Chapter 21

Allie had woken in the darkness, her eyes searching around before she remembered where she was. Looking down at the boys she was glad to see that they were sleeping peacefully, no signs of distress or worry on either of their faces. She knew she wouldn't go back to sleep and took the opportunity to relieve herself without the curious eyes of two little boys watching.

Below her there was silence, no voices or movement in the cottage which meant that whoever was watching over them was doing it from the outside. Could she risk going down to see if she could find anything more substantial for them to eat? Emptying the pail would also be a good thing as the smell was beginning to linger.

Through the cracks in the eaves she could see that the sun was coming up. Where was her dad right now, she wondered? Was he worried about her? She hoped that Uncle Gabe had been able to convince him that they were safe.

Snuggling down again into the blankets she was just drifting back to sleep when the sound of the door opening had her back on high alert. As she heard Aunt Lilian's voice speaking to the guard outside she relaxed, hoping that the boys would not be woken as she listened hard to hear what was being said.

"I need to get some supplies from in here so will be a few minutes. My husband has said that you should take this time to go and get yourselves a cup of coffee from the kitchen. I will stay inside until you return."

With that she heard the sound of footsteps retreating before the door was firmly closed and the bolt drawn across. A quiet voice whispered "Allie, are you awake? Knock on the floor up there if you are."

Allie quickly disentangled herself from the blankets and gave a rap on the wooden board beside her. She so wanted to speak out but didn't dare unless Aunt Lilian told her to.

"Good! You are such a clever young lady, you know. Uncle Gabe was amazed at how brilliantly you let him know where you three were. Now, I'm just going to check through the window that there is no-one still outside and then we can open the hatch for a minute."

Moving across to the side of the hatch Allie felt a calmness about what was happening, along with an excitement if she was honest with herself, although the seriousness of it was still very much at the forefront of her mind. Patiently she waited until she heard Lilian's footsteps return to the corner and her voice saying that it was all clear.

Quietly raising the wooden hatch Allie peered down, her joy at seeing a familiar face evident in her expression. "How much longer do we need to stay up here?" she asked.

"Hopefully not for long but right now it is the safest place for you three to be. I have brought you some food and warm soup in this flask, plus a few books from the children's library. It was all I could fit into my basket without anyone realising that it wasn't empty ready for me to fill from out here. Uncle Gabe believes that someone here in Hope Valley is helping Helen Bouchard."

Allie gasped at the mention of Mr Bouchard's mother. "Is she involved? I didn't know who it was, I just had the overwhelming feeling that I had to get the boys away from the hotel. Did I do the right thing?"

"You did everything right Allie. Uncle Gabe telephoned your dad last night to let him know what had happened and that you were safe and being guarded by people we can trust. Although even then we are the only ones who know you are here. We are all so proud of you."

For a moment Allie almost let the emotion of it overcome her, suddenly wanting to climb down and feel Aunt Lilian's arms wrap around her. Then she remembered that she still had a promise to fulfil, the two sleeping boys still needed her to keep them safe. She was their last line of defence and that was something she would never let drop. "I am just doing what I told my dad and Mrs Coulter I would do, looking after Patrick and Little Jack."

Lilian nodded, seeing in the young woman above her the same qualities she so admired in her father, the very reason why she believed that her husband was always safest when he was with Nathan Grant.

"Right, let me pass the basket up to you and once you have taken out the contents hand it back down to me. Is there anything else you need?"

Allie was a bit embarrassed but realising that they were possibly going to be here for quite a while longer she knew she had no choice but to ask. "I did bring a pail up with us last night to use as a convenience, it needs emptying. I'm sorry to ask but…"

Before she could finish Lilian held her hand up. "Lower it down carefully to me and I will empty it out of one of the back windows. Then I really must get back so that no-one becomes suspicious."

It took a while for Elizabeth to lift her head from the pillow, trying hard to understand why it felt so heavy. Then she remembered how hard she had fought against the sedative Faith's husband was trying to give her last night. Had she gone quiet instantly, she wondered. The thought of having lost control of the situation for a while and maybe saying things she shouldn't worried her. She couldn't trust anyone with what she knew. Why were so many people working against her?

