The Emerald Key - By Christopher Dinsdale Page 0,82
up his rod and broke her train of thought. A golden brook trout wriggled furiously on the end of his line.
“Beth, can you help me?” he asked.
“Sure, hold it still. Let me grab the line. There we go.”
While holding the line steady with one hand, she grasped the slimy fish with the other. Then, she slipped her small fingers into the fish’s mouth and carefully worked the hook out of its gasping gills. As she turned to throw the fish into the bucket, a movement caught her eye. She looked up the hill to see a tall, thin man with a long coat walking in the same direction the brothers had just taken. His long hooked nose and cold eyes instantly sent a shiver down her spine. She gasped. She had seen that face before.
Beth quietly lowered her rod to the ground.
“Why aren’t you putting a new worm on the hook?” complained Colin.
“Shh!” commanded Beth. “Quietly put down your rod and follow me.”
Colin could sense Beth’s apprehension and did as he was told. Together, they carefully slid off the rock until they were shielded from view.
“What’s wrong, Beth?”
“I think Jamie and his brother are in trouble.”
“Trouble?”
“I just saw a bad man follow Jamie and his brother into the woods. They might need our help. Remember how Jamie is helping you find your aunt and uncle?”
He nodded.
“Would you like to help him now?”
Bravely, he nodded again.
“You must promise me two things. You mustn’t say another word and you must do exactly as I say. Promise?”
He nodded.
“Good boy. Now let’s go find Jamie and Ryan.”
Jamie pulled the Book of Galway out of the sack and held it against his chest. “I can’t give it to you.”
Ryan looked to him in shock. “Jamie, what are you doing? Just give him the book!”
“Just as you’re prepared to die fighting for Ireland, I’m prepared to die for this book.”
“We’ll figure something else out!” Ryan argued. “He’s going to kill you! What about the kids?”
“They’ll be all right. Beth can look after Colin.”
“Well, I don’t want to lose you! You’re my brother! Give him the book!”
“No.”
Wilkes sighed. “Well, I suppose I knew it was going to come down to this.” Wilkes raised the gun and pointed it at Jamie’s head.
“Jamie! Jamie! Jamie!” a little voice called out. Colin burst into the clearing, ran towards Jamie, and threw himself into his arms.
“Colin,” Jamie cried, “what are you doing? You shouldn’t be here!”
Distracted, Wilkes lowered the gun slightly. A child in Jamie’s arms complicated things and he hesitated, not sure what to do next. He had only two bullets loaded in his gun. Jamie turned sideways to protect the child from the firearm, giving Wilkes another clear target, the back of Jamie’s head. He lifted the gun and began to pull the trigger.
Behind Wilkes, Beth crawled out as close as she dared, then burst out of the bushes. Wilkes heard her and turned, swinging his pistol, but it was too late. Beth threw herself into his long, spindly legs, her shoulder hitting him right behind the knees. He screamed in agony as both he and Beth crashed into a heap before the boys. Ryan grabbed hold of Beth’s hand and launched her up and out of the tangled mess. Jamie kept his grip on Colin and together they fled from the armed attacker. Wilkes, still with the gun in his hand, cursed and scrambled back to his feet.
“Come on!” yelled Ryan. “This way!”
There was a bang, and a bullet whistled past Jamie’s ear. Wilkes was not about to give up. With Ryan in the lead, they splashed through the creek and turned back towards the canal. A second shot rang out and bits of stone exploded from the rock Beth and Colin had been fishing on only moments earlier. Jamie stole a glance behind him. The stranger was limping slightly but still moving towards them with surprising agility. If he didn’t have Colin in his arms, and Ryan leading Beth, then the young men could have easily outrun him. Now it was an even race.
They scrambled over the hill that led down to the highest lock. Ryan ran up to the work shed at the top of the canal, tried the door, but it had already been locked for the night. It was getting dark and the work site was deserted. They needed a place to hide. The area was wide open and provided no hiding spots. Ryan looked to the lock itself.