Daughter of the Revolution Ch. 09

"The last one is sleeping against a wagon over there," she whispered while pointing a few yards away. Just as she slid in close, he awoke and scrambled to his feet, gaping up at her with bulging eyes. He filled his lungs to shout when a big fist came from nowhere and crushed his face to pulp with a single blow. He went down as if poleaxed, but Alec followed up his blow with a second that broke the redcoat's orbital sockets and drove bone fragments deep in his brain. The man died instantly and without a single tremor to raise an alarm. Abby stared at him in total awe.

"Holy St Jude, sweetheart. You hit like a ton of hammers!" she exclaimed in quiet amazement.

Abby quickly retreated to the tree line and brought the girls out to assist Alec with loading the cannon. The wagons held more than enough powder and ball so the process was quick and straightforward. Abby waited until four of them were charged then she grabbed her large bag of bombs that were filled with horseshoe nails and stealthily moved across the bridge, leaving her rifle behind while her companions watched and waited with bated breath.

The redcoat camp was a mere 20 yards from the bridge and three fires had burned low to large piles of coals, and were surrounded by sleeping redcoat soldiers. Abby couldn't understand why they even had fires with the militia dogging them so closely, but she chalked it up to simple fatigue. Every soldier they'd seen looked thin, haggard, overworked and scared, including the repair crew that slumbered in front of her. She stole into camp, watching and listening carefully for a guard but none appeared. There was a lone man sitting at a tree trunk sleeping soundly with his rifle across his knees, the only sentry on watch she figured correctly.

Gaining confidence, she moved in carefully and quietly pulled three bombs from her bag, steeling herself to quietly place them on the coals and quickly retreat. An odd wagon caught her eye several yards away at the edge of camp. It was actually a coach that was nicely made and seemed somewhat expensive. A man was sleeping next to it on a cot, the only one in camp it appeared. She silently approached and looked down at him. His uniform jacket was folded and laid on the ground at his side. She didn't know British rank but she was quite sure he was an officer.

Normally, she could've cared less and killed him without compunction but she remembered how important prisoners seemed to be to Alec and she saw an opponent to make him happy. She looked around and found a large rock, then hefted it in her hand. It seemed heavy enough to do the job.

With a final look around the quiet camp that yielded no sign of trouble, she raised her rock and cracked him solidly on the temple. He gasped slightly and made no further movement. Inwardly, she shrugged to herself. Wait and see she figured. Without further thought, she quickly and silently placed her bombs on the fires and ran for the bridge.

She flew into Alec's arms on the north side of the bridge and he held her tightly. "You scared the hell outta me, did everything go ok?"

Just then a bomb blew up, scything horseshoe nails through the camp and screams tore through the night air, seconds later the other two lit off to join the cacophony. They watched in the glow of the explosions as men ran around, on fire and screaming out their life's breath. Several men tried to rally and raise their muskets to the north. Alec quickly dragged Abby behind a cannon and touched a taper to the flash hole. Thunder filled the night, and a vicious load of grapeshot screamed across the bridge to cut the men down in a spray of blood and gore.

They waited several minutes and saw no more movement from the enemy.

"Come with me, I've got something for you," Abby urged Alec. He followed her across the bridge, through the dead bodies of the enemy and to the unconscious officer still laying on his cot.

"Holy shit, Abby, he's a Colonel!" Alec exclaimed.

"Looks like we wounded him," she deadpanned as she looked at his now bloody right leg. "Let's get outta here, now!" she urged. Alec threw the man over his shoulder and together they decamped and sprinted across the bridge, calling out to the girls to avoid getting shot down. When they arrived, they tied the Colonel up hand and foot then gagged him tightly, and threw him in a wagon for safekeeping.

"We need to reload as many cannon as possible and point them both north and south, we may receive fire from either side," Alec ordered. Frantically, the foursome did his bidding. By the time they finished, dawn was breaking faintly in the eastern sky easing their anxiety because now they could see if they were being encroached upon by the enemy. Alec was a tireless dervish of activity, he'd torn off his shirt and his muscular body streamed sweat as he manhandled cannon to his desired locations for their defense.

