Page 101 of After 5
“Can I have General Lee’s frock coat?” I asked Sam.
Sam tightened his hold on the knapsack.
Marco focused on Sam. “Hey, it’s the guy I decked earlier. Welcome back, dude.” He stumbled over the words.
“What’s wrong with him?” Sam held his lantern up to have a better view of Marco.
“He’s had some medication. Can I please have the coat?”
Sam didn’t budge.
“How about if I hold Marco and you can punch him in the jaw?” I didn’t think the kid could do much damage, and the pain medication would numb the effect.
Gertie glanced at me, then at Sam. “Give him your best shot.”
Marco tilted his chin upwards and tapped his dimple. “Right here.” He was a good sport.
Sam considered and then yanked the coat from his knapsack. “Forget it.”
“I know you don’t understand what we’re doing, but know it’s for the greater good of the Confederacy.”
“I can’t say why, but I trust ya. My ma always said people had a way about ’em if’n they was up to no good. You don’t have that way, Doc.”
I smiled at Sam and took the coat from him. Shaking it out, I tried to put it on Marco. He frowned at me and kept his arms glued to his sides.
“Be a good soldier, and I’ll give you a present later.”
“A soldier?” Marco asked, eyes wide and innocent like a child. “I have little green ones at home.”
“You do?” Gertie smiled up at Marco.
“Gah! Focus!” I held the coat for Marco. “You’re going to pretend to be General Robert E. Lee. Won’t that be fun?”
“Fun,” Marco repeated, and slid his arms into the coat.
Marco winced when he moved his weight to his injured leg. An incapacitated defender wasn’t good for apprehending the bad guys. Remorse for refusing Marco a trip home made me swallow hard. I needed Marco and pushed the guilt aside.
After I secured the buttons on the coat and confirmed it covered the wound.
Gertie took the blanket from me and draped it over Marco’s head. His hat provided a hooded effect, shadowing his face.
“Hey, that’s not bad,” she said.
“Alley oop,” I pointed toward the horse. Marco put his injured leg in the stirrup, and we gave him a push onto the horse. His face twisted in a painful scowl at the effort, but he stayed in the saddle.
Sam held the sturdy gray stallion steady. I met his curious gaze. “If we can pull this off, you won’t get in trouble for losing the general. We’ll say he’s sick, and you need to convince the guards to let us inside the general’s headquarters.”
“Yer not spies, I think, and I didn’t lose the general. I’m not sure what you’ve done with him, but I know it has somethin’ to do with the disappearing box. I’ll stick close to you until I’ve found my answers.”
The kid was a good soldier. I’d need to be careful not to screw up his life.
Gertie raised her eyebrows at me.
“He saw Ace.”
“Uh-oh.” Gertie’s eyes held the same worry as mine. If Sam learned too much about us, it could change his path. He may not become the man who lives to be one hundred and three, has six children, twelve grandchildren, and a mess of great-grandchildren.
“It’s a deal. If you help us, I’ll explain the box. And here,” I said, handing him my pocket watch. “You can keep this. Consider it payment for services rendered.”
