November, 1864. General William T. Sherman has taken Atlanta, and, with the city destroyed and out of the war, moved westward, planning to take Savannah and cut the Confederacy in half....

CHAPTER ONE

 

Amy Lou Huntington was hungry. Hungry for real food, not the watery oatmeal her mother kept putting in front of her. I know there's ham and bacon in the Kingston's smokehouse, she told herself. And it's not as if I'm stealing it-it'll all go bad before they get back-besides, Caroline and Gabriel are practically engaged...

Her sister was still angry over the fact that her beau had left without so much as a by-your-leave-but Amy Lou knew it was because he'd learned just how close the Damn Yankees were to his daddy's farm.

Gabriel and his father were far too smart to be caught that easily.

It's only by sheer luck that they didn't find both our places. Amy Lou told herself. Luck and the fact that we're so far from the road.

Others hadn't been so lucky. Many farms had been looted and burned as Sherman's Army slashed their way through the heart of the Confederacy.

Even now, days after the main divisions of that Army had marched past, foragers and deserters from both sides were all over the area. Enough traffic that Amy Lou knew she was pushing her luck as she walked past the big Kingston farmhouse on the way to the smokehouse. She was almost there when she heard a rattle in the brush. Before she could turn ...

"What do we have here?" A big hand grabbed her arm, pulling her toward him. "I thought this whole part of the country was deserted!"

"What'dya have, Kevin?" His companion hustled up so he could see.

"A very pretty little lass," Kevin Robert Gallagher, until recently a Private in General Sherman's 'Army of Georgia' looked the helpless woman over. "Very pretty indeed."

Amy Lou struggled hard, desperately trying to pull herself free-but the man in blue had a firm grip on her-and he was strong enough she wasn't going to be able to break that grip.

"What are we gonna do with her, Kevin?" Joseph Martin Devlin was a huge man, a full four inches over six feet tall, his uniform ill-fitting and filthy.

"What do you think we're going to do?" Gallagher looked around; saw the big farmhouse just beyond. "Let's get this her inside."

"No..." Amy Lou pleaded. "Please..."

"No noise from you, lassie." Kevin tore a long strip off her petticoat. "Some of our former comrades might hear." He wadded up the bit of cloth and stuffed it in her mouth, surprising her with the move. "That should keep you nice and quiet..." He tore off another strip and wrapped it around her lower face, locking the gag in place. "Now, let's check out that there farmhouse, shall we?" He pushed the girl into Devlin's arms. "Hold her while I take a look."

The farmhouse was fairly large-a full two stories tall and unmarked-clearly it had been missed by looters on either side. Gallagher kept his weapon at the ready as he stepped through the door, fearful of possible occupants ...

"Looks clear," he leaned back through the front door as he yelled to his friend. "Bring her on in."

The front door opened onto a sitting room that held a number of chairs ranked along two walls, and faced a harpsichord placed cattycorner between them. To the right was an arched entry to the dining room-Gallagher gestured for his friend to bring the girl that way.

"I don't want to go upstairs." He leaned his rifle in the corner by the doorway. "It would take too long to get out if anyone comes after us." He strode over to the big oaken table in the center of the room, pushed a canvas cover away. "I think that this will do for our current needs..." He gestured. "Bring her over here."

Amy Lou tried to pull away, tried to wriggle free-but the big man held her too tightly for her to move. She moaned into the gag, digging her feet into the floor, trying desperately to hold her position.

It did her no good. Devlin simply lifted her up as if she were a sack of grain and carried her to a spot just in front of the table. Gallagher stepped around until he was smiling into her frightened eyes.

"Hold her arms." Gallagher waited until Devlin had a grip on both the girl's forearms then grabbed a handful of dress and pulled, ripping the bodice wide open. "Nice set of titties," he ran a dirty hand over them, smiling as she tried to jerk away. "I like big titties." He squeezed them, kneading the firm flesh for a long moment-then he pinched her nipples and smiled at the indignant noise she made. "How about you, Joey?"

"I like 'em fine." The big man was looking over the girl's shoulder, enjoying the view.

"Let's see what the rest of her looks like."

Gallagher grabbed the top of her dress in both hands and ripped it wide apart, smiling as he pulled the tattered pieces down the length of her body and over nicely-flared hips.

"She is a pretty one."

He dropped the dress to the floor and took a long moment to look her over; shaking his head at the long petticoat that still covered her.

"You must be uncomfortable with all these clothes on," he wiped an arm across his forehead. "Especially in this heat!"

"Pull the rest off." Devlin's eyes were hard. "I want to see!" The big man leaned forward. "What are you waitin' for?"

"These things have to be done right." Gallagher got a grip on the shoulder straps that held the petticoat in place-and ripped them free, allowing the garment to flutter to the floor. "Besides," He ran a finger under the linen of her under garment, probing for what he knew was inside. "I knew she'd have something else underneath." He turned and raised an eyebrow at his partner. "I think it's time to see just what it is she's so set on hidin' under all this--don't you?"

The two men traded smiles as the helpless, silent girl wildly shook her head in negation.

"Hurry up, Kevin." Devlin looked toward the front of the building. "Some more troops may show up."

"Not right away." Gallagher played with the helpless girl's breasts, teasing her nipples until they were fully erect. "This place is way off the Army's line of march." He shrugged. "Besides, this little lady is far too good to hurry with." He grabbed the waistband of her linen undergarment and pulled-baring the rest of her body. "Don't you agree?"

Both men looked the now-naked girl over, studying her pale young flesh.

"You are a good-looker!" Gallagher smiled as he ran his hands over her, studying her shapely form. She was young-perhaps seventeen or eighteen-with long red-blonde hair and a slim body with long, firm legs and shapely hips and ass. "Don't get out much, do you." He put his hand over her breast, comparing the leathery brown of his skin to the pale freckled expanse before him. "Wouldn't you agree, Joey me boy?"

The girl was crying hopelessly now; head down in fear and disbelief. Both men could hear the tiny mewling sounds that were all that escaped the gag that filled her mouth.

"Don't worry," Gallagher smiled. "We're not going to hurt you too much." He looked at his companion. "Let's get her on the table." Together, they lifted the girl onto the hard wooden surface. Devlin held her down while Gallagher tore more strips off her petticoat, using them to tie her wrists and ankles to the legs at the four corners of the table. "I think that's tight enough." He nodded to his friend who released his hold.

The girl tried to get free, pulling frantically at the bonds holding her in place. The cloth stretched a little-but it didn't give.

She was trapped.

"Now..." Gallagher unbuckled his belt and stepped out of his pants down before climbing onto the table and positioning himself over the girl's helpless cunt. "Time for us all to have a little fun ..."

His member touched her thigh. She shuddered at the feel of the thing and closed her eyes...

"Now then..."

Gallagher used his hand to place himself right into the slot of her helpless pussy and prepared himself for the first push...