Chapter 20
Malcolm Granger had recently purchased an old San Francisco restaurant, one that resembled a medieval castle on the outside and with much renovation, now resembled one on the inside as well.
It sat perched on the top of a hill, looking very out of place in modern day San Francisco.
The car pulled into a dimly lit underground parking area where the doors were opened, and Angelina was ushered out of the car.
Richard, who had been slumped in the seat next to her, was dragged from the car and once again thrown over the same man’s shoulder for the walk to the very non-medieval elevator that would take them upstairs.
“What do you think of my new castle?” Malcolm asked.
The duct tape over her mouth made it impossible to answer the question, but Angelina hoped the glare she sent in Malcolm’s direction would speak volumes about her opinion.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to remove the tape. Please, don’t scream when I take it off. It’ll do you absolutely no good.” Malcolm ripped the tape from her mouth and Angelina swallowed back the urge to cry out at the pain. “Watch your step getting out of the elevator.”
Angelina made her way into what she assumed would be the equivalent of a great hall in most legitimate castles.
It was decorated with many of the medieval artifacts that Malcolm was well known for having collected.
For future reference, she memorized her surroundings, knowing that it might come in handy when she and Richard made their escape.
There was no question in her mind—they would be escaping.
“Well? You haven’t said anything. Do you like it?” Malcolm stood in front of a large stone fireplace that when lit probably heated the entire floor.
Angelina took the opportunity to glance around the room, noting the position of doors, windows and other possible escape routes. “It looks like you,” she said reluctantly.
“It does, doesn’t it? I was very happy when this place came on the market and I was able to purchase it for a song.
Many months of work have led to it becoming the most authentic medieval castle in the United States.
It’s almost complete. The only thing it needs is the Twin Sword, and you’re going to help me get it.
It will then hold a place of honour above the fireplace. ”
“I don’t know how you expect me to help you get something which has never been found.” Angelina glanced worriedly in Richard’s direction. He hadn’t moved yet and it concerned her. “What did you do to Richard?”
“Don’t worry, he’ll wake up soon. Just a little hit on the head, nothing for you to worry about.
” Malcolm crossed the room to face Angelina.
“I’m afraid I can’t let you have the run of the place, for obvious reasons.
I have accommodations for you upstairs. You and your friend will stay there, until you agree to help me. ”
“Help you go back in time? That’s absolutely ludicrous, not to mention impossible,” Angelina protested.
“Is it now? I’m sure your two friends can tell you all about it, and how truly possible it is.
I’ll be contacting Nick shortly, to let him know that I have you both.
The ransom will be his cooperation in returning to sixteenth century Scotland with me to retrieve the sword and then bring me back again.
“What makes you think Nick is a time traveller?”
“He told me so.”
Angelina couldn’t hide her astonishment. “I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true. He was quite drunk when he volunteered the information.
At first, I thought it just the ramblings of a man who was very inebriated, but after I thought about it for a while, I took note of his odd language and behaviour, and I started looking into it further.
The information that I’ve gathered leads me to believe what he told me that night was true.
” Malcolm walked over to a nearby table and poured himself a glass of wine.
“My man has been scouring Great Britain, looking to acquire the Twin Sword, with no luck. Once I heard Nick’s strange tale, I requested some genealogy investigation and the results confirm your friend, Nick, is definitely from sixteenth century Scotland.
And so is this gentleman here.” Malcolm gestured toward Richard’s prone figure.
Angelina fought against the urge to shake her head in utter disbelief.
Malcolm was insane. What he had suggested couldn’t possibly be true, but even as she denied it to herself, she realized that both Nick and Richard had appeared out of nowhere and neither of them spoke about their backgrounds, except in generalities.
Wasn’t she, in fact, always telling them not to go getting all medieval on her?
Angelina simply couldn’t wrap her head around it.
She was starting to feel as out of touch with reality as Malcolm clearly was.
“Nothing to say on the topic?” Malcolm asked.
He chuckled to himself and took a large gulp of wine.
“Pierce, take our guests upstairs please. I’m not in the mood for entertaining at the moment, and I must craft a ransom note for our friend, Nick.
