Patriots: New York

Chapter Eleven: Bright Young Spies

I awoke around 6 the next morning and dressed quickly. Apparently Isaac had become a light sleeper. Just as I was trying to button my rags of a dress, I felt his hands grab hold of the back.
  I nearly jumped out of my skin, "Isaac! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Just trying to help you out," he whispered, finishing the buttons.
"Well, thank you, I guess. But please warn me before you grab me like that!" I scolded.
"You're just jumpy," he laughed, "like your father."
I straightened myself and slipped into my shoes. "Wait. How long were you watching me dress?!"
"Just long enough to see you need help with the buttons in the back," he smirked.
I abruptly ran out of the room to get the yokes and buckets. Isaac, much to my embarrassment, followed me out.
"Need help?" He asked.
"You ought to stay here and rest. You still look tired," I commented, adjusting the yoke on my shoulders.
"I'm fine. Besides, I used to always get water with you. Can't we do it again?"
"I guess, if you aren't going to hurt yourself," I surrendered.
He picked up the other yoke and followed me out the door into the morning.
"It's gonna be a hot one," he commented.
"Certainly is. That's going to be lovely with all you sweaty soldiers coming in for drinks," I said sarcastically but playfully.
"Well, it wouldn't smell so bad if you washed all of their uniforms," he laughed.
That was not a bad idea! I could mend and launder uniforms for the soldiers! I could do a part to the army and earn some money as well.
"By golly, that's a great idea, Isaac!" I exclaimed. "You know people who would pay?"
"I guess..." He said slowly. "Do I have to pay?"
"No, I'll do yours and Zeb's for free," I laughed, then pointed, "The pump is right here."
We filled up our buckets and started back towards the tavern.
"So," I said, "I guess I've never really asked...what's the army like?"
"It's...great," he said, clearly at a loss for a better word.
"Great?"
"Yes, it's..."
"Don't you lie to me," I warned.
"Fine. It's...it's not what I expected," he admitted.
"What were you expecting?" I asked. "You received one of the worst consequences of being in the army at Lexington, and you weren't even in the army yet!"
"I know," he said quickly, "I just thought it would be better. I was imagining camp fires and fun times with other men just as excited to fight as I was. For some reason I had in my head there would be basic necessities like food and water and warm quarters, but boy was I wrong."
"Hmmm," I nodded. "At least you survived Long Island."
"That was disappointing too," he sighed. "I fired about three shots the whole time, had to run away for miles, and then got stuck in the mud. Where's the fun in that?"
"Fun!" I almost spat, "You thought a battle was going to be fun?! You were in one already, and that couldn't have been fun!"
"It wasn't, but I also don't remember much of it," He shrugged.
"But what do you remember about it?" I asked worriedly.
"Lining up, someone shot and a few men fell on both sides. I was trying to fire when the chaos happened when something hit me twice and it felt like pain exploded in my brain. After that it's a bit of a blur of pain, drug, hallucination apparently, and you."
"And you want to go through that again?!" I asked in disbelief, but also rather interested that he brought me up.
"No, and I know how to fight now, so it won't happen again," He said plainly as the tavern came into our view.
"You never know," I said nervously.
"You worry too much, Liza," Isaac scoffed.
"I would think I have good reason," I sighed.
"We'll be fine," Isaac tried to assure me.
"You know what war is, don't you?!" I almost snapped.
He stopped and his face lost all expression. "Of course I know. It took my family away from me. You can't expect me to sit there and watch it go down. I have to fight so that people like them do not."
It was this attitude that had attracted me to him in the first place, but now it made me nervous, "You need to remember how dangerous it is," I said quietly, "I don't want you to die."
He looked at me seriously but did not say anything. We walked back into the tavern and set the buckets of water in their proper places inside. I made the boys sit down to breakfast and brought them eggs and bacon. We spent the day catching up and I heard all about their military endeavors. Isaac talked with seemingly very forced excitement about the friends he had made and the drills and tried his hardest to make it sound like a good time. Zeb, on the other hand, listened to him with concern.
"Yes. It's just one big party," he said sarcastically. "It's not like we sleep packed together in stuffy tents when it's 100 degrees outside and drill until we vomit and then suffer a battle in which our camp is taken and our army decimated!"
"Well, Zeb, those are the negatives," Isaac laughed nervously.
"You haven't given a near the truth of what we've been doing," Zeb snapped, "Stop rolling it in sugar! Liza can take it."
"Why, I never did anything of that sort, Zeb! I was just giving the positives!" He said with a clearly over exaggerated smile.
"I want the whole truth, Isaac. If there's something good, I want to know. If there's something bad, I want to know even more," I said seriously.
