Chapter 20
W ith their horses left tied to the trees that edged a small clearing, Brigid and her little team crept through the undergrowth. Brigid could barely see anything through the haze of swirling purple and green that clouded her vision, but she tried her best to keep breathing. She could do this, even if her whole body shook with fear. She just had to keep thinking of Finn.
They edged their way out of the trees. This was going to be the hardest part of their plan. With a jerk of his head, Sandy indicated which way they should each go. Tam and Mary slipped off in one direction, and Brigid followed close behind Sandy as he went the opposite way.
They crept past the first few tents, keeping to the darkest parts of the shadows. Brigid heard a few voices, but they were all faint and muffled. There was almost no light at all; it seemed as if the camp was well and truly asleep.
Brigid spotted Tam and Mary creeping along the next row of tents. They were all headed for the central open area, which to Brigid seemed a logical place to start. According to their plan, Tam and Sandy would grab the valuable equipment Brigid had described to them, while Mary kept watch and Brigid tried to find Finn. As she crossed the camp, she desperately scanned for anything that looked like it might be a prison, but nothing stood out to her. Sandy had suggested where he thought Finn might be - they would have to hope he was right.
Without any warning, someone came out of a tent right in front of them. Sandy and Brigid both froze, clutching each other’s hands. Brigid thought she might faint. But the man turned in the other direction without seeming to see them at all. He disappeared into the dark forest of tents, and Brigid could breathe again. Sandy wiped his forehead, then grabbed her hand and they crept onward.
By some further miracle, the central area was empty. A stone-ringed campfire still smouldered, but it had been left to die down, and no ones else was there.
“That’s the place,” Sandy whispered, pointing at a small shed. “I spotted it before. My best guess for where they’re keeping your Finn.”
Brigid nodded. That made sense to her, as well. It seemed to be the only solid building in the entire camp.
“And I think that’s the tent,” Sandy said, still in a whisper. He jerked his head at the largest tent, and Brigid recognised it as the one he had hacked open before. Hopefully, he was right, and all of the Professor’s most valuable equipment was kept in there.
Sandy edged towards the tent, as they had planned. Brigid felt a little cast adrift without the warmth of his hand, but she gathered her courage and slipped through the shadows towards the shed. She was so close to finding Finn.
And then a group of men burst out of the shed, almost knocking straight into her. Brigid screamed and tried to run, but strong hands seized her before she took more than a single step.
Sandy and the other two froze in the doorway to the tent. They had a clear way out. They could still grab what they wanted and get away.
But Sandy swore viciously and drew his sword. He launched himself at the men holding Brigid, hacking and swinging as they tried to hold him off. Mary let off a volley of arrows, and two of the men fell to the ground. Sandy hurled himself towards Brigid, his face a mask of fury.
“Mary and Tam, get out of here!” he screamed. The two of them vanished.
Sandy shoved the men off Brigid. They grabbed at her, their rough grips burning the skin of her arms, but Sandy kicked them all away. He managed to get Brigid behind him and raised his sword again, fighting to keep her safe as they backed away towards the woods.
A few more arrows whizzed through the air. One man collapsed to his knees, clutching at his arm where an arrow protruded from it. The others backed away, looking wildly around for the archer.
Sandy and Brigid seized the opportunity. They turned and ran into the woods, clutching each other’s hands. Brigid’s lungs burned and her throat felt like sandpaper. Tears poured from her eyes and every branch smacked and slapped at her body, but she knew she must not stop moving.
They ran until Brigid stumbled to a halt and braced herself against a tree trunk. Sandy stroked her back comfortingly, breathing hard himself.
From then on, they walked, picking their way between the trees.
Brigid could not stop crying. The tears blurred her vision and filled her mouth, but she still could not stop. What an utter disaster. She’d managed to escape Edmondson again, but she’d failed in every way that mattered.
Edmondson still had Finn. What would he do to him?