AGAIN.
On that, they happened to agree.
“We could put them where the other paintings are,” Graham offered, getting pulled up to his feet by D’Artangnan and against his body.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly, holding the man against him to be sure.
No, he wasn’t.
Against D’Artangnan, he couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe.
He couldn’t…do anything.
Instead, he just nodded like an idiot when no words were coming out of his mouth.
Gryphen pulled out a knife, and the lights flickered.
“Hey, calm down. I was just going to cut open the back to see…”
The lights flickered again.
He was confused.
“Does that mean it wants me to or doesn’t?” he asked. “Because I’m confused by the signals. A yes or no would be helpful.”
When nothing happened, he moved closer to the one painting.
“I won’t hurt it,” he promised.
Ian explained to the others who weren’t there the first time they’d found a painting with a note.
“We found a note in the back of the painting that had Duncan’s son on it. Maybe there’s something in one of these,” he offered.
Oh, well, as far as Michael was concerned, or anyone else, the paintings needed to be inspected. He was just going to hold onto Graham in case something got shove-y with him.
Again.
With gentle fingers, Gryphen sliced into the painting backings, and nothing was in the first three.
It was the fourth and last one that netted them something.
Ian slipped his fingers into the back, and Gabby held one of the now-working portable lights over the painting so they could see what he’d found.
“It’s a note, and it looks to be part of the journal,” he admitted.
“From?” Michael asked. “Because this whole thing is getting weird, and I’m not a fan of having to play this kind of a game if lives are in danger.”
Spoken like a true Marine.
And Archangel.
Ian carefully opened the letter.
“It’s from Catherine,” he said, seeing the signature on the bottom.
Ian opened it, and Gabby and he inspected it in the light. Then, she couldn’t wait any longer.
Thankfully, it was in English, and she could read it.
