Homecoming Part 1
: : Summary : : Following on from "If I don't leave now" this sees Rick & Evelyn are separated by circumstance, still unmarried and danger lurks for Evelyn.
French were forced to put down several Nationalist uprisings. (Here endeth the history lesson).
Rick O'Connell, Captain of the FFL, lay slumped in the battlfield gritting his teeth against the searing pain in his left shoulder. He despised the smell of blood in the heat, especially his own! He fought hard against the crushing desire to pass out, while the Regiment's makeshift surgeon awkwardly cut into his shoulder to remove the pellet, which he now felt sure was lodged in his clavical. The day's battle to quash the uprising outside Damascus had been successful, however, it did not merit his present agony or his separation from Evelyn. He let go a torturous scream as once again the pretender gouged heavy-handed into his flesh and O'Connell, at last, succumbed to the bliss of unconciousness.
***
"It's been well over a month, Jonathan. How long am I supposed to wait before assuming the worst? Whatever the worst may be?" Evelyn complained as she absently stared through the window of her quarters, choking down the urge to weep openly. "I'm not even sure whether to feel worried or angry. "She turned away from her brother, "I won't be able to stay much longer."
Jonathan approached her silently. Even without seeing her face he knew the anguish that was etched there. "Evie. It's not like he was given much of a choice, all things considered." his reassuring strokes upon her back were having little effect "You would have felt much worse if he'd refused the bargain...believe me!"
She eyed her brother suspiciously "What do you know, Jonathan?"
"Nothing!" His voice took on an air of innocence, "I'm merely suggesting he made the best choice he could at the time, that's all."
Her brother's blithe tone was annoying her, "Well as you say, all things considered, at least he would have still been here!" her voice failed to hide the emotion.
Jonathan pressed his arm about her shoulder and leaned his head into hers "You wouldn't have wanted for him to go through that, now would you? It's an awful business." Evelyn only continued to stare into space and Jonathan shivered. Recalling why Rick had ordered him to keep a close eye on Evelyn in his absence made his skin crawl. And now the stakes were higher. "Come on, old mum, buck up. It'll all pan out in the end, you'll see."
She all but wept, "Where is he, Jonathan?"
***
"Captain!" the voice sounded distant, yet familiar. The effort required to acknowledge the intruder was so fierce, O'Connell feigned oblivion until three sharp slaps to his face forced him to open his eyes. He was met with the dutiful stare of the young Legionnaire Hawker who had been sent to stir him into action. "Captain O'Connell, Sir! We ride within the hour."
"Yeah, but in different directions." O'Connell winced in pain, forcing himself upright. George Hawker stared at him without understanding, then retreated with a salute. Watching him go, Rick thought to himself that Hawker was a good kid, just a pity he was in Verdi's Regiment. From what Rick could tell of him during the journey, Hawker pretty much did his duty and steered himself clear of the atrocities committed by the others. He hoped the boy would eventually make arun for it, just as he had done three years ago. Yet, the agony in O'Connell's shoulder was all consuming and quickly took control of his priorities. He tried to ease the throbbing by supporting it with his uninjured arm, but it did little good.
"You still fight well, O'Connell. Just unfortunate for you, that today the Nationalists had such a good shot on their side." The thick Italian accent was unequivocal and O'Connell didn't bother turning to face him.
"I'm leaving, Verdi. My obligations here are met and I'm outta here, free and clear!"
The Lieutenant-Colonel stood over the Captain offering a hand to bring him to his feet, which was coldly rejected. "Your debt was large, my friend. The consequences in refusing me would also have been great."
"I'm not your friend." O'Connell spat, rising unsteadily.
"Merely my subordinate." Verdi responded with a mordant smile "Desertion is no small matter, Capitaine."
"I didn't desert!" he grabbed at his shoulder, his anger becoming more apparent "At least not at Hamunaptra." The Italian eyed him wryly, "And I didn't break any code of honour! I couldn't bury the whole damn lot of them, the entire Regiment was dead, for God's sake!" O'Connell wanted to throttle the mercenary smirking before him, instead he raised his hands in resignation. "I was sick of the whole damn business, I figured the Aubagne could list me dead as well. I had less than a year to serve...who was gonna miss me?"
"But here you stand, a soldier of the Legion wounded in battle." Verdi mocked him "Persuading you to return was not
so difficult."
"She'd better be safe!"
"Such a noble act!" Convincing her of your public birching, when all the while she was the price of your refusal." He offered a sham look of innocence, "So many of my men to account for."
Verdi repusled him and Rick was unable to refrain from delivering one final threat, "If she's hurt, in any way...you're gonna die so very slowly." The two men stared at each other, one in hatred, the other with conceit "Isn't it time you moved this circus to where it's supposed to be?
