Treasure Quest
Disclaimer: Scooby Doo and all related characters are owned by Hanna-Barbara, Warner Bros., and/or Cartoon Network. All other characters, names, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, locals is coincidental.
A/N: My thanks to Ally82 for her Beta work.
As this is a sequel to "Fred's Quest", and begins the morning after the end of that story, it would be advisable to read that story first.
This story is a fictional story based on the actual battle of Spotsylvania in the American Civil War. For those not familiar with the history of the Civil War, here is a short time line:
1861: January, Lincoln elected President without a single vote from Southern states. He was inaugurated in March.
1861: April, the attack on Fort Sumter began the "War Between the States".
1864: May, General U. S. Grant (Union) and Gen. R.E. Lee (Confederate) join in the Battle of the Wilderness on the 5th and 6th of that month.
1864: May, 8th through 21st , Battle of Spotsylvania, A two week battle that, although inconclusive, would be the beginning of the end for the Confederate forces and the war. It would be some of the fieriest fighting in the war with some 32,000 men from both sides losing their lives.
It is accepted that the war was a man's fight but many women joined in the battle as nurses or romantic spies. A few dressed as men to hide their sex and fought side by side their male counterparts. One such lady to work as a spy was Rose O'Neale Greenhow. A member of Washington society, she worked as a Confederate spy from 1861 until her death in 1864.
Due to the destruction of many records and reports from the period, I have taken liberties with some details.
The story begins on May 7th, 1864 with a certain Confederate Major.
Chapter One: Love is...Friendship Set on Fire
Part One
He had been ordered to take his regiment and get to Spotsylvania as soon as possible; he laughed at the thought of his 'regiment'. Originally twelve hundred, swollen at times to fifteen hundred, it now numbered just over one hundred. His orders were to begin digging trenches upon arrival at their destination. He had never failed to carry out an order before and with God as his witness, he would not allow this to be the first.
They had been on forced march throughout the night. "Step it up, men. Not far now." He called out, his clear bass voice ringing over the heads of the men. They were good men, battle tested but weary of battle and the hardships that went with any war. Some marched barefoot, others wore shoes taken from corpses of fallen comrades if they could find the right size. There had been plenty of bodies to choose from.
Five minutes to catch their collective breathes, then the work of excavation trenches would be the first order of business. The main body of the Confederate Army, under the command of General Lee, would be arriving by mid-day if not before. Winter still held the land in its grasp and May, eighteen-sixty-four was cold. The Major pulled his coat, with the single gold star, close to block the breeze drifting down his neck. Most of the men owned no coat or if they did it was threadbare.
The Major walked along, giving a word of encouragement where it was needed, a word of instruction if he found a trench not to his liking. The men were hungry, not eating anything but what they could scavenge over the last few days but they knew the importance of the coming battle. The Major also knew, had seen enough carnage to know this was a last ditch effort. They either stopped the Bluebellies now or Richmond would be next. He watched as the main body arrived, General Lee at the forefront. The Corporal arrived shortly afterwards.
"The General sends his compliments, Major. Would the Major join the General." The boy was a kid, barely sixteen if that. The backhand was swift, hard and left the kid sitting on his backside.
"Boy, you just trying to get both of us killed. If you're here, so are the Yank sharpshooters. Cap't Rawlins, you have command!"
"You comin', boy?" The Major walked off.
General Lee didn't rise from his seat on a tree stump when the Major arrived. The corporal rubbed his jaw and left when the General's hand waved him away. The General handed a small tin cup to the Major along with a packet. They lifted cups in a silent salute, sipping at the liquor.
"That, Major, is your second star. Field commission to Lieutenant-Colonel by my order." The General tipped his flask over both cups.
"Colonel, this conversation never happened. Verbal orders only. You are to pick six men, hot foot it to Richmond, follow the verbal orders you will receive there."
The Major raised his eyebrows. He had never in his star-studded career received such orders. The mere thought that they were 'verbal only' wasn't a good sign. The General looked around, satisfying himself that no one was within earshot.
"I've received word that our friends up North have sixty thousand dollars in gold. You are to retrieve it. And Colonel, take the boy you backhanded." He waved for the boy to join them.
"Come on, boy. You heard the General." The new Colonel turned to leave.
"My name is George." The boy stated defiantly but ducked and ran.
"Boy doesn't even know his name." The Colonel glanced at General Lee.
"He'll learn. Corporal, go with the Colonel." The general smiled at the retreating pair.
The Colonel didn't know if he'd been rescued from hell or was about to step into a hotter hell.
-Xxx
Part Two
Morning, Present Day, Mystery Inc. Headquarters.
"This French toast is delicious, Shaggy. What's your secret ingredient?" Daphne tapped a napkin on her lips and glanced at Fred, sitting beside her. He had tried to hid a grimace when she had walked behind him, running her fingers lovingly over his back.
She suspected her manicured nails had left scratches along his spine the night before. It was his own fault; was it her fault he had set every nerve ending on fire with desire? She'd have to offer some ointment, but that would mean he'd have to take his shirt off and could she be responsible for her reactions then?
"Tuna." Everyone gagged at Shaggy's response.
"What!" Three voices called as one.
"What did you say, Daph?" Shaggy wondered why everyone was pushing their plates away.
"Your secret ingredient...in the French toast?" Daphne repeated.
"Vanilla in the eggs. Sweetens the toast."
"But...tuna?" Velma had been so bright and cheery this morning. Daphne had to question if they had acted on Velma's wish for a kiss that warmed the cockles of her heart. Come to think of it Shaggy had been acting strange this morning too. A good cook, he seldom volunteered to cook breakfast.
"I just noticed, we're out of tuna, Vel. I was just adding it to the grocery list."
"Shaggy, that was a good pickup on the cup code. What have you found?" Fred ignored the easy give and take.
"The Mystery Machine has a bug, not sure if it's a location device or for listening or both. It's logical to assume that the table had a bug. No need to check it out now; it it was, it's been removed by now." Shaggy responded.
"What of my "collection" of cups?" Daphne asked.
"Nothing that I've found and I've been through each room of Headquarters."
"So, we know we have a wolf nipping at our heels," Fred observed, "we have two days, let's put them to good use. Velma, hit that computer of yours and see what you can find on our wolf..."
"I got a little already. Our wolf has no record past a few unpaid parking tickets."
"Shaggy, take the Mystery Machine and give the wolf a scenic tour of Coolsville's best restaurants."
"I think Scoob and I can handle that. Anyone want a dogie bag?"
"Freddie, before you say what we're going to be doing, I want to see you in my bathroom. Now." Daphne stood, "Velma, see if you can find a connection between our wolf and the Jones family. I don't think the fortune, if it exists, is all the story." Daphne walked down the hallway, she didn't look back to see if Fred was following.
"Take your shirt off, Fred." Daphne commanded when Fred stepped into the frilly bathroom. She couldn't stop the quick intake of air when Fred lifted his shirt. Long angry furrows ran along his back and ribcage on both sides of his spine. Taking a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide, she started cleaning the lengthy lines. She tried to hold back the tears; dropping a used cotton ball into the trash can she asked, "Freddie, what are we going to do?"
"Well, since we will be getting married, it's time you met the family. We'll start with the family historian."
TBC
