The Mountain: An Event Group Thriller (69 page)

“What in the name of Allah?” the general said as he saw a mixture of blue and gray uniforms with both battle flags flying as they rode forward. The Confederate Stars and Bars flashed by the mounted armies and it was a chilling sight to the Turks, and a surreal sight to the waiting Americans.

The two lines of Rebel and marine cavalry formed up to John Henry’s right. Now the full complement of three hundred and thirty-six Americans faced a force almost two times its size. Thomas, Taylor, Parnell, and Captain Jackson, all with swords notched to their shoulders, waited in front of their men so they could play out their little theatrical number to the close of curtain.

“Ooh,” the Turkish army seemed to exhale at once as the last rider broke from the canyon. John Henry had to shake his head at this last little bit of theater.

Gray Dog, complete with the flowing six-foot-long headdress of his fathers and wearing nothing but a loin cloth and his chest plate of eagles’ bones and beads, held a battle lance on high as he fronted the combined commands of John Henry, Parnell, and Colonel Taylor. The white horse of the Comanche came to a skidding halt and Gray Dog brought the magnificent animal to rear up as his headdress flowed back with the wind.

“My God, Confederates, Union cavalrymen,
and
savage Indians. Are we to fight all of America here today?” asked his subordinate with little or no respect lacing his words to the general.

“Look!” said one of the men.

The bugler started blowing the charge and John Henry’s bluff was beginning to look as if it were no bluff at all. The charge sounded and the Confederates and the marines were the first to charge with Jessy and Gray Dog leading the headlong plunge into danger. John Henry called out, “Charge!” and then his unit started forward at breakneck speed. Then it was Parnell’s turn. The 317th marching band, sounding like banshees from the gates of hell, also charged. All were waving the new swords they had been issued with the warning from Parnell not to slice each other to pieces.

The first to move was the front line of Turkish cavalrymen. They watched wide-eyed as the savage Indian came at them, and that was all they needed to see. The lance was pumping up and down and Gray Dog was screaming at the top of his lungs. The rest of the men followed. Jessy was out front with Gray Dog waving his men forward, twirling the bright flash of his saber. For the colonel, it was old times all over again.

That was it; the rear ranks of the Seventh stayed in place as the forward three hundred smashed into them. The entire unit was now in free flight. Even the general, with his eyes on the crazed Gray Dog, turned and spurred his mount brutally.

“They’ll kill us all!” one of the men shouted.

*   *   *

Renaud, who had stayed as far away from the action as he could, saw the insane charge of the Americans. A charge that would never see the inside of any war college textbook, but one that would be immortalized by any solder who witnessed it that day.

The Frenchman cursed the cowardice of the Ottoman Turks and then wheeled his horse around and clumsily made his way north. He would now have to meet up with the French squadron at Trabzon Harbor.

The French navy would correct any embarrassment suffered that day. He would make sure the Americans never escaped the Black Sea.

He would personally destroy the army of Ararat.

*   *   *

The men celebrated as if they were all one American unit. No war to step between them, no politics other than American bravado against European arrogance. Even the proud but frightened 317th started playing “Dixie” loud and hard as every man belted out the words to the southern classic adored by none other than Abraham Lincoln himself. The men danced and exchanged hugs and slaps on the back between army, navy, and Confederate comrades who only knew that Americans couldn’t be beat in any arena.

John Henry was not of the same sentiment as he dismounted. He almost stumbled as his left foot freed itself from the stirrup. He laid his head against the saddle to steady the nerves that had come on after he realized the Turks had broken and run. It was nearly reminiscent of the break the Union Army made at the first battle of Bull Run. His breath came in ragged gasps as he found breathing was hard. He was startled when a sharp slap on the back made him jump.

“I’m afraid those boys won’t stop running until their horses give out,” Jessy said as he turned and watched the dust rise in the west as the Seventh Guards Regiment made a bid for the overland record for speed of horse. He turned back and saw John Henry was having a hard time focusing on him. “Hey, you all right, Napoleon?”

