Chapter quote: "A distraction? Well why the hell did you say so?"
Chapter 20: The Chase
With a gasp I sat up abruptly, breathing heavily as sweat drenched my body and my hair flew around me in a frizzled mess. Rapidly moving my eyes back and forth in wild succession, I searched for those unforgiving eyes of shard blue that were burned into my retinas. However, I only saw the bare trees and black waters of the swamp, steadily growing darker as the sun set. Just as suddenly, I felt the blood rush away from my head and let out a heavy groan from the sensation of lightheadedness. When I was able to open my eyes and saw those of Ben's blue and Gabriel's brown starring back at me with concern.
"How are you feeling?" Ben asked, squatting down next to me on the ground.
"Like my bloody body has been run over by a bloody truck." I brushed my hand under my bangs, rubbing my forehead. "What happened?"
"We were hoping you could tell us," Gabriel responded. Just then the wind kicked up, making me shiver and pull one of the many blankets up and around my shoulders. Without a word, Ben reached under my legs and behind my back, picking me up as if I weighted nothing, and carried me over to the fire. He set me down gently before the glowing flames, its light and heat washing over me like a wave from the ocean.
"Normally, I would yell at you for that, but I just don't feel like it," I muttered, staring darkly into the fire.
"You must still be sick if you don't feel the need to nag us so much," Gabriel confessed with a smile. I may not have been feeling all that sparkly, but I still could glare. Which I did. A very large one.
I glanced back at Ben and saw him staring at me curiously, as if he was mesmerizing my face. "Listen, Ben," I began, not sure how I was going to get this out. I took a deep breath, staring intently at me hands and just plowed on. "I'm . . . sorry. About everything. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. It was foolish and irresponsible, not to mention I feel like a stupid immature teenager." I sighed and brought my eyes back up. "What I said, I never meant it—"
"Stephanie—"
"No, let me finish." Ben closed his mouth, but kept his concentration on me. "You've done nothing but save me, help me, keep me even. You have sheltered me since I first came here and I have been treating your kindness like crap. I don't think it's enough, but know that I am sorry, really sorry for the way I acted."
Ben smiled and then wrapped an around my shoulders, pulling me into a big bear hug. "You have nothing for which you should be ashamed," he echoed Charlotte in my ear. I closed my eyes tight and wound my arms around him, feeling the warmth of a father comforting me like nothing else. We both stayed like this for several seconds, before I broke away, wiping my cheek where two tears had escaped.
"Hey where is everyone?" I asked, noticing that there were only a total of five people left, including Ben, Gabriel and me after I had settled down a bit.
"I gave them leave for a few days. It'll be Christmas soon so I let the men go back to see their families."
I made an 'oh' with my mouth and nodded my head.
"Now, explain to us how you came to be in such a state, Stephanie," Ben commented after a few moments of silence.
I shrugged trying to remember the details that were still a wee bit fuzzy. "I got caught out in that storm . . . um, how long ago was that?"
"Three days," Gabriel answered, taking a seat next to me on the log.
"THREE DAYS!" Ok, a little longer than I thought. I shook my head. "Ok, so I got caught out in that storm three days ago. I was trying to make it back to camp and . . . well didn't make it in time."
"Why didn't you just stay at Middleton Place?" Ben asked, slightly angered. Oh boy, here we go.
"Because I had had enough of the pompous British ego, which you totally stomped on with that brilliant display of fireworks. I'm pretty sure Cornwallis turned about three shades of red . . . I even think I saw purple," I remarked, thinking about it.
Gabriel smiled shaking his head and even Ben looked pleased. "Really? Tell me, how did the rest of them take it?"
I smiled at the memory. "Well Cornwallis has this lapdog, General O'Hara." I made a face. "He's a slimy weasel. He paled when the explosion happened, which wasn't that noticeable since I'm pretty sure he was wearing women's powder." Gabriel snorted and Ben chocked on the rum he had just taken a sip on. I continued on, ignoring them, "Um, many of the British soldiers there were upset. The British resolve is failing, quite rapidly now that I think about it, and that was like a sucker punch to the gut. All in all, you really socked it to 'em. Bravo."
