Highland Heart Page 8

for their weapons.

  "Lindsey is gone." Jamie stood, unaware that her plaid was still

  clutched in a death grip in his hand.

  "Gone? Where?" Murray Gordon was the first on his feet.

  "I know not. I heard something, a cry perhaps. And when I checked,

  Lindsey's blanket was empty."

  Neal sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes, then glanced at the empty place

  next to him.

  "Ian MacPherson is also gone. He was sleeping here beside me."

  There was a sudden hush among the assembled. Jamie's hand clenched

  into a fist at his side. Why had he not voiced his concern earlier?

  He had sensed that the man was not what he appeared to be.

  Murray exploded with a furious oath.

  "If the lout has harmed our Lindsey..."

  "Mayhap they have just slipped away for a moment together Donald said

  with a hint of a smile coloring his tone.

  "It is what I would do if I were MacPherson. My sister is, after all,

  not hard to look at."

  He turned to Jamie.

  "Lindsey will have one more reason to dislike you, Jamie MacDonald, if

  you have embarrassed her by alerting all of us to her little tryst."

  "Nay. This is no lovers' stroll in the moonlight.

  "Twas made to look as though she was still here with us, to keep us

  from missing her until her captor had made good his escape." Jamie

  glanced beyond the handsome young man to where old Douglas Gordon stood

  alone. The older man's face revealed his inner turmoil. It was he,

  after all, who had insisted upon bringing the lass long on this

  dangerous journey.

  "Aye. I agree with Jamie MacDonald," Douglas said.

  "This is no lovers' " tryst. Our Lindsey is not like other women. She

  would ne'er go off with a stranger. Especially the likes of Ian

  MacPherson. "

  Jamie felt his face flush for a moment at the thought of what he and

  Lindsey had shared just hours ago in the moonlight.

  "Then where has she gone?" Robbie's eyes widened with sudden fear.

  The poet was unaccountably lost for words.

  "Who would want to hurt her?"

  His words brought fear to everyone in camp. A fear that sliced like a

  razor.

  "I know not. But this much I know." Jamie's eyes blazed. His voice

  was low with fury.

  "I will find him. And when I do, he will pay with his life."

  Douglas put a hand on Jamie's sleeve.

  "Lindsey is our kin, lad. We will go. And we will find her."

  Jamie lowered his head, unwilling to let the older man see how strongly

  he felt about this matter. But he shook his head firmly as he said,

  "Nay.

  "Tis my fight as well. You are here at my request. I am responsible

  for you. All of you."

  For a moment the old man studied him closely. It was obvious that

  Jamie was as distraught as he over their loss.

  "Murray, Donald," their father called.

  "You two will ride with me to the south and east.

  Robbie, Neal. You will ride with Jamie MacDonald to the north and

  west. "

  Jamie gave him a grateful nod.

  To the remaining men Douglas said, "You will comb the forest, leaving

  one man to stay with the wounded. In the event that my daughter should

  elude her captor and return to this place, you will send a rider to us

  at once."

  Jamie had little hope that one small female like Lindsey could elude a

  man bent upon evil.

  With their thoughts as dark as the sky, Jamie and the Gordons were

  already saddling their mounts. Within minutes they disappeared into

  the surrounding forest.

  For the first few moments of her abduction, Lindsey had been gripped by

  a paralyzing terror. Now, she struggled to catch her breath and calm

  her racing heart.

  The heavy cloak pinned her arms to her sides and completely covered her

  head and face. With her head hanging over the horse in such an awkward

  fashion, she had no sense of direction. The blood rushed to her head,

  leaving her dizzy, but even under such difficult conditions, certain

  things became clear to her. They were following the river. She could

  hear the roar of the water and she could hear the horses' hooves splash

  through the shallows.

  There were at least two horsemen. They did not speak, but she could

  make out an occasional muffled oath as one or the other encountered a

  low-hanging branch.

  These must be the highwaymen. In her mind's eye she could see the grim

  faces of the men who had attacked them in the forest. These were

  desperate villains, who would snuff out a life for the sake of a warm

  cloak or a precious jewel. These were men without family, without

  honor. Men who did unspeakable things to the women they captured.

  As they continued to ride, Lindsey struggled to collect her thoughts.

  She could not allow herself to dwell on the fear that gnawed at her.

  She must remain alert. When the opportunity presented itself to

  escape, she must be ready.

  Jamie studied the marks by the river's edge, then pulled himself into

  the saddle and signaled for Robbie and Neal to follow.

  "How can you be certain this is the way?" Neal asked. Jamie met the

  lad's troubled look.

  "One horse carries a heavy burden. Its prints sink more deeply into

  the mud. I'll wager that horse carries both Lindsey and her captor."

  "One horse," Robbie said, turning toward Jamie.

  "Are you saying there are more than one?"

  "Aye. I count two. But if it is the highwaymen we encountered

  earlier, they will be returning to an encampment to join the others

  soon. If possible, we want to intercept them before then."

  "Do you think they have already harmed my sister?" the youngest lad

  asked.

