To Tame A Rebel

by Georgina Gentry

  She could take the word to Jim Eagle. Even as she thought that, April shook her head. He wouldn’t trust or believe her. She pictured Jim’s hungry, ragged troops. This might be their last chance to get enough supplies to carry them through the winter—the difference between winning this war and losing it. She didn’t really care who won the war; she never had. Her only interest had been the money she would be paid as a spy, but now the major was dead. She wondered if the dispatches he’d been carrying were to tell her about the wagon train?

  What to do? The safest thing was to do nothing. Why should she stick her neck out? Jim would never believe her if she went to him and told him. In fact, he might have her shot if she returned to the Confederate camp, or she might end up in a miserable Southern prison like Andersonville.

  She wrestled with her decision all night and through the next day as the ladies gathered to give the troops a send-off. She waved and smiled as Will rode out, and he turned in his saddle and blew her a kiss. After the troops had left the fort, she returned to the store, still attempting to make a choice. By nightfall, she knew what her decision had to be, even if it cost her her freedom or her life.

  She waited until darkness; then she sneaked away, stole an army horse grazing in a field outside the fort, and rode out, searching for the Confederate camp and Jim Eagle.

  Chapter 22

  April had some misgivings as she rode toward the Confederate camp. Now that she was finally going to tell Jim the truth, she had no hope that he would believe or even listen to what she had to say. And if he was indeed Will’s accomplice, would Jim try to silence her? Self-preservation warned her that now that things had gone awry with the dead major, she should try to get as far from here as possible and, using her pay from the store, head back east.

  Then she thought of those hungry Confederate soldiers and those big Yankee supply wagons and knew she had to make the sacrifice, no matter the personal consequences.

  It was late night when she arrived at the perimeter of the Confederate camp and reined in.

  “Halt! Who goes there?” The sentry aimed his rifle at her. The voice was familiar.

  “Tommy, is that you?” She held her hands up so he could see them. “It’s April, and I’m unarmed.”

  “April? He came closer, peering up at her. “You’ve got a lot of nerve coming back here after what you did.”

  “I know, but it’s important. Take me to Jim.”

  “Jim?” His voice was as surprised as his face. “Oh, April, I don’t know whether you want to see him; he’s furious with you. There’s no telling what he’s liable to do. He thinks you’re a spy.”

  And there was a possibility that Jim was, too. In that case, she was in danger. Tommy’s advice was good, but she made her decision based on love. Love meant trust, and she was willing to wager her life that the man she loved could not possibly be a spy. “I know,” she answered patiently, “but I’ve got to see him.”

  “April, I don’t think he’s forgiven you. You know, this war can’t last forever, and I’ve got big plans. We could meet in Boston.”

  She sighed. He was so young and naive with his great ambitions. “Tommy, I’ve got to talk to Jim.”

  “All right, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Taking her bay horse’s bridle, he led her through the dark camp and its rows and rows of tents.

  Jim came out of his tent as she rode up, and Tommy said, “Jim, she insisted on seeing you and—”

  “Never mind.” Jim dismissed his younger brother with a disgusted wave of his hand. He peered up at April, and in the moonlight she could see the anger on his rugged face. “You’ve got a hell of a lot of nerve coming back here.”

  “Now, Jim,” Tommy said, “I’ll protect her if you’re thinking of—”

  “Shut up, Tommy, and return to your post.”

  The boy looked uncertainly at April.

  “Go on, Tommy,” she said gently. “I’ll be all right.”

  “Are you sure? You need me, April, you just yell.”

  “Tommy,” Jim thundered, “get back to your post!”

  The younger brother fled, looking back over his shoulder.

  “Well,” Jim snarled, looking up at her, “I see my younger brother is so smitten with you, he’s forgotten what you did.”

  She sat her horse, fidgeting under his cold glare. “Aren’t you even going to ask me to dismount?”

