June 1781
Molly could feel the eyes of the other camp followers on her. She felt this every time she returned to their section of camp. At first, she was self-conscious of their prying eyes. After all, it was obvious she had not been on their side of camp that night, and it was obvious she had returned from spending the night at Ben's tent. Typically, if she decided to stay the night, she would be sure to be back at her tent either right before or right at dawn. But that morning, they had both overslept.
She found Mary and Thomas at their tent.
"Morning."
Molly could already feel the blush rising to her face. It had only happened a few times now, but she hated returning to their tent when Mary was already awake. Mary never said anything, but Molly still felt weird about everything. After all, Mary hadn't seen her husband in months now. But this morning, it was different. As soon as Mary heard her voice, she reached out and put a hand on Molly's arm, and she whispered so that only she could hear.
"We have a problem. I need to talk to you and Benjamin."
They had to wait until nightfall. They left Thomas with Anna – whom they decided to exclude from this meeting – and snuck away to the barn. When they stepped inside, Ben was waiting for them, with a lantern in hand.
"Were you followed?" he asked.
They weren't.
"What do you have to tell us?"
Mary looked between the two of them for a second.
"There's a spy amongst the camp followers working for the British."
"What?" Molly gasped. "Who?"
"How do you know?"
Mary glanced at Ben warily and chose to answer his question first. The two of them had come to an understanding, but they still didn't necessarily get along.
"She revealed her true intentions and her true name to me when she learned I was hiding mine."
Ben quietly swore.
"Wait, she knows who you are?" Molly asked.
Mary nodded. Ben couldn't believe how fortunate they were that only the spy discovered Mary's true background and not one of the other camp followers. If it had been anyone else, Mary could've been accused of being a spy.
"Who is she?" Ben asked.
Mary hesitated.
"What's wrong?" Molly asked.
"What do I get in return?"
"Mary!"
Ben scoffed, "How about you won't be charged with treason?
Mary let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'll serious. Now, I do not think it is much to ask, but I want to know more about Abe's mission in the city."
"We've been over this. The less you know about the details, the better."
"Aye, and especially now." Ben agreed. "What if you slip up? Tell this spy something they can use against us… against Abe."
Mary had never been satisfied with that reasoning. It had been a year and a half, and she knew that they'd hardly heard word from him. Ben and Molly both claimed he was safe, and that his position as a redcoat was secure.
Abe had spent his time in the city for the past year and a half training and then serving as a local sentry. Few soldiers in Benedict Arnold's regiment were allowed to work directly with the General. Just like when Molly was in the city, Arnold's regiment was in name only; a formality to disguise the embarrassment of the British high command. Everyone missed John Andre.
But it didn't change the fact that Mary hadn't seen him in a year and a half. She felt as if she was going mad, knowing so little. She didn't know how Molly or Ben lived like this when the war first started. Mary was constantly talking about Abe with Molly and Thomas. She didn't know how Molly managed to avoid mentioning Ben's name the entire time she was living in British occupied Setauket.
"Please," she said. She was looking at Molly now. She knew that was the only person she could appeal to. "Molly, please. I just want to know that the mission is going well. That he will be home soon."
Molly growled in frustration. She loved her friend, but she couldn't believe she was being so stubborn. She understood though.
For the last year and a half, Molly often felt as if she was being useless to the cause. She didn't know how Ben could stand being the head of intelligence. Being the one not out in the field. Being the one waiting for reports that may never come. Sending reports that may never come. She found it infuriating, but there was nothing she could do about it.
"Fine." Molly hissed. "We have no idea when Abe will be coming back. We sent a man into the city a year ago to support him on his mission and then bring him home. But we haven't heard from either of them in weeks."
"A year ago? Wait, is the man the defector everyone was talking about?"
"Aye."
Ben swore again, but it was more out of annoyance. He still didn't fully trust Mary.
It was different for him; he hardly knew her; she was Molly's friend, not his. In Ben's mind, the only reason the ring worked was because all the members knew each other so well. Molly was to be his wife, Caleb and Abe and even Anna were his childhood friends. Although Ben had never met Robert Townsend, he trusted Abe's discretion. But it was different with Mary because she was not an official member of the ring. She was just an outsider who wanted more information on their operations. Molly's friend or not, that posed as a threat to all of them.