He and Abby were betting that if they could hold the day, the cannon and supplies would be theirs for certain. June and Rose recovered the horses and supplies from the tree line and tethered them to wagons so they couldn't bolt at the sound of cannon. They ate a meager breakfast and discussed their plans. Abby hoped that the militia would press the redcoats remaining north of the bridge into their envelope of fire and they could kill them with grapeshot. The main issue was enemy action from across the bridge as they may try to retake it, Alec reasoned.

Abby started a small fire and made a welcome pot of coffee which raised spirits immensely. Still full of energy, Alec found a shovel and dug shallow fighting holes for them. Luckily the dirt was soft from being tilled for tobacco and the digging was easy. He posted to the north and June lay with him to assist him in anyway she could. Rose and Abby faced south to watch for any soldiers creeping into the destroyed enemy camp.

Just before lunch, Alec called out the group. "I've got redcoats to the north, maybe a dozen or so!"

Leaving Rose to fend to the south, Abby ran to Alec's side. The enemy were marching down the road, shambling really as they looked over their shoulders continuously in apparent fright. Suddenly, a shot rang out from the tree line and a redcoat collapsed in the dirt. The entire group started shouting and running south. Alec crouched behind a cannon and picked up it's tongue. Bulging muscles realigned it carefully to his intended targets, and with a final grunt of satisfaction, he touched a taper to the flash hole and grapeshot sleeted through the soldiers. The blast obliterated the enemy so effectively that even Alec was amazed, not a single man remained on his feet.

"The militia must be here!" Abby exclaimed in excitement and hugged Alec happily.

"Alec!! Alec!" Rose screamed in a terrified voice.

He spun around to see a mass of redcoats running across the bridge and he sprinted to Rose's side. He grabbed up a burning taper and fired the cannon that was guarding the causeway. Nearly all the enemy fell screaming to the wooden planks but a few remained and continued their attack. Alec fired his rifle taking down a single man. Abby hit the ground at his side and her little squirrel rifle barked out another death sentence. Rose had recovered and she added her own contribution to the death count with a deadly accurate shot.

Suddenly, a hail of musket fire swept their position and June cried out in agony, clapping a hand to her shoulder and screaming in pain.

"There's more redcoats!" Abby cried out in consternation. There were 30 or more pouring over the edge of the cliff, avoiding the bridge to assault across the creek bottom. Alec frantically turned the elevation screw on three cannon and depressed the muzzles so he could sweep the edge of the embankment from which the attacking redcoats would soon emerge from.

Abby ripped off her over shirt and desperately plugged the hole just above June's collarbone that was weeping copious amounts of blood. A hail of fire from the trees struck the redcoats that were clawing their way over the embankment, coming dangerously close to the companions position and pinging off the barrel of the cannon that Alec was manning.

"Abby! The militia needs to know who we are! They nearly hit us with that volley!" Alec bellowed out as he fired a round of grape into the emerging redcoats, scything a bloody swath through their ranks.

"Rose! Take care of June!" Abby cried out while leaping to her feet and scrambling atop a nearby cannon barrel. She ripped off her once white shirt and held it high in the air. Her long blonde hair flew in the wind and her firm breasts swung from her slim ribcage as she frantically waved her flag, hoping to be recognized.

"Winston! Winston! We are Winston!!" She screamed over the cacophony of rifle fire and men's screams of agony.

A loud cry came from the tree line. "Winston! Winston has arrived! Have at the fucking redcoats!!"

Dozens of plainly dressed militia men poured from the trees and assaulted across the open ground to attack the enemy. Alec fired two more cannon that sluiced death through redcoat numbers before charging forward to meet the enemy hand to hand. A dozen or more were running towards him from across the bridge and the man in the lead stopped momentarily to throw up his musket and fire at Alec.

