Mines

Chapter Eighteen

     This isn't how I imagined myself meeting the leader of the rebels. John and I used to dream about joining the rebels and helping with stopping the British and they're horrible mines. I always imagined some sort of office but here we only have a large cave with iron bars blocking the exit.
     "You know, I'm quite flattered by this whole ordeal," Washington jokes. "I never expected to be wanted dead so badly."
     "I always knew something like this would happen," I say to him. "I grew up in a town on the outskirts of the desert with John. We both knew we'd be sent here one day."
     "Is that really how it works?" Washington questions.
     "Well yeah. You're either sent to work here or stay back at the town to continue the steady population of slaves."
     "That sounds horrible. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I- I mean, it seems important to have people who know how bad it is here. We did have Charles Lee... but he betrayed us." Washington says grimly.
     "How'd he betray you?" I ask.
     "Well, apparently he was working for the British the whole time behind our backs. And Aaron Burr, who we presumed dead." He answers.
     "Burr's dead now. I say him die, got a bullet through the head." I say.
     "Oh." Washington says faintly, but doesn't continue the conversation. It's okay, I don't really want to talk either. There are three other people trapped here besides myself and Washington. Madison, who's curled up in one corner in the room, away from everyone else. And Williams and Smith, who are having a whispered conversation beside Washington. He told me they're rebels working for him, so they can be trusted. But as far as I know, the only people who can be trusted are John and Lafayette. For a moment, after John fainted I thought he had died. Right there, on the spot. How ironic. But I was the first one to run up and check his pulse. Then everyone started to fight, so I carried him into the tunnel behind the platform and hid him there so he wouldn't get trampled. On my way out I was overcome with three guards, I managed to fight off one but the other two grabbed me from behind and knocked me out. I woke up here with the other hostages. I hope everyone's okay, I hate this feeling of not knowing, it's insufferable.

"We can't just leave them!" Lafayette yells at Alex, as though the Captain's statement never interrupted our conversation. Or maybe it's the statement that's fueling his anger. In any sense, he's not quiet anymore, he wants his friend back, and I know that feeling.
"He's right," I say. "Hercules is our friend."
"I understand but-" Alex starts but Lafayette cuts him off.
"No you don't! When's the last time your friend was threatened Alex? Or have you've been busy playing it safe next to Washington?" Alex clenches his fist and his jaw sets.
"I know how it feels to lose someone, okay?! I know that helpless feeling. But this isn't about you! Also Washington's right hand man, it's now my job to keep everyone else alive, no matter how few people there is!" he shouts. His face is furious and he's glaring at us with hurt in his eyes. This makes me sadder and angrier, angry at myself for hurting him in a way I can't understand and sad that he is hurt. Three girls who were watching us since the Captain's statement came out the loudspeaker, now rush over to our side.
"Calm down Alexander. It's okay, we understand what you're trying to do." The girl with black hair says.
"I'm sorry Eliza- It's just-" Alex shakes his head and doesn't finish. The youngest girl who I assume to be Peggy stands by Eliza's side and turns to Lafayette and myself sternly.
"Gosh can't you lay off him?" she says with her arms crossed.
"What's your relationship with Mulligan anyways?" Angelica questions, staring us down.
"He's been my best friend since I was a kid. He was there for me when no one else was, and now I have to help him. I don't care if I don't have your help Alex. It'd just be nice to... I dunno have a map and several people to help." I answer. Peggy looks up from her sister.
"What happened to you? Oh sorry, that sounds rude. But you know what I mean." she asks. Yeah I do. And I definitely don't want to talk about it. Not in front of three people I just met, and especially not in front of Alex. Laf comes to my rescue.
"What does it matter? You heard he said. We're going to save our friend. And, if we're lucky we'll save Washington too, and then you'll finally thank us, Alex." And with that, Laf pulls me out of one of the exits.

     It was hard to see where we were going. Lafayette had snatched a torch off the wall, and was holding up arm's length, but it still wasn't enough to see more than five feet ahead of them. He still had one arm around my waist supporting me, so he didn't have any hands free.
     "Now would be a good time for those four arms and three hands, huh?" I say, half whispering, and half talking normally. Laf snorts, But doesn't say anything. Four arms and three hands is an inside joke between Herc, Laf, and myself. One day, while working in the mines, some soldiers was making us work harder and faster for no particular reason. Herc growled something about wanting extra arms and hands so he could do more work, and Laf thought he said "four arms and three hands" and then I asked Herc why he wanted a stump arm. Thinking about things that involve Hercules at the moment is painful, because have of me expects to never be able to get him back, although right now we're doing the best we can without Alex's map. No one else wanted to go with us either, so you can imagine why I jump when someone places a hand on my shoulder.