Lords of Freedom 2 - Chapter 20
Introduction
Lords of Freedom is an exciting trilogy that includes adventure, realistic action, surprising insights, and a touch of romance. (Movie rights open)
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The serialization of Lords of Freedom 2 (book 2 of the trilogy) is in progress. Lords of Freedom 2 includes many intriguing parallels with Joan of Arc, George Washington, Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox), Henry Knox, and the American Revolutionary War. Chapters of book 2 are being published weekly. Please follow and subscribe on X or Substack.
Lords of Freedom 2 - Chapter 20 - Winning and Scouting
First Lieutenant Lindsey, clad in a fur cap and vest, sighted in his target from a copse of trees—the Kingmen squad leader no less, and pulled the trigger. The Kingmen’s horse whinnied in alarm, but the man made no sound as he slumped forward in the saddle. The horse startled, sending the squad leader tumbling, lifeless, to the ground.
Lowering his rifle, Lindsey mounted Redd and spurred him to the next copse of trees. Redd was predominantly cream-colored with a dark red mane and tail as well as a blaze of red on his muzzle. His body and legs were speckled in red—thus his name. Lindsey had raised Redd from the time he was a wobbly-legged colt and trained him well. On the battlefield and off, they were a remarkable team.
Three of Lindsey’s Riflemen picked off three more Kingmen as Lindsey dismounted and took aim again. When his second shot hit its mark, the Kingmen troops faltered in panicked confusion.
Lindsey remounted Redd and bellowed: “Fire at will!”
Lindsey’s command spurred the Riflemen to a full-on assault. Though outnumbered, they had the advantage: a bird’s eye view of the battlefield and the element of surprise. Having rehearsed this scenario countless times at Safe Haven, they were confident with their strategy and worked seamlessly as a team.
As with the wagon train ambush, no prisoners were taken; those Kingmen wise enough to flee were left to it. Those who chose to stand their ground were cut down. The survivors would relay their tale of defeat to General Banastre. Knox Fox would be credited, or rather blamed, given Lindsey’s fur cap and vest.
The abandoned Kingmen horses were rounded up, along with all abandoned weapons, to be carted back to Safe Haven. It was a good haul, with no casualties and only three men wounded, which marked yet another successful battle.
*****
When Lindsey and his Riflemen arrived back at Safe Haven the next day, they found Xan, Hon, and Sheba addressing the men. Knox Fox was pacing a little way off, clearly angry and distressed.
“Lieutenant Lindsey,” Xan called. “Were you and your Riflemen successful?”
“Yes sir.” Lindsey saluted sharply.
“Knox, debrief your First Lieutenant while I ponder what we’ve learned and how to proceed,” Xan said firmly.
The general nodded, still seething.
“You should also brief Lindsey on the situation at hand. Presently, I’ll outline what our next move will be,” Xan said, softening his tone.
“Take heart, Knox,” Hon said, clasping his arm as he passed her. “We just need the facts and a plan, not rumors and foolish haste.”
Knox forced a smile. “You are correct, but...”
“I know; we both do,” she said, glancing at Xan.
Knox and Lindsey headed off to rub Redd down and give him water and a bucket of oats. Soldiers in charge of the stables saw to the other horses while others joined the Riflemen to assess and store the confiscated weapons.
Lindsey couldn’t fathom what had Safe Haven in such an uproar and Knox so frazzled. Safe Haven seemed secure and running as it normally did, but Knox was obviously upset. Something was amiss, so Lindsey initiated the battle debrief, to give Knox time to gather his wits.
“We caught the Kingman troop unawares. We were outnumbered, but our sniping was dead on and threw them completely off their game. Groove-barreled rifles and Fabian Tactics won the day. Our strategy was well-practiced and executed without flaw.
“We seized 97 horses, along with a few cannons, dozens of rifles, and a good measure of ammunition, taken as victory spoils. As instructed, we took no prisoners, leaving the survivors to report another defeat at Knox Fox’s hand.” Lindsey tipped his fur cap and flashed a grin.
