“You trust them Marguerite?” asked Nico.
“I trust them because I spoke to Nicolai and he trusts them. We must help to keep them safe so that we can save our island.”
“Nicolai? He is okay? He knows about his wife?” whispered Leonidas.
“Yes. He knows about his wife and he’s doing well, considering the circumstances.” The two men nodded, looking once more to Marguerite for guidance, then back to the four giants.
“We will help you.”
Marguerite walked the men downstairs and then outside. Through the small attic window, they listened to their conversation, praying that they weren’t plotting against them.
“They are very large,” said Nico.
“Of course, they are,” said Marguerite. “They are men who save others. Do you think tiny little men could do such things?”
The group wanted to laugh but held it in, not wanting them to know they were listening.
“I’ll make the cellar ready for them,” said Nico. Leonidas stayed back for a moment wanting to speak to Marguerite alone.
“Marguerite, I don’t want to leave the island but I agree with the men. We need to leave or they will continue to hold us hostage. The supply ships aren’t bringing enough to the island to sustain us. And what of Diana? What if she struggles with the birth?”
“The midwife is prepared for anything. If something goes wrong,” she started, staring off across the water, “if something should go wrong, we can only pray that these men who are destroying our home will have mercy on her and call for help.”
“Do you honestly believe that the men destroying our island will care at all about one pregnant woman? About one child?”
“I have to believe that they will. I have to believe it.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
By the time Dalton, Ben, Adam, Kiel and Joseph arrived on the island, it was after midnight. Anxiously awaiting their arrival, Leonidas and Nico sat outside their homes, slowly sipping Ouzo.
When the armed guards walked by, they barely gave the men a glance. They viewed them as passive, pacifists, not willing to fight for their own land. It had been easy to take over this island. Easy to destroy their leaders credibility. These people were farmers, craftsmen too stupid to live in a modern world.
They had no cell phones, no satellite dishes, nothing that could help them to get help. They didn’t even have law enforcement on the island. It had been like taking candy from a baby.
As the two men disappeared around the bend, five more were suddenly in their place, staring at the two men. Nico stood quickly, Leonidas right behind him. They stared up at the huge men.
“You, you are friends of Marguerites?” asked Nico.
“Yes. We are the Americans who have come to help,” said Joseph. The two men nodded.
“Come. Come quickly and we’ll show you where to put your things.”
Once they had their gear stored, they notified the others that they were on the island. Wrapping themselves in the stealth suits, they met the others near the cliff edge.
“Thanks for coming,” said Bodhi. “We’ve got ourselves quite a fucking mess here.”
“Does he really think he’s going to be able to point weapons at Syria or Türkiye and no one will notice?” asked Ben.
“I’m not sure what this asshole is thinking. Frank thinks he may be prepping to house something on the island that he doesn’t want others to see. Maybe a nuke, maybe a factory of some sort. Whatever it is, he’s holding these poor people hostage.”
“Then at some point we have to get them off the island,” said Adam.
“We know that but there are only three people who know about us. We’re still not sure if they have any help here,” said Ian. “Okay. Ready to try the new ropes?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” said Kiel. “Aren’t we a little old for rope climbing?”
“Why the fuck do you think we train on this shit?” said Devin.
