Knowing that, he must not push Thomas too far-his first step was to build a connection of trust with Thomas.
And since it was obvious now that Thomas was willing to trust him, he already achieved the best outcome possible.
“I’ll get you out of here tomorrow,” Thomas told Diarmuid then.
Even if he decided to trust Diarmuid, he could not let Diarmuid find out the location of their vineyard.
Luckily, Diarmuid could not see, and that relieved Thomas.
“Yeah,” Diarmuid replied. “Thank you.”
Thomas said nothing, let alone asked for Diarmuid’s help.
In fact, he and Diarmuid understood each other tacitly, and Diarmuid could tell that he was under duress but would not say it, which was why Diarmuid did not ask.
However, when Thomas was prepared to send Diarmuid away the next day, his ’employers’ arrived.
They would occasionally come to check on things, but they usually stopped just to take what they wanted.
Once that was done, they would let Thomas have a phone call with his son to ensure that his son was still fine.
Thomas hid Diarmuid in the cellar to make sure he was safe and told him to stay very quiet.
Diarmuid was cooperative, since he could not do anything in his state.
The cellar was dank and stank of mud.
It was already covered, but he also picked up other scents that seemed to sting his nostrils and he had no idea what they were.
And since it was a cellar, it was very quiet.
It was after a long while before Thomas and Marie finally took him out of the cellar.
“Let’s get you out of here,” Thomas said.
Diarmuid would be killed if they found him hidden here, and Thomas himself would not fare better-not to mention that they still had his son.
Naturally, Diarmuid wanted to leave as soon as he could!
However, Diarmuid stayed calm and composed so that he did not appear to be in a hurry to leave, even if he felt that way inside.
“You can ask me for anything,” he told Thomas, knowing that Thomas still had his doubts about him.
There was a flash in Thomas’s eyes even as he looked at Diarmuid, but he still refrained from asking Diarmuid to save his son Michael.
This was very serious, and Thomas was concerned that Diarmuid would fail. If they were exposed, his family would be hurt instead.
That was why he did not want to take the risk.
He was helping Diarmuid escape because he felt that Diarmuid was not a bad person, and that alone.
“I would rather you forget everything here,” the man said.
That would be far better for either of them.
Diarmuid stayed silent.
The terrain around the vineyard was bad, and trying to leave would take at least a couple days, though driving would be much quicker.
Thomas had Marie prepare him some food and water.
Once that was done, Marie handed him the backpack containing everything. “Be careful on the road.”
Thomas kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll be right back.”
He was worried Marie would become worried if she were here alone.
Thomas was tall, his eyes a striking blue, his hair graying, and his face covered in stubble, and he must have been very good-looking when he was younger.
On the other hand, Marie was plump and fair, and while she was not that beautiful, her kind demeanor made her appear affable to others.
Thomas had also fashioned a walking stick for Diarmuid so that he could feel ahead before he walked. He had a shorter one himself, which he would hold onto while Diarmuid held on the other hand.
As Thomas slung his backpack over his shoulders, Marie brought a pair of Thomas’s shoes that she had just washed. “Here. Put these on!”
The ones Diarmuid was wearing were not fit for hiking.
However, Diarmuid did not move since he could not see.
Realizing with a start, Marie laughed.
“Oh, silly me. Here, let me help you,” she said, putting the shoes in front of Diarmuid. “There. They’re right in front of you.”
Diarmuid arched his back and reached out, feeling the shoes immediately.
He did not show contempt when he felt the crude texture, and he was instead grateful toward Marie’s kindness.
Putting them on, he said, “Thank you.”
Marie waved him off. “It’s alright. You should hurry or it’d be difficult to move when it gets dark.”
Diarmuid frowned a little—he could not see even if it was daytime, and his vision was completely dark.
As such, there was no difference between night and day for him.
Marie realized she misspoke too, and she appeared chagrined.
Thomas told her just then, “We’re going now.”
“Be careful,’ Marie told him.
Thomas nodded. “Yeah.”
There were only small paths through the mountain, and as one hiked through it, they would brush against undergrowth and vines of all sizes.
Even with trousers, one would get cuts and bruises on the ankles, legs, and thighs, since there were thorny plants or plants with seeds that latched onto the fabric.
Thomas was quiet as he walked ahead, leading Diarmuid through the forest.
Diarmuid was in turn focused and listening to everything around him.
Because he could not see, he could only use his hearing to perceive everything around him.
And suddenly, he heard the cry of an engine from the distance, a hum distinct from the breeze and birdsong.
He asked, “Can you drive a car through these mountains?”
“Yes,” Thomas replied-his ’employers’ would drive on a hidden path when they came, and it was basically invisible under the cover of grass.
It would not have been seen if not for the tire tracks.
Diarmuid then asked, “They just left, didn’t they?”
Thomas turned to stare at him in silence and said, “Don’t ask. Knowing too much won’t do you any good.”
“I just wanted to tell you that they might be nearby,” Diarmuid said.
Thomas became wary immediately. “Really?” “Yeah,” Diarmuid replied assuredly. “How does it benefit me if I lie to you?”
Diarmuid could tell that Thomas was scared of those people and that they were no angels.
That was why he warned Thomas, so that Thomas would be more careful.
Moreover, he understood that he would be in worse danger if they were found.
Thomas stayed silent and listened, but he could not hear anything aside from the breeze, the rustling trees, and the occasional bird’s cry.
However, it was said that those who could not see would hear better, and Thomas believed Diarmuid.
“Should we stop?” he suggested, thinking those men would probably drive away soon.
It was why he had picked this moment to leave with Diarmuid-his employers would not be coming back after they had just left, making right now the safest window of opportunity.
“Sure,” Diarmuid said.
However, there were only tall weeds everywhere, and they did not have a place to sit.
“There’s a river up ahead,” Thomas said. “We can rest there for a while.”
Diarmuid nodded, and they moved to the river easily.
However, the instant they sat down, two men showed up, and Thomas panicked when he saw them.
“So, you really were hiding someone?” One of the thugs glared savagely at Thomas.
No matter the country, thugs really were ugly-probably a result of their crimes.
They were simply upsetting to look at, and this thug was certainly hideous.
The other thug snorted. “I knew it. There was a reason this showed up at the vineyard!”
He took out a cufflink which Diarmuid had on his sleeve, but neither Marie nor Thomas noticed that it detached from Diarmuid’s shirt the day they saved him.
But this thug had noticed, and he was pursing his lips in a smug smile.
“This looks expensive,” he said, and he looked past Thomas to study Diarmuid, smacking his lips. “A Zidonian, huh?”
Diarmuid narrowed his eyes and clenched his fingers over his walking stick.
He knew very well that these two thugs would attack in an instant.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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