The Sea Hawk (21 page)

"But what about you,
Faucon
?"

"I will be fine," she said as she mounted the horse.

"But
Faucon
..."

"Do as you are told, Archambault!" She kicked the horse in the sides and quickly left the livery behind the blacksmith shop. A few minutes later Henri Archambault swung onto the back of a second horse and left just as quickly.
Faucon
had issued her last order to him.

Chapter Sixteen

SIMONE'S HORSE COVERED the miles along the river road south away from the city swiftly. Dozens of rambling thoughts ran through her mind as she made the journey. She was concerned for the safety of Joaquin. The boy was surely frightened. She was convinced the British would release them if she surrendered herself. She would have to be alert for an opportunity to make her own escape.

It was almost an overcast mid-afternoon when the appearance of a soldier dressed in white pants and red coat forced Simone to rein her horse to an abrupt stop. The soldier aimed his musket at her as she announced boldly, "I am
Faucon
. I believe I am expected." Her horse breathed heavily beneath her and danced in place as the soldier motioned her forward with his musket. Simone saw soldiers moving around when she entered the gate of the plantation grounds and tried to estimate how many there might be. It couldn't have been more than an advanced party. She reined her horse to a halt in front of the steps leading onto the broad porch of the plantation house where three British officers stood with their hands behind their backs.

"It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Miss Moreau," one of the men said.

"Captain Moreau," Simone corrected with a smile. "I believe you are holding my companion and her son. Surely you have made a mistake."

"You are here, so obviously I have not. Please, join us inside."

Simone swung her leg over the horse's back to dismount and strode up the steps. When she reached the porch, one of the men made a movement with his head and armed soldiers appeared on either side of Simone. "You will excuse our rudeness, madam, but we must relieve you of your weapons," he said tightly.

"A prudent precaution," she said as she pulled her pistol from her waist and handed it butt-first to a nearby soldier. She slowly withdrew her cutlass from its scabbard and let her eyes linger on it a moment before smiling benignly and handing it to a second soldier. "Do you wish to search me further,
Monsiour
?" she asked.

"Bring her!" one of the men ordered sharply, turning to re-enter the house.

Simone shrugged off hands that attempted to grab her and walked resolutely inside. She followed the men down a short hallway, observing everything around her before finally turning into a large first floor study which now served as an office. The first persons she saw were Esperanza and Joaquin. She smiled at them confidently. A soldier stood next to them.

"
Faucon
!" Joaquin called out, leaving Esperanza's side and running to Simone. She hugged him to her as his arms flew around her waist. The soldier guarding the boy rushed to separate them. Simone looked at him coldly. "If you touch the boy, you will die," she warned. Looking down at Joaquin, she smoothed his hair. "Are you well,
mon petit
?"

"
Oui
. We are not hurt. I knew you would come."

"You will be leaving here soon. Go to your mother now." Looking at the officer seated behind a large desk, Simone asked, "What is it you wish from me that could not be accomplished without kidnapping my companion and her child?"

"What do you know about the defenses the Americans are preparing in New Orleans, Miss Moreau?"

"I only arrived this morning. But I would advise you to leave. You cannot defeat the Americans. Their army grows larger daily."

"She is lying," Archambault announced as he stepped into the room. "The Americans do not have a leader at the moment. It is true they have many weapons, but no flint or powder to fire them."

Simone spun around to face her first mate. "Henri? What are you doing?"

"Not taking orders from you any longer," he sneered. "I am taking command of
Le Faucon
and leaving." Glancing at the man behind the desk, he asked, "You have my money?"

"Traitor!" Simone spat, leaping toward him. As soldiers restrained her, Archambault stepped closer, raised his arm and snapped her head back as he viciously backhanded her.

"That is for striking me a few hours ago," he said. He raised his hand to strike her again, but was stopped by the dapper-looking older man behind the desk.

"That is enough, sir," the officer said calmly. "We need to question her while she is still able to speak."