The sudden loneliness of her position overwhelmed her and she slumped back onto the bed, tears springing to the corners of her eyes as she tried to think of what to do next. "I won't let them beat me", she whispered to herself.

Minnie stirred in the chair in the corner. Having offered to stay in the room with Elizabeth she had eventually been unable to fight the weariness of this past evening and succumbed to the sleep she needed. With Joseph downstairs she was certain that nothing could happen and should the poor woman stir during the night then she was right there.

Stretching out her limbs she looked up and noticed that Elizabeth was awake. "How are you feeling?" she asked, getting to her feet and moving to the bottom of bed. "Would you like me to get you some water or perhaps a cup of tea?"

Elizabeth didn't answer. She lay there with eyes open and to Minnie it seemed as if she was just staring right through her. Turning she noticed what was on the wall behind her and she remembered who had carved it. "I see you have Nathan's plaque here, Elizabeth. We all wondered what had happened to it when the library was dismantled."

Still no response, although Minnie could see that Elizabeth's hands were clutching the bedcover tightly and her lips were moving but no sound could be heard. Watching closely she realised that she was reciting the words on the plaque over and over again. Always do what you are afraid to do.

In Hamilton, word had come through from their man in Hope Valley that the game had been a disaster, followed by a message from the Vancouver mob that the final shipment had not arrived for the train. Although neither of these happenings were enough to completely derail their plans, it was annoying that the weak link in the whole operation had finally been broken just as they were almost done with him. Using Bouchard had been a risk worth taking but now he and his associates were of no more use.

A decision was made and the people who were in place were given their instructions. No-one must be left who had any information of what was happening. That included any Mounties involved.

Abigail Gowan was angry, something that didn't happen very often. She had spent so long believing that deep down there was good in everyone and now she found herself doubting the very thing that had kept her going through so many dark times in her life. The realisation that another woman, a mother like herself, would consider using a child for her own nefarious purpose was beyond anything she could imagine.

There was no question in her mind that Helen Bouchard was evil. She had brought up a weak son and was the root cause of all the destruction that had happened to those Abigail loved and she was not going to stand for it any longer. Henry had come over to Maggie's house this morning to update them on the developments overnight, particularly the news that the children were safe but that the Bouchard woman had managed to evade them. He repeated Gabe's belief that someone in Brookfield was helping her but no-one seemed to know who or why.

Now as she played with Peter and Abby while Clara cleared away the breakfast dishes she felt a new resolve within herself. She would not rest until that woman and anyone associated with her was brought to justice. She bowed her head in a quick prayer, asking God for his guidance in this mission, trusting that he would take this opportunity to show her the way back to the beliefs that she was struggling so hard to accept right now.

Once Clara was finished she excused herself and made her way across to the hotel, needing the familiar surroundings to help her focus on what she had to do. There were people here who she would trust with her life but others she needed to think about, to see if there was anything that would tell her who the guilty one was.

From the other side of the road Henry watched his wife cross towards him, suddenly feeling that a tornado was about to blow through Brookfield and wondering just what the outcome was going to be and who would be caught up in it. Whatever happened he was going to be right there by her side.

Cecilia had woken, reaching out her hand to find a cold half of the bed beside her, a sign that Nathan had been up very early which was no surprise.

Coming from a family of Mounties she understood that during an investigation sleep was something they kept to a minimum and only then because it was a necessity to enable them to give their utmost to the job at hand. She had listened to him tossing and turning as he managed to at least get some rest, although she realised that the news about Allie and the boys was something he found hard to put out of his mind no matter how much faith he had in Gabe and the people of Brookfield.

Pulling on her robe she descended the stairs, the pungent aroma of coffee as she reached the bottom step pushing the last of the sleepiness from her head. She could see along the hallway to the back door which stood open, Nathan's figure in shadow seated on the step with papers spread around him.

