Molly squirmed uncomfortably under the doctor's touch.

They had made it to the Continental Army's camp in New Windsor hours ago. As soon as they arrived, Molly and Caleb were brought to the medical tent. Ben said he'd be back soon; he had to find a place for Abe to stay, and a place for them to place Judge Woodhull's corpse.

One of the other doctors was examining Caleb's wounds on the other side of the tent. As for Molly, she was the only female patient in the tent. The doctor moved two of the fabric screens around her bed to give her privacy.

She was on her back, with her dress pulled half down so that her torso was completely bare. As soon as it was removed, she looked down at herself. She hadn't had a chance to examine her injuries in the light.

Her abdomen was littered with large purplish-green bruises. That wasn't what surprised her though. Her ribcage was covered in splotchy red marks. It almost looks as if she'd been scratched repeatedly. But the skin was still closed. Whatever it was, the coloring was coming from under her skin.

The doctor had her lay back again, and then he began to apply pressure to the area around her ribcage. She whined in discomfort. He did this for several minutes, and he kept asking her to describe the pain she was feeling. She really didn't know how else to describe it; her torso ached.

"Just as it looks then." The man finally said, "Broken ribs. Not sure how many, but I'd say at least two on each side. Possibly more."

"And that's all there is?" she asked.

"Well that and the broken nose."

She hadn't looked in a mirror since her arrest. And she didn't even consider that her nose was broken. But that did explain the headaches she had been having.

He nodded. "Yes. I say, you'll be good as new in a few weeks. Maybe a month."

She closed her eyes and silently thanked God. This explained her labored breathing and the coughing fits. Broken ribs could be incredibly painful, but it was nothing serious. If anything, it would be more of an annoyance until she was fully recovered.

As for the blood she had coughed up earlier, the doctor explained that she had several wounds inside her mouth, probably from where she had been kicked in the head; where her teeth broke the skin. Those had simply reopened. She knew the real reason why they had reopened. Whenever she was nervous or whenever she was deep in thought, she always chewed on the inside of her cheeks, or on her lips. So much happened at the millhouse, she doubted she would've noticed the taste of blood anyway.

She lifted her arms and allowed the doctor to wrap dressings around her ribcage. It wouldn't do much beside provide protection to the injured area, but she was grateful, nonetheless. Once he was done, she pulled her dress back up, but she left her corset off. Although it was winter, all the prodding from the doctor had made her break out into a cold sweat, and she was so tired of sweating. She had done enough of that already, and the small cuts on her arms and chest were still healing, the sweat was making her skin itch.

Then the doctor got to work on her nose. Her nose had already started to heal, so the doctor told her than he was going to rebreak it and then set it so that it healed more evenly. She didn't like that idea, but she let him do it anyway.

The rebreak was quick, but the pain was excruciating. It felt as if someone was stabbing her. She had her hands clenched into fists, pulling at her skirts, to keep them out of the doctor's way. He stuffed her nostrils with gauze.

"I'll change these in a few hours." He reassured her. "They're just to help your nose keep its shape as it heals."

He left her and returned a few moments later with a small bottle and a spoon. It was a bottle of laudanum – a mixture of opium and alcohol. She'd taken the painkiller before.

"I don't think you'll need to take this for very long, but I'll give you something for the pain."

When she was younger, she had challenged Caleb to a tree climbing race. She won, but only by default. She climbed the highest and then proceeded to lose her balance and fall out of the tree. Caleb stopped climbing to help her.

She dislocated her kneecap. When the local doctor arrived, he popped it back into place. It really wasn't a serious injury. But it hurt like hell. He gave her laudanum to help her sleep.

She swallowed another spoonful of it now. It didn't take long for her brain to feel fuzzy. She always said that taking laudanum was the fastest way to get drunk. She fell asleep not long after that.


She remembered coming in and out of consciousness for the next day or so. The first time she opened her eyes, Anna was sitting in a chair beside her bed.

"Ann?" She croaked.

Her sister-in-law was on her feet and hovering over her in an instant. Anna took her hand.

"Oh, my word, it's good to see you. Ben told me what happened. Did Jordan really save you?"

Molly hummed in response. She was having a hard time focusing on anything. Her head was still foggy from the laudanum. And suddenly it felt like the room was spinning, so she closed her eyes.

"How's Caleb?"

"He's well. I actually talked to him a short while ago. The doctor says his wounds are not too serious."

Molly was relieved to hear that.

"How's Abe?"

Anna paused before answering.

"Not so well." She was speaking quieter now. "Ben doesn't want anyone to know he's in camp. He's staying in the barn nearby."

"And what of the Judge?"

"What of him?"

"Has Abe decided what he's going to do with the body?" She cracked open her eyes again. Anna seemed confused by the question though. "Well, Abe is staying here, isn't he? Or does he really intend to traipse back home."

Anna exhaled slowly and looked away for a second.

