Chapter 14

In the dark of a dream, Phileas heard a door open and several sets of feet enter his room. He laid still, muscles ready to act. A moment later, a hand came down on his shoulder. It was a feminine hand with a light touch. Momentarily confused, he turned his head, opening his eyes.

In the pale light coming from the window, he saw Jessica standing over him in nothing but her nightdress. Her mouth had been tightly covered with a scarf. She was held at the waist with one arm twisted behind her. A man's head, close to hers, smiled maliciously. It was Warrant.

Another man stood behind them with a gun against the other side of Jessica's head.

Once the point was made, Warrant pulled his hostage back and threw Fogg his pants. "Dress quickly," he whispered. "You will follow us. Any noise will be rewarded with the vision of this lovely lady being gutted before your eyes."

Warrant verified his threat with a large fishing knife brought forward and held to Jessica's stomach.

Phileas needed no further warning. He dressed quickly and followed the Prussians and Jessica across the hall into her room. They forced him down the hidden stair ahead of them. Fogg cursed himself when he saw the stones removed from the old outer door. He should have had that freshly sealed when he saw its condition.

There was no going back now.

Warrant's helper crawled through the opening first. Phileas was directed to follow. He was pushed into a rowboat as Jessica and Warrant worked their way out of the keep. Jessica was put next to him in the boat's bow. The Prussians sat on the other end in silence; one holding a pistol on them while the other rowed for shore.

Phileas put an arm around Jessica's waist to steady her as the boat moved over the water. The small craft was not meant for four people and rode low in the water. Jessica felt tense in his arm. He squeezed her to him for a moment and then brushed her head with his cheek. It was a very tender offer of comfort.

Carl smiled at it, admiring his adversary's chivalry. What he did not see or hear was Fogg's nearly inaudible two-word warning pressed into Jessica's ear. "Be ready."

As the boat came near shore, Nivens stood to get out of the boat to cover his prisoners. When the agent stood, the boat rocked.

Without warning, it lurched to the right. Nivens and his pistol hit the water with a great splash. He came up, coughing freezing cold water. The other occupants were in the water, too. The woman was halfway to shore. Fogg and Warrant were coming together in a fight over his knife.

This is what comes of petty plays at revenge.

Carl could have silently killed the woman in the keep and escaped without notice. But no, the fool is now likely to be killed, and the woman lost.

Nivens was no fool to enter the knife fight hip deep in icy water.

I at least will follow orders.

He left Carl to his fate, heading for shore and his ordered objective.

Fogg took note as he closed with Warrant that Jessica had made it to shore. He had expected just that out of such a practical minded woman. While she ran for cover, he set himself to fight the Prussians. The water had been ice cold and difficult to move in, but he and Warrant were equally disadvantaged in that. What Phileas had not expected was the other man opting out of the fight and go after Jessica.

Carl did not fault Nivens for going after the woman. No doubt she would be dead by the time he had finished with Fogg. He dismissed her and pulled free of Phileas's hold, moving for shore. Phileas followed him warily. Warrant waited on shore for Fogg to get out of the water.

They circled each other on the smooth rocks. Carl was younger by a decade and good with a knife. Phileas had more experience.

Carl made his attack, slashing at Fogg with the knife. In one swipe he hit home, drawing blood in a long slash to Fogg's forearm. The next attack cut at the same arm's shoulder. Both wounds were soon bleeding profusely. Warrant smiled at his handiwork. A few more cuts like that and the man would weaken from blood loss and be easily brought down.

Carl circled again, watching Fogg's movements getting slower as his sleeve dripped red. He came close again, slicing the shirt at the chest, but not close enough to make contact with flesh. Warrant stepped in again, going for Phileas's stomach.

A hand closed on the Prussian's wrist, moving faster than he had expected. He was jerked off his feet onto the rocks. The two men rolled on the ground several times, fighting for control.

Carl came up on top at one point, getting his knife hand turned over Fogg's neck. He was pushing with all his might, driving the knife closer and closer. He grimaced down on his enemy in malicious satisfaction. The arm Fogg was using against him was the blood soaked injured one.

He put all his might into one more effort.

Suddenly, Fogg's face left Carl's field of vision. His head was jerked up to view the stars. He lost that sight for blackness. The stars of Scotland's sky were his last sight.

Phileas did not see what ended the contest until the Prussian's bulk had been removed from his chest. He had been straining with every bit of strength he had had, but the knife point kept coming for him. His injured arm had trembled.

Without warning, his enemy's downward pressure stopped completely as his head turned to the right and kept turning like an owl trying to see over its shoulder. Warrant's body was dragged off him within seconds of going limp.

Taking his place had been the welcome sight of Rebecca standing over him. Rebecca had to be the most beautiful welcome sight Fogg could have asked for. Her hair was soaked in its long night braid. Dressed only in a wet, transparent nightgown, she stood there with it clinging to her skin, revealing every curve in the dim moonlight. For a moment, he just laid there on the rocks staring.

"As usual… Rebecca," he gasped, trying to speak, "your timing is… impeccable."

Rebecca smiled down on him, teeth chattering, while holding out her hand to help him up. "Where is Jessica? I heard your door open and saw our visitors leading the two of you out. In the swim across, I did not see where she went."

Fogg came up on his feet. "I did not either."

The two turned their attentions to the ground. In the dim moonlight, two pair of wet footprints were found heading to the trees. They followed that trail as fast as they could. Once in the trees, the Foggs heard voices and in the distance to the left. Racing that direction, they came on the other Prussian, backing Jessica into the wet marsh. He had no weapon. He may have planned to strangle her or drown her in the lake. She was stepping back into the water.

The Foggs knew what would happen, but there was no time to give Jessica warning. As they watched, she sunk to her knees in the damp spongy peat.

The Prussian stopped advancing, just watching her caught in the bog's suction. Nivens laughed. He would not have to do anything but watch her drop deeper into the water.

Phileas was several yards behind the Prussian. There was no time for a fight. Jessica would be sucked into the sinking ground within minutes. He drove the fishing knife he had into the agent with all his strength and ran to Jessica with Rebecca on his heels.

The knife sank deep into the agent's neck, killing Nivens within moments.

Jessica had already sunk waist deep in the bog by the time they reached her. Rebecca went down on her knees, reaching out to grab Jessica's hand, pulling her cousin closer to the solid edge of the bog. When she directed him, Phileas caught his cousin by the ankles. On solid ground, he pulled.

Slowly, he pulled against the dragging suction, getting the two women out of the water and back to safety. When Jessica was halfway out, Phileas let go of Rebecca and lifted Jessica free. Together, the three of them backed away from the water onto the trunk of a large tree. They fell huddled together on the mossy ground, out of breath and exhausted.

The women were soaked and dirty in ruined gowns that were now useless as concealing garments. Fogg took in the sight but did not have the strength to do more than observe. His arm was still bleeding. So lightheaded from that and his exertions, Phileas was near to fainting.

Jessica was the first to come back to herself. She pulled the clinging fabric from her body, then looked from Rebecca's soaked condition to Phileas's bloody arm.

"That needs tending," she said weakly.

Jessica roused herself with the need to tend to her rescuers. She headed for the camp by the shore to find blankets and cloth for bandages.

"Alw–ways the p–practical one," Rebecca said. Her teeth chattered so hard she could barely speak.

Fogg agreed weakly, pulling her closer to him for warmth. "Yes, quite. And we should be grateful. I am not sure I could get up now if I tried. And–you, my dear cousin–are going to catch pneumonia."

Phileas shivered a bit himself, belatedly noting his own wet condition. He did the first thing he could think of to warm them up. He kissed her.