Page 95 of Long Live the King

Lochinvar shook his head.

I asked for more and more leads, but everything seemed a dead end.

Lady Mairead asked the computer, “Can ye compare everything ye ken about Ash McNeil, born in 2000 and Ash married tae Asgall of Asgall Holdings in the twentieth century,and give me a percentage of probability that they are the same person.”

The voice in the room answered, “The probability is a 50.24% match.”

She brushed her hands. “Tis the same person then. We hae solved it.”

Kaitlyn said, “But it’s very close to fifty-fifty.”

“Aye, but think on it, without birth certificates, marriage licenses, burial grounds or photographs, and without the two people being alive in the same century, our computer believes it is more likely than not. This is good enough.”

Emma said, “I guess so…”

“Tis clear!”

Kaitlyn said, “So we think Asgall definitely took Ash?”

I nodded.

Our eyes drew tae Lochinvar, standing, starin’ at the projection, his face with an expression of deep sadness. “She is gone, nae more? I left her and allowed her tae be kidnapped and murdered? Or tae marry and hae a bairn with someone else and live and die without me?What am I tae do?”

Junior began tae cry.

Kids squabbled over the billiards game.

The room had taken on a chaotic energy and Lochinvar was feelin’ despair.

I said, “We will get her back.” I ran my hand over my face. “I promise ye, Lochinvar, we will. We need tae arm ourselves, we will go as soon as we gather our?—”

Fraoch clapped his hand on Lochinvar’s back. “Come with me tae the church, Og Lochie, we need tae clear yer mind before battle.”

Lochinvar nodded.

I said, “Dost ye need me tae come?”

Fraoch shook his head. “Nae, rest for a bit, Og Maggy, I need tae speak with him alone.”

As they walked from the room, I said, tae the rest of the group, my voice raised over the wailin’ bairn, “I daena think there is anything else we can discern here, we must decide where we will look first — we need tae think, and we need tae collect ourselves. We will hae rooms assigned for everyone. I am certain ye are all hungry, we will gather in the dining room at five o’clock for dinner.”

CHAPTER 39 - ASH

THE PAST

Everything hurt. I woke up in the dark, very dark, dark, total darkness. I said, in a whisper, “Hello?” No sound. Or rather, no sound nearby, I…I was under something very heavy. Like a weighted blanket… I inhaled. It smelled old and musty, thick and not laundered... a piece of it tickled my nose. A fur? The top of my head was cold in the air. Where the heck was I? I put out my hand and felt a cold wall beside me.

There was no hum. It sounded like I was camping in nowhere, just the sounds of night, and a… faintly, the lowing of a cow. The steps of an animal.

I felt blind. I concentrated,adjust your eyes…but I couldn’t make out anything. I moved my head around, looking out different directions, and noticed a pale gray space. A window. I focused on it but couldn’t determine anything outside.

I was in a cabin of some kind. Was I in the woods?Oh my God, I was being trafficked.

I started to panic, stomach dropping, heart racing, tried to draw in breath, but it was short and ragged. I was frozen, but wanted to look out that window. My eyes faced it, but I couldn’t make myself move. It was like being separate from my body. I needed to see. I needed to look.

Go go go go.

If I was in Yulee or some other place in the county I needed to get the heck out of here.

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