To Kill a Spy by Michele Lynn Crenshaw

 

One warm, spring afternoon, Michele Crenshaw was with her parents outside in the back yard of the Crenshaw plantation. "The Continental Army needs a spy to deliver secret British army plans, and they want me to do it!" said Mr. Fred Crenshaw to Mrs. Marilyn Crenshaw. Michele was shocked, her dad spying on the British? He could easily get killed! "What for? I thought they already had a spy." Cried Marilyn. "I know but he was caught by the British and hanged." Said Fred. "Dad no! Don't do it! You'll get hanged just like the rest! Besides you have a family now!" Michele said in anguish. "I have no choice, Moppie." Fred said to his daughter. "Moppie" was one of Michele's nicknames around the Crenshaw household. Tears formed in Michele's eyes and Fred hugged her tight, "I'll be ok, don't you worry." He said softly, kissing Michele on the top of her head. Michele suddenly had an idea. "Dad, I'll fill in for you. I'll go undercover as a British soldier to get their plans, that way..." "NO!" cried Fred and Marilyn at the same time. "No we are not letting you Michele Lynn!" cried Marilyn, grabbing Michele by the shoulders. "Please! Dad taught me how to ride a horse, shoot a gun, and use a sword! He also taught me war tactics and fighting while in combat! I'm really good at all that stuff!" pleaded Michele, "I'm always outside helping the plantation workers and I always ride around on the farm!" "No! It's out of the question! You are a woman, they will not let you in anyway!" Marilyn informed. "I can go in disguised as a man!" Michele argued back. "No Michele, we're not letting you do it!" Fred said finally, "besides I do not want my youngest daughter dead on a battlefield!" Michele sighed, "and I do not want to watch my father getting hanged by those bloody redcoats! I am going!" Michele cried out, running to the horse stall and hopping on her horse. "Michele!" cried both Fred and Marilyn. "I love you guys very much. I'll be back soon." Michele said to them, and she headed for town.

Michele had traded her long skirts for men's clothing. Then she headed off to the British fortress. She told the sergeant that she was a new recruit for the Green Dragoons. The sergeant made her stay where she was and went to inform the head of the Green Dragoons. Soon the sergeant returned with another British soldier, and he was the handsomest man Michele ever laid eyes on. He was tall and athletically built, with long dark brown hair tied back in a low ponytail, and sparkling but cold blue eyes. "Young man, this is Colonel William Tavington, head of the Green Dragoons. You will be under his command from now on." "Sweet!" Michele thought. She could also tell from the look on Tavington's face that he was not the kind of man you want to mess with. "Thank you, Sergeant Woodward, I'll take it from here." Tavington said to Sgt. Woodward coldly. Sgt. Woodward saluted Tavington and left. Tavington turned to Michele, "What is your name and rank?" "My name is George Crenshaw and I'm a private." said Michele nervously. "Follow me.", ordered Tavington. "Yes, sir." Michele replied and followed him out. Soon they arrived at an officer's tent. "Wilkins!", barked Tavington. Michele saw a tall man with dark hair and eyes make his way to Tavington. "measure him up and get his uniform." Tavington simply said and left. Wilkins and Michele were alone. "Hi! I'm Private George Crenshaw.", said Michele with a small smile. "Captain James Wilkins, Green Dragoons." Said Wilkins. Michele could tell that Wilkins was friendly. Wilkins measured her and gave the measurements to a corporal, who went and got the uniform. "Don't mind my asking, but what is Tavington like?" asked Michele. "He's very tough and extremely strict, and you do not want to get on his bad side!" said Wilkins. Michele thought, "Oh great!" the corporal came back with the uniform and Wilkins left. Michele changed her clothes, making sure no one was looking even though she was inside a tent. Then a young Lieutenant came and reported; "Colonel Tavington wants you to meet with the other Dragoons behind the execution site, I'll take you there since you're new." "Yes, sir." replied Michele. The Lieutenant and Michele walked over to the execution site, where the rest of the Green Dragoons were. Tavington and another man were already on their horses while the other Dragoons were left standing. From the looks of it these Dragoons were also young recruits ranging from 17 to 22. Tavington gestured to the other man beside him. "This is my second in command, Captain Bordon." Said Tavington. Captain Bordon was slightly taller than Tavington and had curly brown hair and matching eyes. Michele could tell that Bordon was also not the kind of guy to mess with, and in an instant she did not like him at all. "We are going to start your training now," said Tavington in his stern, commanding voice, which made Michele shudder slightly. "Training?! What training? Dad never said anything about training a soldier!" Michele thought to herself. Michele also hoped that the training part was not going to be so bad since these guys were all new recruits. However in a few minutes time, she was definitely wrong! Tavington made the recruits run very long distances without a break, hike several miles in the woods, and do backbreaking, excruciating physical exercises. By the end of the day, Michele was exhausted and sore all over. Also she smelled like the inside of a man's boot. The lake behind the fortress looked very tempting. Plus it was almost dark outside. Michele decided to grab some soap and sneak out for the lake. Once she got to the edge of the lake, she took off her sweaty, dirty clothes and stepped in the water. Never in her life had Michele felt such relief. The cool water felt so good against her aching, tired body. She lathered up some soap and started to wash herself. Then after she was done with her body, she washed her hair and rinsed thoroughly. She put the soap beside her clothes and decided to swim about for a while. While she lazily floated on her back she daydreamed about Tavington. She smiled at the thought of her and Tavington making out in the woods away from everyone, and also Tavington swimming right beside her, finally taking her by her waist and kissing her hard on her lips. Suddenly Michele's thoughts were interrupted by a big, loud SPLASH!! Several of the Dragoons had the same idea as Michele. There was just one problem, and Michele was completely naked! "Oh well, it's dark out, so they won't see a thing!" Captain Wilkins joined in as well. "George Crenshaw!" said Wilkins, "so glad you could join us!" "Hi, captain! Me too." said Michele with a weak smile. Michele immediately snuck out of the lake without the rest of the Dragoons noticing and crept back to her tent, alone.

