I awoke to a frigid empty bed, listening in as faint shouts echoed from behind the closed door of the kitchen. I groaned at the howling wind but as I sat up, I was swimming in nausea. Underneath the strong pang of nausea was a pounding headache. Rubbing my eyes, to focus on Elizabeth's small vanity, the blurred vision faded out and solid shapes filled the void with muted colors of brown. Standing up, I moaned the nausea transforming into an uncomfortable state of dizziness. Grabbing clothes from the wardrobe, I slipped into a wool jacket and pants. I made my way down the stairs. I was greeted not by some psychotic entity but my wife and son bickering about clothing.
John groaned, his knuckles curling and unfurling from his palms. He stormed off, bumping his shoulder into mine. The initial plan was to talk to him about his behavior but by the look on Elizabeth's face, I knew that had been far from reality. "Are you leaving today?" Elizabeth asked as a roll sat on the table beside an untouched bowl of oatmeal. I deduced the bowl was initially intended for John but the roll sat untouched a thin pad of butter melting into the still warm top of said roll. I picked it up, feeling the warm butter drip down from my fingertips to my hand. Nibbling on an end, Elizabeth pushed a cup of tea in my direction.
She tapped her foot and I took the glass. Leaning against the counter, I swallowed the morsel of bread before relaying my response. "I am leaving today."
"Is-"
I nodded. "I do not want you to stay here alone. I will escort you to Angelica's house and hopefully you will stay there."
Elizabeth sighed and raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason as to why I cannot come with you? Did something happen on the campaign trail that you have failed to mention?"
I felt a chill skitter down my spine as I closed my eyes for a moment. I finally opened them, meeting Eliza's gaze. Snow swirled around the house, blinding the windows that reflected the glimpses of the forest in the backyard. The creaking wood of the house caused another series of chills to crawl up my spine. I was suddenly trembling; not of piercing anxiety but of the icy tug of the cold.
"Why are you so eager for me to depart? Is there something that I am not aware of? You know I cannot bear it if you and John lose your lives."
Elizabeth hummed as I folded my arms across my chest, watching as she picked up another roll that sat in a basket on the counter near the basin. I hadn't even caught a break from Elizabeth's hard glare. Her footsteps towards me caused the floor to creak underfoot. The horses whinnied as I pulled my gaze away from Elizabeth towards the barn. I now noticed a blanket of white precipitation that laid out on the ground. The house felt unusually cold despite the small crackles of the embers that came from the fire that burned within the hearth.
Elizabeth watched me curiously as I made my way towards her. She gasped at the feeling of my cold hands against her lower cheeks. The stare never broke. It had become more like an immovable glare than a flustered stare. Said glare never failed to waver, or collapse. Her lips were pressed into a straight firm line as my hands found their way to her waist.
"We're going to be fine. I will stop in town to get supplies and a trustworthy escort. Even if that plan is subject to change, you fail to acknowledge the fact that I was at camp during Valley Forge."
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Evading death as though it was the plague was easier said than done. The fact that I had managed to do so on multiple occasions became baffling to everybody who knew me. Yet, at the same time, it morphed into an unbelievable feat that nobody else seemed capable to surpass. I had managed to wriggle my way to outliving two of my children. That fact wasn't exactly something to be proud of. My arms fell to my sides as I exited the kitchen, listening to the clatter of pots and pans. The door swung shut behind me as I caught sight of John sitting on the steps, a book clutched in his grasp. His blue eyes held a glazed look to them. As though in a hypnotic trance.
"John?" I inquired softly.
Immediately, his head snapped upwards and I noticed an obvious frown that was beginning to take form on his lips. His eyes widened and he stood up, crossing his arms. "Is it true? Valley Forge? You were there? You rarely recount of the tales during your service."
My service wasn't exactly over with and I didn't quite plan on leading an entire army just a section of the army. However, that fact was subject to change if Great Britain dared challenge our independence as an independent country. Perhaps I don't want to relieve the thief I had been. Robbing lives. "Maybe after the trip to Delaware, I will.
John stood up, closing the book which held a satisfying snap. "When are we heading out? Will Mom come with us?"
"I haven't quite decided that fact yet but perhaps we should wait for the snow to settle. Why is my office door open?"
