After a short, two and a half year intermission, we're back for the conclusion of the story (oops - sorry!)

So... Major Dimitri Belikov just abducted Rose with a bag over her head, treated her to an evening of questionable sexy-time then drugged her with morphine. (Trigger warning for drug use & Strigoi-level nastiness in this chapter.) Let's take a deep breath and plunge in...

13. The Enemy

Fort Henry Encampment: 0 miles

Rose woke up feeling afraid, though she couldn't remember why. She tried to roll over, to open her eyes, but nothing happened. It felt like she'd been buried under a great pile of sand and even the slightest movement was an exertion too great to bear. Still struggling to figure out where she was and what had happened to her, Rose panicked at the sound of floorboards creaking nearby. 'Stay back!' she cried out fiercely, though her words came out as barely a mumble.

Soft footsteps crept nearer.

'Don't touch me,' Rose slurred again, willing her eyes to open but failing yet again.

'Time to get up, missus,' a woman announced flatly.

Deputy Belikov somehow managed to open her eyelids a crack and saw the slave she'd met yesterday standing at the foot of her bunk in the cabin. Dimitri's cabin.

'My master says I am to dress you then deliver you to General Gale and Lieutenant Colonel Forrest,' Dinah explained.

Everything from the last twenty-four hours came crashing back to Rose all at once, and her blood ran cold as she realised the truth. Her search for Dimitri was over - she'd found him! But then he'd brought her to Fort Henry by force and drugged her against her will. Instead of everything being better now, it was so much worse. Her husband was a Confederate soldier, a slave master and a stranger, and unless she found a way to bring the real Dimitri back she knew she would never feel safe with him again.

'Master?' Rose mumbled, her feelings of fear and confusion transforming into anger. 'If your master wants me, tell him he can come here and invite me nicely or he can go to hell!' It didn't matter if Dimitri had six bullets in his brain. That didn't give him the right to treat her with such a complete lack of human dignity.

There was a swish of fabric and a shadow cut across the deputy's hazy line of vision. 'You mustn't say things like that here, missus,' the slave hissed in warning, and the next moment Rose felt the blanket disappear from over her legs, followed by someone tugging at the night-shirt around her ankles.

'Hey!' Rose protested more clearly this time, but her feeble attempts to trap the clothing to her body were pointless.

Stronger and more alert, Dinah swatted her mistress' hands out of the way and made quick work of stripping her to the skin. She sponged the white woman down from head to toe with cold water - showing no shock or interest at the signs of sexual activity that still clung to Rose's body - then physically maneuvered her charge one limb at a time until she was fully dressed in the borrowed navy day-dress and seated on a chair by the fireplace. 'Soup, missus. Eat,' the slave held a spoon to Mrs Belikov's mouth.

Rose was still weak and disoriented but she twisted her head away in silent defiance. Dimitri might be able to control where she stayed, when she slept and what she wore, but the choice of whether to eat or not to eat was something Rose alone could decide.

'Please. For your strength,' Dinah appealed, and her strained, husky tone made Rose turn to meet the other woman's gaze.

Dinah's eyes were a darker brown than Rose's or Dimitri's. They held suffering, fear and pity, but underneath all of that was a quiet determination that cut through the deputy's confused, emotional state and woke up a deeper, more logical part of her brain. If Rose ever hoped to be free of this godforsaken place she was going to need all the energy she could get - and right now, that meant soup.

The first few mouthfuls brought a lurching feeling to Rose's stomach - a side effect of the morphine - but by the time the meal was finished she found she had the strength to stand.

'It's a long walk to the General's tent, missus,' Dinah informed her when the beds had been made and the fire in the cabin's hearth was put out. 'You can lean on me.'

Rose had been holding onto the end of the bunk-bed for support, but she found her balance and pulled at the jacket of her plain, woollen dress to straighten it. It didn't matter if her head was still hazy and her stomach was churning like she'd just sailed across the Atlantic. She wasn't going to let Dimitri or General Gale or Forrest or any Confederate soldier in camp see her weak and infirm. She'd survived every blow life had thrown at her in the last few months with her chin held high, and she would survive this too. 'No, thank you, Dinah,' she answered evenly. 'I can walk alone.'

'Why is there a female in my command tent?'

Every officer gathered around the war-table turned to look at the woman who'd just entered, and the bulldogish man who stood at the head of the group fixed Mrs Belikov with a demanding, impatient stare. The commanding officer looked to be in his early fifties - the wreathed stars on his collar, and gold, fringed epaulettes at his shoulders indicating he was a two-star General. His limp hair was slicked forward to hide the balding spot on top of his head, while a thick, downward-sloping moustache and tightly-drawn eyebrows accentuated his already grim expression.

Rose was wondering if she should introduce herself as Deputy Belikov or simply Dimitri's wife, when one of the soldiers paced towards her and grabbed her firmly by the elbow. Major Dimitri Belikov.

Yesterday's reunion with Dimitri had been some of the best and worst hours of Rose's life, and seeing him now only threw her into a deeper state of turmoil. Not even the sight of Dimitri in Confederate uniform - or the memory of his erratic, controlling behaviour - could erase all the things Rose loved about her husband; the strong arms that had carried her over the threshold of their first home together, the broad chest she'd clung to and cried on, and, beneath his cowboy hat, the loose, brown hair she'd run her fingers through a thousand times before.

