Page 102 of My Gentleman Spy
“The tall one with the battered top hat, that’s Tom, he’s the gang leader. See that cart over there, we use it to carry bodies around. I would bet all my coin that Miss Hattie is in the back of that cart,” saidJoshua.
Will prayed that Hattie was still in thecart.
Stillalive.
* * *
Aroar roseup among the gang as a fight broke out. Tom grabbed hold of what appeared to be a young boy aged about ten years old. He slapped the boy about the face several times. When the lad begged for mercy, he was punched cruelly in the face. The boy fell to the ground and laystill.
Will and Edgar looked at one another. They knew that when they headed into the fight, there would be no mercy shown tothem.
Tom began to strut about, howling into the night air. When he reached the cart, Will’s heartsank.
“Time to go lovey! I’m sure the fish will love to hear your bible preaching,” hebellowed.
Several of the gang rushed over and dragged a sack out of the cart. It landed heavily on the muddy river shore. A muffled sound came from within the sack. Hattie was for the moment, stillalive.
The gang members began to drag the sack to the water’s edge. Will turned toEdgar.
“Do not hesitate if you get a clear shot. You won’t get a secondchance.”
As the sack containing Hattie reached the water, Will made his move. Brandishing his pistol in one hand he raced out onto the mud flat of the river. A gang member stepped out, waving a large military sword. Will shot him as he drewclose.
Will then made a bee line for Tom who was now rolling the sack into the water. Cries from his crew alerted him to the arrival of Will. Edgar was in closepursuit.
With one last heave, Hattie went into the water and disappeared. The gang leader put his boot on top of the sack, holding Hattie under. In a matter of minutes, she woulddrown.
Will launched himself at Tom, knowing if he did not take him out, none of them would be leaving the river side alive. They fell into the dirty brownwater.
In the sinking river mud, he and the gang leader struggled to their feet. They were now between Hattie and the shore, cutting off any hope that Edgar may have had in trying to reach hissister.
In the dim light, Will saw the flash of a blade. He dived out of theway.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Joshua waving his pistol in the direction of the remaining gang members. Fortunately, none of them were stupid enough to attempt a move to save their boss and Joshua was spared having to fire hisweapon.
Coming up, Will grabbed hold of Tom’s legs and tried to knock him off his feet. Tom raised his arm, in readiness to stab Will. Will saw the blade as it began its deadly descent. When it landed he would take the blow fully in his back. He braced himself for the knife’s heart stoppingimpact.
A shot rang out in the night and the blade went wide of its intended mark. Tom’s hold on Will was suddenly gone. Will looked up to see the gang leader, stagger backward on his feet. A large bloody hole was now in the middle of Tom’s forehead. He fell back and disappeared under the murky waters of the Thames as Edgar lowered hispistol.
The remaining members of the gang scattered in alldirections.
Will got to his feet in time to see Edgar and Joshua both wading into the water. He reached them as they managed to drag the sack back toshore.
Joshua cut the sack open and Hattie spilled out onto the muddy beach. She rolled over and struggled up onto her hands and knees. She sucked air into her lungs in largegulps.
Utter relief washed over Will. She wasalive.
“Oh, thank god,” hemuttered.
Edgar pulled his sister to her feet and for a moment she stood and stared at him. The look of shock and anguish on her face, showed that she had not expected to survive her trip into theriver.
She took two steps forward and flung herself into her brother’sarms.
“You came for me. Youcame!”
Edgar and Will exchanged a look of relief. They had done it. As Will reached their side, Edgar releasedHattie.
“Of course, I came for you. I will always be here for you. But Will is the one who really saved you. That blackguard was going to hold you under until you drowned. It was Will who fought him. I just put a bullet in hishead.”
