Feared

Forty-Five: The Plan

"I hear he might be putting himself forward as a candidate in the primaries".

"He'd make a good president – has a good head on his shoulders".

Ervin's words faded to a tense silence, Charlotte stared fixedly at her hands, trying not to react.

"Well I think he's an ass," Ian declared.

"Oh Ian," Nancy laughed.

"And why would you think that?" Ervin frowned.

"Well for one, he had those creatures in his care and he managed to let them all loose. He endangered us all. Having us all living in fear with those half-devil creatures running around terrorising the country". Ian's feigned outrage cut right through the tension in the room.

Ethan began to laugh.

Ervin frowned. "I hear there were others in the way, others dealing with those kids..."

"Fienes and... and..." Nancy started.

"Maxwell Smith," Charlotte offered, recalling the sweat soaked agent who had quizzed her at the compound.

"Nah they were just pawns – Ramsey is the one to watch out for. He likes this... the fear he has caused. I bet there not even that bad, those Kingston children," Ian grinned.

"Not that bad? Ian you are quirky you know that?" Nancy laughed.

"So are you saying you would turn them away if they knocked on your door?"

"I would! And with a shotgun too!" Ervin declared.

"Hardly think that would help, seeing as they are so deranged," Kiya added. "Don't they have... magical powers or something?"

"I don't believe in magic," Cary grunted. "I bet they are just extremely good at what they do".

"Talented and devastatingly handsome too I'm certain," Ian said, banging his fist on the wooden table.

"Trained killers," Ervin said with a shake of his head. "That's what they said on the news, with powers and everything – witchcraft!"

"Trained killers? We hardly stand a chance so," Ian sighed, throwing his hands up.

Charlotte laughed, despite herself. Ian stuck out his tongue at her from across the table.

"What's the world coming to?" Ethan sighed, standing up. "Now seeing as we are the guests, we will look after the tidying up. Kiya... I think Nancy looks to be getting tired... take the dishes from her".

"Don't be silly," Nancy said in an effort to dismiss such talk, but Kiya had already reached for the plates, her fingers grazing the old woman's wrinkled hands. Her eyes instantly grew heavy and she yawned. "Actually, now that you say it..." Kiya slid the dishes from her hands. "I think I'll have to call it a night".

Wallace took the plates from Kiya and with one touch of Kiya's slender brown fingers Ervin was declaring he needed to go to bed too. They watched them go, issuing their thanks and praise to their hosts. Nobody spoke until they heard a door upstairs shut.

"Let's get this tidied quick. We need to go through our plan for tomorrow," Ethan ordered, once Wallace had signalled Nancy and Ervin were in bed.

With Ian and James' alterations the table was cleared in moments. They others gathered around it once more, gazing from one to the other. The warm glow of the lamps warded off the fear of the night, but Charlotte could feel the uneasy tension permeating the atmosphere of the room. The cluttered pictures and ornaments, trophies and ribbons, did little to dissuade the notion that they were there to plan a heist that could easily end with their lives.