THE HUNT FOR LIBERATION
CHAPTER TWELVE
"I think we deserve a little break, don't you?" Olivia leaned into Ace's side as they strolled down the marked path towards the crowd of wealthy men and women. Children laughed and screeched as they prepared to embark on what was once Olivia's favorite childhood adventure. For her, The Hunt was always the one social event that she could actually enjoy. She and her father would get way too competitive, and Olivia's mother would admonish their brazen attitudes, but they still loved it. Olivia missed the tradition of solving The hunt by her Father's side, but after the divorce, he'd taken to using The hunt as more of a business event than a father-daughter bonding activity.
"I don't know if I'd call this a break." Ace mumbled, eyeing the line of wealthy families dressed in very posh riding attire, despite the fact that The Hunt hadn't actually been a horse riding, hound chasing hunt in at least half a century.
"Relax," Olivia squeezed his arm lightly. "You'll be fine. I'll be by your side the whole time." Olivia's knee-high boots and navy blazer complemented Ace's deep orange jacket perfectly. They really did look like a respectable young couple. She smiled and nodded as one of the Marvin cousins waved politely from the refreshment table.
"I just don't think I really fit in here."
"You fit in just fine. Most of the upper crusts here aren't like that. And The Hunt is really quite fun once you get into it. Plus, you have me as a partner and I'm always one of the first to solve it." Her voice raised at the end to an optimistic tone, and Ace couldn't help but smile down at her childlike excitement. Suddenly he stopped short, pulling her to an abrupt halt a few yards from the top hat, and coat tail wearing grooms who were dispensing the clue baskets to the guests. His brow creased with worry as he spoke.
"Hey, um, before we head in, just a heads up, Bess is dealing with some personal issues right now." He bit his lip, trying to think of the right words.
"What's wrong, is she alright?" Olivia had lost her smile and now searched his face for any hint.
"Yeah, she just- she had a rough life before she came to horseshoe bay." He lowered his voice to a whisper, and Olivia continued to smile and nod at passing guests like nothing was amiss in the world. "I found out that she used to be married. Her ex-husband is in town and he's been putting her through hell. If you could be extra nice to her today it would mean a lot." He squinted his eyes as if to plead with her. It looked somewhat like a wince. Olivia placed a light hand on his arm.
"Ace, you don't need to ask me to be nice to your best friend. I love Bess, if she's going through something, I want to be there to help." Olivia tried her best to convey her true concern and sincerity while still keeping a mask of propriety for the sake of her societal image. Oh, how the rich loved to gossip. "But I thought she was only into girls?"
"She is- it's a long story, but thank you."
"There you are!" Bess called, she skipped towards them with two clue baskets already tucked into the crook of her arm. She was a vision in magenta, standing out in a sea of golden leaves and browned grass. Nick trailed behind her with his hands tucked into the pockets of his flannel, looking considerably less enthused to be there. "Nancy just texted. She and George are running late. This is for you." Bess held out a basket to Ace and Olivia. He took it with a smile and immediately fished out the roll of parchment that would have their first clue printed inside. Nick hummed a low note and followed Bess towards the beginning of the path.
"Feels like somethings up." Nick pursed his lips. Olivia had to admit that a delay from George, who was famously never late to a commitment, was suspicious. Yet Nancy was almost always running behind schedule and forgetting one thing or another as she let her bloodhound instincts rule her logical brain. So she supposed if one was stuck with the other, the pendulum would have to swing somewhere.
"I'm going to let it slide because it means we get a head start against the actual sleuth." Olivia joked, trying to pull the focus from anything less than cheerful for Bess's sake. Ace nodded in agreement. It really wasn't much fun to play against a puzzle-solving wizard like Nancy.
"What's up, is that we're about to crush this hunt. Not many people know this about me, but the woods, they speak to me." Ace declared, his voice turning light and dreamy at the end. Olivia scoffed, shoving him lightly.
"Okay, Crocodile Dundee, let's see what this first clue is." She nodded to the roll of parchment and Ace laughed. He untied the ribbon and draped it atop her head like a crown. She scoffed and batted it away when it tickled her nose. A loud buzzing began and Ace reached into his back pocket to pull out his phone. George's name and scowling face lit up the screen. It was a photo Ace must've taken without her permission during one of their shifts. Without a second thought, he tapped the answer and held it to his ear. Distorted bursts of chatter met Olivia's ears and she paused to wait for him, watching his face intently.
"Does it have to be now?" Ace groaned. Another burst of chatter in response. Ace sighed, giving Olivia an apologetic look. "I'll be there in a minute."