"I don't know what he intends. But I imagine he'll want to bury his father back home. Besides, he won't just abandon Mary and Thomas like that. If he decides to come here, he'll have to go home to sort things out with them."

Molly agreed. They said a few more things, but then Molly felt her eyes become heavy, and she fell back to sleep.


The next time she awoke, Ben was sitting beside her bed. She turned her head slightly to glance over at him. He was hunched over a journal, scribbling away. He perked up when he noticed she was awake.

"Hey." He smiled slightly and reached out to take her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright." She mumbled.

She coughed to clear her throat, but it didn't help. Her throat was dry.

"The doctor told me about your ribs."

"Oh, he didn't mention my nose?" She deadpanned.

"Didn't need to." He deadpanned back before his face broke out into a lopsided grin.

She tried to smile too, but when she did, she sniffled slightly. She realized why her throat was so dry. There was still gauze shoved up both her nostrils. She winced and pressed a hand to the bridge of her nose. It was swollen.

"I'm glad you're back." He decided to say.

Ben had never been good at reunions. They were always strangely formal, and he found it awkward. Seeing Molly so injured only made him more uncomfortable. She had gotten into plenty of fights before, but she was never seriously hurt in those. Seeing her covered in so many bruises made him set his jaw and clench his fists.

He knew it changed nothing, but he blamed himself for this. He had wanted to go to the city himself; first when Molly was roped into going, and again when Caleb was captured. And each time, he allowed himself to be persuaded otherwise. Looking at her now, knowing that Simcoe did this to her, to Caleb as well, infuriated him even more.

He also still felt bad for what happened at the millhouse. Truth be told, he hadn't recognized her at first. He knew she did not fault him for it though. After all, she looked dreadful; sickly.

There was a purple splotch on her forehead – from where the Ranger had hit her in the head with the butt of his gun. As for her face, it was swollen. Her bottom lip was still healing from where it had split open, and there was a small bruise that had formed on her right cheek. But the most obvious injury was her nose. The doctor kept coming back to change the gauze every few hours. Her nose looked almost normal, but it was also slightly off. The bridge of her nose was no longer straight. It slightly protruded now. Ben didn't think it looked bad. It was just… different. And he hated to think that she would carry the scar for the rest of her life.

"I really don't know what to say." Her voice was raspy. "I suppose I was the stupid one. I could've left, but I didn't, I—"

"No, no. Stop." He set his journal to the side. He could finish the paperwork later. And he pulled his chair closer to her cot. "Don't think about that now. We'll talk about it when you're better."

She eyelids were still heavy, and he knew it was because she was still trying to come out of the sedative she'd been given. She was in no condition to talk. He suddenly wondered if this was how poorly he looked when she found him in the woods a year ago.

She didn't stop there though. Because she whispered.

"I wrote to Townsend before I left. Have we gotten anymore word from him?"

"We did receive word from him. He wants to be involved, like you said…" he paused.

"What?"

"Well, Culper Jr. has gone ghost. We haven't heard from him in weeks."

Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"What's wrong with that? You didn't hear from me for weeks either."

He supposed they might as well talk about it now. After all, she seemed to want to.

"This time it's different. When you were in the city, did you hear word about loyalists being arrested? About them being questioned for espionage?"

She nodded.

"Of course. That's all Arnold's doing. He's Spyhunter General now." She rolled her eyes at the name.

Ben picked up his journal again and flipped to a new page. He began to scribble down notes.

"I wouldn't take it to heart though." She added as she watched his write. "The man is one of the most incompetent I've ever seen."

Ben's quill froze.

"What? You met him? In the city?"

She nodded, "And the best part, I was scared to death he would have me arrested. The bastard didn't even recognize me… And he always gets peoples' names wrong. I can't tell you how many times he called me Ms. Strange and Ms. Song."

Ben sat there for a moment digesting the information.

"Well, it seems Arnold is more competent than you may think. He arrested nearly all our men in New Jersey and New York. And nearly all of them have not been released, and if they were acquitted, they have not made contact."

Molly was fully sitting up now, troubled by the news. When she was Ben's aide-de-camp, she remembered when she would process the reports from other spies. The Culper Ring itself was one of the largest – even though it was so small. All the other spies were working alone, sending off single reports whenever they had a chance.

She shook her head slowly, "I don't understand, why are we discussing this? Shouldn't I be reporting to the General?"

She saw him clench his jaw.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"It seems…" he inhaled sharply. "When you decided to go to York City, Caleb and I had to explain everything to Washington. And he was less than accepting of your decision… You've fallen out of favor with him.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"That's why it was so difficult to make contact with you in the city."

She scoffed, "And what? He expected you to abandon me in York City?"

Ben shushed her for her voice was rising. Then he looked away, and she knew it was true.

"Wha— After all I've done? But… But what about the information about Arnold? About West Point?"

