Embrace of the Enemy (Winds of Betrayal) (15 page)

Hannah stood close to the wall, not daring to move too close. Her eyes fell on the young lad. He held tight to the old man, but kept nervously glancing around the room. A few minutes later, two guards entered, snatching up the older two, leaving Isaac within the room with Hannah.

“What's the matter, boy?” Hannah asked. “It's more than your concern for your grandfather.”

He shook his head. “No, I can't tell you. It's mine to hold and mine to answer to.”

“Isaac, isn’t it?” Hannah replied plainly. “Show me now. There isn't much time.”

Reluctantly, the young man pulled his boot off and lined within the zipper he pulled a letter out. He looked up at Hannah. “I'll hang for this. I'm sure.”

“Where did you get this?” Hannah asked as she grabbed it from him. She quickly read over it. The British have built a large number of flat bottomed boats meant to be used in an expedition against Philadelphia to subdue that city.

She looked back up at the boy and sighed. “I'll keep it,” she said stoically. “It'll do me no more harm, but didn’t they search you? It seems strange they overlooked such an obvious spot.”

Isaac looked at her questionably and hesitated. “I'm not sure what you ask. Melathiah handed it to me before they searched him. They had already searched me. There were only two British soldiers. They were shouting at my grandfather as they held us together. Grandfather assumes it was our neighbor, the Hensey's. They are avid Tories, constantly upon my grandfather.”

Hannah didn't pursue the matter. Her stomach bothered her; she wanted only to lie down, but that wasn't an option. She took the letter and tore it into pieces. Isaac's eyes almost popped out of his socket.

“How could you do such? How will we—”

“We can't give it to anyone at the moment. It will only deepen your hole you are in. Didn’t you read it? If you get out, then you can tell your contact the contents,” Hannah said, matter of fact. She slid down the wall upon the floor. The pieces of the note tucked inside her pocket. She couldn't look up. “If they question you, deny. Never admit.”

She leaned down her head against her knees. She realized the door opened and the guard took the young boy. She caught his eyes as he left and she returned her head down and prayed for them all.

Time dragged on. She had no sense of time and she waited. She must have fallen asleep for a commotion awoke her, crashing noises, hurried footsteps down the hall. Suddenly, the door opened. A man she had never seen before motioned her out, grabbing her arm.

“Don’t you want to leave this place?”

Confused, but certain of one thing: she most certainly did want to leave. She didn’t have time to react, only follow as the man had a grip upon her arm and pushed her forward.

“We don’t have time for a dalliance, Miss Corbett,” he whispered to her as he slammed her against the building as they exited. “It is Miss Corbett, is it not?”

She jerked back her arm. “It is whatever will get me out of this place?”

He glanced back at her, amused at her response. “Well, I hope I haven’t wasted my time on another.” He motioned for her to continue and ran down the alley, not having time for a discussion. They hid in a doorway as a sentry passed. “I didn’t have much time to plan. When I heard, they were preparing to move you to the Jersey. I didn’t have much time to react.”

“How would you know?” she whispered. Her heart raced.

“From the boy, Isaac, he seems to be in your debt,” he answered. He grabbed her hand. “Come, we need to move. To return you to where you want to go, which way?”

She stopped mid-track. “Wouldn’t you know yourself? Who are you?”

He pulled her back within the doorway. “We don’t have time for formal introductions. I’m Russell Shea. The network has been searching for you. We may all be connected, but unaware of each other. Isn’t that right?”

“But wouldn’t you know the contact?” she asked. She was exhausted and tired and questioning her rescuer.

“I don’t blame you for being skeptical,” he said as he glanced around. “I’m from a network that is springing up…new. I’m sure if you had any contact with the network you would have known there have been many changes, although you have been out of the circle for a while. They sent a message to find you. It’s the first I heard of you when Isaac mentioned a brave and smart woman awaiting transfer, saving him and his grandfather. I had no time to waste in hunting down who to contact for you, and reacted to save you. I can take you back to my contact, if you want.”

