Chaplen was going over everything he knew about the Shadow Fox. The boy had not shown himself in a week, and Chaplen was being pressured more than ever to catch him. He tapped his chin with the quill pen he was holding. “Captain?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Does the name ‘Daniel Dale’ mean anything to you?”
Long tilted his head. “That’s the name the Shadow Fox often uses.”
Sighing, Chaplen nodded. No leads there.
“It’s interesting that he uses it.”
Chaplen’ s eyes flicked to Long with anticipation. There had been something in the captain’s voice.
“Did you know that there’s a sea captain by the name of Daniel Dale? He’s a rebel, and pirates our ships. Incidentally, he is the father of Mrs. Rivers.”
“Dr. River’s wife? Benjamin and Robyn River’s mother?”
“Aye, sir.”
Chaplen jotted that down in his book. Both the Shadow Fox and his feather-hatted friend had used that name.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Enter,” Chaplen called.
An officer entered. “Agent Chaplen, sir?”
“Yes, lieutenant?”
“General Howe wishes me to inform you that he has captured the Shadow Fox, sir.”
Chaplen arched an eyebrow, skeptical. “The real Shadow Fox?”
“Yes, sir. He’s to be hanged in the morning.”
Chaplen’s second eyebrow joined the first. “How did he manage that?”
“His spy was able to identify him, sir.”
Chaplen rose from his seat. “Well, then, I think I’ll double check.”
~~~~~~
The Shadow Fox sat in a tent in the middle of the camp on the commons. She was tied to a post set in the ground in the middle of the tent. No less than three guards lounged outside.
She was in a despondent mood. She couldn’t believe it. Jack Richards, the person she had reluctantly trusted, was the spy she had been searching for. Now that she looked back, there were so many signs. His nosy nature, how he condescendingly teased her, and how he wormed his way into her little group’s affections—into hers. That was a deeper wound than any sword could make. The betrayal of a person she had come to regard as a friend stung worse than anything Agent Chaplen had ever inflicted.
The guards outside seemed to be talking to someone, but she was too weary to pay any attention to them. Seconds later, the flap to the tent opened, and Jack slipped in. He couched next to Robyn. She turned her head and ignored him.
“Look, little one, it’s nothing personal.”
She pointedly looked at the back wall of the tent.
“Honestly. It’s not against you. It’s all of the rebellious colonies.”
She further tried to make her point of ignoring him by attempting to scoot around the pole. This failed, however, as she was bound rather tight.
Jack became annoyed. “Will you listen to me?”
Her head snapped around with such force, that he jerked backwards.
“Give me one good reason why I should, Jack Richards,” she snapped.
“You got yourself into this! If you had just—“
“Oh, did I? Pardon me, but I don’t remember worming my way into your affections, or getting you to trust me after constant hesitation!”
He stopped, and looked down. “It was necessary.”
“Oh, okay. I fight without the need to pretend to be someone I’m not.” This of course, was a poor choice of words.
“You are dressed as a British drummer!” He exploded, waving his hands at her disguise.
“Yes, well, I don’t pretend to be your friend then turn around and stab you in the back!”
He had no reply for this.
“I trusted you against my better judgment.” She glared at him. “Please, apologize to the Rivers for me for ever letting you get close to them.”
He winced at this. “It was—“
“Necessary, I know. Necessary to stab them in the back. Necessary to treat them like dirt. What kind of person turns on his friends after they trusted him?” She lifted her nose. “It is you I truly feel sorry for. You do not understand friendship and trust.” The Shadow Fox turned her head. “Get out. I have nothing more to say to you.”
Jack rose and strode towards the door. Lifting the flap, he paused, and turned back as if he was going to say something. However, his shoulders slumped, and he left the tent.
~~~~~~
Sovay was in distress. Ever since she saw her cousin dragged back and thrown in a tent, she had been pacing back and forth, trying to decide what to do. No ideas were coming. Getting Robyn out of the tent would be easy enough. The hard part would be getting her out of the camp. Men were everywhere, and they were all told not to let any blonde drummers leave the camp. If only she had a wig.
