Chapter Eight.
He was going to do something stupid.
It had been at least two hours since McKale and his men had shut them in Mrs. Roth's room. With Hannah asleep, Ezra had set about checking the room. There was a window, set high in the wall, that seemed a natural option for an escape, but as he'd suspected, it was guarded from the outside, by a man holding a rifle and smoking a seemingly endless supply of roll-ups.
The door, he knew, was also guarded, as he could hear McKale snapping at his sons frequently, and the sound of shuffling about outside the door, which he assumed was a bored watchman.
The thing he saw that sparked an idea was a smaller window, tiny, set in the opposite wall, at ceiling-height. It was incredibly small, not big enough to fit a person through, however small, but, as Ezra found out, by moving Mrs. Roth's chair quietly, it did open. He was careful to replace the chair where he'd found it, and by the time he'd begun to formulate a plan, Hannah was awake once more.
She sat up from her Aunt's bed, where Ezra had laid her, and rubbed at her sleepy eyes, squinting at the light that was coming through a gap in the curtains.
"Bad men gone?" she whispered groggily. Ezra looked up at the sound of her voice, and he went and sat on the edge of the bed, shaking his head.
"Not yet my dear."
Beside them, there was a deep, restless sigh, and a groan. Slowly, and with an expression of pain and annoyance, Mrs. Roth's eyes fluttered open. Pulling a hand out from under the blanket that was draped over her, she pressed her forehead gently, wincing slightly as her fingers felt the raised bump. Looking up, her eyes rested on first Hannah, who was looking concerned, and then Ezra. She studied him for a moment, trying to work out who he was, before some sort of recognition sunk him.
"Mr. Standish?"
Ezra slid off the bed and onto one knee before her,
"Indeed. Are you feeling well?"
She frowned,
"Why are you both in my bedroom?"
Ezra smiled and laughed in embarrassment, his hand scratching the back of his head as he tried to work out the best way to break the news.
"You fell," Hannah interjected from the bed, adding helpfully, "Bad men in the house,"
Mrs. Roth peered at her as though she'd just spoken in French.
"What?" she snapped.
Ezra took over the explanations,
"It would seem you fell and collided with your chair. You knocked yourself out for a good few hours,"
Mrs. Roth struggled to stand up, and Ezra took her elbow, helping her up. Standing shakily, she went over to the bed, and as Hannah scrambled out of the way, sat down heavily, holding her forehead,
"Oh my head," she muttered, before looking back sharply at Ezra, "Where's Catherine? And what's this nonsense about bad men in the house? You still haven't explained to me why you're in my bedroom."
Ezra cleared his throat, and lent back casually against Mrs. Roth's dressing table,
"Well, Mrs. Moore went into town this morning, and is still to return," he paused as he tried to find a way to break the next piece of information to the surly woman, "In the meantime, I arrived to...pay a visit, along with some men of rather more questionable intentions who have taken temporary control of your property, and banished us to the confines of this fine room."
Mrs. Roth blinked at him,
"You expect me to believe that a group of men have..." before she could finish, there was the sound of a gunshot, which startled her and caused Hannah to dive under the covers, hands over her ears. The shot was followed by a muffled shout from outside,
"Luke you idiot! What you tryin' to do?"
Ezra smiled smugly, even the most ruthless group had their clueless troublemaker. Mrs. Roth however, was pale,
"I...will they..." she swallowed, "...kill us?"
Ezra turned to her with a reassuring smile,
"I'm sure that's not their intention for either of you. As far as they know, you're still unconscious, and Hannah..." he stopped, surely there was no need to bring the whole Mr. Moore-murder-followed-by-using-Hannah-to-lure-Catherine-back-story. He decided to lie instead, "...Hannah is far to young to be drawn into such a plot. Even gentlemen such as these have hearts."
Mrs. Roth nodded, seeming a little more composed,
"What about you?" she inquired quietly. Ezra hesitated momentarily and she nodded and looked down, "I see."
He tried to look bright,
"Enough of that now madam, I have been meaning to ask you about the window,"
She looked up again with a frown,
"The window?" she turned to look at it, "What about the window?"
"Does it open or is it purely ornamental,"
She looked bewildered for a second, glancing from Ezra to the window as she stumbled over the answer,
"I...err...it's fully functional,"
Ezra nodded,
"Good, opens from the inside?"
She nodded, and Ezra's face creased into thought,
"Excellent, " he started to cast around the room for something, his eyes taking in all the possessions arranged carefully on tabletops and cupboards. He turned to her again,
"I'm afraid I have to enquire madam...do you have something fairly heavy? Possibly breakable, that can fit through that window?" he pointed to the tiny slit by the ceiling. She turned to regard it, frowning as she thought,
"Well, there's an old ceramic jug in the wardrobe. I don't use it..." she faltered, "...but it was my grandmother's,"
Ezra looked at her gravely,
"Would your grandmother mind it's being used for a purpose other than holding water?"
Mrs. Roth slowly crossed from the bed to the wardrobe, and opened the door, rummaging around before pulling out a blue and white jug,
"What sort of purpose? Being dropped out of a window?"
Ezra smiled at her,
"What a perceptive woman you are madam, that is exactly what I had in mind."
She hesitated before handing it to him,
"Dare I ask why exactly you are going to drop it from the little window?"
Ezra sighed, and debated telling her. He placed the jug on the top of the dresser, and leaned closer.
