A Traitor, a Major General, and a Really Bossy and Rude Dude
“How dare you call upon us after Monmouth?” Connor demands at Washington as we approach him at the small fort on the edge of New York a few days later.
“I have nobody else to turn to,” Washington complains calmly as he looks up from the maps he was leaning over. “The Culper Ring informed me that WestPoint’s been infiltrated. I believe they intend to murder Major General Benedict Arnold.”
“I still do not see why you need us,” Connor says a bit calmer this time as he paces slowly from side to side before the Commander.
“The loss of such a figure would be devastating to the cause,” Washington replies. “It must be done without my soldiers' knowledge. The mere idea of the Patriots being breached would be crippling to morale, to the war. Will you two do it?”
“It will be done,” Connor says bluntly.
“Fine,” I say rolling my eyes as I cross my arms over my chest. “But just to let you know, Commander, you’re blind to the true traitor here?”
“Am I?” the Commander asks raising an eye brow at me.
“This ‘spy,’” I use air quotations. “is a set up. Arnold is the real traitor you have to be looking out for.”
Washington shakes his head grinning lightly before speaking to me as if I’m a naive little kid. “I highly doubt that, Riley. Major General Arnold has been a loyal asset to the war ever since he took this position.”
I roll my eyes again. “You’ll see that I’m right.” I then turn away and walk in the direction of WestPoint.
As I walk, I hear Connor snarl to Washington, “We will do this. But never call on us again.”
“Riley, I highly doubt that Major General Arnold is a Loyalist, or at least betraying his country,” Connor says to me as we walk towards WestPoint on foot.
“Aww, really?” I ask using my annoyed and whiny voice. I roll my eyes and groan in frustration. “You don’t believe me either. Of all people I would expect that you would!”
“I think your dreams were wrong about this,” Connor says calmly. “You are still trying to figure out what is real and what is in your dreams.”
I stop in my tracks and turn to look at him. He stops too and looks at me. “Have I been wrong yet?” I ask him glaring into his full golden brown eyes. I force myself not to smile as I feel a pool of warmth fill my stomach. He’s just so darn cute!
“No,” he mumbles looking down at his feet in shame. I give in and smile while he’s not looking before putting my straight face back on.
“Was I wrong about Biddle?” I ask Connor putting my hands on my hips.
“No.”
“Have I been wrong at all the past year I’ve been here?”
“No.”
“So there’s a pretty good chance I’m right about this, right?
“Yes,” Connor says as he looks up.
“Don’t accuse him yet,” I say calmly. “Just at least keep an eye out for him.”
Connor nods before we continue on. It doesn’t take us too long to get to WestPoint which is by the ocean on the western side of New York on a high cliff surrounded by sharp rocks and killer waves.
“This fort is where they train the soldiers,” I say to Connor as we enter through the open gates of the fort. “But we have to do this without being seen.”
“Understood,” Connor agrees.
The two of us run along the beaten trail until we pass a barn. Then I get the idea. I quickly grab Connor’s hand and pull him towards the barn. He seems to go with it and follows me. We climb up to the roof by jumping off a gate nearby to grab the ledge of the old wooden roof. Both crouching down, Connor and I look over the edge and use our special vision to single out the spy. He’s marching in formation in the back of a recruit platoon.
I allow Connor to take care of him using a poison dart. It is and still will be much later the easiest way to not be seen by anyone when you have to kill someone. Plus, it’s a pretty painful way to die. I would know. I mean, I didn’t die of course but I got pretty dang close. My dad had some of his knives soaking in the nasty stuff in a jar on the counter once when I was younger. This was before we went into hiding. So I managed to tip the jar over and when I tried to pick up the shards of glass, I cut myself and immediately the poison went into my system through that one small cut. Thankfully, I didn’t have enough inside to kill me, but I was sick for days and my parents thought I was going to die. Until my dad realized that he had a small bottle of antidote for emergencies like this. So I survived. But I know that that stuff sucks monkey balls!
“Nice shot,” I mutter to Connor before he jumps from the barn.
“I learned from the best,” he says to me with a grin as I jump from the barn and into his arms. He gently sets my on the ground as he holds my sides and then proceeding to kiss me.
I press a hand to his chest. “Later,” I say feeling my cheeks flare up. “We have a mission to complete,” I say with a grin.
Connor actually smiles this time. “Then we need to step it up.”
“I’ll top you any day, Ponytail,” I say with a devious smile.
“Let’s go, Rainbow Head!”
We then begin to walk down the road together until I get another idea.
“Wait,” I say quickly. “I’ve got an idea.
“Which is?” Connor asks.
“You take care of the dude in that small camp over there,” I point to the small camp nearby. “And I got the one over there.” I point to the one near the forest next to the more restricted part of the fort.
Connor grins and nods. “I will meet you back at the entrance to WestPoint.”
I smile and then turn to leave. But not before I feel Connor grip my hand and whip me around as he pulls me against him. He presses his warm mouth to mine and I already begin to feel butterflies in my stomach. I wrap my arms around his neck and he encircles my waist with his strong arms. He presses his lips a bit harder onto mine and I feel his hands gripping my back as if he’s looking for more. This wonderful and amazing kiss lasts longer that one would normally last if it were a quick goodbye kiss. But that’s fine with me. I just wanted so much more as much as he did but there’s never time for anything like that especially when it comes to satisfying one’s needs anymore.
