A Fire Within (These Highland Hills, Book 3) (9 page)

"Whatever do ye mean, to spurn the hospitality that's been so
freely given ye and yet friend," she demanded in a low, enraged
voice, "to think now to take me away with ye? And for what
reason? What have I-or any of us-done to ye to deserve such
vile, ill-conceived treatment? For ill-conceived it indeed will be,
once my brother learns of it."

"I'm well aware of the consequences," Dar replied as he stooped
to place the basket on the ground. "As to why the need for me to
take ye, it was never my first choice. Unfortunately, Kilchurn's
dungeon is far too difficult for just Kenneth and me to break
into, and I need to free my brother. So, my bonny lass, ye're the
next easiest solution to my dilemma."

"Yet brother?" Caitlin's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "But
we hold no man named MacFarlane prisoner. The only man in
the dungeon is Athe Mac-"

Her mouth dropped, then clamped shut. She glared up at
him.

"Ye lied about yer true name, didn't ye? Ye're no MacFarlane,
are ye? Ye're a ... a MacNaghten!"

A smirk on his lips, Dar stared down at her. "Och, but the lilting way ye speak my name warms the verra cockles of my heart.
But have a care, lass. It's death for anyone to mention such a foul,
ill-fated clan or its name."

"Death to ye and yer kind, but not to me!" Caitlin looked to
where Jamie was finally finishing the task of guiding a squirming, arms-and-legs-flailing Janet safely to the ground. "Well,
MacNaghten or no, I don't believe ye'd actually shoot me," she
said, turning back to eye his dagg with disdain. "Ye're too much
a coward for that. Best ye slink back the way ye came, before
Jamie's forced to thrash ye for yer insolence."

This had gone on far enough, Dar decided. He was beginning
to get irritated. He grabbed her arm as she set out toward her
two friends, and jerked her back.

"We'll just see how cowardly I am," he growled, pulling her
close and pressing the pistol to her temple as the big, red-haired
man finally seemed to realize there were a few more people here
than he had first imagined and, a scowl on his face, headed in
their direction.

"Ye'll be verra sorry ye did this," Caitlin hissed back as Jamie
advanced on them. "Verra sorry indeed."

"I already am," Dar replied. "And likely to get more sorry as
time goes on."

"What are ye about, MacFarlane?" Jamie demanded as he
finally halted before them. "That dagg isn't loaded, is it?"

Dar cocked his head. "And do I look like a fool, to press an
unloaded pistol to someone's head? Aye, Campbell. The dagg's
loaded. Unless ye turn around, get down on yer knees, and allow
Kenneth to tie yer hands and feet, I'll use it on the lass."

"He's not a MacFarlane, Jamie," Caitlin cried. "He's a villainous MacNaghten, he is! And don't believe him. He won't shoot
me. He knows ye'd kill him if he did."

Jamie eyed Caitlin, then the pistol, and finally Dar. "A MacNaghten, is he? Well, that changes everything, doesn't it? He'd
kill ye, and no mistake. The man's got naught to lose."

"At last, someone with a shred of sense," Dar muttered. "Now,
do as I say."

He jerked his head toward Jamie. "Get over here now, Kenneth, and tie him up. I haven't the time or patience for any more
blathering."

Janet ran up just as Jamie turned, knelt, and offered his hands
behind his back. "What are ye doing, MacFarlane? If this is some
daft game ye're playing, it's gone too far! Ye do know by now
who Caitlin is, don't ye? Niall Campbell will have yet head, he
will!"

"Wheesht, woman!" Dar snapped, silencing her. "Of course I
know who she is. Why else would I be taking her as hostage?"

"Hostage?" Her face purpling, Caitlin's cousin fairly shrieked
out the word. "How dare ye? How dare ye?'

At Janet's histrionics, Caitlin sighed in apparent exasperation.
"Och, he dares, and no mistake. He's a MacNaghten, after all."

Dar had never seen someone turn white so fast.

"A-a MacNaghten?" Janet whispered. "Och, what are we going
to do, Caitlin?"

By now, Kenneth had Jamie on the ground, trussed like some
pig ready to roast on a spit. It was now Janet's turn, Dar decided.