Simone wiped blood from her mouth and was escorted to a chair. She sat and crossed her legs, casting a smile at Esperanza and Joaquin. "You may let the woman and her son leave," she said as she appeared to relax. "They know nothing and have served their purpose by luring me here."

"No, Simone!" Esperanza said.

Simone raised her hand to stop further protestations.

"Perhaps later," the officer replied. "When you tell me what I want to know."

"There is little of value I can tell you." Glaring at Archambault she said, "As I am sure this pig has told you, I have only arrived in the city today."

"If you cooperate, I will let your friends leave. You, however, shall remain as our guest until your trial for piracy against British ships on the high seas," the officer said with a bored look. "I am sure you are aware of the punishment for such an act."

"
Oui
. Either way, I shall die, so what would be the point of telling you anything?"

"So this woman and child you are so fond of may live."

"They have done nothing to you, sir. There is nothing to be gained by holding them. Surely an honorable man such as yourself would not needlessly injure a child or deprive him of the succor and comfort of his mother."

"Very clever, Miss Moreau, but you will tell me what you know. One way or another." At a slight nod of his head the soldier guarding Joaquin seized the boy by the hair and drew a knife from his waistcoat. He pulled Joaquin's head back and laid the knife against the boy's throat.

"You will tell me what I want to know or the boy dies," the man behind the desk said calmly. "We are at war. Unfortunately, civilians will be injured, some needlessly through stubbornness." He watched Simone's reaction while he struck a match and lit his pipe.

Simone controlled her desire to protect Joaquin and allowed her eyes to move around the room. Everyone appeared calm except Archambault who would have liked to be holding the knife himself.

"You are a coward, Henri. You have not the strength to face me yourself and leave your dirty work to these British dogs."

"You were captured and killed by the British during a valiant attempt to rescue your bitch and her whelp." Archambault shrugged. "Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to save you or them."

Without looking at the officer in charge, Simone said, "The woman is a cook on my ship and her son is my cabin boy. They know nothing of the plans to defend New Orleans. Release them with a safe escort back to New Orleans and I will tell you what I know."

"You will tell me now. Otherwise I will have the boy killed and turn the woman over to Mr. Archambault to dispose of as he sees fit."

"She would fetch an excellent price on the auction block," Archambault said with a sneer. Running his tongue around his lips he grinned at Esperanza, his eyes appraising her body. "No one will care if she has been a little used first."

"She is a free woman and servant to no man," Simone snapped.

"She will only remain a free woman if we take this city and cut off the port for slave trading, Miss Moreau. You can save her by telling us what we want to know."

"I have your promise, sir, they will not be harmed?" Simone asked.

"You do, but we shall hold them here until we secure the city," the commander nodded.

Simone cast a glance at Esperanza. The soldier released his grip on Joaquin. Their eyes gleamed with defiance. Simone smiled when Esperanza rearranged her skirt and cast a glance toward the floor, giving her a barely perceptible nod.

"Take the woman and the boy and lock them securely in a room," the commander ordered.

Once Esperanza and Joaquin were escorted from the room, Simone grudgingly told the British commander what she knew concerning the American defenses in New Orleans. Not even Archambault could deny what she said. She hoped her delays and evasiveness would give Esperanza sufficient time to escape and reach the city. From the questions she was asked, she believed the main British force would land nearby within the following week or two. When General Jackson arrived in the city, he would have limited time to make the necessary preparations to stave off the invasion.

ESPERANZA JERKED HER arm from the grip of the soldier escorting her and Joaquin to another room. She would have to act as quietly as possible, hoping Simone would use her diversion to make her own escape. The soldier shoved her to make her move faster. She turned and smiled at him, knowing he would not see the dawn of another day. They reached the top of the main staircase. She glanced around looking for possible escape routes as she waited for the soldier to open the door. Pushing the door open he shoved her into the room and grabbed Joaquin by the arm. The boy looked at his mother and understood what he needed to do. He struggled briefly against the soldier and bit his hand. The soldier released him and turned to face the boy who was backing out the door away from him. Quickly he grabbed Joaquin by the neck and pulled him inside the room. "You filthy whelp," he hissed. His hand fell away from Joaquin and his eyes widened. He whirled around and stared at Esperanza, opening his mouth to call for help, but no sound came. He stumbled toward her, his arms reaching for her.