“They released the boy and grandfather?” she asked as he led the way once more.

“Yes, unfortunately keeping Melathiah,” he said simply. He stopped at the corner. “Where do you want to go?”

“I want to go home, Mr. Shea,” she answered. She took in her surroundings. She stared at him and bit her bottom lip. “Go right.”

* * * *

Giles Cooper stared at the man in front of him, losing patience quickly. Over two weeks he had squandered on this fool’s errand. If not for Benjamin asking him a personal favor to complete this mission, he wouldn’t be standing here. Giles was well aware of his physical presence could be intimidating being tall, robust and unconventional gray eyes. He dwarfed Tepper, but the man didn’t seem phased by his appearance.

“I’m not going to be put off again, old man,” Giles stated emphatically. “I have had orders to remove her for the last couple of weeks. My only concern is delivering her across the Sound as I promised. You have put me off one way or another. Wasn’t she at her grandfather’s? Was that not the perfect opportunity if remove her? Or at least a lot easier than her in British custody.”

“I can tell, Mr. Cooper, you have no knowledge of how the network works,” Tepper responded back with passion. “One has to take risks to accomplish what we must. I had faith in her and she came through brilliantly.”

Tepper removed books on his top shelf and pulled out a pouch. “Take this back. I believe you’ll find much to be happy with and won’t question my position again.”

“What’s this?” Giles asked as he accepted the pouch.

“If they are what I believe they are, keys to a victory up North,” Tepper replied. “I don’t have time. Take it. I’m afraid there isn’t much hope for Miss Corbett at the moment. I keep my ears open, but have no fear of her betraying anything she knows.”

Giles slammed down the pouch. “Good Gawd! My orders are for the girl!”

“Then I’m afraid you are going to be disappointed,” Tepper swallowed hard. “It hurts me as well, but sacrifices have to be made. As I stated before, the plans you have in your hands are her legacy. She has done much and will be missed, but I assume others are within striking distance now the importance of the situation has dawned upon Congress. She has done her job.”

Giles reached down and took Tepper by the collar, lifting him up. “What do you know?”

Tepper’s two hands gripped Giles strong arms. Talking as if choking, Tepper said, “Put me down! I’ll tell you.”

Coughing as he was dropped upon the floor, Tepper rubbed his throat. “I got word this afternoon of the impending imprisonment of Miss Corbett aboard the Jersey. There’s not much we can do now. I had thought she might escape such with her relationship with the Colonel, but alas...”

Temper flared forth from Giles. “To use the girl so and discard her thus. Don’t think I don’t know what you have done. Tricking her into staying.”

“Don’t question me,” Tepper stood. His own eyes flamed. “I have only done what was necessary. She willingly came and begged me to help her discover the leak surrounding her father. We had no other in her position. It’s easy to sit back and judge, but all that has been accomplished was because I pushed her. Even now, the plans you hold. What worth are they?”

Giles stared intently at the small older man. “She was but a girl.”

“And my family, my beloved wife and daughters, were only female. It didn’t stop the British from brutally raping and murdering them. Don’t come at me,” Tepper said. “I won’t stop until all is accomplished. Even now, within the basement, the men are meeting. We have plans to actively burn the harbor. So go now, take the reward. Don’t let her sacrifice be in vain.”

“I would question your praise of my work, Tepper,” a feminine voice called from behind both. “I have made a terrible mistake. Oh, Tepper! The British are coming!”

Both men turned to stare at Hannah who stood before them both, her dress ragged, torn and filthy. Her eyes weary. “Didn’t you hear what I said? We don’t have much time. I lost him for only a moment. They will begin searching every house. Oh, my God! Tepper they tricked me. God forgive me.”

From the street, shouts and screams erupted. Orders commanded. Gunfire exploded. Chaos ensuing, she turned frightened back to both men. “They’re here.”

Giles strapped the pouch around his shoulder and grabbed the girl’s hand. “I’ve come for you. I’m not leaving without you. Come. We’ll go out the back.”

