Chapter 14
Krieger studied the men. “You lie, I’m from an area near the Skyline Sanctuary. I came with two other men and joined their caravan to Everwood. I’m sorry, you have the wrong guy.”
The older man removed his canteen from his bag and took a long drink, then said, “Who told you that, son? Was it Samuel Wolf or his arrogant daughter?”
Krieger’s hand fisted at his side. “Don’t talk about her like that. You don’t know her.”
This man named Albert started laughing again, slapping his knee as he turned to the others with him, who snickered. “Please tell me you’ve fallen for her. That would just make my day.”
Krieger glared at the three men in front of him. “I think it’s time you all moved on.”
Albert narrowed his eyes on him. “Does she trust you, son?”
“I’m not your son, now leave.” Krieger itched to grab his gun. The sun had set and darkness covered the forest, the only light that of the campfire.
Albert replaced his canteen in his bag and shook his head. “I can’t do that. See, you’ve crossed over into Stone Haven outpost territory.” He chuckled. “And this just got interesting. You, son, can help us.”
Krieger’s pulse pounded in his head, the ache from earlier increasing. “How’s that?”
Albert’s lips stretched into a wicked grin. “You can get us into Everwood. If Sam’s daughter trusts you, if you’ve become one of them, they will let you in—let us in.”
Krieger shook his head. “No, I won’t do that.”
“Son, if you care about Eva, you’re gonna do anything I ask. Otherwise, she’s gonna get hurt.”
Krieger grabbed his large knife from his open bag and stood. “I’m not gonna let you do that.”
The two younger men stood and began to circle to the side of Krieger as Albert glared at him. “Cillian, I have a long history with your father. I consider him a dear friend, even though I may not agree with his ways. So, for that, I won’t kill you. But I won’t let you stand in the way. Maybe you just need time to think it over. Boys!”
The men rushed him, one going for his feet, the other for his arms. Krieger swung his knife, slicing through one man’s sleeve. The man backed away, gripping his arm, when Krieger found himself flat on his back—his knife falling from his hands.
The other man, the taller of the two, had kicked his legs out from under him and now was on top of him. He clutched Krieger’s shirt with one hand as the other connected with his face. Not once, but twice.
Krieger rolled, taking the man with him. Shit, his head was splitting open from the pain. What was happening to him?
Once on his side, Krieger used his leg to kick the man in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. With quick movements, Krieger gained his footing.
Once he got up, he swayed on his feet and his vision was blurry. Hold it together.
Krieger crouched down, hoping to gain his balance as he looked between the men. “I won’t help you. Ever. There is no need to take it by force. Don’t you know of the peace treaty?”
The two men closed in on him once more, but Albert held up his hand. “Wait.” The general stood and slowly made his way to stand in front of him. “Son, I don’t share very well, I’m not interested in a partnership with Everwood. I want to rule it.”
Krieger blinked hard, trying to clear his sight. Sweat rolled off him as his stomach twisted and bile rose in his throat. “No—” His jaw snapped shut as blinding pain coursed through his skull, and a sharp ringing in his ears brought him to his knees. What was wrong with him?
Vaguely, he heard the general shout commands. “Tie his hands behind his back, we will take him with us to the outpost cabin.”
Krieger was forced to the dirt with his hand yanked to his back. He felt the rope tighten around his wrist, but his head was splitting from the pain. He couldn’t move, couldn’t think, as agony swept through him.
Krieger moaned as the general’s voice filled the air again. “I don’t want anyone letting this get out. You both understand?”
The two men said in unison, “Yes, General.”
Krieger inhaled deeply. Stay conscious. But as the excruciating pain took over, his vision went black.
Flashes bored into his frontal lobe—faces, places... an explosion. The memories were so vivid he could feel the heat on his skin from the blast and the jarring force of landing on his back; pain had seared his abdomen.
He pressed his head into the earth as electric shocks rolled through him. The visions kept coming, burning through his mind, embedding his brain with... his lost memories.
He knew the faces—his father, his younger brother Liam, his dog Axel, General Albert Rush. Stone Haven...
His small cabin that rested on the rocky precipice, his stack of books, his hearth—
And Eva.
Oh, Mother Earth, Eva.
Cillian’s eyes flew open, and he scanned his surroundings. He had been brought to the outpost cabin in Stone Haven. He struggled against his bindings as voices met his ears. Men were just outside the door, so he stilled as he listened.
Recognition hit him hard, and his pulse quickened. Was that Derek? But why?
“So, we have a deal? I get you to the front gate, and I get to keep Samuel’s daughter?”
Eva—no!
The general’s voice was gruff as he said, “Take her and do with her what you want, son. I really don’t care. I just want control of the settlement.”
“It won’t be so easy to take it over, even with Eva gone and her father captured, you know? The people of the settlement won’t follow you,” Derek said.
“They will. Don’t you worry about that.”
“But how?”
“That’s not the deal. You don’t get to be privy to that information, son. You get the girl and that’s it. Now let’s get going, we have to pick up more men first.”
He heard another voice—maybe one of the men from last night. “What about Cillian?”
The general grunted. “What about him? We will pick him up after we’ve taken Everwood. Leave him on the dirt floor. Move out, people!”
Eva, Everwood—he had to warn them.
Cillian’s hands were bound behind his back, and his gear was nowhere in sight. But had they taken his knife in his boot?
He arched his back and reached for his ankle, then curled his legs to meet his fingertips, patting along the sheath just inside his boot.Relief washed over him as he gripped the handle and removed the weapon. Spinning it in his hand, he began to saw the ropes. If he could just get the binds to weaken, he would be able to snap free of them.
Cillian’s wrist burned with the strain of the odd angle, but he increased his speed, hearing the ripping of the fibers. Just a few more cuts...
With force, he wrenched his wrists apart, feeling the bonds cut into his skin. Ignoring the pain, he finally ripped free of the rope. He rubbed his aching wrists and put his knife back into his boot. Without wasting time, he pushed against the floor and stood. His head was splitting, but it was better than last night. It didn’t matter—he had to get to her.
He had to help her stop them from destroying everything. But would she want his help when she found out who he truly was? That didn’t matter now—all that mattered was saving her and Everwood.
He searched the room as he swiped at his moist brow. Sweat trickled down his temple, and his heartbeat accelerated. The room had a door and two windows and smelled heavy of mildew and rotten wood. The windows were boarded up from the outside. Fuck.
He tried the door, slamming his weight into it over and over again. It wouldn’t budge. Had they stabilized it from the outside?
Think, Cillian, there has to be a way.
The small room was built out of logs and held a table and two chairs. Soldiers only used it as a shelter, so not much else was needed. He fisted his hands at his side. “The son of a bitch thinks he has me trapped.”
How many times had Albert underestimated him? Well, he would have to remind him who he had messed with. Cillian fucking Beck.
He looked around the room, and his eyes landed on the eaves. A thatched roof, a simple covering, one he might be able to penetrate.
He stepped onto the chair, then the table, and jumped for the supporting beam, catching it with ease. He swung his feet to catch the edge of the truss, then crawled on top of it.
Carefully, he balanced on the wood, poking his hand through the thick thatch. He began to remove the excess, tossing it to the floor till his hand reached out into the cool air. He heaved a sigh of relief. Eva, hang on, I’m coming.