched as he tore down the road.

MacDuff’s Run

LORD, SHE was sick.

Eve barely made it to the bathroom before she threw up.

And again. And again.

She sank to her knees on the floor beside the toilet.

Nausea and pain.

Flu?

Food poisoning?

But she had felt fine earlier in the evening.

She threw up again.

But she didn’t feel fine now.

Her cell phone was ringing. She didn’t want to move.

She had to move. She had to get help. She crawled to the bedside table. “Hello.”

“I’m sick,” Lina said. “I keep throwing up.”

“Me, too,” Eve said. Lord, she was dizzy. “Food poisoning?”

“I don’t know. I feel like the time the midwives gave me some powerful herbs to make me fertile, and they only made me sick.”

“I’m calling MacDuff to get a doctor.”

“I’m coming to your room. I don’t want to be alone.” She was retching. “Dammit. If I can stop throwing up.”

Eve had to wait a moment before she was able to dial MacDuff’s number.

“Sick. Both Lina and me. Throwing up. Maybe food poisoning… I don’t know,” she said when he picked up. “We need a doctor.”

MacDuff muttered a curse. “I’ll call Dr. Kelsey in the village and tell him to get up there. I’m phoning Mrs. Dalbrey to go to your room and see if she can help. I’m on my way back from the hills. I should be there in twenty minutes.” He hung up.

If I didn’t feel so rotten, I’d be relieved, Eve thought hazily. MacDuff was on the job doing what he did best. Taking care and bossing everyone around.

Her door opened and Lina came into the room. She was white as a sheet, her eyes rimmed and dark.

“Do I look as bad as you?” Eve asked. “Don’t answer. I don’t give a damn.” She curled up on the floor. “I called MacDuff. He’s getting help.”

“So sick.” Lina sank to the floor beside her and leaned against the nightstand. “Like those herbs…”

Herbs .

I hope all goes well with you .

There’s sighting in the hills. I have to check on it .

The MacDuffs wouldn’t have built their castle here if they hadn’t worked out an escape route .

BUT AN ESCAPE ROUTE could also be an entry.

Wrong. Something was very wrong.

Eve’s lids flicked open. “We have to get to the guards at the gates. It’s not… safe here.”

“What?”

Eve was struggling to her feet. “It’s all wrong. Mrs. Dalbrey… acting… strange.” Eve tried to help Lina up, but she was weak as a kitten. “They drew MacDuff… away from the castle. And if there’s a way to escape, there’s a way to… get in.”

Lina staggered to her feet. “But you said… they can’t get to us here.”

“Not from outside. But there’s a way. Jane told me that there’s a way.” She slipped her arm around Lina’s waist. “Come on. We’ll help each other.” She was staggering toward the door. “We have to-get to the gates.”

The staircase seemed a hundred yards from her bedroom door. They paused at the top of the stairs. How were they going to get down without falling in a heap at the bottom?

“Let me go. We’ll go tumbling. I’ll hold on to the banister.” Lina broke away from her and grabbed the banister.

Eve slowly followed Lina down the steps.

Lina was panting by the time she reached the landing. “It’s too far. Maybe if we shouted for the housekeeper.”

“No. Keep going.”

Lina started down the last flight. “Why?”

Eve didn’t have the strength for explanations. “Herbs.”

It was enough. Lina’s lips tightened. “We’ll make it to the gates.”

But it took another five minutes for them to reach the bottom of the stairs.

They started for the front door.

It was thrown open before they reached it.

Mrs. Dalbrey stood in the doorway. Her hair was pulled from its smooth knot and her face was haggard. Tears were running down her cheeks. “You’ve got to get out of here. Come with me.”