January 1778
It had been a week since New Year's. Abe was due back any day from York City. The weather was warmer than usual, and the snow had already begun to thaw. It looked like it was going to be an early Spring. It was morning, and Molly was taking a walk by the coast. MacInnis followed behind her lazily. He had been ordered to stop following her. This morning, he was accompanying her because he wanted to.
Although she still felt guilt for acquainting herself with him, the truth was, Molly had grown rather fond of MacInnis. If things were different, she imagined that they would have formed an attachment quickly. He reminded her of Caleb in a lot of ways, but MacInnis was more flirtatious where Caleb was simply playful.
Molly was still having doubts about her relationship with Ben. She had not heard from him in so long, and Anna's harsh words had stayed with her. Perhaps she was being foolish? The more time she spent with MacInnis, the more she thought about that. If things were different, she wouldn't mind becoming involved with a man like him. But, of course, that was if things were different.
After MacInnis revealed that he was no longer being ordered to follow her, Molly had relaxed considerably. She didn't even bat an eye when he would visit her at the tavern in the evenings. He would stay until closing. When the night became slow, she would sit with him and they would play cards. Their conversations were far more detailed than she would have liked, but at the same time, she didn't mind.
After Simcoe had teased her about her adolescence, it seemed that MacInnis had been making enquiries about her as well.
"You were really engaged to a rebel officer?" he asked one evening.
Molly rolled her eyes, "He wasn't an officer then. That was before the war."
Sometimes, their conversations took strange turns. She began to question if he was attempting to court her.
"Why aren't you married? Surely you aren't soft for your past engagement?" he teased.
She told him the truth, "There's a war going on you know. I'm not anxious to be a widow."
He was not the first person to ask her that question, and he would not be the last.
Despite everything, Molly was still trying, in vain, to discover any information about the King's Army in Philadelphia or in York City.
"I don't see why you've got your sights set on Philadelphia."
She shrugged, "I've always wanted to live in a city."
He bit his lip as a lopsided grin formed on his face, "Maybe I'll take you one day."
Molly hadn't blushed that hard in a long time.
Her friendship with Simcoe and MacInnis and her new associations with all the Rangers put her in a strange position. Whenever she visited Whitehall, she would report to Edmund and Anna about things she had overheard. In a turn of events, instead of reporting to Ben, she found herself becoming a sort of spy for Major Hewlett.
Hewlett was anxious to hear any news of Simcoe's movements. The two men were no longer hiding their distaste for each other. As for Anna, she disapproved of Molly's closeness with the Rangers.
"We're going to get caught. What if Simcoe or one of his men goes through your things when you're out." Anna warned.
Molly agreed, but she was too stubborn to break off her connections and move to Whitehall. She still believed there was valuable information to be gained from associating with the Rangers. She agreed with Anna so much that later that day she went back to the tavern and she threw her codebook into the fireplace. She stood there and watched the pages crinkle and blacken and finally turn to ash. The truth was, she hadn't referred to the codebook in months. She had it all memorized.
The newfound separation between the sister-in-laws was leading to all sorts of new disagreements between each other. Their current quarrel was because Anna didn't approve of Molly's fondness for MacInnis.
"He's dangerous, Molly."
"Aye, and as is Edmund. He fancies you. Do not pretend that you are oblivious to that fact."
Anna knew it to be true. Both Anna and Molly were leading on men for information, and both of them had begun to form attachments to the men. They knew how dangerous that could be, yet they didn't make any attempts to discourage the men.
That morning, during their walk, Molly and MacInnis turned at the sound of someone running. It was Cicero. He was coming from the direction of the church, and he was out of breath.
"Ms. Molly, there's been an accident."
A crowd was beginning to form. The townspeople stood in one group, and Rangers in another, and Hewlett and his men in another. Molly and Anna and Cicero all stood beside each other. Although it had been nearly a year since the trial against Reverend Tallmadge and the other Patriot sympathizers, Hewlett had decided to leave the gallows standing on the hill of the church. It was supposed to be practical. But now there was a redcoat hanging from those same gallows. It was Ensign Norwich. Molly knew him from the tavern.
