Stalking his prey, he has watched from afar until he had decided that the timing was now right to make her his. He was just a face in the colony; a person that she said hello to every time she passed him, never knowing the thoughts that plagued him whenever she was near. He waits until dusk for the strike, when she's heading for the Major's tent, every night he has watched her enter his tent and he feels the anger rise until he could no longer contain himself and he'd go and box with the other marines in their tent. Making sure that he is well hidden he lays in wait for his prey to pass by him and he doesn't have to wait long, she passes humming a sweet tune completely oblivious to his presence, that is until his strong arms wrap around her pulling her into the trees that surround them. As he drags her backwards, he can feel her trying to get free, with one hand clamped over her mouth to keep her quiet and the other wrapped around her tiny waist he knows that he must stop soon to claim his prize as her absence would be noted quickly. Once near the clearing he had picked out for them, they can't be more than a few minutes from the colony, as he finally releases her from his grasp he realises his mistake as she screams several times. In an effort to silence her his lashes out, knocking her to the ground with a backhander to the face, when she got up, he struck again this time when she fell her face whitened as her leg broke beneath her and she crumpled into a heap and she gave a sob as the pain grew to be to much to bare.
Sat in his tent, Robert hears the screams "Katherine!" he whispers to himself and races out of the tent grabbing Mulroney as he passes, the young private, seeing the look on his superior's face knows that something has happened to McVitie. Running in the direction that they heard the screams they both pull up short not knowing which direction to head as the path is forked, just as they were deciding to split up to find her they heard a voice. "Do what I say whore and you'll get back to your dear Major when I'm finished with you and not a moment sooner. Understand."
Creeping towards the sounds they could hear in front of them, low to the ground and keeping their movement to a minimum, they both stopped short as the scene came into sharp focus, Katherine struggling in a marine's grip, as he crouches over her, her dress ripped and hanging off her shoulders and then came the most shocking event yet as Katherine almost managed to get free the marine turned and grabbed her arm and yanked her back to him and there was a sickening crack as her arm broke and then she curled into a foetal position on the ground almost devoid of emotion as if she had resigned herself to what was about to happen.
"Or she could just leave now! How dare you Hurst, how dare you try this on! You know the stakes" Robert growled the venom in his voice unmistakable. "Mulroney, bind his hand and throw him in the brig, I'll deal with him in the morning, when I've calmed down or I'll kill him here and now." As the marine was dragged away shouting expletives back to the colony, Robert only had eyes for Katherine who was shaking on the ground and trying to cover herself up the best that she could, he knew what the bastard had tried to do to her and it made his blood boil; he knelt down to her and without preamble he pulled her gently into his arms and held her while she sobbed into his shoulder glad that she was allowing him to touch her; once she'd pulled away wiping her eyes and giving him a small weak, watery smile, he helped her up and steadied her while she gained her balance on one leg. Taking off his coat, he slipped it over her shoulders, feeling slightly better when her form was fully concealed from prying eyes he lifted her easily into his arms and carried her back to the colony and his tent, where he was pleased to see Mulroney had returned to his station outside his tent. Placing Katherine on the bed and walked to the tent flap "Private, can you get Mrs. Johnson to come to my tent please with an old dress and don't mention what this is regarding" as Michael Mulroney nodded and walked off to the reverend's tent, Robert glanced up into the face of Joseph Reynolds, his expression hard he averted his eyes from the tent and the Major as he walked back to the tent that he now shared alone with some of the other soldiers.
"Major Ross, Sir, Mrs. Johnson is here for you, Sir." Mulroney's voice broke through Robert's musings as he paced the width of his bed, his eyes never leaving the slumbering form Kitty. A sigh slipped passed his closed lips before he could stop himself, turning once more to face the tent opening he steeled himself for what was about to happen. Mary gasped as she took in the sight before her, turning her horror filled face towards Ross she whispered. "Who did this?" she shot him an accusatory stare and then looked ashamed as her features softened as she realised that although he was an unkind gentlemen towards the majority of the convicts, he would never do this.
"He is currently in the lock-up and he was a marine under my command, I am shocked and horrified that this has happened and am deeply sorry that it was Katherine that was attacked by this monster. Please see what you can do for her and if you need any assistance please ask Mulroney to fetch whoever or whatever you need, I need to brief Governor Phillip on what has happened this night." With that he left the tent and made his way to the governor's hut, though his mind and his heart remained in the tent he vacated.
Philip and Collins were deep in conversation when Ross knocked on the door. Once Deborah had made sure that they had everything that they needed she took her leave.
"Ah Ross," Phillip started "I understand that there was some sort of disturbance this evening, please report what happened."
Robert took a deep breath and recalled what had transpired in the last hour or so, leaving nothing out, once he'd finished he scrubbed a calloused hand over his face and sighed deeply.
"I see, what would you suggest happens to this man?" Collins asked gravely, finishing his notes to add to the files he keeps on everyone.
The three were silent for a long while all consumed with thought, Ross seemed to be asleep his head bowed, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow, Phillip cleared his throat. "What to do with them both I think is the question in hand Captain Collins"
Ross's eyes flew open and he raised his head to look at the pair of them across the table "Both?" he asked a question in his voice and his face and eyes hardened "you can not seriously be considering punishing McVitie for anything that happened this evening!" his voice hard.
Phillip looked puzzled for a moment and then he realised that both he and Collins hadn't informed Ross of what else had occurred that night.