Archibald turned to Bryon and commanded, “You need to leave this house now! I will be talking to Oglethorpe tomorrow and will work all this out. Now it is time to take your men and get out.”
“I am sorry, but this is the king’s home now and you will need to find a new place to live. You may not vacate until we discuss something curious my soldiers found upstairs in your loft,” the commander replied with a grin. “Soldiers take him out back to the tree while I retrieve the contraband.” The two sentries pulled Marian and Archibald apart and seized the blacksmith.
“Release me!” Archibald demanded as he knocked their arms away. One guard struck Archibald on the side of his face, knocking the blacksmith down to the floor. “STOP!” Marian screamed through her tears as she witnessed this assault on her beloved. Archibald held his face and feigned injury. The sentry moved over him to strike him again when the blacksmith snapped quickly to his feet. He caught the guard by surprise and the thick top of the skull of Mr. Freeman’s head shattered the soldier's nose. Blood sprayed on the floor and the soldier fell to his knees, shrieking in pain. Archibald took advantage of the surprise attack and grabbed the other guard by the neck, moving his leg, behind the soldier's calf. In one fluid motion, he pushed the soldier at his neck tripping him over his leg and viciously throat slamming him to the floor.
“That’s enough!” the commander shouted.
The combatant turned his attention to Bryon Kingsley’s belting voice. The bloody back now had Marian in his claws and was pressing a large knife to her throat. The husband slowly released his choke hold on the gasping man and cautiously rose to his feet. He raised his hands up and carefully backed up.
“Get up! You two are an embarrassment to my command. Tie Mr. Freeman to the tree outside. You will find him more cooperative now I am sure,” the commander ordered. The soldiers were in pain and moved slowly getting up. Brushing off their uniforms, they then manhandled their attacker. They shoved Archibald out the door and dragged him to the large dogwood, whose leaves were now turning a red color for fall. The redcoats wrested his arms back and pulled them around the tree. They tightly bound his wrists with a strong, hemp rope. Archibald tried to wrangle free but to no avail. His thoughts wandered to his captive family in the house and he felt utterly helpless to stop what was happening.
The Freeman's dogwood
The commander walked out like a predator stalking his prey. Byron approached the prisoner carrying a leather bag. Marian ran outside and tugged on the commander’s arm, trying to beg him to stop. “Let him go! We can work all this out with your superiors. We can even pay you. Just wait!” Byron lost his patience and struck her in the mouth with the large leather bag, knocking Marian to the ground. She screamed in pain as he struck her repeatedly with the sack until she lay prone on the ground unconscious. Archibald screamed at this abuse and tears welled up in his eyes. He watched for a sign of movement from his love to give him hope she was still alive.
Kingsley then reached into the buckskin bag and pulled out the large, worn-out tomes that were hidden in the loft. “When my men searched your loft they found these books clumsily hidden. I am sure you are very aware these books are forbidden by law. What shall I do with you, Freeman?” Kingsley grinned evilly.
Archibald’s eyes made their way to Kingsley’s and now, instead of sorrow and fear, they showed pure anger. “How dare you strike my bride! I would kill you where you stand if you were not such a coward to have me bound. Untie me!" Archibald demanded.
"Your annoying wife is fine. I am sure you do the same when she won’t silence herself," Kingsley replied.
“You will take me to your commander and answer for what you have done here. I am entitled to a trial and Oglethorpe’s judgment on this accusation,” Archibald angrily spit out.
“I am able to dispense justice without his input and I have already made a judgment. You are guilty of assaulting one of his Majesty's guards and for reading banned writings,” Byron drew his blade and threw the books at condemned man’s feet.
“If you use that knife to dispense arbitrary justice for your king, it is only a matter of time until another king's man takes its handle and turns it on you,” the convicted man warned.
“Then I will be sure to hold the knife tighter than anyone else,” Kingsley smiled as he carved the cold, steel blade into Archibald’s throat. A line of crimson turned into a gush of blood as the blacksmith gargled and thrashed. Blood poured down his clothes, pooling and spitting all over the contraband books at his feet.