"You weren't the one who delivered it." Ben admitted. "Anna was the one we snuck into the city. She brought it back, and she was supposed to bring you as well. Sending her only further endangered the ring, and Washington told me he cannot be so easy to forgive our mistakes."

She was chewing on the inside of her cheek again. This time, she noticed the taste of blood.

"And, what? So he refuses to see me?" she asked.

"Yes. Something like that."

Her head was beginning to hurt again. She grimaced and held her head in her hand.

"Hey, listen."

He moved his hand do that it was on her arm. She glanced up at him.

"I'm sorry. I've talked to him about the matter for months. He was upset enough before. But after he learned of Arnold's betrayal, he's been on edge. A security breech like that…" Ben sighed. "It happened once. And he knows it could happen again."

They sat there in silence for a moment.

"The only good thing is, you are still a vetted source. Whatever you tell me, I will directly tell to Washington. And whatever he tells me, I will share with you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that against your orders? Since I've fallen out of favor with him?"

Ben shrugged, "Aye. It is."

That comment made Molly smirk.

"Forget him, right?" she brushed it off. "Who needs him? I'd much rather talk with you." She was grinning now. "What do you want to know about Arnold? I never served him drinks, but Townsend did, and he told me enough…"

"Later." Ben replied. "Please. When you're better. Besides, we probably shouldn't talk here."

She weakly nodded, and then changed the subject. She supposed it could wait a few hours.

"I talked to Anna. She said Caleb's health is improving."

"Aye. I saw him earlier. In fact, I'll go get him. I know he's wanted to check on you for some time."

Ben rose to his feet and left her for a moment. Last he knew, Caleb had been moved to the adjacent medical tent. The soldiers who were nearer to recovery were sent there. But when he went to Caleb's bed, Caleb wasn't there.

Ben called to the nearest doctor.

"What's become of Lieutenant Brewster? Has he been released?"

The doctor shook his head.

"No. The Lieutenant fled from the infirmary earlier today. Stole a horse. Scouts found him unconscious near the edge of the camp. He's being looked after by Dr. Turner now."

Ben swore. He had been busy with meetings and paperwork all day, and that evening he had spent all his time beside Molly's bed. He hadn't heard the news.

He knew which tent Dr. Turner worked out of, so he turned on his heels and went to find him.


"Moll."

"Moll."

"Wake up."

Molly moaned as her eyes cracked open. As soon as Ben left her side, she had drifted off to sleep once more.

"What?" she asked groggily.

"It's Caleb."

He sounded concerned, so she pushed herself up, trying to blink the sleep from her eyes.

"Is he alright?"

"Aye… well, I don't know. Apparently, he fled from the infirmary earlier today and stole a horse. Scouts found him unconscious near the edge of the camp. I just went to go see him. And he wants to talk."

"To who? To us?" she yawned.

"All of us."


Molly had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. It was the middle of the night, and she was cold.

She was following behind Ben and Caleb – Caleb was still limping, so Ben was helping him walk. The entire time they had been back together, Caleb hadn't said a word to Molly. He seemed distant, in fact.

Not far from the infirmary was a barn the Patriots had commandeered. Ben told her that's where Abe had been staying. Molly walked ahead to open the barn door for them, and they all slipped inside. There weren't any animals inside. The army was using the barn as place to store hay and other miscellaneous supplies.

Abe and Anna were both over in one corner of the barn.

Molly felt nauseous when she saw what they were doing. They were salting Judge Woodhull's body; preparing him to be transported back to Setauket. Although they had never gotten along, Molly had known the man her entire life. She didn't want to see him like that.

"Caleb." Anna said, the surprise evident in her voice. "Why is he up and about?"

"Because this can't wait." Caleb said.

Ben stood beside him; there in case Caleb needed someone to help him stand. Abe and Molly made eye contact, but neither said anything. It was strange seeing each other again; especially after they last parted on such harsh terms.

"You all right?" Abe walked over to Caleb.

Caleb cut right to the chase.

"Simcoe knows you're Culper."

Oh yeah, Molly thought tiredly, that's the thing I forgot to remember.

Abe scoffed, "How?"

Caleb: "I told him."

"No, you didn't." Ben jumped into the conversation.

"If I didn't say it aloud, Ben, he got it from my silence. That's how he went about arresting Moll."

They hadn't talked about the details of their individual arrests. In fact, they hadn't talked about their questioning, their torture, either.

"Simcoe tortured him," Ben explained to Abe, "tried to get him to sign a confession, which he didn't."

"It doesn't matter." Caleb scoffed, "He knows."

"He's right." Molly spoke up.

They were all looking at her now.

"Simcoe thought I was Culper."

"Right." Caleb nodded. "That's why he arrested you."

"And he thought that was it. He figured me and Caleb were working with Ben, and that was that. But then we received word that Caleb was to be traded for Abe and his father. That's when he knew. He told me so himself."

"Yeah," Caleb agreed. "And that's when he decided to do something about it."

"Exactly."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Abe asked, his face a mask of confusion.