But as Rose stole a peek at her husband's face, her eyes slid past the scruffy beard to a dark shadow just above the collar of his uniform. She shuddered in horror as she realised that the shadow was actually a cluster of tiny crosses - the tattoos representing Major Belikov's latest kills. There must have been at least fifteen crosses covering that small patch of skin alone. How many lives had he taken since he'd sided with the enemy? How many more would he kill before she could get him away from here?

At that moment Dimitri glanced down at her, and Rose looked away so she didn't have to see that cold, closed-off expression on the face of the man she loved.

'General Gale... my wife,' Major Dimitri Belikov announced curtly, oblivious to the way Rose's body stiffened at his touch. 'You asked to see her.'

The General's eyebrows drew tighter and he leaned forward with his knuckles planted squarely on the table in front of him. 'What's your business at Fort Henry, Mrs Belikov?' he demanded, too busy to bother with genteel manners.

Rose fought through a fresh wave of exhaustion to meet the General's gaze, beginning to see this was more than just a casual interview. 'I came to find my husband,' she explained. 'We were separated due to the war, but I couldn't bear for us to be apart so I left my home and family behind me to be with him.'

'Well that's a very pretty story, ma'am,' General Gale's eyes narrowed, 'but one of my senior officers did some digging this morning and discovered your true identity is Deputy Belikov; a law-woman back in Nevada Territory paid from the purse-strings of the United States Government. What's more, a relative of yours - a Captain Hank Croft - has been sniffing around for information about Major Belikov's whereabouts for weeks, which leads me to two important questions; what does a Yankee captain want with an officer in my army, and why have you suddenly appeared in my camp?' he punctuated the word 'you' by stabbing a finger towards the woman in the tent's doorway. 'Tell me truthfully, Deputy Belikov... are you loyal to your husband and our Confederate cause, or are you, in fact, an enemy spy?'

The accusation sent a rush of fear and anger through Rose's chest, but a voice stopped her before she could make a rash response.

'Easy,' Dimitri cautioned softly, and when Rose looked up at him she was taken aback by the genuine concern that flickered behind his hard expression.

Forcing her attention back to General Gale at the war-table, Deputy Belikov took a slow breath to calm herself then addressed the charge. 'My only reason for coming here is to be reunited with my husband, General. I would never betray him.'

The balding commander studied Rose for a few moments then shook his head. 'Be that as it may, it's possible you plan to be loyal to your husband, but still do everything in your power to jeopardise the success of our Confederate agenda. I cannot allow that to happen.'

'She will be loyal,' Dimitri interrupted with exaggerated calm. 'I give you my word.'

'Your word, Belikov?' another voice spoke up, and Lieutenant Colonel Forrest rose from his place at the table with a faint, arrogant smile visible behind his perfectly-trimmed goatee. 'And what value is your word if you're in on the whole thing? What if you've just been playing the part of a loyal Confederate soldier to get into General Gale's good graces? What if you've been planning all the while to conspire with this Northern spy and double-cross us?'

'You think I'm a spy too, Forrest?!' Major Belikov's temper suddenly snapped, and before anyone realised what was happening the Russian's pistol was out of its holster.

Shock quickly gave way to panic. There was a flurry of movement and several cries of warning as every man in the room reached for his weapon in defence.

'More than forty dead at my hand - nine to save your life,' Dimitri gestured at his accuser with the gun's gleaming, black muzzle, 'and still you doubt my loyalty? What more do you need me to do to prove I'm a true Confederate? Do you want me to kill a hundred Yankees? A thousand? Because I will, if that's what it takes. My allegiance is to the South, and my wife is allegiant to me. Is that good enough for you, General?' Dimitri's snatched a glance at his commander, though his pistol stayed trained on Forrest, 'or would you rather take this soldier's word over mine and just shoot me for a traitor right now?' Major Belikov's finger twitched at the trigger of his gun, drawing another volley of shouts from the nearby officers.

General Gale looked unimpressed. 'You've made your point, Major,' he barked, and a heavy silence settled across the tent. 'Now put your weapon away and let me make mine.'

The General waited expectantly until the Mad Dog's gun was holstered, then spoke in a voice that demanded no interruption. 'It is true, Major Belikov, that your services over the past month have considerably advanced our position. Still, the Lieutenant Colonel's concern about your wife is a valid one, so let me be very clear about what happens next,' Gale shot a disapproving look towards Rose. 'If it turns out that Mrs Belikov is working for the Yankees, and her presence in any way impedes your ability to do your job, the pair of you will be executed for treason that very day...'

Dimitri opened his mouth to argue but General Gale cut him off with a frown. '...And as your senior officer, Forrest can be the one to lead the firing squad.'

Rose wasn't sure what made her feel more ill; the idea of herself and Dimitri tied to a stake with ten Enfield muskets pointed at their chests, or the look of satisfaction that glittered in Forrest's sharp, blue eyes when he heard the pronouncement.

'But, if you keep up the good work,' Gale continued, 'your loyalty and valour will be rewarded. At the rate you're going now, boy, you'll make it to the rank of Colonel even faster than the great Nathan Forrest, here.'

