Eden

by Bobbi Smith

  Braden backed away, hate for the officer exploding within him. Hie glanced once to the building where Taylor had been confined, then back at the two Rebs. Silently he vowed to find a way to rescue her and escape this place.

  Logan and Sam traveled for more than a week. The first part of the journey upriver was by steamer, and then they headed west on horseback into Rebel territory.

  Now that Logan knew where his brother was being held, he was like a man possessed. Nothing was going to stop him. He'd thought of Eden often during the trek, missing her, wondering how she was, and wondering, too, how she'd taken the news of his betrayal. He was certain she knew everything by now, and he was equally certain she despised him. He had considered going to see her before he and Sam left New Orleans, but had decided against it. He had left her the letter at the apartment. There had been nothing more to say. He would face Eden-and her anger-after he'd brought Braden to safety. For now, Logan wanted to concentrate only on the task at handfreeing his wounded brother from prison.

  Logan and Sam had continued on across the countryside. Though the danger had grown with every passing mile, their luck had held. They had not encountered any Southern troops. The few people they did meet, they passed themselves off as master and slave and were never questioned.

  It was early in the afternoon of the eighth day when they finally located the prison camp. No one had seen them, so they were able to hide in the wooded area nearby and keep watch. They wanted to learn the routine of the guards so they could plan their rescue. There were only the two of them, so the attempt had to be timed perfectly or all would be lost. After everything Logan had been through to get to this moment, he wasn't about to fail. Braden was nearby. Logan knew it, and he was going to get him out. They maintained their surveillance in silence, readying themselves for the night to come.

  "There! That's him! Thank God! Braden's alive!" Logan told Sam in an excited whisper when he saw Braden emerge from one of the tents. He could tell that his brother had lost a lot of weight and was moving slowly, but he was alive! That was all that mattered.

  "Good," Sam said. "Now all we have to do is figure out how to break them out. It looks like there are six guards, and they're all heavily armed. How many prisoners do you think there are?"

  "At least thirty, maybe more," Logan answered. "If we could find a way to lure the guards away from their posts, we might be able to capture them one by one without the others noticing right away. That would improve the odds."

  Sam nodded. "The way the Yankees are stationed, especially by the guardhouse, it would be hard to get them all if we tried a frontal assault. They might start shooting the prisoners then and..."

  They shared a knowing look. Whatever they did, they would have to be accurate and deadly.

  "Let's plan on going in late, when things are quiet. The more relaxed the guards are, the better our chances to surprise them."

  They checked their weapons and sat back to wait. Logan tried to keep an eye on Braden so he would know where his brother was when the time for their attack came.

  It was almost midnight when they made their move. They had planned it carefully and were ready. Circling to the back of the camp, they managed to surprise the guard posted there, jumping him from behind and knocking him unconscious. Logan took the guard's hat and coat; then they bound and gagged him. In his new disguise, Logan was able to approach the next guard without arousing suspicion. Only too late did that Reb realize he'd been tricked. Before he could call out a warning, Sam struck him from behind. They took both guards' weapons with them, and they stayed out of sight as best they could as they headed for the main guardhouse.

  "We've got to do something and soon," Braden told Danner as they sat together before his tent.

  "I'm ready whenever you are," Danner said, prepared to do whatever he had to do to escape.

  "It would be a lot easier if Taylor wasn't in solitary."

  "You're planning on taking him with us?" Danner was surprised.

  "I can't leave him here." Braden's concern for Taylor grew with each passing hour. It had been three days since she'd been locked away, and he wanted her safe with him.

  Danner looked disapproving. "That is going to make it a lot harder for us. It's one thing for the two of us to try to sneak out. It's something else for us to try to break Taylor out and get away ourselves."

  "We can do it." Braden was firm in his resolve. He wouldn't leave without Taylor. "We know when the guards are patrolling. We just have to plan things carefully. Watch out the back there. Any minute, Hawkins will be passing by. He's always on time."

  They watched and waited. Hawkins paced regularly at the rear boundary, making sure no one escaped. They were surprised when, after a time, there was no sign of him.

  "Where is he? I've never known him to be late. He's always there."

  Braden was frowning. "I'm going to take a walk in his direction. The minute he sees me, he'll come out. Then we'll know what he's up to.

  Braden got up and started toward the back of the camp. As he went, he caught sight of a slight, furtive movement out of the corner of his eye. He stopped and glanced that way into the cover of darkness, but could discern no one there. He moved on, suddenly wondering where Hawkins was. It wasn't like him not to be vigilant in his duty. He'd observed him every night, and the man was always there, keeping watch, guarding the prisoners, so there was little chance for them to escape undetected.

  Braden almost made it to the back of the compound when shots rang out near the guardhouse. He turned and ran for cover, uncertain what was happening. He knew one thing for sure-it had to be good if someone was shooting at the Rebs.

  A roar of excitement swept through the prison camp as Logan and Sam began their attack. Their first shots felled the two guards who were standing outside the guardhouse, but the two remaining guards were holed up inside. They began firing wildly from the windows of the small building, not caring if they hit the ambushers or the prisoners. The prisoners hit the ground as shots were exchanged. They didn't know who their saviors were, and they didn't care. They just wanted out of the prison.