The ball whizzed past Alec's head and he ducked slightly at the sound. A piercing cry came from Rose and he turned his head in time to see sweet Abby fall backwards off her perch on the cannon, her blonde head leaking blood. Instantly, he knew the ball meant for him had taken down his lover and a red haze of hate covered his vision. With an animal cry, launched himself at the redcoats in his path. Like a whirling dervish he descended on them while ripping his sword from his sheath. Chopping and slashing, he worked his way through the mass of men without mercy. Because the bridge was so narrow only two redcoats could attack him at the same time and in his rage he turned them to bloody mincemeat.

A huge redcoat confronted him and managed to sink a bayonet between the bones in his left forearm and he cried out in agony, but he clenched his fist tightly and tensed his muscles, ripping the hilt from the man's hand. Alec chopped the man's head open from crown to chin and kicked his lifeless body over the edge of the causeway.

A battle cry suddenly rang out behind him from burly male voices, "Winston! Winston!"

In seconds he was surrounded by a mass of militia men and they surged past him to wreak havoc among the enemy forces. He was left behind, panting for air and covered in blood as the red rage slowly cleared from his eyes. He painfully ripped the blade from his arm and threw it over the bridge, then turned and ran as fast as he could to Abby's side. She was unconscious and laying on her back while Rose was cutting the hem from her shirt to use for a bandage. Alec assisted her and together got the head wound to stop bleeding. His heart broke as he took in the sight of his fallen sweetheart. Her blonde hair was matted with blood and a trickle of red ran from the corner of her mouth. Her bare breasts were running with sweat and caked with dirt. As he knelt before her he knew he'd never seen anything so beautiful in his life.

He gathered her in his strong arms and held her close to his chest as tears poured from his eyes and he begged God for her life. Rose returned to June and helped her to Alec's side, where they huddled together until the militia cleaned up the remaining redcoat soldiers and secured the area. Abby stirred and looked up at her friends.

"What happened? Are we safe?"

Alec kissed her gently and reassured her all was well, then thanked God for his mercy. Against his protestations, she staggered to her feet and looked around in amazement at the scene before her.

"We did it, we kicked their asses halfway to next Sunday!" she exulted.

She noticed the militia men were standing stunned and gawking at her in total awe. She glanced down to see she was still half naked and blushed like a virgin. To them she looked like a bloody, conquering Valkyrie, a sight they'd never forget for all their years.

"Shit," she muttered, "Where's my shirt?"

Rose handed her the now shortened garment and Abby took it thankfully. She'd ripped off all the buttons when she'd torn it from her body to signal the militia, so she tied the tails tightly under her firm tits and made the best of a bad situation. Alec was breathing easier now that she had recovered from her wound so well and he let out a huge sigh of relief.

Abby looked at poor June who was curled up on the ground, still clenching her teeth in pain from her bullet wound. Abby went her mare and retrieved her bottle of laudanum and gave June a healthy swig. In minutes her pain was swept away and she nodded off in Rose's arms. She noticed Alec's wound and examined it but there was nothing she could do other than bind it up for him. She insisted he take a shot of laudanum as well, and he too was nearly as pain free as June in just a few minutes.

"Mistress Durham?" A man who appeared to be the militia leader approached her with his cap in his hand.

"Yes sir?"

"Will you allow me to escort you and your companions to the Blenheim Plantation? Your father will be most pleased to see you, I'd reckon."

Abby could hardly believe his words. Her father was so close after all this time and it just didn't seem possible after all they'd been through.

"Yes, please. We'd be most obliged if you would."

"We can take you in the coach we've captured if you like, Mistress. It'd be most comfortable."

"Thank you, sir, but we'll ride together or not at all," she said firmly.

"As you wish, allow us to help you all mount up at the least."

"It would be appreciated, kind sir. And the pack horses stay at our side, understand? Also, we have a redcoat Colonel as a prisoner, make sure he comes with us."

