Chapter 6:The Rules of War

Anna gripped Thomas's shoulder firmly. "Don't do anything stupid," she hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

"Why are you telling me that?"

"Because you usually do something stupid."

Thomas glared, his jaw tight.

The head of the Dragoons looked around haughtily from his horse at the family, dirty and blood- and sweat-stained. He had cold, pale blue eyes, and his body language absolutely screamed Disobey me and your head will be separated from your body. Meg's body was stiff with fear, her eyes wide.

"Captain, take our men to the surgeon's at camp," he ordered. "Fire the house and barns. Kill the livestock, but keep the horses. We'll use them for the Dragoons."

The captain ignored our horrified looks, but the leader did not. "Let it be known that if you harbor the enemy, you'll lose your home," he said smoothly.

"But sir, what about the Rebels injured?" The injured men raised their heads, fearing what would be spoken.

"Kill them."

The captain stood speechless. A soldier ran from the porch with a packet of letters and handed them to the leader. "Enemy dispatches, sir," he said. The leader looked thru them carelessly.

"Who carried this?" he asked nonchalantly. They all remained silent, Anna and Gabriel sharing a glance. "WHO CARRIED THIS?"

Gabriel stepped forward. "I did, sir. I was injured; these people gave me care."

"Send this to the commander," he instructed. "Hang him and put his body on display. He's a spy." Gabriel was seized by two soldiers. Anna struggled to hold back Thomas, who fought to get to his brother. Father tried to sway him.

"Sir, he's a dispatch messenger, he cannot be held as a spy," he protested.

"We're not going to hold him," he said with a smirk. "We're going to hang him."

"But sir, by the rules of war-"

"Would you like a lesson, sir, in the rules of war?" the leader snarled, pointing his pistol at Father's chest. Then he smiled, a cold, cruel smile. "Or perhaps your children would.?" He raised the gun to point at the porch, and Abegail clung to Susan desperately while Anna held Thomas and Nathan and Samuel behind her, shielding them with her body. The leader noticed this.

"Come here, pretty girl," he said coldly. Anna looked around, not sure of who he was talking to. He aimed his pistol right at her chest. "I said 'Come here'," he snarled angrily, and she hurriedly stepped forward, her eyes never leaving the leader. He smiled at her coldly, his eyes lingering where they wanted. She glared.

"I have a gift for you," he said. He dug into his pouch and pulled out a gold necklace, studded with emeralds, diamonds, and sapphires. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen, but she refused to look impressed. He handed it grandly over to her, motioning on of his guards to put it on her. "I hope you're impressed with this little tidbit," he said grandly. Anna fingered the heaviness in her delicate fingers, raising her eyes to his arrogant face.

"This is beautiful," she said quietly, "but there's just one problem." With that, she unclipped it from the back and threw it as hard as she could to the floor. With a crack, it separated into three pieces. "It's broken," she said innocently, her face full of defiance as his face reddened with anger. Father stepped in front of her and shoved her back up to the porch, where Thomas grinned at her.

"Sir," Father implored, "I beg of you-"

"Father," Gabriel hissed under his breath, but the leader heard him, smiling cruelly.

"Oh, I see," he said. "He's your son." He turned to the soldiers. "Tie his hands together."

Gabriel steadied himself as he was jerked forward by the soldiers. Father returned to the porch, defeated.

"Father," Thomas cried, amazed. "Do something!"

"Be quiet," Father hissed. Thomas looked from side to side, being shoved aside as the soldiers entered the house and porch. He looked up to see Gabriel having his hands tied together. In a split second that lasted a lifetime, he sprinted from the front porch. Anna, feeling him leave her, raced after him. Father turned, watching his son sprint towards the soldiers and smash into them.

"Gabriel, run!" he screamed just as Anna reached him, jerking him towards her and facing him.

"Thomas! Anna!" Father cried, racing from the porch as the leader aimed his pistol at Anna's unaware form.

"What, are you crazy?" Anna shrieked at Thomas, her hands squeezing his shoulders.

"Wait!" Father cried as the leader pulled the trigger. Anna's eyes widened and a cry escaped her lips, her back arching and her arms flying forward. One more bullet was fired as she fell, and Thomas shuddered from the force of the bullet to the chest. Father caught Anna as she crumpled to the ground, crying, "Anna! Thomas!" The boy soon fell into his arms, gasping for breath and from the pain. He held their heads in his hands, each balanced on a knee, as the bells from the church across town tolled.

"Thomas! Anna!" Gabriel cried, trying to escape the soldier's grasp to get to their side. He held firm, shoving him behind the wagon as Gabriel screamed. "NOOOOOOOO!"

Father looked up to the leader, his children dying in his arms, with his gentle blue eyes, pleading for a reason of the murders.

"Stupid girl," he said coldly. "As stupid as the boy." Father's eyes hardened as he felt the air tighten in Anna's chest, and he turned to them. The leader looked up.

"Captain, the torches." And he galloped away. Meg, watching all this from the porch with the others, ran from the porch with Susan and her brothers.

"Thomas!"

"Anna!"

Anna clutched Thomas's hand in hers. "My heart dies with you," she gasped, her breath slowing. He squeezed her hand tightly, the color draining from his face. Meg struggled not to cry.

And in the space of a few moments, life was stolen. All the pain and struggle was erased from Anna's face, her eyes closed and her mouth slightly open, her expressions slack. And in the time it takes to count to two, the same happened to Thomas. And Father was left cradling his two dearest children, and he looked up. Gabriel was still looking to see his brother and sister, slowly being led away. Father let his hands run up and down their cooling cheeks, feeling the tears but not letting them fall.