  Logan kept working his way closer to the guardhouse. When one of the guards showed himself in the window, Logan fired off a round. The guard's scream rent the night as a bullet found its mark.

  "Give it up!" Logan shouted to the remaining guard. "You're the only one left. You keep fighting, you're a dead man!"

  Silence reigned for a moment, and then the man threw his gun out the window. "I'm coming out!"

  Logan and Sam grabbed the soldier the min ute he came outside. They quickly tied his hands and gagged him, throwing him down on the ground where they could keep an eye on him.

  "Logan!" Braden had heard the shouting and recognized his brother's voice instantly.

  "Braden! You're alive!" Logan threw open the gate.

  Braden rushed forward to greet him.

  "I can't believe you're here!" he said as they hugged.

  "It wasn't easy, but Sam and I made it." Logan introduced Braden to Sam.

  "Thanks." Braden shook the other operative's hand.

  "Let's get everyone out of here. I don't know how much time we have. Someone might have heard the shooting, so we'd better hurry," Logan told him.

  "Danner! We're free! Tell the others!"

  Danner hurried to round up all the prisoners, while Sam claimed two of the guards' horses. Braden started off away from Logan.

  "Where are you going? We have to get out of here."

  "Not yet-not without Taylor!"

  "Without who?"

  Braden didn't answer. He was already running toward the building where Taylor was confined.

  "Split up! Travel in small groups," Logan ordered as the prisoners crowded around him. He took all the guns and ammunition from the guardhouse and passed them out to the men as they disappeared into the night; then he went after his brother. He had his gun in hand in case there might be more trouble.

  "Taylor! Stand back!" Braden shou
ted as he stopped before the door to the shack where Taylor was being held.

  With one violent kick, he broke down the barrier. He rushed inside to find Taylor cowering in a corner.

  "It's all right! Come on! We're free!" Braden went to help her stand.

  "What happened?"

  "We've been rescued. Let's go."

  He helped her to her feet, and they came out of the building just as Logan reached them.

  "Taylor's been locked up in here for quite a while," Braden quickly explained. "Taylor, this is my brother, Logan."

  She looked from Logan to Braden and even in the darkness of the night she could see the family resemblance. "You came for us?"

  "I couldn't just leave you here," Logan told them. "Now, let's head out. There isn't a lot of time."

  Sam was waiting for them with Danner by the horses.

  "There's one more thing I've got to do," Braden said fiercely.

  He went to the guard who was tied and gagged inside the guardhouse, the one who'd abused Taylor. When he emerged from the building a few minutes later, Braden approached Taylor.

  "Here." He handed her the chain and cross.

  She looked up at him, fighting desperately not to cry. "Thank you."

  He only nodded; then they joined the others, mounting up. Braden insisted Taylor ride double with him.

  Taylor was thrilled to be free again, but as they started to leave, she suddenly grabbed Braden's arm.

  "Lieutenant, we can't leave without Johnson! Where is he? We can put him on one of the horses. He can ride double with someone," she told him, her exhilaration at being released suddenly tempered by concern for the sick soldier.

  Braden looked down at Taylor, hating what he had to tell her. "I'm sorry, Taylor. Johnson died."

  "When?" she asked in barely a whisper.

  "The day after you were locked up," he answered solemnly.

  She didn't say a word. Her heart was heavy as she mourned the loss of the young man who could have been saved. Together, they rode away from the horror of the prison camp.

  Braden felt an overwhelming desire to comfort Taylor in her sorrow, but he knew he couldn't. Not here. Not now.

  As they rode away into the night, Braden found himself wondering what he was going to do about Taylor. The thought troubled him. He had never cared about anyone this way before, but no matter what happened, he knew he would protect Taylor with his life-for she had certainly saved his.

  There was much that Braden wanted to tell Logan, but no time to talk. They were in Rebel territory and needed to get back to New Orleans as quickly as they could. The next few days were going to be very dangerous-and possibly deadly if they weren't careful.

  They rode away from the prison, racing through the long, dark hours of the night, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the camp as they could. Once the breakout was discovered, there would be an extensive search for them, so they had to get far away.

  "How did you and Sam find us?" Braden asked Logan as they sat together in the predawn darkness after stopping to rest the horses.

  "It wasn't easy," Logan answered. "We've been working with another operative named Jim in New Orleans trying to bring down Adrian Forrester and his men. They're the ones who stole your arms shipment."

  "Did you get them?" Braden asked anxiously.

  "We got them," Sam affirmed.

  "How did you do it?"

  "Logan here makes one fine man of the cloth," Sam chuckled. "He had a whole lot of people fooled about his true calling."

  "You were disguised as a minister?" Braden was surprised, although he knew he shouldn't have been. Logan was one of the best operatives the government had, and he'd just proven it again by breaking them out of prison.

  "Forrester ran the Homeless Haven Orphans' Asylum in New Orleans. I needed a way to get to him and win his confidence. Becoming the `Reverend' Matthews seemed the easiest. Very few people would suspect a minister of being an undercover agent, and I was able to pass through the lines without question."