When this is over, she thought, we will go somewhere. Allie, Nathan, me and the baby. Find some peace and shut all the terrible things in the world out….even for just a few days. They would all have earned at least that.

Nathan turned as she reached the kitchen door, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her despite the weariness she saw in them. "Good morning, my love. I hope I didn't wake you."

"You didn't, but the empty space that you left behind in the bed did" she replied while bending to kiss the top of his head. "You're hard at work already, I see. Have your men found out anything more?"

"I'm just going through Harold's report and the statement made by one of the men, the car driver who we now know was the manager of the warehouses. It seems that there are a lot of things going on in many places, as we had suspected even before I arrived here. What we are facing here is just a small part of it, the necessary distraction from other bigger things. Harold called our trusted people at Mountie Headquarters last night to apprise them of what he found out and that immediately triggered the planned action to intercept certain shipments that were being smuggled through under the cloak of the supposedly big things happening here."

Cecilia settled herself down on the step beside him, waiting for him to continue.

"There are still so many uncertainties though. Something strange is going on with the warehouses. Apparently all three men they arrested were unwilling to go back there. It is the first thing on our list today, to go and check it out."

Trying hard not to show any fear, Cecilia quietly asked, "Is that a good idea? Do you not want to interrogate the men more to see if they will tell you what is there?"

Tightening his arm around her, Nathan tried to quell her concern, "We will do that, of course. But you must trust me that all my men are trained for this very situation. No-one will be walking blindly into danger, I promise."

On the outskirts of Benson Hills, Lucas felt the cold seeping through the soles of his boots as he walked along the damp dewy road edge. His foot throbbed where he had kicked the wheel in frustration, a sharp rock in the road having ripped a gash in the tyre that was too big to allow him to continue.

Having hidden his case carefully in the trees and left a marker at the spot, he had no choice but to continue the rest of the journey by foot. Staying where he was would have meant freezing in the cold night air as he once again regretted his quick departure and the lack of heavier clothing.

In his mind he could see Mei Sou's face, his refuge from all the wheeling and dealing that had become his world of late. So many plans, such hope for riches and yet here he was fleeing from the mess that Nathan Grant had once again wreaked upon his life, for he was sure that the Mountie had his hand in everything that had gone wrong.

Now he had to come up with a new plan for their future. Something that would take him away from all this to a place where he no longer had to do other people's bidding. New Orleans was somewhere he knew well but then again trouble had followed him there in the past so perhaps it was time to look elsewhere. France! He felt a boost in his step as he thought of the life they could have there and the opportunities that would undoubtedly present themselves now that the country had recovered from the war.

He could see the town of Benson Hills coming to life ahead, as business owners set about the task of opening up for the day. Taking the path around the station he headed directly for the saloon where he hoped to surprise Mei Sou before she rose.

Bruce Wilson had also risen early, wanting to be downstairs in The Little Gem saloon as the other players still here made their way in for breakfast. A chat with Gustav, who he firmly believed was more than just the chef, was something they agreed should be on Antoine's list of tasks so he softly knocked on his door to make sure he was up and ready.

Speaking Frenchman to Frenchman, using phrases that only someone fluent in the language would understand, would hopefully elicit more information than just a Mountie interrogation. Sometimes it wasn't about the words spoken but what was implied through certain shrugs and eye movements, something at which gallic men were experts. To a down to earth Australian like Bruce it was all a bit fancy and nonsensical but he had faith in his partner to utilise these skills to gain as many details as possible.

The dining room was empty as the two men entered, Bruce choosing a table near the door so as not to miss the opportunity to chat with anyone entering, while Antoine headed towards the kitchen to find coffee and set up the conversation with the man they knew was much more involved than he let on.

Reading the body language of the players from last night as they entered the room was interesting. As is usual in these situations, one person was always the leader and it wasn't difficult to ascertain who that was. Raising his hand Bruce indicated for the man to come and join him, hoping that he too could garner some information. As expected there was no hesitancy from the other man, the desire to know what had happened when he and Antoine were taken away by the judge too much of a draw for him to consider doing anything else.

