Chapter 21

 

 

In the morning, after our thrill from cheating death has faded, I decide to go talk with Alister about what he might’ve learned about last night. When I walk into the tavern, he’s there in the snug as I expected. I wave to Sean and walk over to my spy right away.

He looks me up and down. “Not a scratch or burn! I’m beginning to doubt you’re human.”

“Oh, I almost found out.”

“Well, you’ve got a wolf in sheep’s clothing I think there, Redmond.”

“I know, Alister, I know.” I lean back. “So, what have you heard?”

“I found out only an hour before they left that Lucas was going after you at that house. I couldn’t do nothing for you then.”

“So that means they probably didn’t know much ahead, then, right? Which makes sense, since Captain didn’t invite us but around noon.”

“Can you remember who was with you from that time forward?”

“Yeah, I was at camp and Captain, Art, William, Cahir, Síofra, and Ned never left to go anywhere.”

“So, then, who was there at noon that left and came back?”

“Berragh, Liddy, Hogan, Bawn, and Kelly, they all went for lunch after.”

“And who was not there at the house at the time of the ambush?”

“Berragh, Liddy, Hogan, and Kelly.”

“Well, this morning I asked around and heard that they had inside information from within your camp. And seeing the ambush failed, I was expecting someone to come and talk with Lucas—”

“Did you see something?” I say, losing patience.

“I saw a young boy come in but an hour ago and stayed for a bit and left. I followed him back to the woods where he disappeared.”

I felt the heat of my anger surface. “I know who ’tis Alister.” I rush to get up.

“Well, tell me, then?”

“It’s a young new recruit that’s been hanging around our camp the last few weeks—” I pause and throw my head back. “Of course! He started coming around right when I realized someone was leaking.”

“I’ll let you go deal with him, then.”

I take out a pouch, give it under the table, and nod good-bye to Sean. I reach the campfire in a complete rage. I pull Art, Cahir, and Captain aside and tell them of what I learned from my source.

Art says, “The little snitch has gone to the river fishing. Let’s go.”

We see his skinny form at the banks, bent over, taking a fish off his hook. He gets up nervously, and seeing Art’s fierce look, he tries to turn and run. I jump off my horse to chase and leap on him to bring him down. He tries to kick and punch me off, but Cahir’s quickly over me, tying his hands and feet. He’s about to gag him, but I say, “No, I need to ask him some questions.”

I stand him up, tie him to a tree, and stare into his black eyes. His face’s so narrow and thin he could kiss a goat between the horns. “What’s your name, boy?” I say in a low, slow voice, trying to keep my head.

“Rory.”

“Rory, sir!” Art demands. “This one suffers from a double dose of original sin.”

Rory stares up, confused by our assault, and says meekly, “Rory, sir.”

“Did you go talk to Lieutenant Lucas yesterday?” I ask.

He looks nervously at Art, who’s brimming over with anger.

“Tell him where you went boy!” Art yells.

His eyes dart around and he starts shaking. Art slams the trunk above his head and causes the boy to duck.

Rory immediately cries, “Yes, I met with Lucas yesterday.”

“Have you gone there before?” Captain asks with a serious glare with one eye closed tighter.

“Yes, twice before, sir,” the boy mutters.

“Are you responsible for telling Lucas where to find me?” I ask, beginning to shake.

He pauses a moment. “Yes, but—”

Art flies into a rage and takes something from his pocket, and what happens next happens so fast I couldn’t have stopped it. Art shoves the knife into the boy’s mouth, and in one sweep, removes a large part of his tongue. Horrified, Cahir and I take a few steps back as the boy gurgles and screams.

I look at Art and say, “Why did you do that?”

“I lost it, Redmond! We all almost died last night because of this rat!”

Captain defends him with, “It is said that he who keeps his tongue keeps his friends, so it should also stand that he who loses his friends loses his tongue.”

Cahir and Captain untie the traumatized boy.

“I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it, but I would have liked to have gotten more out of him, like if Lucas knows our main site or if he’s working with anyone else!”

“Sorry, Redmond, I just lost it.” He cleans his knife with his shirt.

Cahir says, “Well, you can nod, can’t you? Did you talk of our main camp?”

The boy nods. Art fumes, “I’m going to kill this little traitor!” I have to hold Art back.

“I’ve an idea.” Captain goes to his saddlebag and brings back a quill, ink, and paper. He wets the point and puts the quill in the boy’s hand. “What have you told Lucas of our camp?”

The boy stands there crying with his coat sleeve in his mouth. I say, “If you answer this, we’ll take you to a doctor.”