  "Nay." Jamie's reply was spoken quickly. Too quickly. Though he told

  himself that it was meant merely to comfort a troubled lad, he knew

  better. It was his own comfort he sought. He could not allow himself

  to dwell upon the harm that would befall Lindsey at the hands of those

  villains.

  "There is no time to harm her, lad. First they must elude capture." '

  He nudged his mount into a run, with the others close behind him. As

  they followed a bend in the river, he saw the prints where the two

  horses had crossed. On the far side, he found more prints, indicating

  that they had entered the forest. Jamie felt his hopes plummet. It

  would be much more difficult to follow a trail in the gloom of the

  woods. And much easier for Lindsey's captors to hide.

  He glanced into the trusting faces of Neal and Robbie and vowed he

  would not let them down. Then he turned and led the way into the

  thickly wooded forest.

  Lindsey struggled to breathe. The coarse wool that covered her head

  was choking her. Briars and branches snagged her, ripping her tender

  flesh through her clothing as the horse plunged onward.

  Suddenly, with no warning, the horses came to a halt. A chorus of

  harsh voices was raised in greeting. Hands clutched at her, dragging

  her roughly from the saddle. The breath was knocked from her lungs as

  she hit the ground. The clo
ak was snatched from her, leaving her gown

  hiked above her knees. But as she struggled to modestly arrange her

  skirts, someone tied a dirty rag over her eyes. Her arms were twisted

  painfully behind her; her wrists bound so tightly she cried out.

  Someone gave her a vicious shove. She fell backward and lay very

  still, fighting the desire to retch. "So, lad. Ye did as ye

  promised."

  A hand touched her hair, sending an icy shiver along her spine. Her

  captor replied in an odd whisper that sent tremors through her. It was

  a cold, deadly sound like none she had heard before.

  The babble of voices moved away, leaving her trembling with relief.

  Though she strained, Lindsey could hear nothing more of the

  conversation other than occasional bursts of laughter.

  She determined that there was fire some distance away. Each time a

  branch was added she felt the rush of heat and heard the crackle of

  flame upon dried wood. Then it would grow cool once more.

  She shivered in the dampness of the grass. It must be nearly dawn.

  Soon her father and brothers would awaken and miss her. But how would

  they ever find her? Her captors had taken so many twists and turns, it

  had been impossible to chart their course. She knew only that they had

  left the river and had plunged deeply into the forest.

  She shivered again. She must not wait for the others to free her. She

  must make her own escape.

  Lying very still she moved her fingers over the dirt until she

  encountered several sharp stones embedded there. Though it was

  painful, she managed to rub her bindings over them. In no time she had

  sustained dozens of tiny cuts, leaving her hands raw and bloody.

  She was so engrossed in her task, she failed to hear the low rumble of

  conversation until she heard, "Aye. It might work. But would they

  pay?

  Or would they assemble an army to find her? "

  Again there was that terrifying whisper. The reply was too low to

  hear. But the burst of leCvd laughter that followed sent a fresh ripple

  of fear through her. She bent to her task with renewed energy.

  "What do we do with her until then?"

  Lindsey's head came up sharply, but all she heard were hoots of

  laughter and several crude comments. She felt the first stands of rope

  begin to unravel and continued to work feverishly on her bindings. By

  now she was immune to the pain. Fear and determination drove her.

  She listened to the words of farewell from the others as a horse and

  rider departed. Who had gone? And why?

  There was an odd silence, and though she could not see,

  Lindsey felt a prickle of alarm. She sensed that the strangers were

  stating at her. She lay very still, not daring to move, not even

  daring to breathe.

  Within a few minutes she could smell meat roasting over the fire. The

  distant voices told her that the men had once again drifted away. She

  returned to the task of cutting through her bindings and felt the rope

  unravel further. She knew it was just a matter of time before she

  would be free. If only she could manage to keep the attention of these

  villains away from her.

  She heard footsteps approaching and fought down a sense of panic.

  "You will not be needing this now," came a rough voice as the rag

  covering her eyes was torn away. She blinked against the light of the

  fire. Already the sky to the east was rimmed with ribbons of light.

  The man who knelt beside her was the man who had attacked her in

  camp.

  He leaned close, peering at her with an evil grin, his single dark eye

  glittering like a raven' s.

  "You are even more comely than I thought."

  Lindsey struggled to hide the fear and revulsion she felt. She could

  not take her gaze from the bloody patch that covered his other eye.

  The man reeked of sweat and ale. His clothes were unwashed. He had a

  hungry look about him that had nothing to do with a need for food.

  "Why have you brought me here?" she asked.

  "Mayhap you were brought here for my pleasure." He ran his hand along

  her throat, then caught her chin in his hand, lifting her face for his

  inspection.

  She recoiled at his touch.

  The man threw back his head and roared as the others gathered around.

  "We have been told yours is a wealthy clan. Your father even has the

  friendship of the queen. That makes you an heiress, my fine lady. And

  since ours is a poor clan, dependent upon the goodness of others..."

  This brought a burst of laughter from the men who had gathered around

  displaying gaudy jewels and fine silk so out of place among this ragged

  band that they must surely have been stolen.

