Keegan saw naught but tree bark and leaves for several minutes. Abruptly, the man abandoned his hiding place behind a thick tree trunk and sprinted deeper into the wood.
Cyrus and Dermott increased their pace. Keegan and the other men followed suit. Shouts and yells echoed through the trees up ahead.
“What the hell?” Dermott asked. “How many of them are there?”
Realization dawned. “’Slud. That might be Haldane and his band of outlaws,” Keegan said just above a whisper. A couple of days ago, Keegan and Rebbie had given Cyrus and his brothers a detailed accounting of Haldane, his men, and their crimes.
Dermott glanced back briefly, his green eyes gleaming in the strange light of the forest. “How many of them?”
“Around a dozen at last count,” Keegan said. “Unless he’s hired more since that last skirmish.”
“We’re going to find out,” Cyrus said. “Prepare for battle, lads.”
“Their archer is deadly. Watch out for him,” Keegan warned.
None of them carried targes since they’d been headed out for deer stalking, not into battle, and had no way to deflect arrows that might fly at them.
Keegan hadn’t imagined Haldane would follow them here, but he shouldn’t be surprised, really. Haldane was a canny lad and determined to get what he wanted.
Shouts and running erupted up ahead, some of the men on horseback and others on foot. Most fled north, along the loch’s edge, while others scurried up the side of the mountain to the east. The MacKenzies and MacKays pursued those running along the loch’s edge. Easier pickings.
“Capture them,” Cyrus ordered. “I want to question the bastards.”
Keegan was glad to see they were gaining on the stragglers of the group.
One of the scrawny men, red-headed with a stringy beard—but unfortunately not Haldane—glanced back and screamed like a lass. He ran down the bank and into the loch. Fraser took after him, splashing through the shallows, latched a hand onto the plaid at his back and dragged him toward the bank. A struggle ensued, but Fraser, being taller and stronger, quickly disarmed him and shoved him up the bank onto dry ground.
Once Keegan saw Fraser and one of the MacKay guards had the outlaw well under control, he ran ahead to join the MacKenzies. He hoped they could catch several of the knaves.
Dermott threw a rock at another outlaw and hit his mark. With a dull thud, he crumpled to the ground and didn’t move.
Only one more was still within sight. He was taller and broader of shoulder with black hair. When he glanced back, Keegan didn’t recognize him. Picking up the pace, Keegan joined Cyrus in the pursuit.
An arrow jabbed into the ground near Keegan, spraying dirt and leaves. He jumped aside. “Arrows!” he warned Cyrus. Taking cover behind a tree trunk, he glanced up the steep, tree-covered hillside where the arrow had come from, seeing Gil and Haldane.
“Bastards. They’re up there!” Keegan pointed, then sheathed his sword and nocked an arrow. Aiming and drawing back, he let the arrow fly. It sailed through the trees a good distance but then stabbed into a tree trunk. “’Slud,” he muttered.
Taking cover near Keegan, Cyrus yelled back to his guards. “Shoot them!”
Keegan nocked another arrow, but Gil and Haldane disappeared before he could release it. Keegan ground his teeth. He wanted to chase them down like the vermin they were, but he was ill prepared at the moment. No armor, no targe.
The other outlaw they’d been pursuing along the loch had also vanished.
“Bastards,” Cyrus grumbled. “We’ll take these two prisoners to the castle, arm ourselves better, then come back and hunt down the rest of them.”
“Aye.” Keegan was glad Cyrus was also eager for a fight. “I want to hear what these two have to say.”
***
Keegan didn’t recognize the two scraggly-bearded men being shepherded back to Teasairg Castle, their hands bound behind their backs, but they definitely looked like desperate criminals. No doubt Haldane had hired them.
The portcullis was raised and all of them strode into the bailey.
“Go get Chief MacKay,” Cyrus said to one of the male servants. “Tell him we captured two of his brother’s men.”
“Aye, m’laird.” The servant hurried inside.
Keegan was surprised to see Dirk appear at the entrance a moment later. He must have been in the great hall for he couldn’t have had time to negotiate the stairs from the upper floor.
“Aye?” Dirk limped forward on the sturdy cane, his sharp blue gaze cutting to the outlaws. “Are these Haldane’s men?”
“Indeed, cousin,” Keegan said. “I remember that one from the skirmish we had north of Ullapool.” He nodded to the brown-haired one who had been knocked down by the rock. Blood soaked part of his hair and dripped onto his filthy clothing.
“Have they revealed anything as of yet?”
“Nay, I thought I’d let you question them,” Cyrus said.
“Did Haldane MacKay hire you?” Dirk asked the two.
Neither man opened his mouth.
“Did you cut out their tongues?” Dirk asked, pretending to be aghast.
“Nay.” Cyrus gave a dark smile. “But I will if you want me to.”
The men’s eyes widened and their faces paled beneath the layers of dirt. “Um… aye… m’laird,” the redheaded man stammered.
“What are your names?” Dirk asked.
“Eli Carmichael,” the red-haired man said.
The one with brown hair and a bushy beard glared at his companion, then blew out a breath. “Neil MacEldon.”
“Well, Neil and Eli—if those are your real names,” Dirk said. “What job were you hired for?”
Both men appeared twitchy, their gazes darting this way and that. Keegan studied them, determining they were near terrified. How loyal were they to Haldane?
“Has Haldane paid you yet?” Keegan asked.
Eli glared. “’Tis no concern of yours.”
“If he hasn’t paid you yet, he likely never will.”
“He paid us some,” Eli said. “And we ken there’s more where that came from.”
Keegan and Dirk exchanged a glance. The purse of coins that was stolen from Dirk’s tent.
Keegan shrugged. “Just because he has it doesn’t mean he’s going to give you any of it. And yet, he expects you to risk your necks for him. ’Tis not fair, is it?”
“If we do the job, he’ll pay us good,” Neil said. “He’s a man of his word.”
Dirk snorted. “And what job is that?”
“Don’t know yet. He said he’d tell us.”
“He won’t be telling you,” Cyrus said. “Because you two are going to spend the rest of your lives in my dungeon.”
The outlaws paled and exchanged a terrified glance. Were they having second thoughts?
“Any man who attempts to murder my sister and my brother-in-law is going to get what he deserves,” Cyrus said, his voice hard.
“We didn’t do it,” Neil said quickly. “’Twas Gil what shot him with the arrow.” He nodded at Dirk.
Cyrus shrugged, looking unconcerned. “You both were on his side, trying to ambush my family, friends and allies. You put my sister’s life in danger,” Cyrus said, his voice quiet but deadly.
“We didn’t ken y-your sister w-was with them,” Eli stuttered.
“Now you do. So, tell these men anything they want to know.” Cyrus motioned to Dirk and Keegan.
“What are Haldane’s plans?” Dirk asked.
Eli squirmed for a moment, staring at the ground, then at the sky. “We heard him murmuring something to McMurdo about…” He dropped silent.
“Aye? About what?” Dirk demanded.
“A lady. Seona—I’m thinking that was her name. She has brown hair and blue eyes, very beautiful. We’re to grab her but not hurt her. Then, he’ll pay us and head back to Durness with her. ’Twas what he said.”
Fury simmered inside Keegan, tensing all his muscles. He wanted to hunt down Haldane and put him out of his misery. “I’ll tell you one thing. None of you are getting your filthy hands on Lady Seona. The man who tries it will get his throat cut.”