Dimitri slid a look across the tent and took great pleasure in the angry flush of red that was creeping up the Lieutenant Colonel's neck. 'Thank you, General,' Major Belikov returned a possessive hand to Rose's elbow. 'And can I assume that my wife has the assurance of your protection - as long as she remains at Fort Henry and abides by the rules I set for her?'

It wasn't enough to have Gale's permission for Rose to remain in camp. Dimitri needed every officer in that room - especially Forrest - to know that his wife was off-limits, and that even if he was sent away from camp on a mission any harassment or threat against Mrs Belikov would be met with the severest punishment.

General Gale paused for a moment then nodded. 'As long as the lady abides by the rules, she has my protection.'

Lieutenant Colonel Forrest protested loudly, but Gale stopped him with a simple gesture.

'Enough, Forrest. Unless you have any new, verifiable information to report, I'm not interested. In the meantime, I suggest you shut-up and be thankful you have such a skilled fighter at your side. And Major Belikov,' it was clear from the General's expression that he was impatient to conclude the matter and get back to the business of war. 'Take your wife back to quarters and keep her in check. You're a mad bastard but I like how you get things done. It would be a waste of good resources to see you and your... deputy executed for colluding with the Yanks. Dismissed!'

Their walk back to the cabin was tense. A moody silence loomed between Rose and her husband like a third companion on their journey, only broken when Dimitri shut the cabin door forcefully behind them.

'Sit there and don't talk,' Major Belikov ordered immediately, pointing to the chair by the writing desk then stalking over to retrieve Rose's travel case from under the bed.

Rose normally resented being told what to do, but her body was still weak from last night's morphine injection and standing up for so long during Gale's interrogation had made her feel faint. She sat without argument and watched warily as Dimitri threw her luggage onto the bed and reached for the night-shirt at the top of the case; shaking it out as if he expected something to fall from its folds.

'What are you doing?' Rose tried to mask her anxiety as Dimitri discarded the item he was holding and grabbed the bulky suit-jacket Alberta had sent for her, letting it dangle loose and heavy in his hands.

A few small items tumbled out onto the bed - a plaited leather circlet and a small, glass bead - but Dimitri barely noticed them; his eyes shifting quickly to Rose's knife and pistol that had been concealed in the jacket. The man shot an accusing look at his wife then snatched up the weapons and stuffed them into his belt for safekeeping. 'You heard Gale,' he glared at her, one hand already searching inside the breast-pocket of the coat for further evidence of deceit. 'If you're carrying anything that links you to the North, Forrest will have reason to execute us both. If you've been lying to me I'd rather know about it now and punish you myself than face the alternative.'

Rose gripped tightly to the seat of her chair. Her telegram message to Abe was hidden in her underwear at the bottom of the travel case. What kind of punishment would Dimitri give her if he discovered she was planning to escape Fort Henry and flee north to Kentucky with him in tow?

'What's this?' the soldier frowned, pulling a folded, narrow slip of paper from the coat's inner pocket.

Rose relaxed slightly, seeing it wasn't the telegram, then tensed again as Dimitri studied the printed inscription and his expression darkened to black.

'Adrian Ivara?!' he almost spat the name as he paced across to Rose and waved the offending item in her face. 'A blank check? That man has always had eyes for you. How long did it take him to make a move on you after I didn't come home? A week? A day? That gutless, thieving...,' he dissolved into a tirade of hissed curses as he tore the check into tiny pieces and sent them fluttering into the air like snow.

'No! Dimitri!' Rose cried out in shock as she watched the tattered scraps of paper settle on the floorboards at her feet. How could she possibly make it back home now - with no weapons and no money to help her escape, and one very angry Russian standing between her and the door? 'You've got it all wrong,' she stood up as quick as her legs allowed her and squeezed Dimitri's arm, desperate to appease him. 'It was just a gift from a friend. Adrian only wanted to help me find you. All our friends did. Eddie helped with supplies for the journey. Alberta sent me travelling clothes. Christian and Sydney gave me their company and protection on the trail south to Las Vegas. And...'

'Sydney?' Dimitri scowled, momentarily distracted.

'Miss Sage - Doctor Sage's daughter,' Rose hoped to keep him focused on the new subject. 'You met her back in Saint's Town the day Victor Dashley tried to marry Lisa. Sydney was the nurse who cared for Sonya Karp before we returned her to Sheriff Tanner in Silver Springs, remember? Her sister Carly was the girl we found in the barn before you got shot... You saved her life, Dimitri...'

A look of confusion wavered across the soldier's face then he blinked and all uncertainty was gone. 'A blank check is not a normal gift from a friend, Rose,' he shook her touch from his arm like it offended him. 'Mr Ivara is trying to buy your affection and you encouraged him by accepting the money. Now he'll think you owe him something in return.'

Dimitri's eyes flashed with jealousy and anger, but Rose held his gaze, knowing she had nothing to hide. 'But he's not trying to buy my affection, cowboy,' she promised. 'He might have had feelings for me once, a long time ago, but he's been in love with Sydney for over a year, now. He's even asked her to marry him.'

Major Belikov remained suspicious. 'And she said yes?'

