Storm and Stone by Joss Stirling

Isaac’s gaze turned briefly to Raven. She stood still, heart pounding in her chest. The muzzle of the gun pressed against her skin like a cold fingertip.

  Isaac slowly raised his hands.

  ‘Search them.’ Her captor shoved Raven in the direction of the nearest guard. He quickly patted her down, removing her phone. She wasn’t carrying anything else. Isaac’s pockets yielded a larger haul: his phone, wallet, gun, and lock picks. The big man flipped through the contents, discarding the cash and checking for ID. Raven swallowed against her brewing panic. She looked to Isaac to see if he had any ideas. He had been waiting for her to meet his eyes. He looked at the door and gave a tiny nod. She mirrored the gesture. He nodded again. He wanted her to run if she got a chance. No one thought her a threat; all their attention was concentrated on Isaac. If she got clear, she could raise the alarm.

  ‘Who are you, Hampton?’ asked the man.

  ‘I thought you knew everything in the KGB, Kolnikov. Don’t you have a file on me?’

  The Russian looked up from checking Isaac’s phone. ‘I’ve not worked for that organization for some time.’

  ‘No, you prefer serving your own interests to your country’s. I wonder what your president would say if he knew?’

  ‘I count him a friend.’ He tucked the phone in his pocket.

  ‘I imagine his feelings might change if he knew about that gas pipeline deal you manipulated.’

  Kolnikov’s expression darkened. He crossed to where Isaac was standing and rammed a fist in his stomach. Isaac bent double and staggered forward, knocking the Russian into the guard behind. Joe, lying on the bed, surprised them all by surging up and flopping into the legs of the two nearest him. The guys had created a distraction for her. She had to act fast. Raven broke her guard’s grip and rolled across the floor. Mrs Bain stood between her and the exit. Raven rose up and scissor-kicked the head teacher. Mrs Bain ricocheted into the wall, leaving the doorway open. Raven took her chance, bullets hitting the lintel as she sprinted through.

  They were shooting at her! Until that point she hadn’t quite ‘got’ how deadly serious this was.

  She had to get out of sight. Racing down the corridor she pushed through the swing door to the stairwell. There were more voices below, alerted by the gunshots. Up it was. She tore up the stairs. Kieran’s room had been on this floor. He could still be here. She ran lightly down the corridor until she saw the label ‘Pagoda Room’. Sliding inside, she closed the door, praying no one had seen her. An alarm began ringing in the building, feet thumped down the hallways. Raven stood with her back to the door, panting. It was clear that the room was empty, bed stripped. He had been here though: she could smell his aftershave lingering in the air. He was so close—she just wished she could hold him. He had to be all right. Had to.

  No time to think about that now. What to do? First priority: don’t get caught. Second: get help. They’d taken her phone so she didn’t know how to contact Isaac’s team. He hadn’t said exactly where they were other than outside. She didn’t like the idea of stumbling round in the dark looking for them. It could take hours and she had the distinct impression that the people here would deal with Isaac and Joe in much less time than that.

  Call the police? But the local constabulary would be unprepared for such a situation. The good guys who looked bad, thanks to the break-in, and bad guys looked good thanks to their prestigious positions.

  Think, Raven.

  She froze as she heard people approaching. They were searching each room as they went. She had to hide. The wardrobe and under the bed were too obvious, as was behind the curtains.

  The bathroom.

  For once being small played to her advantage. She kicked up the shelf in the vanity unit under the sink, stuffed it in the back and then squeezed in, folded double, and pulled the door closed not a moment too soon. The Pagoda Room was invaded by a team. They tossed the bed, opened the wardrobe and then one searcher came into the bathroom. Raven held her breath.

  ‘Clear!’ he shouted, having given the bath a cursory inspection, not even considering the little unit.

  ‘OK, let’s check if she’s gone down to try free the others.’

  ‘My guess is she’s run for it.’

  ‘If that’s so, the dogs will get her. Come on.’

  The footsteps retreated. Raven waited a few more minutes, just in case it was a trap, and then eased out of her hiding place. At least she knew where the others were and that any attempt to go for help would have meant encountering the dog patrol. Fine, so she would give the search team time to look downstairs, and then she would make use of their helpful hint; because, if she didn’t know how to summon help, then she would find someone who did. She was going for Kieran.

