The Lady Yves

Chapter 20

"I do not want to die," he suddenly said in a hoarse voice, tears running down the side of his face. "I do not want to die, Freedom." He clutched her hand tightly as his eyelids suddenly felt heavy. He felt sleep beckoning to him. "My mother...she caused all of this...she lied to the townsfolk to get you into trouble. I am sorry...for...for failing you."

"I am he-Yoshi..." Freedom watched as his eyes closed and his hand lay limp inside hers. "Yoshi!" She shook him. "Yoshi," she wept, cradling his head tighter.

He was gone.

When the mob forced their way into the house, Freedom did not move at all as she clung to Yoshi's body, hugging him tightly.

"Get off him!!" someone yelled as they grabbed Freedom by the collar of her dress, dragging her back.

She took Yoshi with her, feeling numb as silent tears ran down her face, the salty tears biting and stinging her wounds. She continued clinging to Yoshi like a newborn baby clinging to its mother.

Someone slapped her because she seemed to have lost her mind but she did not feel a thing. All she wanted at this point was for someone to take her out of her misery and just kill her already. There was no reason for her to still be alive.

Yoshi's hand twitched and she stared at it. It twitched again. "Yoshi-"

Someone suddenly grabbed her from behind, causing her to drop the man. She yelled and called out to him as she was dragged away, reaching her hands out as if she to touch him.

"YOSHI!!"

Something cold clamped around her neck, wrists and legs.

"NOOO!!" she cried, still trying to reach out as she was dragged like a rag doll out of the house just as the mob gathered around Yoshi, blocking him entirely from her view as she wailed.

"I have to make sure that he is okay," she begged the sheriff as he bound her shackles on a rope.

He was going to make an example of her in town for causing people to murder each other. When Madame Fran had approached him earlier, she had warned him that something bad was going to happen at the Yves' manor and that Freedom Yves was the cause of it all. He had gathered Mulch and the men then they went and raided the Yves' party, turning the place upsidedown, looking for Freedom who was nowhere to be found.

By the time he realised that nothing was happening, Mulch and the gang had already hurt Lord Barley Yves, beating him to get where Freedom's whereabouts were. The sheriff realised a little too late that Mulch was now pushing his own agenda when the rich negro, Frederich Barnes walked in. The sheriff was not proud that he had allowed the Yves to be harassed because Frederich had given him a very generous wad of money to let him do as he pleased right there and then.

Yoshi Manley had come in and given himself over, claiming to know where the girl was and Frederich and the gang left with him, leaving the sheriff to his own devices.

For a couple of hours, there was peace until Madame Fran sent an errand boy to tell the sheriff that the negroes were about to attack and for him to get a mob ready to retaliate. The woman was wealthy and she had no reason to lie do the sheriff gathered the town and now...

Now the mobs both had lost several of their own and Junior had been captured. It had been a feat for the sheriff despite the heavy losses they incurred and he was going to take his anger out on the people who cause so much damage and suffering.

Freedom and Junior.

"Shut it!!" the sheriff hissed at the young crying woman that was pleading with him.

He mounted his horse and started riding, forcing Freedom to stumble alongside the horse, still chained. She kept mumbling to herself.

"There is going to be hell to pay," the sheriff said. "We are going to make an example of you to warn other negroes about what shall happen to them should they decide to start a mob like you."

Freedom looked at him as he marched her forward. "What are you talking about?" she mumbled.

The sheriff slapped the back of her head to shut her up. "We know that it was you that told that negro, Junior and his mates to attack our men. You and your scum of the earth, you massacred innocent men in Yoshi Manley's estate and oh boy..." the sheriff laughed cheerfully. "I am going to enjoy making you pay."

"How did you find out?" she asked nonchalantly, pretending she knew exactly what the sheriff was talking about even though she was in the dark.

"Madame Fran warned us," the sheriff revealed. He did not see the point in hiding that bit of information from Freedom when she was going to die anyway.

Freedom started laughing and once she started, she could not stop. She just continued laughing as she followed him. "Madame Fran, huh?"

Angry, the sheriff kicked the horse with the stirrups and it galloped forward, causing Freedom to stumble as she ran, trying to keep up.