'Well, not yet, as far as I'm aware, but I think it's only a matter of time,' Rose answered truthfully, her face softening a little as she thought back to the intimate conversations she'd shared with the young nurse during their travels. 'Mr Ivara is not quite as artful at courting as he'd have the world believe, but he's doing his best.'

Dimitri didn't relax. Instead, he clutched his wife by the shoulders, staring into her eyes as if he was searching for the lie in them. 'And what about your feelings for Adrian?' he asked bitterly. 'I've seen the way you look at me sometimes, Roza. Like you're afraid of me. Like I disgust you. Don't you wish I'd been killed so you could be with him instead of me?'

Surprise, hurt and pity flashed across Rose's expression before she broke into motion and reached for Dimitri's face - running her fingers through his short, scraggly beard and trying not to care that his cheeks were so much thinner now. 'It's always been you, cowboy, and it always will be. For better or for worse, remember. What's happened to us isn't... ideal... but we'll find a way though. We always do, don't we?' she meant to sound reassuring, but there was a pleading, uncertain note at the end of her speech that brought a change to Dimitri's mood.

'That we do, Roza,' he answered gruffly, pressing his lips to Rose's forehead with unexpected tenderness. The moment didn't last long, though. A knock at the cabin door made Dimitri pull back and the hardness to his expression returned immediately. 'What?!' he snapped as Dinah's dark face peered into the room.

'I'm sorry, sir, but you're needed... Lieutenant Colonel Forr-...'

Dimitri scowled at her. 'Forrest can wait. I'll be there when I'm ready... Hey! I didn't say you could go!' he moved to the doorway swiftly, grabbing the slave by the arm and pulling her inside the cabin. 'My wife's bag is all in a mess,' he jerked his head to indicate the clothing he'd strewn across the bed. 'See everything is cleaned up before you leave, and get the men's clothing out of here. Mrs Belikov is a lady and that is how she will dress from now on...'

Not the suit too! Rose felt a strange sort of grief at the loss of Alberta's gift - one of the few things she had left to remind her of the life and loved ones she'd left behind her. She didn't even have Dimitri's sheriff's badge anymore. It had been pinned to the inside of the red dress Janine gave her back in Memphis, but when she woke up this morning the dress and badge were gone.

'...And if you find anything in the case that's even the slightest bit unusual, it comes to me, not Forrest, understand?' Major Belikov added, digging his fingers into the flesh above the black woman's elbow.

'Yes, boss,' Dinah cowered from the soldier's gaze, wincing at the sharpness of his grip but making no sound of complaint.

'So, what happens now?' Rose ran her hands over the front of Dimitri's greatcoat, hoping to draw his attention so he'd leave the slave woman alone. 'Do you have to ride out with the Escort Company today or will we get a chance to catch up properly? We've been apart so long. I just want us to be together - like we used to be.' It wasn't a lie.

The distraction worked. Major Belikov turned away from Dinah and caught Rose's fingers loosely in his own. 'I'll be out all day, but should return home to you after sundown.'

'You won't be fighting, I hope?' Rose's forehead wrinkled in concern. 'I don't want you getting hurt.' Or you hurting any Northern soldiers, either, she added as a silent afterthought.

Dimitri chuckled, a hint of condescension in his eyes. 'No fighting today, my Roza,' he rubbed a coarse thumb over her palm then moved away to a small, dirty mirror that hung on the cabin wall - peering at his shadowy reflection while he ran a comb over his hair and beard. 'Our spies in Illinois say the Yankee General, Ulysses S. Grant, is gathering naval forces to prepare for a major assault against us, so we're building a new fort across the river to help defend against the upcoming attack. It will be my job to oversee the slave workers to make sure Fort Heiman is finished and manned before the enemy gunboats arrive.'

'So... so you're a slave driver now?' Rose tried not to let the horror show on her face.

Major Belikov shrugged. 'I'm whatever Gale needs me to be until we win the war,' the soldier fit his cowboy hat back over his head, kissed his wife in farewell, and left the room.

Rose took a step towards the door, some wild impulse telling her to rush after her husband and drag him back to her, or just to run and keep on running until this place and the man who was once Dimitri were far behind her. Who cared if she got captured and shot for treason? At least she wouldn't have to stay here and watch Dimitri betray the principles of justice and freedom he'd always lived by - to see him stripped of the quiet wisdom and selflessness that had made her fall in love with him in the first place; the qualities that made him him.

A hand touched her arm - in caution, not comfort. 'Come, missus. Sit,' Dinah urged the white woman towards the bed before she tried anything that might get them both in trouble.

Rose trembled in frustration and anger. She wanted to lash out at Dinah for detaining her, at Dimitri for leaving her, at every single person who'd played a part in trapping them both in this horrible situation. But the morphine still tainting her blood had deadened her senses, turning Rose's anger inward instead. Fatigue settled over her like a shroud of darkness, and she sat like she'd been told to - sinking into a listless, brooding silence as Dinah set about the task her master had given her.

