As they worked, a pattern slowly emerged.
Once a month, one of the two warehouses received cargo from a ship arriving from the Orient. From the warehouses, deliveries were made to each of the street locations, all within close proximity to the Capitol.
“Micah, these have to be the opium houses.” Claudia pointed to six street addresses marked with a star. “Each one receives a delivery on the same day.”
He nodded. “About a week after the cargo arrives at the warehouse. According to their timetable, it appears a shipment is due this week.”
“Then what are these entries marked with a T?”
“I imagine train departures.” He lifted a thick packet of newsprint, flipping through it.
Claudia peered over his shoulder. “Train schedules. How did you know to have Henderson pick up train schedules, too?”
“Simple, Mrs. Turner,” Cain stated, entering the parlor dressed in a suit rather than his uniform. “Your husband is not only looking for opium, but large quantities of arms. Am I correct, Micah?”
Micah felt his wife tense behind him. He moved her forward to sit on his lap, motioning Cain to sit opposite them at the table. “It’s the only plan that makes sense.”
A heavy sigh escaped the colonel. Claudia leaned into Micah’s chest, and he tightened his arm around her. “You found out something about the general, I take it, Cain?”
“This is a list of troop movements for the past year, Micah.” He unfolded a sheet of paper, pushing it across the table. “Units are rotated throughout the East Coast on a regular schedule. All except one.” He pointed to the bottom of the page. “It seems the general has formed his own battalion. They travel to an iron foundry in Pittsburgh by train then back to the Garrison at the fort. That is their only assignment.”
Micah checked the troop’s movements against the shipments arriving by train. He pulled Claudia closer, then sat back in his chair. “Each date matches, Cain.”
“I was afraid they would.” The colonel rubbed his hand over his goatee.
Claudia leaned forward to pull the list of dates closer. Micah took a moment to enjoy the movement of his wife’s soft bottom over his thigh.
She looked over her shoulder at Micah. “These other dates that are not matched to anything on our shipping or train schedules, what are they?”
For a moment, he closed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw his own pain mirrored on her face. “If, as we suspect, they are dealing in white slavery, I imagine that is when they ship out the women.”
“And Patrice.”
If this were true, Stephen, and the Gibsons, were dead men.
The memory of how Patrice looked the last time he’d seen her, flashed in Micah’s mind. Barely thirteen, she was as gangly as a colt, all arms and legs, with the same blonde hair as his. Despite the war and living with Julia for years, she’d remained sweet as a child. She spent many a day climbing trees and teasing Nathan while he and his friend had worked to get the farm back into shape before leaving.
When he and Nathan announced their plans to start over out west, she cried for several days. Her tears were the only evidence she’d shown of how uncomfortable she was staying with Julia. He’d had no choice but to leave her behind. The trip would be a grueling one and once they reached the mountains, he knew it’d be years before he’d be able to send for her.
He guiltily blamed himself for her disappearance. If he’d sent for her years ago, she’d be safe and leading a normal life. No matter where he found her, be it in a bordello in California or in the bowels of China, he hoped she’d someday be able to forgive him.
“How do you plan to proceed, Micah?” Cain’s question drew him back to the present.
“For now, I think we should focus on the opium houses. We want the complete cast of characters involved in this before we confront Wallace and Gibson.”
“What about the warehouses?” Claudia asked.
He took up the list again. “We’ll post one of the boys on lookout at each site. I don’t cherish the idea of putting them in danger, but as you’ve pointed out before, they have years of experience blending into their surroundings.”
“They’re very good at following orders.” She tried to reassure him.
“Let’s hope your faith in them is justified.” He tore the list in half, handing one to Cain. “You and Kelly will visit these houses. We’ll leave Simon down at the docks to watch the ships. Henderson can be responsible for the boys. We’ll visit the remaining houses on the list.”
“We…” Understanding dawned on Cain’s face. “You can’t mean to take her with you. You know what kind of things she’ll see there.”
“I do. She’ll be safe with me.”
Cain shook his head. “You said she was out…”
“…coming with me.” Micah squeezed Claudia’s hand, then looked directly at Cain. “I made the lady a promise. I mean to keep it. She is part of this investigation until the end.”
* * * * *
The cold chill in the late-night air went unnoticed by Claudia as she and Micah approached the first of the houses on their list.
“Do I look all right?” She whispered to him. Dressed in a pair of baggy pants to conceal her hips, her large sweater, and knitted skullcap to cover her coppery hair, she looked like a young man.
He draped an arm over her shoulder. “Relax,” he whispered into her ear, his lips sending shivers coursing through her. “Remember who you are tonight.”
“A young man, whose lover wants to treat him to a taste of the forbidden,” she repeated his description of the disguise back to him. “I still don’t believe there are men like that in the world.”
His low chuckle rumbled over her. “Believe me, you’ll see more than that tonight.” His words were loud enough to be heard by the most exotic lady she’d ever seen opening the door to admit them.
Once inside, Micah made his desires known and they were escorted through a back hall to where young girls were seated, dressed in lacy garments which left little to the imagination. When they entered the room, Claudia took in a sharp breath at the sight. It added to the illusion of a young man seeing half-naked women for the first time.
