Chapter 14 #2
“Ah,” Mark said. “Any idea why Bernini has gone to such lengths?”
“It’s a mystery,” Lukas said, also taking a seat by the fire.
“As far as we can figure, he’s got no reason to be this vindictive.
He comes from a good family. His father was a successful merchant.
His mother came from more humble stock, but they weren’t destitute or anything like that.
All we found is that Mac invested in Bernini’s mother’s side of the family.
It didn’t go well. His grandfather was a bit of a drinker and a terrible businessman. ”
“That was one of my first losses,” Mac admitted. “I didn’t even ask them to repay the money. I just wrote it off as a bad investment.”
“Why?” Mark asked.
“Because Alessandro’s mother came and told me what happened, and I felt so sorry for her and her mother that I told her to forget about the debt,” Mac said.
“She ignored me, and years later paid it back in full. It was a very strange time. I was in the middle of my own issues with Sadie and Dorothy.”
Mark looked blank. “I know Dorothy, but I don’t know the whole story.”
“Oh, well, she’s my wife’s niece and we raised her,” Mac said. “That’s the long story made very short.”
Mark nodded his understanding.
“How did you get out?” Steven asked. “We were trying to work out the best way to get in.”
The moment Mark told them how he had climbed down the cliff face, he could see that Mac and Steven weren’t too keen to try it. Lukas, however, shrugged. “I can manage that climb. I was considering it, but in daylight.”
Mark smiled. “That would be easier.”
They spent the next hour or so working on a plan. Mark told them what conditions were like in the town, and the men’s faces grew stony. He told them about the plan that the ladies and the miners had come up with.
“We were hoping there would be more of you though,” Mark said.
“Oh, this isn’t all of us,” Steven said. “We brought another fifteen men. They’re camped about a five-minute walk back that way. We thought it was best not to have everyone too close to the town. There was too great a chance that we would be seen.”
“I don’t know about that; the bandits are complaining about having to be on lookout and patrolling. I think they’re about ready to mutiny,” Mark said.
“That’s good,” Mac said. “They won’t be that interested in fighting and dying for Alessandro if he’s not living up to his promises.
I just wish we had some idea of what his overall plan is.
Taking over Unity and a few other towns seems like a half-formed plan.
And Alessandro isn’t the kind of person to do something like this without a plan. ”
“Tell you what—when you free Unity, you can ask him,” Mark said.
They had a few more points to hash out before Mark was happy. Then they let him get some sleep in one of the tents. It was good to lie down, and Mark fell asleep in minutes.
The next evening, with the plan all worked out, Mark left the camp. Just before dawn, Mac and his men would sneak into Unity. Mark had pointed out all the places where the defenses were weak.
One group would climb up the ridge with Lukas, another would come in through the grate over the creek, and another would come in through the mine gate. Mark would be there to open it.
Mark just had to get back inside the town to be in place.
They were taking back their town, and he couldn’t wait.
Because the moment Unity was theirs again, he was going to sweep Heather into his arms, and he was going to ask her to marry him.
If this whole ordeal had taught him anything, it was that life was too short for things like insecurity and indecisiveness.
He couldn’t think of anyone in the world he would rather spend the rest of his days with.
Heather was perfect for him, and he planned to grow old with her.
All of those thoughts filled his mind as he lay on the grass by the cliff face, waiting for Michael to drop the rope down to him.
The sun was setting, and they had agreed that Michael would come when it was dark.
Mark waited, fantasizing about what life with Heather would be like.
He imagined that he was sitting beside her, watching the sun set and the stars begin to come out in the velvet summer sky.
As the insects began their nightly chorus around them, he imagined he was holding Heather’s hand and could smell the sweet smell of her hair and feel the warmth of her skin.
Soon. Soon I’ll have her in my arms, and no one will ever come between us again.
All it will take is some faith, God’s guidance, and some friends, and we will make this evil man pay for all the pain and suffering he has caused.
We will be free to live our lives. And I can’t wait, Heather, because I’m living my life with you.
With a snap and a shower of pebbles, the rope came down and slapped him on top of his head.
Grabbing the rope, he climbed up the cliff face to find Michael waiting for him.
“We’d better hurry; there’s a patrol on the way,” he said. “Did you find Mac?”
“He found me,” Mark said. “We have a lot to do. Come on.”