Chapter 9 #2
“He was never evil to me or the Millers! And he didn’t do anything on the train to raise my suspicions. He didn’t even bring his aide along. He left that man in Gordon’s Bay with some of the crates. So, he didn’t do any business of any kind in front of me on the train.”
“That’s no excuse!”
“Actually, Mark, it is,” Clary said in a sober voice.
“It’s a feasible reason. Heather isn’t a sly person.
She’s not like you and me. Being Evelyn’s sister, I know sly like the back of my hand, and your girl isn’t it.
She’s kind and thoughtful and trusting. Everything that a snake like El Aguila would look for in an unsuspecting accomplice.
Now, what did you write in your letters that he could use against us?
That’s the real question here. What does he know about us? ”
“That, and what is his new plan?” Ben said. “We need to warn the others.”
“How, Ben? In case it slipped your notice, we’re tied to poles in the middle of their camp,” Mark said snidely.
Ben ignored him.
“Mark?” Heather said softly. “I’m so sorry, if I had known ...”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Clary insisted. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“But I did,” Heather said. “You’re right, I’m too trusting. I shouldn’t have told him anything about you. I should have been more wary.”
“But he didn’t give you a reason to, did he?” Clary asked.
Heather sighed. “No. He was a perfect gentleman. He gave me advice. He told me to come clean when I arrived about why I was coming out here and apologize for any inconvenience. That was all his suggestion.”
“Doesn’t sound like a criminal mastermind, does it?” Ben asked. “I would have been fooled too.”
“See? So stop beating yourself up,” Clary said. “You’re a victim here too. Isn’t she, Mark?”
There was a long moment of silence that wrenched at Heather’s insides. If Mark still thought she was to blame, then it was all over for them. She could never face that.
“We would still be in some kind of trouble,” Mark said, sounding defeated when he finally spoke.
“I’m sorry, Heather. I was just so angry at the situation.
I’m still angry, but I know that I’m being ridiculous, taking it out on you.
How could you know that your uncle Alex, who was nothing but kind to you, was a murderer and an evil man?
You’ll just have to give me a moment to get over my disappointment. ”
The afternoon wore on and evening approached. From time to time, they spoke, but nothing came of it. No matter how they tried, they couldn’t free themselves, and so there was no great escape, no plan to warn the others, no hope of winning and seeing their friends again.
Heather slumped, her shoulders aching, her head throbbing, and her heart broken.
Not only had she lost someone she had thought of as a friend for years, but she had also upset the man she cared so deeply about.
Despite their rocky start, she was falling in love with Mark, and he clearly had feelings for her. He had saved her life twice now.
The hurt and anger in his voice had cut her deeply. That he had thought her capable of betraying him was worse than anything.
As the sun began to set, El Aguila’s bandits came to the posts. The man in black had them untie Ben and Mark’s hands.
“You two will drive your coach back to the town,” he said.
“What about them?” Mark asked.
“The ladies will stay here. If you don’t do as we say, their dead bodies will be left at your gate in the morning,” he said. “Do you understand?”
Mark nodded, his face drained of all color. “Yes, we understand.”
“Good, now go!” He shoved Mark forward, and Mark shot a look at Heather, and it filled her with hope. There had been tenderness and love in his eyes when he looked at her. There had also been a strange determination, and that scared her. What would Mark try to do?
“Don’t do it, Mark!” Clary cried. “We’re not worth the lives of everyone in town!”
That outburst earned her a slap in the face from one of the bandits. Clary cried out and spat blood. She glared at her assailant. He laughed and walked away.
Mark and Ben were led off through the tents. Then everything was quiet for a long time.
The sun began to set.
When torches were being lit in the camp, Uncle Alex came over to Heather. He smiled down at her. “All right, ladies, it’s time.”
He gestured to his men, and Heather and Clary were untied. Helped to their feet, they were marched through the camp and up to a ridge. From the top, they had a view of a town in the distance. It was only just visible in the fading light.
From their vantage point, they could hear booms and cries and see little bursts of fire here and there in the town.
“That’s Unity,” Uncle Alex said. “And thanks to my brilliant plan, it’s falling right before your eyes.”
“It can’t be. How?” Clary stammered.
“What have you done?” Heather asked, glaring at the man she had trusted not so long ago.
He shrugged. “You’ll see. Gentlemen, get the carts hitched. We’re moving.”
Heather stood on the ridge with Clary beside her, a gun pressed into her back, and felt tears run down her cheeks.
Despite all of her protestations, she felt that this really was her fault.
If something terrible happened to Mark, she would never forgive herself.
She would never forgive Uncle Alex either.
How had she not seen through him? How had he pulled the wool so completely over her eyes? She wanted to lash out at him, but now wasn’t the time. If she and Clary were to make it through this, they would have to think like Uncle Alex.
Suddenly, Heather realized that she had a silver bullet in her pocket.
She knew at least part of his life well and had insight into how he thought.
That could be turned to their advantage.
If Mark and the others could just make it through the night, then maybe she could redeem herself by helping them beat El Aguila once and for all.