The Charleston Chase (Phantom Knights Book 2)

by Amalie Vantana

  James had held many offices in the past; Senator from Virginia, Minister to France, Minister to the United Kingdom, two time Governor of Virginia, Secretary of State, Secretary of War, and now the President. He had also fought in the Revolution, receiving a nearly fatal wound to his shoulder.

  When he said, “During a period fraught with difficulties and marked by very extraordinary events, the United States has flourished beyond example. Their citizens individually have been happy, and the nation prosperous,” people cheered and clapped, me among them. There was a smile on his lips as he continued.

  He spoke of commerce; new states admitted to the union, and that there had been no example of a capital punishment being inflicted upon anyone for the crime of high treason. Nor had there been. I do not know what the ruling would have been against Richard if it had ever been taken to higher courts, but James did not know everything that Richard had planned to do with Levitas. My mother had cut Richard’s life short before he could be tried.

  James spoke of agriculture and of the abundance that our great nation is able to produce, a surplus for the wants of our fellow men in other countries.

  “Such, then, being the highly favored condition of our country, it is the interest of every citizen to maintain it. What are the dangers which menace us? If any exist, they ought to be ascertained and guarded against.”

  I was sure he looked at me when he spoke that. It was for that exact purpose that the Phantoms were created.

  “Had the people of the United States been educated in different principles, had they been less intelligent, less independent, or less virtuous, can it be believed that we should have maintained the same steady and consistent career or been blessed with the same success? While, then, the constituent body retains its present sound and healthful state everything will be safe. They will choose competent and faithful representatives for every department. It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising the sovereignty. Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and a usurper soon found. The people themselves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin. Let us, then, look to the great cause, and endeavor to preserve it in full force. Let us by all wise and constitutional measures promote intelligence among the people as the best means of preserving our liberties.”

  Our eyes met, and he gave a slight inclination of his head.

  He spoke of the future, should our country ever be engaged in war again, of the greatness of our military, and the organization that trains them to be prepared for any emergency. He spoke of the improvement of our country by roads and canals, making it convenient and comfortable to travel, by shortening the distances and making each part more accessible to and dependent on the other. We would bind the union more closely together. He spoke of the rapid growth of our country and the prosperity of its people. He proclaimed that if we persevere in the career in which we have advanced so far and in the path already traced, we cannot fail, under the favor of a gracious Providence, to attain the high destiny which seems to await us.

  “I enter on the trust to which I have been called by the suffrages of my fellow-citizens, with my fervent prayers to the Almighty that He will be graciously pleased to continue to us that protection which He has already so conspicuously displayed in our favor.”

  A great cheer went up as James bowed his head. The cheering continued while James shook hands with other political leaders.

  Someone touched my elbow, and I turned to look up at the face of George Crawford. He was smiling, and his brown eyes were filled with excitement. He was always dressed neatly, and he stood with a straight back and his chin held high.

  George had been captured by Levitas and held as their prisoner until my sister and one of our fellow Phantoms had rescued him, but this day, there was no sign of the ragged man who had come out of confinement, of the bruises that he had endured, nor the anger he had shown. No, indeed, for that was all past now, and I could see in his eyes that George expected James’s election of President to be beneficial to us all.

  I had not seen George since August, when I told him I was leaving the Phantoms for good. He had not been pleased and had declared himself to be the head of the Phantoms, which had been something that my father never wanted. George was an attorney with no true understanding of the life of a spy.

  George and I walked together away from the crowd. He was the first to speak.

  “Freddy told me what transpired between you. You should not have involved yourself, John.”

  “He was giving information to the enemy! Did he tell you that? He was betraying the Phantoms, placing your own nephew’s team in harm’s way.

  George shook his head, his round face red from either the wind or anger, I was not sure. He stopped and turned to face me. “Be sensible, John, we have a common enemy. They are not against us, but the Holy Order and Ma belle. Yes, we provided them with the location, and now we will stand back and wait while they remove each other. Less pressure, less pain for us.”

  After a moment of staring at George in astonishment, I looked away. How could he order something like that? He knew that Bess was in Charleston searching for the Holy Order, for he had sent her there. He was placing my sister in harm’s way, because he did not want to get his own hands dirty. I would not stand for it, and I told him so.

  George only smiled; his look purely amused. “There is nothing you can do, John, for you hold no place of authority.” He moved away, offering a wave of his hand. “I shall see you on the morrow.”

  We had a meeting scheduled with James in the morning, one where I would gain some authority by a person who had more say than George.

  ***

  In the morning, when I was walking away from the house that my family owned in Washington, I was accosted by four men. They grabbed me, pulled me into an alley, and held me tight against the wall. I did not try to fight, for I knew each of them rather well. They were the Washington Phantoms. When Frederick stepped into the alley, as I knew he would, he was smiling unpleasantly.

  “Why, John, so good of you to agree to this meeting.”

  “If you want to hit me for Leo knocking you out, get it over with, I do not have time for your games, Frederick.”

  His eyes narrowed. He hated when I called him Frederick. He was Freddy to everyone else.