Molly and Caleb exchanged a look. They hadn't told Abe who the men were that ambushed them. He was still in shock from his father's death. Up until then, Abe assumed they were ambushed by skinners or cowboys. The only other person who knew the truth was Ben.

Caleb was the first one to explain, "Those bandits at Lyme, the ones who ambushed us…"

Abe was shaking his head, suddenly understanding what they meant.

"No."

"…they were Rangers, Abe."

"No, no, no."

"It was Simcoe."

Abe was pacing now, running a hand through his hair. They all watched him for a moment.

"Is it really so hard to believe?" Molly croaked.

He didn't answer.

"Abe, look at me. Look at Caleb. Simcoe did this to us. We may not have signed anything, but Simcoe knows. He knows me, Caleb, and Ben are all spies. And when he figured you were one too—"

"It's my fault." Caleb said.

Molly furrowed her eyebrows.

Ben: "Well, you said it yourself, Caleb, you didn't sign anything. You never even said his name."

"I don't know what I said."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked.

"I blacked out. I lost time."

"No." Molly broke in. "I was there too. You didn't say anything."

"You blacked out too. You were asleep for hours. What if I said something when you were out?"

"No…" But when she tried to think about that night, her memories were a little fizzy.

"When I came to, he thanked me." Caleb scoffed. "That bastard thanked me."

"Thanked you? What for?" Ben asked.

"I don't know. I don't remember a thing." Caleb's voice was strained now. "What if I gave up Townsend? What if I gave up Mary?"

Molly was adamantly shaking her head, but she honestly didn't know. She was doubting her own memories now.

"We have to save her, Ben." Caleb decided. He was talking about Mary. "We have to bring her here now! He could be on his way to Setauket!"

Anna: "No, no, no, no, Caleb, he doesn't know. If you'd gave up Townsend, then we would have read about his hanging by now. And you never signed any papers, so he doesn't have proof. Otherwise, why disguise his men at the mill?"

Ben nodded, "And why kill Tories alongside Patriots? Why not just take the money?" He paused, and when he spoke again, there was a hint of realization in his voice, "Cooke's money, that's why. This wasn't sanctioned."

"No," Abe agreed, "it was vengeance."

He had stopped his pacing. He continued.

"Tried to kill him at Rocky Point by plotting an ambush. Tried to kill him in Setauket by plotting a revolt. And each time… I trusted his killing to someone else. I am not gonna make that mistake again."

Anna: "Abe."

Molly: "And what do you propose we do? The Rangers are posted in York City."

Abe shrugged, "Well then, I go to York city."

Anna: "Then you'll die. Simcoe is a veteran soldier, a killer protected by killers, surrounded by the British army on a fortress isle. You will die. He will laugh."

Ben: "She's right, I can't let you—"

"Can't let me?" Abe interrupted.

Ben shook his head, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Washington will never approve it. There's another mission being planned in York City. He won't endanger that."

"What mission?" Abe asked.

"It's none of your concern."

Abe rolled his eyes, but he quickly ignored the comment. Then he declared, "I am taking a horse and cart. And if Washington has something to say about it, he can come down here and stop me himself!"

Ben: "Abe, if you know—"

They all jumped. Someone was pounding on the barn door.

"Major Tallmadge, are you all right? Major Tallmadge!"

It was one of the soldiers. He sounded frantic.

"What is it?" Ben called back, going to the door.

"It's mutiny, sir. Half the Pennsylvania line's revolted."

"Revolted?" Molly whispered aloud. She knew she had not been to camp in many months, but this didn't make any sense.

"They stole weapons, killed officers." The soldier went on. They say they're marching on Congress."

Selah.

"Muster the men to the river. I'll be right there." Ben replied.

"Yes, sir."

They heard the man hurry off. Ben came back to where they were all standing in the center of the barn.

"It's a mutiny." Ben was looking at Abe now. "There'll be guards posted everywhere. You try to leave now, you'll be shot." He looked over at Anna, "Now, you keep him here. And all of you, keep safe."

Ben and Molly caught each other's gaze for a second. If it weren't for how badly bruised her face was, he would've kissed her. But he decided against it. He didn't want to cause her anymore discomfort. And then he was gone.

Abe began talking quietly with Caleb and Molly pulled Anna to the side.

"A mutiny?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"There's been unrest since Arnold's betrayal." She replied, equally as quiet. "Since the counterfeit plot last autumn, Congress declared bankruptcy."

"So?"

"Money's been tight, right? Most soldiers weren't being paid until their bounty was up."

Molly nodded. She knew that. It was easier for provide pay after a soldiers' enlistment than to consistently pay then throughout their enlistment.

"But why are we talking about that?" she asked.

"Molly, Congress declared bankruptcy. They're recalling all the Continental dollars so that they can weed out the counterfeit ones. But now there is no money circulating. Congress is behind on compensating soldiers."