  Kieran knew they didn’t have long to think of a plan before the men returned to dispose of them. He guessed they would want to make the plausible accident happen off site, as three dead students would not be great advertising for the school or the manor.

  ‘Did I get that right—they’re going to … ’ Siobhan clutched Johnny’s hand.

  ‘They’re getting rid of us,’ confirmed Johnny.

  ‘They’re working out how to make our deaths look an accident.’ Kieran didn’t have time to soften the blow.

  Siobhan took a sharp intake of breath and started to shake. ‘No, no.’

  ‘But we’re not going to let them,’ he continued quickly.

  Johnny gripped her shoulders. ‘Listen to the guy, Siobhan. He’s right. We need to make this as hard for them as possible. It’s the only way we’ll get out of this.’

  ‘But, Sweet Jesus, help us. Johnny … ’

  Johnny kissed her fiercely. ‘No cracking up allowed.’

  She clenched her fists. ‘I know. Sorry. What can we do?’

  He hugged her in approval. ‘That’s my girl. Let’s make them wish they never started this.’

  ‘I’m totally on board with that.’

  Three distant pops were followed by an alarm ringing throughout the building.

  ‘What was that?’ asked Johnny.

  ‘Gunshots.’ Kieran rubbed his hand over his face, deeply afraid that Joe had done something to provoke them. ‘Let’s take it as a good sign. We may not be alone here.’

  ‘But no one knows where we are,’ said Siobhan, her expression losing some of its hard-won ferocity and veering back to desolate.

  ‘That’s not true, Siobhan. I’ve got friends who are watching. I didn’t think they’d realize there was a problem so soon, but maybe someone called them in. Any idea what day it is?’

  ‘I think it’s Friday. Why?’

  Kieran tugged the bed. It didn’t move an inch. ‘Great, I missed the prom.’

  ‘That’s good news, how?’ asked Siobhan, confused by his sudden change of topic.

  ‘I stood up my girlfriend. She’ll know something’s wrong.’

  ‘But won’t she just get angry at you?’

  ‘Not Raven.’ And she wouldn’t, he knew that. Her astute instincts would tell her the situation was heading downhill. With any luck, she may even have called Isaac.

  ‘You’re going out with Raven Stone?’

  ‘Trying to—if we can get past the little detail of people trying to kill us.’ Kieran smiled to reassure Siobhan. ‘Look, now there’s a chance we’ve got help somewhere nearby, we need to make sure people know something is up and give them the chance to react. Delay, make a fuss, do anything to bring attention to yourselves.’ He studied their cell, an idea coming to him. ‘I’m going to try—’

  He didn’t have time to finish his sentence as the door opened again and three men came in. Two kept their rifles on the occupants, while the third approached Johnny with handcuffs. He was a gorilla of a guy with short red hair and a mean set of lines clipping his mouth.

  ‘Don’t make this harder than it need be or we’ll shoot the girl,’ said the man.

  Anger blazing in his eyes, Johnny held out his wrists. The handcuffs clipped on. Kieran watched closely as the m
an checked the fit and slipped the key in his back pocket.

  He turned to Siobhan. ‘You next, honey.’

  Siobhan used very un-missionary-like language to tell him what he could do with his endearment. The man wasn’t annoyed but rather amused by her spirit. ‘Sorry, honey, but I’ve got orders. Wrists.’

  Johnny gave her a nudge and she held up her hands to have a second set of cuffs put on her. One pair still dangled from the man’s belt. Kieran thought through the moves he would have to make and shifted to the headboard of his bed.

  ‘No moving!’ barked one of the gunmen.

  Kieran froze mid pace, foot off the ground, pretending this was a dark game of musical statues.

  ‘Cut it out,’ growled the guard.

  ‘You told me not to move. See, I’m being a good little soldier.’

  The man with the cuffs approached. ‘I’ll deal with him.’

