Chapter 3

"OH MY GOD ARIC WE HAVE A PROBLEM! IT'S A REALLY BIG PROBLEM AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO FAST! OH MY GOD WHAT DO WE DO!" said Matt frantically as he raced into Aric's home through the front door. He didn't even knock as he raced in and he said all this to Aric as one big word in his rush.

Aric and the twins had been back about two days. It was early afternoon and Aric was getting ready to do some heavy digging while Brianna was gone.

Brianna had wanted some of the trees cleared and a root Cellar behind the house. Aric was standing in the back doorway with a shovel in his hand and was getting ready to start digging it for her as surprise her while she was gone. The girls had been gone only a couple of days, not even close to a week really since they had come back.

Aric looked up in surprise. Matt was usually so well mannered, calm, and laid back that the sudden intrusion into his house completely caught Aric off guard. Matt always insisted he knock before he entered and he would never enter if no one answered before he did it. So what ever the problem was must be pretty important thought Aric.

"Matt, Matt, take a breath. Calm down, what is the problem? I'm sure we can fix it," said Aric trying to soothe Matt.

"Aric, we have a problem and oh my god it's really big! It's that bitch of my old girlfriend Vanessa! She out for revenge on Rayne! And this time she might actually get it!" said Matt a little excitedly and out of breath.

Aric suddenly noticed that Matt is holding pieces of paper in his hand in a death grip.

"Matttt..." began Aric slowly raising and then lowering both of his hands to try and again calm Matt down.

Aric was sure that he daughter could take care of herself and really didn't have much concern for her safety.

"No, No, NO! Just listen a second! I have quite a few friends who still live in Galicia and one of them just sent me a letter. Vanessa had dropped a comment a few times to a few close friends of hers that she was still going to get even with Rayne because she blames her for our breakup, and that she would finally get me back," said Matt frantic and looking pretty frazzled.

"She always blamed everyone but herself for what happened, but after she mentioned her revenge more than a few more times lately than she had ever before, the friend of mine was starting to get worried that she might actually have real a plan.

"So he managed to get her in bed a few times, not that it was ever that hard I hear, and during some of the pillow talk she let slip a few things here and there. He said that she told him that she found some slavers willing to capture Rayne and our families and sell them to buyers overseas.

"She mentioned to him that she found the ruthless and most successful slavers to do it in Galicia to do it and that they had never failed to get their target yet! He said that she had been planning this for seasons! That she had people watching our families all this time and she waited until the girls were of the right age to travel before she struck so that they would be away from home and away from you and the twins so none of us could help!

"OH MY GOD! SHE IS REALLY GOING TO DO IT! SHE IS GOING TO SELL MY FAMILY INTO SLAVERY!" said Matt again in frustration looking at Aric scared.

Matt was now really concerned for his wife and child! He never had any real concerns like this before, and this was playing with the edges of his nerves.

Matt might have been scared and frustrated, but had he not been he would have been very scared for another reason if he had taken a good look at Aric's face.

Aric had gone quiet during Matt's explanation, but he was now staring at Matt hard. At some point while Matt was speaking, he had taken to holding the shovel in both hands, and when Matt finished he snapped it like it was a dry twig. The sudden noise made Matt jump and stare at Aric in obvious shock.

"Someone was stupid enough to mess with Rayne? Were they insane?" thought Aric

But even as he had that thought it was Brianna who he was really the most worried about.

She wasn't as quick or dangerous as she once was when they were younger. And while he knew that she was still good enough to take on most fighters one on one and even two on one, if they were capable enough and crazy enough to take on his daughter, her friend Cassie, and Brianna as well, then they might have a plan to succeed.

Slavers weren't normally stupid. Not if they wanted to stay in business long. And if they had planned it for seasons to make sure they got it right then they just might succeed.

And there was no way he was going to let anyone harm Brianna as long as he drew breath. She was the only thing that mattered to him in this world, other than his kids, but even then to him she was the most important to him and NO ONE was going to take her way from him.

"Matt, did your friend's letter say when they would strike or where they would go after them?" asked Aric.

"No, he said that Vanessa said that they would get them somewhere between the Sisters guild and here. That could be anywhere!" said Matt in frustration.

"Don't worry we'll find them. Let's round up the boys, I know they want to be in on any rescue operation that involves their mother and sister," said Aric with a grim look on his face. "We need to hurry though we have a lot of ground to cover between here and the guild."

He was fighting every instinct very hard not to go into a rage. He knew that a rage would serve no real purpose and might even hinder him. But what really bothered him the most was that Brianna was even threatened like this. Even if it happened in around about way through his daughter, who he was also worried about.