Him and I (Declan Harp)

Chapter 20

Sighing, McTaggart kicked the ground under him, "Ah, I've always had a softy for the ye little ones."

Patting his shoulder, that was how I thanked him.

Fortunato popped up behind us once again, a small groan leaving my lips before he started to talk. "Uh, forgive me for overhearing every word of this, but in my experience which is very much going home is never as bad as one think. I am sure we can talk to your friends and bring out from them the help we need. After all, we are doing this for the love of a woman." He smiled as he looked at me.

McTaggart pointed ahead, "We're gonna have to go north. And this is going to end badly."

"Just get me there," I ordered, trying to keep my cool. Every wasted minute was another minute that my wife and unborn child were in Benton's hands.

Chaulk quickly climbed off the ship, her voice filled with fear, "Well, hang on! Shouldn't we make sure that Benton is even here first?"

Her high pitch voice made me copy her in an irritated action before speaking with venom. "Shut up. Just stay on the ship." I turned to the bald man, "Te Rangi, see if you can find someone to mend those sails right here, quick." When my attention turned back to McTaggart I gestured for him to speak, "Tell 'em where we're going."

With that said, I started to walk ahead, hoping to get a few ideas of where I stood in this place and what all was here. Gratefully, the streets weren't crowded with soldiers, instead people just walked by, barley giving my presence a second glance.

McTaggart and Fortunato found me, leading the way to a bar more inside the town. As we approached the door, McTaggart stopped and turned to look at us. "Hold on, hold on. Just wait a minute. If they're actually in here, your best chance would be to shoot the fat ginger one in the puss, that'll slow him down at least."

I could see the look in his eyes that he was nervous. Before walking in, he sucked in a breath, grasping as much confidence as possible before we walked in. Instantly, after the door closed behind us, McTaggart was punched harshly in the face by a red head, knocking him to the ground.

"Welcome home, Maggie," The red head smirked.

Fortunato leaned over towards me, still watching McTaggart on the ground. "Well, at least we know we have come to the right place, huh?"

Te Rangi walks in behind us, making me wonder where Chaulk had scurried off too. But she was the last thing on my mind right now, my focused on the red head that stood before us, glaring harshly.

"Who the fuck are you lot, and what are you doing in my establishment with this wee rodent-balled shite bag?" He gestured towards McTaggart who was picking himself up off the floor.

Fortunato took a few steps forward, speaking with a smile as he stretched his arms out to the side. "It's very interesting for you to have asked, Mister?"

"His name is Barclay. And I'm Angus," A man sitting at the bar said before standing up.

Well, at least we have names now.

Fortunato continued, gesturing towards McTaggart and I. "These men killed the Redcoats, then press us into service in the name of the King. So you see, uh, they are no friends to the Crown. Seems that none of us are."

"Fuck off. Or you could stay. See what we do to cowards," Barclay said with a smirk as he looked around the bar. Anyone that was just passing through or wasn't part of Barclay's group quickly stood up, rushing to go and leave the bar partly empty.

Barclay walked over to me, eyeing me as he matched my height. "What would make a man do something so reckless, as to follow this wee prick into the one place on Earth where he is least welcome?" he gestured to McTaggart.