Laying in wait was beginning to seem like a habit for Jared, it had been his daily routine since he had left his father in law’s shop two weeks ago. He had managed to keep a low profile at work, not getting into any head-on fight with any of the commanders, he had put on the complete Mike persona.
He had noticed that several goods were being brought in through an abandoned part west of the Stone home; The Western Creek jungle had been a second home to him, so he knew all the abandoned and unused paths so well.
Taking on the persona of a predator, Jared laid in wait quietly, atop the big Mongolia tree, keeping still as possible, he was dressed in leaf green clothes, which made him natural to his environment.
Soon, he began hearing the hollering and shouts of several men passing through the jungle, watched quietly as the carriages passed through, several bodyguards who were all masked manned them and all of them had several other weapons in their hands.
Mary had been spending all her day in the kitchen, with Polly’s help, she had been able to cook some pottage for her husband and she had even learned how to smoke a fish on the fire.Catherine had added more to her chores when she could not stop Polly from helping Mary with her cooking. Mary was to feed the horses and milk the cow, a chore she most loathed. The cow nearly upturned her one fine morning, but for Jared’s timely presence. He had collected the milking bucket from her without a word.He milked the cow, finished it up, and had taken over the chore for her every morning. He bluntly refused to teach her how.She had busied herself in the kitchen, with every intention to feed her husband a lovely food when he returned, then she would question him on their marriage. He wasn’t the type to open up easily, maybe some good food would help her.She moved the food to the dining area gently, her mother in law, who was sitting in the livin
As she approached the makeshift slab where the Stone cut up their meat, the purging smell of blood made Mary cover her nose, the smell was unconducive, she restrained the urge to puke at the choking smell, she half-ran back but the need to talk to Jared kept her going. Passing by the barn, she came across Allan and Jared skinning two big antelopes, their hands working effectively, Jared was kneeling holding the knife, deriving the animal of its skin. She walked closer tentatively, scared of his reaction. It was Allan that first saw her, He gave her a startled wave, surprised to see her“Sister in law,” He said smiling at her nervously, his merry eyes dancing like they hid a delicious secretJared stopped what he was doing, he looked at Allan questionably, raising his eyebrow, he guessed their disguise had worked then, he picked up the deer’s head and began cutting it in two, not giving an indication that he was aware she was behind him.Mary gasp
Mary grimaced at the sight of her husband’s bloodiest chest, it was a mess. He had cuts all over. She would not let him know she did not believe his claim of it being the deer’s, the cuts were from weapons and not from any animal. She cleaned it up without a word.He neither showed it hurts, it was Mary who kept on groaning on his behalf, as she saw how deep some of the cuts were. She bandaged him up nicely, she began cleaning the rest of his body with a wet cloth.Jared caught her hands in his “Are you really going to bath me?”Mary coloured up” What do you take me for? I am only cleaning the blood off” she answered softly, she wondered how many people knew he was not so“Do you know how to do that, have you done something like this before?” Jared asked curiously“There is always room for practice...” she muttered slowly, smiling to herself“Practice?” Jared asked s
The boisterous activity of the station made Ortom’s blood boil, the giant of a man walked into his office, taking in the scenery outside, it was rowdy and everyone seems to be up to one thing or the other. He sighed and faced his desk, he had no care in the workings of Soldiers as long as his business is not affected in any way.His face jerked up as his door was pushed open forcefully, he looked up lazily“To what do I owe this visit, Cole?” he grounded out, not liking the appearance of the other man in his vicinity.Cole smiled ruefully” Do not address me that way Commander, for I have important information for you, one you will thank me for”“I don’t think I will ever thank you for anything” Ortom thunderedCole continued undeterred, he walked forward, resting his hands on Ortom’s table, his voice rigid “I am your partner in this business, yet you went behind me to carry out raids and k
Mary was still dreaming of the words Jared had said to her the night before. The way he had loved her body, his gentle caress, he had never been that gentle with her before.She was cuddled up in the embrace of the bed covers, breathing in her husband’s scent. Reminiscing on the way he had kissed her nonstop, she had thought she would die from his ministrations of her body, he could be a gentle lover. She had forced him to stop because of his wounds, of which she was glad, he woke up a more refreshed person.She giggled into the fluffy pillow at the memory of what he had started with her before he left for work.A knock on the room door broke through her daydreaming, she stopped her rattling, more heavy knocks pounded on the door, she hurriedly gathered the bedsheets to cover her body as the door was flung open by her mother-in-law.Mary sat up slowly with the sheets, her gaze never wandering from her mother-in-law's distasteful expression.C