  “He caught me unaware is all. I would have come out the victor if he had fought fairly, and he knew it.”

  “Your delusions are as comical as your raiment, Frederick, but I do not suppose you are holding me here to puff off your imagined abilities. What do you want?”

  Frederick stepped closer, and his lackeys backed away. The only one of them that had not touched me and was looking ill at ease was Arthur, the only member of Frederick’s team to have survived his leadership.

  “At your meeting with Monroe, I want you to impress upon our new President the advantages to be found in naming me the leader of the Phantoms over George.”

  Staring at him in stupefaction, Leo must have him hit hard enough to have jarred his senses. He must have caught on to my line of thoughts for he smiled. “I have complete control of my faculties, I assure you. We both know, however, that George does not. His new position has gone to his head.”

  “Apparently he is in good company. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a meeting to attend.” I pushed my way through the men and stepped back onto the road.

  “You would be wise to heed my words, John, or those closest to you will suffer.”

  Incensed and spinning around, I said, “Be very cautious whom you threaten, Frederick, especially those who hold the ear of the President.”

  I spun on my heels and walked away. Frederick’s team did not follow me, and ten minutes later, reached I Street.

  As I stepped up to the brick house where the President and Mrs. Monroe were living while the President’s house was being rebuilt, I knew that the meeting ahead would change the course of the Phantoms. Th
ere was a feeling deep inside me, whispering that change was about to happen. As I knocked upon the large front door, it was opened by a stately butler who led me up the staircase to a door on the second floor. He knocked, and I heard James’s voice on the other side. When I was ushered into an office, I saw George seated in one of two chairs before James’s mahogany desk.

  “Please be seated, John,” James said to me with a smile after I shook his hand and congratulated him on both his election and his inspiring inaugural address.

  The new President sat in a high-backed chair and placed the tips of his fingers together. “With the changing of time and my new position, I have come to a decision about the future of certain organizations.” He could not say the Phantoms name aloud, for servants had remarkable hearing. “You and all like you,” he said to me, “have served a great purpose, protecting us from more threats that I am sure we knew, but you will agree that the need for such measures has dried up.”

  “What are you saying, sir?” George asked, leaning forward in his chair, his eyes wide and his jaw taut.

  “I am commissioning a new order. After the threat presented to my life last year, I have come to understand, that, in a position such as mine, there could be others wanting to usurp me. With much consideration, I have chosen to disband certain organizations.”

  James was serious as he looked from me to George. So much for Frederick’s wishes. That gave me a grain of happiness, but I was not certain what to feel. I had left the Phantoms behind, choosing to go my own way. I did not believe that the Phantoms would always be needed, but that they would be dispersed so soon was unexpected. The Holy Order still presented a threat, if not to James, then to other innocent people.

  “I am not proposing to forget all they have done for us—the sacrifices made—I choose to honor them in a new way. It is for that reason that I will be requesting that you, John, move to Washington to lead the new team of guards who will protect me as I travel.”

  All I could do was stare, as the inside my body was coiling tightly with that old feeling of being trapped. I had yet to find Guinevere or the Holy Order. I had only just tasted true freedom. I was not prepared to give that up, but I was not sure I had a choice.

  George was practically purple with rage. “You want to uproot the Phantoms in Charleston and Philadelphia and make them your own personal guards?”

  James smiled. “No. As I understand it, the team in Philadelphia is no more, and the Charleston team is comprised mostly of women. They shall be released, as will the Washington team. John will choose what men to join him as my guards.”

  George was near to sputtering. His dreams for the Phantoms had been shattered, and his goals gone in a few words only. There was a tiny part of my mind that was happy, knowing that I would have the power to save Guinevere, and there was nothing George could do.

  “I will not allow it,” George said.

  To my surprise, James smiled again. “You have no choice in the matter, George. I appreciate, as does Gideon I am sure, all you have done for the Phantoms, but this is the time for moving forward. We must look to the future, not remain clinging to the past.”

  George stood. Every line of his body was rigid as he glared at Monroe. He looked as if he wanted to throttle James. The tension in the room clung to me like a leech as I viewed the open hostility of a man I had admired for years. There were times when I was vexed with George, but it had always been Bess who claimed George wanted more for the Phantoms. He never approved of Bess being the leader, which should have shown me his character flaws. Bess was the best leader our team had ever had, for she had given us freedom.

  “Thank you for all you have done, George, and for your understanding. Good day to you.”

  Being so thoroughly dismissed George had no choice but to take his leave.

  When James and I were alone, a loud sigh escaped me. That had been uncomfortable, and I feared that what I was about to say would be even more. “Sir, I thank you for the great honor that you do me by choosing me to lead your guards, but I do not believe I am the best man for the job.”

  “Nonsense. I remember what your father always said about you, John, loyal to your cause, dedicated without despair to one other, and faithful to your beliefs, braver than any. You are the man for the job.”

  Having never known that my father said all of that about me, my gut clenched. William Martin was not a man to praise the actions of his children. Quick to judge, slow to praise.