"Take care of the woman," he said to his friend. "Only, once
ye've got her good and tied, put a gag in her mouth as well. I'd
wager, once we leave, her screeching will be heard all the way to
Kilchurn."

"N-nay!" Janet wheeled about and set off at a run.

Kenneth looked to Dar. "Er, my foot might not be able to
handle a race to catch that wee lass."

"Here." Dar shoved Caitlin to him. "Can ye at least hold on
to her?"

He chuckled. "Aye, and enjoy every moment of it as well."

"Enjoy all ye want, but keep yet hands to yerself." Dar shoved
the dagg into his belt and set off after Janet.

It didn't take long to catch the fleeing woman. Janet was really not that fast a runner and was soon winded. She screamed,
though, when Dar grabbed her about the waist and lifted her
into the air to sling over his shoulder.

"Put me down, ye rogue!" She kicked wildly and pounded on
his back. "I knew all along ye were a smarmy cur, I did!"

"Well, ye'll soon be free of me," Dar ground out as he strode
along. "That should be of some comfort, if naught else."

Janet soon tired of her tirade and flailing. Dar wasn't to enjoy
the respite for long, though. Kenneth had his hands more than
full with Caitlin, who seemingly had taken advantage of Dar's
departure to engage in a wrestling match with his friend. Indeed,
Dar's arrival was most fortuitous.

At that very moment, Caitlin managed to trip Kenneth and
escape his tenuous hold on her. She sped off in the direction of
the horses.

Dar spared but a moment to deposit Janet before his friend.
"Tie her up, if ye can, then join me at the horses," he said, shooting the bard a long-suffering look. "And don't forget the basket
of food, will ye?"

Lingering just long enough to make certain Kenneth now
had a good hold on Janet, Dar turned and raced after Caitlin.
This was swiftly becoming a farce of an abduction, he thought in
disgust. In the bargain, they were losing valuable time in which
to make their escape.

But not for long. He'd had all he could stomach of wild Camp bell women for one day. Like it or not, Caitlin would now bear
the brunt of his ire.

She was surprisingly fleet of foot, however, and he barely
reached her in time. As it was, she had untied her mare and
mounted when he managed to grab the horse's reins with one
hand while, with the other, taking hold of a fistful of the cloak
she wore and tugging hard. With a cry of dismay, Caitlin fought
to break free by wheeling the horse around, but Dar nimbly
stayed with her.

As they circled in tandem, bit by bit he jerked on her cloak
until she began to lose her balance. She kicked out at him and
missed. She kicked again, and that was her undoing. At that same
instant, Dar wrenched hard on her cloak.

Caitlin tumbled from her mount, her trajectory sending her
sailing to land right on top of him. Dar took the brunt of the
fall, rolling away to avoid the horse's hooves, and came to a halt
atop Caitlin. Her blue eyes blazing, she glared up at him.

"Get off me, ye lecherous knave!" she cried. "Get off me!"

"Gladly," he snarled in turn. Rising, he took a firm grip on
her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Ye won't get away from me
quite so easily, though."

He pulled two lengths of rope from where he had tucked them
inside his shoulder plaid and clenched them in his teeth. Dar
swung her around and grabbed both of her hands. Though she
squirmed and fought to break free, he managed finally to secure
one rope around her wrists. Next, after forcing her back to the
ground, he bound her ankles.

Though she fought him with all her strength, it was evident
she was already winded by her battle on her horse. "Ye w-won't
get away w-with this," Caitlin gulped between panting breaths
even as he finished and pulled her to her feet. "And when my
br-brother comes for ye and skewers y-ye on his sword, I'll laugh,
I will. I swear it!"

"Aye, I imagine ye will." He stooped slightly and bent her
forward to toss her over his shoulder. "Even for a lass, ye do seem
the bloodthirsty sort."

Kenneth, apparently at last successful at binding Janet, ran up
at that moment. He carried the basket of food and the leather
bag containing his harp.

Dar indicated Caitlin's mare. "Tie up yer harp and the basket
to that horse. That one's yers from here on out."

