âSo which of you is gonna tell me how you know about Culper?â Caleb asked, cocking his head to the side. His gaze traveled over each of their faces, pausing for a moment as though he were reading their thoughts. âNone of ya? All right, then.â He nodded his head and licked his lips. âHowâs about we start with how you got behind the lines, then?â
âWhat is even happening right now?â Leena whispered, her wavering voice noticeably higher than it had been a few minutes ago.
âShoosh,â June admonished, squeezing Leenaâs arm as she worked her way to the front of the group. Â She folded her arms over her chest, mimicking Calebâs pose. âWeâve told you already, honey. We were takinâ the air and that storm blew in from Lord knows where, and the next thing we know, weâre talkinâ to you boys. Never set eyes on any sentry.â
Addie held her breath, her eyes darting between Caleb and June.
The skin around Calebâs eyes crinkled as his grin grew. âAll right,â he conceded. âLetâs say I believe that.â He sniffed. âDonât explain knowinâ Culper,â he prodded.
June shifted her weight and raised her eyebrows.
âNothinâ to say about that?â he asked.
Behind her, Addie became aware of Leenaâs increasingly short breaths. Oh, God. Sheâs going to lose it.
âGet a grip, Leena,â Mal hissed.
Addie elbowed her sister.
âOh, come on,â Steph said, walking towards the door. âThis isnât real, guys.â
Caleb moved to the side, blocking her exit. âDonât think you wanna be doinâ that. Those boys outsideâve been told to shoot anyone comes out that ainât me.â
Steph stopped, casting a look over her shoulder to the remaining women.
Addie shook her head. Steph let out a huff and came back to the group, throwing herself down onto the hay. âItâs not real,â she muttered under her breath.
âSo. Where did you hear the name âCulperâ?â Caleb repeated.
Two hours later, the other women had joined Steph in the hay. Caleb was pacing in front of the group, firing off the same questions â how did they know about Culper, and what did they know about Simcoe?
Addieâs nerves were on edge; she couldnât take her eyes off of Caleb. Beside her, Mal groaned and shook her head. The luster had worn off of their excitement.
âSo you none of ya want to eat, then?â he asked, stopping in front of them.
At this new question, Steph lifted her head from the hay. âYouâre going to starve us unless we tell you what you want to hear?â she asked. âThe general isnât going to be pleased to hear about that.â
âSo you know Washington as well, now, do ya?â Caleb asked with a smirk.
âI know he doesnât like prisoners to be ill-treated,â Steph said.
âThat so?â he asked, taking a step closer to her. âAnd how dâya know that?â
âCommon sense,â Mal muttered.
Caleb shifted his gaze to her, cocking his head.
âYeah,â he said after a moment, sniffing. ââCept maybe he donât even know youâre here.â
âOh God.â Leenaâs voice squeaked, and Addie closed her eyes against the hiccupping sobs that began to emanate from the other woman. âWeâre all going to die, and itâs my fault!â
âHey ââ Caleb frowned and knelt in front of Leena. âGive me somethinâ to give to Washington, and no reason any of ya will be harmed, all right?â
Leenaâs breathing was shallow, the tears streaming down her face.
Caleb stood and looked over them, shaking his head again. He sighed and walked over to the barn door.
The women exchanged glances as he opened the door and stepped outside. They heard him muttering to the guards.
âAll right, yâall,â June drawled. âWe gotta get our ducks in a row, now, or this is gonna stop beinâ cute right quick.â She was rubbing Leenaâs back as the girlâs sobs subsided.
âThis stopped being cute an hour and a half ago,â Mal said.
âJuneâs right,â Addie said, turning so that she was facing the other women. âI donât know how, but this is real.â She ignored Stephâs scoff. â This isnât the Ben and Caleb we fangirl over â itâs Tallmadge and Brewster. Soldiers. Spies who think their cover, and their friendsâ covers are blown.â
âIâm just afraid to say anything now,â Leena said, sniffling. âEvery time I open my mouth, itâs like I vomit bits of the show. What are we going to do?â
âWe all need to be careful,â Addie said. âSo maybe letâs agree not to say anything related to the show â or even the war â that we havenât discussed as a group first?â
âSo, like, telling them about Yorktownâd be taboo, then?â Steph asked with a smirk. Addie rolled her eyes and sighed.
