When I came to, I was laying on a cot in a small windowless cell. My head was pounding. As I sat up I felt a wave of dizziness and thought I might faint. It passed after a moment and I looked around. The man who had restrained me was standing at the bars looking at me. He had a busted lip and his left eye was bruised.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said. "Sorry 'bout your head. But-" he pointed to his face "-you got me pretty good, too."

I said nothing as he continued to watch me with a slight grin. His gaze made me uncomfortable. I hugged myself and looked away.

"Why am I here?" I asked.

"John's got some questions for you."

I shook my head. The events of the day played in my head again and I felt tears run down my cheeks. I wondered where Brad was and where they had taken Father's body. I also wondered what questions they had for me.

I wanted to go home. I wanted this to all be a bad dream. I wanted my dad.

I began to cry.

"It's okay, darlin'" the man said. "Just answer a few questions then you and your brother can go home."

"I'm not saying anything to anyone," I said between sobs.

"You're a feisty lil' one, ain't ya?" he said. He smiled that unnerving smile of his. "I like that."

The sound of approaching footsteps made me look up just as Colonel Pitcairn arrived at my cell. He looked at me and I glared at him.

The other man chuckled. "I don't think she likes you none, Johnny."

"Quiet, Thomas. Victoria Whitaker?"

I said nothing.

"I have some questions regarding your late father. Will you answer honestly?"

I felt fresh tears roll down my face as I gritted my teeth and kept quiet.

"If you refuse," Pitcairn said, "I'll have you sent to a secured facility for disobedient children and you'll not see your family until you're released. Do you understand?"

I nodded slowly.

"Where was your father employed?'

"He was a marine merchant," I said. "He ferried goods between ports in the Colonies."

"What ship did he serve on?"

"Victoria," I whispered.

"Was Mr. Whitaker active in any social groups?"

I shook my head.

"What sort of people did he socialize with?"

"I don't know," I said. "Sailors mostly."

"Give me the names of some of his associates."

"His first mate was Eli Harbrow."

"Who else?"

"I don't know. I never met his crew."

Pitcairn studied me. I knew the thought I was lying.

The other man, Thomas, was watching me, too. His gaze wasn't as critical as the Colonel's, but I disliked it just as much.

Finally Pitcairn unlocked the cell door and opened it. "You're brother is waiting outside to take you home. Some of my men will escort you there. Neither of you are to leave your house until after all your father's affairs are settled. Is that clear?"

I nodded and left.

The next three weeks were spent with Brad and I confined to our property with armed guards stationed at all the doors. It was irritating and seemed to drag on forever. We weren't allowed to speak to anyone or go beyond the clearing of the back yard. Bradley was livid about being unable to hunt. Normally he was mild tempered and quiet, but he got to the point where he argued with the sentries for their unfair treatment and refusal to explain why we were being kept here.

"They can't keep us here forever," Brad told me. "They'll clear off soon."

What made our confinement even worse was the fact that Father had been deemed a traitor and was denied a funeral. We had no closure and did not even get to bury him next to Mother. I don't know what they did with his body. They probably burned it or tossed it into the sea. I hoped the latter. At least then he could be in the one place he loved almost as much as home.

A few days before Thanksgiving, we got a visit from a group of soldiers claiming that we had to leave the premises because it was property of the British regiment. The one who delivered the notice was Jerry Ducain, the man I would later kill.

"It's all set up right and legal," he said as Brad read the papers. "This house and land are now the property of the British army."

I grabbed the paper from Bradley and read it. I felt anger grow rapidly as I discovered that my brother Frank has donated our home to the service of the king's regiment.

"This is not fair!" I told them.

Ducain looked at me. Even then I hated how he grinned and the way his eyes searched me. "It don't matter what you think, girlie. You're trespassing. And I can have you arrested. Or worse."

His words fed the rage building inside me and I lashed out without thinking. My fist hit hard against his nose and his smile was replace with a sneer. I still don't regret my actions. I only wish I had done worse. I wish I hadn't stopped at one hit and fought harder to get free when his hand closed on my throat and the back of my head hit hard against the wall as he slammed me into it. I saw Brad attempt to intervene but be restrained by two guards. One of them punched him in the stomach and he doubled over.

Ducain's breath stank of bourbon as he spoke in my face. "Maybe you don't understand," he said. "You ain't got no rights here. We could kill you both and no one'll care."

"Let her go!"

I appreciated Bradley's attempt at helping, but the only reward it got him was a broken nose from one of the soldiers. Ducain ignored him and continued holding me. His grip tightened and I felt my breath cut short. I struggled as hard as I could, which only made him grin.

"You're firey, ain't ya?"

My only response was to struggle harder. I didn't like the way he was holding me. Or the level of pleasure he seemed to be getting from it.

"I bet you're pure," he said in a hideous tone. "Yeah. A girl like you ain't had a man yet. I can change that."

I felt his hand on my body and wanted to kill him. I swore to myself that if I ever got the chance I would kill him.

Fortunately, that's as far as he went then. Only because that was when the door opened and a familiar man entered and asked what was going on. Ducain released his hold and turned to look at Thomas. I gasped for air.

"Didn't know you was gonna be here, Hickey," he said.

"I got orders from the big man," he said. He looked at me. "You ain't causing trouble are ya, sweetheart?"

Though I was still angry, I was relieved at being saved from defilement. One look at Bradley and I knew our only option was to leave. So I shook my head.

He nodded. "Good. Then I guess you ought to get goin."

Thomas looked at my brother. The two men holding him let go. Bradley wiped his nose on his shirt sleeve and pulled me over to him. He looked me over then gave Ducain a glare.

"Come on, Tori. We're leaving."

We spent that night in the loft of a neighbor's barn. It was cold and spitting snow, but I was thankful to be alive. I refused to cry as I curled up on the hay and used a horse blanket for cover. I didn't know what I was going to do or where I was going to go, but I promised myself that I would survive at least long enough to get even with the men that had stolen my home.