The New Rangers

Chapter Seven

"Time to get up you lazy bunch," Halt called.

As a group they groaned at the sound of his voice. It seemed as if they'd just curled up and gone to sleep for their little nap.

Deva cracked an eye open to stare up at him. "Do we have to?"

One of his eyebrows lifted at her question and he simply stared silently down at her until she shut her eyes to avoid his gaze.

"Fine, fine, up it is then." She attempted to roll to her side but discovered a weight resting against her shoulder, preventing her from moving. Her eyes popped open again to survey her situation. "Mitchell, I am not a pillow get off me you oaf!"

He popped upright, blinking sleepily and looking around as if he couldn't quite figure out where he currently was. The second things seemed to click into place inside his head he scooted quickly away from her, his cheeks going pink. "Sorry!"

She grumbled as she stood. In the opposite corner she heard Holly berating Logan for stealing her blanket. At least with Mitchell using her as a pillow she'd been toasty warm while lying on the cold floor. A silly little grin spread across her face at the thought, a second later, her cheeks turned as pink as his had been moments ago. Why was she thinking something nice about him? Ugh.

"Are the four of you done grumbling and complaining now?" Halt asked dryly.

"Not really," Holly replied.

He sent her a quelling look and went on as if she hadn't spoken. "Will and I are going to check Paul's cabin. You four go downstairs, eat quietly and listen. Remember, all you're going to do is sit and listen. No getting involved with anything. And under no circumstance," he stopped abruptly, staring hard at Holly.

She groaned, rolling her eyes. "No, Holly plans."

"And no talking back. Get downstairs and behave."

They all watched as he and Will left.

Mitchell rubbed his hands together. "All right, let's eat!"

Deva rolled her eyes. "Is everything with you about food?"

Mitchell shrugged and pulled the door open before stepping aside to let everyone else exit first. They trooped downstairs to the dining room.

When they reached the dining area, they took seats at a table in a corner, ordered and sat there eating quietly as they listened to the conversations of those around them. Most people spoke of their work day or other mundane things. It didn't seem as if they were going to hear anything at all important.

Logan slouched in his seat, pulling his cap lower and staring down at his plate intently. "That's him. The false baron. He just sat down with two of his men and Ranger Paul," he muttered quietly, pointing across the room as unobtrusively as possible, indicating the table the man sat at.

Deva looked over the room as if surveying everything until her eyes landed on the baron at a table in the corner opposite them. He looked more like a soldier than a baron of any sort. His clothes were of the plain and rough sort. His manners were nearly nonexistent. The man laughed loudly at something one of his other men said, sloshing whatever was in his mug over the rim to the floor as he swung it about like a loon. She snorted, turning back to the others.

"He certainly doesn't act like any baron I've ever met." Deva turned to stare across the room at the man. again, before turning back to the others.

Logan raised his head enough to meet her eyes. "That's because he isn't a real baron. We did cover that already."

Before Deva could snap out a reply, Holly intervened. "What do we do?"

Mitchell looked up from shoveling food into his mouth, pausing in his eating to reply, "Nothing. We sit and eat. Your dad said we're supposed to eat and listen. No Holly plans, remember?"