Picking her way through the scattered personal items, the slave set aside the suit jacket and trousers to take with her when she left. Next, she folded her mistress' night-shirt and returned it to the travel case (mercifully not disturbing the pile of linen underwear that concealed Rose's telegram message to Abe). When Dinah spotted the unusual blue bead that had rolled a short distance from the rest of the luggage, she picked it up for closer inspection then jumped in fright as the woman on the bed suddenly lurched into life and snatched it from her hands.

'Don't touch that!' Deputy Belikov ordered bitterly, unable to bear it if even one more thing was taken away from her.

Dinah flinched as she had only minutes ago at Dimitri's rebuke, and Rose immediately regretted the tone of her words. She didn't want Dinah to fear her. If anything, she wanted to win her trust. 'I'm sorry,' she made a conscious effort to keep her voice steady, though she didn't relinquish the bead. 'I didn't mean to scare you, it's just... my father gave this to me and I don't know when I'll see him again. It's all I have to remember him by.'

Uneasiness still haunted the slave's expression but she refrained from confiscating the bead. 'And that?' she asked suspiciously, her eyes sliding over to the woven leather bracelet that lay half-concealed in the shadow of the bunk-bed above. 'Was that from your father too?'

Rose felt a strange ache in her chest as she reached for Joshua's bracelet. Her time with the Coo'tsa had only lasted a few days, but the sense of safety and belonging she'd found with Cahdus'ca-t'iti and his tribe felt so tangible she longed to be back there right now. 'It's from a friend,' she explained, running her fingertips over the shallow impressions in the leather band that identified its maker. The horse. The fan of feathers. The segmented circle that meant 'home'. Rose looked up at Dinah and her mind flew to Nic and Tamara - just two of the escaped slaves who'd found freedom and a home with the Coo'tsa... Maybe the tribe had room for one more?

'Dinah?' Rose took a step closer and pressed the bracelet into the slave's hand. 'There's a place I stayed on my journey to find Dimitri - an Indian refuge in the mountains a few days west of here. It's a place where strangers are welcome, where slaves can be free. Take this, please,' she insisted when the black woman remained unresponsive, frozen in shock. 'It will grant you entry to the refuge. I can't undo the suffering that has been inflicted upon you in this camp - the suffering my husband has inflicted upon you - but maybe I can give you this one, small chance at freedom?'

Dinah stared at the leather circlet in her palm as if it were a viper coiled to strike, then broke from her trance and threw the token onto the bed. 'Look around you, missus,' she rebuked in a harsh whisper, bundling up Rose's travelling suit and making for the door. 'There is no such thing as freedom.'

Rose looked around the small, cold cabin and the truth of Dinah's words sent a stab of panic to her heart. How could she speak of freedom when she was little more than a prisoner here herself? The dark, log walls seemed to close in on her as she imagined the long hours ahead - stuck in this wooden cage until Dimitri came back for her, with nothing and nobody to help her pass the time. 'Wait! Dinah?' Rose called after her, already feeling alone.

The slave slowed her step and twisted around to hear her mistress' orders, but kept her eyes glued to the floor.

'What should I do?' the captive asked, a little desperately.

Dinah lifted her eyes slowly from the ground. 'What we all do. Survive.'

She slept, mostly. It wasn't just the morphine. Two months of constant travel and constant worry had taken their toll on Rose's body, and when she lay down to listen to the rain plip-plopping on the cabin's canvas roof, she slipped into a deep slumber and didn't stir again until late in the afternoon.

She was hungry when she awoke. Fortunately, Dinah must have paid her another visit through the day because there was a mug of coffee on the writing desk, as well as a plate of square, army-ration biscuits each covered in a thin scraping of something dark and sticky. Molasses, Rose discovered when she sniffed it - the first good news she'd had all day. She took a grateful bite and cursed aloud when her front teeth nearly snapped clean in half. The biscuit was rock-hard and flavourless... Maybe she wasn't so hungry after all. Rose decided to take her chances with the coffee instead, which turned out to be ice cold and had a suspicious potatoey aroma, but at least it went down, stayed down, and helped to distract her from the empty feeling in her stomach.

With her energy gradually returning, the prisoner paced slow laps of the cabin and considered her predicament. Last night Dimitri had painted their future together in the South like a pleasant daydream but, in reality, Fort Henry was just about the most dangerous place she could be. In a matter of days or weeks, Union forces would be advancing up the Tennessee River and the war would be upon them. If that wasn't enough of a problem, the new Dimitri frightened her. It's true he still seemed to love her, but he was also jealous, controlling, aggressive and unpredictable. How could she trust a man who spoke of passion in one moment and punishment then next? On top of all that, Forrest had some kind of vendetta against Major Belikov and was itching for the chance to have the pair of them executed as Union spies. Meanwhile, General Gale had only guaranteed her his protection if she obeyed the rules of the camp (and Rose didn't exactly have the greatest record when it came to keeping the rules).

Deputy Belikov stopped pacing and her heartbeat quickened when she realised what she had to do. She had to break out of Fort Henry, as soon as possible. It pained her to think of abandoning Dimitri after she'd worked so hard to find him again, but there was nothing she could do to help him here - confined to her cabin and fearing that one wrong move might have her killed as a traitor. The only way to get them both to safety was to escape the fort alone. Dimitri had a bounty hunter's instincts, and his fate at Fort Henry was tied to hers. Once he discovered she was missing he was guaranteed to come after her, and that was her chance to lure him north into friendly territory.

