Passion's Series (45 page)

Chapter Eleven

Dawn smeared the last touches of soot on her cheeks. Sara watched as Dawn prepared herself, and fought the growing dread threatening to break her composure.

"I have a bad feeling about tonight, Dawn. Must you go? Can't you wait just one night?"

Dawn laughed, but Sara heard the nervousness in her voice. "Why, Sara. I didn't know you had visions."

"I don't. I just have bad feelings. And sometimes.. .too often, actually...there turns out to be a very good reason for me havin' that bad feeling."

"Well..." Dawn looked the part of a down-and-out street urchin as she tied a filthy cord around filthier britches, and then dropped her ragged shirttail. "If it will make you feel better, I'll tell you a secret. I have these feelings, too."

Sara visibly cringed. "That should make me feel better?"

"Of course." A mischievous grin touched Dawns lips. "You know I'll be careful. Besides, a warrior chooses where she will do battle. I promise you, I will choose wisely."

Sara wrung her hands as she searched frantically to find an excuse to delay her new friend. "What do you mean warrior? You're just a woman."

Dawn frowned. "A Cherokee woman is valued much higher by her people than a white woman is by hers. This is a sad thing for white women." She took a step closer to her friend. "My mother is a warrior and so am I.. .or I will be after this. Every warrior must go through," she thought for a moment, "an initiation." She patted her friend's fidgeting hands before giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Now stop your fretting. Nothing is going to happen to me and I'll not let anything happen to your brothers, either. Didn't I promise you that I'd take them to Charles Town? And I will. They will love it there."

An hour later Dawn crouched in a dark alley with Tom and David.

***

Tom shifted his weight. "There is someone new on the wharf," he offered. "He's shown up a 'alf dozen times and 'e was seen in the area of the fire shortly before it started."

"You've done well, Tom. What does he look like?"

"He's a tall one all right. I wouldn't want to see ya come up against him, mum. Even as fast and skilled as ya seem to be."

Dawn gave the boy a reassuring smile. "I do appreciate your concern, Tom. The best way to keep me safe is to tell me as much as you possibly can. Is there anything else?"

Tom shifted his weight again, scratched his head and then ran his fingers through his hair. Dawn couldn't help but smile behind the hand she artfully brought up to scratch her upper lip. She found his fidgeting quite endearing. He had taken his sister's warning to be careful and her plea to keep Dawn safe very seriously.

"I think his hair is a light color," he finally confided. "I've not been able to get a clear look at 'im, but each time he has taken something out of his pocket as he walks away. Whatever he has in his hand makes a sound, a kind of musical sound. I just can't figure out what it might be."

"That is very good, Tom. Your information will be most helpful." Dawn's skin pricked with excitement. "When was he last here on the wharf?"

"The last two nights he's been hanging 'round a warehouse on the far west end. We did some asking 'bout. It's being leased by your Mr. Cloud, all right. And it's full."

"Have you heard what's in it?"

"No, but it looks like there 'ave been extra guards hired on. There's even been a Bow Street Runner takin' to passing it by each night. I'd say it's pretty valuable."

"I'd say it's a trap," David chimed in for the first time.

Dawn nodded in agreement. "Yes...and I think we need to go have a look."

The boys lead Dawn through the maze of dark alleyways until they finally stopped to crouch behind an old rundown warehouse. "We need to climb up to the roof," Tom whispered as he pointed up. "From 'ere you can look across to the street that runs in front of the warehouse your Mister Cloud is leasing. It's the last one and is a bit off by itself."

"Good, I will be right behind you."

The three scurried up the wall without difficulty. Dawn moved to the edge of the roof and crouched low to peer over the side. The boys had been right. There was unusual activity about the storehouse. A heavyset man with a woman on his arm stumbled drunkenly along the planked walk. They slipped into the alley running along the side of the warehouse. Though Dawn heard occasional giggles and grunts, she was sure that what was taking place had nothing to do with follies of the flesh.

Another man, probably the Bow Street Runner, watched them from the shadows a discreet distance away. He must have decided the two were harmless. Moving out onto the walk, he continued on his way.

Dawn quietly climbed from her perch and darted across the street. The two were up to something. She had to get a closer look.

A shrill whistle exploded in the still of the night and Dawn spun around to take a quick clip to her jaw. A sharp pain, an explosion of light, and then darkness.