"I'm satisfied Capitaine, you kept your word and steered us over the treacherous mountain land." it appeared Verdi's derision knew no bounds "You fought well as a soldier, well enough to forget past misjudgements. Now I shall keep mine. Your freedom to be granted on either death or injury." he sneered "Perhaps fate will smile on us and we will cross paths once more."
"If we do, it will be your little secret coming back to bite you on the ass." O'Connell's loathing suffocated him as he watched this odious a man walk away. He wondered how fate could have cursed him with Verdi a second time, let alone contemplate running into him again. Even had Evelyn not been threatened, he believed he must join Verdi's Regiment for the sake of his own neck. Still, in the long weeks since he had seen her, it became apparent that he had made the wrong decision. He'd been a fool! There was never any true guarantee that Evelyn would be kept safe and a Court Martial would have seen him stand accountable for his own actions. Instead, he'd put his love in very real danger and reluctantly assisted in the sorrow and death of a great many people while he rode with the Verdi. The Regiment's recent slaughter at Qasim sickened him, but it would forever work in Rick's favour against the Officer.
A Legionnaire, by definition alone, is a mercenary, but not by what he holds to be true; and the methodic rape and pillaging of villages is not condoned by the Aubagne. All that he had witnessed now meant that Verdi could not bring him to trial without incriminating himself. In truth, he probably never could. O'Connell knew about the looting habits Verdi had long nurtured, but had he been aware six weeks ago, that this was the Italian's true pre-occupation en route to his Regiment's postings, he would have been in a stronger postion to deny the venal slimebag his knowledge of South-Western Syria. He also knew Verdi didn't consider him a menace any longer, otherwise they wouldn't be parting company today. At least he would now leave with the consolation of knowing that sooner or later this ruthless excuse for a commanding officer would be held accountable for his actions.
As he prepared himself to return to Cairo, the sheer magnitude of the journey he was undertaking hung gravely over him. He
was injured, the treatment he received was scant and he'd lost a lot of blood. This trek was to be the ultimate test of his resilience...and he was given precious little time to plan it. He painfully worked a poultice over his wound to stave off infection, then collected whatever supplies he could lay his hands on. Even if the weather favoured him, he was still the wrong side of a month away from Fort Brydon.
***
"Evie, are you absolutely sure this is what you want?" Jonathan pleaded with his distraught sister. "I mean, Aberdeen for
God's sake! It's practically at the other end of the Earth and you're in no fit state to be travelling that far." He paced about
the room and mumbled under his breath "O'Connell will have my guts for garters over this one!"
"That's precisely why I'm going, Jonathan, because it is so far away." Evelyn's voice determined and she raised herself before her brother. "No-one knows me there." She reasoned, "I can go into the home and it will be all over before anyone's the wiser." Jonathan looked at her, searching for something to say "I don't want to stay in Egypt, this is my where my life is." Then added sadly, trying to convince herself more than Jonathan, "It will just be like going on holiday, you'll see."
"Evie, please.... reconsider. Perhaps it's just taking a bit longer than he anticipated." Despite his best efforts, Jonathan's please were falling on deaf ears.
"I have to face facts, Jonathan, he's either dead or just gone."
Jonathan watched her pace. Never before had he seen her in such a state. It was as if her emotions and her mind had parted
company for a while. "But Evie, Aberdeen!" his eyes pleaded with her "You'll never make it, the exhaustion will wear you down before you get there. You might as well say you're off to the Antarctic!" He searched his mind trying to find a way to encourage her to stay. He knew she wasn't thinking as clearly as she might normally do, and despite his sister's sense of gloom, Jonathan really believed O'Connell would be back. "Won't you wait it out, just a little longer?"
Evelyn stood unwavering "I've brought this on by myself and now it's time to deal with it."
Jonathan reached for her hands and sighed "Is there anything I can say that will change your mind?"
"I leave in a week." her head shook slowly "If I wait any longer it'll be obvious to everyone."
"Then I'll come with you." he squeezed her hands in his.
"No, I need you to stay here."
"Oh?"
"Just in case he comes back." She diverted her eyes from Jonathan's so as not to reveal herself.
"Oh yes, perfect!" Jonathan said in disgust "Just so he can pummel me when I tell him where you are, and why." then he smiled drolly at her "And if he hurries he'll be able to catch up with you in Gretna Green." Surprisingly, for Jonathan, this jab actually made her face brighten a little. "You do still hold out some hope, don't you, Evie?"
"Oh, Jonathan, I'm afraid!" her hands wringing a small handkerchief "Afraid to stay, afraid to leave." she paused and looked towards the door as if Rick would walk through it. "I'm just doing what I believe will be best in the long run."
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