"Oh…"

She remembered when they were going to declare bankruptcy. She was supposed to go to Philadelphia with Ben and Washington. But in the mess of everything with her going to York City, she had forgotten that they actually declared bankruptcy.

"And now they're mutinying because of it." Anna continued, "But, it should all be over soon. I already wrote to Selah."

Molly stared at her sister-in-law. She was dumbfounded. Last time she was in camp, Anna asked that Selah not be made known that she had left Setauket. But now, they were writing to each other?

Molly opened her mouth to say more, but Abe beat her to it.

"What's the mission in New York?"

"What?" Anna asked.

They turned to look at him. He was still partially pacing, and Caleb had moved to lay down on one of the piles of hay. Molly went over to him and laid next to him. Her ribcage was still aching.

"Ben said Washington's got another operation. Doesn't want me interfering. What is it?" Abe asked.

He was looking at Molly now. She shook her head and shrugged.

"Beats me."

He looked at Anna.

"I don't know."

That's when Caleb spoke up.

"They're telling the truth, Abe."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And what about you?" Abe went on. "Simcoe carved into you like you were a piece of meat."

"Abraham." Molly warned.

He shot her a look.

"You as well. Look what he did to you. What could possibly be more important than putting a knife into him?"

Caleb: "Washington doesn't know Simcoe like we do."

"To hell with Washington! You think he cares about us?! We are his loyal subjects."

"Not true."

Abe was becoming more frustrated.

"He is less than a mile away, and he still won't see me. Instead I am penned in here like a prized cow, like livestock! With missions I don't know about, with friends that don't trust me."

Caleb rolled his eyes and he shifted in the hay pile, pushing himself up so that he was sitting.

"Arnold, all right?" he said.

Molly raised her eyebrows, sitting up as well.

Caleb went on, "He's after Arnold. He wants him just as bad as you want Simcoe. He's obsessed with capturing him and stringing him up for the whole world to see." He began coughing, and Anna brought him a ladle with some water. There was a water bucket nearby.

"Thank you." Caleb mumbled. Then he continued, "And he doesn't trust nobody, neither. Not even those closest to him."

"Arnold?" Abe repeated.

"Yeah, Arnold. He took out all our friends in New Jersey and New York. I know it feel like it, but you're not the only spy in the war."

"He took Townsend?" Abe asked. He sounded concerned.

"Nobody knows." Anna admitted.

Molly was fairly certain he was fine. But she was beginning to doubt herself now.

Caleb: "Well, we don't think so."

"So, no eyes in New York?" Abe asked.

Caleb motioned for Anna to come closer, and then she helped him get to his feet. He stepped closer to Abe now.

"I don't pretend to know the man well, Abe, but he is a man."

Washington.

"Not a god and not the devil. He loses men every day—fathers, brothers, sons. And like any other man—"

"He wants revenge." Abe finished for him.

Caleb shrugged, "I was gonna say he feels each loss."

Abe nodded, he looked back and forth between the others briefly. Then he said,

"I have a proposal for the general."


Abe's proposal was presented well enough. They discussed the matter more, and the more they discussed, the better detailed the plan became. In the end, all four of them agreed that they needed to tell Ben about their plan. But there was nothing any of them could do about it for now. They were staying in the barn until they heard word that the mutiny had been resolved. And that could take all night.

Towards the beginning of the evening, Molly talked to Anna.

"Anna, do you happen to know where Abigail is?"

"Aye. She's in York City."

Molly squinted her eyes.

"Are you sure. When I ran into Jordan, he said he'd heard word she'd cross over to our lines."

"Oh. That. When John Andre was arrested, he was out of uniform. He requested that his uniform be brought to him directly, for his hanging. Abigail and Cicero crossed into our camp to see to him."

Molly scoffed, "What? And they chose to go back? Why didn't they stay here?"

"She went back for Jordan." Anna smirked when she saw the surprise on her sister-in-law's face. "Come now, it's not so hard to believe. Cicero was always fond of the man. And now it seems that all three of them are plotting to get to Canada."

Molly knew it wasn't hard to believe. In a way, she was glad they were leaving the colonies. Although Akinbode had saved her life – all their lives – she also knew that it would be easier for the three of them to secure their freedom papers if they crossed the border. Canada also meant that Akinbode could evade Simcoe. And she hoped he would be successful.

More time passed. Eventually, it was late, so the four friends were all in various places around the barn, beginning to doze off. Abe went off to one of the stables to sleep and Anna was sitting on a crate leaning back against one of the posts in the barn, her head bobbing as she tried to fight sleep. Caleb chose to stay lying in a pile of hay, and Molly decided to join him.

They had been beside each other for quite some time, and he hadn't said a single word to her. She knew that was strange. Usually, when they were together, he couldn't stop talking. At first, she thought he was genuinely tired. But the more they laid there, she knew he wasn't asleep. He was avoiding speaking with her.

Tired of the silence, she turned on her side, wincing at the new pressure on her side. She kept her voice low, so that only he could hear her.