Although the groups were separate, they were close enough to hear one another speak. A soldier stepped beside Hewlett and handed him a piece of paper.
"Sir, it looks like a suicide note."
Hewlett raised his voice, "Did anyone see Ensign Norwich last night?"
Captain Wakefield replied, "I saw him in the tavern at suppertime, sir. He had sentry duty last night in front of the garrison."
"No one saw him saddle a horse, throw a rope over the gallows and attach himself to it not thirty feet from where you lay snoring in your tents?" Hewlett snapped. He was furious, and Molly could understand why. One of his soldiers had surely been murdered.
The soldier shrugged, "It was a dark night, sir."
"A dark night breeds dark thoughts." Simcoe cut in.
Those words sent shiver up Molly's spine.
He continued, "As I recall, the poor man always did suffer from a melancholic temperament."
The Rangers began chuckling in agreement. Molly watched MacInnis from where he was with his fellow Rangers.
"You do not seem much surprised or for that matter disturbed, Captain." Hewlett observed.
Simcoe shrugged, "Oh, but I am. Disturbed. I just hope his despair isn't contagious. There's so few of you as it is. My condolences, Major."
He had a gesture and his men began to follow him away from the gallows. The crowd of townspeople began to disperse, but Molly and Anna remained where they stood. They watched as a few of Hewlett's men began to cut down Ensign Norwich from the gallows. After a few minutes, Hewlett found an excuse to walk over to them.
"Was is Simcoe?" Anna whispered.
They were all thinking it. They had been expecting something, but nothing like this. Molly told them what Simcoe had said to her at Christmas.
It will do you good to be my ally in the coming weeks.
"It surely must be." Hewlett sighed.
"What do we do?" Molly asked.
"Let me worry about that. But, perhaps, this could be that excuse you've been searching for, to move to Whitehall."
They watched as the redcoats carried Ensign Norwich's body up to the church.
Later that day, Molly was in the tavern cellar doing inventory. She had her back turned towards the door, and she was whispering as she counted, trying to keep track of where she was.
"Twenty-eight." She sighed, mentally making a note. She turned around to begin on the next set of crates, but instead she found herself jumping and gasping in surprise. Captain Simcoe was standing behind her.
"John!" she put a hand to her chest, "Sorry. You scared me."
He seemed to always be sneaking up on her. She was certain he did it on purpose. Since their conversation during Christmas, it appeared that Simcoe's faith in Molly had been restored. He had decided to continue their friendship.
"I'm sorry you had to see that today, at the church." He said. He was still standing very close to her.
"W-Was that you?" she asked.
He didn't answer her question. Instead he took her hand and brief held it.
"It's probably best if you remain near my men during this time. Until all of this passes-"
She pulled her hand out of his grip, and any appearance of complacency faded from his face.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
Molly had not heard from Ben since before Christmas. She didn't consider the letter salvaged from Caleb to be from him. She was not sorry though. It would be too much, trying to hide his letters and trying to sneak letters to Anna to get to the dead drop, with the increased presence from the Rangers and from her acquaintance with Hewlett.
She felt cutoff from everything just like before. All of her news came from the loyalists and the redcoats. For example, right after the New Year, the King's Army abandoned Philadelphia. They decided it made more sense, strategically, to rally their forces and protect New York. New York was the heart of everything: population, trade, influence.
With the city abandoned of redcoats, the rebels quickly flooded back into the city. Molly was unsure if Ben or Caleb had been involved in the reoccupation. She didn't know where they were, what they were doing, or anything.
A few days after the redcoat was discovered hanged, Anna came into the tavern when she was not working. Molly was in the middle of pouring Akinbode a drink.
"Anna?" Molly asked. She worried that something might be wrong.
"Ms. Anna!" Cicero greeted.
Anna smiled at them.
"Cicero. How are you? Are you all right?"
He nodded.
"I, uh... I have news. Your mother's employer, Major André, wants you to join them in New York."