Byron wiped the blood off his large hunting blade with Archibald's limp body. He turned to face Marian as he smiled. As he pointed his knife at her belly and maneuvered into a killing position, a musket shot rang out in the darkness. Byron jumped for cover as he ordered his soldiers into the darkness toward the direction of the muzzle flash. His guards quickly moved and charged into the darkness. Another loud cracking sound filled the air and the commander felt a shot whiz past his ear. Concluding it was time to retreat, Byron slithered unseen into the darkness.
* * *
Sergeant Luthor smiled. “It appears the commander left us here all alone, sweet ladies. You there, what’s your name? I kind of fancy you, lass,” Luthor asked, pointing at Mari Anna. Prudence and Heather closed ranks in front of Mari Anna and stood steadfast. The twins then joined in the human wall of defense. The redcoat pulled his long hunting knife and aimed it at the twins. “Stand aside or I will gut each of you until I get what I want,” the man threatened.
“Stand down," Mari Anna conceded as she pushed her way forward. "I will just give him what he needs."
“Smart, lass. The rest of you over there, you can watch if you’d like, but move upon us and I skin her like a doe,” he threatened while waving his knife.
“Go on," Mari Anna instructed. "Do as he says.” The reluctant group moved into a tight corner and started weeping.
“Cover your ears and turn away, boys,” Heather demanded of the twins.
Mari Anna started untying her jacket and slipped it off. Luthor slipped the blade under her stay and in one swift motion, sliced the lacing up the front. It immediately fell to the floor. Her breasts were easy to make out in the thin shift and the forceful man grew erect as her large nipples pressed out against the translucent linen. Luthor wasted no time. He ran his blade through the thin cloth, cutting away and ripping the shift. Her hefty flesh poured out of the tear and the bloody back fixated on her large, pink nipples. He put his lips on them and Mari Anna moaned. He gripped hard and crushed her breasts causing her great pain but she continued to feign pleasure as she ran her hand up her petticoats to her thigh.
The Sergeant dropped his pantaloons exposing his erect cock. “Just relax, lass, and I won’t stick you too rough," he promised with a devilish smile. Lust now overpowered caution and Luthor lowered his blade to lift Mari Anna's petticoats. She moaned loudly with excitement knowing this was her only chance to seize the opportunity. He pulled her petticoats over her waist and exposed her naked pelvis and gasped.
At that instant, Mari Anna buried her dirk deep into the redcoat's chest. Luthor howled in pain like a pig being slaughtered as Mari Anna pulled the knife out and plunged it in again and again into the rapist's chest. The sergeant cringed in pain. He held up his arms to defend himself from being stabbed but Mari Anna simply stabbed at his hands. The sergeant dropped his knife and yelped as he rolled into a ball. Heather dropped her dirk into his back while Prudence followed suit and pierced his side. The twins continued the assault and plunged their blades into his lower back as the bloody, gasping heap finally collapsed, motionless. Luthor was stabbed so viciously, the children lost count of how many times their knives fell and the carcass was no longer recognizable as human. With ragged breaths, the family finally became exhausted and stopped stabbing the lump of dull, red meat on the floor. They panted in exhaustion as their horrified eyes took in the massive pool of blood on the wooden planks below their feet. They stared quietly at each other in shoc
k at the gruesome display of self-defense they had just committed. Such a brutal group stabbing had not been seen since the Ides of March in the Roman Senate.
“Wake up! No time for this. We have to help father!” Amos finally shouted.
The group scurried down the ladder and did not look back. Blood was raining down the ceiling as it escaped through the floor boards above. Prudence slipped in a pool of liquid crimson that had already formed on the main floor as they ran to the back yard. The family approached the tree to get a better sense of the situation. Heather screamed and cried with grief. The group stood in terror as they took in the brutal scene. Archibald’s limp corpse was crumbled up under the dogwood. His arms were still tied behind the tree creating the illusion that he was still alive, but just squatting.
Everyone reacted differently to the severity of the horrible sight. Some dropped to their knees and wept while others screamed in anger. Out of the blackness, Isaac and Patrick joined the gruesome scene. Patrick shook with anger and Isaac stared slack-jawed in disbelief.