"I thought that by dropping it from the small window, there would be enough of a disturbance created to allow Hannah to escape through the main window. I've looked, and there is only one man outside the back on this side. One must be on the other side, there are three in the front room, and three must be at the front, or maybe two, with one keeping an eye further up the road,"
Mrs. Roth's voice was equally quiet,
"How can you be sure?"
Ezra grinned at her,
"Well, being one of seven such, I was merely thinking of what our own intrepid leader's instructions would be. Hannah would be able to take cover in the thicket beyond your window, and from there, follow the road back to town, keeping to covered ground."
"She wouldn't know the way," Mrs. Roth frowned, pouring scorn on his idea. Ezra nodded his head,
"I believe she would. I've shown her just about every line of trees and country from here to town in the last few days. Besides, I doubt she'd have to travel far, I have every hope that my esteemed colleagues will be joining us shortly. She just needs to reach them."
Mrs. Roth looked doubtfully at her great niece, who was watching them with interest.
"She wouldn't..." but Hannah interrupted, climbing from the bed to tug at her aunt's skirts,
"I can. Back at home, I used to climb out of the window at night to wait for papa to come home. I had to hide then too, mama would have been mad."
Looking down at her, Ezra had no doubt that she'd do it. She had a limited sense of danger also, which helped, and as she looked up defiantly, she looked incredibly mature, and, he thought, stubborn.
Mrs. Roth still seemed doubtful,
"What if they catch her?" her voice dropped, "Shoot her?"
Ezra held back a sigh,
"I don't believe these men would shoot her," he didn't tell her what he thought they would do, "If you appear to be unconscious still, I would be the only one in harm's way,"
She looked appalled, but didn't say anything to contradict him. She sighed,
"Are you sure this will work?"
Ezra picked up the blanket, and Mrs. Roth settled herself on the floor again, trying to find the same position as he draped the blanket back over her.
"Certainty is essential in my line of work," he replied simply, trying to work out whether he was talking about gambling or gun slinging. Both he supposed.
Once Mrs. Roth was settled, he turned to Hannah, and took her gently by the shoulders,
"Are you certain you know what to do?"
She nodded,
"Stay hidden. Like hide and seek."
He nodded,
"Yes. Don't come out for anyone here, stay low, and still. Follow the road into town. You know the one? The path we took when you mother made us the picnic?" she nodded obediently, "And if you see Mr. Wilmington, or JD, or Mr. Tanner, remember them...?" she nodded again, "Then let them see you, and tell them everything that's happened alright?"
She nodded again and he looked at her seriously. Slowly her eyes began to fill up,
"I'm frightened," she sniffed and looked at him, "Will you and Auntie Grace be alright?" she whispered.
Ezra smiled sadly, and nodded,
"We'll be fine. You just worry about keeping yourself hidden alright?"
She nodded once more, wiping at her face with a sleeve. As he looked at her, Ezra was suddenly aware of how much he was asking of her. Suddenly, he didn't want her to go, however, he reasoned with himself. The others would be heading their way, and if all hell broke lose, which it evidently would, then it was better to have Hannah away from it. He was simply placing her before danger now, to avoid it later. It wasn't a very reassuring thought, but the more he thought about it, the more he thought it necessary. Besides, he was almost certain they wouldn't shoot her. McKale would want her there, so Ezra, and possibly Catherine could watch whatever was in store. That he definitely wanted to avoid.
He smiled,
"Now, I'm going to throw your great, great grandmother's priceless heirloom out of this little window here," Ezra grinned, pointing at the smallest window, "And when I say to, you are going to climb out of the big window and hide. You make sure you're well hidden and then you head for the road,"
Hannah nodded again,
"Ok,"
Ezra, heart pounding, picked up the jug and crossed to the window, pulling up the chair underneath it. From the corner of the room, Mrs. Roth smiled at Hannah, who was climbing onto the table by the window, and peeking underneath one of the curtains,
"Good luck my dear."
Ezra opened the window a fraction, testing the, water. Hearing no response, he opened it fully, and turned to Hannah,
"Ready?"
A nod.
With a deep breath, he stretched a hand out of the window and threw the jug to the ground. It splintered at once into a thousand tiny pieces, the noise surprisingly loud. This was followed by a start from someone, and the sound of boots crunching on the ground. He turned to Hannah,
"Now!"
Quietly and nimbly, she opened the window, and hopped out onto the ground. Abandoning the chair, Ezra ran to the window, watching her scamper into the undergrowth, and at once disappear. He sighed and turned just in time to watch the bedroom door fly open.
Luke, standing in the doorway, took in the chair, and Ezra, before charging in and thumping him again with his rifle, this time in the stomach. As Ezra gasped for breath and bent double, Luke called out into the front room.
"Damn girl's gone pa!"
McKale's response though, however angry, was like music to Ezra's ears,
"Matthew, Edward! James! Get the girl! Don't hurt her, bring her back her to me. NOW!"
He sounded almost flustered, Ezra thought gleefully as he rocked back into a sitting position, relieved that Hannah at least was not going to be shot at. Luke was glaring icily at him, a gaze that Ezra ignored in favour of trying to regain his breath. His attention was drawn however, by the sound of boots, and a figure in the door.
McKale smiled down at him wickedly, and gave a deep throaty laugh,
"Well, well, well. I should have guessed you'd pull a stunt like this. A good lawman never surrenders without a fight," he turned to Luke, who was pulsing with a nervous, twitchy energy. Which, Ezra supposed, was a desire to beat him senseless, "Luke, bring him into the front room. I think it's time we showed Mr. Standish just who he's dealing with."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Hope you enjoyed, the actions picking up now...finally! Anyhoo, please review, and thanks again to those who have.