  As the big guy got into reach, Kieran wobbled on one leg, making out he was losing his balance. He fell against the man, one hand dipping into the back pocket the other taking the cuffs from his belt. Before the guard knew what he was intending, Kieran cuffed his own wrist and put the other end around his bedpost. They wouldn’t be able to move him so easily now, thanks to the bolts in the ground anchoring the bed.

  ‘Think you’re smart, do you?’ The man reached for his back pocket. ‘Where the hell is the key?’

  ‘He’s taken it,’ said the gunman. ‘Picked your pocket.’

  Kieran made a dramatic gulp. ‘Actually, I’ve just swallowed it.’

  The man’s face went puce with rage. He drew back a fist and punched Kieran in the stomach. Pain shot through his midriff. Tethered by the cuff, Kieran was spun into the bedhead and slithered to the floor. He curled up, slipped the key in his mouth and took the two kicks to his body.

  ‘Search him,’ ordered the gunman. ‘He could be lying.’

  The red-haired guard roughly checked Kieran over, too stupid or too much in a hurry to think to check his mouth. ‘Nothing. He must’ve swallowed it like he said.’

  ‘Leave him; we’re running out of time. Where’s the spare?’

  ‘In the security office.’

  ‘Let’s take these two to the garage and then come back for this joker. I’d enjoy a little time with him. I think a couple more bruises won’t be noticed where he’s going.’

  With a parting kick, the guards hurried Siobhan and Johnny out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

  Idiots. Kieran spat the key out and unlocked the cuffs. He tucked them in his jeans waistband. You never knew when they might come in useful. Just in case their stupidity had stretched to leaving the door open, he tried the exit. Locked from the outside, as he had expected. He had heard the rattle of someone entering a number on a key pad each time the door had been opened so it was no good trying to get out that way. There was only one option left open to him. He went into the bathroom and put down the lid of the toilet. Standing on it, his head just about reached the dark channel of the old laundry chute. He could see from here that it was barred at the top, leaving a wriggle space of about three metres, something like a chimney flue but much cleaner. Braced against the walls, how long could he hold himself in it?

  As long as necessary, he decided grimly.

  Undoing the leather whip he had threaded like a belt through his jeans loops and tucking it down the front of his T-shirt, he stepped on to the cistern. He swung himself up and started the tricky business of wedging himself in the gap. It became a little easier when he got to the top as he had the bars to hold on to, giving his screaming muscles a break. He looped the thin end of the whip around the iron grating, making a kind of cradle for him to sit in, and steadied himself by holding the bars. Now all he had to do was wait.

  Ducking behind a rack of coats in the foyer, Raven watched as two men escorted Johnny and Siobhan out of the front door. They looked terrified—hardly a surprise as they had cuffs on their wrists and their two-man team had weapons drawn. Siobhan tried dragging her feet but a guard solved that by hoisting her over his shoulder. No sign of Kieran. Had he been taken out already or was he left behind? With two of the guards outside for the moment it was too good a chance to find him if he was still in the building. Johnny and Siobhan had come from the kitchen wing so Raven headed in that direction, looking for somewhere people could be secured. She already knew the kitchen was clear so didn’t waste time there. Hadn’t Isaac said he’d checked the lower floor already? She would bet on him being a thorough man, so it was likely the room was out of the way, a forgotten corner of the building on another floor that had not been on their route, an entrance to a cellar maybe, or storeroom.

  She opened a number of cupboards but they all proved empty. Then she came to one at the end of the corridor—a linen store, bigger than most. She went in and looked behind the racks to check for further doors. Nothing like another exit was visible in any of the walls.

  Turning on the spot, she stepped on something soft. There was no sound but she sensed it was an animal, and one in pain. She forced herself to look down, fearing to see a squashed mouse; instead, she saw fingers gripping the grate below her feet and the glint of eyes gazing upwards.

  ‘Kieran! Oh God, I’m sorry!’ She jumped back and crouched over the grill, rubbing at his offended fingers.

  ‘Sssh!’ he cautioned.

  Pausing to listen, she could hear sounds in the room below them. A door banged against a wall. A man shouted in alarm.

  ‘He’s not here!’

  ‘Impossible!’

  Kieran’s knuckles tightened. She could see the strain on his face as he held his body up against the grate. She did the only thing she could think of to help him: she spread herself across the grid to cut out any light that would give away his position, taking care not to press on his fingers.