He then headed to where Jamie's big gelding was still tethered,
placidly grazing. Without any pause or explanation, he slung
Caitlin face down over the horse's withers, untied the reins, and
led the animal back to where Kenneth stood.

"I doubt she'll be able to escape now," he said, handing the
reins to his friend, "but just in case, hold her horse for me. I need
a moment more to speak with Jamie."

The bard nodded and took the reins. Dar spun on his heel
and walked back to where Jamie and Janet now lay beneath the
trees. The girl shot him a murderous look but, thanks to the gag
Kenneth had provided, she couldn't put to voice what she was
most evidently thinking. Dar turned away from her and knelt
beside Jamie.

"Don't harm her, I beg ye," the big man pleaded, looking Dar
straight in the eye. "For all her headstrong ways, she's a good lass.
And it isn't her fault what happened to yer kin, or yer brother.
That's the work of men, not women."

"Aye, well I know that," Dar replied, steadily meeting his gaze.
"And I give ye my word I'll treat her gently. Or, leastwise," he
added with a quirk of his lips, "as gently as she allows me. She's
going to be a handful, and well I know that too."

He extracted a small packet from a pouch on his belt and tucked
it in Jamie's shoulder plaid. "Give that to yet chief. It'll explain
what must happen if he wants his sister back. We'll await him at
Dundarave. And no tricks or treachery. Just have him bring my brother-alive and well-and do so posthaste. I've no stomach for
this sort of thing, and wish it over and done with." Dar pushed to
his feet. "I'm sorry to leave ye two like this, but I need to buy time
before it's discovered what I've done. It can't be helped."

Jamie sighed. "Nay, I suppose it can't. Nonetheless, this'll go
verra poorly for ye. Niall isn't the sort to take such an affront
lightly."

"And what does it matter?" Dar shrugged. "Any way ye look
at it, we MacNaghtens are all dead men. As ye've already said,
I've naught to lose."

He turned then and strode away. When he reached the horses,
Kenneth tossed him his mount's reins. Wordlessly, Dar threw
them over the animal's back. A second or two more and he had
leaped into the saddle.

Reining the horse around, Dar pointed in a northeasterly
direction. "Let's be off then. We've miles of hard riding before
dark, and the further we are from Kilchurn by then, the better
for us."

Caitlin chose that moment to try and fling herself backward off
the horse. Maintaining his seat with the pressure of his legs, Dar
all but lifted her in the air and, slipping an arm beneath, flipped
her over to sit beside him. Then, pulling her close, he signaled
the gelding forward. The big horse leaped out into a canter that
soon quickened to an all-out run.

"Ye were right, ye know," he said, releasing his tight grip on
her a bit.

"Wh-what?" came her muffled reply as she shoved back a bit
from his chest to glower up at him. "Whatever are ye talking
about?"

"When ye said I was too cowardly to shoot ye. Ye were right. I
don't shoot women. Even lasses," he said, a wolfish grin spreading
across his face, "in desperate need of more sense not to insult a
man with a pistol pressed to their heads."

They rode hard that day, stopping only twice to refresh themselves and water the horses. As the rolling hills gave way to narrow
glens, dense patches of forests of rowan, oak, and birch, then
open meadows, Caitlin watched with sinking heart as they moved
farther and farther from home. They forded countless rushing
burns that Darach frequently had them remain in for a mile or
two before breaking back onto dry land.

She knew why he did so. It would make their pursuers' task in
tracking them all that more difficult. He was used to being followed, which, upon further consideration, Caitlin knew shouldn't
surprise her. Everyone in these parts had heard the tale of how
Darach MacNaghten had been banished from his own clan, even
before his people had been proscribed.

Rumor had it he had lain with his older brother's betrothed and
gotten her with child. The hapless lass had been the only living get
of Clan Colquhoun's chief. Her marriage to Athe MacNaghten
would've greatly enriched MacNaghten fortunes.

But once Athe had learned of her illicit liaison with his younger
brother, he had refused to wed the lass. The MacNaghten chief
was so enraged that he turned on Darach, banishing him. That,
unfortunately, so the story went, wasn't the end of it. A month
later, the Colquhoun heiress was found dead at the bottom of a
cliff near Dundarave Castle, her neck broken.