Chains rattled as the men shifted their position, bargaining on a quick surge for the door behind their leader.
“Watch yourselves, okay?” Ty’s words held a wealth of meaning each of them understood. What they planned on trying would either prove a plug for his inventiveness or a disaster. As the guard moved down the line of cells set one after the other in the stonewalls of the cave, Ty could hear his own heart beating in his ears. Force of will drove him to stand. “Guard?”
The one on duty sauntered up to the iron door of the cell. “Yeah, whatta ya want, cracker?” The guard spit tobacco juice into the cell hitting several men resting close to the door.
Ty banked the surge of wolf anger fighting to take control over the insult. “I’ve got a man here who I think has Yellow Fever. You need to take a look at him.”
“You don’t tell me what I need to do, ya filthy Reb. Do I need to remind you where you are?” The guard tapped the cell bars with his stick.
Remembering the stick across his own backbone, Ty’s ire rose. “You’re right, of course. I thought you might be concerned for your safety as well as the rest of the guards on duty. You know what the Fever can do to a man, right, Sergeant?”
The grizzled, veteran soldier eyed Ty speculatively. As if in deep consideration, he scratched his straggly beard and peered first to the right and then the left. “Back away from the door, all of you filthy vermin.” Waving his stick at them, he yelled out for the other guard. “Two Bits – come here!”
The other guard roused slowly and leaned back giving his shoulders a good stretch before he slowly wandered toward his colleague. “Yeah?”
“Stand guard at the door, I need to check on the son-of-a-bitch shivering in the corner.” Pointing a grimy thumb in Ty’s direction, he said, “This one claims we may have a little Yellow Fever on our hands.”
Two Bits made the sign of the cross across his chest. “Jesus, Mary mother of …” Trailing off, he followed Grizzle to the door. Keys rattled and hinges squeaked before the heavy iron gate finally opened wide enough for the guard to slide through. With his stick in one hand and his revolver in the other, Grizzle moved to the center of the cell.
Ty dropped his head trying for the humble, whipped attitude the guard expected.
The guard kicked Connors in the side. Drenched in sweat, Connors moaned but never roused, nor did he move from the fetal position he’d curled into during the night.
“Shit!” Grizzle gave the body another hard boot. “The rest of ya back up against the far wall. Go on! All of you git into a line so I can see ya.” Waving his pistol to direct them, Grizzle spoke again, “Any of you feel lucky this day, that’s all right with me. I’ll put a slug in ya so quick you won’t know what hit ya. Now git!”
Each man stood as well as they could and clanked in unison toward the damp stonewall.
Ty made eye contact with Abram, who sat nearest the guard at the door. The man known as Two Bits stood propped against the doorframe in his grungy Sergeant’s uniform. The opened wool collar revealed a stained and tattered undershirt. He scratched carelessly at his dirt encrusted beard. His attention span hovered somewhere near semi-conscious. Drowsily watching Grizzle with his pistol drawn he wavered between present and out cold.
“Give me a hand with him.” Pointing the gun at Ty, he gave a jerk of his head at Connors. “Filthy bastard done gone and got the Fever. Now all the rest of us will get it too.” Pulling a kerchief over his mouth, Grizzle holstered his gun and tugged at Connors’ feet. As he did, Ty made a move to lift the sick man by his armpits.
Connors rolled quickly to a crouch position, yanking Grizzle’s gun out of the guard’s holster as he went. With a wry grin, he pointed the gun at Grizzle’s balls. “Bat an eyelash and I’ll blow your friend’s dick into tomorrow. You can stand here and watch him bleed all over, wishing you’d done something to prevent his dying. ‘Cause you know them vampires are gonna make you pay for not stopping us. Right?” His eyes honed in on Two Bits. As he waited on the guard to respond, he squinted. “You comin’ with us or eatin’ your own bullet?”
Two Bits’ face went slack. He twitched as he considered Connors’ words. Glancing first at the gun pointed between Grizzle’s legs and then up at his face, he shook his head. “I… I guess I’m a comin’ with ya.”
