Free Nightbringer by James Byron Huggins Page B

heard that before?"
    No one replied.
    With a quick nod, Michael stepped into the hall and lifted another Roman sword from the wall and looked at Barnabas. "Let's go, friend."
    With the sudden shouts that seemed to come from one man— "Of course!"—the monsignor and Melanchthon and Molke and Father Stephen enthusiastically snatched Roman swords and spears from the walls of the corridor. Then they encircled Gina, who held the high-capacity semiautomatic at her hip.
    Grinning widely, Josh and Rachel were completely ready for this hunt!
    Gina hesitated, as if debating whether to allow them to accompany her, and then seemed to realize their strength in numbers. For a moment she hefted the SIG, as if weighing whether she could trust this group to completely insure that the abbey would remain safe or that they'd even come back. Then she sighed, smiled tightly over her children.
    "Okay, kids. Let's go."
    ***
    The search through the abbey was electrifying for the host of primitively armed men who had surrounded Gina. But with the SIG tucked in her belt, she followed calmly and closely. Yet, after the first ten or eleven hair-raising reactions to false alarms Gina decided it was much safer to move her kids—and herself—out of reach of spear and sword.
    They found nine doors that led to the outside slightly ajar and unlocked "as usual" with tracks leading in or out. Bending low, Gina could only determine that something had come—or gone—this way. It seemed to move in and out, in and out and in-again-out-again -make-up-your-mind ...
    It was confused or deliberately mulling the tracks. But no animal would have the presence of mind to deliberately mull its tracks.
    To Father Stephen and the rest, a building search was a truly thrilling experience. To Gina it was about as thrilling as a bus driver going for a bus ride. She saw no signs of violence, no sign of forced entry—not that force would have been necessary. The shock that had struck in the wake of the scream faded until she reasoned that it might even have been the wind from the storm raging outside. And by the time they arrived at the Great Hall she was spending far more time appreciating the vast artifacts of the museum than searching shadows.
    When Michael turned to gaze back, Gina had one hand hiked akimbo on her hip. She smiled. "Tired yet?"
    Michael smirked. "You know, Gina, it might have actually been something. These mountains have snow leopards, bears – even wolves."
    "Michael, what are the odds of some rogue bear rampaging through an abbey? I mean—really!'
    Michael glanced casually at the dispersing monks. "Million to one, I guess."
    Gina walked forward. "You know, I actually like you. You're terribly, terribly strange, but you're gallant in an odd, medieval sort of way." Her tone was no longer teasing. "Just where are you from, anyway? You don't seem like the kind of guy who would join a tourist group."
    "Actually," he answered pleasantly, "I'm headed for Rome."
    "What about that! So are we."
    Gina had expected some faint thought that they would be with each other for at least another three or four days to cross his face. But if it did, she couldn't catch it. "So," she continued, "you’re on business?"
    Michael's gaze held some kind of sad resignation. "Yeah." He gazed over the Hall, glancing at all the monks who had joined in the search, then called Jaqual closer. The porcelain monk had not yet surrendered his shield. "Have you seen Dominic or Basil?"
    "No," he answered. "I did not even think of them. Dominic can't leave his room without assistance and Basil is usually close by him in case Dominic needs help. Do you think I should check on them?"
    A beat, and Michael shook his head. "No," he said curtly. "I was just wondering."
    "Ah, of course, yes ... uh, am I dismissed?"
    "Yes, thank you."
    "At your service." Jaqual bowed and was gone.
    Gina shook her head. "What's this about Dominic? You think he might have been hurt or something?"
    "I was just wondering