Knox chuckled in spite of himself as they entered the stables and Lindsey began unsaddling Redd. The gelding shook out his mane, once free of the saddle and reins then lowered his muzzle to the water pail. Lindsey picked up a curry comb and went to work; after watching for a beat, Knox reached for another and joined in Redd’s rub down.
“A courier arrived at dawn with word that Hailey has been abducted by Kingmen soldiers and will be delivered to General Banastre at his battle camp,” Knox began. “No terms have been set for her release, but some demand will be made soon, we think. Whatever it is, the Freemen will not comply. We have no prisoners to exchange, and giving ground is not an option. That was Xan’s word, and...I concur.”
“Marius, I can’t even imagine...Hailey...? How did this happen—how could it?” Lindsey was aghast.
“Apparently, Hailey was at a lady friend’s home having lunch, with plans to attend an afternoon play in the city. The woman, Collette, is quite wealthy but a recluse, unmarried and without children or other family—mysterious in a word. I’ve never met her.
“Collette’s cook was beaten badly trying to protect the women, but he was no match, and Hailey was spirited off with ease. The rest of Collette’s staff were away on errands and returned to find their mistress beside herself and distraught. She required a sedative to get her through the first night, according to the report.
“Collette hasn’t left her manor since and refuses any visitors, agonizing over her friend Hailey’s plight,” Knox finished.
“Do we know for certain that Hailey isn’t at home, perfectly fine?” Lindsey asked.
Knox shook his head. “We do not. I’m hoping this is all just a rumor—perhaps this Collette woman was fabricated. We need to verify the facts, as Hon advised.”
“At the same time, though...”
“Indeed.” Knox smacked a fist into the palm of his hand.
Xan, along with Hon and Sheba, entered the stables as Lindsey and Knox finished rubbing Redd down. Lindsey prepared a bucket of oats for the gelding, listening as Xan outlined his plan.
“I think our best move is to send Rising Moon and three natives to Leighford to see if Hailey is indeed missing. Rising Moon is determining who those three will be now,” Xan began. “If she isn’t in Leighford, they’ll proceed to Banastre’s battle camp.”
“I’ll go along as well,” Knox said.
Xan shook his head, but it was Hon who answered: “Knox, you are too close to the situation. It will be best for you to remain here. You are the Freemen General, and your presence among the men is paramount.”
“I could accompany Rising Moon and his braves,” Lindsey said with a sidelong glance at the black tiger. “Along with Sheba.”
Xan and Hon exchanged a look; then Xan nodded and said, “That is acceptable...a better strategy, actually. Sheba has scoped out the battle camp that the supply train was headed for when we ambushed them at the mountain pass.
“Further, as far as Sheba could tell, it is Banastre’s main battle camp; thus, where Hailey will be held, if they have her.
“If you head out together, when you reach the mountain pass, the three braves Rising Moon selects could continue to Leighford while you, Lindsey, and Sheba take the less-traveled road and survey the battle camp. Two men and a giant tiger will make up a second scouting triangle.
“If you find Hailey is indeed captive at the battle camp, and you can rescue her, do it. If not, you are to return to Safe Haven to gather enough men for a direct assault.”
“Noted,” Lindsey said sharply.
“Duly,” Knox grumbled.
*****
Rising Moon, his three braves, and Lindsey reached the mountain pass the following afternoon. They’d camped the night before, roughly halfway to the pass, and set off again at first light.
Goodbyes were said, and the five men parted ways. The three braves rode onto the main fork of the road, bound for Leighford, while Rising Moon and Lindsey headed down the less-traveled road, following Sheba’s lead toward Banastre’s battle camp.
It was late afternoon when they stopped, within half a mile of the camp. The creek, now more of a stream, slaked their thirst, along with Sheba, Redd, and Jacy’s. Waiting for nightfall, they speculated as to how close to Leighford the three natives were, comparing the distances on one of Reece’s maps. Then they plotted Hailey’s theoretical rescue, tossing ideas back and forth, based on how they imagined the camp was set up and where Hailey would be held.
At last, night fell, and Sheba headed out to scout the camp’s layout and guard formation.