One of the girls giggled, and wiggled a finger for her to come closer. Claudia edged closer to Micah, and all the girls laughed at the young man’s apparent shyness.
They were led through another door and down a flight of stairs. Underneath the house were several rooms, each divided into bed-like cubicles. All had curtains, but only some were drawn. As they passed each of the cubicles, Claudia peeked in to see half-dressed men and women sprawled on the beds. The pungent smell of burning opium filled the air and burnt her nostrils.
Inside their cubicle, Micah handed the proprietress gold coins and was given a pipe filled with the opium powder. Lighting it, Micah took a puff in the presence of the proprietress to allay her suspicions. “Mmm. Very high quality. You won’t mind if we have some privacy?” He looked at Claudia with meaning, then back at their hostess.
A twittering giggle escaped the woman. “Ah, yes, yes, most welcome.”
It took all of Claudia’s willpower not to burst out laughing.
“Little one,” Micah’s whisper drew her from the doorway. “I don’t know who is watching us. Let’s make this as good a show for them as possible.”
“How do we do that? They expect to see two men.”
He moved her toward the bed, stretched out and opened his pants. “Lie beside me. You forget, this is just another illusion. They see what they wish to see.”
Claudia draped herself over Micah, so she could see out the draped doorway, yet appear to be in the aftermath of spent passion. “How long will we have to wait to go searching?”
“Um,” Micah mumbled through closed eyes. “Until…they are…assured that we’re…harmless.”
“Micah?” Claudia grew concerned when he didn’t answer her. She reached up to touch his face. “Micah, are you all right?”
He pushed
her head back against his stomach. “Shh, need…to let…opium…wear off. You don’t…leave me.”
“I won’t leave you.” Claudia draped her arms over him. Suddenly she realized how vulnerable he was with the powerful narcotic in his system. No one would tear her away from him.
Micah had warned her to be sure and never attempt smoking the pipe. He said one of them would have to use it, and he wanted her to remain sober at all times while they were inside the houses. Now, they’d have to wait for the effects of the drug to wear off.
Soon her efforts at the ruse were rewarded. The proprietress of the house peered into the room. Claudia moved over Micah, allowing the woman to hear her moaning. When the curtain fell back into place, Claudia waited and listened.
Before Micah had fully recovered from the small sample of opium, three more people checked on them. Finally, she felt him stir beneath her. She eased off the bed and went to watch from the door while he struggled to sit.
“Were we watched?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Four times, total.”
“Figured they wouldn’t trust newcomers too much.” He stood, grabbing hold of the wall for support.
Claudia rushed over to steady him. “You should lie down.”
“No. I don’t know how much time we have before they come back to check on us again. Moving will help get this out of my system.”
With him leaning heavily on her shoulders, Claudia maneuvered them out into the hallway. They passed several cubicles with young women performing acts Claudia was sure weren’t allowed by law, but rather entertaining to take a peek at.
Micah chuckled in her ear as she stopped for more than a brief peek at one curtain. “We can try that at home if you’re interested, my dear.”
She blushed and moved them on down the corridor. After they passed it, Micah pushed her to the wall, curling around her body, nuzzling her neck. “Did you see who was in that room, love?”
“Senator Dalton?” she whispered into his ear.
Micah lifted the curtain. There was one of the prominent members of the Senate finance committee sprawled on a bed being treated to the services of two ladies, opium pipe in his hand.
They moved deeper into the bowels of the house. There, they spied two more members of Congress and the president of a bank, whom Claudia had met once through her father.
Their search yielded no sign of any women being held against their will, not that they’d expected to find Patrice here. Relief and disappointment settled heavily on both of them. Turning, Micah took Claudia’s hand and led her back up to the main level of the house.
“You have good dream, no?” The soft lilt of broken English stopped them as they reached the top of the stairs.
Micah pulled Claudia closer, leering at her a moment, then back at their hostess. “Aye, the lad will never forget this night.”
“You come more back?” She followed them through the house.
They managed to make the exit. “Aye, perhaps we will sample more than the pipe next time,” Micah hinted. Then they slipped out into the dark night.
Claudia suppressed her laughter until they reached the safety of their carriage. “Sample more than the pipe?”
“Aye, me lusty wench, care to try some of the things we saw tonight?” He dragged her onto his lap.
She turned to straddle him, whispering in his ear that there was one or two she thought rather intriguing.
* * * * *
After searching out the remaining two houses on their list, Micah and Claudia compared their findings with Kelly, three nights later at the town house.
“This isn’t good,” Micah announced as the trio sat at the table, studying their findings. “Altogether we have twenty members of congress, two colonels, a major and several captains, as well as board members from eight different banks using the opium houses, at least on a casual basis.”
Kelly nodded. “Given these facts, our conspirators could easily take over the financial dealings…”
“…and control our government,” Claudia concluded, then studied her husband. “Is there anything we can do to stop such a catastrophe from happening?”
Before he could answer her, Adam and Joey burst into the room with Henderson close on their heels.
