“Even more reason to form a plan,” Willow urged.

“I’ve escaped more difficult places before.”

“You, on your own escaped. There are several people needing rescuing, that makes escape more difficult.”

“I’ll find a way,” he said with a yawn and was asleep in no time.

Willow laid there unable to stop thinking. She pictured the area where she was pretty sure the prisoners were being held and the surrounding area. Sterling no doubt would place his camp in front of the penned prisoners and with the keep behind them that left only two areas of escape. One lay open to a field and the other the woods, the preferable way to go.

The dense forest would offer a safer avenue of escape, the thick trees and bushes allowing for good places to hide and making it more difficult for Sterling’s warriors to follow. But there was another way, through the small MacFiere village and out to a part of the forest where there was a glen. If the prisoners could make it to the glen, they wouldn’t be spotted. Besides no one would expect them to go that way.

She strategized the plan, thought of different possibilities if something unexpected should happen, said silent prayers for a safe and victorious rescue, and only then did sleep come to her.

She woke with a start and didn’t need to look to see the spot beside her and the room itself was empty.

He had lied to her and gone and left without her.

Chapter 26

Slatter waited in the woods. In the end, he couldn’t let Willow go with him. He couldn’t risk it. He’d go mad with worry that something would happen to her. She always slept heavy after making love and with the pounding he had given her, she would probably sleep until sunrise. So when he had looked upon her, sleeping soundly, safe in bed, ready to wake her to accompany him, he changed his mind.

What he would face when he returned he didn’t know, but it didn’t matter to him since she was there safely tucked in bed.

A bird shrilled and he returned the call. A few minutes later Devin emerged from the darkness.

“Tell me again why we’re rescuing the likes of Beck’s crew?” Devin asked.

“From what Maddie said most of Beck’s crew are dead, only the innocent ones are left. The people who owed Beck. The ones he wouldn’t free until they worked off what they owed or paid him, neither a likely prospect,” Slatter said.

“He was a lying, thieving, bas—”

“So are we,” Slatter reminded.

“Not the same. We’re good lying, thieving bastards,” Devin said with a hearty laugh.

“Us bastards better get this done quick, since I purposely lied to my wife and told her she could come with me to help rescue the group when she figured out what I was going to do.”

“She has a good head on those sturdy shoulders. She’s not one you should be lying to and you know she’s going to figure things out. What then?”