Here comes a new chapter!
One scene was taken from the series in this one.
I have huge problems with my computer these days, so I'm not sure I'll be able to update next Sunday, but I'll do my best to be on time, of course.
Please, tell me what you think about this chapter, it's very important to me. I hope you like this chapter :)
Concord
April 19, 1775
Finally they came in sight of Barrett's farm. Michael couldn't refrain a sigh of relief. The place seemed peaceful, no sign of soldiers whatsoever. They still had a bit of time...
Dawes and him hurried towards the house, and as he recognised Michael, Barrett relaxed.
"What are you doing here?" he asked Michael. "Who's that?"
"William Dawes," Michael answered while the two men were shaking hands. "He's a friend of Paul's."
"What's wrong?"
"The British are on their way with a full regiment of men," Dawes answered. "Whatever you' got in that barn, all the Massachusetts knows you' got it. Can you hide it?"
Barrett nodded slowly, looking at his barn where all their ammunitions were, for now, safely hidden.
"I'll go look for the others," said Michael, already walking back towards his horse. "We'll need as many hands as we can get. If the British find all this..."
"We'll all be dead," finished Dawes in a grim voice.
Soon, everybody was at Barrett's farm, helping to hide all their ammunitions. The rifles were wrapped into pieces of clothing and buried in the ground, or hidden with the pigs. They carried the barrels of powder in the woods, and hid them under branches, and into bushes of hawthorn. The canon was carefully hidden in the dunghill. They were almost done when Paul Revere arrived.
"Where are the weapons?" he asked quickly to Barrett.
"Hidden," he merely answered.
"Better hope so," Revere mumbled, already striding away.
Michael and James hurried after him.
"How did it go at Lexington?" Michael asked him.
Revere took a quick look around him, but they were out of earshot, and would not have to worry about eavesdropping.
"Sam and Hancock left the town and are heading to a safer place. They'll both be fine."
"What about the others?" asked James. "What about Sarah? And Kelly?"
Paul slowly shook his head.
"I don't know. When we left, the Red Coats were already almost in Lexington. And we heard gunshots."
Michael and James exchanged a worried look.
"Where was Sarah when you came warning them?" James asked, fear shaking his voice. "Was she with Sam and John?"
"No," Paul answered slowly, his voice hoarse. "She was with Kelly. They were at the watchtower. But I had to distract two Red Coats before going there myself. I don't know where they are, nor what they did."
"If you heard gunshots, then we all know what they did," replied Michael.
There was a brief silence, covered with sorrow.
"The only question," Michael went on, "is to know if they survived."
Paul cleared his throat, and gave Michael a rough pat on the back.
"We can't know that for now. And it's not the priority here. We have to be ready to defend the farm when the Red Coats arrive, and they'll soon be here. We have to hurry. There's nothing we can do for them anyway."
Michael nodded, and followed Revere towards the woods. He just hoped Sarah was alright...
Michael risked a quick look between the branches. He was hiding with the rest of their little army, at the edge of the woods. Pitcairn was dismounting, and walking towards Barrett, who was drinking water and cleaning his face. He ignored the major, until he was actually talking to him. Michael looked at Revere on his right, who was hiding behind a trunk as well. Around his firearm, his knuckles were white, his finger already resting on the trigger. Michael turned around, and took a look at James on his left. His hands were shaking, though his expression was neutral. He looked up, feeling Michael's gaze set upon him, and they stared at each other's for a while. Around them, the forest was silent, except for the piercing singing of a bird from time to time. They could hear the distant sound of the conversation between Barrett and Pitcairn. Michael nodded reassuringly at James.
He would cover him. He had his back, it would be alright...
James nodded as well, feeling his heart slowing down. Pitcairn's voice arose suddenly, cutting the silence like a sharp knife.
"Clear the tree line!" his order rang through the air.
The two scientists took a look at Revere, who merely gestured them to stay still. They were further in the woods than the distance the British soldiers were used to search in this situation, they just had to wait.
James closed his eyes, feeling nausea rising inside him. He didn't know if he would be able to shoot someone. How could he be able to shoot someone?
The soldiers started to walk through the trees, their boots breaking branches and staggering into skeleton leaves. The Red Coats were silent, and yet their footsteps echoed like a loud shout.
Michael tightened his grip around his rifle, ready to react.
The British were barely a few feet away.