“Marian!” Patrick yelled and ran over to her unconscious body. She groaned and moved her arm as a sign of life. Patrick set aside the horror and focused to keep everyone alive. He took charge of the situation. “She is alive! Heather, help get your mother to her feet. Twins, take Prudence and Mari Anna to their families and tell them all to flee immediately. Quickly explain what happened and ask Prudence’s father for his horse and cart. Tell the family to take everything of value with them and quickly meet us at the lightning-split tree in Thunderbolt. Also, tell them to take their families making haste and being wary. We'll all be killed if we don’t move immediately!”
The shocked twins showed incredible maturity and somehow snapped out of their grieving to handle the task at hand. They followed Patrick’s orders and dragged the weeping ladies away to their homes.
Patrick continued commanding, “Isaac, cut down Archibald and carry him as far as you can. Head for the lightning split tree where we dueled. Move fast and quietly.” Isaac complied with a face full of tears and threw the bloody corpse over his massive shoulders. The hulking man wasted no time with the grim task and ran into the darkness.
Marian was now sitting up trying to make sense of what she was seeing. “See to your mother, Heather, alright?” Patrick asked softly.
Patrick ran into the shed and threw the scrap metal out the door. He uncovered Archibald’s hidden hatch in the ground and flung it open. He grabbed the old dueling pistols and stuffed them into his thick leather belt. At the bottom of the dark hole was a large, woolen cloth. Patrick hastily pulled it out and heard something drop with a jingle. He searched the dark hole and discovered a small heavy bag. The gold! Oh thank God! I cannot believe I found it, Patrick thought. He grabbed a wool cloth and wrapped it around the bag of gold. Patrick then stuffed it all into his shirt and headed to back to the matriarch.
Patrick heard yelling in the darkness and assumed the troops were mobilizing.
“We're dead if we stay any longer, Heather!” he said helping Marian to her feet. He steadied her, being careful that she did not stumble. Something caught his eye under the dogwood tree. He quickly snatched up the blood spattered books and stuffed them back into the leather bag that Bryon had cast onto the ground. Patrick and Heather put their arms around Marian and helped lead her half-conscious, wobbling body away from the home. Traumatized, the three disappeared into the blackness, as Patrick heard sounds of motion to at the front of the Freeman house. They quickly stumbled into the pitch black.
* * *
Isaac’s back was in terrible pain when he finally sat Archibald’s body under the dueling trees. The starlight was barely bright enough to illuminate his exodus. He had twisted his ankle in the darkness but the shock of battle kept him from feeling the pain until just then. He carefully loaded his musket with shot and stared into the blackness keeping vigil.
In a matter of minutes, Patrick, Heather, and Marian came panting in the clearing. Isaac lowered his musket and ran over to help them. He put his arm around the stumbling Marian and positioned himself so she would not see Archibald's bloodied carcass, but it was too late. She saw her husband’s lifeless silhouette in the starlight. She was finally conscious enough to grasp the magnitude of what had happened. She pushed Isaac off and threw herself onto her husband’s dead body. She rocked Archibald's limp corpse in her arms and wept loud enough for the entire world to hear. Heather ran to her mother and held her while she clutched her deceased husband. The two men held the grief-stricken woman while they clung to the crimson-stained body. The four continued to cry and Marian demanded to know what happened.
Patrick told her that all he had seen was Byron Kingsley hovering with a blade over her. They were too far away to hit them with shot but hoped the noise would rouse his attention. They assumed the lobster back commander was the one who spilled Archibald’s soul from his body. The musket shot saved Marian but guards chased after Patrick and Isaac. They were unaware that Archibald had fallen and concerned themselves with leading the soldiers away from her unconscious body. Patrick and Isaac were pursued into the snake-ridden swamps. After a high speed chase through the night, they lost the soldiers in the pitch blackness. This bought the men precious time to double-back to the house.
“Heather, why are you splattered in blood?” Patrick asked.