  "How did you finally trap him?"

  "I was working at the Haven, and I intercepted a note from Forrester to his partner, Nathaniel Talbott. They were planning to blow up a munitions warehouse, so when the time for the attack came, we were ready for them-along with quite a few soldiers. We arrested them before they could do any damage."

  "I'm impressed," Braden told them. "Those men were smart and dangerous."

  "I was impressed with the way it turned out, too," Logan admitted. "Everything worked perfectly. After we had them locked up, I managed to convince Talbott that it would be in his best interest to tell me where they'd taken you. Once I'd learned the camp's location, Sam volunteered to come along. We managed to find our way to you without incident." He deliberately avoided speaking of Eden. He would tell his brother the tale of his marriage later-in private.

  Danner looked at the men who'd saved them. "Sam-Logan-we can't thank you enough."

  "I'm just glad we got you out of there safe," Logan said, his gaze meeting his brother's.

  "Now all we have to do is make it back to New Orleans," Danner added.

  "We will. We'll just keep going for as long as we can without making camp. The next few days are going to be hard ones," Logan said. "Now tell me what happened to you. How did they steal the shipment from you?"

  Braden explained all that had happened on the boat, taking full responsibility for the loss. "I couldn't let them commandeer the guns without a fight, so I managed to work my hands free and went after one of their men. I almost had his gun, too, but then I was shot."

  Braden's mention of being wounded brought unwanted thoughts of Eden to Logan. He'd been trying not to think of her these last few days, but she was always there, hovering in his thoughts and in his heart. "You were lucky you weren't killed that night."

  "I know. There was a woman who helped me for a while, but the Rebs ran her off."

  Logan knew exactly who that woman was, but he said nothing right then. Later, there would be time to tell his brother everything that had happened.

  Braden went on, "I am lucky to be alive, I know that. Taylor took care of me in camp."

  Braden looked at Taylor in hopes that she was ready to reveal her secret. He didn't see any reason for her to continue her disguise once they made it to the city. She could become herself again and forget about ever going back to war with the troops.

  "Taylor?" Braden said her name quietly, encouraging her to be open with them.

  Taylor knew what the lieutenant wanted her to do, but she felt a bit uneasy about it. She had played the role of a boy for so long now, she'd forgotten what it was like to be a lady.

  "It's all right," he urged. "You're safe with us."

  Logan looked at the boy and wondered what the youth could be so worried about.

  "The lieutenant wants me to tell you that"she paused, trying to think how to phrase it"I'm not what you think I am."

  All but Braden looked at Taylor in confusion. They were at a loss as to what she was about to say.

  She managed a wavering smile as she con fessed, "When my brother enlisted, I signed up to fight with him because I didn't want to be left behind all alone. Our parents were dead, and we had no close relatives. So, I cut my hair off, and I never used my first name because-it's Miranda."

  "Miranda?" Danner repeated, staring at her, stunned. "You're a girl?"

  She nodded, giving him an almost shy smile. "Yes."

  Logan, too, was amazed at her revelation. "And you went to war with your brother? You actually fought with the men?"

  "Yes, I stayed with my brother the whole time. I was with him when he was killed. That's when I was taken captive and brought to the prison camp.

  Sam was as shocked as the others. "You are one brave woman. I can't believe the whole time you were in camp, no one knew."

  "Only the lieutenant figured it out, but he kept my secret for me." She looked at him and smiled gratefully.

  "What do yo
u plan to do now that you're free?" Logan asked, wondering about her future.

  "I don't know." Miranda said slowly, having never given much thought to the prospect that she would ever regain her freedom. She had been living day to day, hour to hour for so long that planning for the future seemed quite frightening.

  Braden took charge. "Until we get to New Or leans, she's Taylor." He turned his head to meet her gaze. "Once we're there, you can figure out what you want to do."

  Taylor was relieved that no quick answer was necessary, for she couldn't have given them one.

  The horses were rested, so they mounted up again and rode off into the night. They could waste no time, for there were many miles to cover. The trip was difficult, but they didn't care. They stayed on the move, avoiding contact with people as best they could.

  The closer they got to New Orleans, the blacker Logan's mood became. He would soon be facing Eden again, and he knew their reunion was not going to be a happy one.

  Late one night, long after they'd made camp and bedded down, Logan was still awake. He got up and moved off, away from the campsite, needing some peace. Thoughts of Eden were haunting him. He loved her, and yet he had betrayed her trust in him. Nothing she'd believed about him had been real-except his love for her. He didn't know if he would be able to convince her of that, but he had to try. And that hour was coming soon.

  "Logan?" Braden had awakened to find him gone and had gotten up to look for him. "What's wrong?"

  "It's a long story."

  "I've got the time," Braden told him. He'd sensed a change in his brother and wondered what was troubling him.

  They moved a little farther away to talk privately.

  Logan was honest with him and began at the beginning, telling him of his first tumultuous encounter with Eden at the Haven and how he had confronted the drunken soldiers. He told him of how he'd married her after he'd been seen by one of the children leaving her room one night.

  "It wasn't supposed to happen, but I fell in love with her," Logan admitted.

  "Your Eden sounds very special."