The Raider Read online

  “Ah, Jessica, it means a lot to me that you don’t want me caught. Would you care very much to see me hanged?”

  “Why should I care?” she said angrily. “What are you to me? I don’t know who you are. I’ve never had a conversation with you. You’ve done nothing but—”

  He put his hand under her chin and made her face him. “I’ve done nothing but love you. No other man has been able to chisel through the shell of Mistress Jessica. Other men think you need no one, but I know better. You just need a man who is as strong as you are.”

  “I hate you,” she murmured as she buried her face in his silk-clad shoulder.

  “Yes, I can see that you do. Now, give me a kiss because I have to go.”

  She kissed him lingeringly.

  “Stay home tomorrow or go fishing. I hope I see you tomorrow night.”

  “Hope? What do you mean?”

  “Ssssh,” he whispered, kissing her softly to silence. “Eleanor will be out here in a minute.” He kissed her again, then pulled her arms away, kissed her palms and was gone.

  For a moment, Jess stood there under the trees, rubbing her arms against the cold night air, then went inside. Eleanor didn’t say a word to her but gave her disarranged hair and clothes a keen look. Jessica didn’t offer a word of explanation.

  That night, as she was tucking the children in, she leaned over Nathaniel. “What are the English doing that might interest the Raider?”

  “Gunpowder,” Nate answered at once, not showing the least surprise at Jessica’s question. “Two wagonloads of gunpowder are being brought from New Sussex tomorrow.”

  Jessica nodded and left the room. The Raider meant to take that powder from the English. And do what with it? she wondered. She knew right away that he meant to destroy it so the English couldn’t use it against the Colonists. But all he had to do was make one error and he could go up with the powder.

  It was a long time before she was able to go to sleep.

  Chapter Eight

  JESSICA was relieved that Eleanor didn’t ask a single question when, at five the next morning, she walked with her sister to the Montgomery house. Jess mumbled something about wanting to see Marianna but guessed that Eleanor was at the point where she didn’t want to know exactly what her sister was doing.

  Jessica waited until Eleanor had set all the children to a task, then disappeared into the corridors of the big house.

  “Jessica!” she heard Sayer Montgomery call and, reluctantly, she went into his room. Sayer didn’t waste any words. “Nathaniel tells me you’re up to something and he thinks you’re seeing the Raider at night.”

  Jessica made a vow to kill her little brother the next time she saw him.

  “I’ll admit that your temper is lovely for your complexion, but come over here and tell me what is going on. And close that door.”

  Obediently, Jessica did as he bid and in just a few sentences, she told him all she knew, ignoring his comment about the Raider’s nightly visits.

  “So,” Sayer said, “you think the Raider is going to try to relieve the English of their gunpowder.” He didn’t wait for Jess to answer. “Nothing will happen before tonight. I want you to go fishing today. Stay out all day and come back about sunset. I’ll know something then. Go on now. Bring me fresh fish tonight.”

  Jessica left him alone and decided to do as he commanded, but it wasn’t easy. All day she had difficulty keeping her mind on her work. She hauled nets until her arms ached and didn’t even mind when they came up empty. By sunset she was more than ready to return to port.

  Marianna Pitman was waiting for her.

  Jessica tossed a rope to a dockhand while Marianna came aboard. “I have to talk to you.”

  As soon as the ship was secured, Jess followed Marianna below.

  “How can you stand this place, Jessica? It really needs a good cleaning.”

  “I’ve never had a rich father to feed me,” Jess said stiffly. “What do you want of me?”

  “I didn’t know who to turn to,” Marianna said, looking up at Jess with big eyes as she sat down. Jess realized that today was Marianna’s day to be little-girlish. “You’re the only one the Raider seems to talk to—except Abigail of course—so I came to you.”

  “Go on,” Jess encouraged.

  “Quite by accident I found out something this afternoon. My husband has no idea that I know it. You see, the gunpowder is a trap.”

  “A trap?”

  “Yes, like a hunting trap. Didn’t you think it was odd that everyone in town knew about the arrival of the gunpowder?”

  “No, I’ve been staying away from the town for a few days.”

  “Well, everyone did know and it’s because my”—she swallowed—“my husband wanted everyone to know. He plans to put the gunpowder in a storage shed, put two guards on it, then walk away. But the truth is that not only is there gunpowder in the shed, but there are boxes of it hidden in the bushes around the shed. And, also, there’ll be soldiers hidden. When the soldiers see the Raider, they’re to light the gunpowder.”

  Jessica sat down. “And the Raider will be caught in the middle of a circle of explosions.”

  “Yes,” Marianna said. “I’m afraid so.”

  “How much time do we have?”

  “It depends on when the Raider attacks, but the gunpowder is being unloaded now.”

  “Now,” Jess said. “Now.” So any time between now and tomorrow morning, the Raider might be blown to bits. “Marianna, did your mother have a black cape? Something with a hood on it?”

  “Yes.”

  “May I borrow it?”

  “Of course. How are you going to get word to the Raider?”

  “I don’t think I’ll be able to. All I can do is try to be there tonight and warn him.”

  Marianna looked at Jess with one eyebrow raised. “Don’t be the fool that I was. I fell for a man’s sweet words and all he wanted was my father’s money.”

  “I’m sure the Raider secretly covets my fishing boat. Let’s go get the cloak and I’ll try to work out a plan.”

  * * *

  Jess lay on the cold, damp ground and waited. It had been hours now that she’d lain in one spot and waited and watched. By now she had an idea where each of the British soldiers were hidden in the trees, ready to set their piles of gunpowder off as soon as the signal was given.

  But there was no sign of the Raider. As the night grew darker, Jess grew more alert. Something would happen soon now. Her muscles ached from remaining so still so long and her eyes hurt as she stared so intently at the shed in the middle of the secret circle.

  The two guards around the shed began to laugh, then one of them walked away as if to relieve himself in the bushes. Minutes passed and the guard did not return.

  Jessica tensed. Whatever was going to happen, now was the time. She had no doubt that the Raider had incapacitated the guard. The second guard went looking for the first but he didn’t return either. Even listening as hard as she was, Jessica heard not a sound.

  She kept her eyes on the shed. The Raider would appear there. But she saw nothing, heard nothing. Just when she was beginning to think she was wrong, she saw a movement to the right and heard the cry of a dove. It was a signal and the soldier was about to light the trail of gunpowder that led to one of the dumps surrounding the shed. She hadn’t seen anything but someone somewhere had.

  Without a conscious thought of what she was doing, she leaped from her hiding place and started running straight toward the shed. She had enough sense not to yell because if she ever got out of this alive, she didn’t want her voice recognized.

  The Raider appeared out of the shadows surrounding the shed. “Jessica,” he gasped.

  “It’s a trap. You’re surrounded by gunpowder.”

  He didn’t waste a second but grabbed her hand and started running. All around them could be heard the hiss of gunpowder as it burned its way to the hidden crates of the explosive.

  They were almost to the forest