The cabin had no windows so Rose crept to the door and pushed it open a crack, hoping to get a better lay of the land. Dammit to hell! She closed it again quickly as a gust of rain-chilled air rushed inside. The day dress Dinah had provided her with was no match for the current weather. If she tried to make a break for it today she'd be soaked within minutes - stumbling through a muddy military encampment at sundown, surrounded by Confederate troops returning for their suppers, with no way of even telling north from south thanks to the poor visibility of the rain. But tomorrow?...

Rose stole another peek out the doorway then hurried to retrieve her travel case from under the bed and found the washcloth Dinah had given her. Crossing to the writing desk, she wrapped the molassesy hardtack rations in the flannel; folding the corners to the centre in a sort of improvised carry bag. If she was leaving camp in the morning she'd need to travel light, and there was no knowing when her next meal would be. These four, stale biscuits might end up being the difference between life and death. Not wanting Dimitri to discover she was stockpiling food, Rose hid the flannel behind a stack of split logs near the cabin's fireplace and, on second thought, added the last of her personal treasures to the firewood hoard. Joshua's bracelet and Abe's bead held no threat or value to the Confederacy, but Dimitri had flown into a jealous rage earlier when he found the check from Adrian Ivara. The less he knew about the two new men in Rose's life, the better.

When Dinah entered the cabin a short time later, Mrs Belikov was innocently combing her hair at the mirror on the wall.

'Good evening,' Rose greeted her politely, hoping to make up for the awkwardness earlier in the day. 'Let me help you with that,' she stepped forward to take the small box of dinner rations that had been brought for her. 'Have you heard any news from Fort Heiman?' she asked, as the slave made a cursory inspection of the room and gathered up the empty lunch things to take away with her. 'It's been such a long day... I was hoping you might know when my husband will be back?'

Dinah moved to the door, her expression closed-off and unreadable. 'The men have been ordered to work until they can work no more. You should not wait up.'

Rose ate her dinner alone - the bowl of rice, peas and bacon rinds a luxury compared to the lunchtime offering - but as the hours ticked by and Dimitri still didn't return she grew increasingly anxious. Her husband had a head wound. He should be home resting, not out at all hours doing physical labour in the dark and the rain. Weary but unable to sleep, Rose removed her boots and lay down on the bottom bunk; wrestling with her thoughts until a cold burst of air at the door indicated that Dimitri was home.

'You're still awake,' the soldier announced flatly when his eyes adjusted to the fire-lit room, though a small flicker of emotion broke through the dullness of his gaze - desire, perhaps, or maybe just relief that his work day was done.

Rose was out of bed and across the room before Dimitri could even remove his hat. 'You were gone so long! I was worried about you!' she grabbed at the front of his overcoat to chastise him then felt confused when he recoiled at her touch.

Pain pinched the big man's expression and he stumbled slightly, leaning his full weight upon her to stop himself from falling.

'Dimitri! What's happened? Are you injured? You're soaked to the skin!' Rose's words jumbled together out of panic, seeing her strong, handsome husband so weak and sallow-faced. 'We have to get you warm! Let me help you with your coat,' she practically dragged him over to the fireplace.

'I don't need anyone's help,' the man threw his cowboy hat down by the heat of the fire and tried to push his wife away, but Rose was insistent, her hands fumbling in her haste to rid him of the heavy, sodden greatcoat then the lighter jacket and skin-damp shirt underneath. Dimitri was trembling when she pulled the last layer from his body, his muscles shuddering as fat droplets of water fell from the tips of his hair and coursed icy pathways down his shoulders and back.

'Oh, cowboy,' Rose was nearly in tears as she rushed across to Dimitri's tarred knapsack and grabbed the first thing she could find - a cotton nightshirt, which she wiped roughly over his torso to dry him.

The soldier watched her every movement in silence, breathing shallowly at the contact of his wife's furtive hands rubbing over his skin. He even lifted his arms when she instructed him to, reaching out to tug a strand of her hair as she ran the makeshift towel over the battle scars that patterned his rib cage. But when she reached around a little further to dry between his shoulders, the man's whole body spasmed and he hissed in pain.

'You are hurt!' Rose gasped, circling around him quickly to see how bad the damage was.

Her hand flew to her mouth and a dry sob escaped her throat. Below the shadow of tattooed crosses covering his neck, six cuts striped Dimitri's back to form a bloody star - raised welts that were partly healed at the edges but still raw where they intersected. The marks of a whip.

'Who did this to you, cowboy?' Rose whispered in horror, her fingers creeping up his skin to trace along the star-like pattern as if she hoped to soothe away his pain.

Dimitri stiffened under her touch. 'There's no need to make a fuss. It was just an initiation present from Forrest. Nothing I couldn't handle.'

'No need to make a fuss?' Rose echoed incredulously, unable to look away from the carnage that was once her husband's smooth, pale skin. 'He whipped you, Dimitri. Marked you. That utter bastard! Why? Tell me why!' she pulled his arm to turn him and shook it when she got not response. 'You can't let him get away with this!'