"Is everything okay?" Nick asked, his brows knit together with concern. Ace's eyes shifted nervously between Bess and Nick.
"Yeah, It's the new line cook, they're having some issues so George needs me to come into work. He can't figure out how to start the stove. I tried telling him to punch the side and kick the left corner but he's not getting it."
"That sounds like a fire hazard." Olivia's eyes widened.
"It's on the list." Nick sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Just keep me updated." Ace nodded and then looked down at Olivia with a slight wince.
"I'm so sorry. I can tell them to screw it and stay." She could tell that if she said so, he would. She sighed and gave him a tired but sweet smile.
"No-" She held up a hand to stop him from interjecting. "It's fine, go. Don't worry, I've solved this thing alone loads of times. I'll miss you though."
"I'll just run there and back. I'll text you when I'm leaving and I'll meet you wherever you are." He leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her cheek before rushing off.
"Bye," Olivia called after him. She let her face fall with disappointment when he turned his back. "Well, I guess it's a riddle-solving trio now."
"Actually," Bess craned her neck as she caught sight of someone down the path. "It's just going to be a duo. I need to speak with Aunt Diana before dinner."
"Come on, let's show these blue-bloods who's boss." Nick draped an arm across her shoulders and pulled her into his side. She laughed and let him lead her along as they read through the first clue. They wove down the path making a zigzag pattern and joking back and forth. It really was fun, and Nick made a better partner than she thought he would. The first two clues were simple enough. One, hidden in a Mad Hatter-style tea party, and the other, within the gears of a decrepit line of haunting grandfather clocks. Olivia found herself having quite a lot of fun. Nick was almost as competitive as she was, and thanks to that, they were far ahead of the other teams.
"I knew there was a reason I liked you, Nickerson." She announced as he brandished the rolled piece of parchment from where he'd taken it from the clock. He gave her a cheesy grin and hopped down from the log he'd used as a footstool. When he reached her he presented it like he was giving a gift to the queen. Olivia's phone let out a shrill cry and she dug it out of her pocket. Upon seeing Ace's name, she immediately answered.
"Hey! Are you on your way back yet?" Her voice was still laced with the hint of laughter.
"Olivia?" Her stomach dropped. That was not Ace's voice. "This is Grant, I'm the new fry cook. Listen, I was going to ask if Ace was with you, but apparently, he's not. I'm getting pretty freaked out here." The boy's voice shook slightly, and Olivia shot Nick a look of fear. His smile dropped and he hurried over to her side.
"He's not there with you?"
"Who is it?" Nick mouthed and Olivia held up a finger as she struggled to understand the stream of words pouring through the receiver.
"He went to grab some extra burger buns from the back and I heard a crash and when I went to check he was gone and one of the shelves was knocked over. I thought maybe it was a stupid prank on the new guy, but he left his phone." Olivia bit her thumbnail, trying to come up with some excuse to sweep it all under the rug.
"Um, don't worry he probably just went to get some last-minute supplies or something. I'll track him down and give you a callback, alright? Bye." She announced and hung up before Grant could argue. Just as she opened her mouth to explain, Bess came marching over, an identical look of worry on her face.
"We have a huge problem." Bess held up her phone to them and what they saw made a strangled gasp escape Olivia.
"Oh my god." She clamped a hand to her mouth. A photo lit her screen of Nancy, Ace, and George gagged and bound.
"Steven didn't like that I said no to his ultimatum, so he gave me a new one. Either I steal the Spider Sapphire, or he burns the place down with them in it."
"Maybe he's bluffing." Nick began to pace the ground, and Bess smiled tightly at a passing couple.
"No, I made him angry. He's capable of anything now. I've seen him nearly beat a man to death before." Bess shook her hands out as if to dispel some of her growing panics.
"Then ask Diana for the sapphire!" Nick was growing irritated now, and Olivia couldn't blame him. Ace was somewhere in trouble, close to death and she was helpless to save him.
"And what if she says no and calls the police? Bess hissed through gritted teeth, holding her hands up in defense. "Steven says don't call the police or else! I mean how could I let this happen? This is all my fault!" Nick deflated and placed a hand on Bess's arm.
"Hey, Bess, the guy who grabbed them and tied them up- it's his fault," Nick assured her, but she wouldn't meet his eyes. Bess sighed and nodded, although it was evident in her eyes that she disagreed.
"Yeah."
"Can that photo help us figure out where he's keeping them?" Nick asked, looking between them helplessly.
