Dark Chaos (# 4 in the Bregdan Chronicles Historical Fiction Romance Series) (62 page)

             
O’er the land of the free

             
And the home of the brave.

             
Matthew smiled through his tears.  The pride he felt for his country was so fierce he could sense it gripping his body.   The cold was forgotten as the song rose in the frigid air and floated out over the streets of Richmond.  Song after song burst forth from the men, their patriotic fervor defying the reality of their imprisonment, until finally their voices faded away. 

             
  The year 1864 had begun. 

             
One week later Matthew took a deep breath and squirmed into the tight confines of the tunnel.  He was face down in the narrow tunnel that afforded just enough room for him to crawl forward on his stomach.  Dirt and grime caked his hair and face.  It was his turn to pass dirt back to the men waiting behind him.  Anderson had ordered the men to break up into teams of six each.  No one could stand more than a few hours in the stench-filled passage. 

             
Matthew crawled forward until he reached the end of the tunnel.  So far they had managed to dig twelve feet toward the sewer line.  The work was back-breaking, made more difficult by the low level of oxygen.  Within minutes Matthew was gasping for air.  He knew several men were standing at the edge of the tunnel, fanning air toward him, but none of it seemed to be reaching him. 

             
Laboriously, he hacked at the dirt in front of him with the knife.  When enough had broken away, he loaded it into the dirt carrier and passed it back to Peter who was stationed behind him.  Their “dirt car” was a wooden spittoon with holes through each end, opposite each other.  Ropes had been passed through the holes. 

             
Peter touched him on the leg to signal he had gotten it and then tugged on the rope, signaling the next man to pull it back.  Matthew continued to hack away.  Minutes later he felt Peter touch his leg again and reached back for the now empty box.  The long night would pass just this way.  

             
Matthew was sweating, panting for breath, when he felt the earth suddenly give way in front of him.  He gasped and leaned forward.  They had broken into the sewer!  A rush of excitement gripped him and he craned his head back to tell Peter they had reached freedom.  At the same time, he opened his mouth, a wall of gushing sewer water surged through the hole.

             
Choking and spitting, Matthew struggled to wriggle his way backwards.  He could feel Peter fighting just as hard.  But the water continued to rush forward.  Matthew fought to keep his head above the swirling water, all the time trying to move backwards.  He lost track of time, shuddering violently as the cold, putrid water encased his body. 

             
Finally he felt his feet gripped.  With one hard yank, he was pulled out onto the straw floor of the cellar.  Too exhausted to move, all he could do was open his mouth wide, trying to pull in air.  He knew how close he had come to drowning.    The rest of the men gathered around him and stared down into his face.  Their expressions were ones of grim concern, but no one could say a word for fear they would be heard in the hospital room on the other side of the wall. 

             
Matthew rolled over, wishing he could gag up the water while feeling violently ill.  Silently, he motioned toward the board leading up to the kitchen.   The watching men picked him up and carefully passed him up to the kitchen.   Once there Matthew staggered forward to a bucket and gagged up the sewer water he had swallowed then promptly threw up all he had eaten that day.  Weak and sweating, he leaned against the kitchen wall and gasped for breath. 

             
“Go back down and close up the hole,” he finally ordered.  “We’ll have to find another way.”

Cold rain slashed at the windows as Opal stood, staring out into the darkening sky.  The ping of the water against the glass made her shiver.  She was glad for shelter on such a forbidding night.  Rubbing her hands together, she turned to throw more wood on
to the fire and then peered into the oven to check on her loaves of bread. 

             
“Sure does smell good in here,” Sam said as he opened the kitchen door and strode in, shaking water from his hat.  “It a brute out there tonight.  All the kids in?”

             
“Yep.  I just finished feeding them.  They’re in the parlor doing their studies.”

             
Sam peered into the oven, grinned appreciatively, then shut the door carefully, and turned to her.  “Somethin’ be botherin’ Zeke.”

             
Opal frowned.  “I’ve noticed the same thing.”  She paused.  “It’s like he’s...”

             
“Restless,” Sam finished.  “That boy ain’t been the same since Moses been through here.” 

             
“Something’s been bothering Susie, too,” Opal observed. “She’s been awful quiet.”

             
“She knows somethin’ is eatin’ at her man,” Sam said soberly.  “Can’t help but eat at her some, too.”

             
“What should we do?” Opal asked quietly.

             
“Do?”  Sam asked in surprise.  “Why, we ain’t gonna do nothin’.  They be grown folks, them two.  They gots to work out whatever be botherin’ them on they own.”

