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be on that train. They and hundreds of others will be in jeopardy. I
have to warn them.
She realized the odds were against her. She was now three days
away from the endangered junction, three days away from the nearest
Union telegraph office, and the time of shipment was three days
away, too. Her best hope was to intercept the train before it arrived at
the junction. Redfire just had to get her there in time.
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THE WAR BETWEEN THE HEARTS
CHAPTER THREE
cott Coulter twisted his shoulders to ease the discomfort
S caused by hours of riding on the train. The stretching was
pure reflex. The possibility of an enemy assault was what
preoccupied his mind. As he sat at the back of the passenger car full
of armed soldiers, his gaze continuously surveyed the passing
scenery, searching for suspicious movement. He chided himself for
allowing the situation to exert such a magnetic effect on his eyes. He
had an irrational feeling that if he stayed constantly alert, nothing
would happen; but if his vigilance faltered, disaster would overtake
them. At one point, he stood, lifted the window beside him, and stuck
out his head, careful to immediately turn his face away from the
cinders flying out of the engine smokestack.
As the train slowed and traversed a curve around a finger of
water, Scott had a good view of each car. His was immediately
behind the coal car. Another one full of soldiers rolled directly after
his, with two boxcars loaded with rifles, cartridges, and dynamite
from Davely Armory next in line. Two flat cars carrying cannons and
crates of ammunition concealed by tarpaulins followed, with another
passenger car of soldiers and civilian representatives from Coulter
and Davely connected to it. A caboose brought up the rear. Satisfied
that all looked in order, Scott withdrew his head from the window and
sat down. He glanced self-consciously at Phillip, seated facing him.  I
hate this uncertainty.
 It s better than the reality of battle, Phillip said.  But let the
guards worry about it.
Soldiers had been posted at strategic points inside the passenger
cars, and even on the roofs of the boxcars, but Scott noticed that
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NANN DUNNE
Phillip occasionally became restless, too. With little other activity
available to them, Phillip periodically moved from car to car,
checking in with the guards and the other soldiers. Each time, he
returned to his seat and met Scott s questioning gaze with the same
words.  Relax. Everything s fine.
Scott s fingers played with the fob on the chain that lay against
his vest until finally he couldn t resist pulling out his pocket watch.
 About twenty more minutes. Then what? his inner voice asked.
Bren pounded through the forest on Redfire, riding low against
the animal s neck to avoid the springy branches that slapped at her
face and arms. She was too focused to bother rolling down her
sleeves, though a few broken branches had gouged her arms. Grateful
for her mount s sure-footed response to her urgency, she spoke words
of praise and encouragement to him, to which he responded with even
greater effort.
Filled with horror by the possibility of losing Scott or Phillip
maybe both of them she drove Redfire to the very edge of his
endurance before stopping to give the animal needed rest. During
these brief delays, Bren tried to relax, but the gravity of her mission
made that difficult. Several times, she fell asleep from sheer
exhaustion, only to jolt awake after a short rest and hasten on her
way, carefully skirting picket lines of both armies.
When at last she topped the final mountain ridge, a clear spot
allowed her to search the valley below and she could see Hadley s
Run, at least two miles away by horseback. Beyond the town, a string
of smoke puffs billowed into the air from a train slowly approaching
the junction. At such a distance, Bren couldn t tell what the flat cars
carried, but dread that it might be the munitions train hammered
through her.
She sent Redfire pell-mell straight down the mountainside.
 Faster, boy, faster.
Nervous excitement shivered through Scott as they neared the
junction. He pulled a linen handkerchief from the inside pocket of his
frock coat and pressed it to the slight depression above his upper lip
to soak up the perspiration gathered there. As he returned the cloth to
his pocket, his friend glanced at him with a slight smile.
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THE WAR BETWEEN THE HEARTS
Phillip s eyes mirrored Scott s tension as the big man stood up
and said,  So far, so good. He stepped into the aisle and spoke to the
soldier in the next seat.  Lieutenant Murray, tell those in charge in the
other cars to stay alert and be prepared to disembark as soon as we
stop. I ll order the transfer of the material immediately afterward. As
Murray left, Phillip raised his voice to the other soldiers.  Men, we re
almost at our exchange point. Keep your eyes open for anything
suspicious. Be ready to leave the train and form up at the nearest
freight car as quickly as you can.
Scott rose and teetered a moment before grabbing the top of the
nearest backrest to catch his balance. With his other hand, he lifted
his derby hat from the seat next to him, placed it on his head, and
turned toward Phillip.  The train has slowed enough. I ll jump off and
check to make sure the wagons are ready for transferring the
shipment to the other train. Maybe I can hurry things up. I d like to
get clear of this junction as soon as possible.
 I agree. Phillip stepped aside, allowing Scott to pass him
toward the door of the car.  We have plenty of protection, but sitting
here without moving is an invitation to attack. He watched Scott
reach for a handrail and disappear through the doorway. As he turned
back toward his troops, the men stood and gathered their gear. From a
seat, Phillip picked up his sheathed sword, removed earlier for the
sake of comfort. He belted the scabbard around his middle and
donned the dark blue slouch hat that had rested next to the weapon.
Suddenly, the sound of an explosion burst against his ears. The
car shifted as though shaken by a giant hand. Soldiers stumbled and
cursed, some falling to their knees. Phillip pushed frantically to the
door. He wrenched it open and leaped through. A second explosion
slammed him to the ground. Dazed, he looked up and saw a dark
shape hurtling toward him.  Oh, God! he cried aloud, and his world
went black.
Still nervous as he emerged from the network of tracks that met
at the junction, Scott glanced back across the yard at the train. He saw
and heard the first explosion just as he was knocked off his feet. His
hat went flying, lifted by the wind from the blast. Moving on instinct,
he crawled behind a railroad equipment box sitting near the station [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]