Fort Misery by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2022-10-24T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 33

Second Lieutenant Atticus Cranston sat in a threadbare tapestry tub chair in his room in the officer’s quarters. By the dim light of an oil lamp, he’d finally gotten down to reading a translation of The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky, a graduation gift from his sister. So far, its Russian doom and gloom bored him, and when someone knocked on his door, he was glad of the distraction.

Expecting a soldier, he was surprised to come face-to-face with Sara Lark. The woman, who had obviously been at pains to improve her appearance, smiled and said, “I wondered if you could use a little company, Lieutenant.”

“Well, I was reading,” Cranston said.

Sara nodded. “Then I’ll leave you alone.”

“No, please come in,” Cranston said. “Sorry, that was quite rude of me.”

“I’m only a whore,” Sara said. “Not very good company, I suppose.”

“Please, come in.”

Sara stepped inside, and Cranston directed her to the tub chair. But she said, “I’ll sit here, on the corner of the bed.”

She looked around his cramped quarters, and Cranston said, “Second lieutenants don’t rate bigger rooms, I’m afraid.”

“It’s cozy.”

“It’s hot, you mean.”

“Yes, that too. What were you reading?”

Cranston picked up the book from the floor and let her see the cover.

“The Idiot. A strange name for a book.”

“It’s a strange book.”

“Why are you here in Fort Misery, Lieutenant?”

“Call me Atticus. It was a mistake. My posting was supposed to be Fort Concho, but a clerical error landed me here.”

“Can you leave?”

“Not now.”

“Yes, I guess it’s too late. I hear Santiago Lozado has Apache with him.”

“So I believe.”

“He raped Maria, you know.”

“I know.”

“She couldn’t live with that. She wanted to be a virgin on her wedding night.”

“It was a tragedy, and it was heartbreaking.”

Sara’s smile came and went. “I’m a whore, so he couldn’t take my maidenhood. He beat me instead. He’s a beast. A wild animal.”

“One day soon I hope to end his career,” Cranston said. He took a cigar from the table beside him and said, “May I crave your indulgence, ma’am?”

“Please do. I didn’t know you smoked.”

“Lieutenant Hall got me interested in the finer attributes of tobacco.”

“Lieutenant Hall is a bad influence.”

“Yes, he is. But doctors do say that smoking is very good for the heart and lungs. My father is almost seventy and swears by his pipe.”

Sara was silent for a few moments then said, “Will we all be alive for much longer?”

“You mean Lozado?”

“He will attack now he has Apache with him.”

“I’m confident that we have the forces available to defeat him.”

“No you’re not, Atticus. I can see it in those beautiful brown eyes of yours.”

“It will be a hard-won battle, but in the end the US Cavalry will prevail. We always do.”

“Atticus, this is a starvation post manned by the dregs of the army. You’re not the US cavalry, you’re . . . something else.”

“Yes, we’re a unit the army doesn’t care to define. But ragtag and bobtail as we may be, any man will fight for his life. Sara, are you afraid?

“Yes, afraid that I’ll still be alive when Santiago Lozado and his Apache take this fort.

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