James stopped breathing, motionless. He could hear a soldier coming his way. Michael threw him a reassuring look, though inside him, adrenaline was mingling with rising panic. The soldiers stopped walking right on the other side of James's tree.
A soldier put his hand upon the trunk, resting, apparently tired after their fight at Lexington, followed by their long walk to get to Concord. He heaved a sigh.
James closed his eyes. He could have sworn he had felt the Red Coat's breath on the back of his neck...
"Nothing here," a blond soldier called. "Come on, let's go search the other side."
The soldiers started to walk again towards the farm, getting further again. Revere nodded. They were safe.
James let out the breath he had been holding, and rested his head against the trunk, relaxing. Michael grinned at him, thumbs up in his characteristically childish way, and James couldn't refrain a smile.
The second the soldiers had left the cover of the trees, Revere made his men advance towards the farm. They hid again behind trees, waiting and watching the scene before them.
Pitcairn and Barrett were still talking, too far away for any of them to understand any word spoken by the two men. To their ears, it was merely a shushed whisper. Suddenly, Barrett spit on the ground, glowering at the major. James and Michael exchanged a look. It didn't look very good...
"Tear the place apart!" Major Pitcairn shouted to his men. "Search everywhere!"
... no, definitely not good at all...
They advanced of a few more meters, still hiding behind trunks, and took position, ready to fire. James's rifle was trembling, as he couldn't control the shakiness of his hands.
Soldiers were searching every inch of the house, the barn, everything... They even started to inspect the furrows where they had buried the rifles.
Suddenly, there was a sound right behind them...
They all turned as one man, their firearms lifted to their cheeks, ready to fire. They all sighed in relief as they were recognising Warren. He rose his open palm to calm his friends down, before advancing with more Colonists towards the edge of the wood. Warren took position right next to Paul, who gave him a pat on the arm, before nodding. Joseph nodded at James and Michael too, before taking aim.
Suddenly, a loud shout cut the air.
"Major!" a soldier cried.
He came running towards Pitcairn, and handed him a bullet he had found in the furrows.
Michael swallowed loudly. This was not good at all...
Pitcairn spoke to Barrett again, throwing the little ball of iron at him, a smirk on his face.
Oh God, Michael hated this bastard...
After only a few words, Barrett threw back the ammunition at the major, who merely pointed at one of his men. In a silent understanding of his officer, the British soldier advanced towards Barrett, and hit him hard on the stomach.
The farmer fell on the ground in a thud.
Michael prepared to fire, but Revere raised his hand.
"Wait for it," he whispered
The Major pushed Barrett with the tip of his black boot, making him roll on his back. He took his pistol, loaded, and pointed it down to the motionless shape of Barrett on the ground. Michael was aiming at the soldier right behind Pitcairn and then...
One loud order shouted on his left...
"FIRE!" Revere cried.
Michael pressed the trigger, and was blinded by the smoke and the sparks oozing out of his firearm. He blinked, partly deafened by the loud detonations all around him. He took aim again, as soon as he was able to distinguish some moving red shape in the distance through all the smoke, and fired again.
"Keep firing!" Paul cried above the detonations.
There were lying bodies on the ground, everywhere across the farm... James had fired too. He had no idea if he was responsible for any of these young men dead or dying before him, he couldn't have managed to keep his eyes opened, but he felt as guilty as if he had seen his own bullet piercing the chest of this poor boy there... He wanted to throw up. Around him, all the others were firing again, and again... an unending whirlwind of noise, and fire, and desolation, and death, swirling all around him... His head was spinning now. He aimed for Pitcairn anyway, who was shouting his orders to his men, but he couldn't hear them, not with the shouts of riffles spitting their deadly ammunitions. He blinked again as he was shooting, but when he opened his eyes once more, Pitcairn was limping, holding his wounded leg. Oh God... he had shot someone, he was sure this time...
Michael aimed sternly at the soldier who was trying to retrieve the British flag from what had now become a battlefield. A second later, his head was exploding into shreds of flesh and bones, and the flag remained on the ground.
A bullet almost touched James at the shoulder, landing in the trunk of the oak tree behind him. The Englishman closed his eyes, resting his head against the trunk of his own tree. That one had been close...
The Red Coats were now fleeing the farm, shouting to retreat, running back towards the bridge. Paul started to run towards the farm, and soon all the men followed him. They looked at the British running away. Barrett picked up the British flag from the ground, now drenched with blood. He handed it to Paul.