” He turned his back on Angelina, and she found herself being marched to a narrow spiral staircase by Pierce and a second burly man, who had been holding her in a secure grip.
A third man carried Richard, following along behind.
Angelina could see the men’s faces clearly now and recognized them as part of Malcolm’s team they’d fought today.
***
Richard heard the entire conversation as he pretended to remain unconscious. His head was throbbing, but his thoughts were anything but muddled. As soon as the door closed, he could sense Angelina hovering over him, and he opened his eyes warily.
Relief flooded her pretty features. “Oh, thank God! I was wondering why you weren’t waking up.”
“I’ve been conscious the whole time. I’m sorry I frightened you, but I felt it best to continue the ruse.”
“So, you heard everything he said?” Angelina helped Richard up from the floor and gently examined the back of his head.
Her fingers came away from his scalp, sticky with blood.
“Today’s not your day. Let me see if I can find something to clean that up with.
” Richard watched as she left his side and scanned the room.
Elaborately decorated, every last detail, down to the hardware on the doors, screamed medieval.
This must be a guest room, as it was outfitted with a large bed covered in furs.
At the foot of the bed was an intricately carved bench covered in burgundy velvet.
The room looked as if it should be in a museum display.
In the far corner was a door and she grabbed the handle, before turning back to him with a worried frown.
“I’m hoping this is a bathroom. I’ll be right back. ”
A few moments later, she returned with bandages, a small scissors, and some disinfectant—everything needed to take care of Richard’s wound, and she urged him to sit down on the bench at the foot of the bed.
“We must plan our escape,” Richard said when Angelina gingerly began washing the blood from the back of his head.
“While I was in the bathroom, I noticed another door. It’s locked, but if we can find a way to open it, we might be able to find a way out of here. I’ve tried to pay attention to the position of every door and window that I’ve seen, in hopes that the information would come in handy.”
“It’s smart that you did. It may be the only way we’ll escape.”
Angelina studied his head closely. “The cut’s not too big. It definitely doesn’t require any stitches, and it seems to have stopped bleeding. How do you feel?”
“Aside from a damned headache, fine.” He smiled warmly at her and could see from the way the frown creasing her forehead disappeared, that it went a long way to making her feel better about their predicament.
“I’m sure Nick has noticed we’re missing by now.
He’ll be searching for us, even before that fool sends him the ransom note he mentioned. ”
“I hope Nick will be okay, I don’t want him to get hurt trying to rescue us.”
“Nick will be careful. Believe it or not, we’ve been in somewhat similar circumstances some years ago.”
“You were kidnapped?” Angelina said doubtfully.
“Not us. A friend,” he explained. “Nick and I came up with a plan to retrieve him, without having to pay the ransom. It was actually quite clever. I’m sure Nick will remember and if possible use the same plan again.
It’s quite fortuitous that Malcolm has constructed this building into a medieval fortress.
Nick will know exactly what to do and, in the meantime, we will not stand idly by and wait.
We’ll do our best to secure our own release. ”
***
Angelina’s head was spinning as Richard spoke so matter-of-factly about kidnappings and ransoms, and medieval fortresses. Was Malcolm right? Were Richard and Nick from another time? She just had to know the truth. “Richard, is Malcolm telling the truth? Are you and Nick really time travellers?”
There was a long pause before he responded, and Angelina saw the tiny droop in his shoulders that confirmed the answer before he spoke. “I’m afraid we are,” he answered.
Her shock must have shown on her face, because Richard spoke in a rush as he tried to explain.
“Please, don’t be angry with us. We kept it quiet, for your protection as well as our own. It was best that no one know the truth about us, because frankly, most people wouldn’t believe it. You can see the problems we’re facing now, after Nick’s drunken confession to Granger.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m still having a hard time believing any of this could even remotely have a chance of being true.”
Richard watched her patiently. “I give you my word, Angelina. It’s the truth. I am Sir Richard Jefford and I was sent travelling through time to your modern-day San Francisco. I was born in the year 1484.”