Major Andre was an English military officers. Abigail had been serving as his maid since Strong Manor was seized a year ago. Molly, Cicero, and Akinbode all perked up at that news. Before any of them could response, Anna turned to Akinbode
"It's so good to see you, Jordan-"
"Akinbode." He snapped. "I ain't your slave no more, so don't call me by my slave name."
Akinbode didn't hold a grudge against Molly. Unlike Molly, Anna had owned the slaves, and she had treated them as such.
Cicero waved off his friend, "She didn't mean anything by it, Jordan. I mean, A... Akin..."
Everyone struggled with the pronunciation.
"Akinbode." He chuckled, "It's all right, boy. It's all right."
"Akinbode." Anna repeated, "I'm sorry if I offended you… I realize I have no right to presume a friendship between us, but I need to ask a favor from you. Cicero has the chance to be with his mother, but Major Hewlett can't spare any soldiers to take him to New York. So I thought..."
Akinbode slammed down his mug, making ale splash over the sides, "You see this?" He motioned towards his uniform. "You see this, hmm? Captain Simcoe can't spare me neither. Counts on me to keep the men in line."
Anna fiddled with her skirts out of nervousness, "Could you at least ask him? There's no one else I'd trust with Cicero's safety. And I'm sure his mother would be very grateful as well."
Cicero laughed, "That's right. And you like her, too, Jordan. I mean, Akin... Akinbo..."
Akinbode shrugged, "He's gonna say no. But I'll try."
Anna smiled, "That's all I ask. Thank you."
Cicero walked over to talk to Akinbode, and Anna pulled Molly to the side so they could talk.
"How's Abigail?" Molly inquired, smiling.
They hadn't heard from her in months.
"The Major didn't say, but I suppose she must be fairing well for him to invite Cicero to live with them." A beat. "Molly, Mary heard word. Abraham's to arrive tomorrow."
Molly laughed aloud and hugged her sister-in-law, "That's great!"
She would make sure to be at Whitehall tomorrow. He three of them, Abe, Anna, and Molly, needed to regroup. Molly was certain Abe would be bringing some kind of information for the dead drop. He had been in York City for nearly two months.
Molly still had her own concerns about Abe's return – mainly about whether he would be willing to continue his espionage. However, she pushed those thoughts aside for now. Abe was back; things were going to go back to the way it was, before his arrest. If only Molly knew how wrong she was…
Molly left Cicero at the tavern to work by himself.
"I promise, I'll be back before the evening rush." She promised.
"Don't feel the need to rush. I can manage by my lonesome." He smiled, "Tell Mr. Abraham 'hello' for me."
Molly promised she would and then she set out to find MacInnis. He was by the dock, talking with one of the other Rangers. He smiled when he saw her approaching her.
"I suppose you'll be escorting me to Whitehall?" she asked.
His smile faded, "Afraid not. I have orders from Captain Simcoe."
"Oh." She could not hide her disappointment. "Alright."
She didn't allow him to say anything more. She quickly turned away, embarrassed by her excitement. She asked one of the redcoats to escort her, and she hopped in a carriage bound for Whitehall.
Everyone was anxious when she arrived at Whitehall. Fortunately, they did not have to wait long. Within the next two hours, one of the redcoats in sentry duty peeked his head inside the house.
"He's here, sir!" he called.
All of them, Judge Woodhull, Mary, Thomas, Edmund, Anna, and Molly piled out of the house. Molly wanted to laugh aloud with excitement when she caught sight of Abe. It was him! And he appeared unharmed.
He was riding on a horse towards Whitehall. Beside him rode Captain Simcoe, and behind them rode one of Simcoe's Rangers, Lieutenant Tanner, and behind him rode Hewlett's man, Captain Eastin, and two other redcoats, and beside the redcoats was MacInnis, walking. Molly could tell there was tension between the combined redcoats and Rangers.
"Here he is. The prodigal returns safely to the bosom of his family." Simcoe announced.
Molly was too relieved to allow Simcoe's presence to spoil the moment.
Mary and Thomas rushed off the porch to meet Abe as he dismounted his horse. He embraced both of them, and they were soon crying. Molly suddenly felt out of place. Perhaps she should've waited to reunite with him.
