To Be a Spy

Chapter 9

The sixty minutes ticked away and by the end of them William was in jail and Rowen was on her way to help in his escape. Dressed like a man, Rowen hoped to avoid being recognized by any of her spy friends. Her hair was tucked under a hat and her slender fingers were covered by gloves. Anticipation and adrenaline sharpened her sleep-deprived senses. Unseen and unheard she crept down hallways until she reached the door to the room which contained the entry to the cell. The door was thick and when she tried to hear any noise, all was quiet. There would be a guard if not more. She pulled out a bar of iron that had been hidden in her sleeve and tried to visual the room she was about to enter. There was nothing. She had never been in it. With a muffled sigh of frustration, she shoved the bar back into its hiding place. She opened the door.

A man wheeled to face her, sword drawn. "Who are you?"

Lowering her voice to a deeper tone, she replied. "No one terribly important. I am here to see the prisoner."

"I have not been informed of any guests for him."

She shrugged. "That is unfortunate." She yanked her weapon from hiding.

"What-" His sentence was cut off as the metal collided against his head. Unconscious, the guard slumped onto the floor.

Fingers clumsy with her gloves she struggled to find the keys. "Will?" she called. There was no answer. A nervous panic began to fill Rowen. What if it was a trap? What if Edward had given her false information to see what she would do? She unlocked the door and swung it open. William lay in a corner. Exhaustion and sorrow were written in every line of his body. She went over and shook him.

He jerked awake. Eyes wide, he stared at her. "Who are you?"

"It is me, Rowen."

Disbelief shot across his face as he stood. "Rowen?

"Yes." She took off her hat, letting her hair fall out from underneath it. He fingered a lock of it, amazed as his eyes confirmed what his ears had heard. Rowen was truly alive.

His eyes ran over her face, seeing every detail that proved she was who she said she was. "But how? Edward told us you were dead."

"I convinced him to let me go with the promise to find the real traitor."

He glanced away as the rush of bad memories poured over him. "Me."

"Will, I." She paused. "I found those letters you wrote to me."

He didn't look at her. "I was a fool to write them and a coward never to send them."

Her heart sank. "A fool? Then you did not mean what you wrote."

"Oh, I meant every word of them." He met her eyes. "I still do. But I am a fool for ever thinking you could feel for me the same way I care for you."

"Will, you have been with me through my trials and successes. You were my rock that I could lean on through everything. But you were blind. I do not know why you think I cannot love you unless it is the same reason I thought you did not care for me. But I do love you. I love you with all my heart, Will."

His joy left him speechless. "I-"

She held up a hand to stop him. "Forgive me for ruining the moment I have dreamed about for years, but we do have to leave. The guard could wake at any moment. Come."

The joy that had lit his face a moment ago, was replaced by intense pain. "No."

She spun to face him, thinking she had heard wrong. "What?"

"I cannot go with you. I shall endanger your life. If you aid a traitor you must share his fate. I shall not let that happen."

"But I want to share your fate with you whether it is life or death. I want to be with you through whatever may happen."

"Rowen, if you let me out they will find us and kill both of us."
She set her head stubbornly. "We can hide. They shall not find us in France or Ireland or where ever we go."

"But we shall spend all our lives hiding. At every sound we will jump and at every movement we will cower."

"I do not care! If I let you stay here you shall die! I cannot let that happen." She grabbed one of his arms and tried to drag him to the door. He refused to move.

"Rowen, I would rather die than put you in harm's way. A while ago, I thought one of my actions had killed you. I felt like I could never forgive myself. I could not bear to see you suffer. Go, Rowen. The longer you stay the more dangerous it becomes."

"I am not leaving you."

"Stop being so stubborn." They locked gazes, both determined to do what they had to do. William turned away then pushed her out of the cell, swinging the door closed behind her. The mechanism locked as it shut. They stood, again making eye contact through the barred window. Rowen fumbled in her pockets, searching for the keys.

He held them up for her to see. "Go, Rowen."

"I will not leave you."

"You must." The guard stirred.

"It is too late. The man. Edward will know it was me."

"No. I can tell him it was me. I escaped and hit him."

Rowen shook her head. "That will not work. How can you explain why you are still here then?"

William began to pace as he thought through the problem. "I can tell him his shouts brought another man who caught me before I could leave."

"But why would he not have stayed to guard while his friend was unconscious."

"He had to go somewhere?"

"And did not tell Edward, or someone, to care for the man? Will, there is no way out of this unless you come with me."

"Rowen, listen to me. You said you loved me."

"I do. I promise."

"Then prove it. If you love me you will leave now."

"Will, please."

"I beg you, go."

Rowen stared at him, tears filling her eyes. "I love you, Will."

"I love you, too."

She turned and fled. There was only one more thing she could do; go to her homeland. Go to Ireland.