Becoming a Founding "Father"- Historical Hamilton

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Blood Red Turncoat

*Much of the dialogue in the beginning is taken off of 'Whom can we trust now?' by bennyboyTallmadge on Ao3. Check them out and give their Platonic Washette series some love!

"Never perhaps did any man suffer death with more justice, or deserve it less [...] There was in truth no way of saving him. Arnold or he must have been the victim; the former was out of our power." - Hamilton to Laurens, 11 October, 1780

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My heart plummets to the bottom of my stomach. Lafayette's eyes widen, and his mouth gapes open. "What do you mean, 'a traitor'?" He asks, his voice shaking, and Alexander lets go of his forearm.

"He turned on us, the bastard!" Alexander shouts out, hands shaking with unconfined rage. "He gave plans of the fort away to some British officer for cash and the promise of a field command!"

My own head could barely comprehend what he was telling us. "That- that son of a bitch!" I felt as if something was off this morning with Arnold, but never did I ever expect that the beloved hero of Saratoga would commit such heinous treason! "How could he do such a thing?"

"The damned fool," Lafayette muttered, his mind probably as lost as his voice. His fists clench tight enough to draw blood. Suddenly his head snaps up, and his eyes are dark with rage. "I- he- We need to send men after him! We cannot let him get away!"

"Washington has already sent out Greene and Wayne to secure the fort," Alex answers, defeated- something has died in him. Violet eyes meet mine, regret and betrayal burning brightly in them. "You were right about the gunpowder- The scoundrel was throwing all of the it under water and not repairing any weaponry, making West Point susceptible to attack."

I can't- I just- but he- it's just- Why would he do such a thing? How could he do such a thing?

By now, Alexander is being wrecked by full-body tremors, in between fury and anguish. "They will make sure to assemble a search party to track him down."

Lafayette's on face contorts into anguish and he puts a hand on Alex's shoulder tightly. "Where is he? I need to see him," he demands, and no one needs to specify who he's talking about.

"I left him in there. He ordered me to get you," he replies, already turning back. With inhuman speed, Lafayette beats him to the door, opening the door and revealing Washington in the middle of the room, papers trembling in his large hands. Tallmadge is telling him something, but clearly nothing is getting through to him. When he hears the door open, his gaze falls to Lafayette, grief and shock etched onto his face.

The usual mountain of a General in front of us was reduced to nothing- the fear and betrayal crushing down on his shoulders.

Wasting less than a moment, Lafayette rushes to the man, gently taking the papers out of his hand. Alexander hides behind me, as if to block his sight from the view. I would do so too, but I find that I cannot move.

Lafayette's eyes flit over the page, and the parchment crumples from the pressure of his grip- I'm surprised it doesn't light up in flames from his hateful gaze. Washington stands next to him not moving. Only then do I register how Washington is looking at the Marquis- As if he knew all the answers, as if he hung the moon and stars in the night sky.

In reality, Lafayette looks just as lost as Washington. When he looks up at the General, he speaks not a word. Silence weighs on us, and, for those few seconds, it seemed like the world had come to a devastating stop.

"Arnold has betrayed us," Washington states, and it finally sinks in. The anguish in his voice made my heart split in two. His white eyes held an exhaustion and desperation I have never seen on anyone before. Lafayette's hand hesitantly reaches his forearm, and those icy eyes turn glassy.