Ben smiled, having recovered. "Wouldn't have known about it if you hadn't gotten that tip of the supply train."
"Speaking of which, is it alright if Gabriel and I go scouting again this weekend?" I pulled the 'puppy-dog pout' on him. I know, low, but I wanted to see what else I could wrangle out of the British. Ben agreed and after much persuasion, allowed me to get up and see to my horse, who was in better condition that me. Figures.
Over the next few weeks and into the New Year, I visited the Tavern every Friday and Saturday night with Gabriel, weaseling around and getting different information from different men, but mostly it was the Private, who I found was named Miles Clifford, that supplied my intelligence. Said intelligence led to many more raids, at one point stopping any kind of supplies getting to Cornwallis from Charleston. In actuality, the whole 'spying' business was quite fun; I felt a bit like James Bond or even Austin Powers (Yea, Baby, Yea!). During those nights, Gabriel usually took to the streets while I went gallivanting off, breaking the hearts of men with my teasing and seduction (something I surprised even myself in being able to do.).
Alice, Robert's daughter, also became a kind of sanctuary in herself for me. It was so nice and refreshing to talk to another woman, someone who didn't care who had the best gun or who could spit the farthest (I got beat, hands down). Going on my espionage trips was like a little vacation and a chance to play a character that was so much fun. Sure there were a few time were I was about THIS close to beating the pulp out of one guy or another, but it came with the territory. It also made me respect the women in that line of work A LOT more.
The little thrill I got from playing 'Andy' changed, however, about three weeks after the first of January. It was a Saturday night and I had made my usual rounds with the British soldiers that had come in. A wink here, a flutter there, but nothing really interesting that I hadn't already gained from the night before.
I had just bussed a table and was making my toward the back when the door to the Tavern flew open, leaves and some sleet flew in behind the three men that stood in the door's threshold. The dim, yellow light from the fire created more shadows than light, but it was enough to illuminate the opposing red and green uniforms of Dragoons. A second later, as the men stepped into the room, the fire showed the men to be Captain Wilkins, Captain Bordon, and . . . Colonel Tavington.
Cursing, I hurried into the back liquor room before they could see me. I stood there for several minutes, pacing back and forth, muttering a varying amount of curses at the stupid Dragoons who had to show up and ruined everything. Bloody, Obstinate, Pig-faced, MEN!
The curtain was pulled back and I caught a brief glimpse of the officers seated at the back corner table, watching each person with a calculating eye. Then the curtain fell back and was replaced by Robert's massive chest. I flicked my eyes up ward and met his unhappy ones as he crossed his sausage-like arms in front of him, a deep frown marring his pudgy features.
"Ah take ya saw 'em?" He practically growled.
"Yea, kind of hard to miss." I started pacing again. "Bloody hell, what am I going to do?" I muttered more to myself than anyone else.
"Well, ya best figure it out soon cause Ah'm not wantin' ta be dealin' with 'em. This is yer endeavor," (If I wasn't so freaked out, I would have marveled at his use of large words.) "And Ah'm not lettin' me or mine anywhere near 'em. Ya hear?"
I stopped pacing and glared at him. "And what do you want me to do? I've already had run-ins with Tavington and I'm not looking forward to another one tonight. Why don't you let Sarah deal with them? She can handle it, plus much more," I finished quietly to myself.
"Sarah left. Apparently she had a family madder ta deal with."
"Well what about Hannah, or Rebecca, or even Caroline for Christ's sakes! Please, it will literally be suicide if I go out there now."
He uncrossed his arms and leaned over towards me, his garlic breath brush my cheek as I tried not to gag. "Ah thought ya wanted ta spy on 'em? Use yer 'woman's wiles' against them damned British? Why not the head officers?"