She returned like a shadow ten minutes later and circled Rising Moon, purring low in her throat. Then she sat before him, curling her tail around her paws. Rising Moon hunkered down to gaze steadily into her amber eyes.
After a few minutes, he stood. “The men are gathering in the mess tent with a dozen soldiers patrolling the camp perimeter. There is indeed a woman there, in one of the tents, with two men guarding her.”
Lindsey scowled. “Sheba told you that? How can you understand her? She’s a tiger.”
“Xan and Hon taught me to gain impressions from Sheba. I have to look directly into her eyes and detach from the outside world. I see what she sees, in a sense; it is difficult to explain, since I don’t understand it myself, only that it works.”
Sheba gave a low yowl and stood to circle Lindsey, brushing against him deliberately. He stroked her back, marveling at the softness of her fur.
“She likes you, you know?” Rising Moon said. “She is puzzled, though, why you are so standoffish toward her.”
Lindsey rolled his eyes but then hunkered down as Rising Moon had, and said to Sheba, “I’m sorry. You are a most amazing creature, and you saved my life in the wagon train ambush. I guess I’m leery about things I can’t readily explain. I do trust you, so lead the way.”
Sheba purred loud approval, then moved off. Lindsey mounted Redd, and Rising Moon mounted Jacy, which meant The Moon in his native tongue. The tiger led them to a steep and narrow trail where they dismounted and tied their horses to branches of two nearby trees. Then, they climbed to a rather large plateau. From there, the Kingman camp was fully visible, and Lindsey pulled a looking glass from his pack.
As he scanned the camp and milling soldiers, he saw General Banastre and stiffened. He was with his own First Lieutenant, Ladd, a man of average height and build, with wavy blond hair and a thick mustache. Entering one of the tents, the two emerged moments later with the woman and her guards.
She was tall with shoulder-length, russet-colored hair and looked surprisingly calm and collected, given her circumstances. Her hands were unbound, and her clothes looked clean: at least she was being treated well.
“That’s her; they do have Hailey.” Lindsey lowered the looking glass and extended it to Rising Moon.
The native waved it off, though. “I don’t need a looking glass to see that Banastre does not have Hailey—that woman is an impostor.”
“What makes you say that? She’s tall with pretty red hair, and she’s keeping her head, despite being Banastre’s captive. We should get her out tonight, once things settle down. I think we could manage it, with Sheba on our team.”
The tiger bared her teeth and hissed, backing up Lindsey’s claim. He grinned and lowered his free hand to her ruff.
Rising Moon shook his head. “That is not Hailey Knox, and whoever she is, she doesn’t need rescuing.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Have you ever been disarmed and overpowered by Hailey?” Rising Moon demanded.
“No,” Lindsey scoffed.
Rising Moon looked away with a sigh. “Well, I have been, though I was near-mortally wounded at the time; that is why I am certain it isn’t her down there.”
Lindsey choked back a laugh.
Rising Moon met his eye briefly, then raised a hand to his lips. A warbling sound like a bird wafted through the air; then, Rising Moon clicked his tongue to produce a noise like falling pebbles. Sheba pricked her ears, and Lindsey raised a brow. The woman in the camp below walked on with no reaction.
Rising Moon nudged Lindsey and motioned back down the steep trail. When they reached the horses, they mounted up and urged their horses into canters.
After a few minutes, Rising Moon said, “Had that woman been Hailey, she would have stopped in her tracks and looked around—at the very least, she would have paused in her step.
“I taught her to recognize a number of bird calls and other code sounds my tribe uses over the course of our friendship. Wiyot, Dune Runner, and Tauri, the three braves bound for Leighford, got involved as well, which is why I picked them.
“Hailey was a quick study at recognizing what the various sounds meant, but had a hard time mimicking them. Wiyot crafted a small pan flute for her, and with a bit of practice, she mastered most of the code sounds.”
“I see,” Lindsey mused. “What did you say then, just now?”
Rising Moon had a ready smirk. “The bird calls and sounds of falling pebbles are signals, not words. What I conveyed with the bird call was that help had arrived; the pebble sound warns of danger from behind.”
Copyright 2025 Gene Van Shaar