  His frown deepened. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “‘Hello’ might have been a good starting point.” She tried to smile, but his expression stayed stormy. “I—I don’t blame you for being angry.”

  “That’s nice of you. Knock me and Tommy in the head, steal my horse and weapons, then leave me out for the Yanks to kill.”

  “Tommy?” She hadn’t hit Tommy, but maybe the boy had been afraid to tell Jim he’d helped her escape.

  “As you can see, he’s all right, no thanks to you.”

  She wouldn’t call Tommy a liar. “As for yourself, you seemed to have made it all right.”

  “No thanks to you, you little tart.”

  She winced at his words. “Look, Jim, be mad at me if you want to, but I’ve got important news for General Watie.”

  “Then why didn’t you go to him?” He folded his arms, but his face was furious.

  “I—I didn’t think he’d listen to a girl, but he’d listen to you.”

  “Okay, talk.” His hostile expression didn’t change.

  “With what I’ve got to say, we’d better have some privacy.” She looked around at the other tents, wondering who was listening. If Jim was the spy, she would be putting her life in danger, yet she had to take that chance. She knew deep in her heart that Jim Eagle could never be a traitor to his cause.

  He gestured. “All right, get down. I’ll give you five minutes.”

  “Aren’t you going to help me?”

  Without a word, he came to the side of the horse, and she slid off to the ground with his arms around her. They stood that way a moment as their eyes locked.

  “Oh, Jim,” she whispered, “I’ve missed you so.”

  He didn’t mean to do it, but he couldn’t stop himself from abruptly pulling her closer and kissing her as if all his pent-up passion was being channeled into this moment. No matter if she was a spy, no matter what she might have done, he loved her; he couldn’t stop himself. “Damn you for the hold you have on me.”

  This was where she belonged, held tightly in Jim’s arms. She laid her face against his broad shoulder and wept.

  He stroked her hair. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded, unable to speak for a moment. Should she tell him everything? “I—I’ve seen Will.”

  “Will?” He took her by the shoulders and stared down into her face.

  “He’s at Fort Gibson.”

  “And you’ve been with him?” he guessed, and pulled away from her. “How much information did you give him about our operations here?”

  “Let’s go in and talk.” She tried to lead him into his tent, but he resisted.

  “You sneaking little spy, what . . . ?”

  “I’ll tell you, but you may not believe me.” She took his hand and led him into his tent, where a lantern burned feebly.

  “Damned right,” he snarled. “You won’t take advantage of my feelings for you again. I’ll turn you over to General Watie and—”

  “At least listen to what I have to say first before you put me in front of a firing squad.”

  “Don’t tempt me, missy.”

  She took a deep breath. “All right, Jim, I am a spy, just like you suspected.”

  “I knew it, damn it; I knew it, but I was so taken by you, I let it blind me—”

  “Hear me out,” she snapped. “I’m a spy, but for the Confederacy.”

  “What?” His eyes widened. “If that isn’t the biggest lie I ever—”

  “I met with a certain major who said the Confederate upper echelon thought they had a spy here in Indian Terri
tory, and they wanted me to help ferret him out.”

  Now he simply stared at her, and then his expression grew cynical. “And what was this major’s name?”

  “I don’t know his real name; he called himself John Smith.”

  “Uh-huh. Makes it pretty hard to check, doesn’t it? There must be thousands of John Smiths in both armies.”

  She shook her head. “Wouldn’t do any good—he’s dead.”

  “How convenient for you. So I’m to believe that some mysterious officer with a fictitious name who is now conveniently dead sent you to spy for our side?”

  “I know it sounds ridiculous, but all I can ask you to do is trust me.”

  At this, he threw back his head and laughed. “It’s great to have a little humor after all our losses lately.”

  How could she convince him? “Look, Jim, you’ve got good reason not to trust me, but I’ve got vital information to take to General Watie. I’ll tell you and you can decide whether you want to give it to him or not.”

  “You risked your life to come here; you realize that?”

