Thanks so much, y'all, for reading and reviewing. It was a real boost. :-) Here's the next chapter. It's short, but I'm working on chapter 5 and will post it as soon as it's done. Am I supposed to put all those disclaimers here? I don't own Patriot or any of the characters from it, but Laura Hanson and Shadow are my creations. :-)

Chapter 4

It was dark when I opened my eyes. I had to blink a few times to focus. With a groan, I lifted my hand to my head.

"Uncle Dave?" My throat was so dry my voice came out in a rough whisper.

A shape that looked nothing like my uncle came toward me. "Ah...so you've decided to come back to the land of the living, have you?"

I blinked a few more times and focused on the speaker. He looked different, wearing a long white shirt without the red and green coat, and his hair hanging free about his shoulders. But I would recognize that cold stare anywhere.

"Bummer." I ran my hands over my eyes and opened them again, still hoping to waken and no longer see this frightening person bending over me. "I'm still here."

"And where else would you be?"

"Where exactly am I?"

"For now, you are lying on my cot in my tent. I had the doctor take a look at you when you passed out."

"How kind of you," I mumbled, mostly to myself.

"Kind has nothing to do with it." He smiled, and I thought there was a cruel satisfaction in the gesture. "I simply want you perfectly healthy so you don't miss out on any of the details of your execution."

"Execution? Whatever for?" I sat up, closing my eyes against the spinning. Now was no time to pass out. I was no wimp. Something was dreadfully wrong with me. I'd never fainted before, and I certainly intended never to do so again.

"Treason, spying, horse theft." He walked casually away from the cot, then whirled around to face me again. "Any other crime you'd like to add to the list?"

"I'm not a horse thief. That horse belongs to my uncle, and thus to me."

"So you keep saying. But I had a man ride back there and question the people from several farms. None of them know you, have never heard of your name, and don't know anyone named Dave who has a niece living with him." He paused. "So I can only assume you're lying to me." With a smile I dubbed the Judas smile, he came toward me, then sat on the side of the cot. I moved back, pulling my knees up to my chest. "If you are innocent of these crimes, then you have nothing to fear." He reached out and brushed a lock of my hair from in front of my eyes. "Just tell me the whole truth and maybe we can get you out of this mess."

I sucked in a deep breath and rubbed my face with my hands. "I've told you the truth, but you won't believe me."

"What were you running from? You are dressed like a man, and riding a horse at a deadly speed. You can trust me."

I humphed and glared at him, rubbing my arms which I suspected were bruised from the way he'd grabbed me earlier. "How long have I been lying here?"

"A few hours." He smiled again, speaking softly. "Tell me, Miss Hanson. Who or what were you running from? Because even horse theft can be forgiven if the circumstances warrant it."

"Why are you so stinking sure I stole that horse? Do I have the words, HORSE THIEF written on my forehead or something? Gees!" I crossed my arms in front of my chest, wishing for all I was worth to be able to get up and bolt from there. But his warning, to not walk away from him without permission surely applied to running away as well.

"My dear Miss Hanson, you don't strike me as the daughter of a rich plantation owner." He reached out and grabbed my hand, turning it palm side up. "Although you're hands are not full of callouses like those of a slave, these are not the hands of a pampered young woman."

"Of course not. Uncle Dave's farm does quite well, but we all do our fair share of work to keep things running smoothly." After a moment's pause, I realized the colonel still held my hand. Suddenly self-conscious, I snatched it back and managed to glare up at him. He arched both eyebrows, gazing at me with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

"You still have not answered me. I'm not usually a very patient man, but I am trying to be right now. So tell me why you st–tell me your story, up until the point where you leaped over that fence–quite a feat, I might add–and we were so unceremoniously introduced."

I had always enjoyed making up stories, so now I figured I'd have to put my fiction mind to work.

"Why exactly do you want to know so much about me? You've obviously made up your mind to think the worse of me." I was stalling, trying hard to think up something convincing. But my mind was drawing a blank.

He sighed and pushed himself to his feet. "I've never hanged a woman before." With a shrug, he turned and ambled back to his desk.

I sat in place for a few seconds more, thinking. Finally the perfect story came to me. But would he believe it?