in Yulee a day early, you’ll be extra cautious. You’ll do some snooping about the security guard, make sure he’s okay, you’ll get your truck, maybe the records or computers, important things If it’s safe. If you can.”
“I can.”
“If you can’t, you’ll get another truck.”
“I might anyway, it would be better than driving around in one that lost a fight with a mailbox.”
“Then you’ll be waiting for Zach and fam and you’ll drive them to a new safe house.”
Chef Zach said, “Easy.’”
“Then, you’ll go dark.”
Emma said, “We have the secret accounts I set up, the financial bug-out-bag.”
Quentin said, “This plan is foolproof.”
James said, “And I’ll return here tomorrow, to give you the details on the new set-up.”
I said, “Nae, one week. Daena forget we hae tae hae one week between, for turnin’ around in time.”
Quentin said, “Yeah boss, okay. James, one week. See ya here on Saturday.”
“Fine, but don’t do anything cool while I’m gone, like sword-fights or cattle-rustling, just boring stuff like cleaning up the mess the peasants left.”
Quentin, Fraoch and I moved to the tree line tae be a safe distance, while James, Zach, Emma and Ben stood in the middle of the clearing. Quentin called. “Go!”
James and Zach worked their vessels. They twisted and turned them. And then twisted and turned them.
Fraoch raised his weapon and turned his horse tae watch the woods.
Chef Zach said, “It’s not working boss!”
“Yours is nae workin’, Master James?”
“Nope, this ever happened before?”
“Once.” I told Quentin, “Watch our backs.” I dropped from m’horse, went to the middle of the clearing, and traded vessels with James. “Try this one.”
I jogged back tae m’horse but by the time I reached it I kent, my vessel wasna workin’ either.
Quentin said, “Shit, weapons up!”
Fraoch and Quentin aimed their weapons intae the woods.
I said, “Chef Zach get yer family on the ATV.” I drew m’gun tae guard the other direction.
There were some long tense moments.
Quentin asked, “Are you loaded?”
Chef Zach said, “Yep.”
Quentin said, “Magnus, head to the castle, Chef Zach, ride behind him, Fraoch, on guard.”
I turned m’horse to the end of the line and rode watchin’ in every direction. We rode cautiously through the woods, remained cautious at the tree line, then raced across the open fields tae the castle gates, yellin’, “Open the gates!”
We raced intae the courtyard where Campbells surrounded us. Sean asked, “I thought they were—?”
“Brother, there is someone comin’, we must—” My directions were drowned in the clamor for information, Quentin and James and I explaining at once.
Kaitlyn was pushing through the crowd, her eyes wide with worry. “What happened?”
“The vessels arna workin’ we must...”
“You tried them all?”
“The ones we carried with us, there are only two others.”
We pushed the crowd as the sounds of gates closing, men calling from place to place, ascending the walls — we had been cautious, guarded, but Sean was now putting the castle on high alert. Hayley rushed away to find her vessel and Kaitlyn passed me her own. I twisted it right there in the courtyard, because I could tell, twas nae workin’.
This had happened tae Kaitlyn and me years before. We had been stuck in this century until the whims of m’mother allowed us tae go home.
I said, “Come Kaitlyn.” She followed us as Quentin, James and I raced tae the top of the walls. Hayley and Fraoch met us there, with her vessel, also dead.
“What do we do, Mags?”
“Och, I dinna ken.” I added, “The vessels hae been turned off, so we are waitin’.”
Quentin lookin’ through the binoculars, searching the woods, said, “Shit, I wish I had gone for a lot more weapons.”
“I wish I had gone for m’army long afore now.”
Kaitlyn groaned. “But what if they turned off the vessels while you were gone? I can’t bear to think of it. At least we’re together.”
Fraoch said, “Twill be okay, we hae guns, we can protect the—”
Sean’s knuckles were tight on the hilt of his sword. “Ye daena ken, Fraoch — the weapons they will bring tae fight us, ye daena ken.”
I said tae Quentin, “Will ye make sure tae give Sean a gun?”
“Yeah boss, James and I got the rest of the weapons from Jimmy’s farm. I’ll make sure Sean and Liam are well-armed.”
“Good.”
Kaitlyn asked, “So what do we do, what’s the plan?”
“We hae tae wait. We hae tae double the guard, they need tae have the sights—”
“The night-vision goggles,” said Quentin.
“Aye, we must train them in the use. Dost we hae more radios?”