Cas City Forum Hall & CAS-L
GENERAL TOPICS => Saddlebag Tales => Topic started by: Patches McDuff on December 01, 2004, 11:30:37 AM
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(This is a reprint from TFS y'all :) Thought we'd share it over here and also be able to work on it if TFS goes down again. Hope you enjoy!)
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Patches swam up from the depths of a deep, peaceful sleep, the world slowly coming into focus. Her ears opened to listen before her eyes registered the still Texas darkness.
Thump, thumpthump, thump.
She smiled and sighed with contentment. There was her favorite sound. The sound of Bill's beating heart and his rythmic breathing.
They had worked well into the night yesterday, making more of his "toys". She could still smell the acrid scent of some of the chemicals they had been using and she was sure she was still covered with charcoal smudges.
She slowly unwound herself from Bill's arms, stood, stretched, and tugged at the rumpled hem of her shirt. The "nap" they were going to take had apparently lasted through the night. She supposed it was just too natural, too comfortable, for both of them to curl up on the cot in the corner of the lab. She certainly slept better with him than alone in the telegraph office....
Bill stirred. "Patty?" His voiced still blurred with sleep. She smiled, bent and kissed his forehead. The only time he called her by her given name was when he was half asleep.
"Shhhh, darlin," she whispered. "Go back to sleep. I'll put coffee on."
He nodded slowly, rolled over and within seconds was snoring softly. She shook her head and made her way in the dark to the stove. She built up the fire and put on coffee--the smell would wake him in an hour or so--then slipped silently out of the lab.
She made her way to the telegraph office, the chill of the pre-dawn air waking her up as she went. Once inside she built up her own fire, put on more coffee, and went to clean up and change clothes.
Today was Monday, the start of another weeks work. Generally Monday's and Wednesdays were "town run" days where she would ride out early and pick up mail and supply if there was any. She always left just before dawn, not because she particularly wanted to be back early, but the sun rising on the way was a beautiful sight. It was, after all, a pleasant ride to El Paso and sometimes the sun coming up painted the land the most incredible colors. One of the perks of the job she supposed, seeing as she was pretty much the official courior of Marshal Tensleep's posse.
She smiled as she poured herself a re-heated cup of coffee left over from the night before and sipped. Maybe she'd see if Scarlet was around. She'd been getting up early and working the horses lately. It'd been some weeks since Scarlet went on a supply run with her anyhow.
Quickly she picked out a simple yet practical riding skirt outfit and got dressed. She left a note on Ella's desk telling her where she was going and when she'd be back.
She grabbed a folder of paperwork--reports mostly, stuff that needed to be sent by mail rather than telegraphed--tucked it under her arm, jammed her hat on her head and made her way to the barn.
"Dang!" she said softly to herself as she lit the lamp by the big double door. Looking in she noticed immediately who's horses where there and who's were not. Lucky was not in his stall and neither was Fritz's horse. Tensleep's Buck was gone still too. Tensleep had ridden out with Johnny on Friday to the Fort to gather some intel on someone, they must not be back yet, cuz Velvet ears was gone still too.
Scarlet and Fritz had gone into town for a party at the Ace, also on friday. Apparently they weren't back yet.
"Musta been one hellova party," Patches murmered as she passed both stalls on her way to Thunder, stopping only to spoil Falstaff with an apple real quick. She'd find Scarlet and Fritz while she was there and see if they wanted to ride back with her.
Thunder nickered as she approached.
"Mornin boy," she said as she patted his nose. "Ready to go to town?"
Thunder stamped his foot, Patches smiled. Thunder may not be the fastest horse in the stable but he was always eager. She hummed a bit as she saddled the big roan, then simply mounted up and headed out.
The ride was as pleasant as usual. The sun came up about half way to El Paso and Thunder was feeling frisky, preferring to trot or canter a bit on the way. Patches rode smiling, comfortable in the saddle and watching the world wake up bit by bit, with more than a touch of child-like wonder.
"Howdy Miz Weatherby," Patches said cheerily as she tipped her hat to the school teacher--usually the first person she saw on her way into town. "Off to school already?"
"Hello Miz Patches," Mis Weatherby said with a friendly wave. "Yes off to school. You're out early this morning!"
"Early bird catches the worm, Ma'am," Patches laughed. "Have good day!"
"I will," Miz Weatherby said with a chuckle. "You too!"
Patches nodded and continued on. The land wasn't the only thing that woke up with sun, El Paso did too. On her way down the main street she waved and called out to several people she knew. The Mercantile owner, the banker, the barber, the black smith.
Soon she was at the Ace, riding right into the barn. No sense in paying the stable to board Thunder for a few hours while she made her rounds when Becca and Hank kindly offered to let them all keep their horses there.
She rode Thunder into the nearest open stall, dismounted, shelled out some hay and water for him and grabbed the folder out of her saddle bags. She went out, closed the stall door, turned around and---stopped.
Something wasn't right. Lucky was not in his stall and the door stood ajar a bit.
"Now that's funny," Patches whispered to herself as she approached the stall. Scarlet had been up early lately working the horses and she knew she'd not been sleeping the best lately but....after a probable two day party? She knew Scarlet very well and Scarlet would hardly get up to ride with a hangover. At least not THIS early and not before coffee.