Grizzle jerked around at his coworker’s words. “Are ya daft? They’ll kill ya first thing, you idiot.” He motioned at Connors. “This here Reb’s got the Fever. He barely can move. Ya think he’s gonna be able to pull the hammer back on that rusty excuse for a gun before you put a bullet in his head? Where’s your senses, man? Shoot him!”
The sound of a hammer pulling back echoed in the stillness of the room. It didn’t come from Two Bits gun either.
Connors never took his eyes off Two Bits as he offered up a wicked grin. “It’s up to you.”
Ty glanced from Grizzle to the guard at the door. Sweat streamed liberally down Two Bits face and onto his stained undershirt. His face, slack jawed, lost all color.
Wondering if Two Bits may pee his pants, he motioned toward the rebel with the gun. “Go on, Connors, he can’t make up his mind. Shoot this one.” He motioned at Grizzle.
Connors leveled the gun up against the guard’s genitals and gave the barrel a shove.
Grizzle began to sweat. Giving his shoulders a little shrug, he offered up a lopsided grin. “There ain’t no need to get all crazy or nothin’. Hell, we can come to some agreement, can’t we?” His hands he held over his head trembled. “Maybe you can let both us go when we show you how to get out, huh?” His head began to bob up and down as if attached to a puppeteer’s strings. “See, the thing is, ya got several to get past before ya clear the tunnels in this here place. You get lost and ya dead for sure.”
Ty glanced at Two Bits. “Is that true?”
Two Bits automatically nodded. “There’s seven more like us.” He wiped quickly at his forehead. “The vampires let us feed off ‘um and we watch during the day.” His eyes, big now with nerves and truth, glanced up and down the corridor. “What we gonna do with all the rest?”
“Hell, set ‘um free. If we can go with you – to hell with the rest. Damn vampires’ll be lookin’ for deserters anyway.” Grizzle tone turned traitorous quickly as he gazed anxiously at Ty.
“Glad to see you’re such a loyal employee.” Ty’s brow cocked with the statement. “Two Bits, can you show us where the others are?”
Two Bits nodded rapidly.
“All right, let’s go!” Ty slowed at the cell door and glanced around. “Those of you who can, carry somebody who can’t walk.”
The faces looking back nodded. Each man gathered up somebody to help.
“Connors, get the key. Unlock as many as you can. Put the chains on that one.” He pointed at Grizzle. “If he tries anything, gut him. Got that?” Making sure Grizzle understood, he grabbed the keys Connors threw at him. Ignoring the sputtering guard, he crouched to unlock a man’s leg irons.
All the guard could do was stammer. “But who… what?”
“No need to worry, Yankee. The vampires are gonna be glad to see your sorry ass either way. Might as well help us out or die tryin’.” Ty grinned wryly.
With the prisoners in the cell freed, Ty passed the key to the cell next to theirs. Praying inwardly the others would follow quickly behind them, he urged Two Bits to lead the way.
They’d gone no more than a hundred yards when the noise, which broke out gave rise to thoughts the vampires awoke early. Prisoners plastered themselves against walls in the darkened hall. Mice squeaked and scurried out of harm’s way. Holding up a fist to halt those behind him, Ty used his amplified hearing to scope which direction the sound came from.
No sound came.
Perhaps the noise didn’t mean what they’d assumed. Hesitantly Ty dropped his hand in the advance command. Up ahead was another Union foot soldier with his back to them. The gift gave Ty swift, unseen reaction ability. The first guard fell without a word as
the next only had time to raise his rifle. With lightning speed, which had the Rebel escapees blinking in awe, Ty broke the second’s neck before searching the dark corridor ahead.
At the last outpost, Two Bits hailed the guard as a group slid past on his blind side. Gaining the information, they needed to continue, Two Bits motioned for the rest to move forward. The third guard with a sudden change of loyalty and joined them.
Footfalls padding down the corridor pricked Ty’s attention. Someone was coming. Bracing for an attack, Ty waited. The sounds grew closer but the feet weren’t a man’s, they belonged to a female. With his rusty shank in hand, Ty forced himself around the corner and rolled to the other side of the hall.