I took a step back and a deep breath to calm both my heart and my anger. "Yes, that was true, but not with those officers. They," I gestured with my arms toward the curtain. "Already know who I am. They won't be fooled, besides Tavington is way smarter than to fall for it."
"Tried it, have ya?" A knowing smiled graced his lips and so wanted to smack it off him.
I grounded my teeth together. "No, actually, I haven't, but I know he won't be fooled because he's the bloody Butcher!"
Robert's eyes grew wide and the first traces of fear crept into their pale blue depths. "Out," he growled.
"What?" I stared at him confused.
"Ah want ya out, now, and don't ya be comin' back. Ya brought this on yerself, and ya brought to ma establishment." Again with the big words. "Ah'll let ya out the back, just so ya don't get hurt, but don't ya be comin' now, ya hear?! Ah've had enough."
I nodded and grabbed my cloak and bag from the hanger on the door. I turned around to thank Robert, but he was already leaving out of the curtain to the bar. Just as I watched it flutter back into place, Tavington's eye caught with mine and I felt as if I had been punched in the gut. In the words of Will Turner, 'Time to go!'
I scrambled out of the back curtain and into the kitchen, just as I heard boots come stomping in behind me. C'mon Steph! Get a move on! Searching around, I saw the back door over by one of the brick ovens used in the morning to make bread. I crawled across the room, around tables and barrels laden with food, the cooks and other serving wenches staring at me oddly as I dashed to the door. I hit it at a run once I was free, only to crash into the hard wood. The lever thing was eccentric and I had a heard time lifting it since it was covered with a crap load of rust. Finally I got it to budge and flew out the door, just as Tavington entered the kitchen to the surprise of everyone else.
Panting, I ran across the wet, cold ground, and dashed behind a large barrel hidden in the shadows. I peaked around the curved wooden edge, using my dark hair to cover the white of my face as I watched Tavington step out into the yard.
He looked this way and that, trying to find my tracks or hear anything that would alert him of my presence, but it was so dark he could barely see a thing. I held my breath as he walked closer to my hiding spot, only to spin around mere feet from me when Wilkins and Bordon came out through the back door, staring at their commander in what I would call a confused-but-not-saying-a-word-since-he-will-beat-the-living-crap-out-of-us look.
"Sir, what are you looking for?" Bordon asked in his really deep British voice.
An uncomfortable tingling sensation was prickling though my feet, so I shifted slightly, hoping to give more blood to my feet. Accidentally I brushed a rock the tumbled along the ground for a second. I gasped inaudibly and froze as Tavington whorled around, his eyes flicking back and forth around the shadowed area. I could see him press his lips in frustration and then spun back and walk briskly up to his officers.
"We're leaving, now!" he barked. The two captains nodded and followed after Tavington back into the Tavern, but not before giving each other the same look.
As soon as they were gone, I breathed a sigh of relief and fell back against the wall. That was a little too close for comfort, I thought while sitting there, letting blood come back to my feet. I waited another five minutes before walking further back into the shadows, untying Lainathiel and then hurrying out onto the streets to look for Gabriel and go back to camp. It looks like my espionage days were over.
The following Monday, Ben, Gabriel, Me and about ten other men set out for the raid that I had gotten word of the Friday before. We rode out of camp early that morning, heading for an area about four miles north from Aunt Charlotte's Plantation. Afterwards, I would be heading their way for a week on leave from the militia. Since I hadn't had a 'real' vacation, Ben thought I should go spend time with the children, and hey, couldn't argue there.
By the time the sun was at high noon, we were positioned just on the out skirts of a curved meadow. The trees were spaced further apart than normal, thus making it a bit more difficult for us to conceal ourselves appropriately. Also, since we were spaced at large intervals and with only a few of us, I was a little apprehensive about this all sepal. That is, until Ben had the brilliant idea of standing and blocking the road, then I was freaking scared. I, for one, thought he was nuts, but let him go ahead anyway. No need for me to burst his bubble when I would be hiding.
