Beyond Duties

Chapter 17

A/N

I know that it took me two months to update... But please forgive me... ***cries in the corner***

Here's what I came up with...

Enjoy!!!

Apparently, Vee was able to secure a boat despite the storm warning by dropping the influential name of her shipping magnate uncle, Reagan, who was based in Ireland. Frank found out that the fisherman who owned the boat did not want to lend it, but having learned who Vee was, he chose to disobey the port ordinance. Vee had also promised not to sail back until the storm has passed to avoid untoward incidents.

"That's still breaking the law," Jordan grunted. He was listening to Frank's reports as he assembled his scuba gear behind a large rock formation at the far side of the port where he could not be noticed. Since boats and ferries were restricted from sailing due to the storm warning, no one dared to transport him to the island where the O'Ghallchobhair Castle was. Left with no choice, he went to buy a complete set of scuba gear after presenting his license - renting would make the store owner suspicious of him diving despite the storm. "I wonder what her Uncle could do which would make people choose to disobey laws instead."

Frank's cackle could be heard through Jordan's wireless earpiece. He reminded the latter that he too was disobeying the ordinance by sneaking into the waters without clearance.

"I can't just sit here and wait for the storm to pass," Jordan rolled his eyes. "You just told me about suspicious-looking men who followed Venera to the island." His sick feeling of worry resurfaced and made him hurry with his final check on his gear. "I'm rolling in," he told Frank. "I'll be in touch at once." With that, he plunged into the sea, ignoring the rhythmic crashing of angry waves against the rocky edges of the port.

*****

Vee was unsure where exactly she had to stay when she reached the O'Ghallchobhair Castle. She had been informed by the locals that the museum was closed for renovations and only the caretaker was allowed to visit outside of working hours. Not having anyone to attend to her, she had to look after her own needs and roamed the area with the key duplicates she got from the caretaker's wife. She didn't have a hard time convincing the old lady to entrust the keys to her when she came to seek help since she apparently was part of the authorized list of people who could do whatever they want in the Castle.

She was elated when she found out that Jordan's family owns the lovely island and the castle, and that the private rooms were still reserved for the Gallaghers and Yates. Since she was warned not to brave the storm, the caretaker's wife advised her to stay at one of the first-class hotels by the bay, which she of course refused to follow. The moment she learned that the castle belonged to the Gallaghers, her excitement of uncovering clues overcame her.

Not knowing the extent of her Uncle Reagan's influence, she obeyed the latter's suggestion when she called to ask for his help.

"I hate telling you this, Venera," her uncle's usual happy voice became stern, "but you can casually drop my name when you request for transportation if you would go island hopping. Don't mind securing clearance or whatnot. Swear not to sail if the storm lands today, though." She had to cross her fingers as she verbally nodded when she knew that she would break the promise of not sailing despite the storm. When she went to rent a boat and most owners refused, she resorted to mentioning her uncle's name and pushed a little to be allowed to sail. The fisherman visibly paled when she insisted and she inwardly felt sorry for him.

The waves were starting to get rowdy when they sailed and she could hear the fisherman praying for their safety in Gaelic. She smiled as she listened to the lovely language and recalled how Viktor used to teach her how to speak Irish Gaelic when they were younger.

"Is maith liom é!"

The fisherman was obviously torn between being amused and nervous when a huge wave made the boat surge almost a meter high and Vee exclaimed in glee. It only took a few minutes of rough sailing, and they reached the island in one piece. Without as much as a goodbye, the fisherman left Vee while the winds were not as strong.

Vee sighed in relief when she finally stepped on land and started trekking towards the castle. She looked up and saw the centuries old facade of the fortress which still looked mighty from the outside. From afar, she could see the glittering gold O'Ghallchobhair House Emblem. On either sides of the main gate stood two, mighty lion statues made of gold and iron, each facing the road with fierce eyes. As Vee approached, she noticed that the statues seem to have moving eyes, and a low growling sound came from both. Instead of being creeped out, she forced herself to acknowledge that the moving eyes were actually hidden cameras meant to capture everything that takes place outside the castle. She went closer to one of the lions and placed her head close enough to be at eye-level with the face scanner. She remembered the caretaker's wife informing her that even though the guards aren't always stationed at their post, the entire castle is well-equipped with security with the help of advanced technology.

Wondering if her face would even be recognized and allowed to enter the premises, Vee patiently waited as the eyes of the lion statue on the left emitted a blue light which covered her entire face. A faint clicking sound came from inside the statue and the mouth opened, letting out yet another scanner which now looked like a huge tongue. It had an imprint of a hand, and Vee understood that she had to place her own hand on it, palm facing down. Another blue light scanned her palm until a click was heard again. The statues finally stopped growling, and now Vee could hear sounds of clanging steel moving from behind the gates. She waited as a well-disguised wicket gate slid open to admit her, and she cautiously stepped inside.

The gate was tall and wide enough to hide a good portion of the front yard. Vee half-expected a lonely view from the front, knowing that Jordan's family had not really spent so much time at their castle - well, that was based on what she found through research. On the contrary, the front yard was well-maintained, the meadows were trimmed and fresh. A two-meter-high hedge encloses the walkway, with thick growth of briar rose forming a maze towards the castle's giant main doors. The sweet apple-like smell of the leaves made Vee feel a little comfortable despite being alone. She looked straight ahead and saw a huge fountain that stood in the middle, directly in front of the castle's main entrance. Smaller lion pieces decorated the fountain as water gargoyles but there was no flowing water. She panned her eyes to the far right side of the castle and saw a tall gate which had a modern design, and which led to the museum. She glimpsed at the guard house which was empty, but she guessed that the automatic locks and bolts were in place.

Finally remembering that she was hungry and tired, Vee quickly went on to search for the bedroom wing. As she quietly walked down the hallway, though, she felt like eyes were following her every move and she slightly felt uneasy. Checking her phone, she sighed as she saw not a single bar indicating her signal reception, and she tried to dismiss her growing fear.

A flight of stairs led to two wings - left wing where offices and recreation rooms are located, and the right wing where bedrooms are. Thanks to the map she got from the caretaker's wife, Vee wouldn't have to search the entire castle. She quickly turned to the right wing and went straight to the private area which the Gallaghers still use when visiting. She picked the room closest to the tower where a huge clock was perched. She would prefer hearing at least clock sounds amidst the quiet surrounding.

In the middle of the spacious room stood a king-sized four poster bed which had a protective sheet draped over it. Vee touched the sheet to check if it needed dusting, but as expected, the room and everything in it was clean as new. She suddenly felt too exhausted to even think of exploring the castle for what she came for, and decided to do it after she got some rest. She decided to simply put her baggages in the closet, took a large shirt out and stepped into the shower.

Vee has not been in the shower that long when she felt like there was something off. She turned the knob to stop the hot water from flowing and waited for the mist to start dissipating. She used her hands to wipe the foggy glass which encloses the shower area and tried to peer outside. When she didn't see anything, she decided to cut her shower time short and step out.

"Hold it right there, Yates princess..."

***

I hope this got you a little excited :-)

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Lovelots,
liquidfiredragon