Free The Minister's Maid by Jamie DeBree Page B

Derek said, and Ian turned, relieved that there were small barred windows around the edges of the main dungeon area. The small amount of light helped to make the space slightly less claustrophobic, though the chains and manacles bolted to the stone walls in several cells made his stomach twist.
    "Get in that center cell. Away from the door."
    Ian led Betsy into the small cube near the inner wall, three stone sides and floor-to-ceiling metal pipes on the fourth, with a large open door that Derek swung shut with a clang behind them.
    "Now give me the last clue you found. I need to know where this half starts, and whoever was drawing this map can’t draw for shit." He balanced the gun on one of the flat supports, and stuck the other hand through the bars, palm up. "Either cooperate, or it will be my pleasure to strip-search you, Bets. And I doubt even your preacher here can save you with a bullet in his chest." He frowned, looking thoughtfully at the floor before he raised his face again. "On second thought, maybe I'll shoot him in the leg. Then you can watch him bleed to death after I'm gone."
    "Bastard." Betsy pulled the map out of her pocket, and handed it over before Ian could stop her. "You're not going to get away with this, you know. Even if you do manage to figure out all the clues, it will be too late."
    Derek backed away from the cell, his laughter echoing through the chamber. "I always like that about you," he said, stuffing the gun in his waistband and opening up the paper. "Feisty. When I'm done, I'll be back for you. Then you can see what it's like to be taken captive by a real pirate after he's looted the ship. Arrrg." He snapped his teeth at her, then turned on his heel and marched out of the dungeon, muttering to himself as he went.
    "I think he's actually gone insane this time," Betsy commented, shaking her head. "I have no idea what I ever saw in that guy." She reached for one end of a wooden bench along the far wall, motioning for Ian to help.
    He picked up the other end and followed her to the southwest corner of the cell, where she set her end down, and he settled his perpendicular to the wall. "What are we doing?"
    She glanced over her shoulder, looking as far outside of the bars as she could. "Getting out of here," she whispered, then pointed up. Ian tipped his head back, and grinned.
    "You knew that was there all along. Smart girl."
    She shrugged. "I insisted in designing them that way when we first started. I figured with the real locks, it would be too easy to get stuck accidentally, so all of the cells have an escape hatch at the top. You can come back down here, or you can take one of a few hidden passageways to other parts of the castle. Like the tower room, where he's going now." She stood on the bench, stretching to pull the square wooden hatch down.
    Ian stepped up beside her, putting his hands on her waist so he could lift her up. "Is that where we're going? That's where the next clue leads, right?"
    She shook her head and winked. "That's right, but that's not where we're going. Because while we were walking here, I figured it out. I know where the treasure is, so we're going there instead."
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 9
     
     
    Betsy waited for Ian to join her in the narrow passage, then they closed the hatch, careful not to make any noise. A small amount of light from tall, narrow slats at either end of the stone hallway provided just enough light to move safely over the other hatches.
    "This way," she said, leading him toward the back of the castle and passing the first opening, then the second. "We'll go out the back. He's less likely to see us that way from the tower." She led the way down a narrow stairway barely wide enough for one person, sliding her hand along the wall until she found the switch to activate the electric torches on the walls.
    "Where are we going?" Ian asked from behind, his voice echoing through the tunnel. Betsy stopped to look back, holding a finger to her lips and