Soon the caravan came around the hump of trees and stopped dead when they saw Ben and Gabriel standing there in their way, both looking nonchalant as they studied the soldiers. I took aim from behind a large rock, waiting for the signal to start firing or to come take the loot. It all depended on the British and whether they wanted to die or live to fight another day.
As Ben confronted the officers, I noticed several Redcoats slip from the back of two of the wagons, their weapons in hand. The angle at which they left made it impossible for Ben to see them, but perfect for me. Grimacing, I noticed that number of Redcoats started to multiply by at least half. We need more men!
Suddenly I saw one Redcoat slink alongside the wagon and take aim at Ben as he stood there haggling with the resident officer. Faster than lightening I brought the bead up and fixed the man's head in my view. Taking a breath and letting it out, I closed one eye and pulled the trigger, the deafening sound of my gun was echoing among the dead trees as the force pushed the butt into my shoulder.
Ben and Gabriel jumped, then began to open fire with their pistols as they ran and took cover behind a large fallen log while the Redcoats arranged themselves into formation, ready to take us on. Cursing at missing the sniper, I dove to the side and landed next to Gabriel behind the old wood as musket shots echoes all around us, focused mostly on the bark. Bits of wood flew in the air as it was hit and one bullet made it through, missing my leg by inches.
Gabriel and Ben finished reloading, then reached up and shot their pistol; their muskets were on the other side, leaning against a tree.
They dropped their head back down as the other men took their turns at the Redcoats.
"Who the hell fired?!" Ben shouted angrily as he hurried to reload. I reloaded and took aim again, then pulled the trigger, taking a Redcoat out.
"I did!" I shouted back at him, ducking down further and closing my eyes as we were targeted again. They reached up and fired as before, each hitting a redcoat.
"Care to explain?" Gabriel asked more calmly than Ben, who was shooting glares at me.
"One word: sniper." Already reloaded, I took aim, fired, and then dropped back down. "One of the Redcoats had taken position behind the wagon and was about to shoot you, Ben. I did the only thing I could think of. Missed the bloody bugger though." Another volley aimed at us. "Bloody hell guys, give it up!" I shouted over my shoulder at the Redcoats.
"I don't think they're going to listen," Ben comment dryly. "So anybody have a plan to get out of this?"
"My plan of lying here pissing myself seems to be working mighty fine, thank you," I growled as we were shot at again.
"What we need is a distraction so you and I can reach the muskets," Gabriel said to Ben, wincing at the impact of more bullets. Is it just me or are we slowly loosing our cover?
Just then Occam ran forward and dived in next to us. I fired again and glanced at Gabriel, a smile forming on my lips. "A distraction? Well why the hell did you say so?"
Quickly, I stood up and ran back to where the horses were tethered, bullets missing me by millimeters. As I ran I heard Occam comment, "He's smiling."
Then Gabriel replied, "Never a good thing."
"This ought to be interesting," Ben added taking another shot.
As soon as I reached the safety of tree cover, I dropped my gun, dug around in my backpack attached to the saddle, and threw the holsters to my four revolvers around my waist and chest in perfect range to grab them. I threw my brown jacket over said guns and, vaulting into the saddle, I grabbed the reigns and maneuvered Lainathiel so she was facing the battle. Here goes nothing, I thought as I kicked her into motion.
The Redcoats had formed a line around the wagon, pushing their way forward at a steady pace toward the woods and militia. When they turned their attention to the trees, I saw their faces form stunned expressions as I explode from the dense woodlands on horseback at a full gallop, heading straight at Ben, Gabriel and Occam. At the last second I leapt over the log, flying through the air like a bird on the wing. Behind me I heard shouts as Ben and Gabriel made a mad-dash to the other side, ordering the men to cover me as I created the distraction.
Sailing over the log, my horse hit the ground running, shocking the Redcoats even more as I threw the reigns in-between my teeth, drew the two revolvers from my hip holsters, and started firing at them. Four, five were down before they could even react. Angrily, they trained their guns on me and started to fire back, but they couldn't draw a bead, I was moving too fast and sporadically. Two more came down before I finally got coverage from the surrounding woods, taking about ten out. I wasn't even aiming either, just kind of shooting the guns off in a general direction.
