Page 99 of The Highland Heist
“Malcolm Kane?”
Ah, Frederick knew that voice and understood Kane’s look of shock perfectly.
Kane’s sword lowered slightly, his eyes wide in disbelief. “You–you’re supposed to be dead,” he stammered, the words coming out as little more than a breathless whisper.
Frederick kept his stance, waiting for Kane’s next move, as Tony stepped to Frederick’s side. “I have too much to live for.”
The distraction was exactly what Frederick needed. With a sharp twist of his wrist, he shifted his grip on the sword and swung the pommel up in a swift, decisive arc. The blow landed squarely on Kane’s temple, the sound of impact sharp and final.
Kane crumpled to the floor, the sword slipping from his grasp with a dull, metallic thud.
Frederick didn’t even glance at the unconscious man. His focus was already on Tony. “The women are in trouble,” he said, running toward the door. “We have to get to them.”
Chapter 25
Grace tugged down the velvet curtains with all her might, her heels scraping against the floor for leverage. The heavy fabric gave way with a groan, the rod surrendering in a dramatic crash that sent dust and a spattering of soot into her face.
Lillias erupted into a coughing fit behind her, waving one hand dramatically while the other clutched her chest. Her usually pristine complexion was now smeared with an ashy hue. A laugh tickled Grace’s throat, but she swallowed through it. She suspected she looked no better, and with her red hair flying in all direction, she might very well be mistaken for one of the weepers of Scottish legend. The caoineag.
Ignoring her sister’s theatrics, Grace snapped the curtain fabric free and draped one length carefully through the jagged window to shield against the remaining shards. She knelt in front of Zahra, brushing a stray curl from the girl’s face and clasping her small shoulders.
Grace drew a steadying breath, the acrid smoke stinging her throat. If Zahra could scale a wall in Cairo, she could manage this.Oh Lord, please let her manage this.“The balcony’s to the right, not directly below us,” she said, forcing a calmness into her voice she did not feel. “I’m going to swing you toward it, and you’ll have to jump. Can you do that?”
Zahra fixed her with a solemn nod, her light eyes steady and unflinching.
“You can’t just drop her out a window.” Lillias followed behind Grace as she led Zahra up to the only exit from the room. “She’s a child.”
“She’s a very smart child.” And this was their only option. Grace looked down at Zahra. “And more than capable.” Grace lifted Zahra onto the sill, placing the girl at the same eye-level as herself. “Don’t let go until you are sure, all right?”
Zahra gave another one of her nods and without warning, wrapped her arms around Grace’s neck. The sweetest sense of overwhelming joy pooled through Grace as she enclosed the little girl in her arms for a quick embrace. More than heat from the fire stung her eyes. This was part of being a mother.
Swallowing hard, Grace pulled back and cupped Zahra’s cheeks. “Ready?”
Zahra turned toward the window in response.
Grace secured one end of the curtain rope to the iron bracket used to hold back the curtains, just to give her some additional leverage. The other end dangled down toward the balcony below. Zahra tested the makeshift rope with a firm tug, her small hands displaying a confidence that spoke of her past life on the streets.
Yes, her little one had done this before.
“Careful,” Grace whispered, catching Zahra’s eyes once more before the girl disappeared over the edge.
She moved with practiced ease, swift and fluid, quickly reaching the end of the cloth and … a twenty foot drop to the ground below. Now came the tricky part. Giving her enough of a swing to get her to the balcony on the right. Grace gripped the curtain, swinging it back and forth to build momentum. Zahra moved in tandem, her small frame swaying like a pendulum. On the third swing, Zahra released her grip and landed on the balcony with the grace of a cat. She turned, flashing Grace a broad, triumphant smile.
“Remarkable,” Grace muttered, her lips twitching despite herself.
There was one.
Grace turned to her sister. The air had grown thicker with smoke, the tapestry on the opposite wall a bright square of fire. “Now you, Lillias.”
Lillias shook her head, her face paling all over again. “I can’t.”
“Youmust.” Grace’s tone left no room for argument. “There’s no other way.”
“But what if I fall?”
Grace drew in a deep breath. “Youmaydie if you fall.” Grace steadied her attention on her sister. “Youwilldie if you stay.”
Lillias audibly swallowed, blanched, and steeling herself, approached the window. With much less finesse, Lillias slipped her legs over the edge, wrangling with her skirts to push through the space. Her entire body shook, but she took hold of the rope and dipped over the lip of the window, climbing down the same trek Zahra had just taken. Her descent was slower, her movements jarring, but with skirt billowing around her, she managed.