The small screech, which erupted, echoed through the dank corridor despite the owner’s effort to quell the errant noise. “Ty?” Sonja’s voice strangled but undeniable reverberated through him. “Is that you?”
“What in the hell are you doing here?” Needing desperately to rub away the pain gripping him just behind his ribs, Ty stared at the one person who could drive him to do things he’d regarded as foolish only a week before, Ty faced Sonja with a grim set to his mouth. “Well?”
“God, am I glad to find you. Come on, we have to hurry.” She started to turn, but he snaked a hand out and grabbed her wrist.
Like a physical blow, she stopped his heart, no matter how many times she appeared, she managed to alter his world. The need for her never waned nor sated. Actually glancing about, Ty cursed low. The circumstances for such a tryst, at the moment, proved impossible. But soon – soon she would rest under him and open for him to sink deep into the heat which only she could offer.
“What?” Sonja searched his face. “We have to hurry. Come on!” Tilting her head in question, Sonja waited impatiently.
“I’ve got about twenty men with me,” Ty explained as some of those men appeared behind him. Abram and Connors nodded at her.
“Ma’am.” Clemmons never failed to address a woman with respect, even if the timing proved less than social. He epitomized the decorum of a true southern gentleman, Ty mused. Giving his head a slight shake, he grinned inwardly. The world could be going to hell in a hand basket, but manners would rule the day.
“Connors, how you doing back there?” Ty glanced behind him as he took Sonja’s arm.
“Right as rain, Lieutenant.” Connors toothy grin shown in stark relief against the dark walls of the cave. “Gots me a real live Yankee prisoner of war here. Can’t say, as I want to make him a pet though. He’s filled with vermin.”
Snickers rippled up and down the corridor.
“All right men. This is it. You’ll be on your own if we get separated. Take the road leading south to the swamp and I’ll meet you in the clearing near the creek. Don’t dally. The sun will be going down soon. We’ll be deciding where to go when we get there. It’s every man for himself but I’ll do my best to keep them off your tails until we reach the cover of the swamp. Set as many fires as you can to ward off the vermin, do you understand?” His words needed no explanation. These southerners, who’d cut their teeth on hunting and living off the land, didn’t need to have it spelled out for them. It was clear which vermin he meant. They hobbled down the road. Ty prayed he’d made the right decision.
Turning to Sonja, he pulled her close. “Why did you take the chance of coming here?” Running his hand through her golden curls, he sighed. “Are you taunting them or simply trying to give me a heart attack?”
Sonja’s brow knitted and she gave him a petulant rebuttal. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” Shoving from his arms, she turned away, taking several steps before wheeling to face him. “I extinguished a whole regiment of them yesterday without help. Yours or Guardian’s.” Ignoring the scowl on his face, she waved a slim hand at him. “Besides, I learned several interesting things about mine – our powers during the skirmish.” Giving her long tresses a toss over her shoulder, she turned from him as the Guardian and Hortence appeared. Ty could never get used to their silent arrivals.
With a low curse, he gritted his teeth before stepping closer. “We aren’t through with this discussion. Do you hear me?”
Sonja merely took another step out of his reach and turned to her mentor and her tutor as they approached.
The Guardian met Ty’s gaze. “You managed to escape. Good. Hortence leveled a spell, which removed the other prisoners’ shackles. Any lingering guards are fast asleep thanks to her and I directed the men to leave the area post haste.”
His deep baritone voice reverberated through Ty’s already agitated nerves. Nodding absently before returning his gaze to Sonja, he considered his sanity. The woman would drive him to drink, he mused. A more headstrong, obstinate creature, he’d never met. Unable to fathom why she continued to disobey him, Ty could only grunt his agreement before stalking off to relieve himself behind the nearest bush. In consideration, he spoke over his shoulder, “We’ll need fast horses and weapons. I can’t leave those men. The vampires will kill them. They need training in defending themselves against this new enemy.”
“Leave that to me,” Guardian suggested.
“No, they’re my men. I should be the one to see to their safety.”
“You know you weren’t responsible for their capture. No need to keep beating yourself up for what happened.” The Guardian laid a hand on Ty’s shoulder.