"Hey, we need to talk."

"About?"

He sounded disinterested.

"You know what about. About what Simcoe said."

"Who cares what that slimy bastard said?"

"You sure seemed to."

There was a brief silence.

"Good night." He said sharply, turning his back to her.

She chewed on her lip for a moment. For knowing each other so long, they rarely argued. And she certainly didn't want all their business being known to Abe and Anna. She believed she had the right to have her own secrets too.

"Caleb—"

"I'm not having this conversation with you." He cut her off, turning to face her now. "Enough… Besides, it's not like it changes things anyway."

"That's true." She said slowly. "But I don't want this to change things between us…"

He rolled his eyes, and the gesture made her scowl.

"Come on, you've hardly said a word to me since we got here." She went on "I know you don't want to talk, so will you please just listen to me?"

He turned her back to her once more.

"You are a stubborn piece of shite." She mimicked the way he and Ben said the curse word. But still, no reaction.

She looked around for a moment and inhaled sharply. She refused to drop the subject though. So she went on.

"If you did feel that way at one point, then that's fine. I don't think less of you for it."

He scoffed, "Oh, well, I'm so relieved."

His tone dripped with sarcasm. When he turned to glance at her again, he saw that she was frowning now. She wasn't angry, she was sad. His expression softened, and he turned to fully face her once more.

"Alright, look, I'm sorry." He sighed before continuing "Have you said anything to Tallboy about it?"

"Not a word. And I wasn't planning on it."

He nodded, but she could tell he was still troubled by the fact she knew.

"I didn't want you to know, and I especially don't want him to know." Caleb tried to explain. But an explanation wasn't needed.

"No, I agree. It would make things…"

"Insufferable?"

She snickered.

"I was going to say strange, but aye, it probably would be insufferable as well."

They were both smiling now.

"I understood a long time ago nothing would come of it." He sounded in better spirits. "But that still didn't make me too eager to tell anyone." He quietly chuckled, "Besides, it's not like you didn't fancy any of the lads we grew up with."

She shoved his shoulder slightly, forgetting they were both hurt for a second. He grimaced, but it turned into quiet laughter.

"I'm serious." He coughed, "Or do I need to remind you of your little crush on ol' Robbie."

"Stop." Her tone was serious, but she was smiling too.

"I still remember when you told ol' Robbie Carlson that you fancied him, and the clot laughed in your face… so you stole his horse."

Molly closed her eyes, cringing at the memory. She had been sixteen, Caleb was fifteen. The only people who knew about her crush on Robbie Carlson were Caleb and Samuel – she refused to tell Selah.

She still remembered the mess that had come out of her declaration of love towards the boy. When she stole his horse, she had every intention of returning it. But then Robbie went to his father, who, in turn, went to Molly's father. And the men had a disagreement, and eventually took the dispute to Judge Woodhull. Abraham's father had never been fond of her before, but that day practically cemented his longstanding dislike towards her – and the same could be said for Robbie Carlson as well; she had rarely spoken to him since the incident.

Molly still remembered how mortified she had been by the entire affair. Of course, Caleb and Samuel had given her hell for it. They teased her mercilessly for months.

Caleb still found the story amusing.

"Oh, Moll, your father was livid! Never seen the man so angry. And that's also when the Judge stopped letting Abe visit Strong Manor. Yeah, me and your brother had to sneak him over from then on."

"I get it. Stop!"

Once their laughter died down, both of them suddenly began incredibly tired. Molly yawned and scooted closer to Caleb, so that she was curled up beside him. And they fell asleep beside each other, and things were just as platonic as they always were.


They were in the barn until the next day. Ben came to collect them at midmorning.

"Glad to see you didn't join the mutiny yourself." Caleb greeted.

Ben wasn't in the mood for a lighthearted commentary though. He looked exhausted, and that's because he was. He had been up all night, speaking with other officers, preparing and finally leading soldiers to stop the mutineers' march on Congress. Ben explained that the army cut them off by dawn. As the revolt was subdued, the soldiers involved chanted "we are not Arnolds". They were not betraying the army because they did not believe in the cause, they just wanted what was owed to them.

"Washington's already ordered a meeting with the officers. He's not made a decision yet."


The decision was made later that day. All of the soldiers involved in the mutiny (which was a little less than one hundred men) were to be discharged from service immediately. They would also be exempt from reenlistment. As for the leaders of the mutiny, it consisted of ten men in all. Washington ordered that those men be executed. To add insult to injury, Washington also ordered that the men be executed by their own men… to deter any future revolts, the General said.

Caleb and Molly snuck out of the medical tent the first chance they got. They went to see the execution; not because they were coldhearted, more because they were still in disbelief regarding the General's decision.