Allie was glad that daylight had finally come and there was enough murky light in their roof space for the boys to not feel frightened when they opened their eyes. Torn between wanting them to sleep longer and knowing that they would benefit from having warm soup inside them, she chose the latter. Hopefully it would not be much longer before they would be home again in their own beds, being kissed goodnight by their parents.

Before she woke them she checked the contents of the basket that Aunt Lilian had brought. Bread, cheese, chocolate cake, water and some little oranges. Removing the cake she carefully hid it inside her bag, thinking that it may be better for them not to overindulge now when they would still be tired and unsure of what was happening. That could be a special treat for later if they were still here.

She removed the books, three of them, and smiled to herself when she saw that the top one was The Mountie and The Wolfpack by CC Weston. How clever of Lilian to think to include this, another affirmation that her message had been clearly understood. Knowing that the boys would already have read it she placed it down before turning to the other two.

First the classic Peter and Wendy by J M Barrie, a great choice as the magic of the boy who never grew up would certainly keep Patrick and Little Jack enthralled for a long time. Then there was Doctor Dolittle, a book that Allie had not read so she was interested to see what it was about. Reading the description she found herself laughing at the names of some of the creatures that travelled with him on his journey to Africa and then the strangest one he met there, the two-headed pushmi-pullyu! Perhaps this should be her choice to begin with.

Suddenly she realised that four sleepy eyes were looking at her as she peered at the books, using her torch under the blankets. With a big smile she greeted them, "Good morning, you both seemed to have slept well. Are you ready for something nice to warm you up?

It had been an unsettled night at the Coulter house and now Lee was trying to be patient, watching as Rosie fussed around Fiona making sure that she was ok. Nathan's call this morning had put them in a panic at first as he explained the events of the night in Brookfield. The thought of their boys having to hide away from the danger with only Allie to comfort them was heartbreaking but then he reassured them that Gabe and Lilian were on top of the situation and the whole town was doing their utmost to locate Helen Bouchard.

Without hesitation Nathan told them to go, that the two boys would need the reassurance of seeing their parents' faces as soon as this was over. Both of them realised how difficult this was for Nathan, with so much on his shoulders here it was impossible for him to leave and yet there must have been nothing more that he wanted to do than rush to be with Allie.

Thinking of the young woman, Lee gave thanks for having her in their lives. He doubted that many other sixteen year olds would have the nous and courage to do what she had. God had certainly blessed them the day he sent Nathan and Allie Grant to Hope Valley and then a second time when they returned. If ever he was choosing the people for his lifeboat their names would be first on the list.

As he put the basket that Rosie had quickly prepared onto the back seat, while the two women brought down the last of the items they were taking for the boys, he heard the sound of a horse approaching and looked up to see Ed Harter galloping around the last bend to the house. Even though he had only spoken to Nathan about 30 minutes ago Lee was immediately worried. Things had been moving so fast over the past few days that it was difficult to keep up and he knew how quickly the situation could change.

"Has something happened since I spoke to Nathan?" he asked as he rushed across to take hold of Ed's horse so that he could dismount.

"No, it is all the same. I am sorry to startle you! Superintendent Grant asked me to come out here to escort Miss Miller back to town and a gallop on the way was just what I needed to clear the cobwebs".

Feeling the tension ease, Lee tied the reins to the porch rail and ushered the young Mountie up the steps. "We are almost ready to leave and I must admit that was a concern, although Fiona keeps reassuring us that she is fine and would make her way back soon. It is a relief to know that you will be looking after her."

At that moment Rosemary and Fiona descended the stairs, Ed noting that the young woman looked more fragile than he remembered. He quickly stepped across to take her small bag, noting the half smile she gave him. She certainly was very pretty and from everything he had heard extremely bright to go with it. That she had suffered a great loss was explained to them by the Superintendent, something that he could empathise with having also experienced the shock of losing people close to him in difficult circumstances.

Perhaps that explained the feeling he got whenever he saw her but he was starting to think that there may just be more to it than that.