Before Heather could tell her tale, she was interrupted by the sounds of a creaking, wooden wagon rolling in. Startled by the eerie noise, Patrick and Isaac pointed their firelocks toward the ruckus. The twins stepped into the starlight followed by a procession of refugees. Prudence and Mari Anna ran over and joined the weeping women holding the corpse. Heather let go of the dead body and silently held her two friends hands.
Mari Anna’s and Prudence’s confused families were with them carrying all their valuables. The baker and the tailor surveyed the scene. Prudence’s father stated in a near breathless whisper, “Dear God, daughter. You speak the truth. The redcoats really did kill him.”
Patrick replied, “It is true alright. We cannot stay here. You and daughters are in mortal danger. They were being held and thusly associated with my family. They will be associated with Archibald's crime as well."
Mari Anna’s father spoke up nervously, “Daughter, you have done no crime. We should go back and explain your situation to Oglethorpe. Our family does not need to be involved in this.”
“Papa, I have not told you everything. We cannot go back. I have indeed committed a terrible crime,” Mari Anna confessed tearfully.
“What are you speaking of, young one?" he said with grave concern.
“I am covered with the sergeant's blood. He forced himself on me and I defended myself before he stole my virtue. I ran him through and spilled his life in the Freeman’s loft,” Mari Anna solemnly confessed.
“You must be confused, little one. Even if you stabbed him, he is probably still alive. Let us go back and throw ourselves on Oglethorpe’s mercy,” the baker bartered.
Amos’s crimson covered body stepped forward and interrupted, “No, sir. Sergeant Luthor is absolutely dead!"
Patrick looked around at the group of children and realized they were all covered in clumped chunks of red flesh. “Oh, god. It is true. All of you are baptized in blood. It is not safe for any of us now. They probably already discovered the sergeant's body and raised the alarm. We have to get to William's in Darien now. We will figure out our next move from there.”
Patrick took charge and ordered the large Jewish man to load the body into the cart. He then commanded the brave group to push into the blackness as fast as they could. The sounds of mourning and sobbing filled the night while the train of refuges marched toward Darien.
Chapter 17
The Argyle Colony
There was pounding at the McIntosh door. “William, please open your door! It’s Patrick! We need your help!”
The groggy Scottish man unbolted his large oak door asking, “What’s all this racket? I still hav
e an hour of sleep left before rising.”
“They killed Archibald, William. The shit-filled coward, Bryon Kingsley, slit his throat!”
Mr. McIntosh rubbed his eyes, “What's that, lad? Me ears did not hear you right, me thinks.”
“See for yourself," Patrick grimly pointed. "His body is in the cart.”
William stumbled out in silence as he surveyed the cart. His dropped to his knees in the mud and wept. His wife, Deborah, and his girls ran over to him and gawked at the body in sadness. William wiped his tears and angrily belted out, “Let me get me sword! Let us go kill Kingsley now!” He stormed past Patrick and retrieved his weapons in his house.
“William, wait! We will avenge him but not right now. I suspect it won’t be long until the whole armies of Savannah come hunting for us. Archibald’s children struck down Kingsley's dog, Sergeant Luthor. You have to help us disappear. Archibald’s vengeance will be well calculated and delivered when his family is no longer at risk,” Patrick pleaded.
“That is not our way. Retribution must be delivered immediately. Every second Kingsley is alive, it is an insult to Archibald's honor!” William barked back.
Patrick grabbed the kilted man by his shoulders, “Archibald would not want you to risk the lives of his family and friends for vindication. We will wait! Please help us give him a proper Scottish burial and escort us in our exodus.”
William collected himself and put his anger on a low simmer and conceded, “Aye, lad. He deserves proper rights!” He turned to his weeping family and ordered, “Lauren, Lindsey, and Deborah, run and tell the village what has happened. Request their aid with the funeral rites. Catch Mr. MacKay as well and tell him to keep his fishing vessel harbored. We need it for passage. Go now! Run!"
Pirates of Savannah: The Complete Trilogy - Colonial Historical Fiction Action Adventure (Pirates of Savannah (Adult Version)) Page 24