“Think twice, Mr. Longton, before you agree.”
Burke let out an agitated sigh. “I won’t interfere.”
“Your word on it.”
Another agitated sigh. “I give you my word, though reluctantly.”
Burke had proven himself an honorable man, and Storm knew he would keep his word once given whether he agreed with the circumstances or not. It seemed when it came to her, he was overly concerned, but then to him men were meant to protect women. He was doing what he had been raised to do.
“You’ll follow between Tanin and me. I don’t want you getting lost.” She smiled and shook her head. “But then you wouldn’t get lost; you’re too good of a tracker.”
“True enough, but there’s no time to waste so it’s best I do as you say.”
Storm stumbled in jest, her hand to her chest. “Did I just hear you agree with me?”
He cracked a smile. “It’s easy to agree with you when you make sense.”
“I make sense all the time.”
“Women rarely make sense,” Burke said on a laugh.
“Amen to that,” Angus said, passing by.
Storm grinned and sauntered off. “Have your fun, but do remember that it’s a woman who leads you.”
They didn’t have to wait long for Philip to join them at the designated meeting place. He arrived shortly after them, and they huddled beneath a large spruce to hear what he had learned.
“They took a prisoner out of here just before my arrival,” Philip informed them. “It is whispered about in the village as if it is a secret that cannot be divulged.”
“Was a name mentioned?” Burke asked anxiously.
Philip shook his head. “No, though mention was made of the size of the man, and from what Peter told us, the description fits.”
“Then it could be Cullen,” Burke said.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Tanin advised. “We have yet to learn of a name. We could be chasing after the wrong man.”
“Which is why we must free the young lad,” Philip informed them.
“He knows something?” Burke asked.
Philip nodded. “The lad spent a good two days with the man in the same cell.”
“He would know his name,” Burke said, excited.
“He would know something,” Storm said.
Burke agreed. “Enough for us to learn if it is my brother we chase after.”
“A good chance of it,” Philip said. “And with the prized prisoner gone and only the lad remaining, there is a bare minimum of guards around the prison.”
“Any idea where he may have been taken?” Burke asked.
Philip shrugged. “I can’t even make sense of why this man has been moved around as much as he has been. Usually a prisoner is kept in one location or perhaps moved once, but this many times?” He shook his head. “It makes no sense.”
“He’s right,” Storm agreed. “I’ve never known a prisoner to be moved as much as this man. Something isn’t right. Perhaps the lad will enlighten us.”
“The village has many items we can use,” Philip advised.
