Luna, the man who held a knife to her throat. She didn’t speak, just waited.
Luna let his eyes run over her before he turned to the corner. “Nice, very nice, amigo.” He raised the knife tip to her lips. “Too bad.”
She tried not to shake.
He moved the tip of the blade to the top of her gown and sliced through the imported lace ruffle. She gasped, partly from fear and surprise but also because of what he’d done to her special dress.
“I have my orders, amigo. Aguinaldo needs those guns at any price, even at the expense of this one.” Luna kept the knife point at her heart and stared at the bound Yankee, who no longer appeared ready to pounce. Instead he leaned against the wall as casually as if he were waiting for a ride, as if the knife this madman held against her heart couldn’t kill her, as if she were expendable. She began to wonder who was the real madman.
Well, if the Yankee wasn’t going to save her, she would save herself. “I don’t know anything about any guns, and I don’t know him. I’m a LaRue of the Belvedere, South Carolina LaRues and an American citizen.”
Luna’s face showed his surprise, then something akin to calculation. “LaRue—as in Ambassador LaRue?”
“You know my father?” she said, relieved to know that her father’s influence would save her.
The Yankee swore such a foul word that Eulalie couldn’t get enough air to gasp.
Luna pulled back the knife. “Ambassador LaRue’s daughter.” He turned to the Yankee and began to laugh. “You didn’t know, did you?”
There was no response, only the sound of Luna’s laughter. She didn’t think it was funny, but then she didn’t really care because this man knew her father and soon she’d be out of this awful place.
Luna pulled the knife away from her chest and made a gallant little bow. “Forgive me, Senorita LaRue.”
This was all a mistake. She smiled and sighed with relief. A moment later the Yankee swore again.
Luna still smiled. “No more knives.” He handed the knife to the guard. “Now if you will excuse me. I have some . . . some messages to send.” He turned and crossed to the door, pausing to look at the Yankee. Luna laughed again as he stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Yet even with the door shut his laughter could be heard.
She stared at the closed door, hoping and praying that her father would be at home when Luna’s note arrived.
Chapter 5
“He forgot to untie my hands,” said little Miss LaRue, daughter of one of the most influential Americans on the islands, and the perfect bait for Aguinaldo’s junta.
“Colonel Luna doesn’t forget anything,” Sam told her, knowing the colonel’s reputation as Aguinaldo’s henchman. Luna handled any and all of the dirty work involved in suppressing other rebel factions, especially those that tried to supplant their power. Sam’s commander, Andres Bonifacio, led the most prominent of those other factions.
“Well, of course he forgot.” She gave him a look that said he was the dumb one.
“How do you figure that?”
“He knows my daddy, so the colonel is obviously gonna send him a note about me. He said he had messages to send.”
“He’ll send him a note, all right.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “This was all some kind of mistake.” She stared in dismay at her bound hands and tugged at them futilely, then added, “You heard him laughing.”
“He was laughing because you gave him exactly what he needed.”
“Oh?” She jerked at the ropes. “What was that?”
“A hostage.”
“Me? A hostage? Now, that’s just plain silly.” She tried to wave a hand of dismissal but the ropes made it impossible. She frowned at them in obvious annoyance.
Sam shrugged and watched while she struggled to get up. Her skirts rustled, and she braced her bound hands on the ground. She rearranged her legs until she was on her knees, pink-covered frilly bottom up. She pushed herself into a standing position, wobbling a bit
Luna let his eyes run over her before he turned to the corner. “Nice, very nice, amigo.” He raised the knife tip to her lips. “Too bad.”
She tried not to shake.
He moved the tip of the blade to the top of her gown and sliced through the imported lace ruffle. She gasped, partly from fear and surprise but also because of what he’d done to her special dress.
“I have my orders, amigo. Aguinaldo needs those guns at any price, even at the expense of this one.” Luna kept the knife point at her heart and stared at the bound Yankee, who no longer appeared ready to pounce. Instead he leaned against the wall as casually as if he were waiting for a ride, as if the knife this madman held against her heart couldn’t kill her, as if she were expendable. She began to wonder who was the real madman.
Well, if the Yankee wasn’t going to save her, she would save herself. “I don’t know anything about any guns, and I don’t know him. I’m a LaRue of the Belvedere, South Carolina LaRues and an American citizen.”
Luna’s face showed his surprise, then something akin to calculation. “LaRue—as in Ambassador LaRue?”
“You know my father?” she said, relieved to know that her father’s influence would save her.
The Yankee swore such a foul word that Eulalie couldn’t get enough air to gasp.
Luna pulled back the knife. “Ambassador LaRue’s daughter.” He turned to the Yankee and began to laugh. “You didn’t know, did you?”
There was no response, only the sound of Luna’s laughter. She didn’t think it was funny, but then she didn’t really care because this man knew her father and soon she’d be out of this awful place.
Luna pulled the knife away from her chest and made a gallant little bow. “Forgive me, Senorita LaRue.”
This was all a mistake. She smiled and sighed with relief. A moment later the Yankee swore again.
Luna still smiled. “No more knives.” He handed the knife to the guard. “Now if you will excuse me. I have some . . . some messages to send.” He turned and crossed to the door, pausing to look at the Yankee. Luna laughed again as he stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Yet even with the door shut his laughter could be heard.
She stared at the closed door, hoping and praying that her father would be at home when Luna’s note arrived.
Chapter 5
“He forgot to untie my hands,” said little Miss LaRue, daughter of one of the most influential Americans on the islands, and the perfect bait for Aguinaldo’s junta.
“Colonel Luna doesn’t forget anything,” Sam told her, knowing the colonel’s reputation as Aguinaldo’s henchman. Luna handled any and all of the dirty work involved in suppressing other rebel factions, especially those that tried to supplant their power. Sam’s commander, Andres Bonifacio, led the most prominent of those other factions.
“Well, of course he forgot.” She gave him a look that said he was the dumb one.
“How do you figure that?”
“He knows my daddy, so the colonel is obviously gonna send him a note about me. He said he had messages to send.”
“He’ll send him a note, all right.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “This was all some kind of mistake.” She stared in dismay at her bound hands and tugged at them futilely, then added, “You heard him laughing.”
“He was laughing because you gave him exactly what he needed.”
“Oh?” She jerked at the ropes. “What was that?”
“A hostage.”
“Me? A hostage? Now, that’s just plain silly.” She tried to wave a hand of dismissal but the ropes made it impossible. She frowned at them in obvious annoyance.
Sam shrugged and watched while she struggled to get up. Her skirts rustled, and she braced her bound hands on the ground. She rearranged her legs until she was on her knees, pink-covered frilly bottom up. She pushed herself into a standing position, wobbling a bit
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