"Not without Ace to track it down" Olivia bit her lip. He would know what to do. He and Nancy always had something up their sleeves. But now, it was them who needed saving. Her eyes trailed down to her right hand, still wrapped around the handle of their basket and the ring that shimmered in the late afternoon light. "I think I have another idea."
"No." Bess frantically shook her head. "Ace wouldn't forgive us if we let you take that off, Liv."
"Well, I'll never forgive myself if we don't find them." Olivia set her jaw, her eyes hardening with the famous Irvine stubbornness that always got her into trouble.
"I'll head to the claw, see if there's a clue to where he took them." Nick squeezed Olivia's arm and gave her an encouraging nod before he hurried back down the path. Bess gave Olivia one last pleading look, begging her not to do it. But it was already decided. Olivia set down the basket and held her hand up to the light. She sighed deeply.
"Here goes nothing" She slid the cool metal from her finger and tucked the ring safely in her blazer pocket. Bess watched her closely as if at any moment she would grow hair and start howling at the moon.
"Did you see anything? A street sign? The outside view of the building? The address, perhaps?" Bess looked very hopeful for the last option. If only it were that simple.
"It doesn't work that quickly, Bess. I don't know if it'll even work at all." Olivia frowned, her brows furrowing as she thought of what might happen if it in fact doesn't work. Bess held out her hands in apology.
"Okay, okay, sorry. I still can't wrap my head around this whole thing-- and that it's not even related to the Aglaeca." She paused, her eyes drifting apprehensive to the tent set up a few yards from where they stood. Refreshments were set up on long buffet tables. It was decadent enough that one might think it was their final destination, but it was merely a rest station along their journey. "While we wait for the magic to happen-"
"Not magic-" Olivia pointed out, but Bess ignored it.
"I might need your help with something..." She turned to face Olivia again with a sheepish look. "With a two-person play." Olivia followed her gaze this time to find Bess's Aunt Dianna sipping a glass of champagne and chatting with a few guests. She shook her head when she realized.
"Hate to break it to you, but I'm a horrible actress. I played a tree in a school play once, and that about sums it up."
"You don't have to be." Bess insisted, trying her best to encourage her friend. "Just go up to her and make conversation, then casually spill a drink on her." She said it like it was small talk, not borderline social suicide. Olivia raised her eyes to the sky and groaned.
"Oh god, this will be the talk of the town for the rest of the season. Let's get it over with." She grimaced and rolled her shoulders. Aunt Diana smiled cordially when she saw Olivia and her grand-niece approaching.
"Ah, Miss Irvine. How are you, dear? You look absolutely lovely."
"As do you." Olivia embraced her and placed a feather-light kiss on each of her cheeks. She'd always been fond of Diana Marvin. "Though I'm not surprised. You always look as lovely as Baroness." Diana scoffed and waved off the compliment with a gloved hand. Though Olivia could tell she quite enjoyed the praise. Aunt Diana was the kind of woman that everyone aspired to be. Confident, elegant, and kind. She'd always made sure the children at her events were pampered with candy and activities and she'd swiftly become one of Olivia's favorite people.
"Did I see a young man on your arm this year?" Diana gave her a knowing look, and Olivia's cheeks bloomed scarlet under her gaze.
"That was Bess's friend Ace. He was my date this evening."
"Was?" Diana's eyes narrowed in scrutiny.
"He had an unexpected emergency and couldn't stay." Olivia looked to Bess beside her with a grin. "However, your grand-niece is company enough already."
"She is quite the charmer, our Bess." Diana tapped Bess's hand affectionately.
"Champagne?" Olivia asked as a server paused beside their party.
"I would love some. Thank you, dear." Reaching up to pluck two glasses from the tray she held one out to the Marvin matriarch. But just before Diana's fingers wrapped securely around the stem, Olivia let the glass slip from her grasp. Champagne spilled across Diana's designer gloves and smashed into a million pieces at their feet.
"Oh! Diana, I am so sorry!" Olivia and Bess hurried to grab a handful of cloth napkins and began dabbing at the stained and sticky gloves. "I don't know what came over me."
"Oh, it's nothing a little club soda and salt won't take care of," Diana assured, although she did look a little put out about the scene they were making. Olivia swayed on her feet as a series of images flashed across her vision. She was no longer cleaning up the mess she's made, and Diana reached out to steady her. The touch seemed to bring her back to her senses. She blinked rapidly and looked up to see two concerned faces staring back at her.
"You look quite pale, dear, are you alright?" Diana asked, keeping a hand on Olivia's elbow in case she lost her balance again.