She came drowsily awake to feel a bag tossed roughly over her head and her arms painfully pulled behind her back and tied. She also heard a faint chiming sound and wondered briefly if she was in Lady Gaylord's garden before darkness once again claimed her.

***

"What do you mean, you don't know where they took her?" Sara cried in near hysterics.

Tom felt close to tears himself, as he fought to control his emotions. Sara squeezed her hands together as she pressed them to her chest, and he knew despair as he never had before.

"Dawn insisted we stay back," Davie wailed. "From the rooftop we was on, we saw a big man step out from the shadows. We tried to warn 'er, sis. We did! Tom whistled loud, really loud. But when Dawn turned, the man struck her."

Davie looked as horrified as his brother felt. "Oh sis, she went right down. A wagon pulled out of the alley. They put a sack over 'er head and tied 'er arms and tossed 'er into the wagon like she was just so much trash. We was both so scared we just froze. The wagon headed straight for the docks."

"Oooh, my God! Do ye think they dumped her into the Thames?" Sara slipped into her street brogue as she wrapped her arms about her head and slowly sank to the floor with an anguished sob.

Tom pulled her back to her feet and clung to her. "You can't crack like this, sis. You just can't. Davie and me, we tried to help 'er and we'll try again. We'll go to the docks and look for 'er, we will. We won't stop till we find out what happened."

Tom wrapped an arm about them both. "It will all work out, sis." He kissed the top of her head and supported them both as they cried. He was only seventeen to Sara's twenty-one and David's twelve. He always tried to look out for her and Davie, even when they didn't know it. This time, he'd let them down. He hated himself for his failure and vowed it wouldn't happen again. Stepping back he pulled his brother and sister apart. Turning Sara to face him, he looked into her eye. "We will find Dawn, Sara. I promise ye this."

"Oh no, Tom, you can't. Let me tell Mister Cloud everything. I don't want you and Davie to get hurt. You two are all I have in the world."

"Me and Davie will be fine. Haven't I taken care of us just fine up ta now?" He blanched at Sara's hurt expression.

She clutched the front of Tom's shirt. "We got to tell Mr. Cloud. She has got to be found! I will never forgive myself for what's happened to her."

Tom shook his sister gently. "Listen to me, Sara! Do as I say. Everyone thinks she is a-bed, so they won't be missin' her. Don't say a thing today. We're goin' back to the docks to see what we can find out. Just give us a few hours. There is something very wrong here, and it may just be in this very household. If Dawn is still alive, we don't want to put her more at risk."

Sara pulled back as she gasp in surprise. "What do you mean, Tom?"

"That man who clipped Dawn on the jaw and sacked 'er up like so much dirty laundry was a gentleman, I'd bet me life on it. Now you just do as I say."

He held his breathe until finally, Sara nodded in dumb silence.

Chapter Twelve

Dawn woke with a start as cold water crashed into her face like a thousand sharp needles. "Up with ya, laddie."

With a moan that expressed her complete misery, she managed to roll weakly to her knees. Then, spitting and choking, she shook herself like a shaggy mutt.

"Come on, come on." A nasty, nagging voice that sounded as if it echoed from a grave, continued to worm its way into her head.

A large hand grabbed her firmly by the upper arm and hoisted her to her feet. Her head and jaw hurt...so did her belly. Suddenly, nausea swept over her. While she clung helplessly to her tormentor, her stomach emptied itself at his feet in great, wracking heaves.

"Oh, my, laddie! Now look at what ya gone and done. You puked all over this nice clean deck. Mr. Brown is goin' ta have me skin and yours too."

Dawn's head snapped up and she glared at Cookie.

"Miz. Dawn? Tell me it ain't you! Please tell me it ain't you."

At Cookie's anguished cry the entire ship's crew hurried in their direction. Dawn's knees suddenly buckled. Cookie caught her in his arms and slowly slid down to sit on the deck; Dawn cradled in his arms as if she were a baby, all the while wailing his misery.

"Please, Cookie, stop that caterwauling! My head is killing me," Dawn begged as she held her head with both hands.

"Let me pass!" Brown pushed his way through the crowd to stand before them. "Good God, it is you!" He crouched and put a finger under Dawn's chin to tilt her head back for a better look at her gray and grimy face.

"I'd say yer time in England is up, missy."