Thomas bent over and placed his hands on his knees. His sword was still clutched in his right hand. He finally managed a deep breath and faced Jessy as Parnell, Jackson, and Gray Dog joined them. The sound of revelry was loud.

“I had a fleeting moment there when I thought you and Gray Dog were going to actually attack.”

Jessy laughed. “We were. The damn Turks just ran too fast. I didn’t want to run out our own mounts. We still have to get the hell out of here, you know?”

“I think I wet myself,” Claire said as she turned Jessy around and hugged him. She then did the same to an embarrassed but happy Lieutenant Parnell and a startled Captain Jackson. “That was amazing,” she finished as she faced John Henry and suddenly didn’t know what to do. He instead hugged her just to make sure he was still feeling after the shock at what almost happened. Jessy exchanged looks with Gray Dog, Parnell, and Jackson. They all watched as they were witnessing the first emotions they had ever seen from the legendary cavalry officer. John Henry finally let go and then straightened his tunic as he sheathed his sword.

“Gentlemen, that was played out well. You had me a little concerned at the end, but we managed to bluff our way out of this mess for the moment without starting a shooting war with the Ottoman Empire.”

“Yes, but what a moment it was!” Parnell said loudly. “Now that’s something to tell the grandchildren about, by God!”

Thomas finally saw Gray Dog as Claire gave him a blanket to cover his bare skin. The colonel placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder and squeezed.

“Your pa would have been proud today. So would the sergeant major.”

“I think that was the one element that pushed the Turks over the edge,” Jessy said. “This boy”—he grabbed Gray Dog and shook him—“insisted he lead the charge, and by God he did.”

“What now, John Henry?” Claire asked as she watched the revelry around her. She smiled as she saw the men of one nation once again.

John Henry Thomas paced away from the men and looked north along the track that would take them to Trabzon Harbor. He removed his hat, wiped the sweat from the band, and then held it at his side as the warmth of the sun hit his face. He finally turned and faced Claire and the others.

“Let’s go home.”

29

TRABZON HARBOR, THE BLACK SEA

It had been a full week since the
Carpenter
had limped into port. She was still leaking heavily but the carpenters from both ships, including the
Chesapeake
, promised command that she would be good as new when the time came to sail.

The
Carpenter
’s captain watched his crew as they lounged on the deck. He had forbidden any shore leave in the port town simply because he knew the French frigate
Osiris
was berthed only two docks down. He could imagine the French crew lying in wait for the Americans to make an appearance in town.

“Captain, we have a courier from Colonel Thomas,” his first officer said as he saw the young marine corporal from Thomas’s unit. The boy was worn and tired.

“See the corporal gets a good meal.” He tore open the envelope and read. “Wait, how far out is the colonel?”

“The column is a day back, sir. I’m afraid we have company also. The British are a distance away.”

“Very well. Dismissed. Get some food and rest.”

“What does the colonel say?” the first officer asked.

“He says for us to be prepared to take on ten and half tons of cargo.” The captain turned and looked out to the calm surface of the Black Sea.

“Cargo? What sort of cargo, Captain?” The first officer looked perplexed and then looked at his commanding officer. “You don’t suppose—”

“We’re going be sailing heavier than normal, it looks like. So, make ready the loading teams and let’s get the last of that water out of our bilges. And we still don’t know the fate of
Argo
. It’s been two weeks and the
Chesapeake
hasn’t found her. God, if she foundered we could be in a whole new situation we did not count on. Go on, get the crew moving. We’re going to have company.”

“Yes, Captain.” The first officer moved off to inform the crew.

“Just what in the hell are you bringing to my ship, Colonel Thomas?”

*   *   *

It was late at night when the lone rider abandoned his played-out mount on the outskirts of town. He made his way through the silent village of Trabzon until he could smell the sea. He saw the high masts of several large ships and he was cautious as he made his way to the harbor.

