Ext. South virginia, confederate supply base, 1862 -- dusk
Daniel lay skulking in the trees with Sgt. Johns next to him as well as Diggs and two others, one man from New York by the name of Luigi and one from Boston named Fesenko. They are watching four sentries two hundred yards distant Sgt. Johns with a spy glass.
SGT. JOHNS
We gots to take those sentries quietly and roll our own take on the 4th of July to their comfy home without them no mind of what we up to till the Cap'n and the rest hit'em from the front.
Sgt. Johns looks at Daniel his gaze coming to rest on the forearm sheaths of the blades he'd given him.
SGT. JOHNS (CONT'D)
You been practicing with the blades like I be showin' ya?
Daniel looked at him with pride.
DANIEL
Every day. Hitten' the mark 9 out of 10.
Johns smiles.
SGT. JOHNS
I knew anyone that could shoot a Henry like you do would take to blades like a duck to a pinch of water.
Daniel smiles back in the dwindling dusk to eve. Diggs grunts.
SgT. JOHNS (CONT'D)
You got the right of it Diggs, time to do some work. Diggs take those two and put silencio on the ones to the left, and that was my italian for you Luigi, me and Williamson will take the ones on the right. Ok gents quiet as a church mouse, and give it till the dark done sunk the light.
Diggs grunts and motions to the other two. They all pull their belt knives as Diggs pulls his tomahawks. They canter off into the woods to the left. Johns taps Daniel and points to the woods to the right. The southerners had chosen their site smartly at least to their northern side which had open clearing and a bridge that crossed the small river and no woods starting not closer then a 100 yards to the north of it, which is where Captain Blackstone and the rest of the Misfits held, waiting for the fire. They were dumb in not thinking people could ford the river a couple miles down and come up behind them with trees giving cover all the way to their doorstep which is what they had done. Though they had posted sentries so not completely stupid. Him and Johns move off to the right slinking through the spread of trees till they came up 50 yards to the backside of the two sentries to the right. No telling how many were in the camp, though John's estimated 40 or 50, double what the Misfits held, but though this was his first mission in the couple months Daniel had been with the group, he knew well enough by the training he had undergone that the Misfits rarely fought fair. Johns leaned back against a rock behind the trees they covered in waiting for the last of the sun to sink over the dip of landscape. The southerners are making enough noise to drown out fireworks on the 4th.
DANIEL
How the hell did Diggs lose his tongue?
Sgt. Johns takes a look back at the sentries pissing away their time shooting the bull.
SGT. JOHNS
And why he's always as pissy as a nest 'o' wasps on mating day?(Smile) Well as I hear the Cap'n say once. He's originally from Texas, raised by Comanche after some southerners killed his whole family and took his tongue, left him in the desert to die, but after two days some Comanche scouts found him, said the Great Spirit was strong in him or such. I say it just made him a mad dog who's good at killin' Stay clear of that one son. It's one thing to do what needs doin' son it's another to enjoy it. Know the difference son, know the difference. You start enjoyin' killen', do something else.
Johns sees the veil of darkness drift down upon the green. He notices Daniel's nerves rattling in his bones.
SGT. JOHNS (CONT'D)
You ready for this son? Will be your first blood to spill and for many a men a hard road to start and an even more piece 'o' iron to finish.
Daniel whose nerves wrangled sweat from his flesh nodded his head.
DANIEL
I am as ready as I will ever be. (Pause) I won't let you down.
Johns tapped him on the knee.
SGT. JOHNS
I know you won't son. I know you won't.
Johns removed his throwing knives he held on his back waist, small and slim only meant for throwing, not like what he called his butcher blades he held strapped to his thighs, for his close in work he told Daniel when he had been teaching him throwing and close combat knife fighting. Daniel removed his forearm sheathed blades which were slightly wider, good for throwing or knife fighting. The sun dipped below the horizon and Johns tapped him. They both slinkered out from the tree low to the ground Johns taking the lead. Both of their targets slouched on some bagged stacked oats talking with the other sentries parked on the other side. The sentries had been planted at least 50 yards from the main camp where most of the southerners were eating and laughing and drinking thinking themselves safe 50 miles from the nearest battle front. Johns gave a nod, Diggs had been waiting for a call, Johns gave it to him with a bird call.