Sovay smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. Of course! She had a wig! Robyn’s blonde one! Slowly, a plan formulated in her mind.
Stealthily, Sovay crept to the back of the tent where the Shadow Fox was being held. Glancing around to make sure no one was there to see, she lifted the edge of the tent and slipped under it.
Robyn crouched by the post she had been tied to, a knife and several piece of rope in her hands.
“What are you doing?” Sovay hissed.
“Escaping,” Robyn hissed back.
“Why are you doing that?”
Robyn stared at her cousin. “Um, well, I don’t know, I’m not really keen on hanging. Why would you escape?”
“You’re ruining my plan.”
“You’re planning on getting me hung?”
Sovay waved her hands. “No, no. Well, once you’re out of the tent, what do you plan on doing?”
Her cousin frowned. “Well, I was kind of planning on leaving the camp, but now I’m thinking I’d stick around.”
Sovay rolled her eyes. “Why are you in such a bad mood? I mean how are you going to get out? Everyone has been alerted and told not to let a blonde drummer leave.”
Robyn sighed. “Well then, Miss Clever-boots. You tell me how I’m leaving the camp. “
“You use a wig.”
Robyn sighed. This was a waste of the precious little time she had. “My wig is blonde.”
“Exactly!” Sovay waited for her cousin to understand. As understanding dawned in her cousin’s eyes, Sovay shook her head. “I you were any slower, you would be going backwards!”
Robyn tugged off the wig and tucked it into her boot. She fixed her tricorn hat back on her head and slid the knife into the sheath in her other boot.
Sovay grinned. “Ready?”
The duo slipped out of the tent. Talking cheerfully of nothing in particular, they waltzed passed the three guards lounging outside the tent. Everyone was watching for a blonde, not a brunette with red-blonde companion, so the cousins passed out of the camp without any trouble. Once far enough outside of the camp, Robyn whistled for the waiting mare.
~~~~~~
Agent Chaplen stopped. Captain Long and the officer who had brought the message stopped and turned to look at him.
“Sir?” Long asked.
Chaplen nodded towards something behind them. They turned just in time to see a brown-haired drummer boy mount a mare the color of a starless night. Chaplen smiled. “Lieutenant, go to General Howe and inform him that the Shadow Fox has escaped.”
The lieutenant swiftly made his way towards the house the general was staying in. Long and Chaplen strode over to the mounted boy, who was giving instructions to his companion.
“I was told you had been captured.”
Midnight stepped nervously.
Her rider tugged a blonde wig from his boot and tossed it to the boy standing beside the horse. “I was.”
“You escaped.”
“As you see.”
Agent Chaplen sounded amused more than anything else. “I was told that General Howe’s spy recognized you.”
The Shadow Fox pursed his lips in a grim line.
Chaplen arched an eyebrow. “And I see by your reaction you recognized him.”
The boy’s jaw tightened. His friend ‘s head jerked towards the Shadow Fox. “You did?! Who is he?!”
“It’s not important,” his tone was hard.
Chaplen smiled, deciding to learn more about this. He saw he had hit a sore spot. “This is most interesting. Do share, my boy.”
Ignoring him, the Shadow Fox nudged his horse. “Let’s get out of here, Midnight.”
The horse sprang forward, and they cantered off in the direction of the gates. As they disappeared, Chaplen turned to the Shadow Fox’s companion. “My goodness, but he seems in a bad temper. What could have caused this?”
The other boy shook his head. “I have no idea. Who is the spy?”
Chaplen shrugged. “Not a clue. However, I intend to find out.”
They nodded cheerfully to each other and set off in their separate directions.
---------------
Oh, that's who Daniel Dale is.
Sorry it's late, guys. I'm back at college, so life is crazy. Might take a break from writing, so you may have to wait a while until I get going again. Just a heads up.
Have a great week!
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