She was still on the porch, beside Edmund and Anna. She noticed Anna step forward, meaning to go and greet him. But Edmund reached out and grabbed her hand, causing her to remain where she stood. He was holding her back. Molly looked at their intertwined hands for a moment. Then she looked at Edmund. That simple gesture made her feel a heaviness in her chest. In that moment, she felt an overpowering fondness for the Major. He was not only a fine ally, but he was a good man.
Molly ended up staying until nightfall. She got her chance to greet Abe and welcome him home. She made pleasant conversation with everyone present, except of course for Judge Woodhull, who only settled for awkward conversation when it came to Molly and Anna. He still didn't like the Strong women.
Molly had no idea when she would get a chance to speak to Abe about the spy ring. She didn't get a chance that evening, and she could only hope that Anna would pass on the information regarding her current situation with the Rangers. She decided not to take the carriage into town. She could use some peace and quiet after the reunion. So, she walked, watching her breath turn to steam in the winter air as she headed into town.
The next day, when Anna came in for her shift, Molly managed to corner her in the room storage room behind the bar.
"How is he?" Molly asked.
Since seeing Abe again, she was beginning to think the worst.
She feared perhaps Abe would consider ending his involvement in the ring. But if he did that, that would mean the end of Molly and Anna's involvement. Rumors heard at the tavern only served as supplementary information. They were all aware that Abe's trips to York City were what Washington was truly interested in.
"He's well." Anna did not continue.
"Well? What does that mean?"
"I don't know. I haven't gotten a chance to speak with him in private. He did manage to send me a message. We're to meet at his root cellar tonight… If he decides to go to the dead drop, do you have any messages to send?"
Molly shook her head. There really wasn't anything to report.
No matter how much she tried to inquire about the Rangers time in Philadelphia, nothing seemed mentionable to discuss. All she had done for the last month was learn more personal facts about men like Simcoe and MacInnis than she initially wanted to.
She suddenly had a thought, "Has Akinbode given you his answer?" About escorting Cicero to York City.
"No, not yet. He told Cicero he would ask Simcoe in the next couple of days."
Molly would be sad to see Cicero go. She always enjoyed the boy's company. But there was Abigail to think about. She had already risked her life to send Anna those messages. It seemed fitting for this to be the last they would hear from her. At least she and her son would be reunited.
That night, Molly accompanied MacInnis for part of his sentry duty. He was to make rounds around the town, looking for any suspicious activity. Their meeting was brief though. They had hardly begun conversing when a Ranger rode up to them on a horse. It was Lieutenant Tanner. Molly knew him from the tavern.
"MacInnis, come quick!" he demanded.
"What's happening?"
Tanner smirked, "It seems Captain Simcoe was right."
What did that mean? She thought. MacInnis quickly excused himself and hurried after his comrade. Molly continued standing there, watching them depart. Something wasn't quite right. In all the weeks since Hewlett's return, MacInnis had never been ushered away by any of his comrades. She was also trying to think of what Simcoe could've been right about.
She only stood there for a few seconds. She thought and thought. All she could remember was seeing Simcoe, MacInnis, and Tanner as part of the party that guided Abe to Whitehall. It wasn't anything…
No. Molly's face had fallen slack. It couldn't be. But a part of her suspected that her hunch might be right. She quickly looked around to confirm that she was alone, and not being followed by anyone. It appeared that she was safe. And then she did something that she knew was foolish: she decided to follow MacInnis and Tanner.
They were already far ahead of her. Tanner had abandoned his horse and he and MacInnis were continuing on foot on the path that led out of town. Half suspicious, half curious, Molly decided to follow them for a bit. After several minutes of this, she realized that they were traveling in the direction of Whitehall.
She quickly became aware that they were the only three on the path at that time of night. As soon as she was close enough to the woods along the edge of the trail, she stepped off the path and into the underbrush. It was less convenient, but at least she didn't have to worry about being spotted.
She followed them for close to a half hour. She was beginning to doubt herself again. It's probably nothing. She told herself, I'm probably… She winced as one of the tree branches got tangled in her hair. She swore and quickly yanked herself free. She blew the loose hairs that had fallen in her eyes and crept to the edge of the underbrush.