SGT. JOHNS (CONT'D)
Let's give them the sweet song goodnight.
DANIEL
I'm with you.
Daniel had never been more nervous in his life. It was one thing shooting animals hunting with his Pa, another to take a man's life, yet people were relying on him. They turned and started running low to the ground. John's hand was a blur as his hand whipped one of his throwing knives taking the one man just as he turned right in the throat. Daniel threw one of his but knew as soon as he had he pulled to the left. It sunk itself in the other sentry's shoulder but he still had time to silence him, still had time to do his job, but saw the man's face in the nearby torch light, saw his youth, the same age as Daniel, saw his utter fear playing in his eyes and Daniel hesitated. The sentry seeing that begin to yell when John's blade took him between the eyes. Daniel just looked on blankly. Diggs was removing one of his tomahawks from a man's forehead while the other two together had silenced the other with standard issued utility knives. Daniel didn't know what to say with his failure. Johns walked up with his blade handing it back to Daniel as he stared dumbly. Johns grabbed him hard by the arms he spit out a whisper.
SGT. JOHNS
Rock your head about it another eve son, we got work to do. Pull that Henry and watch our backs.
Diggs spit tobacco right at Daniel's feet. Then he and Johns and Luigi moved to the back of the southerner's camp lighting a few sticks of dynamite while Fesenko removed his Spencer and joined Daniel moving forward covering the main camp. Johns and Diggs and Luigi all threw their lit sticks right near the main campfire. One southerner was intelligent enough, and sober enough to realize what just fell in their lap and stamped one stick's fuse into the dirt, but the other two went off and were followed by three more. The smart southerner and quite a few of his fellas went flying with not all their limbs attached as others went scrambling to find their muskets and others called out warning to arms. Fesenko started firing at soldiers who noticed the northerners taking two of the four down that were moving towards them, another went down to Johns Dragoon who looked back at Daniel with fire in his eyes. It was all it took to unleash a beast within Daniel he never knew he had. He unleashed the demon in the Henry and started dropping southerners like pea shooting on fair day as he heard the thunder of hooves of Captain Blackstone and the Misfits bringing the dogs of Hell down onto the good green. Close up on The Captain, a large man with a craggy countenance, a saber in one hand and a dragoon in the other reaping mad bloody murder with Lt. Chuggers at his side. Cut the camera back to Johns killing several with his dragoon and a few with thrown blades. He doesn't see 2 southerners with bayonets coming on his back. They both go down with their heads blown to Heaven's kingdom, then comes in Daniel taking another southerner with the Henry's butt end across his head followed by Daniel pulling a blade from his forearm taking the same man in the throat followed by Johns thrown blade into another's. Daniel felt a shadow behind him as the Captain decapitated a southerner about to stick Daniel in the back. In the background is Diggs the wild man with Dragoon firing and his tomahawk swinging whooping. Captain rears his horse backing up three southerners in front, shooting two more southerners with his dragoon to his left.
Captain Blackstone
Misfits!!!!!
His yell is echoed around the camp as the Misfits slaughter, Daniel joining the scream with blood of others drowning his features as he drops the Henry and pulls the Dragoon, his blade in hand, he shoots the two in front of the Captain's horse, then throws his blade into the chest of another. He moves over pulling the knife and slicing the man's throat to be sure.
DANIEL
Misfits!!!!!
The Captain grins down at him. Sgt. Johns is in the background with a disturbed look on his face.
Ext. TREE OUTSIDE FORT, CURRENT TIME -- Late afternoon
Daniel is hanging from the tree, a close up of his face.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
DANIEL
(Croak) Misfits!!
He wakes to Sara looking startled by his talking. She has been wiping blood from his forehead, but had stepped back with his incoherency. He looks at her dazed. She steps forward again wiping his brow and bringing up a ladle of water. He drinks thirstily.