"I'm just feeling a bit faint all of a sudden. I must not have had enough water today." She lifted a hand to her forehead as a wave of nausea washed over her. Her body felt feverish and unsteady.
"Bess, why don't you help your friend sit down and I will have a groom fetch my spare gloves from the car."
"Of course." Bess wrapped an arm around Olivia's waist and began leading her over to an empty table. The moment they were out of earshot, Bess began pelting questions at her. "What is it? What did you see? Do you know where they are?" Olivia flopped down in one of the white chairs and swallowed down nausea that came with her vision. Swiping a glass of water from a nearby buffet table, Bess shoved it in Olivia's face and waited while she gulped down a few eager sips. She set the glass down and Bess was right there again.
"I need a piece of paper and a pen." Olivia managed to choke out. Bess ran off and a moment later sat down beside her with what she asked. Griping the pen, Olivia let her hand glide across the page in the same series of curves she'd seen in her vision. "I saw this symbol." Bess leaned over and scanned the drawing. A semicircle with zigzag lines radiating out from its edge.
"What is it? A sun?" Bess scrunched her nose and tilted her head. She hoped that a different angle would suddenly snap it into place.
"No. I know this. I've seen it before." Olivia's brows knit together as she recalled a faint memory that she didn't even know she had. "Down by the wharf, there's an old ugly warehouse that my dad thought about buying a while back. It used to be a sawmill in the 1930s. The logo painted on the side looks exactly like that. It's a saw blade"
"I'll call Nick." Bess went to dial his number but stopped as Olivia pushed herself up abruptly to stand.
"I have to go, now." She announced, snatching up her purse from where Bess had draped it over the back of the chair.
"Wait, what?" Bess squeaked in alarm. "You can't. You look like you might pass out."
"It'll fade in a few minutes. Tell Nick I'll meet him there." Bess tried to call after her again, but Olivia was already hurrying off towards where she'd parked her car. Thankfully by the time she got behind the wheel, the lingering effects of her vision had faded. But the sinking dread in her core remained. She had the distinct sense that they were running out of time. Olivia ignored the speed limits completely as she rushed across town and towards the mill and pulled into the gravel parking lot only a moment before Nick. She had only just put her car in park before she was rushing out to meet him. But it wasn't just Nick who emerged from his truck.
"What is he doing here?" Olivia's eyes bulged as she looked between them. Nick looked towards Grant and then nodded in Olivia's direction.
"I'm Ace's brother." He declared with a shrug.
"What the hell?" Olivia put a hand to her forehead. "You know what? It doesn't matter. Let's go get them." She whirled and stalked up to the door. She peaked into the dusty, grime-covered windows and searched the interior.
"I see them!" She grinned in relief. Nancy's red hair stood out enough for her to catch a glimpse. Nick gently pushed her aside and began pulling off his flannel. He wrapped the fabric around his fist and punched through the window. The deafening crash made Olivia and Grant flinch.
"Be careful there's gasoline on the floor!" Nancy shouted from inside just as Nick managed to grasp the door handle through the window and unlatch it. The three of them rushed through to find Ace, Nancy, and George bound to a set of pillars. Ropes were tied around their necks, if it was any tighter they would've been strangled. Atop a table beside them, a lit gaslamp held aloft by a thin rope that was burned to the point of snapping. Nick and Grant lunged just as the rope frayed and the gaslamp dropped. Had they not caught it, and stopped the burning rope from hitting the floor of the gasoline-drenched warehouse, they would've all died a fiery death.
"Oh my god." Olivia gasped, falling to her knees beside Ace and placing her hands on either side of his face. Her eyes scanned him for any sign of harm. Besides a bloody bump on his head, he looked to be alright.
"Hey, you okay?" Nick asked George, his hand squeezing her thigh as if to assure himself she was there. Olivia reached up to undo the ropes around Ace's neck.
"Careful, careful, they're constrictor knots. So if you pull on the ropes, we'll get strangled," Nancy called over to her. Grant hovered beside her in uncertainty, his eyes watching Ace and Olivia closely.
"Good thing I was an eagle scout." Grant pulled a pocket knife from his jeans and flicked it open. He leaned over to examine the rope around Nancy. "You find the segment that curves over the rest of the knot." He instructed, his eyes never leaving the knot. Ace made a sound of agreement.
"It's a riding turn. Originally it was used-" Ace began, but Olivia cut him off as she tried to find what Grant had described.
"Ace, I'm really happy you're okay, but I don't think this is the appropriate time for a history lesson." He nodded in agreement and instantly regretted it as his ropes tightened. Olivia spotted the curve just as Nick called out.