The man opened his mouth to give a hard reply then his face turned a few shades whiter and he pitched sideways. Rose had no time to react. Dimitri went down awkwardly - breaking his fall with one hand on the edge of the writing desk, but not before his head took a glancing blow against the cabin wall. When he righted himself there was blood seeping from the freshly-opened wound at his temple.

'Cyka blyat!' her cursed roughly, clutching a hand to his head, and Rose almost lost her dinner on the floor before her stronger self won over and she rushed to Dimitri's aid.

'Please sit! Now!' she implored him, slipping an arm around his waist to support him as he eased himself down onto the desk top. 'Is there a doctor I can call? What can I do to help you?'

'An army doctor? Do you want to kill me?' he snarled through gritted teeth. 'Just give me that!' Dimitri grabbed for the nightshirt his wife had been using as a towel and pressed hard it against his head. 'The medical bag. Get it for me,' he ordered, and she scrambled to obey.

Rose didn't know what half of the things were in Sydney's medical satchel, but she recognised the vial of liquid that her husband reached for. Morphine. The same drug he'd given her last night to make her sleep.

'Load it in the syringe and attach the needle,' Dimitri urged her, but grew impatient when Rose's shaky attempts were taking too long. 'Don't bother. I'll do it myself,' he dropped the cloth from his wound and snatched for the instruments he required, assembling the syringe at record speed and wincing sharply as he injected the painkiller directly into his neck.

'Cowboy!' Rose cried out in dismay, grabbing the discarded nightshirt and returning it to his temple. 'You can't go on like this,' she pleaded with him. 'You can't stay here at Fort Henry and fight with these injuries. Come north with me. Tonight. We can find a properly trained doctor to treat your head wound, the cuts on your back. Your mother is a nurse. We can get you back home to Saint's Town and Olena can take care of you until-'

Her words cut off abruptly as a hand wrapped tight around her wrist.

'This is my home now,' Dimitri corrected darkly. 'Our home, until the war is won... and don't let me ever hear of you speaking such treason again. You want me to desert my comrades and ride north with you when battle is looming upon us?' he stared at her in disbelief. 'That's just the excuse Forrest is hoping for so he can get rid of us both, but you need to understand something, Roza,' Dimitri lowered his voice and pulled her closer, bringing her face in line with his and nuzzling his cheek against hers. 'I'd rather kill you myself than let him take you from me. Is that really what you want to happen? Would you try to run away and force me to kill the woman I love?'

Rose sucked a ragged breath in, struggling to think over the roar of her own blood pounding in her ears. 'Of course I don't want that,' she pulled back to look Dimitri in the eye, promising her loyalty but secretly desperate to flee. 'I won't give Forrest any reason to kill me, I promise. I won't talk about our old life and family back in Saint's Town anymore if it bothers you. I won't try to run away.'

Dimitri studied her for what seemed like a lifetime. 'I know you won't, Roza,' he finally relented with a soft kiss to her lips, '...because you'll be here with me.'

Rose gasped as she felt the pop of a needle bursting through the skin at her throat. He did it again! She should have seen it coming, but she let him drug her again! Rose gazed up at her husband in shock and accusation, but she knew what to expect this time and there was no point fighting it. Dimitri moved slowly, dragging her with him to the bunks on the far wall. He stripped down to his underwear and climbed into the lower bunk then pulled Rose, fully dressed, under the blanket beside him.

'I never want to lose you,' he murmured into her hair, holding her close as she felt herself sinking ever deeper into the darkness. 'This is your home now, my Roza. Your home is with me.'

In a little ranch house on the other side of the country, a young woman round with child lowered herself to sit at her writing desk and sighed heavily as the weight was relieved from her ankles. Dusk was drawing in so she lit the kerosene lamp on the table, hoping its light might chase away the shadow of loneliness that had settled over her heart tonight. There was a small picture frame on the desk and she gazed at the photograph wistfully - two little girls arm in arm, one dark-haired, one fair - before picking up her fountain pen and setting nib to paper.

Sunday 5th January, 1862

Dear Rose,

Where are you? Yeva assures us daily that you are still alive, but it's been a month since your last telegram from Santa Fe and we are all growing worried for your safety. I will try to distract myself from my fears by writing to you - that way, when you get back home and read this letter you will know I was thinking of you today and praying for your safe return.

So much has been happening lately I hardly know where to start...

You wouldn't believe how much Karolina and Sonja's babies have grown since you left. Zoya is picking up a dozen new words a day, and Katya crawls around the house at such speeds we are forever sending Paul off to catch her before she gets herself into trouble. My own little one is growing quickly too, a fact that is strongly protested by the stitching in the waistline of my dresses. I'm afraid Christian will come home from his survey mission soon and mistake me for a sow.

Mr Mazur and Sydney Sage arrived back in Saint's Town a fortnight ago (they are staying at the hotel), and made such an entrance that tongues will be wagging about it for at least a year. Apparently, when they first walked into the saloon Sydney slapped Adrian Ivara in front of all his customers. Adrian promptly kissed her on the lips, then Sydney slapped him again and burst into tears. The story is, Mr Mazur locked the pair of them in a private room and refused to let them out until they agreed to talk it over like civilized adults. Nobody knows what happened in there, but when we had guests to Cottonwood Creek for Christmas lunch, Adrian and Sydney sat so close to one another at the table that their elbows were nearly touching. What's more, they both excused themselves from the table at the same time and when they returned, I'm sure I saw a blush on Sydney's cheeks!