"Your prize," he told him.
Paul wrapped his strong fingers around the flag, staring at him for a while.
"Let's dig out the weapons," he said, his eyes lying on the farm again. "Time to take back our city."
They all cheered loudly, while Paul was walking away towards the barn, along with Joseph, Michael and James.
"Have you heard anything about Lexington?" Michael asked the doctor urgently.
But Warren shook his head.
"I don't know anything. I came here right away once I had managed to get outside the city, and gather some of our men. Did you warn Sam and Hancock?"
Paul nodded, staring at the wall in front of him, half lost in thoughts.
"I warned them, and they escaped safely. But I heard gunshots as I was riding out of Lexington. I don't know what happened to the others."
"Kelly and Sarah?" Joseph asked, now a worried glint alit in his eyes.
"I don't know, Joseph," Paul answered in a sad voice, shaking his head.
"We have to go there, try to find out what happened," said James, his voice firm and steady despite the terrible fear that kept twisting his stomach. "I'll go. The Red Coats won't go back to Lexington, they'll aim directly for Boston."
Warren nodded.
"If there has been a fight, then you will most certainly need my help. I'll ride with you."
Michael caught Paul's eyes.
"Will you take care of the weapons?"
Revere nodded.
"Be careful on the road. Don't get caught."
Michael patted James's shoulder, whilst they were marching towards a cart. Michael looked cautiously at his best friend.
"Are you okay?"
James shook slowly his head.
"I've fired on people... I've probably killed someone, and I've hurt another... How can you possibly imagine that I'm okay?"
He shook his head, tears shining in his eyes, his voice shaky.
"I'm not even mentioning the fact that one of my best friends, my sister, is probably agonizing in the middle of a field, if not worse..."
"You can't think like that. She's tough, I'm sure she's alright."
James stopped walking, grabbing Michael's arm. Joseph kept walking and climbed up on the cart, taking the reins, leaving the two friends a moment alone.
"It's a bloody war! Wake up!" James snapped, tears flowing down his face now. "We're killing people! We're not supposed to be killing people!"
"But if we don't kill them, they'll kill us, James."
The Englishman ran a trembling hand through is hair, sniffing loudly.
"I know what you're feeling, I'm feeling just the same," Michael told him softly. "But we have to do it. Because if we don't, we'll die. And my Country will never be born."
James sighed.
"Now, let's go to Lexington, right?" Michael went on. "I'm sure Sarah will be waiting for us, already taking care of the wounded."
James nodded, sweeping the tears off his face.
"You're right. I'm sorry."
Michael wrapped his arm around his friend's shoulders.
"Don't be. I'm feeling just the same."
James jumped into the cart, struggling to swallow back the lump in his throat.
Though he kept repeating to himself that Michael was right, that surely Sarah was alright, the pain in his chest was telling him that is was just a lie.
They finally arrived into Lexington. At first, everyone was fleeing before them, the after effect of the battle that had shaken the little community. Finally, one of their men recognized them, and hurried towards the cart, limping.
"Joshua!" Michael called for him, recognizing the young man as well. "Where is everyone?"
"Gone follow the Red Coats," he said as the three men were dismounting. "For those who could follow. The wounded are in the church."
They started to walk towards the wooden church.
"Where are Kelly and Sarah? Are they alright?" James asked urgently.
Joshua struggled to swallow, throwing them a cautious look.
"Well... Mr. Kelly was wounded. He took a bullet in his arm, and another in his leg. We found him, knocked out, under a pile of corpses. The British killed all the other wounded on the field, he was lucky, they must have missed him as they were walking around."
"And Sarah? What about Sarah?" Joseph pressed him.
"I don't know."
They frowned.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Michael asked him.
Joshua took a deep breath, before diving.
"The Red Coats captured her. I didn't see it myself, but several men saw her running from the field towards the woods, and being shot. Then, she was carried away. I don't know what they've done with her."
Michael closed his eyes, bending, his hands on his knees. This was a nightmare, it had to be, and he wanted to wake up, now...
He started when Joseph rested his palm upon his shoulder.
"If they took her away, it means that she's still alive. She would be of no use to them if she was dead."
Michael stood straighter again, and nodded at Warren. He was pale as sheets, and was shaking, but he couldn't help it.
"You're right."
