The Time Patriot: Episode One - Hail Mary Pass by Kim Megahee

Author:Kim Megahee [Megahee, Kim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kimmer Group, The
Published: 2022-10-11T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Saturday, February 10th, 1787 - 12:37 PM EST - The Woods of Northern Virginia

Tyler headed back to the trail. He looked back over his shoulder at McKnight. “Cutty found it while checking the perimeter of the camp. He alerted Major Smalls, who told me. Smalls and Cutty are still with the body, sir. It’s about a hundred meters out.”

McKnight followed him uphill. They came upon Smalls and Cutty, standing together, looking at something on the ground.

It was a grisly scene. The head and a shoulder were missing. A forearm and hand, apparently from the missing shoulder, laid by the body. The wound was charred. The smell of burnt flesh wafted up from the body.

McKnight looked around on the ground.

Smalls knelt by the body.

Where’s the head and shoulder?

“It’s not here, sir,” Smalls said. “You’re looking for the head, right?” He pointed at Cutty. “We’ve been checking around the area — ten meters in all directions.”

“I doubt we’ll find it, Colonel,” Tyler said. “I think it’s—”

“Yeah, yeah,” McKnight said, and rolled his eyes. “How could that be the case, Major?”

Smalls grunted, then said, “Lieutenant Cutty?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Go back to the camp, make sure General Washington and Mr. Lee are comfortable, and relay to Captain Wheeler to organize some chow. Make sure the General gets to try an MRE. We’ll be there shortly.”

“Yes, sir!” Cutty said. He turned and ran down the hill.

When Cutty was out of earshot, Smalls stood.

“This man was about six foot five, give or take an inch. A big boy, by any standards. If he was unaware of the time bubble dangers… this could be the result, right?”

“Okay,” McKnight said. “What do we know about him?”

“Not much, but enough,” Smalls continued. “The clothes aren’t from this time. Much more modern. He’s Caucasian. Maybe a teenager. He hasn’t been dead more than an hour. Otherwise, the wolves or some other critters would have gotten to the body. There are some ants, but not much else. No, he hasn’t been here long. Today for sure, in the last couple of hours.”

McKnight shook his head. “Slow down. What do we know for sure? What weapon from this age could do this damage?”

“A hot, very sharp sword, maybe,” Tyler said. “Could you strike off a man’s head and shoulder with a sword stroke and carry through to severe the arm as well? It would have to be one helluva blow. I couldn’t have done it.”

He chuckled. “Maybe with a light saber.”

Smalls smiled.

“Not funny,” McKnight said. He pulled at his lower lip. “But the evidence suggests you guys might be right. What about his clothes? Find anything in his pockets?”

“Haven’t checked yet, sir,” Smalls said. “We didn’t want to move the body until you’d seen it. I don’t know much about style, but the clothes look retro-European. Let’s check his pockets. Give me a hand, Major.”

Tyler and Smalls knelt by the body and checked the breast pocket and the pants’ pockets.

“Nothing here,” Smalls said.

“Some lint and a key in this pocket,” Tyler said. “The clothes are European-looking, but not modern.

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