The French spy Renaud had been lost for the last three days and barely made it to Trabzon before the column of Americans. He was exhausted and worn to a frazzle. He spied the American ship before he made it too far. He saw the activity onboard at this late hour and assumed they had been informed of Thomas’s expected arrival. He grimaced, cursed the American, and then saw the French-flagged warship berthed close by, but not too close to the American. Now he would see who ran from what field of battle.

He had to convince the French navy that it was now a shooting war.

*   *   *

The next morning dawned cloudy and rainy. The water mixed with the snow and the world became a clogged mess of snow, mud, and rain.

John Henry and his mixed cavalry escorted the wagons through town and even at that early-morning hour the citizens of the backwater harbor came out to see the Americans. Most eyes fell on the heavily laden wagons as they progressed through the cobbled streets. Thomas was nearly asleep in his saddle when Claire reached out and touched his leg.

“John Henry, we’ve arrived,” she said softly until his eyes fluttered open.

“Apologies; must have dozed off.”

“You’re exhausted. It’s time you get aboard and let Captain Jackson do what he was trained for.”

“I will never be happier to relinquish command than I am this fine blustery morning.”

*   *   *

The men were greeted by sailors of the
Carpenter
, who were quickly amazed at what they had achieved. They saw wagon after wagon wheeled onto the dock and wondered just what the army colonel had dug out of Ararat’s summit.

The captain of the
Carpenter
bolted down the gangway and greeted a slowly dismounting Thomas and Taylor. He saluted Captain Jackson and then he saw how worn the men were and observed the mixed uniforms of the combined command. His face fell when he saw the new Confederate clothing.

“Well, while you were digging away on Ararat, I see Congress authorized the raising of a new cavalry regiment. Not sure they’ll approve of the new uniforms, though,” he joked, but could see none of the officers were in a very jovial mood.

“Report, Captain?” a weary Jackson said, returning the man’s salute.

He filled in Jackson on the developments and saw that the news of
Argo
’s possible loss hit him and Colonel Thomas rather hard. The Rebel officer only shook his head and then looked at Claire with a frown. The news was not good.

“That, and we have not seen a trace of the
Yorktown
since we parted at Constantinople.”

Jackson looked at John Henry, who only nodded his head that the captain could inform the commander of
Carpenter
the truth.

“
Yorktown
will not be joining the squadron. She has been assigned other, more pressing duties. She is currently at the emergency egress point on the Mediterranean Sea. Beyond that, I cannot explain further. So, Captain, we are conceivably on our own with just the
Chesapeake
to run interference for us from the Black Sea through the Bosphorus and then the Aegean Sea. Then we have to slip past Gibraltar without getting our tails shot off. Simple, really.”

The captain watched the tired men of the combined excavation team slowly dismount to allow the sailors access to the wagons and their precious cargo.

The captain repeated and looked over at the tall main mast of the French warship,
Osiris,
and then shook his head.

“What are you thinking, Captain?” his first officer asked after rousing the crew to offload the wagons.

“I’m thinking I missed that particular lecture at Annapolis on how the described scenario could possibly be construed as simple. Suicidal maybe, but simple?”

The captain turned away and saw the lamps of the French frigate burning brightly as the French crew of the
Osiris
awoke to the Americans making ready for sea.

*   *   *

Claire found John Henry on deck as he leaned against the ship’s railing and watched the Black Sea slide along the hull of the heavily loaded
Carpenter
. From time to time she watched Thomas turn his face to the stars looking deep in thought. She pulled her shawl more tightly around herself and was happy for the warmth, and for the fact that she had been able to salvage at least some of her more womanly clothing from the destroyed camp at Ararat. John Henry had forsaken his coat and hat on the blustery night that found the bulk of the crew fast asleep. Only the deck-side watch was on duty, and among the men awake was Gray Dog, who had found a new home in the highest point on the ship—the crow’s nest, which by now the lookouts were happy to share after they learned about the Comanche’s exploits on the Plain of Ararat.

“After all we have been through, you still can’t get any sleep?” Claire asked before Thomas could turn to see who had approached. John Henry had become very aware of shadows in the night since his days on the mountain’s summit.