She knew she had made a mistake. If they were truly bound for Whitehall, it would be a pain for Molly to follow them. There was a considerable break in the trees along the path. It meant she would have to walk all along the perimeter of the remains of Abe's farm. There was no way she would be able to keep up with them – who were literally walking straight through the open field. She was beginning to reassess her entire decision when MacInnis and Tanner abruptly changed direction.
She watched them warily. They were approaching the charred remains of Abe's farmhouse. What are they doing? They stopped next to the entrance to the root cellar. Both men stooped down and it looked as if they were pressing their heads against the doors to the root cellar. It was like they were listening to something.
Oh no. No. Molly prayed she was wrong. After a few minutes, a gasp escaped her mouth. The Rangers rose to their feet and opened the doors to the cellar, they then descended the steps. Maybe Anna and Abe aren't down there yet. Anna didn't say when they would meet.
But these thoughts all proved to be futile. Just as quickly as the men went into the root cellar, they came out again, this time dragging Anna and Abraham with them.
She didn't have a weapon. She didn't have a horse. She didn't any way of contacting anyone for help. She was on her own. But if she didn't try to do something, it was all over. Everything would have been for nothing.
She watched MacInnis and Tanner holding their pistols to Abe and Anna's backs. They were having Abe and Anna lead them somewhere. Molly was practically tripping over herself trying to keep up with them. She quietly swore under her breath. Although she knew the woods, her dress kept getting tangled in some kind of underbrush every few minutes.
Eventually, she realized where they were going. They were walking in the direction of the dead drop, where Caleb landed his boat along the short. With that in mind, Molly altered her path and walked around their intended destination. She stumbled over rocks and fallen branches until she finally found a spot where she could observe what was happening. She swallowed and tried to steady her breathing, but, at the same time, she was panicking.
Please don't be here, please don't be here.
Molly whispered a curse. She could see Caleb's boat down by the water. She scanned the trees and quickly caught sight of Caleb. He was hiding behind one of the trees. Like her, he was also watching Abe and Anna as they were forced to lead Tanner and…
Molly did a doubletake. It was just Tanner following behind them now. Where is…?
The sound of a struggle ripped her attention back to where Caleb had been standing. MacInnis loomed over her friend. They knew about Caleb beforehand, because MacInnis had snuck around the bay to ambush him. He had hit him with the butt of his pistol, and Caleb now lay on the ground unconscious. MacInnis retrieved rope from his satchel and stooped over Caleb. He hog-tied him.
Molly cursed once more. This was just great. They were surely going to go for reinforcements, and then that would be the end of everything, of all of them. She could tell that MacInnis and Tanner were saying something, but she couldn't hear them. She was too far removed in her hiding spot. She began to creep closer. She winced as the low-hanging branches continued to tug at her.
As she moved, she remained aware of the action taking place. Abe tried to step forward to say something, but MacInnis stepped forward and beat him over the head. Molly winced as she watched Abe crumple to the ground. MacInnis kept his pistol leveled at Abe's head.
She didn't dare get any closer. She was only about a hundred feet away now. And she could hear the remnants of their conversation.
"No," Anna cried out, "don't hurt him!"
Tanner grabbed her and spun her around so that that they were standing face-to-face.
He was eyeing her up and down, with a rotten grin on his face, "Now... give us a kiss."
Molly's face scrunched up in confusion. Surely, he was not implying what she thought he might be.
Anna made no move to do anything, so Tanner grabbed her roughly by the neck and forced her to kiss him. She could see Anna struggling against him. Then he released her. Molly noticed that MacInnis was grinning. He found the entire thing amusing.
"Take him out." Tanner said next, gesturing towards his crotch.
Anna gave looked hesitantly at Abe, almost confirming that he was still alright.
Molly had seen enough. She was unarmed, the bottom of her dress was torn, and her hair was half loose falling around her face. She rose to her feet and pushed herself towards where they were.
"Stop!" Her voice had not been filled with that much rage since she was a child.