  "We wager you will be worth a great deal to us." Her captor caught her

  by the arm and drew her close to his face.

  "What do you think your father will pay to get you back?"

  Lindsey swallowed back her terror. She must show no weakness to these

  men.

  With a sneer she scoffed at the man whose face glowed with greed.

  "I

  will be worthless to you if you harm me. For I know that my father

  will then pay you nothing. "

  At her boldness, he glowered at her a moment, then released her. She

  was pleased to note that several of the others glanced nervously at one

  another, then moved back, as if afraid to get too close.

  "The lass is right, Argus."

  Argus. At last, Lindsey had a name from among this clan of monsters.

  Growing bolder she turned to her captor.

  "Why did you cover my eyes when we first arrived? Was there something

  or ... someone ... I ought not to see?"

  He scrambled to his feet and snarled, "I think you ask too many

  questions, my fine lady." Stalking to the fire, he tore a piece from

  the meat that had been roasting over the coals. A lamb, stolen from a

  nearby farmer, Lindsey surmised.

  As the others drifted toward the fire, she renewed her efforts to free

  her hands and was rewarded when the rope fell away. Once loose, she

  picked up the strands of the rope and folded her hands behind her back

  to give the illusion that she was still bound.

  She studied the camp for the best means of escape. The horses were

  tethered near a stand of trees. But how could she cover the distance

  without being seen?

  Argus began to walk toward her, and she felt her heart begin to

  pound.

  All would be lost if he discovered that her ropes had been cut. She

  swallowed her terror and cautioned herself to show no emotion.

  In his filthy hand was a strip of meat, which he held out to her.

  "Eat."

  "Nay. I cannot." She turned her head away when he lifted it to her

  lips.

  "This is all the food you will get, my fine lady. Eat. Or I shall

  force it down your lovely throat."

  She thought about the knife at her waist and fought back the temptation

  to reach for it. With a feeling of rage and helplessness she allowed

  him to feed her and struggled not to gag. She must not draw undue

  attention to herself, else all would fail. By sheer strength of will,

/>   she managed to swallow the meat.

  Satisfied that he had managed to dominate his prisoner, Argus swaggered

  back to the fire.

  "You see. Already the lass is eating out of my hand.

  "Twill be only a matter of time before she succumbs to my charms."

  At his comment the others burst into coarse laughter. Lindsey could

  afford to waste no more time. The man would return to her side again

  soon. And the next time he would be even bolder. She knew what men

  like this did to their female captives. But she would not allow

  herself to dwell upon such thoughts.

  Flattening herself to the ground she began to crawl to ward the line of

  horses. If she could make it without being seen, she could escape into

  the forest. She decided to take the rest of the horses with her so

  that these villains could not follow. With her pulse roaring in her

  ears she scrambled forward, the unnamed terror driving her.

  It seemed to take forever to crawl the distance that separated her from

  freedom, but at last she reached the horses. With a surge of

  anticipation she came to her knees, ready to spring.

  Highland Heart 83 A heavy boot came down on the small of her back,

  crushing her into the grass. A deep voice said, "So, my fine lady.

  You are more clever than I thought. Even rope cannot hold you. Were

  you hoping for a stroll in the forest? Surely you would not go

  alone?

  Come, we will go together. Who knows what adventure can be found? "

  Bending, Argus rolled her over and caught her roughly by the front of

  her gown, dragging her to her feet.

  He threw back his head and roared with laughter as she struggled to

  evade his cruel hands.

  "What? Could it be you had hoped to leave our pleasant company? Ah,

  my fine lady. There is so much pleasure still awaiting you."

  He pinned her hands behind her and dragged her close.

  "I have something very special in mind for you."

  She cringed as his hot breath stung her cheek.

  Tangling his fingers into her hair, he forced her face close to his and

  gave a cruel laugh.

  "I have decided that your father will pay the same price whether you

  are touched or untouched. And as for me, I have every intention of

  touching, and enjoying the pleasure of your company while I may."

  He ground his mouth over hers until she tasted her own blood. Though

  she kicked and fought, she was no match for his strength. She

  struggled to free her hands from his grasp, o He seemed surprised by

  the fury of this fragile-looking female. As she continued to struggle

  his smile disappeared. His face suddenly became contorted with rage.

  "I have indulged you long enough. Now I will take what I want."

  As if in slow motion, Lindsey saw his hand swing out in an arc. She

  heard the sound of his palm connecting with her face and felt an

  explosion of pain that sent tiny star fragments dancing in front of her

  eyes. Then the pain grew hotter and hotter, until she cried out. A

  terrible roaring sound filled her brain, and she drifted into a cushion

  of darkness.

  Chapter Seven

  Through the mists that clouded her mind, Lindsey heard the sound of her

  gown being tom. A sense of outrage drove her, despite the fact that

  she was barely conscious. With fingernails and teeth she scratched and

  bit until her attacker let out a hiss of pain.

  "Now you will pay, wench," Argus snarled.

  "When I finish with you, you will beg to die."

  He slapped her again with a force that snapped her He ad to one side.