Link To The Past

Chapter Twenty-Seven

It was quiet and warm when Kristine awoke in a soft bed. The sun was  shining in through the window, blinding her a bit. She was far too weak  though to shield her eyes so she closed them again and turned her head  to the opposite side. When she opened them again there was a wooden  chair carved beautifully and a large leather bag sitting on it. Kristine  looked around some more and saw someone standing a few feet away over  by a dresser. Her vision was hazy at first as she tried to make out who  it was, seeing that they were looking at some kind of book. When they  turned around that's when Kristine's vision became clear and even though  she wasn't quite fond of this person she knew he was a friend of the  family.
"Charles?" Kristine's voice cracked.
Charles smiled as he walked on over, moved his leather bag and sat down. "I'm surprised you're awake."
"Where am I?" she asked.
Charles  put a finger to his lips to hush her. "No need to worry about that."  But Kristine insisted on knowing. Suddenly, Charles picked up his bag  and started going through it. "You don't need to know because pretty  soon it won't matter to you."
Kristine was confused. "What do you mean?" She tried to move her body but couldn't.
Charles  saw this and scoffed. "What? Trying to move?" he shook his head. "I  gave you a sedative. You shouldn't even be awake. I'm surprised."  Kristine kept quiet. The Charles laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me explain  better." he cleared his throat. "I was going to do it while you were  asleep but I guess you will get to experience this after all."
"Experience what?"
Charles said nothing for a moment and then looked at Kristine in the eyes. "Your death, of course."
Shocked,  Kristine's heart started to beat fast, sweat was already starting to  form on her forehead. "What?" she said, suddenly terrified.
Charles  finally found what he was looking for and took out a needle and syringe.  "My dear, Kristine. Do you know how fast it takes for an air bubble to  flow through the bloodstream and into the heart?" she said nothing so  Charles continued to speak. "Less than a second."
Tears started to fill Kristine's eyes now. "Why are you doing this? Where are the others?"
Charles  raised a brow. "Mrs. Martin, that is your last name now, right? You are  in the hands of the British. And I believe some of your friends are  being held captive right outside this very moment. He laughed again. "It  was so easy to win you and your family and all of your friends over. If  it's not obvious yet, Kristine, I was never on your side." Charles  stopped for a moment to wipe a tear that had fallen away from Kristine's  cheek. "It's a shame that you went and got yourself pregnant. Looks  like I will have to end two lives." he took a deep breath. "Such a  pity."
"Go to hell!" Kristine said furiously. If she could have spit on him she would have.
Charles  just smiled again and held up his utensils. "Do you know how long a  baby can survive in a womb?" he waited for Kristine to answer but she  never did. "Two minutes at best before it starts to suffocate."
"Evil bastard..." Kristine could feel more hot tears on their way.
"Evil?"  he scoffed. "Depends on which side you're on." he then bent down and  whispered into her ear. "You never should have come here and tampered  with peoples lives."
"And what about you?" Kristine asked.
For a  moment Charles. "Let me be of no concern of yours, Mrs. Martin." he got  ready to place the needle on Kristine's arm and got no further when a  knock came to the door. A British soldier stepped inside and told  Charles that he was needed. Charles nodded to the soldier and then took a  breath after they were alone again. He put the needle back into his bag  and stood up. "Let's continue this later. I will only be a moment. Be  sure not to wander too far...not that you can anyway." he smirked and  left the room.

The feeling in Kristine's fingers and toes started  to return when she heard a commotion outside. People were talking but it  was all mumbles to her. She heard hear doors being opened and closed.  Something was going on. At this point, she could move her legs a little  bit and her shoulders. Kristine shimmied her way off the bed and landed  with a loud thud, but she was careful not to land on her belly. It did  hurt but she had to do something in order to get away. Charles was going  to kill both her and the baby if she didn't find someone quick. The  feeling in the rest of her body was returning fairly quickly, but she  still could not stand on her feet so she slid across the floor on her  side, heading for the door. She reached for the door nob but it was just  out of her grasp. She looked around the room and saw the chair still  sitting next to the bed. Crawling to the door was hard enough for her  already so she banged on the door and called out. It only took one cry  for help for someone to come to the door and open it for her. Kristine  moved to the side just in time and looked up at her savior.
"Benjamin!" Happy tears rolled down her face as she reached up towards him.
Mr.  Martin was quick to respond and picked Kristine up and held her bridal  style that way it was more comfortable for her. "We thought you dead."
"Where is everyone?" she asked.
"Don't you worry about them."
"Thomas...is Thomas okay?" Mr. Martin said nothing, only nodded.
"I've made a deal with the general. A trade actually. Our men for his."
"A  trade?" Kristine then remembered that some of the militiamen had been  captured during the last attack. "Is that really going to work?" she  asked.
Benjamin smiled. "Already has. And you're coming with us."  Kristine rested reassuringly as Mr. Martin walked her through the  beautifully painted walls of the British General's home and down the  red-carpeted stairs and through the front doors where the light blinded  her again for a moment a cool brisk wind hit her face, sending a few  shivers down her spine. Now Kristine could see the rest of the  Militiamen being released, but a voice struck her terrified and Mr.  Martin stopped in his tracks. But before he turned around he placed her  on top of his horse with great care and a cold hard lump stuck inside  her throat as she saw Mr. Travington himself come walking down the front  steps in a hurry and angry. He was yelling about how Mr. Martin was in  no position to take the Militiamen, that these men were under arrest and  could no way be set free. Benjamin explained to him slowly and  carefully that he had every right to take his men back and that if he  wanted to sacrifice his men he would be upsetting his General. And then,  very slowly, Mr. Travington whispered to Benjamin.
"Before this war  is over, I am going to kill you." Kristine strained to hear but she  managed to get that much out of their sudden quiet conversation. Shills  ran down Kristine's spine again but this time it was not the cold. An  angry, spiteful, look spread across Travington's face as Benjamin turned  and got on top of his horse right behind Kristine and took his men and  left.