Read Online Dangerous Dreams: A Novel by Mike Rhynard - Free Book Online
Authors: Mike Rhynard
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shoulders. “Madame . . . Madame.”
The wailing continued; she twisted back and forth, trying to escape his grasp.
He shook her, shook her again. “Madame, stop.”
She wailed on, looked Waters in the eye but didn’t see him.
“Madame.” The wailing unnerved him. As he held her fast with his left hand, he slapped her across the face with his right, then pulled her to his chest. He slowly relaxed his strong grip to a gentle embrace, softly caressed the back of her neck and head until only a quiet whimper remained. “Madame, is this your husband?”
She spoke softly, hesitantly. “Yes.”
“How do you know ’tis him? How can you identify him?’
“He . . . he told me . . . before he left England . . . that he . . . that he was the only . . . the only redhead in . . . in the unit . . . I know ’tis him. What will become of me now? How will I . . .”
He’d anticipated finding more dead men, feared the possibility. Now he regretted they hadn’t searched the entire area before allowing the people to go to the village, knew there’d be hell to pay for the governor. “We’ll care for you, Madame. Do not fear.” He looked at the other ladies. “Kindly help her back to the village. Then please care for her, calm her. Go to my cottage. You’ll find a flask of rum in my bag. Give her some; try to get her to sleep.” He motioned the women toward the village, then looked at the soldiers, who nervously shuffled their feet, glanced at the dead soldier, then the forest, then back at the soldier. “We’ll escort the ladies to the village.Then, Sergeant Myllet, bring a detail of eight men back here with shovels and bury this man. He died in Her Majesty’s service, and when the governor returns from the ship, we’ll have a proper military ceremony.” He leaned toward Myllet. “Sergeant, be vigilant, keep four men on guard while the others dig. I’m uneasy about this place.”
“Aye, Sir. I feel it too.”
They’d gone but fifty steps when Waters stopped, tapped Myllet on the shoulder, then pointed halfway between straight-ahead and full-right. “There . . . see them . . . about sixty yards away . . . just left of that big tree, behind the bush?”
Myllet looked, raised his musket, and aimed at the two Savages who stood defiantly tall, in plain view, readied bows in hand. “I see them, Sir. Do you want me to fire a warning shot?”
“I think not. There may be more, may be a trap . . . we need to get these women to the village quickly, prepare for an attack there; we don’t want to fight here. Keep five men; follow behind us at a slow pace; keep your sights on the Savages as long you can. Fix your weapons on them, but do not shoot unless they attack . . . just watch them. They know what our weapons can do, but they also know how long it takes to reload them. I repeat. Do not fire unless they attack.” Now it begins, thought Waters . . . now it begins. A sudden rush worked its way through his body, quickening his pulse, his breathing, exciting a previously unfelt exhilaration at the prospect of leading men in combat.
“Understand, Sir.”
Waters held his gaze on the Savages until he lost sight of them behind the trees, but he could still see Myllet and the rear guard doing as he had ordered. Five minutes later and a hundred yards from the village, he finally lost sight of Myllet. A moment later, the colonists spied Waters and his group, immediately scrambled from the circle of logs and rushed toward him. They were halfway to him when the throaty sound of a musket shot rumbled from the forest near Myllet’s position, then two more. “Damn!” Waters’ mind flashed to White’s cautions about the Savages, wondered if Myllet had remembered. “Go back to the palisades! Get inside the circle of logs! Take cover! Go to the logs! Run! Now!”
Chapter 4
A llie looked at the clock, saw the big green
1:32
a.m. Hot, sweaty, anxious, she stared uncertainly at the ceiling fan. What’s going on with me .
The wailing continued; she twisted back and forth, trying to escape his grasp.
He shook her, shook her again. “Madame, stop.”
She wailed on, looked Waters in the eye but didn’t see him.
“Madame.” The wailing unnerved him. As he held her fast with his left hand, he slapped her across the face with his right, then pulled her to his chest. He slowly relaxed his strong grip to a gentle embrace, softly caressed the back of her neck and head until only a quiet whimper remained. “Madame, is this your husband?”
She spoke softly, hesitantly. “Yes.”
“How do you know ’tis him? How can you identify him?’
“He . . . he told me . . . before he left England . . . that he . . . that he was the only . . . the only redhead in . . . in the unit . . . I know ’tis him. What will become of me now? How will I . . .”
He’d anticipated finding more dead men, feared the possibility. Now he regretted they hadn’t searched the entire area before allowing the people to go to the village, knew there’d be hell to pay for the governor. “We’ll care for you, Madame. Do not fear.” He looked at the other ladies. “Kindly help her back to the village. Then please care for her, calm her. Go to my cottage. You’ll find a flask of rum in my bag. Give her some; try to get her to sleep.” He motioned the women toward the village, then looked at the soldiers, who nervously shuffled their feet, glanced at the dead soldier, then the forest, then back at the soldier. “We’ll escort the ladies to the village.Then, Sergeant Myllet, bring a detail of eight men back here with shovels and bury this man. He died in Her Majesty’s service, and when the governor returns from the ship, we’ll have a proper military ceremony.” He leaned toward Myllet. “Sergeant, be vigilant, keep four men on guard while the others dig. I’m uneasy about this place.”
“Aye, Sir. I feel it too.”
They’d gone but fifty steps when Waters stopped, tapped Myllet on the shoulder, then pointed halfway between straight-ahead and full-right. “There . . . see them . . . about sixty yards away . . . just left of that big tree, behind the bush?”
Myllet looked, raised his musket, and aimed at the two Savages who stood defiantly tall, in plain view, readied bows in hand. “I see them, Sir. Do you want me to fire a warning shot?”
“I think not. There may be more, may be a trap . . . we need to get these women to the village quickly, prepare for an attack there; we don’t want to fight here. Keep five men; follow behind us at a slow pace; keep your sights on the Savages as long you can. Fix your weapons on them, but do not shoot unless they attack . . . just watch them. They know what our weapons can do, but they also know how long it takes to reload them. I repeat. Do not fire unless they attack.” Now it begins, thought Waters . . . now it begins. A sudden rush worked its way through his body, quickening his pulse, his breathing, exciting a previously unfelt exhilaration at the prospect of leading men in combat.
“Understand, Sir.”
Waters held his gaze on the Savages until he lost sight of them behind the trees, but he could still see Myllet and the rear guard doing as he had ordered. Five minutes later and a hundred yards from the village, he finally lost sight of Myllet. A moment later, the colonists spied Waters and his group, immediately scrambled from the circle of logs and rushed toward him. They were halfway to him when the throaty sound of a musket shot rumbled from the forest near Myllet’s position, then two more. “Damn!” Waters’ mind flashed to White’s cautions about the Savages, wondered if Myllet had remembered. “Go back to the palisades! Get inside the circle of logs! Take cover! Go to the logs! Run! Now!”
Chapter 4
A llie looked at the clock, saw the big green
1:32
a.m. Hot, sweaty, anxious, she stared uncertainly at the ceiling fan. What’s going on with me .
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