There was almost another romance to report to you, as well. Dimitri's sister Sonja was hired to do some domestic work for Roland Kilpatrick, that young widower who owns the homestead a few miles north of my place. He made Sonja an offer of marriage in the first week, which seemed generous given that she already has a child to another man, but Vika swore she sensed something fishy about him. Deputy Belikova decided to conduct her own investigation. She snuck out of the house one night to go dancing at the saloon and Mr Kilpatrick asked her to marry him too. She promptly revealed herself as the new deputy of Saint's Town and Sonja's sister, and told him if he ever dared carry out another romantic deception in our town she'd string him up from the nearest tree - and not by his neck, if he caught her meaning. Olena was mortified when she heard about it, but Mr Kilpatrick must have learnt his lesson, as he hasn't given any of the local ladies cause for concern since.

There's one other thing I must mention, though it is an unpleasant subject to write on. After you left us, Carly Sage was adamant she didn't want to press charges against the soldier who assaulted her, but Sheriff Castile still wanted justice for the attack on Dimitri. Eddie rode out to Fort Freemont to arrest Captain Darnell, except he couldn't because Darnell wasn't there - listed as absent without leave, according to the fort's commander. Eddie figured the soldier must have fled to avoid punishment, but Mr Mazur has been investigating the matter and just sent news that Captain Keith Darnell is dead. A freak riding accident, it seems. The body was discovered in a field just a few miles from where Carly's attack took place. He'd been thrown from the saddle and dragged several miles - the corpse only identifiable by the gun he was carrying. It's wicked of me to think it, Rose, but that man took away so much from the people I love and I'm honestly glad he's dead.

I should bring this letter to a close now - the baby is kicking up a storm and I'll need to have a lie down very soon. I can't believe it's only a month or so until I finally get to meet little Christian Junior (or maybe she'll turn out to be a Christina, though I still think it's a boy). Sydney will be returning to Fort Freemont shortly to continue her nursing duties, but she's promised to come back and assist me with the birth. I trust that Olena will take good care of me in the meantime, but it's nice to know that Sydney is on hand to help me if I need her (and that I don't have to call on Emily Mastrano next-door - for a preacher's wife, that woman is seriously unfriendly!)

Anyway, never mind me and my troubles. You just keep yourself safe and come home soon.

Love eternally,

Lisa

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Author's Note: (longest ever?)

Phew. That was a seriously dark chapter - no wonder it took me so long to work up the courage to write it. Between Dimitri, Gale and Forrest, things are looking pretty grim for Rose at the moment but we're working towards a happy ending so hopefully you will be able to stick with me and see the story through. Let me know your reactions in the reviews (but please be kind - I'm still getting my mojo back!)

Miles Travelled - I love Google Maps. (See my Llaria6 Pinterest pinboards if you don't believe me!) I wanted to give you an idea of the vastness of Rose's journey across America, so I've added a 'miles travelled' subheading to each chapter.

Significant Items - Up until now Rose has been carrying a lot of significant items with her - Dimitri's badge, Adrian's check, Abe's bead, Alberta's suit, Janine's dress, Joshua's bracelet + her knife & pistol. There was even a blanket Olena gave her back in Chapter 4 that I decided to omit during the edit because Rose was getting seriously loaded down! Now that our long-suffering Deputy Belikov is stuck at Fort Henry I wanted to take away most of her 'items' so she has to rely on her own wits and inner strength to help her escape.

Gale & Forrest - Gale (Galina) and Forrest (Nathan) are based on Albert Sidney Johnston & Nathan Bedford Forrest - two significant Confederate figures who were active in this part of Tennessee during the Civil War. Pictures on my Pinterest page if you're interested.

Whipping - I hate making characters I love suffer, but there is an important reveal coming up soon regarding Dimitri's whip scars. This is a reference to the Zvezda tattoo the guardians were given after the St Vlad's battle in Shadow Kiss, but also my way of acknowledging the experience of the real-life slave 'Gordon' (or 'Whipped Peter') - one of the many incarcerated men and women who endured unimaginable suffering before escaping north to win his freedom and have his story told.

Drugs - The Confederate army had supply issues. Dimitri's painkiller of choice would probably have been alcohol, or opium powder if he was very lucky. Liquid morphine was a prized commodity and would most likely have been injected into the skin (not the vein), but for dramatic impact and the Strigoi reference I'm favouring the jugular.

Back at the Ranch - I hope Lisa's letter gave you an insight into what's going on for Rose's friends/family back home in Saint's Town. I really wanted to include a bit of Vika's story from Blood Promise & give you closure on what happened to the guy that shot Dimitri back in Chapter 2. Hopefully Darnell's death was grisly enough to make up for all the trouble he's caused. More to come on the Emily Mastrano story arc.

Finally, thank you all for supporting me by reading this story, for sending so many encouraging messages when I announced the story return, and an extra warm and fuzzy thank you to Lea0014 and katnipsc for helping me get my brain back into writing mode after such a long break. You can expect the next chapter on the next full moon :)