“Ortom is up to no good” Cole disclosed as he walked up and down restless in Nicholas's shop, trying to calm himself.Nicholas gave him a disinterested look, “And how is that a concern of mine? We had a deal, and I paid you both, why are you two now looking for me? I have no more business with you two” he was not interested in letting them know Jared was around. All his efforts had been in vain.Cole assessed Nicholas quietly” Do you know something? Cause you are singing a different tone today. You were most eager to get your daughter married to Commander Mike and we are in this trouble now because of you”Nicholas hesitated in his reply” you two had your business going on before I came in to ask for your help, so do not pin your bad business on me” he straightened his back, as he hit his back on the hard chair rest“You will show interest soon enough when I tell you my suspicions about Ortom, “
Screeching and wailing was hopeless, Mary decided as she struggled uselessly against the rope that bind her hands and legs, the only liberty awarded her was her ability to see and talk. She had been kept in a dark room where ability to see proved unusable, though she knew she was the only one in the room. The dark room only had a tiny window so high up near the ceiling for ventilation, the room was bare of any furniture.The sudden onslaught of light made Mary start up as the door opened abruptly, adjusting her eyes to the onslaught, she paused shocked as Evangeline and her children were pushed into the room crudely, she was clutching them tightly to her body. The children were wailing, highly irritated as they were plunged into the darkness.Mary could hear the frightened and shattering shivering of Evangeline, she was as pale as though she had seen a ghost. She held her children tightly to her as the door closed shut with a bang.Mary searched for words to say
Trudging down the lane in a rapid speed, the horses were running in full speed, the driver hitting the horses again at Nicholas’s sharp command. “Ride faster, we have to get to the Stone mansion now, damn these turnoff roads, there are so many bumps and ditches, they really are a death sentence” The carriage suddenly lodged into a ditch, the horses neighing loudly “Damn these roads” Nicholas cursed under his breath, He stepped out of the carriage to observe the wreck to the carriage, squeezing his face up in a twist, just one of the horses remained standing, the others lay dead, blood splashing out from their body. Nicholas was bewildered, it was just a small ditch, the horses should at least have been injured not dead. What was going on? Allan was also nowhere to be found. He noticed as he looked about bewilderedly “What joke was this? What game was that boy playing?” Nicholas mused, alarmed at the situation. He freed the
seven years Later The quiet atmosphere of the Stone Mansion in former years had gradually transformed to the bubbliest and lively household, Catherine noted as they all worked in the fields. They had all doubted Jared’s capability to be a farmer but he had proven himself over the years. He now supplied half of the town’s wheat feed. He was a meticulous farmer as he was a meticulous killer. No one bothered to steal his animals since the whole town and travellers all knew who Jared Stone was. Catherine stood up from the stool she had been sitting on, her back aching. Fieldwork was really not for her bones “Grandmother is tired” Jonas one of Evangeline’s twins cackled, pointing his small hands at his grandmother. His brother George soon joined in “Grandma won’t get a share of today’s earnings” She smiled, the scoundrels. They took after her son's behaviours, they were mischievous and utterly worrisome. No one had told them the dark days, it was by mere luck that the twins had surviv
Leaving his marriage for the women to organize might not be the smartest thing he had ever done. They made sure he performed every wedding ceremony in the history of Western Creek, prolonging the real wedding date. Jared was irritated to no end, the wedding did not irk him but what did irk him was his mother making Mary go back to her parent’s house. He was not allowed to see her till the formal wedding day.Which was driving him crazy, he had wanted to keep her close to him at all times but that was blocked by the women.Finally free from all hassle of their engagement, he escaped to the barn and began grooming the horses. His brother had mocked him saying farming does not look good on an ex-killer, but he would prove them wrong with the amount of wheat he would harvest from the fields. He had begun cultivating the land spread in front of the house. It was a large land since the Stone mansion was on the outskirts of the town. It was easy and trouble-free, he was
For the happy couple who held each other’s hands, they knew they had gotten their freedom handed out to them on a golden platter due to their reluctance to let each other go. For Princess Catriona she still could not believe she had lost the chance to be with the one man she desired, she gave Mary a disgusted look. She had never liked the daughter of Nicholas Sanders, She always behaved like some princess she wasn’t. The two acted like Princesses in their rights so they could not co-exist in the same place.Princess Catriona smiled slyly at the thought. There was no way Jared Stone can be able to give Mary the Princess life she sought or had been living. Maybe the king would accept her proposal. She knows her brother, he could never say no at the thought of bedding a beautiful woman especially one as alluring as Mary Sanders.She beamed wryly, she moved closer to the King and whispered,” You can use your authority to tear them apart, their marriage is
