He opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden commotion spun him around to face the tent flap. He had a second to register raised voices and the tramp of feet, a second to pull Caitlin to her feet, push her behind him and draw his sword, before armed men came spilling into the tent.
They were clearly professionals, their movements coordinated and precise. They were armed with swords but didn’t attack, merely spread out in a ring around the interior of the large tent, eyes fixed on Kai and Caitlin.
MacGuinness scrambled to his feet. “Who are ye?” he cried. “What is going on?”
The tent flap was pulled back and a woman strode in. She was tall and lean with a mop of wild, curly hair that framed her striking features. Her eyes were a deep shade of brown, and they scanned the room with a cool detachment. She wore a leather tunic and trews, both of which hugged her slender frame.
“Who amI?” she barked. “I believe ye’ve been expecting me. My name is Alice Brewer.”
MacGuinness’s face crumpled with confusion and he looked between the woman and Caitlin. “But...but...thisis Alice Brewer.”
The woman smiled icily. “No. This is the woman who’s been pretending to be me.”
Kai felt the blood drain from his face. He glanced at Caitlin out of the corner of his eye. Her face was pale but she didn’t flinch away from Alice’s gaze.
Kai considered his options in a heartbeat. Could they fight their way out? Doubtful. So he did the only thing he could think to do: he pulled on another mask and began to act.
“Ye’ve got a damned nerve,” he growled at Alice Brewer. “Where have ye and that no-good husband of yers been? Ye were paid well to deliver this cargo and our master willnae be happy that ye failed him!”
Alice blinked, thrown momentarily off balance by Kai’s swagger. “What are ye talking about? The cargo is outside.”
“Aye,” he snapped. “The cargo is outside all right butyedidnae deliver it. My men found the cargo for sale at a market not five miles from here! The merchant said he bought it from a man and his wife. Not trying to double-cross us were ye? Not trying to make yerself a quick profit by betraying our master?” His voice was low and deadly and he schooled his face into the passive mask of a killer.
“Who are ye? I dinna have to answer to ye,” she said, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
He stepped forward and used every bit of skill he had to make his performance convincing, willing her to believe he was one of Leif Snarlsson’s agents. “Oh, aye? Would ye bet yer life on that?”
“If ye work for our master then ye will know where I’ve been!” she retorted. “Directing my men to attack Aberfeldy!”
Shock rippled through Kai at this revelation but he let none of it show on his face. “Aye, and what a disaster that was!” he snapped. “From what I hear yer men were discovered and their horses stolen before ye even set foot in the place!”
Alice’s expression turned wary. He knew what she was thinking. How could he know about that unless hewasan agent of Leif Snarlsson’s?
“Look,” she said, her voice more placating now. “It wasnae my fault that the attack on Aberfeldy went wrong. Nor was it my fault that the cargo was lost. When my husband didnae meet me at the rendezvous, I assumed he’d been captured by the Order or the laird’s men. I came here as fast as I could. I am loyal. I would never betray our cause!” She seemed to reach a decision. “I have nothing to hide. I have done what our master demanded. Here.” She reached into a pouch at her waist and took out a parchment which she brandished defiantly at Kai. “I think ye’ll find everything is in order.”
Kai took the parchment. He was just about to unroll it when a noise reached him from outside: people shouting and the sound of many horses. With Caitlin following, Kai ducked through the tent flap and crossed the compound into the fair. There, he stopped in shock.
The fair was in chaos.
A group of mounted men were chasing people everywhere, causing havoc. The riders were poorly dressed and their weapons battered, but there were enough of them to cause panic. The leader sat his mount, shouting orders to the others.
Kai’s eyes narrowed. Where had he seen that man before?
Alice took a few steps towards the man and bellowed, “Wolfric! Make sure ye check the east side! We dinna want them escaping across the river!”
The man, Wolfric, pulled his horse around to face Alice and opened his mouth to bellow a reply. But then he caught sight of Kai and started.
Beside Kai, Caitlin gasped. “It’s them! It’s the bandits from Aberfeldy!”
That’s where he’d seen the man before!
“Ye!” Wolfric bellowed at Kai. “I’ll take yer damned head for what ye did to me and my lads!”
He nudged his horse towards them but Alice held up her hand “What are ye doing man! These are agents of our master!”
“Ye bloody fool!” Wolfric roared. “They are naught of the kind! This is the bastard that drove off our horses at Aberfeldy! Did ye think ye went unnoticed?” he shouted at Kai. “Well, ye didnae! I saw ye stealing my own bloody horse, damn ye! And now I’ll make ye pay!”
Alice spun on Kai, her eyes flashing with fury. “I knew it! Liar!”