"But I don't understand, why is it taking so long for him to make contact?" Mary asked.
"These things take time. Our man had to both defect and find Abe inside of the city. Once they find each other, then Abe has to find the time to contact another one of our men. And he's the one who writes to us."
"That's the man at Rivington's, yes?"
Molly rolled her eyes.
"You know I won't answer that, Mary. Now do you have satisfaction? Do you have a name to give us or not?"
"Alright, I'm sorry. Her name is Ann Bates. You know her as Ann Barnes."
Molly laughed aloud.
"Mrs. Barnes?"
She could hardly comprehend it. The women who frequently looked after Thomas was a Tory spy.
Mary nodded and looked at Ben, "And she knows you run intelligence for Washington. And she thinks you and Anna Strong are lovers, and that your wife and I are friendly. She asks I get any information that I can from you."
Molly had come to terms that, as long as they were in camp, the gossip about Ben and Anna wasn't going to go away.
"Who does she report to?" Ben asked.
"I don't know."
"Is she working with anyone else in the camp?"
"I don't know. I suggest you arrest her and ask her."
Mary was surprised when neither of them responded. She could tell that they were both mulling over the information, and then Molly leaned over and whispered something to Ben, and he nodded.
"I didn't look for this. It just happened." Mary added nervously.
That makes two of us, Molly thought.
"What will happen to her?
"Nothing." Ben shrugged, "I'm not going to arrest her."
"What?"
"She's targeting our network, but we know nothing about hers. If we take her now, then it might warn the others."
Molly nodded, "Mary, you have to keep this ruse up. Find out who else she's working with."
Mary laughed aloud, finding the entire idea absurd.
"I have to—I am not her spy or your spy."
Ben disagreed.
"You wanted to be more involved. You want more information on Abraham. Well, this is how you're more involved."
Molly nodded, "Like you said, Mary, what do I get in return? That's the way this ring's always worked. You help us get more information, we'll tell you more details about Abe's mission."
"But…" Mary stammered, "Me? A spy? Why is that better?"
"We don't know how long she's been in camp or what she knows." Ben explained, "It's possible that she or one of her allies already has something on Abe and just hasn't put it together yet."
"I think she's working alone."
"Well, if you can confirm that, then we'll all breathe a little easier. Can you confirm it?"
"No. I can't confirm it." She paused.
Mary glanced between the two of them again. As much as she didn't like it, they were right. Mrs. Barnes could have information on Abe. As much as she and Abe had had their disagreements during the war, he was still her husband and Thomas' father. She would do everything she could to protect him; that's what she had been doing all this time.
"All right. Tell me what to do."
A week passed, and there was still no word from Mary regarding Mrs. Barnes. Molly had purposely been finding excuses to not be with Mary. She knew it would give Mary more opportunities to speak with Mrs. Barnes. For the past few days, Molly had been spending a lot of time at the sutler cart with Anna.
Tension was still high between them, and the two women hardly spoke. Anna had still not fully come to forgive Molly for punching her, but Molly didn't care. Over the past months they had come to a mutual understanding: They did not like each other, and they would probably never like each other. But, for as long as they needed to, they would tolerate each other.
Molly had moved her pile of clothes to where she was sat beside the cart. She still didn't understand why the other women left her with so much sewing. Her hands ached and the tips of her fingers were raw from where she'd pricked herself with the needle countless times.
She yelped in surprise, losing her grip in the needle and swearing as it fell into the dirt. A newspaper had been dropped in her lap. She shot a glare at the person in front of her. It was Anna.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Look at the advertisement."
Molly picked up the paper and scanned the front page. In the center of the page was an advertisement from Hercules Mulligan's tailor shop. Mulligan had been working with Robert for the last few months. Robert wrote to them to verify Mulligan's loyalties. The advertisement read: Lace cravats in three varieties. Molly's eyes widened. That was the signal.
She looked back up at Anna, her mouth slightly agape.
"That's the correct one, right? I just want to be certain."
