Work Text:
The sun had set hours ago. A blessed fog had started to roll in and blanket the harbor, making it practically impossible to see more than a few inches ahead.
With visibility low, they could board the enemy ship practically undetected, as long as they could also manage to remain as silent as possible. Vowing to keep quiet, a feat difficult for some of them, their mission would no doubt be a success.
The three Continental soldiers crept along the creaking floorboards, hoping exhaustion and whiskey would keep the English shipmen asleep.
Less than an hour had passed and two of the soldiers grinned at each other, presuming they had been victorious. Things were seeming to be going better than they had planned for. The artillery stores had been easy to find and without so much as a single padlock securing the door, John Laurens and The Marquis de Lafayette had managed to grab some much needed ammunition and began rolling a cannon over the ship deck.
As they eased it as quietly down the ramp as was possible, they breathed a sigh of relief when they made it to the dock and eventually American soil.
“Alex!” John whispered, now that they were safely off the ship. It may have been hard to see but he was sure they had made it to the rendezvous point they had agreed on. “Alex!”
Alexander Hamilton, being the smallest and most nimble, had volunteered to go on ahead and creep along the British vessel, watchful for any guards or sentinels. As Laf and John relieved the redcoats of some of their firepower, Alex would ensure anyone who could foil their plan was asleep. If anyone did wake up, Alex would swiftly send them back to unconsciousness.
But Laf and John had been standing in the dark and fog for some time now with still no sign of their friend. “Alex?” John’s last call carried a note of desperation in it. Through the dense clouds they saw a lantern being lit on board the ship, followed by another, and soon a few more.
“They are waking up.” Lafayette said glumly. “We have to go.”
“We can’t leave without him.” Laurens turned to him, incredulous.
“They will be sounding an alarm any minute. We must go.” When John refused to follow him, Lafayette put a hand on his shoulder. “We must go now.”
“What if he’s been captured?”
“Then we better get back to camp before they capture us too.” John huffed and started walking back to the dock. “John!” Laf yanked him back. “You walk back there and it’ll be 200 against one. We will figure something out, I promise. Something that doesn’t involve boarding a ship full of a few hundred well-armed Englishmen who are cranky because they have just been woken up in the middle of the night by their sworn enemies stealing their weapons.”
John let out an anguished moan but acquiesced. Lafayette tried his best to ignore the uneasiness in his stomach as they made the long, quiet trek back to camp.
*******
They had taken off their heavy coats and were sitting in John and Alex’s tent, sipping wine by the fire and trying to come up with a plan to rescue their missing friend.
“We have to tell Washington.” Lafayette finally said.
“We can’t!”
“We can’t rescue him alone.”
“He’ll have us hanged or court-martialed. We were on an enemy ship without orders to do so, putting the lives of our whole regiment at risk.”
“And now Alexander’s life is at risk.”
“OUR lives are at risk if he knows Alex is alone onboard an English warship and it’s because of us.”
“I’m sure he’ll understand we were only trying to help the cause-“
“His aide-de-camp, his right-hand man, his favorite may now be a prisoner of war!”
Lafayette looked up at him, confused. “I thought I was his favorite.”
“Lafayette!” John scowled at him.
There was a distant call from the across the field but still the voice was unmistakable. “Laurens! Lafayette!”
“Washington…” they muttered, paralyzed with fear.
The general entered John’s tent. They both stood at attention and saluted.
“I was hoping I would find you two.”
“Sir?”
“There are rumors of a British cannon and gunpowder being stolen from the Cerberus a few hours ago.”
“Uhhh--- we may know something about that.” Lafayette said guiltily.
“No need to explain. Both will be appreciated as our supplies are running low.” The two soldiers remained silent. “I will remind you both, however, that clandestine missions like this, done without my approval or even making me aware of such a plan are highly frowned upon.”
“Yes sir.” They both answered.
“Next time, I will have to give you more than a stern talking to.”
“Yes sir.”
“Otherwise… well done.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Washington motioned to leave but turned around to face them again. “There is one bit of disturbing information I received.” Lafayette and John felt their stomachs drop to the floor but George was met with nothing but wide-eyed quiet so he continued. “There is word Alexander was captured in the raid.”
“Hamilton?” Lafayette acted surprised.
“Alex?” John asked softly.
“Indeed.” came Washington’s reply. “But I am glad I found you two here enjoying the warmth of a fire and some wine. I know that if you are here relaxing the rumors can’t be true.” Again, the two young men were providing him nothing but blank stares. “I mean certainly if two of my finest officers knew of the disappearance of one of my aides-de-camp, they wouldn’t hesitate to inform me.” Laurens bit his lower lip and Laf clenched his jaw.
“Sir…” Lafayette started.
“Sir…” Laurens cut him off without having anything to say.
“If Alex WAS captured, what would you do?” Laf tried to remain casual. Laurens cursed his friend silently.
“Well, in that HIGHLY hypothetical situation I would immediately send a search party. Only a few of my most highly regarded soldiers. Stealthy. Get in and get out quick.”
“Would we need to wear disguises?” Laf asked hopefully.
“What?” Washington looked at him confused. “No. I mean; I wouldn’t wear military dress but a disguise? Why?”
Laf shrugged. “I like dressing up.”
“When can we go?” Laurens asked, his face serious and grief-stricken.