"I have to take care of the wounded," Joseph said.
"We'll help," Michael answered. "Anyway, there's nothing we can do for now."
James nodded without a word, his head low, hiding the tears wetting his cheeks. He had felt it...
Kelly was awake. Joseph healed his wounds as well as he could under the circumstances, and despite their fear for Sarah, they were all three relieved to see Kelly. Warren was reassuring, and thought that he would be alright, with a bit of time.
"She saved my life," Kelly told his three friends, tears shining in his eyes.
He sniffed, fighting back his tears. James had never seen him cry, and it was the less reassuring sight in the world.
"She found me, wounded, when the Red Coats ran after the rest of us who were trying to run away. She knocked me out, probably because I was moaning. When I woke up, I was here. Joshua told me they had found me hidden under a pile of corpses, well, no wonder how I ended up there..."
He looked up at Michael and James.
"I didn't see anything."
Michael nodded slowly, before patting his shoulder.
"We're just glad you're fine Kelly. Besides, risking her life to save yours, it sounds just like her."
"I should have stopped her when she insisted on fighting with us..."
"You know how she is," James smiled sadly. "There's no more stubborn woman on this Earth, in both our periods of time."
They couldn't refrain a smile, though the four men's eyes were glimmering in the light of the falling sun.
"We have to warn the others," Michael spoke again.
"I've already sent two men at Concord. Surely they'll find a way to warn Paul," Kelly told them.
"We have to warn Sam and Hancock as well," Warren said. "I'll stay here with Kelly, and do my best with the wounded. You should go find them with Joshua, as he knows what happened."
They nodded, and James and Michael walked back towards the door. Kelly locked his gaze on the ground.
"It's not your fault," Joseph told him kindly, reading his mind.
"Of course it is," Kelly replied. "I should have been more... firm with her. I should have forbade her to come."
"If she wanted to fight, she would have fought whatever you may have told her, and you know it."
Kelly shook his head slowly.
"I should have protected her..."
He looked up at Joseph.
"What will happen to her now?"
Yuri hurried towards Hancock's mansion. He had just heard about his former colleague, and God only knew what Gage would do to her... He let the soldier guide him towards the General's office.
"Ah... Dr. Einbrecher, what may I do for you?" Gage asked in his usual cold tone.
"I've heard your men have captured Sarah Hugo," Yuri said cautiously.
"Yes, they have indeed. She was trying to flee after having savagely attacked my men..."
"I was wondering what you were planning to do with her."
Gage intensely looked at him, his grey eyes piercing Yuri to his very soul.
"And why would it be any concern of yours?" Gage slowly asked him.
"Well, I know her quite well. Though we didn't agree on many things, she still remains my colleague. I was merely wondering what would be happening to her now, nothing more."
Gage leaned back in his chair, still staring at Yuri. There was more to it, and the military man knew it. It was a good thing, that the scientist cared about her. It would only be more efficient when Gage would make an example out of her...
"Before I answer your question, I would like to thank you for your help," the General said. "Though my men have failed in achieving their mission, your information were undoubtedly correct. I wish my officers had listened to you more closely, therefore they may have not made fools of themselves."
"You know you can count on me, and on my two colleagues as well."
"I have realized that, doctor. And I shall remember it."
He tapped his fingertips upon his desk, and soon Yuri was annoyed, to say the least, but his face remained blank anyway.
"To answer your question... I will talk to her, try to reason her. But I doubt that she will be of any help for us," Gage answered in his slow and low voice. "And I reckon that the people of Boston need a little... reminder of whom is in command in this City. And of what would happen to any traitor to our King."
He leaned forward towards Yuri.
"I will make an example out of her, but not only. She is of great strategic value as well."
Yuri struggled to swallow.
"What do you mean?"
"I will punish her for her crimes against the British Crown, but I will also use her to reach a bigger fish..."
His Adam's apple trembled, and the ghost of a cruel smirk appeared on his lips.
"She will do a marvellous bait indeed..."
She had no idea where she was. She had woken up here, in this dark and moist room. The sound of droplets of water regularly falling on the ground in a thud was driving her mad. She couldn't see anything. There were no windows, the door was made of wood and let no light come in from the outside. Several times, something had touched her feet. She had guessed it was rats, but she couldn't be sure, and would rather not know anyway. She was still awfully weak. She had lost the count of time long ago now, but she felt like she had been there for days already. Her throat and her mouth were dry with thirst, and her stomach was made painful by hunger. She had finally stopped bleeding, but her side was still sore, and it felt like a dagger was piercing her flesh every time she tried to move. She felt so weak... She was permanently falling in and out of slumber. And again, and again, the same thoughts were swirling like a whirlwind in her messy mind.