I force Lainathiel forward, riding hard through their lines so they have no choice but to scatter or get run over. More fell from the volley of militia and my pistols, their separation helping us out more than them.
As I reached the end of the supply train, I turned Lainathiel back around to start heading at the Redcoats again, who had formed an impenetrable line up towards the front when a sound from behind me indicated something was coming. It was horses, and by the sounds of it, there were a lot. Looking around the bend, I saw His Majesty's Green Dragoons burst from under the tree cover, heading straight down the road and toward the militia. Muttering an oath that would have made a sailor cringe, I whipped Lainathiel around and kicked her back toward the line of Redcoats, taking the last three out with my revolvers.
"Dragoons! Run!" I shouted, urging my horse faster. As soon as my proclamation was heard, the men hiding in the woods to the right, tore out from their hiding places and ran to their horses along with Ben, Gabriel and Occam. Hearing the Dragoons coming ever closer, the relation that the men would be too slow to outrun them hit me like a brick wall. There was no way they would make it, unless there was some kind of intervention to slow the British down. Grinding my teeth and vowing that I would do some serious ass-kicking later, I whorled Lainathiel around and forced her back toward the Dragoons, tearing the ribbon from my hair so it flew freely behind me.
With a determined expression clouding my features, I waited until the Dragoons came tearing around the curve of the road before I launched Lainathiel into the air on her hunches, hooves flailing outward. Drawing one gun from my chest holster, I raised it in the air and let out two shots of warning, scaring the Dragoon's horses into stopping. Tavington took one look out me as he tried to control his horse, his bearskin hat snug on his head, before he glared at me with rage and frustration.
Allowing Lainathiel to fall back down I shouted, "Come and get me, Ass-Wipe!" before I sent her into the woods, praying that Tavington would take the bait and come after me instead of the fleeing soldiers. I never even looked back to see if the men had made it out; I only hoped that they did.
The defining crunch of broken sticks signaled to me that they had and a shout from Tavington to not let me escape told me he had come after me personally. Yippy.
I scrunched down further in the saddle to avoid both low braches as we raced around trees and stumps and to decrease any wind resistance, giving Lainathiel that extra 'oomph.'
"Come on, girl! Faster!" I urged my horse in desperation as I sensed the men closing in, the cold air wiping against my face painfully. A branch caught my face and I felt a needle sharp pain grace my cheek and the warm feeling of blood leaving a red trail down the skin.
Suddenly we left the shadowed wood and rushed into the bright sunlight. Squinting, I saw ahead the drop-off of a cliff face and pulled back sharply on the reigns, forcing Lainathiel to skid to a stop before we went ass-over-teakettle down the precipice. I glanced over the edge at the leave strewn ground and dense tree coverage as she came to a stop at the lip. It wasn't a large drop, only about fifteen feet, but it was enough that if I had forced her to jump, she would have broken her legs and probably her neck, leaving me in no better condition. The crack of branches forced me back into reality and I did the only thing I could do. I kicked Lainathiel back into a run along the lip of the rock-face and away from the Dragoons.
I heard the shout behind me, signaling to me that the Dragoons had found the ledge. With my heart pounding in my throat, I started to pray for God to please get me out of this. Unfortunately my prayers went unanswered when I saw the end of the edge up ahead, ending in what was no doubt another large drop-off. With Tavington closing in behind me, the ledge in front, and the thick brambles to the left, I knew I was trapped. And this time, there was no way out.
Dun Dun Duhhhhhhh!!! What will happen to her? Does she even stand a chance? Just stay tuned.
Now, I'm going to go study for the statewide Laint Poetry Contest I'm in on Wednesday. Wish me luck!
Oh, and I totally forgot to put this, thank you to b2 for reminding me. The end chase scene with the leaping over the log bit was an idea that I got from American Outlaws, so techneciaclly it isn't mine. Thanks b2!