The boy made an x on the paper—a sign of illiteracy.

I ask him as Art stares him down, “Are you working with anyone else?”

He stares back for a moment but shakes his bloody face back and forth.

Cahir looks to me. “What’ll we do with him now?”

“Take him to the doctor, say he got in a fight with an outlaw. Here.” I hand him a pouch from Ghost’s saddlebag. “Pay the doctor and give the rest to the boy.”

Captain says, “We better find a new main camp, though, since we can’t be sure what he’s told.”

“Right, Cahir, meet us all back at the south camp. Rory’s never been there.” I watch as Cahir lifts him up and holds him still tied on his lap as he rides out.

We all gather at the south camp, and I explain what happened with the boy.

“I can’t believe he was giving Lucas movements. I thought he was a good kid,” William says, shaking his head.

Kelly nods in approval to Art. “Well, having your tongue cut out for snitching seems justified. I would have done the same.”

Liddy and Berragh nod as well.

“It’s all over and done with now. But I’ve learned a good lesson now. With the stakes getting higher, we need to stop bringing in recruits of any kind. We can only trust those that have earned our trust.”

Everyone nods in agreement.

“Let’s quit talking about this boy now, and talk about where we’re headed tonight,” Cahir says.

William sits up. “Two days ago, I got wind of a wealthy merchant due on the five o’clock ferry. Pockets and chests full of coin from selling an estate in London.”

Captain perks up at this. ”Sounds like a job for me. Redmond, why don’t you take this one with me?”

“Sure would be nice to have a distraction. I’ll meet you at the dark bend on Newry at half past four. I want to check in at the tavern to see if Sean has any messages. William, come with me, and you rest go out and see to your business.”

“I can’t, Redmond. I have a dinner party to throw, inviting all of the wealthiest of Armagh. After tonight, I’ll have some good information to share.”

“Fine work, William. So, Liddy, you come along then.”

 

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I walk inside the tavern, but I’m surprised to see someone I don’t know at the bar. “Where’s Sean?”

“You O’Hanlon?” the man asks.

“That depends, who’s asking?”

“I’m Sean’s cousin. He told me to say his ma’s in trouble. She’s facing eviction in an hour, and he’s gone to try to stave it off. He said to ask you to go help him.”

“Do you know how much she owes?”

“£40, or else their taking all her furniture in repayment and putting her out on the streets.”

I turned to Liddy. “What time is it now?”

He looks at his watch. “Ten minutes to four.”

I sigh. “Okay, Liddy go back to camp and tell Cahir to go in my place. I won’t be able to get there in time if I go to help Sean.”

“Sure thing, Redmond, if it’s a stash you’ll be needing, I left £50 in a hole behind the church.”

“Thanks for that. Now get going; you’ll just have time if you leave now.” I watch his tall form walk away with his shoulders hunched, his lanky arms swinging and his feet flopping out like he was wearing shoes three sizes too big.

I get to Sean with the monies right before the bank shows up and meet back at south camp at 5:30. We all sit around waiting to see how much Captain and Cahir pull in. We hear someone run up, and I call and hear one hoot back. Cahir runs through the bushes, out of breath.

“What’s wrong, Cahir?” Síofra leaps to her feet.

“It’s Captain! He was taken. ’Twas a setup! It wasn’t a gent with his pockets full. The carriage was full of soldiers. All undercover! Captain had me stand cover in the woods, and he went up to take the gent, but as soon as he stopped the carriage, he had seven muskets pointed at him.”

“How come you didn’t help him? How is it you got away?” Art asks.

Cahir smolders. “If I shot at any of them, they would have filled Captain with bullets. I knew the only thing I could do is run and get you all.”

I say, “Well, it’s not Cahir’s fault. It’s not the time to bicker. Hogan, you’re our fastest rider, you go and try to follow them and see where they take him. Come back and we’ll have a plan by then.”

“Isn’t this Blind Billy’s bargain, Redmond?” Art asks. “Don’t you think sneaking into the gaol when they’ll be expecting us is the nail in your coffin?”

“I made a promise to Captain, and I’ve got to uphold it.”

Cahir turns to me. “There’s still a rat among us, though. The boy couldn’t have known, since William told us only last night.”

“We don’t have time for that now. We have to get Captain out. They’ll be time for finger pointing after,” I say.

“But how can we be sure that someone here’s not going to snitch this plan?” Síofra asks.

I look around at everyone at the campfire and say, “Because I’m not letting anyone out of my sight until we’ve got him back.”