Inara had agreed to help us get through the front door, believing she would inherit her sister’s seat of power, doing what we asked of her in keeping order. It meant nothing to me because there would be no order in their slave-trading world. All breeders would know after the gala, that London would not be a place that one could stop to change their goods of the two legged kind. That is, if we succeeded in our plans.  My country was already on the run and all breeders that had an established slave-trading ring were closing down shop, thinking they would be next. As for the ones west of the east coast, they were either moving across the ocean or going further northeast to out run us, due to the fact that the word was spreading in the direction we were moving toward, if the word hadn’t already reached every trader out there.               ***             

No words were said as Inara was taken back to her castle-like home. Jacob would glance back to make sure the three younger boys, who all refused to ride inside, were still holding on to the back of the coach. Inara’s men were made to ride on the front seat of the coach with the driver so that they could be watched at all times. Cates made sure to keep his eyes on the surrounding landscape so that he would know the direction they were being taken, in the event that they were given false information and we needed to come back the same way.

“We are to the gates, Mistress,” the driver announced.

“Stop here. I will be walking and you will be taking our guests back home.”

“Have your men leave the coach and wait for you inside the gate. I do not care for them to hear what you have to tell us. No need to have one of them run to your sister, now is there?”

“I can assure you that none of my people would turn their backs on me,” Inara replied. “But I will do as you have asked.”

Cates cleared his throat, and chuckled. “I do not wish to sound so harsh, My Lady…but me thinks you might look at the boots under your own bed before you jump to making such claims.”

“Speak your mind and leave the riddles, big one.”

“How do you think we found out so much about your sister?” Jacob asked.

“He is correct. You can see by the marks, that it was not your son who gave up the information at the order of our lady’s punishment. Nor did he tell us that you wished your sister dead. If Bernard could speak to us so freely over a simple slap here and there…” Cates paused.

“What more would he tell a woman who allowed him to help in that same torture,” Jacob continued. “And then allow him to have his way with her? Something I gather he is not privy to with you, my sweet lady?”

“He is most certainly not. I have no use for a man. No offence.” Inara dusted off her skirt as if it was dirty.

Jacob looked over at Cates with one brow lifted. “All we are saying, Lady Inara, is that you may want to test the water before you lay your complete trust in your son’s whipping boy. As the head of many strategic battles, I personally would never want to place the words of my plans onto the ears of those who would make haste to share it with my enemy.”

“I thank you for your concern, but I can tend to my own. See to it that you send my driver back safely. I am more than sure that you have plenty of coaches that belong to the one you follow,” Inara spoke as she stepped out of the closed in, black, leather covered coach. “You shall hear from one of my men before this night ends. You will have what you need.” She then turned and walked off into the darkness of the opening of the gate to her property.

“Even in the face of adversity, she still believes she is in control,” Cates shook his head.

Derek and Sydney got in with Jacob and Cates, but Garvin chose to ride on the back of the coach to keep a watch just in case they were followed back to Martin’s estate. Cates continued watching the opposite side of the landscape as the driver brought them back and Jacob filled the boys in on what they had talked to Inara about.

Chapter Twenty Three

It was getting close to dawn and we needed to find a few nights worth of food to fill our barn, and Tanda was back to working on our outfits. The only thing she had left to do was make sure we all had tights that fit. Our wigs fit perfectly. The boy’s shirts and pants looked as if they were made for each of them and the shoes were no more than one size off and could be worn without too much discomfort. Derek had already torn one pair of leggings, as the boys liked to call them, and Sydney two. But, Tanda found a few more and made sure to show them how to put them on properly.

“Now put your pants on and whatever you do, do not pull up on those tights!” Tanda scolded as she handed Sydney his pants.

“Okay mom,” he snickered.

“You too Derek, and for Renee’s Pete’s Sake…turn around if you are going to fiddle with your man bits.”

Tammy burst out laughing, “Yeah Derek, no one wants to watch you play with your man bits.”

“I hope everyone in here heard them. They said man bits. Not boy, but man,” he laughed as he turned around.

The whole room erupted into a volcano of laughter that we all needed. It was wonderful to see a small part of our old Derek shine through and I was hoping there would be more to come. Maybe we were all healing, somewhat, or it could be that we knew we were going into an ordeal where we realized that death was only a breath away. After the sounds of joy died down, Tanda finally announced that other than our make-up, we were as ready as we were going to be. We undressed as fast as we could and with bloodbreeder speed redressed in our black clothes and ran for the back door. ***

We now had less than one hour to find a few pigs or goats to bring back to Martin’s overly large barn; which, to me, looked more like a smaller version of his home. It was twice the size of our barn back in Texas and there is no comparison to the look. My whole family and our livestock could have made a fine home out of what Martin called his stables; with its iron gate stalls and stone walls. It had floors that resembled brick roads and large rooms with solid doors on brass hinges that held bags of feed. It was built far better than our home but I couldn’t even imagine it holding the love that the Crocker barn held.

“You okay?” Derek asked, bumping my arm with his.

“Yeah, just thinking about home.”

“Come on, let’s go find some supper. I’m starving and I know Sydney is too; he was sucking on the end of his club.” I heard him snort out a little laugh.

“I know what you mean, I saw Tammy gnawing on Cates’ nub.”

“Excuse me?” Tammy cleared her throat from behind me. “I have never gnawed on Cates’ nub.”

Derek and I both started laughing and without knowing our full conversation, Tammy joined in. We took off toward the back left side of the property the way the others had gone. Cates was waiting on us at the far corner of the wall where wood had been stacked halfway up.

“Wow, this looks like it will be much easier to go over,” I smiled as Cates pushed himself off of the wall.

“Oh, but our Master Jacob has figured out another way.” Cates reached down and grabbed the wood pile and pushed it forward and revealed an oval shaped hole.

“Thank the stars,” Tammy looked up, then walked over and hugged Cates. “I could just chew on your nub, sweetie.”

“My lovely lady, you can chew on anything of mine that you would like,” Cates wiggled his brows and lifted Tammy with his good arm and kissed her full out.

“Look what you got started,” Derek shook his head and hurried through the hole in the wall.

“How is that my fault?” I asked as I followed him.

“I wonder where Garvin and Jacob went?”

“Really, how was them two kissing my fault?”

“You started with the gnawing,” he winked at me.