The fire, the smoke, the smell of gunpowder, the shouts, the blood, the men falling, the blood, Kelly moaning, the blood, the blood, the blood everywhere...
And every time her heart skipped a beat, fear tightening her throat and wetting her eyes.
...Sam...
Suddenly, she heard footsteps in front of the door. It was the first time she heard anything since she had woken up, except for the torturing sound of the falling water. It was boots... military boots, she could recognize the sound...
A few whispers, and then the door opened.
She was completely blinded by the light of the sun. She couldn't see anything but white, white everywhere after this ocean of shadows... She blinked, and finally managed to distinguish something red...
Red Coats...
Two soldiers came inside, and dragged her out of the cell. She was too weak to resist, too weak to realise where they were carrying her. She blacked out again for a moment, and when she opened her eyes once more, she was being dragged in a street. She could feel the irregular paving stones hurting her numb legs. She looked up, and saw people staring at her. She recognized the house before which they were passing. They were heading towards the square.
In the middle of the square, there was the large pillar that had been used to attach the man who had been flogged. Sarah closed her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek, bending down her head again.
So that was it then... She was going to die like this...
The soldiers carried her through the crowd that had been gathered in the square, in a similar manner than they had done the last time they had made an example out of a poor soul.
Now, it was her turn.
They attached her to the wooden pillar, and left her there, hanging by the wrists, too tired to stand on her feet, her brow resting against the wood heated up by the morning sun in her back.
The sound of boots slamming against the cobblestones echoed next to her. She looked up, resting her cheek on her upper arm to keep her head high enough to see who was walking towards her. It was Major Pitcairn. He was limping, but his face was stern, and the look he threw at her was full of disdain. She merely glowered at him in response.
Pitcairn pointed down at her, open-palmed, his attention back on the crowd around them.
"This woman here, is a traitor," he said loudly, his voice clear, and piercing the dense atmosphere.
There was a whisper across the crowd, and they were all looking at her with a scared expression. But Sarah knew why they were afraid, and it wasn't because she was accused to be a traitor. They were afraid of what would happen to her, once Pitcairn's speech would be over. And she had to admit that she felt just as terrified as them.
"This woman is a traitor to our King," Pitcairn said again. "She has fired upon, and killed British Marines. And for these acts, she should be condemned to death..."
She closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her ears. That was it, it was the end...
"But..."
She opened her eyes again, furrowing her brow.
"...General Gage have first a message to send to another traitor."
There was a deafening silence, broken by the sound of boots against the pavement. General Gage looked down at her as he walked next to her, and she saw only disgust in his stormy eyes.
"I am sure some of you will find a way to contact Samuel Adams," Gage said loudly, his voice slow, as usual. "I wish you to deliver a message to him for me. He has five days to turn himself in. He must present himself to me or one of my men, here, upon this very square, unarmed, and alone. If he does so, I shall be merciful and let this... traitor go."
He walked around the wooden pillar, facing the other side of the square, his hands in his back, standing very straight.
"If, however, he decides to remain hidden, I will personally see that the law of the Crown shall be applied on this woman. And I will use this occasion to remind to all of you what is the cost for treachery under the reign of our King."
He walked around Sarah again.
"My offer is very simple. If Samuel Adams turns himself in, in less than five days, I will let her live. If he does not, and hides like the coward he is, well then... I shall kill her myself. As long as Samuel Adams has not surrendered to the justice of the Crown, and her reprieve has not yet ended, she shall remain here, under the eyes of the people of Boston. And may her fate be an example for all of you. Anyone caught talking to the prisoner, or giving her any type of food or beverage will be considered a traitor, and will be shot on sight."
There was a loud whisper in the crowd all around the square.
General Gage looked down at Sarah once more, and she stared right back into his cruel eyes.
"But I would tell Adams to hurry, if I were you," Gage went on, a cruel smirk on his face. "His friend does not seem very well after all. She might not last five days."
