Innocence Lost
folder
M through R › Patriot, The
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
24
Views:
5,382
Reviews:
7
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
M through R › Patriot, The
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
24
Views:
5,382
Reviews:
7
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own The Patriot, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty
Ben Martin split up from his men as they entered Pembroke early the next morning, heading to Anne's house. He was worried about Gabriel who'd been feeling sick and had come home earlier than the rest of the group. As he dismounted and led his horse into the barn, he was puzzled that he didn't see Gabriel's horse. Ben felt vaguely uneasy as he walked to the house.
"Gabriel! Anne! Mary!" he called, alarmed when all remained quiet. He quickly mounted the stairs and heard a muffled moaning sound coming from Anne's room as he reached the top.
"Nooooooooooo!" As he stood in the doorway, he immediately saw Gabriel lying in a pool of blood on the floor in front of the bed that Mary was tied to. Even as he rushed to kneel down by his son, he knew it was too late. He quickly stood and went over to the bed to release Mary.
"Who did this?" he demanded as soon as he'd removed the gag from Mary's mouth. "And where are Anne and the baby?" Ben suspected he already knew the answer to these questions, but he had to ask.
"Tavington," Mary said, gulping nervously. "I was in bed asleep. I heard the baby cry out, so I came to see what was the matter." She paused, overcome by the memory of what she'd seen. "When I came in here, that horrible man was standing over Gabriel yanking his knife out of him. I was so scared!" She shuddered, then began crying again, as she remembered the sight of the blade dripping with blood.
Ben took her into his arms, patting her back to comfort her. For a few long moments, they grieved together. "What abAnneAnne and the baby," Ben finally said. "Where are they?"
"She went with Tavington!" Mary told him. "Willingly."
"You must be mistaken!"
"I'm afraid not," she said in a tired voice. "Before she left, she gave me a message for you. She said to tell you that she was sorry and for you not to try to find her. It seems as if Gabriel was right about her, after all."
Martin turned away, stunned. After a minute or so, he stood up straighter, resolute. He knew what he had to do now. Taking Mary's hands, he said, "I've got something I need to do right away. I'm going to stop by and let Reverend Oliver know what happened here so he can prepare Gabriel for burial. I'll be back as soon as I can for the funeral."
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I'm going after Tavington."
"Please, don't go!" she begged. "He'll kill you, too!"
"Not if I kill him first," he vowed. "I have to do this. For Gabriel...and Thomas."
Mary nodded in understanding.
"I'll have Reverend Oliver send someone down here to stay with you until I get back."
"Be careful."
"Don't worry, I will."
A half hour later, Ben Martin left the church after seeing Oliver, heading in the opposite direction from where Colonel William Tavington and his dragoons approached Pembroke.
Ben Martin split up from his men as they entered Pembroke early the next morning, heading to Anne's house. He was worried about Gabriel who'd been feeling sick and had come home earlier than the rest of the group. As he dismounted and led his horse into the barn, he was puzzled that he didn't see Gabriel's horse. Ben felt vaguely uneasy as he walked to the house.
"Gabriel! Anne! Mary!" he called, alarmed when all remained quiet. He quickly mounted the stairs and heard a muffled moaning sound coming from Anne's room as he reached the top.
"Nooooooooooo!" As he stood in the doorway, he immediately saw Gabriel lying in a pool of blood on the floor in front of the bed that Mary was tied to. Even as he rushed to kneel down by his son, he knew it was too late. He quickly stood and went over to the bed to release Mary.
"Who did this?" he demanded as soon as he'd removed the gag from Mary's mouth. "And where are Anne and the baby?" Ben suspected he already knew the answer to these questions, but he had to ask.
"Tavington," Mary said, gulping nervously. "I was in bed asleep. I heard the baby cry out, so I came to see what was the matter." She paused, overcome by the memory of what she'd seen. "When I came in here, that horrible man was standing over Gabriel yanking his knife out of him. I was so scared!" She shuddered, then began crying again, as she remembered the sight of the blade dripping with blood.
Ben took her into his arms, patting her back to comfort her. For a few long moments, they grieved together. "What abAnneAnne and the baby," Ben finally said. "Where are they?"
"She went with Tavington!" Mary told him. "Willingly."
"You must be mistaken!"
"I'm afraid not," she said in a tired voice. "Before she left, she gave me a message for you. She said to tell you that she was sorry and for you not to try to find her. It seems as if Gabriel was right about her, after all."
Martin turned away, stunned. After a minute or so, he stood up straighter, resolute. He knew what he had to do now. Taking Mary's hands, he said, "I've got something I need to do right away. I'm going to stop by and let Reverend Oliver know what happened here so he can prepare Gabriel for burial. I'll be back as soon as I can for the funeral."
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I'm going after Tavington."
"Please, don't go!" she begged. "He'll kill you, too!"
"Not if I kill him first," he vowed. "I have to do this. For Gabriel...and Thomas."
Mary nodded in understanding.
"I'll have Reverend Oliver send someone down here to stay with you until I get back."
"Be careful."
"Don't worry, I will."
A half hour later, Ben Martin left the church after seeing Oliver, heading in the opposite direction from where Colonel William Tavington and his dragoons approached Pembroke.