DANIEL (CONT'D)
What? What are you doing here?
Sara finished ladling him more water.
SaRA
To be honest. I don't know. It certainly wouldna be helping me if I was caught.
Daniel didn't know what to say to that.
DANIEL
You should leave. You got that boy to think about.
Sara looks at him, then out of nowhere caresses his cheek.
SARA
It's cause of that boy I'm here. He thinks your some big war hero here to free us. A child's fancy I'd reckon, but he sees somethin' in you, and mayhap I do to. Ain't noone stood up to The Shepard like you done.
Daniel starts to protest but she puts her fingers to his lips.
SaRA (CONT'D)
Mayhap my boy be writin' fables in the sand in what he sees in you but if that be so, fables is what I be pennin' too. You got something in you Daniel Williamson, something I want to see live.
Daniel doesn't know what to say.
DANIEL
But if they catch you? I, I don't want to see anything happening to you or the boy, not on my count. I got too much blood on me already.
Sara looks at him in a new light as if a truth that she had struggled to believe now found concrete.
SARA
Daniel, I think you judge yourself too hard, but wether you do or don't ain't a briar patch in this tangle. My boy right now is watching out. You still have another hour up on that devil tree. I am supposed to come to you tonight again to help. I will see you then.
Sara again touches his cheek.
saRA (CONT'D)
You remember one thing. People here including my boy see in you, hope. Call it dumb as an ox on a cliff edge, still it's there. And as my Momma used to say, who we think we are and what the world sees us as is sometimes as different as a pretty posey and a dog's fart.
Sara curtsies like out a fairy tale and damn if Daniel didn't think in that moment she wasn't the prettiest thing he ever done see. As she walks away he sighs.
DANIEL
Damn if I don't got to win the day after that bit of jeweled wisdom.
He smiles.
int. The shepard's office -- late evening
Jenks sits with his feet up on The Shepard's desk picking his nails with one of Daniel's blades as Taylor oils the Henry.
Jenks
Do you know Taylor why The Shepard just don't kill the soldier boy? I can't quite figure it. I mean I know he like that tree of his and with most of these scallywags, a day, two at the most they crying and beggin' to bow down and say them prayers and halleluyahs and such. But I reckon with soldier boy that ain't ever gonna be the way the boat drifts the river. What you make of it?
Taylor stops in his oiling. He Ponders what Jenks said.
TAYLOR
I don't figure it either Jenks. It make no sense to me, but Cap'n Royster be here in a few days, he'll sort it out, probably just shoot the soldier boy in the head and dare The Shepard to say somethin's about it.
Jenks laughs and shakes his head.
JENKS
Love good ole' Cap'n, such a mean one eyed son of a bitch. Why is it again that he leave us here Taylor? The Shepard and his rules startin' to ride my britches mighty fearsome. We can't stick the women, we only get to drink one day a week, no cussin', next thing you know he'll say I can't be spitten' me tobacco neither, and these bleedin' crosses, I hate'em I do.
Taylor looks at his own cross.
TAYLOR
I kinda like my cross, reminds of my dear departed Ma.
Jenks laughs outloud.
JENKS
Didn't you tell me you hated your Ma with a passion, that she used to beat you silly every day of your life.
Taylor smiles quick.
TAYLOR
That's true, but she did make a mouth waterin' apple pie, almost made the beatings worth it. I almost felt bad when I killed her.
Taylor shakes his head as if clearing a pleasant memory.
TAYLOR (CONT'D)
Now backs to what yous was sayin'. I don't reckon I know Jenks, to keep an eye on The Shepard is what the Cap'n told us, an eye for what, have no idear, but Royster don't do nothing without a plan, and I know I done seen mining tools laying around though I ain't seen no mining bein' done, but Cap'n a big planner that one. Why the Cap'n dealin' with the Shepard to begin with, don't know that neither. The Cap'n always do us fine though so I reckon we just keep a doin' what we be doin'
Jenks grumbled and almost spit on the ground before he noticed where he was and the expensive rugs in The Shepard's floor.