Joaquin saw the knife protruding from the soldier's back and jerked it free. He kicked the door closed and advanced on the still-standing man. The soldier had Esperanza by the throat. "Kill him," she said, her voice calm. Joaquin stared at the bloody knife in his hand. Standing behind the soldier he drove the knife into the back of the soldier's thigh. The man released Esperanza and his hand flew to his leg. Joaquin withdrew the knife quickly and tossed it to his mother. Without hesitation she brought her arm in an arc in front of her and slit the soldier's throat. Blood from his throat sprayed a red mist onto Esperanza's face and blouse. Breathing heavily she said, "Now we leave."

"We cannot leave
Faucon
," Joaquin said.

"She will make her escape when she knows we are safe." Taking her son by the arm she cracked the door open. "No matter what happens don't stop. Do you understand, Joaquin?"

The boy nodded and followed Esperanza out of the room and down the upstairs hallway. Esperanza entered another room and went to the window overlooking the British encampment. "We will wait here until they are asleep. Then we will let Simone know we are safe. Our escape will provide the diversion she needs." Esperanza turned and dropped to her knees, grasping Joaquin's upper arms. "Simone is depending on us. We must not disappoint her."

SIMONE DEFLECTED QUESTIONS from her interrogators until well after dark. When her interrogation began, guards in the room watched her intently. Now with the passage of several hours and deprived of sleep, they seemed less alert and almost bored. The office in which she was being held had two large windows overlooking the side lawn of the two-story mansion. When she arrived she noticed the open area surrounding the main house eventually fell away into a marshy area along the side of the house.

Simone wasn't sure how much time had passed when she saw two silhouetted figures crossing the open field. She rubbed her eyes and suppressed a yawn. A map of the area lay on the desk. She had pointed out the locations of barricades established outside the city. Now the three officers were conferring with one another at the desk and the guards were engaged in a conversation. Moments later she saw several horses running, followed by a horse racing through the encampment, shouts alerting the sleeping soldiers. The officers and guards looked out the windows in disbelief.

Simone seized her opportunity and shoved past the officers. She rushed by the startled guards, pushing them over furniture before they could react, and flung her body through a window. Regaining her feet, she crouched as she ran toward the marsh, a shower of musket balls falling around her. She was within reach of the safety offered by the dense undergrowth when searing pain ripped through her side. She stumbled forward and dove into the tall marsh grasses with the shouts of the officers and guards coming from behind her. She knew she would have an advantage once she reached the swamp adjoining the marsh a few yards away. The soldiers pursuing her spread out in an attempt to surround her. Holding her side, she sprang over the boggy ground, ignoring the burning pain, and into the swamp until her feet sank deeper and deeper before becoming mired in the thick bottom mud. As she struggled to extricate herself from the quagmire she heard the soldiers following her panting as they began to close on her position. Looking quickly around, she saw her only chance for escape. Painfully pulling her body onto the low hanging branch of a nearby cypress, she concealed herself among the Spanish moss draped over the branches overhead. Halfway up, she heard a familiar accented voice. As much as she wanted to escape, her desire for revenge was greater.

With the cloak of darkness blocking out moonlight from the thickness of the swamp and mud caking her clothing and skin, Simone found and withdrew the small dagger concealed in the top of her boot. She grimaced as she pressed a hand against her wound. The musket ball had created a large hole in her side, but hatred fueled her and she waited. Crouched in the tree, she finally saw him. As he passed beneath her hiding place, she dropped to the soft ground behind him and covered his mouth. She pulled his head back and drew the blade of her dagger deeply across his throat, hissing into his ear. "You die a man without honor." As his body dropped heavily in front of her, she looked at the lifeless body of the man she once trusted with her life. Hearing the sound of cursing from soldiers nearby as they struggled to push through the heavy mud, Simone quickly gathered moss and covered Archambault's body, leaving it to rot.