"Everything is fine," he said, still with his fake smile.
"It is not," I said stubbornly.
"Look, why would I want to dwell on the bad things?" Isaac said a little less enthusiastically.
"Because I want to know you are alright," I said firmly.
"I'm alright," he said.
The rest of the day passed with work for me and rest for the boys. By evening hours they were back lounging at a table. Two men walked in, one was Nathan Hale and the other was a built looking, attractive man with dark blonde hair who was in a Continental Army uniform.
"Ben! Nathan! How are you both doing?" Zeb called over to them.
"Quite well, thank you," the one who had to be Ben said politely, finding a seat at a table with Mr. Hale.
"Good evening, sirs. What'll it be?" I asked.
Ben looked me over before calling, "Zeb, will you come over here please?"
Zeb strolled over casually.
"Is this the girl you were telling me about?" Ben asked him in a whisper, his eyes still fixed on me.
"Sure is," Zeb said quietly.
"What is your name, Miss?" Ben asked me.
"Liza. Well, it's really Elizabeth Aednat Byers, but everyone calls me Liza or whatever other variation on Elizabeth they can think of," I rambled.
"Liza," Ben repeated, "I'm Benjamin Tallmadge. I would like to talk to you, alone. Is there a place where there is no one else?"
I was a little nervous at this. A young man, clearly years older than me, wanted me alone. I looked to Zeb who was subtly nodding at me. If Zeb was encouraging it, this Benjamin Tallmadge obviously did not want wrong with me. "Uh y-yes," I stuttered. "There's a bedroom where no one is staying. Follow me."
He followed me down the hallway and closed the door of the second bedroom. "I bet you're wondering what I'm doing. Why I want you?"
"Yes, I am wondering why," I said nervously.
"Well, you're friend Zeb, he's a nice fellow, said you had been a messenger for the Sons of Liberty back in Boston," He began. "Is that true?"
"Yes, 'tis true," I answered.
"So you are experienced in carrying secret messages and smuggling information?" He asked.
"I would say."
"Did you ever do any spying?" He asked.
I was a little nervous to answer, "Who do you work for?"
He smiled warmly in an effort to make me loosen up and feel more comfortable, "The great General George Washington. My loyalties are fully to the Continental Army. It's alright, Liza. You can tell me the truth."
"No, I've never done any real spying," I said. "Why are you asking me this exactly?"
He looked to the door and locked it. "I am starting a spy network here in New York City. I need people to spy and carry information in between spies. You're a pretty young girl, but still a little too young to do the job we would want a woman to do. However, with your job in this tavern, you could easily be a courier. An agent could tell you the information they find and you could pass it if to the next agent or the general himself. Would you be willing to do that?"
"Umm, what exactly would it entail?" I asked unsurely.
"You might have to do some sneaking around, but you are not very likely to be suspected and caught, being you are a young woman with no social standing..."
"Thank you for that, Mr. Tallmadge," I said, a little on edge.
"Please, just call me Ben," he said.
"Well, Ben, I am more than happy to help you and the Continental Army. Just let me know anything you want me to do," I said pleasantly, trying to forget the no social standing comment. I really didn't care, it was true, I was just tired of being made fun of by most people who walked through the tavern's door.
"Great! Thank you so much! I'll start sending folks your way soon," Ben said gratefully, shaking my hand firmly. This was unusual for a man to do to a lady, but then again, I had no social standing so was I even considered a lady?
"I'm glad to be of service," I said politely.
"Oh, one more thing," He whispered.
"Yes?"
"You will have to go under a code name."
"What sort of code name?" I asked.
"Something believable but not your real name and can not be traced to your true identity. How about...Clara Doe. Do you like that? Can you remember that? From now on to your informants that is your name. Got it?"
"Got it," I nodded.
"And, another thing. My name when I'm on a mission, just in case anyone hears you or intercepts the information, my code name is John Bolton."
"Got it."
"So, because I think Zeb is a trustworthy young fellow and I've gotten pretty close with him over the past few months, I've decided to trust his recommendation of you. Am I making the right choice?" He asked gravely.
"Oh, yes sir!" I said eagerly.
"And all you allegiance it to George Washington and the continental army?"
"Well, there has to be room in my allegiances for God of course," I muttered.
"Right, right, of course, but you have no affection for or allegiance to the king or his army?"
"Not at all! They've ruined my life!"
"Well then, welcome to the ring."