JENKS
I reckon your right Taylor though it would be nice to wet my willy in one of these women, take the edge off so to say. Especially that Sara gal, what a body she got, and she in there right now with the soldier boy playing doctor. You see how she look at him, her batting eyes. How the Shepard don't see it I don't reckon. Maybe cause he be plowing that field every night he don't care.
Taylor raises his hand to silence Jenks just as the door opens and The Shepard and Tuck walk in. The Shepard as he comes around the desk sternly gazes at Jenks feet up on his desk. Tuck backhands Jenks head from behind hard sending Jenks to the ground and the chair tumbling.
TuCK
Show your manners in the Shepard's presence.
Tuck goes to hit Jenks again who had given him a hard look when The Shepard raises a hand forestalling him.
The SHEPARD
I believe the gentleman has seen clear of the point Tuck. We can not expect much more from heathens of the field. We must show mercy and understanding and the clarity to reach beyond their animal spirit and show them the path to righteousness.
Tuck bows his head.
TuCK
Yes Shepard.
The Shepard looks at the two.
THE SHEPARD
The reason I called you two gentleman is simple. I have heard tell your esteemed leader is a couple days out currently on track from Shelton most likely heading here. I would like you to meet him in the path and tell him I require the fortuitous services of a few more women and a couple of young men to add to my blessed flock. So see if he could use his powers of persuasion and accommodate me in this manner, their are always lone homesteaders here and there. I also hope on the largesse of our past dealings that he under God's grace and strength that lay upon his shoulders has purloined the spencer rifles he promised the last time he parlayed upon our generosity. For our plans to proceed my men must have more then single shot muskets.
The two gentleman looked at him dumbly. Tuck sighed.
TUCK
He wants you to meet your Captain and tell him to bring the spencer rifles and a few more women and young men with him.
Understanding ballooned in the two thugs eyes.
JENKS
I get yas. Why didn't he just say that.
TaYLOR
I'm with yas on that Jenks, didn't understand one muckity muck out of all that.
Tuck loses his patience.
TuCK
Get on with it you two worthless penny bums. Jebediah has two horses already saddled out front.
The two nod their heads, gather their stuff and head out.
TAYLOR
What's a penny bum Jenks?
Jenks
I don't rightly know Taylor but I don't reckon to ever put a penny there.
The door closes. Tuck turns back to The Shepard.
ThE SHEPARD
Yes I know my friend but they are two burdens we must work our way through while dealing with that jackanape Royster. And unfortunately we still need him to keep the surrounding towns attention upon his sin and his deprecations and our hands clean as angels singing lullabies. In addition his wartime connections will provide us with the spencers which will secure our future.
Tuck looked doubtful.
TuCK
I trust you with all that I am Shepard and know the insight of our heavenly father lies upon your brow but what happens when you finally give the information the Captain is so keen to get. I can only keep those two in the dark for so long. You do know he will then attempt to kill us where we stand. I dare not question you but it seems to me a history lies between you two.
The Shepard's smile was as wicked and cunning as a viper in the shade.
THE SHEPARD
There does but that was a long road ago my son, and I know he shall certainly seek to take our breath but trust in our blessed God Tuck and the Voice he utilizes through my undeserving flesh. All shall lay where we deem in the road we build.
Tuck look unconvinced but did his best to nod his head.
TuCK
Of course Shepard. I have faith. And what of this soldier. The Tree does not seem to be bending his spirit. He is just as recaltricant as when first laid upon it. I believe we should just lay him to rest and use his bones upon the crosses on the hill.
The Shepard seemed perturbed for a moment, unsure.
THE SHEPARD
I have had dreams my old friend, deep dreams, which tell me to keep our good Daniel breathing a bit more. DO not ask me why for I don't fathom God's weave in this, but trust and have faith as you always do. God shall bring clarity to our blindness. The Tree will break him upon it's boughs like it has all others. Let us pray, then you shall bring me my daughter under God's hand Sara. Her and I must commune to the Great Spirit.
Tuck nodded and they both bowed their heads.