Sold

Surprise Union Attack

Meanwhile...

Shawn's POV

A soldier screams as he falls clutching his leg as I see that he got shot.

I look at the trees behind me to see Union soldiers closing in.

"Fuck it..." I whisper to myself. I swing my musket on my shoulder and run back to him as I pick him up. "Come on," I said.

"Thank you, brother," The soldier says.

I don't respond as we make it to the stand the Confederate soldiers made.

I lay the injured soldier down behind some cover as I duck behind it.

"Come on, this is only a small group of soldiers!" The Colonel yells.

I raise my musket but hesitate to shoot any of the Union soldiers, afraid that the Union General will see this as treachery but I can't fail the Colonel or it will go worse.

I look over at the two soldiers loyal to Miss Jauregui's cause who I learned their names were Gerald and Colson as they shoot out but are purposely missing their shots.

I decide to do the same thing as we Confederacy and the Union continue to shoot at each other.

Finally, we Confederacy soldiers win as the last Union soldier goes down.

"Let us go back and get our stuff. We are moving. The Union knows where we are," The Colonel speaks.

We all start walking back, two soldiers carrying the injured one.

The Colonel walks over to me and grips the back of my neck hard. "You hesitated. If I see you hesitate on shooting a Union soldier ever again you will have bigger problems than guilt for having blood on your hands. You did not hesitate to kill a man of mine when I invaded your tribe I expect the same with the Union," Colonel Aquila says.

He roughly pushes me away from him causing me to fall to the ground as he walks on ahead.

I huff as I sit up and pat my outfit down as I see Gerald and Colson walk over to me.

Colson holds his hand out to me and I take it as he helps me up.

"Thank you," I said.

"Your welcome," Colson says.

"You got a letter," Gerald lowers his voice to me.

"From Miss Jauregui?" I ask.

Gerald shakes his head, "From your sister."

He takes out an envelope from his jacket and hands it to me as I take it.

We follow the remaining soldiers that survived the attack as I stuff the envelope into my jacket.

Back at our ruined camp, we gather any remaining supplies before we start moving out.

"There is another Confederacy camp east of here. We will arrive by next tomorrow's sunrise," Colonel Aquila says.

Colson and Gerald walk over to me as I swing my musket across my shoulder.

"What does the letter say?" Gerald lowers his voice.

"I do not know. I have not read it. I will when I am alone," I speak lowly.

Next tomorrow's sunrise...

"We are here," Colonel Aquila announces.

Up ahead, there's a camp set up ahead as a man walks over when he sees the Colonel.

"Brigadier General!" Colonel Aquila smiles.

"Colonel. It is so great to see you brother," The man says. He hugs the Colonel and then turns serious when he pulls away. "But why are you here Colonel?" The Brigadier General says.

"Our camp got attacked. By a small group of Union soldiers," Colonel Aquila says.

"Come, let us discuss in my tent while your soldiers settle," The Brigadier General says.

"Some of us are injured sir," I speak.

"The nurse's tent is over there," The Brigadier General points to a tent.

He and the Colonel walk away as some of us go to the nurse's tent.

"That was the Brigadier General. The highest-ranked in the General's Elite Circle but sadly not the closest to the General," Gerald informs.

"The Lieutenant Colonel is the closest to the General, right?" I ask.

"Yes. He is lower ranked than the Colonel and the Brigadier General but the closest to the General. He is the one we need to get to," Colson says.

"But what about the Colonel?" I ask.

"He is the General's brutal enforcer, he is the greatest asset to the General on the field. The Lieutenant Colonel mainly pulls the strings. He stays close to the General," Gerald says.

We walk into the nurse's tent as some soldiers come in with the injured one.

"Can we get a nurse?" A soldier says.

"How can I aid?" A woman dressed in a nurse outfit speaks.

I look over at her, at the familiarity that voice caused in me, and she looks at me as our faces fall in shock.

Mother... I thought.