He unlocked the door and returned to the table with Isaac, Zeb, and Nathan Hale. I took their drink orders and waited on them for a while. Isaac clearly enjoyed the fact that he could order me about to get him all the alcohol he wanted, until of course, I told him he would need to pay for it somehow, be it in money or work. I had become notorious for getting men their drinks and lodgings for free. I always payed Mr. Walden for them of course, but eventually I would probably have to sleep on the street for the night. I was basically dirt poor myself and could barely afford my own bed.
Once the other customers began to clear out, I was able to sit down and talk with Zeb, Isaac, Nathan, and Ben. Nathan, who had always seemed since I met him to be gallant but quiet and a little awkward at times, proved to be quite charming. He and Ben had gone to Yale College together, one of the finest colleges around. They were both brilliant young men who could probably pursue any intellectual trade they could ever want, but instead they were both Captains in the army of rebels and getting little to no pay. They seemed happy though, and teased each other like children to no end. It lifted my spirits so much to be around such cheerful friends in the midst of such a terrible time.
When they got on the subject of classical literature I was able to jump in.
"So one thing that has always puzzled me," I began, "If Venus, the goddess of love, is female, why is her name not Vena? Venus declines as masculine after all, and she truly is one of the most feminine goddesses."
Nathan laughed, "I always wondered that as well. As much as I love Latin, sometimes I believe it's creators just meant it to torture students!"
"Only you, Nathan," Ben chuckled. "I never did struggle with Latin."
"Then can you explain why Venus' name is masculine, Ben?" Nathan asked slyly.
"Well, I do not look like a Roman, do I? Does anyone really know?" Ben laughed.
"I guess it shall remain a mystery," I sighed.
"I guess it shall," Zeb said. This was the first thing either he or Isaac had said concerning the subject. Neither of them had been as well versed in books and things as I had, growing up in a literate home. They had learned to read at 11 years old while I had learned to read at 5.
The conversation shifted from ancient myths to philosophy to the war. Ben was a major of the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons. Nathan was first Lieutenant in the Connecticut Regiment under Colonel Webb. They both had been in Boston putting down the siege and had met Zeb there. I suspected, because Isaac did not come up in their account of their Boston days that Isaac was running in a different crowd of younger boys than Zeb, Nathan, and Ben.
"So," Nathan asked me, "What was Boston like before the war?"
"Well," I thought back far, very far. It occurred to me that I had never really experienced Boston without any events leading up to the war. I was too young. "I was born in 60 in Ireland and didn't arrive until 62. I remember it was a relatively quiet town, but lively in its own way. My family was forced to quarter a redcoat for a while..."
"Oh, I remember him!" Zeb cut in, "I didn't like him."
"Of course you didn't, Zeb," Isaac muttered.
"Anyway," I continued, "I remember nearly all the acts that led to the outbreak of the war. The quartering act, the stamp act, the tea act, the massacre..."
"That's a day I'll never forget," Zeb put in.
"Once things got more heated there was more action in the city," I explained. "My father and Zeb were Sons of Liberty so I grew up around the trouble makers. Better them than stuffy Tories though."
"Amen to that," Ben laughed, sipping his drink. "Those Boston Sons certainly had their hands full. And the tea party?"
"I was part of that," Zeb laughed, "Now that was something!" Then he darkened, "They said we'd pay for that, and we did."
"They closed the harbor so no food could get into the city. We had to do without a lot," Isaac said.
"But we made it," I finished optimistically. "It all made us strong."
"That's good to see," Nathan said. "Nice to see kids come out of that as great as you three."
"Thank you," I smiled.
"Well, we best be going," Ben said, standing up. "Goodnight, you three."
"Goodnight," we all said accidentally in unison. It was always awkward when we did it, but also funny for anyone who heard.
  "I don't think we should stay another night, Liza," Zeb said, standing up and stretching. "Thank you for the hospitality though."
"Where are you going to go? I haven't washed your uniforms yet, and you still must be exhausted!" I exclaimed.
"Liza, having this day to rest and do nothing but eat and drink has been wonderful, but we can not wear out our welcome. We always do with you," Isaac said.
"You never do!" I burst out, "I never want you two to leave! Don't return to that war!"
"We must, Liza," Zeb sighed.
"If you really must, can you at least spend one more night and let me wash your uniforms?" I begged.
Isaac scoffed, "My uniform does not really need washing!"
"Yes it does!" Zeb and I snapped in unison again.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to spend one more night," Zeb gave in.
"Alright, then straight to bed. We can not have you two too tired tomorrow," I said playfully, shoving them towards the bedroom.
They climbed into bed and fell right to sleep. My evening had just begun though, as I now had to wash their uniforms so that they could get decently dry before they left. I didn't mind staying up late though. At least I knew they were safe inside, and I now had a job that could help with the revolution just as much as they were.