He turned around and walked away. The crowd was soon dissipated as well, and Sarah was left alone, in chains, hanging at the wooden pillar under the shivering sun of April, her side painful at every breath. She looked up at the blue sky of the early morning.
...Sam...
Sam was pacing frantically throughout the living room. It was dawn now, and he and Hancock still had not had any news from Lexington nor Concord. His cousin was sitting in a chair next to Hancock, both of them staring into the void of the rising sun. Outside, red rays of light were chasing away the last crawling shadows of the night. Abigail Adams entered the room, her face tired as well. None of them had slept that night.
"Do any of you would like to drink or eat something?" she asked them kindly.
Sam didn't even answer, and the two other men merely shook their heads. She sat next to her husband, and he took slowly her hand in his, in a reassuring gesture.
Suddenly, there was the sound of hooves coming towards the house.
Sam hurried towards the window, and ran out of his cousin's house to meet the riders as he recognized James and Michael. Soon, he was joined by the others.
"What happened?" he asked urgently.
The dark look of the scientists froze his heart.
"What happened?" he asked again.
"Let's get inside," James answered.
They led their horses inside the barn, before walking towards John Adams' house again, sitting down. Abigail prepared some coffee and bread for them, but none of the three riders ate nor drank anything.
"So, what happened?" Hancock desperately asked.
Michael gave Joshua a nod, and the boy told them about Lexington.
"We went out on the field as soon as we heard Mr. Revere call. Then, we met the Red Coats. We fought, but we were too few. They chased us till Lexington."
"How many men did we lose?" asked Sam.
"I don't know for sure, as I left while doctor Warren was still taking care of the wounded. But when I left, twelve men were dead, five more dying."
Abigail covered her mouth with her hand, and John took her free hand in his again.
"What about Concord?" asked Hancock.
"We defended the farm with Paul. The British were on the run when we left. Apparently, our men followed them to Boston. They retreated inside the City during the night," Michael answered. "We kept all the ammunitions, but the farm is not safe anymore. We'll have to move, to keep pressure on the City."
"What about Kelly and Sarah? Have you heard of them?" Sam asked, looking down at his feet.
He couldn't control the shakiness in his voice.
Michael and James exchanged a look.
"Kelly has been wounded at Lexington," James answered. "He was shot in the arm and the leg. But we left Joseph with him, and he said he would be alright."
Sam looked up at him, as James was not pursuing.
"And Sarah?"
James shook his head, unable to speak, fleeing Sam's piercing gaze.
"She was taken prisoner by the Red Coats," Michael said slowly.
There was a deafening silence, and for a moment the world was completely still. It was like time had been stopped, freezing the scene there, after the terrible revelation.
Sam could barely breathe, staring at Michael, his eyes wide. This couldn't be...
"She saved Kelly, and was shot as she was apparently dragging attention away from the battlefield, probably to avoid the soldiers to find Kelly," Michael went on. "Apparently, they've taken her to Boston. We don't know anything more for now."
Sam couldn't move. He vaguely heard his cousin calling for him, but he couldn't listen.
Gage had her. Gage had Sarah...
He started as John Adams touched his shoulder.
"Sam?" he asked him, his eyes wet with tears.
Sam looked at Hancock, who was looking questioningly at him as well, his eyes shining too. But Sam couldn't listen, not now...
"We have to get her back," he said slowly, his voice hoarse, his jaws clenched.
John propped up an eyebrow.
"How?"
Sam shrugged.
"I don't know, but we must do something. We must act before Gage..."
His voice broke. He couldn't form the words on his tongue, their meaning was too terrible. He shook his head angrily.
"We have to get her back..."
"And how are you planning to do it?" John asked him. "We can't simply walk into Boston, and take her out of there."
"None of this should have happened anyway," Sam said through gritted teeth."Why didn't you warn us?"
"We're not the only ones who know what is going to happen, remember?" Michael replied, his tone angrier as well. "And there are many things that we cannot prevent to happen, for many reasons. I thought we had agreed on this point."
Sam closed his eyes, looking down at his knees again.
"Of course..."
"What do we do then?" Hancock asked. "I agree to the fact that we cannot merely enter the City, but we cannot remain here either when Sarah is about to be killed."
"We have to learn where she is first, and then make her escape," Sam said.
"But you three remain here. We won't take any risks," James said firmly.
The sound of hooves broke the silence again, and John went to open the door, as James had recognised Amos by the window.