"Aye. It is… is this today's paper?" Molly brushed her own question off. That didn't matter. She was getting ahead of herself. She pushed herself to her feet and handed the newspaper back to Anna. "Bring this to Ben, right now. I'll cover for you here."
Anna nodded and made her way into the main camp.
Lace cravats in three varieties. That was the signal. It meant that John Champe had made contact with Abraham Woodhull. It meant that Abe had contacted Robert Townsend, who, in turn, had told Hercules Mulligan to post the advertisement. Everything was planned. They were going to abduct Benedict Arnold.
"Molly!"
She looked up. She had moved from her place on the ground to leaning over one of the tables beside the cart. The tables were filled with an array of goods and trinkets that the camp followers and soldiers bartered for. She lowered her hands, still clutching the fabric and needle in her hands, as she watched Ben walking towards her, with Teddy Beddows in tow.
"Hi, Ted."
He was one of Caleb's privateer friends. In fact, it was Teddy Beddows' contact who was responsible for betraying Caleb and having his captured by the redcoats. Teddy had felt terrible about the incident ever since, and he was still trying to make it up to Caleb.
They were in front of her now and she straightened upright. Ben gestured to Teddy.
"You tell her."
Teddy began, "Hi Ms. Moll. Caleb asked me to be his second rower for some sort of mission. Said I should ready meself to leave at any time. Well, he tells me about the signal, and I met him when he said to. But he's not ready to go. I tried to get him to, but I don't even think he can. He's out of sorts."
Ben nodded, "Apparently he's drunk and wild."
"What?"
Molly was having a hard time comprehending. It didn't make sense. She knew Caleb enjoyed drinking, but so did she, and so did Ben. She didn't think he would intentionally get drunk when he had the mission to think about.
"He says it's bad." Ben added. "I think you better come along."
She opened her mouth to respond, but she began tripping over her words.
"I told Anna I'd mind the cart." She finally said.
"Forget about the cart. I saw Anna heading over this way. Come on!"
She didn't need to be told twice.
The three of them were walking down a grassy field. They were on the other side of camp which was beside the Hudson River. They could see the shape of Caleb's whaleboat in the water, but there was no sign of Caleb. But then they realized he was sitting with his back against a tree beside the bay. As they got nearer, Caleb called out.
"Benny boy! Do you know how handsome you are in that uniform?"
His speech was slurred. Molly slowed her pace, suddenly unsure of what to make of everything. If she knew anything, it was that Caleb could hold his liquor. She hadn't seen him this drunk since they were teenagers.
They were standing in front of him now. Caleb was chuckling to himself, his head bobbing slightly. He looked delirious.
"You know what, Tallboy, we need to get you and Moll married before the war ends. Because the good Lord don't take too kindly to you twos laying together before marriage."
He had only ever walked in on them once, but he never let them forget it. Molly blushed furiously, and that only made Caleb burst out into more laughter.
"You find this funny, do you?" Ben asked. "Yeah? Shirking your responsibilities." He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and gave him a rough shake. "Get off your sorry arse and face me!"
Caleb stopped laughing.
"You're derelict of duty and you're lucky if I don't choose to have you court martialed. You hear me?"
"Get off." Caleb mumbled.
Ben gave him another shove before letting go, "What have you got to say for yourself? Huh?"
"I did this to save the mission, all right?" Caleb slurred. He was still clutching a flask in his one hand.
"Oh? And how does this save the mission?" Molly countered. Her voice was strained, and her throat felt tight. She hated to see her friend like this.
"You're better off without me. You all are."
Ben and Molly half talked over each other.
"What are you ever talking about?"
"Can you hear yourself?"
Caleb set his jaw and glared up at them.
"No, I can't hear meself!" he roared.
Molly flinched at the sudden mood swing. Caleb kept yelling.
"All I hear is Simcoe! He's in there! He won! I can't stop seeing that bastard's face when he thanked me for giving up my friends!"
He took another drink.
Ben and Molly exchanged a look. Neither of them knew what to say.
"Caleb… Caleb, listen to me. That never happened." Ben finally said.
They had had this conversation countless times. But Caleb never became emotional like he was now.
Caleb started crying then.