  She nodded. “It was important enough to take that risk. “Trust me or not; believe this: The Yankees have a big wagon train of supplies coming from Fort Scott, Kansas, headed to Fort Gibson. If you can convince General Watie to intercept it, I understand there’s enough food, boots, and blankets to last your men through the winter.”

  For a moment he only stared at her; then he chuckled as he shook his head. “You really had me going for a moment there, April. I thought I might be mistaken about your being a Yankee spy, but I see what you’re up to now. The Yanks want you to lure us into an ambush, and they’ll be waiting to wipe us out. How much are the Yanks paying you?”

  She was not going to be able to convince him, and she was getting desperate. “Jim, I swear I am sent by the Confederate higher office. Yes, I’m sure the Yankees would be willing to pay me more, but now the money doesn’t matter.”

  “I thought money was what you wanted so you could live like a rich white girl in Boston?”

  In her frustration she began to cry. “I’ve changed, Jim; all that matters now is telling you the truth so you won’t hate me, helping the Confederates get those supplies so the men can survive. I love you, Jim; please believe me.”

  He paused, watching her weep. His heart was in turmoil over this girl whom he had loved for so long but whom he did not, could not, trust. Dare he take a chance on leading soldiers into an ambush based on what this beauty told him? He tried to think, but his heart wouldn’t allow him to be rational. He made his decision then, based on love. “All right,” he admitted defeat, “I’ll take you to the general and let him listen to your story.”

  She wiped her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me,” he snapped. “General Watie may still put you up in front of a firing squad.”

  They left the tent together and walked to the old Cherokee’s tent, where Jim quickly told the Cherokee leader the story.

  Stand Watie questioned April at length. “You say a big wagon train of supplies?”

  She nodded. “At least three hundred wagons— enough to keep your troops provisioned for months, General.”

  He clasped his hands behind his back and paced up and down. “Well, Lieutenant, what do you think?”

  He hesitated, looking at April, loving her as he had never loved another woman. He couldn’t love her without trusting her; he realized that now. “I’m willing to gamble that she’s telling the truth, sir.”

  “We’re taking a mighty big chance,” the general muttered. “It might be an ambush.”

  “General,” April said, “I swear I’m telling the truth.”

  The old man paused and peered at her keenly. “How did you get this information?”

  April hesitated. She couldn’t bear to let Jim Eagle know she suspected his brother was involved in an espionage operation. “I—I overheard officers talking. Jim’s brother Will is one of those assigned to bring the supply train in.”

  “Will?” Jim asked.

  She nodded. “I know that complicates things for you.”

  Jim sighed. “It’s war; things happen that we can’t control.”

  “Hmm.” The old man paced some more. “Lieutenant, if you’d rather not go on this mission—”

  “No.” Jim shook his head. “Begging your pardon, sir, but our men are hungry and ragged. If I can help bring in supplies, I’ll do whatever’s necessary.”

  The old man looked at him a moment. “Let me confer with General Gano before I decide. You two are dismissed.”

  Jim Eagle saluted smartly, and he and April left.

  “Well,” he said, “I’ve gone out on a limb with this, missy. I’ve staked my career and a great many men’s lives on believing that you’re telling the truth.”

  April hesitated. Should she tell Jim that Will had hinted there was a spy in the Confederate camp? Suppose he had been lying. Suppose it was Jim. “I’m telling the truth, Jim. Eventually, you can check it with Confederate headquarters.”

  He paused in front of his tent and took both her hands in his. “It’ll be weeks before I could get a message through, and you know it. Right now all I can do is trust you.”

  “Oh, Jim . . .” She went into his arms.

  He held her, kissing her eyes, her face, very gently. “I know I shouldn’t want you, but I do. However, if you’re leading us into a trap—”

  “I wouldn’t do that, Jim. I—I love you. And something else: When I told you I was a whore, that was a lie because I knew you wouldn’t believe the truth. You’re the first and only man I’ve ever been with.”