After a month, Michele finished her training and became a member of the British army Throughout the next few weeks, Michele snuck over to the officer's tent, where Colonel Tavington, Bordon, Wilkins, and a Lieutenant Colonel named Banastre Tarleton held their daily meetings discussing secret plans of warfare against the Continental Army, and unknown to them, Michele was always eavesdropping on their private conversations and taking notes. Then she snuck out of the fort and rode off to the Continental army fort under a white flag for a temporary truce since she was wearing a British uniform, letting the men know that she was actually a spy disguised as a British Green Dragoon for the Continentals. Colonels Harry Burwell and Benjamin Martin officially declared Michele as a secret spy for the Continentals on that day from then on, Michele safely delivered whatever information she got from the British officers to the Continentals. She snuck out of the fort at night and met up with a couple of Continental soldiers. She even stolen some of the plans from the officers tent and delivered them to the Continentals, and afterward she made up her own plans to throw the British completely off course. Even during battle, Michele had stolen opportunities to sneak to the American side and gave them new tactics on how to override the British and even ambush them. Soon the British were losing battles and the Americans were on a winning streak. One day after losing another battle to the Americans due to Michele's cleverness, Tavington gathered all of his men and declared that there was a spy with in the fort. "I have concluded that the reason why we are losing to those bastards is because there is a spy among us! I will find out who has been betraying us and I will have the coward executed!" he hissed at them angrily, fixing his cold gaze on Michele, who flinched. "I can usually tell just by looking at someone." Said Tavington in a low voice. Michele grew terrified. She prayed that he would not find out that she was the one who is the spy. Everything would be ruined if he found out it was her, because the Continental Army would have a harder time during battle without Michele delivering the battle plans from the British to them. On the other hand she would rather die as a patriot than continue serving under Tavington's command. "Crenshaw. Officer's tent. Now!" ordered Tavington. "yes, sir." said Michele and she reluctantly followed Tavington inside the tent and faced him. "Remove your helmet." Said Tavington. "yes, sir." She said. Michele gulped and slowly removed her helmet. Tavington said nothing so far. Then he commanded, "remove your uniform." Michele's blood turned cold at his request. "Y-yes sir." Michele said meekly. More than anything she wanted to bolt out of the tent as fast as she could and continue running until she reached the Continental Army fort. She slowly unbuttoned her waistcoat and breeches, removing them. Then she stood in her pantaloons and white dress shirt. "All the way." Tavington ordered her again. "Ohhhhh nooooo!" Michele thought. Michele hoped that he was joking, but from the stern expression plastered on Tavington's face, her glimmer of hope faded abruptly. She finally removed her shirt and pantaloons. Sweat began to break out all over her as she stood naked in front of the Colonel. "You are a woman. You have disguised yourself as not only a man, but a British Green Dragoon to spy for the Americans. How clever!" Tavington said in a mocking voice. Michele wanted to cry but she would not let Tavington enjoy the fact that he was humiliating her. "I had to." she finally confessed. Tavington just stood there for a while. Suddenly he grabbed Michele by her hair and forced her to kneel. Then he took out his pistol and cocked it. "It will be quick." He simply said, aiming the gun at her head. Michele did not know how to react, but she blurted out loud, "I love you, William!" Colonel Tavington lowered his gun a little. "So you love me?" he smirked. "Yes. I do. I love you! I love everything about you! I love how you are so evil and brutal in battle. I love how you show no mercy towards others! You have that commanding physique and use it well plus your sinister style that I have always craved in a man!" Michele cried, grabbing Tavington by his waistcoat and kissing him long and hard on the lips. Then she said softly to Tavington, "but if I have to die for what I did, so be it." Then she released him, mortified. Tavington sneered at her. "Well, my darling. I love no one." He hissed venomously, then he pushed her on the ground. "Good bye, Michele." Tavington whispered coldly. He shot her in the head, then covered her up with a white linen sheet. Then he took her in his arms and kissed her softly on her forehead. "I love you too, little one.", whispered Tavington. Then he buried her before returning back to the fort.

The End

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