John diverted his gaze to the floor and the frown became a sheepish smile on his lips. I watched in amusement as he bounded up the stairs. I followed, and I heard him romp into Angelica's room. Right behind him, the door squealed open, the smell of aging blood became apparent. It was enough to ensue another wave of nausea to hit me. I heard John gasp as he ran past me, away from the room. I caught his forearm immediately as he flailed. "What happened in there?"
I hesitated for a moment before loosening my vice-like grip. "A man killed her."
Fucking hell.
"Why?" Came the hesitant inquiry.
I sighed, Elizabeth had heard the commotion from the kitchen. She stood at the foot of the stairs with a frown placed prominently on her lips. She had scoffed as she glared hard at me. "Am I next?"
The expression on John's lips grew grim and we bowed our heads, silence shrouding our house. It hadn't even been a week, we had been informed that the men who had responded to the heinous act had organized another group of trustworthy supporters of myself as well as Angelica's brief life. I clenched my fists, she hadn't even received a chance to show the world what she had been capable of. Finally, the tense silence was broken by Elizabeth.
"John, we don't know. Your father and I are capable of making sure this never happens to you."
John's frown only increased as he stepped away from my reach. "When are we going to Delaware? The snowfall should be over by now."
I glanced over at the frosty, reflective window. Indeed, the snow had stopped falling. The once howling wind that had caused the house to creak became minimal. "John-" Elizabeth's voice cut through the silence. "Pack a small bag of a change of clothes. Alex, I am certain will ready the horses. Do you still want me to stay with Angelica?"
"Don't try to persuade me otherwise. I love you. I need to go with you for security reasons."
I shook my head grimly. I watched as the two left my sight. I stood at the top of the stairs, eavesdropping in the direction of the commotion. The clatter of shoes, canned goods as they were placed into a bag. One last time, I walked into Angelica's bedroom, inhaling sharply. The sheets were now colored a pale pink with the stains of blood where she had laid. The walls were caked in dried blood spatter from a gunshot. I quickly exited the bedroom and locked the door, leaving the key by the small bedside table outside her bedroom. Elizabeth and John stood at the door, bags at their feet, anticipating my arrival. I arrived at the foot of the stairs staring at the two. Elizabeth pulled me aside.
"You're not bringing anything?"
"Like you said, "I was going to get the horses ready for the journey."
"What if they're dead? Then what? We can't just walk there."
Just stay alive....that would really be enough.
I shook my head. "I'm very much aware of that possibility, Eliza. The old mare stood up to the weather last season. I'm more confident she would survive this time."
Exiting the house and trudging through the couple feet of snow, towards the stables, I flew open the door.
The old mare whinnied at my approach. The stallion snickered at my presence as I passed. Grabbing the reins of both creatures, I led them out of the stables through the snow. The packs on the sides of the animals were certain to hold the belongings of Elizabeth and John. Both were waiting outside, trembling. My eyes fluttered for a moment before watching Elizabeth and John mount the old mare. I flung my body onto the stallion, the horse' hooves crunching the snow under their feet. Once again, we snapped the reins and were off. I watched as John glanced over his shoulder at the quaint house.
"How long will we be gone?"
I shrugged. I knew that I didn't have an answer but I could have made an educated hypothesis. John stared at me, awaiting my response. I shook my head and replied, "A couple of days if that." John shook his head and faced Elizabeth. Did I do something? I wondered as we made our way onto the main traveled road. The crunch of the snow on the cobble which usually clicked underfoot became muffled by the shouts come from the police station. I kept my head down and once again snapped the reins, leading the horse into a full sprint. The wind that was whipped up by the speed only increased the likelihood of chills running up and down my spine. The crowd's shouts increased in volume. Part of me wanted to react but I kept my head down. The minutemen were talking to the crowd and pointing to the law firm, the firm at which I was employed.
I allowed a small smile to curl at the corner of my mouth. The plan was to give the evidence to the commanding officer of the task force if I even survived the trip to Delaware. Hell, it became more apparent that if I released the information to the public that all hopes of winning the presidency would collapse around me.
Why am I risking it all?
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I know, this chapter, for the most part is boring but the Public Forum question and answer "debate" is coming up in the next chapter. Who do you think is behind the death of Angelica? Late, I know. Thank you so much for the attention and reads. I hope you like the updated cover. Completely unrelated but I was listening to Non-stop (one of the better songs of the album) and for the longest time, I thought the line was "I'll keep all my pants close to my chest". Guess I should have looked it up because now I find out two years later that it's "I'll keep all my plans close to my chest".
Oi vey.