  He only stared down into her face in the darkness. “Somehow, I think I knew that,” he whispered; then, silently, he took her hand and led her into his tent. “It will be a while before the general makes his decision,” he whispered.

  They made slow, gentle love, each knowing that with the impending raid, they might not be alive tomorrow. As he kissed her and held her close, April wondered if she should tell him her other secret. No, she decided, that would only complicate things right now.

  They were lying in each other’s arms on Jim’s cot when the assembly bugle began to blow outside.

  Jim stood up, grabbing for his boots. “The old man must have decided to make the raid,” he said with excitement.

  From outside drifted the noise of men coming awake, yells and shouts, the sounds of neighing horses as men reached for saddles.

  About that time, a sentry yelled outside Jim’s tent. “Lieutenant Eagle, sir, the general wants to see you.”

  “Shall I go with you?” April asked.

  He shook his head. “Stay here until I get back.” Then he disappeared.

  Outside, the racket built as men came awake and dressed; officers shouted orders. There was plenty of confusion as the troops made ready to move out before dawn.

  Jim was back in moments, his face grim. “The general insists you accompany us in case it’s a trap. I tried to argue against it, because it’s so dangerous, but—”

  “Oh?” She had wanted to go but hadn’t expected she’d be allowed on a dangerous raid such as this. She wanted to stay by Jim’s side.

  He bustled about, getting saddlebags and weapons. “Come on.”

  They went out, and April mounted up as Jim looked about. “Now, where in the hell is Tommy?”

  Tommy appeared just then, sleepy and disheveled. He’d probably been asleep on guard duty, April thought. “What’s happening?”

  “We’re going on a raid after a wagon train,” Jim snapped. “Where have you been?”

  Tommy grinned and ran his hand through his rumpled hair. “It doesn’t matter; I’m here now.” He looked at April with longing, but she looked away. Jim Eagle was the man she loved, no matter what happened now.

  “Oh, hell,” Jim grumbled, “and I haven’t been able to find Captain Big Horse or Clem, either. Try to make yourself presentable, Tommy.”

  “A raid?” Tommy yawn
ed. “What wagon train?”

  “Never mind,” Jim said, “just get yourself ready and saddled up.”

  Tommy looked up at April. “Is April going with us?”

  She nodded. “I’m the one who brought the news.”

  Tommy looked askance. “We’re planning a major raid based on what she says? Excuse me, Miss April, but if you happen to be mistaken—”

  “I’m not mistaken, Tommy.”

  The boy hesitated.

  “Tommy,” Jim snapped, “we don’t have time for this.”

  “But we’re going on a big raid based on what a girl told us? Maybe you should try to talk to the general about taking a few days to think it over.”

  “We don’t have time, little brother. If they can make it to Fort Gibson with those wagons, they’re safe. They’re only vulnerable on the trail between the two forts.”

  “But if we’d wait a little while to check her sources—”

  “Tommy, shut up and get your gear. We’ll be leaving in a few minutes.”

  “Oh, all right.” Tommy scowled and sauntered away.

  “Damn that kid,” Jim grumbled.

  “You can’t blame him,” April said gently. “You’re going out on a limb to trust me, and he thinks you’re a fool.”

  He looked at her in the moonlight for a moment. “I may well be, but somehow, I can’t believe it. If so, it’s a firing squad for you and a dishonorable discharge or worse for me.”

  Hundreds of horses and men were falling into formation as the Cherokee Mounted Rifles made ready to ride on their surprise raid. They were delayed a few minutes while waiting for Captain Big Horse and Clem to be found, although Tommy finally arrived to join his troop, riding a gray gelding.

  Could the captain or Clem be the spy who was passing information to the Yankees? April wondered. There was no way to know. At least, going into battle on such short notice, the informant wouldn’t have time to alert the enemy.

  In half an hour, the Confederates were on the march, April riding next to Jim Eagle and General Stand Watie as they headed north in the darkness.