The Guardian appeared as sympathetic as a wolf-god could, Ty supposed. “I don’t recall you coming to my aid when my own side wanted to court-martial me for treason.” Ty spat on the ground as if something distasteful lodged in his throat. No, I don’t think you came to my defense as Stewart gave the order to fire.
“Perhaps not, but I can state emphatically, I was wrong.” Stewart’s roan appeared prancing in place as he materialized in front of them.
Ty fought the urge to salute and at the same time, tried to control the disbelief on his face. Old habits died hard, but if he wasn’t mistaken he was talking to a ghost. “You’re dead.” Glancing around to see if anyone else saw the same haunt, Ty squared his shoulders. No figment of a stress-filled imagination was going to get the better of him.
Sonja stepped closer and laid a gentle hand along his sleeve. “This is what I wanted to tell you.” She glanced back at the general seated atop his fiery steed. “The general stopped by Briann’s early this morning.” She paused to give him a chance to catch up. “He wants to help.”
“He’s dead!” His quizzical glance slowly turned to horror as he stared at the man on the horse. “You’re a vampire?”
Stewart nodded solemnly. “Not something I’d dreamt of happening, but one has to make the best of all situations. Agreed, Werewolf?”
Ty’s accusing glare turned to bemusement as he struggled with who’d given away his secret. He compounded his lot with a questioning look for Sonja. Immediately regretting the move, he tried to regroup. Reaching for her hand, she slipped from his grasp and walked away, leaving him to bear his humiliation alone.
“You know, Loflin,” Stewart said, “For an intelligent man, you can be thick-headed sometimes.” A chuckle and the general slipped nimbly from his horse. His great strides ate up the ground between them. “I owe you an apology, Lieutenant.” Extending his leather covered hand, he waited for Ty’s answer.
Under the scrutiny of those nearby and with a profound sense of ignorance toward every thread of reality, Ty took the general’s cold, dead hand and shook. “My apologies, Sir.”
“No need.” The general smiled warmly. “I’m glad things turned out the way they did for you.” He flicked a glance at Sonja. “You’re a lucky man, er… wolf.” With a conspirator’s grin, he leaned a fraction closer. “In more ways than one.”
Following the general’s meaning this time, Ty agreed. He was a lucky wolf. Now if he could figure out how to get her to forgive his stupidity they could go back to killing vampires.
“We best be going, soon the sun’ll set and night will fall.” The Guardian add
ressed them as a man once more and Stewart blinked.
Stewart’s eyes widened before he dropped his head in amazement. “When I think I’ve seen it all…” he trailed off. With Ty grinning in agreement, he accepted the reins of the horse Hortence handed him. Giving Ty a salute, Stewart hoisted himself back in the saddle and followed the menagerie of warriors.
***
Convening near the glade where Ty’d rescued Sonja from the first night she’d experienced the change, the small band of ragtag refugees huddled close to listen to plans for the next day. Each man among them had long ago relinquished dreams of the future. None among them held any far-flung notions of tomorrow. No, there was only survival and each minute a precious reminder of how quickly their fates could change.
Understanding Ty’s hatred of the Yankees and how hard it was to contain his fury, Sonja said little. As the rag tag group assembled, she reflected on all the south had suffered at the hands of these bastards. A burgeoning spirit of kinship emerged regarding their plight. Unable to justify even the human Yankees position, she had no intention of letting Tyler or his men die for her. Though the sparks flew whenever the subject was brought up, she secretly vowed she’d leave before she’d let that happen.
Sonja waited until the briefing ended to separate herself from the men and clean up. Having the stench of vampires lingering on her skin and in her nostrils warranted a bath. With Hortence standing guard, she stripped down and waded into the stream. More bruising and discoloration disappeared, she noted. Still stiff from the battle, she sank into the water. Chilly, though it was, she revealed in the pleasure of a few moments to relax. Her nerves, so frayed, from by the battle as well as finding and rescuing Ty began to unknot. Closing her eyes, she allowed her mind to wander a bit. A dream, which had haunted her sleep the last few days, came back to her in great detail. Awake, she began to go through the images forming before her.
Waking Up Dead (The Western Werewolf Legend #1) Page 5