The camp at New Windsor stretched much farther than the one in Middlebrook. In Middlebrook, they had been restricted by the local towns and by the landscape. But in New Windsor, they were in the middle of the woods, almost in the middle of nowhere. The barn where Abe was hiding, and the medical tents were about a mile away from the main house Washington had claimed as his headquarters. And that was where the executions were to take place as well.

After their brief hike, they both stood towards the back of the clusters of soldiers, watching everything unfold. The ten leaders were tied to posts in front of headquarters. They were to be killed via firing squad. In front of each man stood one soldier who had been involved in the revolt.

Molly stood on her tiptoes, trying to make out the entire scene. That's when she noticed Ben and Colonel Hamilton standing next to each other, near the Field Marshall. Field Marshall Wayne was the one who would be giving instructions for the execution. That's when Molly noticed that Washington was nowhere in sight.

"You'd figure the old bastard would have the decency to show his face." She whispered.

She hated to speak of the General that way, but she was still annoyed about what Ben had told her. About falling out of favor with him. The punishment these men were facing also irritated her. After all, it wasn't like Ben had been paid for any of his service in this war either. The only one of them who did have a savings was Caleb. And that was just because he was a privateer, and it was easier for him to smuggle and pocket the profits.

"Oh, he's here. Look." Caleb pointed towards the house.

Molly moved her eyes in that direction. And that's when she saw the General. He was standing in the second story window, watching everything.

And then it was time to begin.

"Make ready!" the Field Marshall ordered.

Other soldiers stepped forward and tied blindfolds around the ten leaders' heads. So that they could not watch. It became silent. No one made a sound.

"Take aim!"

The men shouldered their muskets and

"Closer!"

Molly scrunched her face in confusion. She and Caleb exchanged a look. This wasn't normal. The soldiers took a hesitant step forward.

"Closer!"

She looked over at where Ben was. He and Hamilton both looked equally troubled.

"Closer!"

Oh, please God, make him stop. She pleaded.

The soldiers were standing only a couple of feet away from the men meant to be executed. The barrels of their muskets were nearly touching them.

"Fire!"

Molly flinched as the guns went off. She always did. By time she opened her eyes again, the ten men's bodies were slumping over. They were dead. And the men who had just shot them were trembling where their stood, eager to get away. But it wasn't over.

"Do not look away!" the Field Marshall ordered.

That's when the first of the executioners began vomiting.

"Do not look away!"

More men followed suit. They were sickened by what had transpired. Molly brought a hand to her mouth. She had broken out into a cold sweat and she could feel her own stomach churning.

"Do not… look… away!"

Caleb reached out and took her other hand. And she gave him a grateful squeeze. She was certain if she had witnessed this alone, she too would have been sick.

And finally, it was over.


They were making their way through the parting sea of soldiers. Caleb pulled Molly behind him as he walked. He still had a firm grip on her hand. And then they were at Ben's tent. Ben was inside, pacing. Still upset by what he just witnessed. The logistics of the execution were brutal enough, but he had no idea the Field Marshall would make the execution more so.

He was startled when he turned around and saw Caleb and Molly step into the tent.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. But then the thought came to him. "Did Abe try and leave?"

"He's still here. He wants to talk."

"Yeah, well, everyone wants their grievances heard, don't they?" Ben was bitter. "Those men out there? And we don't listen, do we? Not to them, not to bloody Arnold, and this army pays the price. One defection, and it's tearing us apart, still!"

"Ben." Molly said quietly.

He ignored her though and began pacing once more.

"I know." Caleb shrugged. "That's why I told Abe about our job to grab Arnold."

Ben froze and shot a glare at his friend.

"You did what?"

"Is this also a bad time to give you my report from New York?" Molly added, trying to diffuse the tension. "I may have fallen out of Washington's favor, but none of you can ignore the fact that I served drinks to most of the British high command." She shrugged, "I wasn't twiddling my thumbs in York City, you know. I know the officers' schedules."

Even though she had only been employed at Rivington's for one months, whenever she would visit Townsend at the coffeehouse, she could also expect to see certain officers at certain times.

Before Ben could say another word, Caleb added.

"Like I said, he wants to talk. Do you wanna listen?"


When the three of them returned to the barn, Abe and Anna were still there.

Ben: "All right, out with it."

Abe: "It's better if I talk to Washington."

"No, Abe, you talk to me. I talk to him. If your message merits it.

"It does." Abe explained. "See, Washington wants Arnold and you need intelligence on his movement in the city, and I can get that for you."

And that's when Abe pleaded his case. He argued that, as long as Simcoe lived, the ring was compromised. By volunteering to go to York City, Abe would be able to seek vengeance on Simcoe; which could be viewed both justified – for his father's death – and necessary – for the ring's protection.

"And how does that help us get to Arnold?" Ben asked.

Abe and Molly exchanged a look.

"Now, just keep an open mind." Molly said.

Abe nodded, "I volunteer for Arnold's unit. The American Legion."

Ben looked over at Molly.

"This part is your idea?" he asked in disbelief.

