The Ember In The Storm

Chapter 7: Procurement

      New York was the capital city of numerous things. People always came there whenever they needed a change in life.

A change of poverty to wealth or at times even vise versa. If not used well, you could end up poor, used or just dead.

If you wanted money, New York was the place. If you wanted to see the higher class, New York was the place. If you wanted slaves, New York was the place. It held everything one could ask for. If you wanted to be a part of the war, New York was the place, you just had to head to the East for a better view.

This however would become a bore once you spent too much time in the city. Everything was the same each day. The baker made the same buns, the salesmen sold the same things and the market still smelt as horrid.

Jackson had unfortunately reached that stage. He had only been in the city for two months and yet he felt tempted to pull his hair off each night. The war was there alright, but there was no battle.

He was close to resigning as East General every time he felt like they were running in circles. Not that he was not busy, he was busy alright, sometimes he would go on a day without sitting for a meal because he got carried away.

During the nights in which he returned home early, he would have a drink or two in his cabin responsibly. Sometimes he drank with a few close troops in private, depending on how bad the day took on him.

Although, it had been weeks since he drank with them. Ever since the visit paid by Captain Oneye, the Generals mood was on the edge.

Oneye was a resident of Richmond, however bigmouth he was, he still came in handy on a few days. He reported about the British ambush on the night of his departure and how half of Richmond burnt to ash within a night. The Anderson properties took the most damage beyond repair.

Jackson was positive they went there for him, if not, then why? He was lucky enough to have left early, yet, he did not feel lucky enough to feel good about it.

Thoughts of his brother and cousin worried him, yet the thought of Elizabeth killed him. How was she?

The Anderson farm alongside other residential properties were burnt down. Locals were killed, a few spared and slaves either received the same fate or were captured.

Elizabeth was far from being a slave, but did they know that?

Did Luke keep her as safe as he did with Vaughn?

Oneye had no idea on Luke's whereabouts. Jackson grew tempted to ask him about Elizabeth but he knew best than to do that.

Use reason, not emotion, he told himself, just like he did with his troops.

Oneye probably had no idea who she was. Why would a slave girl bother him?

Hell, where has Elizabeth been for the past two months?

The thought had him drowning. He trusted his brother enough to know he had done something sensible and reasonable.

Though at times Luke confused sense with stupidity.

Jackson sat on the side of his bed in nothing but a bottom undergarment, rubbing his temples in pain from the morning after drunkenness. He could feel the pain beating hard against his muscles.

He reached for the glass of water he kept by the drawer every night, gulping half of the remain in one go.

He groaned before getting to his feet, standing like a toddler on his first try.

It had only been two minutes since he had risen and he was already feeling sick. He opened the windows and glared outside at nothing but the green large trees.