The Ultimate Betrayal

Stay: Chapter 3

I heard twigs breaking against the earth, heavy feet racing and fast-moving wheels coming towards our direction. The sound of gun shots and men howling like animals grew closer. There was a small hole in the carriage that allowed me to have decent view of the outside.

Sam had untied one of the horses from the carriage and sat ready with a gun in his hand and sword around his waist waiting for the expected threat to arrive. He briefly turned around to his horsemen and said, ''No one touches that carriage. Escort Mrs. Rain back to the Master Brandy's plantation and hold your ground. Am I clear?''

Both men responded and accepted the orders from Sam. I could see the imminent threat brisling through the trees until finally making their entrance. Three rough looking men of white skin and large shotguns in their hand surrounded Sam on their horses. The two large black dogs they brought along with them on leashes barked viscously and gritted their teeth.

''Lord West! Our dogs seemed to have led us here! You hiding one of those slaves, again?'' asked one of the men who had a huge pot belly, orange hair on his and unkempt facial hair. His grey shirt was stained, and his breeches were holy and dirty.

'' Earl that's no way to treat royal blood. Why don't you men just go on your way,'' Sam insisted.

''You have no leeway or protection here. I will just take a quick look around,'' said Earl ignoring Sam. The other rough-looking men held their guns up towards Sam's head as Earl took one of the dogs to sniff me out. I prayed silently in the little confined space that I would not be found. The dog growled and sniffed the water of lake and stopped at my wet dress on the ground. My heart dropped when I realized I had forgot to grab it and the dog slowly made its way towards the carriage. I began to panic, and my breath quickened as I knew the dog would surely find me.

Sam quickly shot into action distracting Earl and his dog from their quest for a few moments. Sam quickly knocked over the two men on their horses holding him hostage with two swift movements of his bare hands and they fell cold to the ground. He then slaughtered the dog as it lounged for him with his sword. He had the skills of a warrior, strength on giant, and he fought to protect me. Sam's horsemen quickly refined Earl before he could reach the carriage with his dog and pushed his body forward on the ground.

Sam walked up and stood over Earl who had his face buried in the dirt and he glanced up at Sam. ''When your friends awake...Show them your hands and tell them to stay away," said Sam as he took his sword and chopped off all of Earls finger on his left hand with his sword. Earl hollard for mercy but one of the horsemen shoved his face in the sandy ground and the other stomped on his back as the blood from his finger spewed everywhere. Sam reached for his pocket and poured brown liquid over Earls fingerless hand and bandaged it up quickly. I was in shock and in awl at the same time at the event. I had seen and experience worse, but this incident stirred me the wrong way. ''We need to go, now!'' said Sam as he hopped back on his horse. I saw a trace of fear in his face for the first time since the moment I met him.

''Get Mrs. Rain back to her father's plantation, Now! There should be more hunters sniffing around for a reward. I need to handle medical matters," said Sam as he rode away on his horse.

The two horsemen swiftly walked over to the horses and the carriage began to roll away. I wondered if I could ever be with such a powerful man who deemed himself as royalty and could also be a dangerous man. The word Lord rolled through my head multiple times, and I couldn't fathom the possibility of why he wanted me, and why he was living in the depth of South Carolina... I glanced back through the hole one last time and saw Sam racing through the wooded area in a distance until the trees blocked my view and I was surrounded by greens and woods.