MacInnis and Tanner kept their pistols trained on Abe and Anna, but all of them looked at her in utter shock. Molly stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do now. There really wasn't anything she could do. She knew that when she decided to follow them out here.
"Molly, what are you doing here?" MacInnis spoke up.
"And I would like to ask you the same question."
His expression darkened, "You shouldn't be here."
Abe suddenly blurted out, "Don't hurt her. She has nothing to do with this."
MacInnis hit Abe over the head again and Abe collapsed to the ground once more.
"Shut up!" he demanded.
As soon as those words left his lips, Tanner began screaming in pain. They whipped their heads over to where Anna and Tanner stood. Anna had managed to hide a knife in the folds of her skirts. While Tanner and MacInnis were busy addressing Molly, she had produced the knife and stabbed Tanner in the wasted no time when he saw the opportunity, and he spun around and dove for MacInnis' legs.
While Anna had the upper hand in her fight with Tanner, so Molly rushed forward to free Caleb from his bonds. He was just starting to come back into consciousness when she tugged on the ropes on his wrists.
She yelped out as she felt two hands roughly grab her by the waist. She was thrown onto her back as MacInnis pinned her to the ground.
"What are you doing?" he spat. He still didn't know about Molly's involvement. All he knew was that Molly and Anna were family.
She yelled out profanities and spit in his face, trying to loosen his grip on her. She tried to reach out to land a punch or a kick, but she was restrained by her clothing. Her corset was all of a sudden too tight, and the more she struggled, the more she was becoming tangled in her skirts.
Abe recovered from where he had been bludgeoned by MacInnis and came to Molly's rescue. He wrapped an arm around MacInnis' neck and dragged him off her. In the struggle, MacInnis' satchel was ripped from across his back and the contents spilled over the forest floor. As Molly pushed herself into a sitting position, she cried out in pain. She cut her hand on something. She looked down and recognized a detached bayonet, from MacInnis' bag.
She could hear the men grunting in pain and frustration as they continued to throw punches at one another. They were still on their feet, but that didn't last long. MacInnis was considerably taller than Abe, and he headbutted him, causing Abe to fall to his knees.
She didn't even think twice about it. She scooped up the bayonet and pushed herself to her feet. As soon as MacInnis turned to look back towards he had left Molly, she surged forward and plunged the bayonet into his abdomen. His face contorted in pain and they locked eyes for a moment. Then he collapsed into a heap on the ground. She fell with him, her hand still gripping the handle of the bayonet.
The entire fight had only lasted a couple of minutes. The bayonet had impaled him in the stomach. He was still very much alive, and with a wound like that, it would take him hours to finally die. He was coughing, gurgling on his own blood as it dribbled out of the corner of his mouth.
"Molly." He gasped. He was going into shock. "Molly."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She stammered, horrified as she began to process what she had just done. She began to press a hand to his side, to stop the bleeding.
"Molly." He kept repeating her name, and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.
She felt arms wrap around her shoulders, and she let herself be guided to her feet. It was Abe.
"Are you alright?" he asked, taking Molly's face in his hands.
They were both breathing heavily. She nodded, but then turned her attention back to MacInnis.
She watched as Abe retrieved MacInnis' pistol from where it had fallen during their fight. He pulled back the hammer and began to take aim.
"Wait!" Molly snapped, pushing Abe's arm away.
Before either of them could say more, a gunshot pierced through the night. They both jumped and turned to look at its origin. Anna was standing above Tanner's body. She had Tanner's pistol in her hand, still aimed at Tanner's head, and smoke was beginning to dissipate from around her form. It was too dark to see clearly, but Molly knew Tanner was dead. The Strong women locked eyes for a moment. But Anna did not address what she had just done.
Instead, she shifted her gaze to look at something behind Molly and Abe. It was Caleb. Molly had loosened his restraints enough for him to free himself now. He was on his feet now, trying to compose himself.
"Caleb," Anna said. Her voice sounded distant. She, too, was experiencing shock from what had just transpired. "What happened to your beard?"
"It was ticking the ladies, Annie." Caleb deadpanned. Even in times of danger, he was still lighthearted.
