"Where is she?" Tavington asked Angela. She stood there silently and then
bang, she was dead. Gabriel winced and stared in shock as he shot them all.
He had known these people; they didn't deserve this at all. He barely
muffled Cora's scream with his hand as she struggled to get free. She
watched in horror as Tavington did the same thing to Ian and Nicole and
Tiffany. Cora burst into tears as she felt a piece of her heart break off
and fall away into a hell. He couldn't let her get away. It hurt that they
were dead but if she died, that would be too much for him to bare.
"Let me go." She said trying to get free. They couldn't die, not because of
her, not when she could save them.
"No Cora stay here! He'll just kill you too!" Gabriel said grabbing her
waist. 'I can't let that happen' he thought to himself.
"I don't care, let me go this instant!"
"Shhhh, stay down, hush!" he implored her.
She bit his hand and almost got free but he grabbed her again, wrapping his
arms about her waist.
"Leave me be!"
"Cora I am begging you. Don't go, stay down."
"She can't die. Please let me go, he'll kill her." She struggled harder as
Tavington went down the line, one by one they all went down until he came
to Amelia.
"He'll kill you as well!" he argued
"Oh God please no." she pleaded as Tavington stared at the woman and she
met his gaze squarely. Cora struggled even more and Gabriel threw himself
backward, one arm like steel about her waist and the other at her mouth.
Cora writhed and fought mightily but he would not yield and she wasn't
strong enough to relinquish his hold. She scratched and kicked, her arms
flailing around struggling in vain. A gunshot sounded and a choked wail
sounded from Cora's throat almost escaping Gabriel's quick hand. Cora
watched in abject terror as Amelia hit the ground, her eyes wide and full
of tears. Gabriel's hand covered her screams and wails as he fought to keep
her down.
"Burn the house and barns. Save the horse for dragoons." Tavington said
coldly. Cora wanted to die. That was Papa's house. The house that they had
built a home in. He would burn it to the ground and she couldn't stop him.
She fought relentlessly as Gabriel grabbed her bag pulled her too her feet
and started to drag her away. She saw as the lit torches engulfed the house
in flames as Gabriel led her away. She threw her weight back onto him
throwing him to the ground and then bolted toward the house. But Gabriel
was faster than she was and he caught her wrist and pushed her against a
tree, his weight holding her down, his hand covering her mouth.
"Cora listen to me," He started holding her down. She bucked him off and
started to run but he gripped her shoulders and slammed her against the
tree again, rougher this time "Listen to me!" he said roughly. His violence
caught her attention and she stopped struggling for a while. "I know that
it hurts, I know it believe me, but there is nothing that you can do now.
If you go back and he finds you, he will kill you and then they died for
nothing. Please, I know how it feels to have your whole life ripped away
but you have to believe that it will get better. You have to believe in
their death." She stopped struggling finally exhausted and looked at him,
her eyes dead and full of tears. He removed his hand and brushed her hair
from her face. "Please, do not add your own death to this tragedy, please I
beg of you. Justify their sacrifice, honor them by staying alive!" She
shook her head slowly as she began to cry again, huge tears sliding down
her face.
"I can't." she whispered brokenly.
"Yes, yes you can. I'll help you." He insisted. She looked away and closed
her eyes sobbing bitterly. "Cora look at me." He said and she shook her
head 'no'. "Please just this once." Her eyes opened and she fixed them on
his. "Believe me now, and I'll help you believe the rest. Trust me now,
this one time. I wouldn't lie to you about this." She stared into his eyes,
finding will in his sincere words, and concerned eyes and nodded slightly.
He smiled gently and pulled her head to his shoulder, keeping her there
momentarily, letting her cry for a bit, before pulling away and picking up
her bag, leading her to his horse. He mounted and pulled her up behind him
then rode off quietly.