"Hear us out. When I was a barmaid, I found out enough details about Arnold's purpose in the city. He was given the title of General and he was given command of a regiment. But let's be honest, the British are not going to send him out to battle—"

"You don't know that."

"They won't send him out anytime soon." Her voice was rising to speak over him. "If they do, they're sure to lose him, and then the loss of Major Andre would've been for nothing."

He still looked unconvinced.

"As a private in the loyal American Legion, Abe will have the perfect opportunity to learn Arnold's full schedule and observe his movements."

"So what? Abe, you're alright will all this? You'll enlist as a redcoat?"

Caleb shrugged, "More like Tory militia."

Ben looked around the room at the four of them.

"Okay, fine. Let's say we go along with this. But it still doesn't explain Abe's motivation for joining the Legion."

"That's what we said too." Anna jumped in. "But then I got the latest issue of the Gazette." She pulled the paper out of her dress pockets. "Look, right here." She opened the newspaper to the appropriate article and pointed. "The redcoats have already thought up a lie to explain what went wrong at the exchange. Look, 'rampaging rebels as the attackers at Lyme'…" she read. "So, that gives Abe the motive to seek revenge against the rebels who killed his father."

Ben was quiet for several moments. As much as he didn't like it, he had to admit, it was a good plan. It was far better than Washington's current plot to nab Arnold from the city.

"I don't like it." Ben finally said.

"Neither do I." Abe agreed. "But what other choice do we have?"


By the end of the week, Ben had proposed their plan to Washington. By some Godsent, he approved of the mission, and agreed to support it. They were meeting in the barn one final time to go over the last-minute details.

"Wait until Arnold has been captured before you make your kill." Ben was saying. "Now, you'll be traveling to Setauket today. Go lay your father to rest, and then you travel into the city."

"No, first Mary comes back with me." Caleb said.

He was still adamant that their first priority was to make sure that Mary and Thomas made it to New Windsor. He was terrified by the prospect of Simcoe getting to them first. He was in better health than before, and he kept reassuring them that he was fine to travel to Setauket with Abe.

"Right, of course," Ben agreed, "Mary and Thomas will travel back here with Caleb. She—" He paused suddenly. "Hell, what will she tell everyone back home? That she's—"

"Visiting her father's." Anna chimed in.

"Yes, good." Ben continued, "Then you make your way into the city, you make contact with Townsend and inform him of our mission. After he sends the necessary intelligence back to us, then we will send our man in to you."

Abe nodded, "Right. And who will it be?"

"Not decided yet. But you will know him by the use of the phrase 'I miss the summer of '73'."

Molly froze, uncertain if she heard him correctly. But she had. The summer of 1773. That was the summer Ben returned to Setauket after being away for university. That was the summer they became close friends.

Ben went on, "Now look, I need your word on this, Abe. Are we in agreement?"

"Aye."


Abe and Caleb left at nightfall. They all were there to see him off. Next time they were to see Caleb, Mary and Thomas would be with him. Abe pulled Molly to the side before he departed.

"Let's please not talk about what happened on Thanksgiving." She smirked.

They had already discussed it and made the proper apologies. She was glad they could move passed that night.

"I know it's a lot to ask," he began. "but please, look after Mary and Thomas for me. You were always a good friend to her back home."

Molly nodded. The more they talked about Mary, the more excited she was to see her again. She hadn't seen Mary since she fled from Setauket over a year ago. She had missed her company. And she was excited to see how Thomas had grown.

"Of course I will. We all will."

Abe glanced over at Ben and Anna.

"I know. But I'm not sure she'll be so willing to trust all of you."

They both paused.

"I'm sorry again." she said. "For your father."

He looked away, and she suddenly felt sorry she had anything. His eyes were watery.

"Thank you."

"Hey, good luck."

He scoffed, almost in disbelief still. "I hope this plan of ours works."

"So do I."


Author's Note: I did try to do some research on the injuries Caleb and Molly sustained. Caleb's injuries are kind of weird bc Simcoe cut and burned him, but based on the episode, the cuts were never that deep. The main thing about his injuries are just the physical and mental exhaustion of being tortured. Physically, he's going to be fine; but there would probably be a lot of scarring. Mentally... well we all know how that turns out.

As for Molly, she got the absolute shit beaten out of her. So, she has a couple broken ribs and the description of what the injury looks like/the treatment is about as accurate as I can make it. As for her broken nose, that treatment was weird to research. Noses typically need to be rebroken/need a type of splint to help them heal correctly. I tried researching what may have been used for a splint in the 1770s, but I couldn't find any information. The nose heals fairly quickly, so the gauze technique is completely made up by me. Seeing as I have no credentials, I have no idea if that would actually work.

Also, fun thing about laudanum. It was a popular painkiller during the 17th and 18th centuries. Like I said, it was a mixture of alcohol and opium. So, you can imagine how addictive it was; hence why Molly only needs such a small dose and then she's passed out for hours.