âAnything that would lead to more questions about how we know these things should be avoided.â
âThatâs all well and good, but what do we tell him so we can eat?â Steph pressed. âIâm seriously thinking about gnawing on some of this hay right now.â
âHere, hon,â June said, unzipping her jacket and reaching in to an interior pocket. She pulled out an energy bar and tossed it to Steph.
Stephâs eyes lit up. âThanks!â She ripped off the wrapper and begin to nibble at the bar. âNormally I hate these things, but Iâm not really in a choosey mood.â
They situated themselves in a circle, facing each other so that their words wouldnât carry to the guards. âWe make up sources. Thatâs all there is to it,â June said. âYâknow, like Abe did with Hewlett.â
âAnd then they check on them, and end up hanging us when they find out we lied,â Addie pointed out.
âCan we even die here?â Steph asked between bites. âI mean, weâre in a tv show. Maybe thatâs the only way to get out.â
âYou sure you wanna test that theory, honey?â June asked, brow arched.
Steph shrugged and took another bite of the bar, making a satisfied hum as she chewed.
âOkay.â Addie took a deep breath, her head spinning in time with the racing of her heart. They didnât have time to debate how they were going to get out. They needed to figure out how to survive. âWhat do we know from the show? If Washington knows weâre here, he isnât going to condone mistreatment, so theyâre not going to starve us, right?â
âAnd they canât hang us if we donât confess to anything,â Mal added.
âWhat we told âem about knowing Hewlett was in New York is airtight,â June said. âWe could have picked that up anywhere.â
âBut how do we explain away knowing about Culper?â Mal asked, looking at Leena.
âLook, Iâm sorry!â Leena said, her face flushing. âI just got excited ââ
"Itâs fine, Leena. Weâll think of something.â But Addieâs words werenât working to convince even herself. This wasnât fine. And as she looked around the group, she could tell that they were as lost for ideas as she was. And finally, at least some of them looked just as scared.
Caleb closed the door to the barn, taking off his hat and rubbing his head. He gave a grunt of frustration before putting the hat back on.
âYou stay out here, they stay in there, right?â he said to the guards stationed at the door.
âYes, sir, Lieutenant Brewster.â
âAnd nobody goes in âcept me or Major Tallmadge.â The guards nodded. Caleb chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment before heading in to the camp.
He was almost to the stone house that Washington had made his headquarters when Ben came out through the front door, his steps short, his hands balled into fists at his side.
âShite,â Caleb breathed, increasing his own pace to head his friend off before heâd gone too far. âBenny boy!â he called out, drawing even with Benâs tent.
Benâs eyes snapped to Calebâs, and he changed course to approach him. âWell?â he demanded, his voice low.
âMaybe inside, eh, Tallboy?â Caleb inclined his head toward the tent, his eyes darting around the camp at the other men milling around their own tents.
Ben nodded curtly and entered, throwing his hat on his cot.
âTell me you got something from those women,â he said, hands going to his hips.
Caleb shook his head. âNot yet.â
âIf they know about Culper, and wonât give up their source, then the whole ring is finished.â
âWhat did Washington say about Hewlett?â
âSince weâve already sent Champe in, he feels it unnecessary to put up another mission to extract Culper now. All weâre being permitted to do is sit and wait.â He shoved the chair next to him further under the desk.
âIf itâs any comfort, these ainât spies, Ben.â
âThey show up behind our lines in the middle of a snowstorm, knowing this business about Hewlett ââ
âWe donât know if thatâs true,â Caleb argued. âCould be something they made up ââ
âAnd Culper? They didnât pull that out of thin air, Caleb.â
âNo.â Caleb tapped his finger on the head of his axe. âThey ainât sayinâ much of anything right now. One of âem started cryinâ, but still wouldnât talk. Iâll get âem some food, let âem rest. Maybe theyâll have somethinâ to tell us in the morninâ.â
âAfter theyâve had plenty of time to get their stories straight,â Ben said, shaking his head.
Caleb nodded, rubbing his cheek as he mulled over an idea. âSo we donât interrogate âem,â he said finally.
âSo what, then, release them?â
âInto camp, yeah. We can talk to Anna, she can look out for âem, watch âem.â
âI fail to see how that will get us any information.â
âLet me work on âem,â Caleb said, grinning. âI do have a bit of experience with the ladies, Tallboy. A bit of a good time, make âem comfortable. A couple of days, maybe a week.â He nodded. âIâll have âem talking.â
âAs long as thatâs all you have,â Ben warned.
Caleb grinned. âYou know me,â he said.
âYes, I do,â Ben muttered as Caleb left the tent.