“See you then,” I manage to get out through my scattered breaths when I finally force myself to pull away as his forehead rests against mine.
“I love you,” he whispers before pecking my lips one more time.
“I love you too,” I say quickly turning away before he can tackle me into the grass.
We quickly part ways and as fast as I can, I scale a nearby tree. I feel free once again as I hop and run from branch to branch letting the wind pull the hood from my face to let my blonde waves flow behind me and cool off my face but in the process, nearly missing my target completely.
“Aww crap,” I muter when I realize that the spy is being followed by a guard dog. But to my luck, another officer calls the dog by a distinct whistle giving me the window of opportunity to drop from the tree and assassinate the man with my hidden blades. “Boom, death from above… to the already death that is below,” I whisper grinning as I drag the dead body into the brush away from the other officers and the dog.
Thank the Lord; I landed in the bushes when I fell. Sneaking past the guards and the dog, I realize there’s one more spy left. He’s in the restricted area of the fort. “Well, you only live once,” I shrug to myself before running across the open road and into the restricted part of the fort. I’m able to hide in some green brush behind the posts that hold up an upper deck. It’s risky but I have no choice.
But then I spot the man. And he spots me. Instead of calling for back up like a smart man would, he decides to be a stupid idiot and come charging at me full speed. I easily grab him and shove my hidden blade into his throat. He falls to the ground while he drowns in his own blood.
“What in God's name are you doing?!” a man in a fancy blue and yellow uniform asks me as he walks up to me.
“Whoa, take it easy, British Accent,” I say sarcastically as I hold my hands up in front of the Major General with zero respect for him. “This dude here was a British Spy and he intended to kill you, Major Arnold.” I sort of spat out his name.
“What?!” He exclaims looking quite offended at my words and tone.
“General Washington learned of the plot and sent us to foil it,” I reply calmly.
“Us?” Arnold echoes.
“Oh yeah,” I say with a small laugh. “Hold on a sec,” I hold a finger up in front of Arnold’s face before using my other hand to place two fingers in my mouth and give a loud distinct whistle. Then I turn back to face Arnold who gives me a strange look. “Just hold on, he’ll be here,” I say with a grin.
“Who are you?” Arnold asks suspiciously still not seeming to understand me or appreciate my respect for him. The question is… what respect?
“Hold on, let me answer your question with another question,” I say. Arnold continues to give me an odd look. “How much does a polar bear weigh?”
The Major General looks baffled at my question. “Uh…”
“Enough to break the ice,” I say quickly. “I’m Riley Anderson and you must be the dude I learned about in eighth grade that betrayed the Continental Army to join the British Army and is the complete coward that nobody likes. Or also known as Major General Benedict Arnold.”
Major General Arnold looks like he’s ready to strangle me yet he looks like he’s ready to bolt now that he thinks I know about his plans. Which of course, I do. But he doesn’t know that for a fact… yet.
“Anyways,” I continue. “The buffoon behind me is Connor, my partner in crime.”
Connor and Arnold both looked shocked that I knew that Connor was behind me the whole time without Connor even making himself known.
“But, he’s a man,” Arnold says slowly as he points to Connor. “And you’re a… kid?” He says even slower with a confused look as he glances at me.
“I’m sixteen, thank you very much,” I snap in an annoyed tone as I cross my arms over my chest and lean most of my weight onto my left side so my hip sticks out slightly.
“Indeed,” the General mutters. “We need all the support we can muster. Some of my men are leaving on a munitions delivery to a nearby camp and I need you two to escort them. Find John Anderson upon your arrival. He'll have further instructions. Questions?”
“No,” Connor says bluntly.
“Good,” Arnold says to him. Then he turns to me. And then I bust out laughing. “Something funny, Miss Anderson?” He asks raising an eyebrow at me.
“Yes!” I say feeling my side begin to hurt as I bend over with laughter. “You actually think that I’m gonna take orders form you!” I laugh even harder.
“Riley,” Connor says sternly.
“And why wouldn’t you take orders from your General?” Arnold challenges me while we both ignore Connor’s warnings.
I stop laughing. “Whoa, let’s get something straight here, Mister British Double-Crossing Freaking American Traitor Dude,” I say walking up to him as I flick up his fancy blue and yellow hat. “Number one, nobody is my General. I fight alone with no rules or orders. Second, I’m only taking up this job because I want to make sure you don’t get away with what you’re doing here. And if you think I’m lying, ask Connor or you can take you’re your fancy little hat and shove it up your-“
“Riley!” Connor shouts as he begins to pull me away from Arnold.
I laugh. “He ain’t worth my punches.”
“We have a job to do,” Connor says sternly to me like I’m the little kid here.
“Fine,” I say rolling my eyes. As we turn to walk away, I turn around while I walk and place my first two fingers to my eyes then point them at Arnold who almost looks scared of me. But of course, he should be.