"Okay, I got it!"
"Alright, well you, uh cut that piece and then..." Grant sawed through Nancy's rope and they fell onto her shoulders limply. She nodded in thanks and let him assist her in untying her hands and feet.
"Okay." Olivia did as instructed and with a firm slice, Ace's ropes also fell. He took a deep relieved breath of air and Olivia frantically unraveled the remaining loops from his neck. He rubbed the red marks left behind and then Olivia was wrapping her arms around him. She was basically on top of him. Sitting on his lap as she buried her head in his neck. Ace squeezed her tight around the waist.
"I'm okay, barely a scratch." He murmured, tracing soothing circles into the small of her back.
"What are you doing?" A familiar and very alarmed french accent sounded from behind them. Olivia pulled back to find George's eyes were wide with panic. She recognized Odette's mannerisms immediately.
"Hey." Nancy leaned forward to reassure the woman. "It's okay, he's gonna help." Odette looked from Nancy to the knife brandished beside her face.
"No." Odette shook her head.
"Hey, okay," Nick ignored her protests and moved closer. "Hey, hey, you better stop moving. George! Hold still!" He struggled to get the right angle to slice through the knot, and the ropes were tightening as Odette thrashed and writhed. Olivia hurried over and knelt before her, taking both of George's bound hands in hers.
"Odette, it's Olivia, you need to stop fighting, he's not going to hurt you." But Odette's panic was all-consuming. The flash of a blade brought her back to the night of her brutal murder, and no one could bring her back. Then Odette went slack and jerked as if suddenly awoke.
"Nick?" George looked around frantically. She tried to fight the hold of the ropes, and now her eyes were bulging and growing red from lack of oxygen.
"Hey, be careful!"
"George stop!"
"Stay calm!" Nancy and Ace called out at once, only resulting in more panic. But just as Olivia thought there was nothing they could do, Nick sliced through the knot, and George fell forwards.
"Nick!" She cried, and then he was holding her, cradling her close like a baby.
"It's okay. You're okay. I got you. I got you." He whispered over and over into her hair. George sobbed uncontrollably into his shoulder. Olivia sat back on her heels and let out a sigh of relief. They were all okay.
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Olivia sat on the floor of Nancy's living room, her back resting comfortably against Ace's legs as he played with her hair. They were scattered across couches and armchairs, listening as Bess spoke through her tears.
"I'm so sorry for what I put you all through." She sniffed, her gaze fixed shamefully on the floor. "Especially, you three." She looked to Nancy, Ace, and George with a wince.
"We survived."George placed a reassuring hand on Bess's.
"Eh, wasn't my first chloroforming." Nancy shrugged dismissively. She sat perched on the arm of Grant's armchair. Ace's brother looked as if he was debating running out the door. But was too afraid to draw attention to himself. Olivia had tried to assure him that he belonged there, but he still wasn't convinced. "Though, you could've told us about Steven, you know." Nancy's eyes softened on Bess's slumped form.
"I know. I should've, I just- as soon as I saw him I couldn't think straight I was so scared like some stupid child. He had it all planned. He must've known the whole time about the microchip tracker. He always does his homework on his marks. I knew this would happen. I knew that Diana would kick me out. Just like my mum." Bess choked out a sob, and Olivia wanted to wrap her in a tight hug. "That's exactly how he wanted me to feel and it worked." Bess stood up, wiping her cheeks furiously, and sprinted up the stairs.
"I'll go talk to her," Nancy announced, giving a sad smile to the rest of the group.
"We should probably get you some Ibuprofen and an ice pack," Nick said to George, running the pad of his thumb over the sizable bump on her forehead from where Steven had hit her.
"It's in the cabinet next to the fridge," Nancy called over the banister before she disappeared after Bess. Nick helped George stand and lead her into the kitchen. Then it was only Ace, Olivia, and Grant left behind. The latter's eyes flicked from Olivia to his brother anxiously.
"You know what?" Olivia pushed herself up and looked between Ace and Grant knowingly. "I'm gonna go help Nancy with Bess." Ace tried to catch her eye and silently plead for her to stay, but she didn't let him. She squeezed Grant's shoulder as she passed and sent him an encouraging wink.
She wanted to be by Ace's side, as he always was for her, but she knew that this was something he had to do himself. Olivia knew that if she was given an opportunity for one last conversation with her aunt Hillary, she would want it to be personal as well. And because Olivia cared about him, she believed Ace deserved the same.
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