He knuckled his thick brow, "Yes, Ma'am, as you say. It's only a couple miles away and we should be there in no time. Shall I send a messenger ahead to your father?"

"No, thank you, that's quite alright. I'd rather the man spend his time taking plunder from these damnable dead redcoats, wouldn't you?" she asked with a smile and a sly wink that made the man's day.

"Yes, Ma'am. I'd say so," he chuckled.

Alec held June in front of him on his stallion and supported her while Abby and Rose rode their own mounts with the pack horses in tow. They made quite a sight as they proceeded up the lane to the big house surrounded by the small company of militia that had saved their lives. Somehow the plantation been untouched by the war and Abby was struck by how idyllic it was compared the the battleground just a couple miles away. Slave cabins lined the lanes and curious people came out to watch them ride by, mostly women and children, she noticed. A few whispers grew to excited talking and finally shouts of joy as the folks realized their leader's daughter was alive and in their midst. The companions had no idea how famous they were and the word traveled fast.

Cries of "Winston! Winston!" rang out over the large front yard as they approached the big house and suddenly the front door flew open and two men ran outside into the brilliant sunshine. Rose kicked her horse to a gallop, bursting through the crowd to fling herself in William's arms.

"William, my sweet William!" she cried in happiness.

Abby stopped and dismounted as George ran pell mell to meet her.

"Father!" she cried in a weak voice and collapsed in his strong arms.

"Abby, my sweet, sweet Abby!" he sobbed in joy.

They hugged for long moments, then Abby pulled back to look in his eyes.

"I've brought your family home, Papa. Safe, but not quite sound."

She gestured at Alec who held a bloody semi-conscious June in his arms.

"June!" he cried, and immediately went to Alec who lowered her into George's tender embrace. She awoke momentarily to see her lover looking at her in consternation.

"Oh, Master. I love you so. I hope I'm not dreaming," she muttered, then her eyes rolled back and she fainted dead away in his arms.

"Get the doctor! See to my people immediately!" George ordered in a frantic voice. He held her close and lowered her to the ground until the doctor ran from the house. He assigned two militia men to carry her inside, then turned back to Abby.

Abby put an arm around his waist. "She'll be fine I think, Papa. I might've gave her a touch too much laudanum. She was hurting badly."

"What about you, sweet daughter. Do you hurt terribly? Shall we get you inside and have the doctor look at you?"

"Soon, Papa. But first I want you to meet Alec. He's been through hell with us for months now."

Alec slid down from his mount and shook George's hand while staring him right in the eye.

"I'm honored to meet you at last, sir. Abby has told me much about you. All good I can assure you."

Abby slid an arm around Alec's waist and kissed his bare shoulder.

"Yes, Papa," she answered the question in her father's eyes, "He's mine and I'm his. I trust you'll get along because where he goes, I go."

George eyed Alec's tall, thick, hairy torso that was matted with blood and sweat. Along with his long wavy hair and exceptional height, he was the epitome of rugged manhood. He watched as Abby looked up at her man with a deep love in her eyes, and it reminded him of how her mother used to look at him when she was still alive.

He heaved a big sigh and his eyes again filled with tears. He'd lost his daughter to another man so soon and it broke his heart, but gladdened it at the same time because she was so obviously happy.

Even bloody, bruised and nearly half naked, she glowed with the power of her love for Alec. She was absolutely radiant.

Breaking into his thoughts, William showed up and swept Abby into his arms and she cried with joy.

"Oh, William. Rose must be so happy to have you back. You look wonderful!"

"Dear Abby, we can hardly believe you've made it to us! We've so much to talk about!"

"George, I need a favor. Can you please secure everything on our horses in the house please? Especially the wooden chests," Abby asked.

"Of course, my dear. Anything we can do to help."

"I need to go see June," George said in concern. "I'll be with her if you need me. Now, everyone inside. My people will get you cleaned up and fed, then over the next few days you can tell us all about your adventures." He ordered firmly, then looked Alec square in the eyes. "And you, young man, can tell me of your intentions with my daughter."