BlackMail
: : Summary : : Even the best laid plans go awry. Rick's past catches up with him and he is forced to makea decision which could ruin everything.
Evelyn awoke to the horrid clatter of her alarm clock and almost knocked it off the bedside drawers in her struggle to silence
it. She stared at the round, white dial and it's black face, the ticking being the only sound to fill the room. Seven O'Clock!
She had only been asleep for roughly four hours, at least that's the last time she remembered looking at the clock before finally
drifting off.
There had been no sign of Rick since yesterday morning. She looked at the empty space in her bed and her chest filled with
a dull ache. 'Has he gone?' This wasn't the first time that thought crossed her mind, it had raced around her head most of last
night as every footstep she heard in the corridor failed to stop at her door. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes while
she reproached herself for her sanctimonious attitude toward him, wondering if that had driven him away. 'What must he have
thought?' Almost every night for two months he had called at her door once the activity of the Fort had settled for the evening.
And everytime she had welcomed him into her room and into her bed, but she never allowed him to be seen either entering or
leaving her room. She had even fussed about a wedding date, insisting upon informing relatives and awaiting their reply. Two
days ago, he had lost his temper and argued with her about being sick and tired of all the secrecy, "How had he put it?.....
creeping about like some tomcat!'
She rose from the bed with a heavy sigh and began dressing. Once finished, she stood before the mirror and smoothed the
material of her skirt over her hips and stomach. As she did, an uncontrollable sob lurched from her throat. She sank back down
onto the bed and wept into her hands.
The sudden knocking at her door forced her to quickly stand and move to the mirror. Hurriedly she wiped the tears from her face
and straightened her clothes. "Just a minute!" She made her way to the door, took a deep breath and opened it.
"Oh...it's you."
"Well that's a fine good morning, I must say!"
Evelyn struggled helplessly to hide her disappointment, "What can I do for you, then?"
"Oh dear! Still no sign of him, hey?"
Evelyn shook her head and pushed the door open to allow her brother inside.
"Cheer up!" Jonathan squeezed her shoulders "I popped in to see if I could walk you down to breakfast."
She leaned her head into her brother's and offered a small smile. "Thank you. That would be nice"
****
O'Connell put on his jacket as he strode angrily away from the Legion's camp. The two young soldiers ordered to flank him
until he reached the Fort only fuelled his temper, but he was in no position to do a damned thing about it! Any false move
and he knew the penalty. To make the situation worse, he didn't trust Verdi to keep his word whether he behaved himself or
not. In his fear, Rick had considered just grabbing Evelyn and making a run for it, but then he'd be seen to have escaped
custody and they'd be hunted down like dogs for sure, and Evelyn would still be left to Verdi's whim. No, the only way out
of this was to ride with them to Damascus and set Jonathan on the alert for danger. 'Jonathan!' He smiled wryly at the thought,
but there was no-one else he could trust with the full story.
****
"Smile, Evie! It might never happen!"
"What?" Evelyn was shocked from her thoughts by her brother's abrupt comment.
"The long face. Surely, it can't be as bad as all that?" Jonathan lowered his head in attempt to meet his sister's gaze,
"It's probably just what I said and he got caught up with that old friend of his."
"No, he's gone Jonathan!" She placed her cup upon it's saucer with a deliberate action. "I shoo-ed him away with all my fuss
and nonsense! He's fed up with it, and left!" Evelyn pushed her chair back, collected her handbag and stood with determination.
"Well! There's brighter days ahead!" She looked expectantly at Jonathan, holding her hand out to him. "Shall we?"
"You don't think you're being a little rash, do you? Old army buddies and all!" Even as a child, Evelyn had been stubborn and
difficult to reason with, but her peculiar behaviour of late was proving tough for even Jonathan to handle.
"I'm not the one who's vanished into thin air, Jonathan!"
"Thin air! He's only been gone a..."
"Are you walking with me to the Museum, or not?" Completely ignoring her sibling's attempt to redeem her lover.
Jonathan stood silent for a moment, pondering the mood of his sister and decided his day could be better spent elsewhere.
"Umm, no, not today."
"Oooh! Suit yourself!"
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