Tepper nodded. “Go quickly. But never be sorry, Hannah.” He took her hand and squeezed it tightly. “Pray, forgive me, my child.”

Hannah didn’t have time to respond as Giles led the way to the back window. She could make out movement within the darkness, but they had no other exit. He jumped from the window. Hannah didn’t hesitate and followed jumping into his arms. He placed her down without a word and pulled his pistol from his waist. Clinging to the side of the building, peering around, a voice commanded.

“Drop it! Move to the wall!”

Giles dropped the pistol at his foot. His hands went straight up, but his eyes motioned for Hannah to run. She shook her head. The British soldier yelled to another. When the soldier turned his back, Hannah lunged swiftly for the pistol. She stood aiming straight at the sentry.

“Don’t move or say another word or it’ll be your last,” she whispered for the sentry to hear. “Go down. Now. Don’t try my patience. I won’t hesitate to use this.”

Giles came to her side withdrawing the pistol from her hand. She released it, but in that moment another sentry fired upon Giles. Instinctively, Hannah pushed Giles to the side.

Instantly, she felt a blow, sending her sprawling on the ground. She reached up to her shoulder. She pulled back her hand drenched in blood. She was shot. She had no time to react. She heard return fire around her. Then she felt strong hands reached around her, pulled her to her feet. No words spoken. They ran, ducking down an alley as more soldiers passed.

“Look everywhere. They couldn’t have gotten too far! Find the girl!”

Her heart beat so loudly she was afraid they could hear it. Pain shot through her, but she ignored it. Her hand went to her shoulder, feeling the warmth of blood seeping out. She looked down at it. Glancing up, his eyes were on her. “Come!”

She didn’t question, but followed. Giles glanced around a deserted building and tried the door. The next minute he pulled her within the vacant building. Leaning against the wall, his hands went to her shoulder. She grimaced in pain as he ripped back her gown.

He whispered in her ear. “The bullet has passed clean though, which is good. But you have lost blood. We need to stop the bleeding.”

He ripped his shirt and used it as a bandage. He proceeded to bandage as well as he could. “I’m not much of a doctor, but it’ll do for now. We’ll wait for a time and let you regain strength. We can’t wait too long, though.”

He fell silent as footsteps rushed by. Moments passed as he held her in his arms. He could feel her shivering and trembling. “What happened? Can you talk?”

“They set me up. I was officially arrested. I had been held for a time, for my own protection, of course,” her voice said softly illuminating the hurt within. “But yesterday, Marcus handed me over to Captain Andre. He had warned me. I hadn’t listened. Not when it came to the cause. The pouch you hold…it’s the plans I copied?”

“I know they are plans. Of what I’m not sure,” he answered. “You feel they’re important.”

She nodded. “I copied them from a courier carrying them to General Howe. I don’t understand them, but I hope I copied them word for word.”

“Why did you stay after copying them? Why not leave with them?”

“Because if I had, there were many that would have paid for my escape. I have done damage to many, but I had still hoped to escape. When the opportunity arose, I failed.”

“What happened tonight?” he asked simply.

She bit her lower lip and shook her head. “I could feel something wasn’t right, but I wanted so desperately to believe someone had come for me. That I wasn’t forgotten. That I could escape back to my home.”

She paused and caught her breath. “They played me well. They had figured out that I was capable of damage to the British, but hadn’t proof. They threatened the 
Jersey 
and set me in a room to wait. My only visitors, supposedly, were prisoners. Making me feel as if I helped a young boy. Then came my escape, the only problem, he didn’t know where to take me. He paused and asked me if I wanted to go back to his contact. I should have known, but I wanted so badly to just go home. And now look at what I’ve done.”

“No,” Giles responded. “You have done your best in the circumstances that you should have never been in to begin with. How did you figure out he was a plant?”

“His boots,” she replied. “I didn’t notice them until we were almost there. No one wears them, except the British. Then I pointed him in the wrong direction. He went off, but I didn’t follow. I ran. I knew then they would search all the houses until they found me. We were too close.”