If anyone told Mike Stone, a journey could be so grievous and exhausting, he would not have believed. But Mary’s excitement at seeing her husband was really having a negative effect on him at the moment. She was just too hyperactive. The bumpy road did nothing to help his suffering, he only hoped he could deliver her to the palace before his control snapped.He groaned for the hundredth time as Mary questioned him for the hundredth time” Do you really think Jared would be happy to see me? I do not want him to be so cold to me. he rescued me from Ortom then he just disappeared, who does that? He could have stayed with me if he truly loved me. Do you think he cares? He is so hard to read and understand” she whined her beautiful face showing signs of glumnessJared Stone of course Mike thought in irritation. He would make his brother pay for this torture he was putting himself through to save his love. Jared had been so eager to go save
“I cannot and will not defend the actions of the late King, he was my father and I know him all too well. I was still a young prince then, Commander. What power did I have in court? I knew my father was a cruel man but there was no way I could stop him or challenge him. He was the king and powerful. At that time all I could think of was that when I because King, I would change everything and make everything right for the people. But where has that gotten me, new atrocities that he did come up every day even when it has been years ago. I should have opposed his actions a lot sooner than this, maybe the Kingdom would be more peaceful” He paused looking at Jared, “It took the King killing someone I love the most in the world for me to begin to fight his decisions. He had her poisoned, My mother…” He said sorrowfully“You still think I am involved in your father’s death. No, I am not, I heard from his Chief adviser at the time. The
The King’s palace was highly organized and had a vast number of soldiers protecting it in and out. The King’s Army was all around the palace. The palace was the special station of the King’s Army which further helped tighten the security of the King. All members of the King’s army were all present at the palace, they were specially trained and rigorously at that. When he had been assigned, he had to keep it away from his family. He never told his brother the truth, but he guessed Mike found out on his own. But Mike never said anything about it.The magnificent and mighty walls lining the King’s Palace had always given Jared a sense of pride and great confidence of being lucky to be a soldier of the King’s army, now he only felt trapped. Saluting other senior officers as they sat in the King’s Hall of attendance after a special meeting he had congratulated them on a job well done in clearing the town of miscreants… He had left w
Everyone sat about the Sanders Mansion with gloom written all over their faces after they had buried Nicholas Sanders in his home. Nicholas Sanders might not be well-liked by the townspeople but his last heroic act had come to the notice of the people and they all turned up in large amounts to mourn him. The burial had been a private one and quick one. The people around had only been invited to eat and take gifts home.Mrs Sanders was the most hit by her the loss of her husband, she had railed and wailed when she saw his lifeless body in the Stone Mansion. It had taken Mary and Catherine Stone to calm her down and explain the whole situation to her. She had gone mute ever since and had withdrawn from everyone so they all took turns to watch her every move. Mary sat with her mother in her room, consoling her. She loved her father a lot, She had been proud, being Mary Sanders but she guessed her mother missed him more, the way she was currently missing her husband a
Jared glared murderously at Ortom’s naked body displayed before him He wanted to tear his limbs apart. Mary ran to her husband, hurriedly putting what was left of her cloth back on. She held on to her husband, standing behind him. No words were said but Mary knew her saviour had come. She would be delusional for the minute and believe Jared Stone actually came to save her.Ortom sinister laugh brought the couple’s attention back to him, he stood up, flashing his bloodied wrist for them to see.Jared turned Mary to face him, her back to Ortom“You have to go now,” He said tenderly patting her hair, his anger growing as he surveyed the number of bruises on her skin, her wrists were bright red and the dried blood on them were beginning to peel off, she must have been badly injured“No, I will not leave you. You can’t make me do that. You need help with him. I can help you distract him. He is an evil man, he does not deserv
Jared knew he would never be able to forgive himself, if Mary got hurt from his recklessness, he should have killed Ortom when he first entered Western Creek.He always protected everyone else, he protected his brother, Evangeline he protected Western Creek, but never had he protected what was truly his, Mary was his and he had let her down.He had been unable to protect her father. And now she was in the hands of Ortom, who Jared knew, the monster won’t keep his hands to himself as Mary was within his reach.Ortom’s whereabouts was not a mystery to him as it was to Michael, He had once roamed the jungle so he knew all the places where hidden buildings lay. There was just one such upright building in Western Creek and it was a military fortress and easily accessible to Ortom and his goons. All other such fortresses in Western Creek were all in ruins.He had come across the building before on his many wandering. He had been greeted