"What news?" Michael asked.
"Gage has Sarah," Amos answered, his eyes wider than usual.
"We know," James answered.
But Amos shook his head.
"He has a message for you, Sam."
Sam frowned, listening closely, his heart racing.
"He has attached her in the square, at the pillar where he had flogged the other man a few months ago," Amos went on, his voice hoarse. "He says he gives you five days to turn yourself in. If you surrender, he'll let her go. If you don't..."
He didn't have to finish his sentence for everyone in the room to shudder.
Sam clenched his jaws, his fists tightly closed as well. He had to go.
"I'll turn myself in then," he stated.
"You can't do this," Michael protested.
"I won't just... wait here," he said through gritted teeth.
He stood up, and walked towards the door. But James held him back.
"So what's your plan?" he asked him, his voice angry. "Ride to Boston, and get killed like an idiot, that's it?"
Sam stared back at him. But James tightened his grip on his arm when Sam tried to free himself from his grasp. The Englishman looked at him to his soul.
"She did it for you."
Sam blinked, fighting back his tears, but remained silent.
"She fought so that you and Hancock could safely get out of Lexington," James told him. "If you go there, and you get killed, she will have done all this for nothing! We will have all done all this for nothing!"
James shook his head, crying by now.
"I've shot people yesterday. I have dedicated my life to work to help people, to find ways to improve their lives, to protect them. I've come here to make sure that no one would be hurt on our behalf, and now I've shot people!"
He clenched his jaws.
"And Sarah took a bullet for you. She's held prisoner because she sacrificed herself for you. Now, I'm not going to let you throw your life away in one of your suicidal impulse, not when my best friend will probably die to make sure that you would live. So now, you stop acting like a moron, and you put back your arse on this chair!"
Sam let James drag him back to the table, but he didn't let him make him sit back. Michael leaned towards Sam, and spoke in a calmer tone than his friend.
"You have to understand, that we can't let you die. Our lives are expendable, not yours. If you die, it's all over. You're the soul of this whole thing. Without you, it all stops."
Sam nodded slowly.
"We have to do something," he merely replied.
"She was wounded," Amos added. "Whatever we do, we must do it fast."
Sam shook his head again, and headed upstairs before anyone could stop him. He opened the door of his bedroom, pacing, before letting himself fall upon his bed, crumbling. He rested his brow in his palms, tears flowing down upon his cheeks.
He couldn't lose her... He couldn't live all this all over again...
He started as he heard the sound of footsteps before the door, and only noticed then that he had left it opened. Hancock was standing on the threshold. He entered the room and sat next to Sam. He was crying as well.
"Do you remember when we left for Lexington?" Hancock asked him softly. "Sarah would leave one day after us, she was so scared for us to travel by night alone on the roads..."
Hancock's voice was hoarse and shaky, and he looked down at his knees, but he kept talking anyway. He was holding a little letter, still sealed, in his trembling hands.
"She made me swear to do whatever was necessary to keep both of us alive. She knew you would act like the reckless, stubborn idiot you are sometimes, and so she made me promise that I would convince you to save your life, and not hers."
He looked at Sam in the eyes, both of them crying, but none of them felt ashamed.
"And I promised. I gave her my word. And if there is one thing that I would do anything for, it is to keep this promise I have made to her. And now more than ever."
He looked down at the letter in his hands again.
"We cannot act harshly, but it does not mean that we cannot act at all, Sam."
He handed him the letter.
"She asked me to give you this if something happened to her. I guess that being shot and taken prisoner by Gage fits into this category."
He patted Sam on the shoulder, before walking out of the room, closing the door behind him. Upon the sealed paper, Sam's name was gracefully written, and he recognised Sarah's writing in a second.
Sam opened quickly the envelop, and his heart stopped as he read several times her words. He was shaken by a sob, and buried his head in his hands again. After a while he finally calmed down, and started to think. He suddenly lifted up his head, staring at the blank wall before him.
Maybe he couldn't merely turn himself in, but he couldn't do nothing either. And it was the only way to save her...
And God knew he would have done anything to save her...
He quickly rose from the bed, his cheeks dry, his face determined again, and headed back downstairs.
He couldn't just stay there and do nothing.
On the bed, the short note remained there, over the soft covers, the three little words, traced in Sarah's graceful handwriting in dark ink glimmering in a ray of sunshine.
I love you.