"Oh, no it's not!" Dawn pushed his hand away. "Who brought me here and dumped me on the deck of my own ship?"

"Let's get you to yer cabin and cleaned up. Then we'll talk." Brown stood.

Cookie pushed himself up from the deck, bringing Dawn clumsily up with him.

"No, no, no!" Dawn insisted as she untangled herself from the frightened old ship hand. "I am not going anywhere until I find out what I want to know. Now, who brought me here?" She turned about getting her barring. "What is the Golden Lady doing here? You're supposed to be hiding off the Scottish coast."

Brown scratched his gray head. "Raven's man found us. And it looks like it's a good thing he did. It's time I took you home."

"No!"

"Look here, Miss Dawn. I let you corner me into bringing ya to England without yer dad's being' the wiser. I'm in a whole heap a trouble and we both know it for that bit o' foolishness. But this is just too much. Look at ya'. Yer all dirty and bruised."

The old captain shook his head in disbelief. "Ya promised me and yer ma you would stay out o' trouble. Just wanted a quick little visit with Raven, your heart would break if n ya couldn't see him, ya said. And yer poor mother." He threw his hands up. "Ha! Convinced her, ya did. Well, we will be a leavin' for Charles Town right now."

Brown was working himself into a fine temper... pacing back and forth, waving his arms dramatically. The entire crew, including Cookie, moved back. Dawn stood her ground.

"You can stop feeling sorry for yourself right now." Dawn stepped forward and pushed Brown with both hands. "This is my ship and I say what's what here."

Brown, who had been like a second father to her, shook a finger in her face. "Now you listen to me, missy."

The crew took another step back. They had never seen anyone speak to Miss Dawn in such a fashion—or to their captain.

"Yer goin' down to yer cabin and get cleaned up, and I'm takin' the Golden Lady out o' port right this minute."

Dawn put both fists on her hips and Brown visibly deflated. "You listen to me. I came all this way because I had a dream vision. My mother knows about it. She didn't try to stop me and you're not going to either. This thing is between Raven and myself."

"But your father..." Brown whined in defeat.

"My father will understand." With that remark, Dawn turned on her heel and marched down the gangway to the dock.

Captain Brown motioned a crewmember forward. "Charlie, I want you to follow her and keep an eye on 'er." He pulled out a large bag of coins and tossed them to Charlie. "You'll need proper clothes so as ta not stand out where yer going, just be reasonable. You'll want ta blend in ta the surroundings."

The captain wiped his hand across his face as if trying to remove the knowledge of the precarious situation in which he now found himself. "Keep back, don't let her see ya, and if anything else happens ta her like just did," he poked a finger at his nose, "you'll pay for it. Understand?"

Charlie bobbed. "Yes, sir, Captain."

"Well, be off with ya then!"

"Yes, Captain." Charlie hurried from the Golden Lady and disappeared on the crowded dock.

Brown motioned a second man forward. "Becker, I want you to keep an eye on Charlie and Miss Dawn. I don't have any more coin on me, so you'll have ta come ta my cabin ta get some. I want you ta take Little Jack with ya as a runner. I want an update every day even if it's no more than ta say everything is fine. You understand?"

"Yes, Captain." Becker grinned. "Sounds ta me like you just might be considerin' sending half the crew out to watch out after Miss Dawn."

"I'll send the whole crew if I have to. I should never have left port with only Johnson to watch after her. Now come with me ta fetch your coin. Jack, where are ya boy?"

A young boy, as tall as he was thin, pushed his way forward. Brown looked up into his sunburned face. "Did ya hear what I told Becker?"

"Sure did, Captain, sir. I won't let you down, sir."

"I'm sure you won't, lad."

As the three headed off to Brown's office, Becker asked, "I understand. We're to keep out of Dawn's sight. Is that right, Captain?"

Brown chuckled. "You're to try."

The three returned to deck and Brown watched Becker and Jack walk down the gangway and disappear on the crowded dock. Once they were out of sight, he summoned his first mate, Jeremy Thorton.

"What do you think happened ta Johnson?" the first mate asked.

Brown looked at Thorton. His first mate was a man he could trust. He had thought the same of Johnson. Now he had his doubts. "I don't know, but I want you to find out. "

"Understood, Captain."

"If he's alive, don't kill him. I want that pleasure after I hear with my own ears why he allowed Miss Dawn to come to this latest disaster."