Molly turned to look at her friend. In her panic and in the shadows of the woods. She didn't even notice that Caleb was cleanshaven. She stepped closer to him and put a hand on his chin, almost to prove it to be true. When she moved her hand away, she quietly gasped. Her hand had streaked blood along his face. It was MacInnis' blood.
"Right, you three, in the boat now." Caleb ordered.
"No." Abe protested. He seemed quite level-headed considering what just happened. "You're taking two passengers, but not us." He gestured to MacInnis' body and Tanner's corpse. "You'll row them out, you drop them in the Sound."
"Abe," Anna cut him. "you can't just... Simcoe sent them specifically to track you. If they go missing, you'll be the first suspect."
Abe shook his head, "Unless it looks like someone got to them first. Now it's obvious that the Rangers and the redcoats are at each other's throats."
"You'll just set up a whole war right here in Setauket. There'll be more blood." Anna argued.
"Well, at least it's not ours."
Caleb watched them as they spoke.
"What are you talking about?" he finally asked.
Abe scooped MacInnis' satchel from where it had fallen on the ground. He dug around for a second and then produced MacInnis' flask.
"All right, this'll do." Abe said, holding it high.
Caleb shrugged, "All right. I can help you plant that."
"No," Abe also fished a piece of parchment out of the satchel. "I need you to take this to Ben and Washington now. It's from Townsend. It may mean the war."
Townsend was the man Abe had recruited to spy for them in York City. No one had met him or corresponded with him besides Abe.
"What? Really?" Caleb took the paper and began to look over it.
"Read it on the way. Let's get this cargo in the boat."
Abe raised the pistol once more, aiming it at MacInnis, who was still incapacitated on the ground.
"No." Molly snapped, snatching the pistol away from him.
"Come on. Don't be cruel." Abe snapped.
They glared at each other for a moment. Then Molly looked down at MacInnis again. He was moving considerably less than before, and he was lightly coughing, choking on his own blood. Molly knew he was bleeding out. He was dying.
"I'll do it." Molly decided. She thought her voice sounded hollow. And she suddenly felt numb, like she wasn't in control of her body.
She could feel all three of her friends watching her as she stood over MacInnis' body and leveled the pistol with his head.
"Molly," He continued to repeat. His voice was faint. His eyes were closed, and he was just mumbling her name at that point.
Molly had never killed a person before. She had killed animals. When she was a child, her father taught her and Selah to shoot. He took used to take them hunting. Molly had never been a good shot.
In that moment, as the pistol shook in her grip, she thought of Ben.
Ben had always loved horses. The Tallmadges used to own a horse. They had raised him since he was a colt, but he was more Ben's horse than anyone's. Ben had loved that horse. In fact, Ben had taught her how to ride on that horse.
The horse's name was Resolved. But the horse was not simply for riding. He was a working animal. Reverend Tallmadge would use him to plow his small plot of land. Resolved was their only horse, so he was taken into town and used to draw wagons or carriages.
One day, when Samuel and Molly were sixteen and Ben was fourteen, Samuel came to see Molly. He told her that Resolved had gotten hurt while plowing. He mis-stepped and broke a leg.
They all knew what was to be Resolved's fate. Once a horse breaks a leg, there was nothing they could do. The leg would never quite heal right, and the horse would be unable to ride or work. And the horse would most likely be in pain for the rest of his life.
Samuel had volunteered to put the horse down, but Ben insisted that he be the one to kill him. Samuel had doubt in his younger brother, so he asked Molly to come around to help console the boy.
The three of them were gathered in the Tallmadge's barn. The other animals had been moved out, so it was just them and Resolved. Samuel and Molly stood back to watch.
Resolved lay on the ground, unable to stand on his broken leg. Ben stood over his horse. He had had his father's pistol leveled at the horse's head for the past half hour. But he refused to pull the trigger. The boy and the horse continued to stare at each other.
Although he was stood there silently, Molly could see the boy's body wracking with silent sobs.
"You alright there, Benji?" Samuel finally asked.
Ben remained motionless.
"You don't have to do this, you know." Samuel continued. "I'll do it."