  ‘The girl must have got down here while we were outside. She must have seen us punch in the code.’

  ‘Search the lower floors again—and do it properly this time!’ That was the Russian—the one who had held the gun to her head.

  Footsteps retreated from the room below, heading upstairs at the double. Heading for her position.

  ‘Hide!’ whispered Kieran.

  ‘No shit, Sherlock,’ she muttered, jumping to her feet.

  ‘I think they’ve left the door open. I’ll come to you.’

  She heard him drop lightly to the floor. Where could she conceal herself? There was a stack of laundry bags by the door from a delivery of clean sheets. She took out a pile of the starched and ironed linen and put it neatly on the shelf, guessing that any disturbance would be noticed. Having made sufficient space, she climbed inside. Realizing a saggy, human-shaped bundle would be a dead giveaway, she stuffed a couple of folded sheets either side of her and topped it off with three on top. She did her best to close the bag again but it was impossible from inside. Maybe they would put that down to someone having searched in here earlier?

  I’m really going to have to stop finding small confined places to hide in, she thought grimly.

  She didn’t have to wait long for the team to arrive. Once again, she heard the sounds of men conducting a room by room sweep. They reached the linen room and, like her, came in to give the shelves a complete inspection.

  ‘Nothing. They must be outside. Jones, you’re with me. Let’s search the area by the bins.’ Two pairs of boots stomped away.

  Raven held her breath. There was a third member of the team and he wasn’t budging. ‘Sir, I’m just gonna check something.’

  ‘Catch us up!’ The commander’s voice was some distance away already.

  ‘You’re in here somewhere, aren’t you?’ the man muttered.

  Raven’s heart pounded so loudly she feared that was what the searcher had heard.

  The man pulled the sheets off the shelves, upended the detergent barrel, and then turned his attention to the laundry bags. He kicked the one next to Raven. It fell over with a thump. Hers lurched sideways, revealing
the opening was unlaced.

  ‘Got you!’ A hand delved inside and grabbed a fistful of hair, hauling her out. She came up swinging. He caught her wrist.

  ‘Sir! I’ve … ’ His shout was cut off by a karate-style chop to his throat and blow to his temple. He crumpled, dragging Raven down with him.

  ‘You OK?’ whispered Kieran, rolling the man off her.

  Relieved beyond words at her rescue, Raven rubbed her scalp. ‘Yes. You?’

  ‘Fine. Quickly—tell me what’s going on.’ Kieran ripped up a sheet and stuffed one end on the man’s mouth to gag him before he came round. As Raven filled Kieran in on the details, he tied up the guard’s hands and feet and dragged him behind a shelf where he wouldn’t immediately be noticed.

  ‘So there’s a team outside?’

  ‘Yes. But I’m not sure where.’ It was so good to see him again—he looked the same old Kieran, a little rumpled but no sign the brainwashers had got to him. Just being back with him made her a little warmer inside her fear-frozen chest. Things were going to hell but at least they were together.

  ‘And the people here have got Isaac and Joe?’ Kieran tidied up so it was no longer so evident that a struggle had taken place. He grabbed a spray can of starch and handed it to her without explanation.

  ‘Yes. Joe’s drugged but seemed to be coming round—enough to help me get away. Do you want me to keep hold of this?’ She waggled the can at him.

  ‘Yes. Just in case. For the dogs. We’ve got to move from here. They’ve taken Siobhan and Johnny to the garage so there’s a good chance Joe and Isaac will be there too.’ He went to the door and peeked out into the corridor.

  ‘The other men went out to the kitchen courtyard.’

  ‘We’ll go out the library window then. Follow me.’

  Raven hurried to catch up, but collided with his back when he abruptly paused in the doorway.

  ‘What? Someone there?’ she asked anxiously.

  ‘No. I’ve just got to do this.’

  She found herself wrapped in his arms, lifted off her feet, the recipient of a searching kiss that drove all thoughts of the dangers of discovery out of her mind for the moment. He walked her two paces back into the linen cupboard and propped her on a shelf so she could sit, face at a level with his.