The Forgotten Ones (A Completed Steamy, Historical Romance)

July 7, 1863

I woke to a scream and jumped out of bed.  I'm well passed time to deliver this baby, so my movements aren't as fast, but in my shimmy, I ran downstairs.  Mae stood as white as a ghost shaking.  I looked out the window, and what I saw, would scar my memory for eternity.  Patrick came running.  "Get my children out, now!" 

Armstrong was in the front yard on his knees, while Bub and Mimi swung by the neck on a rope from a tree in our yard.  They're dead, and Armstrong is next. 

I grabbed my revolver the moment the rebels stormed my home.  "What do you want?"  I pointed it at the man. 

"You'll put that down ma'am if you want that man to live."  He said.  "Where are the rest?  The two old men, the black woman, and the deserter?  I do also believe there are two children." 

"Who are you, and how do you know about my family?"  I asked.

"My name is Richard Morgan, and we have been scouting this property for quite some time.  My little sister has put in a great amount of effort into learning more about your husband.  He is the one that murdered Thomas Vest, correct?  I'll remind you one last time about your lover out there, he's dead if you don't put that revolver away."

I heard a gunshot and he didn't flinch.  "Away, now!"  He screamed at me, and I set it down.

He grabbed me by my hair and pulled me outside.  "We know who you are Private!  Shoot again, and this woman is dead." 

Patrick!  Dammit, why didn't he listen? 

I heard a click next to my head.  "Should I shoot her in the head or shoot her unborn child?  Show yourself by the time I count to five." 

I saw one dead rebel on the ground and Armstrong is tied up.  There's so much blood on his face I can barely recognize him. 

Patrick came into view, and he was told to put his hands up and get on his knees.  He did as instructed, and a rebel walked up and kicked him in the stomach, then repeatedly punched him in the face.  He was hogtied as I screamed for them to let him go.

With his fake leg, he didn't move as fast as they wanted, so he was knocked out cold. 

"I believe we should move this party to the house. Take them to the masters chambers."  He ordered.

I was led to the house by my arms and thrown toward the steps where I fell straight on my pregnant stomach.  "Naomi!"  Armstrong screamed.

They pulled me back up to my feet and forced me upstairs.  I was then thrown onto my bed and Armstrong was tied to a chair. 

"I think it's time for a little fun.  You sir bedded another man's wife didn't you?" 

"Don't touch her!"  He screamed.

"Oh, that's exactly what we are going to do.  She will know a real man's touch." 

"Boys, have fun, and remember, we don't need anymore union babies.  You don't need to play nice."  He walked out and four men came in and tied me up.

I tried to fight them, but I was kneed and punched repeatedly all over my body.  My arms and legs were tied. 

"Hershell, I believe you deserve the honor first."  One man said.

He ripped my shimmy all the way down then touched between my kegs.

"Get your dirty hands off her!"  Armstrong struggled against the ropes and a man started beating him.  "You're going to watch, and you're going to like it!" 

"You're a sweet thing."  The man said.  "But I'm afraid you're a bit dry." 

His face went between my legs.  "She's like honey."  He said. 

He hovered over me and released himself. 

"Naomi!"  Armstrong cried.  I just shut my eyes.  I squeezed them so tight and thought about my children and Oliver.  I prayed for all of my children. 

Four men raped me as Armstrong screamed and cried.  Each one beating me.  The pain was too much and eventually everything went black.  When I woke, Richard Morgan was standing over me.  "My brother is going to destroy everything you've ever known.  The name John Hunt Morgan will terrify your people for generations."  He was releasing himself from his pants.  "It's my turn now." 

I looked over and Armstrong was out cold.  The sun was fading, so I've been here nearly a day.

"They were right you are a sweet thing.  Even that dead baby in your midsection doesn't take away from your appeal." 

He was washing me up.  "I don't like a dirty woman.  I wasn't going to do this, but you looked like an angel in your sleep."

"Where's Patrick?" 

He didn't answer me.

He took his turn raping me, and when Armstrong woke, he started trying to scream again, but he had no voice left. 

The man grunted and groaned as he tortured me.  He untied my hands and retied them behind my back.  My face was buried in the bed as he tore into me from behind.  I felt a warm gush and he cursed.  My water broke.

The first pain hit me and I screamed.  He flipped me back around, just as I heard shots off in the distance. 

"Sir!  The damn deserter escaped!"  A young man with some pity on his face said, and Richard Morgan dressed.  "How in the hell does a one legged, unarmed man escape?" 

He cursed as he went out the door.

"Ma'am, I'm only going to untie you."  I screamed in pain.  My contractions are one on top of the other.  I smelled smoke and thought my home was on fire.  "Sir, if I untie you, can you promise not to do anything stupid?"

"Private Winters, take care of those two and let's go.  Union is coming!"

He looked at Armstrong.  "I'll make two shots then untie you.  I helped your other man, and he's out there somewhere.  Stay with her, and don't leave this room until we are gone." 

He put two bullet holes in my ceiling, then untied Armstrong.  "Be smart!"  He ran out of the room and slammed the door shut. 

I tried my hardest not to scream, as I felt my baby tearing me apart.  "It's not alive."  I said between restrained cries and hard breaths. 

"We can do this, wow it's coming fast." 

He grabbed the water and washed the men off me as I pushed through my next contraction. 

"Push, push, push."  He whispered.  "I can hear the horses they're leaving.  It's the barn, not the house that's on fire."  Armstrong whispered. 

I pushed and pushed without making a sound.  My baby won't, because it's been murdered.  I haven't felt movement since they beat me. 

I let out a scream as I delivered my baby's head.  "Shhh, I know it's hard, but I don't know if anyone is left here." 

I took a breath and pushed again.  By now it's the middle of the night.  I had been pushing for over an hour.

"It's a girl."  Armstrong said as her lifeless body left me.  He layed her on the bed and found some ribbon to tie me off then used my husbands razor to separate us.  "It's not over, I still have the afterbirth."  He placed my baby off to the side as I cried through the final part of childbirth. 

He cleaned my baby girl up and wrapped her in a blanket.  Once he handed her to me, I wasn't going to let her go. 

He spoke. "There's just too much..."  That was all I heard, before everything went black once again.