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The soldier scowled. “What is it?”
Brown pointed to camp. “Go back and wait for me there.”
Jogging to the tree where William still crouched, Brown looked like a boy who’d found his lost brother. “Captain Donaldson, where have you been?”
William tugged on Brown’s arm and pulled him out of sight. He lowered his voice, indicating Brown should do the same. “Good to see you, Brown.”
He threw a glance to William’s arm. “How is your wound?” He shook his head and repeated the previous question with more strength. “Where have you been? We couldn’t find you, though of course I was pleased we couldn’t find you. I’m surprised to see you here. You know if they find you they’ll hang you.”
They’ll do more than hang me. William paused, grinning inwardly at the speed of Brown’s mouth. The boy had always been too young, too kind for the army. And certainly too trusting.
“’Tis true that I meant to be undiscovered. It was all a ruse.” William formulated the plan only one word ahead of the next. “That’s what we hoped everyone would think—what the colonists would think.” He lowered his voice and cupped Brown’s shoulder, the boy’s eyes growing wide. “I’m a spy.”
“A spy?” His expression crunched.
William glanced back at the regiment. “My mission is to gain the confidence of the patriots and learn of their plans. They do not suspect I am still a valiant man of the king.” He kept his vision clipped on Brown. Would he believe him? The boy didn’t flinch so William continued. “How many soldiers are here?”
“Three hundred.”
As suspected.
He kept the strain behind his hard exterior. “Who is in command?”
“Randall.” Brown looked toward camp then back again. “Stockton’s on his way back to Boston from New York we hear. Expected sometime today. Rumor is, fifty men will remain at this camp, and so on every twenty miles to somewhere south of Boston, but no one knows for certain.”
The news filled his muscles with blood. He asked the question that seared through his chest. “What is your mission here?”
Brown shrugged. “Billy says he heard we’re supposed to watch for smugglers. We aim to stop them, I suppose.” Jimmy looked toward camp then back to William. “If we can snuff out the fervor in Boston, the rest of the colonies will follow suit.”
Fully masked in his new character, William nodded, though within he laughed as loud as the sky is wide. Snuff it out or fan the flames?
“Brown?” Another soldier called from camp.
William swung back and pressed against the tree.
“What is it?” Brown jumped up and pulled at his breeches.
The soldier neared and William stopped his lungs, his blood chilling in his veins.
Jimmy moved forward, away from the tree. “What do you want? Can’t a man take a piss?”
“Apparently not.” The soldier chuckled. “Randall wants three patrols to go looking about. You’re one of the lucky ones.”
Jimmy hurried his step and the other soldier followed. “We’d better get a move on then.”
When the sound of their footsteps turned to whispers against the ground, William leapt from his spot and ran to where his friends waited. He lay flat on the ground between them, sucking in huge gasps of air.
Thomas pushed up. “Well?”
“They’re about to send patrols to search the area.” Panting, William spoke between breaths. “We need to leave now. I’ll give details when we reach town.”
Careful not to rise too quickly, they crawled several yards on their bellies to a thick grove then bolted, refusing to slow the entire three miles.
William’s lungs were on fire. When they neared the house he stopped and gripped his knees, explaining between exhales what he’d learned from Brown. “Who knows if they will come this way, but the chances sound likely.” He stood straight. “Is it true? The smuggling?”
The men shared a quick look before Thomas answered. “We heard of the movement ourselves only two nights ago.” He looked to Nathaniel. “But we plan to take part.”
With such boldness in his answer William could do nothing but smile. “I’m pleased to hear it.”
