Red Rock

Chapter 25: Was it Even There (Part 2)

"Oh, my god!" Grace gasped, staggering back.

"Listen, Grace, listen, please!" Daire said, trying to calm her.

"You killed a man?!" she yelled, unable to control her own voice.

"Get her quiet!" Jacob gritted through his teeth.

"Shshshshshhhhhh!" Daire hushed, grabbing her tightly and holding her mouth shut. "You need to be quiet."

Daire waited until Grace was completely calm before letting go of her lips. "I can't! I'm not!" she said in a loud sorrowful whisper.

"I need you to help clean Jacob and clean this place up," Daire said, ignoring her rejection.

"No!" Grace yelled, breaking down into whimpering inhales. "Why would you do this to me? I don't want any of this!"

"I'm sorry Grace, I really am," Daire pleaded. "But if you don't do this, all of us are dead. You, me, and Jacob will all be killed. I know you don't want that to happen."

"You bastard!" Grace screamed, kicking Daire in the inner thigh, just missing his left testicle. "You tricked me!" She beat on Daire's turtled body.

Daire waited until she was finished and slowly stood to his feet, feeling the marks where Grace had hit hard. "You need to do this, Grace," he said, feeling his tender sides like a hot oven. "Please."

Grace looked as if she wanted to hit Daire again and not stop until he was dead. "I can't believe you did this," she said, disgusted. "You and Jacob killed a man!"

"We had no choice, Grace! And at this point, neither do you," Daire said almost threateningly. "All of our lives are in danger, and now you're just as guilty as me and Jacob. You have no other alternative here."

"You think you had no choice? Was this self-defense?" She already knew the answer.

"In a way, yes..." Daire started before being cut off.

"Did he physically attack you?"

"Grace, he..."

"Did he put your life in immediate danger!?" she spat, interrupting him again.

Daire looked from Jacob then back to Grace, knowing that he wasn't going to win by saying anything.

"I didn't think so!" she finished, feeling sick to her stomach. She grabbed a rag at the shed door.

Daire breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Grace," he said, trying to redeem himself only to be given the cold shoulder. "We need to keep the ball rolling," he continued, turning to Jacob, fading Grace from his mind. "We need to get the gold now. If not, all of this would've been for nothing."

"And you better get it!" Jacob stressed, pointing his finger at Daire. "Go now!"

Daire left in haste and fetched Sathu as fast as he could, feeling the heavy sweat dampen his clothes and fall from his chin. Immediately Sathu revealed herself from cover, knowing that something went wrong. "Follow me!" Daire urged. "Zack's dead. You and I have to get the gold now!"

Sathu knew the urgency and didn't need an explanation. If Zack's dead body was discovered before the gold was gone, Luke would have more than enough reason to kill them and hold enough resources to run the nation by himself. Sathu nodded and dropped her spear to travel with Daire to the safe.

"Bring your spear," Daire said, signaling his intention. Though Daire was allowed into the guarded area, the chances that they would be allowed to leave with all of the gold in his possession were slim. Sathu picked up her spear, knowing all too well what would happen next and left with him.