Read Online Shattered Lives (Flynn Family Saga Book 1) by Erica Graham - Free Book Online

nodded.
    “And I’m Hank.”  The third man stood up and held out
his hand.
    Flynn stared at the man’s hand.  He didn’t want
this, not really.  He didn’t want to care about anyone ever again.  He turned
and ran off into the darkness.  He stopped at the opposite end of the island
and stared at the lights in Richmond.  Tears burned his eyes, tears he could
not shed.  The lights looked so beautiful.  A part of him wanted to return to
normal life.
    A part of him was afraid he never could.
    He lay down on the damp sand and shut his eyes.  He
must have slept, because the sound of fighting woke him.  He stood up.
    Hank lay on the ground, curled into a fetal
position.  The man with the scar and two others kicked Hank mercilessly.  “Give
it up, Johnson.”
    “No!”  Hank’s hands curled protectively around a
small chunk of meat.
    Rage seared through Flynn’s veins like hot lead.  He
got up and ran to Hank’s side.  He knocked the scarred man off his feet.  He
swung hard at the second man and connected.  The second man stumbled backward. 
The third man kicked Flynn’s legs out from under him.  Flynn fell and rolled to
his feet, but not before one of the men kicked him in the chest.  Flynn heard a
rib snap, and he doubled over gasping for breath.  Slowly, the scarred man got
to his feet.  Smiling, he walked over to Flynn and struck his jaw.  Flynn fell
onto his back.  He rolled over and curled up, trying to protect his midsection,
but two of the men grasped his arms and pulled him upright.  The scarred man
punched him hard, and another rib snapped.
    Then, Sam waded in.  He knocked the scarred man
sprawling and turned to the others.  Ben grabbed the arm of one of the men who
held Flynn and twisted it.  The man screamed in pain and let go of Flynn. 
Flynn rounded on the man who held his left arm.
    Suddenly, it was over.
    The scarred man spat blood.  “He’s a damned Reb,
Major.”
    “Shut up, Brooks.”  Sam turned to Flynn.  “Is that
true?”
    Flynn nodded.  “Yes sir.”
    “Then what in tarnation are you doing in a
Confederate prison camp?”
    Flynn sighed wearily.  “It’s a long story.”
    Sam hesitated.  Then, he turned back to Brooks.  “Now
get out of here!”
    Brooks and his men turned and strode away.
    Sam helped Flynn stand up.  “It sounded like they
broke a rib or two.”
    Flynn nodded.
    Sam sighed.  “Come on back to our fire, and we’ll
fix you up.”
    Flynn shook his head, but Sam ignored him.  He and
Ben helped him back to the fire.  Hank followed behind, still holding the chunk
of meat.
    Flynn’s breath hissed as Sam probed his ribs.  With
a muttered curse, Sam tore an old, dirty blanket into strips.  “Take off your
shirt, son.”
    “You heard Brooks.  I’m a Reb.”
    “Yeah.  And you just saved Hank’s life.  Now shut up
and take off your shirt.”
    “Yes sir.”  A grin tugged at Flynn’s mouth.  He
unbuttoned his shirt.
    Sam wrapped the strips around his chest tightly.  It
hurt for a moment, but the bandages eased the pain.  “Now, what did you do to
end up here?”
    “Well, I was court-martialed as a Union spy.”
    Sam looked him in the eye.  “Were you?”
    Flynn shook his head.
    “Unjustly accused?”
    Again, Flynn shook his head.  “No sir.  My colonel
ordered me to find a station on the Underground Railway.”  Pain rose in his
throat, threatening to choke him.
    “And you found it?”
    “Yes sir.”  Flynn looked away from Sam.
    “And you couldn’t bring yourself to turn them in.” 
Sam voice was surprisingly gentle for such a big man, reminding Flynn of
Keeper.
    Flynn looked back at him.  “No sir.  I couldn’t.”
    Sam sighed.  “Why didn’t they just hang you?”
    Slowly, Flynn grinned.  “My C.O. was too cheap to
waste a length of rope on a Yankee sympathizer.”
    Sam grinned back.  His grin faded.  “We’ll get
through this a lot better if we stick together.”
    “I’d like that, Major.”