  “Sir, before I can accept this most auspicious and generous offer, I must first locate the Holy Order. It is what my father would expect of me.” I held my breath, waiting for his response. If he denied me, I would have to turn down his offer and risk his disapproval.

  After a few moments of watching me intently, James agreed. “I will have Frederick stand in for you while you are away.”

  “With all due respect, sir, I would speak to you about Frederick.” James nodded. “I am afraid that he has shown himself to be untrustworthy. He was caught trading information with a group who is responsible for the death of Ben Shultz.” After a thoughtful moment, I added, “Under George’s order.” James needed to know.

  James appeared struck with disappointment. He, of course, remembered Ben. For no one having the good fortune to have met Ben could ever forget him. He had been a man of great heart and a penchant for justice.

  “Whom then do you suggest?”

  The answer sprang to my mind immediately. It would not only serve the purpose, but it would make Frederick seethe with indignation.

  “There is a man on the Washington Phantoms team, his name is Arthur, and he has been faithful to our cause for three years. I believe he would serve you well, sir.”

  Monroe agreed and said he would see to it that Arthur began immediately. Art had been the only member on Frederick’s team to survive the length of Frederick’s rule, and I could tell that he had not wanted to accost me earlier. He would do well for Monroe.

  “I believe three months sufficient time to accomplish your goal. I shall expect you here to take up your post by the end of June.”

  James rose, signaling the end of our meeting. After shaking his hand, and moving to the door, he halted me.

  “John,” turning to face him he said, “give my regards to your sister and the Charleston team. Be sure to thank them for their years of service when you tell them of the new changes made.”

  So, it was left to me to tell them. How Bess would take the new changes gave me some qualms. She was determined to find the Holy Order, and no new order would force her to surrender her mask until she had accomplished her mission.

  Stepping out of James’ house, George was pacing the sidewalk, waiting for me. “John, I must have a word.” He was frenzied, but not without reason. His work for the past seven years had been taken from him. There were beads of perspiration on his forehead as he walked beside me down the street. He knew where I was going without my having to say.

  Leo was awaiting me at the tree, the house we owned in Washington. Leo had booked passage on a ship earlier in the morning that would take us to Charleston. Thoughts of Guinevere surfaced, and a physical ache settled in my chest. Washington was the city where I had first come across her. She had been dressed as the white phantom, but I would never forget the way she spared my life, choosing to graze my shoulder instead of shooting me in the back as she could have done.

  “What are your plans, John? Are you going after the Holy Order?”

  Stopping to look at George, his eyes were glassy, like he had been drinking, but that was impossible, unless he was now carrying it on his person.

  “Of course,” I replied cautiously.

  George nodded. “I had hoped.” He gripped my arm tightly. “John, Bess is in great danger.”

  “Yes, George, from the Holy Order, and the guards you sent there. It is why I am going after them.”

  “No! No,” he said, shaking his head, “from someone closer.”

  “Who?” I demanded curtly.
Bess was with his nephew’s team, but if George knew something against Samuel Mason and had still sent Bess there, neither would be safe from my wrath.

  “I sent Bess to Charleston with Gideon so she could be safe, but she is not.”

  “She has your nephew to watch over her, George, along with Gideon, Mrs. Beaumont, and Levi. She is plenty safe.”

  “No! That is the problem, John I did not send Levi with her. He has gone to steal the artifacts, and to give them to the Holy Order.”

  Chapter 8

  Bess

  18 March 1817

  Every day since Sam had sailed away with Guinevere had been filled with training the girls and searching for the Holy Order. Levi helped me each day by either questioning the people on the list of names Sam had left me or by helping me train Charlotte and Betsy. Rose had needed little instruction before she became adept at each weapon. When it came to the use of the small sword, she wistfully explained that her late husband, a military man, had trained her in the art of swordplay. He wanted someone to fight with to keep his mind and skill sharp, along with wanting his wife to be able to defend herself.

  Char picked up on both knife throwing and archery. She could often be found pitting her newly acquired abilities against Levi, who at times let her win. They fought as much as they flirted, looking like a heat ray of the sun and a dark thundercloud when they argued. Char and Levi were so alike that it was often humorous to watch them argue. They were each spitfires, but since Levi had been doing this job much longer, he usually bested Char, and in turn she would retaliate by kicking his shins, knocking off his hat, hiding his favorite knife, or stealing his pistols.

  Lucas Marx had three times come to call, once taken me driving through the city, and he escorted Rose, Char, and I to a picnic at a plantation. He was handsome, kind, intriguing, and he made me laugh with his witticisms, but he elicited no strong feelings from within me. Only one man had caused sparks of excitement to surge through me, and he had been away three weeks and five days. I kept telling myself that I was angry at Sam; that he had known what he was doing by having Guinevere on board his ship, but as the days passed, my anger had faded, and try as I would, I could not garner a spark of ill feelings toward him. As annoying as I often found Samuel Mason, I missed his ready banter. If he stayed away many more days, he would miss his own race party.