"Caleb, look at me. That never…" Ben tried to console him. But he stopped himself, "You know, you could have told me sooner." Ben turned to Molly again and leaned in to whisper to her. "We can't botch this mission. I'll go find another rower. You try talking to him."
She nodded and watched Ben and Teddy as they began to walk back in the direction of camp. When they were out of earshot, she turned her attention back towards Caleb.
"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked.
He had stopped crying, but now he was sniffling.
"What? You're saying you don't think about that night?" he mumbled.
She sighed and took a seat on the ground across from him. She snatched the flask away from him and took a swig before handing it back.
"No, I do. I…" she stopped herself.
"What?"
The truth was, the two of them hadn't spoken about that night since it happened. She knew their friendship hadn't been the same since that night, and she hated that. She had assumed it was because he was still embarrassed that Simcoe had revealed his previous crush. She had blamed it as that.
They didn't talk like they used to, and she knew she spent most of her time with Mary and Ben. And, with Washington's strict orders still in place, it was harder to either of them to visit each other on their sides of camp. But she never even considered it may be because of something like this.
"I do think about it, but I'm trying hard not to."
"Does Ben know?"
She scoffed, feeling tears beginning to well in her eyes.
"No. I-I don't want to talk to him about it."
"Why not?"
She huffed in frustration and smacked him on the arm.
"Because Caleb Brewster, that night I felt the same way I did when I thought my brother was dead. I thought you were going to die. I thought I was going to die. I was scared to death." She paused to wipe away the tear that was falling down her cheek. "I didn't want you to do that, you know."
He stared at her blankly.
"I didn't want you to volunteer to be branded by a hot iron. Alright? I could've taken it."
"No, you couldn't."
She glared at him, but he wasn't trying to lighten the mood. He was dead serious.
"Besides, what does that have to do with anything that is happening right now? You've been fine the last year and a half."
He shook his head, "No I'm not. I just didn't tell you lot."
That explained the drinking. He had hidden that from them as well.
"You don't get it, do you Moll? I can't ride. I can't shoot. I can't even throw me axe. And it's all because of what happened that night."
She had not been angry with Caleb in a very long time, but she could feel the rage building inside her. She wanted to feel sorry for him, but she couldn't, because he was jeopardizing all of this, all of them. She leaned forward and said bitterly.
"Ben's right. Damn you, Caleb Brewster. Damn you for not telling us sooner. For not telling me sooner."
She got to her feet and walked away without another word.
When she got back to the edge of camp, she found Teddy Beddows stood there.
"How is he?"
"Damn him." Molly said. "Where's Ben?"
"He's taking Caleb's place. Went off to his tent to throw on different clothes."
Molly hurried across camp and pushed open the flaps to Ben's tent. He was half dressed, trying to pull on civilian clothes.
"Do you mind?"
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Listen, we don't have time to be democratic about this. They were supposed to already be gone. And if we're not there for the drop…" he sighed. "How is he?"
"Bad. He's bad. He claims he's been out of sorts ever since we got back." She chewed on her lip, still thinking about their conversation.
"And what? I know you two were tortured, but you've never said a word about it either. Have I just been a complete ass? Or do you ever think about it?"
She shook her head. He knew she was lying, but he wasn't going to question her. They didn't have time.
"So what?" she asked. "You and Ted are rowing down the Hudson instead?"
He nodded, buttoning up the last buttons on his coat.
"With any luck, we should all we back at camp by morning. Me, Teddy, Abe, John, Arnold… all of us."
"Good luck."
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. It was a fleeting kiss because they didn't have the time. And then he was gone, and she was left standing alone in the tent.
Author's Note: I know I'm not the only one unsatisfied with Season 4. I'm about 90% sure that TURN got cancelled by the network, but somehow the creators managed to scrap together a series finale so we wouldn't be left with a cliffhanger. While I appreciate the ending for what it is, no one can deny that the timejumps in Season 4 are ridiculous. I have cross-referenced all my notes regarding timestamps and the historical events that are mentioned in the show to when those events actually happened, and I've done this at least a dozen times while rewriting Season 4. There's no way around it. This is what I have to work with, so I hope you'll understand that that is why the narrative is taking a bit of a dive :/