             
Opal nodded, then turned back toward the window, and stared in the direction of the slave quarters.  Susie had become like a daughter to her - as well as a close friend.  She would give anything to take away the burdensome look she’d seen hounding Susie for the last few weeks.  A sudden flash of movement made her stiffen and swing away from the window.  “Someone is out there!” she whispered, motioning to Sam wildly.

             
Sam scowled, hauled himself up with a grunt, and edged toward the back door.  Before he could reach it, the door swung open.  Opal jumped back in alarm just as Susie and Zeke, dripping with water, dodged into the kitchen. 

             
“What a storm!”  Zeke said, moving instantly toward the fire.

             
“You done scared the sense out of me!”  Opal cried.

             
“Why?”  Susie laughed.  “Isn’t anybody but us going to be out on a night like tonight.  This weather isn’t fit for man nor beast.”  She sniffed and moved closer to the stove.  “Is that your bread I smell cooking?”

             
“Should be ready in about fifteen minutes,” Opal acknowledged with a smile.  Her dream of owning her own restaurant someday hadn’t diminished.  It warmed her heart that people liked her cooking so much.  One day, when this war was over and the children’s daddy was free, she would head north and start her own little place.

             
Sam leaned back in his chair.  “You didn’t come dashin’ through that storm just to see if Opal be makin’ bread,” he said steadily.  “What you really doin’ here?”

             
Opal realized Sam was right.  She looked at Susie expectantly.  “Yeah.  What are you two doing here?”

             
Susie exchanged a look with Zeke and sat down at the table. 

             
Zeke moved away from the fireplace reluctantly and joined her.   “I reckon we do have a reason to be here,” he admitted, smiling shyly.

             
Opal scurried around the kitchen.  Minutes later, cups of hot coffee steamed in front of all of them.

             
Zeke gulped some of the hot brew gratefully but then looked up, meeting their eyes squarely.  “I reckon we’re gonna be movin’ on from here.”

             
Opal gasped and leaned forward.  “What are you talking about?”

             
Susie reached out and took one of Opal’s hands.  “Zeke has been real restless for a while.”

             
“Since Moses was here,” Opal said quietly.

             
Zeke shook his head.  “I was feelin’ it even before Moses came through.”  He glanced at Susie.

             
“Zeke wants to serve in the army,” Susie said, her voice firm in spite of the fear in her eyes.  “He wasn’t saying anything because he knew how strongly I felt about staying here until Daddy gets out of prison.”

             
“You changed your mind?”  Sam asked pointedly.

             
Susie frowned.  “I wouldn’t say I’ve changed my mind.  It’s just…,” she hesitated, searching for the right words.  “This war is dragging on longer than anyone thought.  Zeke and I figure the Union needs all the black soldiers it can get to help win it.”

             
“I ran away from North Carolina to join up with the army,” Zeke explained.  “When I met Susie, things changed.”

             
“Women have a way of doin’ that to a man.”  Sam chuckled knowingly. 

             
Susie turned back to Opal.  “I want to go with him,” she said earnestly.  “It could be a long time before Daddy gets out of prison.  The children are growing up.  They’re happy here with you.”

             
“And you’re not,” Opal said simply.   She smiled gently.  “You want something more?”

             
“Am I being selfish?”  Susie cried.  She leaned back, taking a deep breath.  “I want to make a difference.  Like Zeke.  When I was in Richmond, I helped with the spying.  I felt like I was doing something.”  Her eyes brightened.  “From what I hear, I can be of help in the camps.  That’s where I’ll stay until the war is over.  I can help Rose and still be close when Daddy gets out of prison.  Then all of us can figure out what to do.”

             
“You ain’t being selfish,” Opal said warmly, squeezing her hand.  “I been seeing the restless spirit growing in you every day.”

             
“But what about you?”  Susie asked.  “You want to start your restaurant.”

             
Opal shook her head firmly.  “There’s a time for everything, Susie.  Right now it’s my time to be mama to three young’uns.  I promised your mama.  Besides, I love those kids like my own.  My time to own a restaurant will come someday.”  She looked up at Susie with shining eyes.  “Right now my job is here.”

             
“You’re not mad?”  Susie whispered.  “You’re not going to be mad if we leave?”

             
“All of us have to do what we have to do.  I can’t go fight with the soldiers, and I don’t reckon I would be of much use to Rose in her school.” Opal chuckled.  “I’m going to stay here and do what I do best.”  She stood up and walked over to put a hand on both Susie and Zeke’s shoulder.  “I’m right proud of you two. All of us working together will win freedom for our people.”

             
“When are you leaving?”  Sam asked.

             
“In a few days,” Zeke replied.  “We didn’t really set a time.  We wanted to talk with y’all first.”

             
A sudden banging at the door made all of them jump.  

             
“What in heaven’s name?”  Opal cried, springing up from the table.