“What’s wrong?” Claudia asked as the boys ran to her side.
“Criminy, it has to be her,” Joey said to Adam.
Adam shoved him. “Ya don’t know that. It could be anyone.”
“Who else could they be hidin’?”
Henderson stepped between the boys. “Gentlemen, we don’t know who it is as yet.”
Micah held up his hand and had the trio’s immediate attention.
How did he do that?
“One at a time,” he quietly said. “Why don’t we let Henderson tell the story?”
Both boys made an ugly face, but held their tongues.
“The lads and I have discovered someone is being held prisoner at a third warehouse, Micah.” Henderson sat across the table from them and took a slip of paper from his pocket. “Joseph witnessed cargo being delivered to the warehouse in Rosslyn, just across the Aqueduct Bridge, two days ago.”
“How do you know the cargo was a human?” Micah asked his question quietly, all his body’s attention focused on Henderson.
“Because I saw them carry a long, rolled-up blanket in,” Joey interrupted, “and no one saw them bring it back out.”
Micah motioned Joey to his side. His continued patience with the boys, despite his worry over his sister, amazed Claudia.
“What makes you think it wasn’t just a rug, Joey?”
“It was too heavy. The blokes carrying it in were bent over like this.” Joey arched his back, and looped his hands down low. “And it took three of them to move it inside.”
“Yeah,” Adam jumped into the conversation. “If it’d been just some ole rug, they’da just tossed it over a shoulder, like this.” He took his turn to demonstrate.
Henderson nodded. “We met with Simon before returning tonight, and he asked us to tell you about a conversation he heard down at the Whaler’s Reef last night.”
“And what was that?” Claudia asked, a tingling running over her skin. She hoped it wasn’t bad news.
“A few old salts came in, trying to quench a thirst. He said after a few rounds, they started talking about their ship, saying their problem wouldn’t be around in a few days.” Henderson looked at his hands a moment, then raised his worried gaze to meet Micah’s. “When Simon asked them which ship they were from, it turned out to be one of Gibson’s vessels.”
Micah sat back in his chair, rubbing his neck. “Did they say why their problem wouldn’t be around?”
Henderson nodded. “Seems they didn’t like the idea of being a burial detail. Said they’d be digging a grave before shipping out once more.”
* * * * *
As their carriage rolled through the dark streets toward the Aqueduct Bridge to cross into the township of Rosslyn, Virginia, Claudia glanced up at Micah, who stared out into the foggy night. He had a determined set to his jaw, his lips pressed into a thin line.
Despite her questions, he’d avoided telling her any details about his family. She had the distinct feeling he felt responsible for his sister’s disappearance. It wasn’t necessarily the words he said, but more the tenseness that came over his features whenever someone mentioned the white slavery ring’s existence. And she still wondered how his brother was mixed up in this mess.
In the past week she’d known her husband, she’d seen many looks on his face. When the boys quizzed him on his life out west, he showed great patience. He comfortably wore the respect of his comrades as they discussed the implications of one group taking over the government. And when he made love to her, the passion in his gaze overwhelmed her.
Never in her brief time with Micah had she seen this quiet, controlled anger possessing him tonight. Even when he’d discovered her dressed as a barmaid at the tavern, his anger hadn’t been th
is palpable, this deadly.
Their carriage rolled to a silent stop near the warehouse, interrupting her thoughts.
“Cover all your hair,” Micah ordered her without taking his gaze from the darkness outside the carriage. “I don’t want anyone identifying you tonight.”
Claudia pulled her hat further down over her hair, pushing stray locks beneath the band while they waited for the all clear signal from Kelly. On impulse, she reached out and grabbed Micah’s hand, squeezing it quickly before releasing it.
Micah’s head swiveled around. His gaze locked onto hers in a silent question.
Tentatively, she smiled at him in sympathy to his torment. “It may not be her.”
He reached up and stroked her cheek with his hand. His own face lost some of its tension, even though sadness dulled his eyes. “I’m torn. Part of me hopes it is her. The other half prays it isn’t.”
A light tap sounded on the carriage roof. Micah grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out the carriage door behind him. He pushed her up against the vehicle’s side, glancing up and down the lane for any sign of movement.
“Remember, from this moment on, no talking,” he whispered in her ear. “And you don’t leave my side, no matter what we find inside.”
Claudia laid a hand over his heart, her gaze meeting his in the dark. “I promise.”
When he was satisfied no one else roamed the street, they ran across the road and into the alley between two buildings. Finding the warehouse’s windows locked, Micah reached for a rock to use to break the glass.
Claudia slammed her body into his, stopping him. He gave her a puzzled look. She indicated he allow her to try. He shrugged and stepped aside to give her room to work.
Slipping a small knife blade out of her pocket, Claudia reached up as far as she could to slide it under the window ledge. She stood precariously on her tiptoes, wobbled slightly, then found herself lifted up by Micah’s strong arms to reach the window better. She wiggled the blade under the window edge just as Adam had instructed her until it caught. Sliding it to her left, she felt the catch move.
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