Washington exhaled, relieved to finally be done with the charade. “There is word he is being held onboard. We are lucky the Admiral has no idea who he is. You were smart to sneak on board in plain infantrymen clothes. Alex has refused to speak, so they only take him for an uneducated, bumbling militiaman.”
Laf tried unsuccessfully to stifle a chuckle. He couldn’t wait to tell Alex that later. If there was a later, his smile faded.
“It would be smart to wait for nightfall, but I admit I do not have the constitution to delay you that long. They are scheduled to be getting a delivery of supplies in the morning and I would like you two, along with a small number of additional men if you like, to pretend to be helping them load these provisions on board.”
“Yes sir.”
“Good luck, gentlemen.” Washington left and John and Laf looked at each other.
“That could have been worse.”
“He’s waiting until we get Alex back safely to punish us.”
“You’re probably right.”
“I suppose we should try to rest then before morning.”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Me neither.”
Lafayette poured them another glass and they both sank into the chairs by the fire, waiting nervously for the sun to come up.
*******
Morning arrived and as the sky turned from indigo to lilac to peach, Lafayette stirred and opened his eyes. He nudged John awake, signaling it was time to go. They made their way into town and flirted with the owner of a bakery until they convinced her to let them borrow a couple of jackets from her husband. He was a short, stout man and Lafayette frowned as the sleeves barely went past his elbow. John, on the other hand was now surrounded by entirely too much material and cursed both the horrible fit and the unflattering color. “I swear these Northerners have absolutely no taste.”
“I think all of you Americans have a terrible sense of style but…” Lafayette shrugged and stuffed a pastry in his mouth.
They were finally at the docks and tried to blend in with the other merchants who were assisting the English navy in loading the cargo onboard. They joined a line of men hoisting heavy boxes from the plank on to the deck, every so often moving farther up the chain until they were on the ship itself. Then they subtly crept away, heading below to where the redcoats would surely be keeping Alex.
They passed by a crewman who seemed to have already had his daily ration of grog and Lafayette asked, in his best English accent, if the prisoner was still not talking.
“Not a bloody word.” Came the reply, “See for yourself.” He gestured down one of the passageways and Laf gave him a curt nod and he and John headed in that direction.
Laurens went down the few steps that led to the makeshift prison while Lafayette stood guard.
“Alex!” John rushed to him and knelt beside him, taking out his knife and quickly cutting the bonds that tied his wrists together.
“John!” He smiled and hugged him as soon as his hands were free. John then untied the ropes that bound his ankles and helped him stand up.
Laf ducked his head into the cramped cell, “The way is clear if we go now.”
“Lafayette.” Alex beamed at him. As he got closer, he scrutinized his friend’s appearance. “Why are you wearing a fake moustache?”
“It’s a disguise.”
Alex pondered that for a minute. “But… the British don’t know what you look like in the first place?”
Lafayette just grinned. Alex looked askance but couldn’t pretend he wasn’t happy to be rescued. They quietly walked down the narrow hallway. “So, what’s the plan for getting out of here alive?” Alex asked.
“Well, we talked it over with the General and-“
“Washington knows about this?!”
“Y-yes.”
“Shit.”
“Yes. Very unfortunate. Anyway. We discussed this with the General and you know him; he devised a highly complicated, brilliant plan.”
Alex looked at Laf, knowing the General's penchant for intricate orders. “Yes?”
John smiled slyly and reached for the small flintlock pistols that were holstered on either side of his waist. As he handed Alex one of his guns, Lafayette unsheathed his sword and brandished it front of him. “No. We run like hell and mow down anyone who gets in our way.”
Alex nodded. “Fair enough. Let’s go.”
In a cacophony of musket fire and yelling, boots stomping over the deck of the ship, the smell of smoke and gunpowder, and one close call with a bayonet, the revolutionaries made their way off the boat and onto the docks.
They continued to make haste, looking for either the safety of the city or the camp that was a mile away. Alex stopped and turned around, aiming his gun at a recently roused sailor that was chasing them while trying to load his rifle. Alex missed but the Englishman fell to the ground as the bullet whizzed by his head.
“Why did you do that?” Laf turned around. “We’re already safely on shore!”
“He was the one who was supposed to watch over me in my cell.”
“Well then you should have thanked him for doing a terrible job.” John noted.
“He called me stupid.”
“Oh god damnit, Alex.” Laurens sighed and grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn around and hurry back to camp with them.
When they arrived, they went straight to Washington’s tent, happy to report on a successful rescue attempt.
The General barely looked up from the letter he was writing. “It’s good to have all three of you back safely.” He looked each one of them in the eyes. “I’m proud. Now please, don’t ever do that again.”
“Of course, your excellency.”
“I will see you three tomorrow. Get some rest before we march for Morristown tomorrow.”
“Yes sir.” They started to duck out of his tent and Alex and John left and headed for their own, thankful to be reunited. Lafayette began to leave but he stopped and turned around. “May I ask you a question, sir?”
“Of course.”
“Who is your favorite?”
“My what?” He gave him a confused look before narrowing his eyes. “I don’t have favorites, Major General.”
“Yes, of course. Of course.” Lafayette smiled. “But if you did…”
Washington appeared bemused. “You are all equally exasperating.” He sighed and prayed the Frenchman couldn’t see the smile that was tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You have been dismissed, Lafayette.”
“Yes sir.” He nodded and exited the tent.
~FIN~