Ben shook his head, "No," he gulped, "No, I said I would do it. And I will."
"I don't get it, why do you want to do this?"
Ben hesitated before responding, "Because if you do it, Sam, I'm afraid I'll never forgive you." The pistol was shaking in his hands. His body was still wracking with his silent sobs.
Molly couldn't take it anymore. If he didn't stop soon, she was going to start crying. She stepped forward and gently turned Ben to look at her.
"Hey, it's okay if you can't do this." She said.
"I don't want to be a coward."
She ran a hand through his hair.
"You are not a coward."
"I don't want to hate Sam for killing him."
Molly gently took the pistol from him. He willingly let it slip from his grip.
"Then hate me."
She abruptly turned and pulled the trigger. The bullet went through Resolved's skull, and the horse slumped forward, blood beginning to pool around his head. His eyes were still open. Molly found herself making eye contact in the split second she pulled the trigger. She remembered the way his eyes had darkened as she killed him.
And now, as she looked down at MacInnis, she realized his eyes looked the same. The pistol was leveled with his head now, the only difference was that she was the one hesitating this time.
"I'm so sorry, Alex." She whispered.
She pulled the trigger.
As the plume of smoke cleared, she could see the damage she had caused. The bullet had gone through his cheek, tearing a hole in the side of his face. He had had such a handsome face. But not now. He laid there unmoving. Blood still trickled from the side of his mouth, but it trickled much slower now. His eyes were still open, they were still glossy with the remnants of life still clinging to him. She knew in a few minutes, that gloss would disappear, and the color would drain from his face, and he would just be another corpse in this war. Lieutenant Alexander MacInnis was dead.
Everything was numb. That feeling hadn't gone away. She didn't notice how long she had been standing there until she heard Caleb's voice.
"Moll?"
She gasped slightly, but she didn't take her eyes off his body. She felt the pistol slip from her fingers and fall to ground with a quiet thud.
"Are you alright?"
His words sounded far away, and she couldn't bring herself to tear her eyes away.
"Moll!"
Caleb grabbed her face and forced her to look at him. She fought him for a second and tried to shove him away, but he grabbed her by bicep and held her in place.
"Stop looking. You'll only make yourself sick."
He was talking from experience, and that's when the thought hit her: Ben and Caleb were soldiers, they had killed people. She tried to imagine her friend killing someone. Then, she tried to imagine Ben killing someone. Ben, who couldn't bare to kill a horse all those years ago. The thought made her stomach churn.
"Come here." Caleb ushered her away from the corpses and to the water, where his boat was. That's when Molly realized that they were all waiting for her. They had already moved Tanner's body into the whaleboat. Abe and Anna were stood nearby, waiting for Molly to move so they could pick up MacInnis' corpse.
Caleb made her kneel down and he began washing her hands in the water. That's when she realized that she still had MacInnis' blood on her hands.
"Caleb?" Her voice suddenly sounded very small to her. "I killed that man." Her voice broke and tears began to stream down her face. Sobs wracked her body as she let him finish cleaning her hands.
He let her dry her hands on the front of his shirt. Then he took her face in his hands, and he tried to wipe the tears off her cheeks. "Aye, you did. But you also saved me and Abe and Annie."
"I liked him." She said quietly.
Caleb said nothing. She gulped loudly. She could feel the bile rising in her throat. She pushed him away and turned, emptying the contents of her stomach on the ground. She dry heaved a couple of times and coughed as she tried to compose herself once more. Caleb rubbed her back and stayed beside her as she was sick. As soon as she was finished, he pulled her into a hug.
"There's still room in the boat for one more." He said.
She gently pulled away from him.
She didn't deny his offer, but she didn't accept it either. Just like when she decided to follow the Rangers, she wasn't sure what she intended to do. Now, she only felt that; she felt uncertain about everything, and she didn't want to make a decision until the numbness that swept over her disappeared. But she was also uncertain when that would happen. She was only certain of one thing: She was never going to be quite the same.
Author's Note: I hope y'all appreciate the fact that I'm over here Google searching "1700s veterinarian practices" to make this fanfic have a little zest.