As her hand reached out to open the door further, something fell on the ground with a small thump. Curious Patches stepped in and looked down. There glinting in the hay lay Scarlets badge.
"What the...." Patches muttered now beginning to get concerned. Maybe in the heat of the party she had dropped it or lost it and someone placed it here for her to find later?
She bent to pick up the badge, and then spotted something else. A yellow scrap of paper, wadded up. She picked up the badge then retrieved the paper. It was a yellow flimsy. A telegraph message? Quickly she un-wadded the paper and read it.
"Identities wrong. Cut e r loose."
E.R.? Patches mind raced. Who's ER? She remembered a villian named Eric Rottworth from some months ago. A dandified bank robber they had chased prit near into Mexico, but Tensleep had shot him while he tried to escape.
A warning went off in her head, bright red, like one of Dr. Bill's flairs. She didn't hesitate, she ran into the Ace using the side door.
Becca was just coming down the stairs to start the day, still wrapped in her shawl, camisole and yawning.
"Becca!" She called as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Well howdy Patches!" Becca smiled. "I ain't got coffee on yet but you're welcome to stay for some when its made. How are you? You missed one great party you know!"
"Aint come for coffee or to hear about parties," Patches said. "Where's Scarlet?"
"Why I reckon she's still sleepin' hon," she said as she joined the other woman. She winked mischeviously. "With Mr. Fritz no doubt."
"Nuh-uh," Patches said. "Lucky's gone and I found these." She held out the badge and the paper. "Do you know who E. R. is?"
Becca's eyebrows came together as she looked at the badge and then the paper. Then her face went completely pale and all ammenities dropped.
"Oh my god," she whispered. She was visibly starting to shake, her hand clutching at the shawl bringing it closer about her chest.
"Becca? Whats goin' on?' Patches had never seen Becca react this way to anything. She was just as tough as Scarlet or herself.
"Ummm..." she tore her eyes away from the paper and looked at Patches. "I....uh....don't think thats E. R. Patches. I thinks thats "Cutter"."
Patches was confused. "Cutter...?" she started but then a memory came crashing back. Scarlet had mentioned someone named Cutter once when they were sharing stories in the loft of the barn. She wasn't sure of the story but she was sure that that was something so horrible that Scarlet never wanted to really talk about it.
"Cutter, oh god," Becca said mostly to herself. "It can't be....." she had turned around putting her hand to her forhead and paced a bit.
"Becca!" Patches called back to her. Becca turned around, attempting to calm the tornado in her gut. Patches took her by the shoulders. "Where's Fritz?" Was his horse gone too? She couldn't remember.
"Ummm....upstairs," she said shaking her head as if to clear it. "Second door on the right."
Patches pelted up the stairs, prit near slid past the door, cought herself and pounded on it.
"Fritz! Fritz you in there?" No answer. She tried the nob, the door came open. The bed had been slept in, the sun shone through the window...but there was no one there. "Damn!" Patches ran back down the stairs.
Becca was standing by the bar with Hank, a worried look on her face.
"He's not there," she said starting to feel some frustration. Where the hell could they be?
"Patches," Becca said after swallowing hard. "If this is who I think it is, Scarlet is long gone and I don't think she'd take Fritz with her."
Now that was REALLY odd. Fritz and Scarlet were like herself and Bill--salt and pepper, you didn't get one without the other anymore.
"Alright," Patches said taking a deep breath. "I'm goin over to the telegraph to find out about this message. When you see Fritz tell him to high-tail it back to the Southern Star IMMEDIATELY! Tell him its urgent. Can you do that?"
Becca nodded.
"Alright then, if you see or hear from Scarlet before I do have Tink send a message to the Star."
"Oh," Becca snapped back as if she'd just woken from a particularly disturbing dream. "Tinker is not in town, honey. He went to visit his sister. She's having a baby."
Well, that would explain why she didn't recognise the handwriting on the flimsy. Either way though she needed to ask whoever was there about this message.
"Crap! Ok. I'll be back as soon as I can." She said as she headed for the door.
"Patches!" Becca called. Patches turned in mid-stride. "Be VERY careful out there!"
Patches stopped. That was odd. She looked at Becca her face set in an expression of curiosity. "It might be best if you let Scarlet handle this on her own." Becca finished.
Patches eyebrows rose at that but she didn't say anything. Another one of those warning flares went off in her head, this time errupting in a huge explosion. She hurried to the telegraph office.
TO BE CONTINUED
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Patches bounded up the boardwalk practically ran into the closed door of the telegraph office. She turned the nob and shoved her way in, even though the shade was still drawn and the "closed" sign hung on the inside of the window.
Wait. More oddities. If the shade was drawn and the "closed" sign still hung, then why was the door unlocked.
No time for that now, she scolded herself as she approached the counter. The place was empty, silent, and dark. It was also a mess. Yes the counter and waiting area were clean and tidy but Tink's desk was in ruins. Papers scattered everywhere, a plate from the hotel's resturant still with food on it, and a few cups lay scattered about helter-skelter.
"Hello!" she called pounding the bell on the counter at the same time. She probably didn't need to ring the thing so hard but sometimes you just had to hit something. "HELLO!!!"
She heard a russling from the back, the place where Tink normally lived. A skinny kid wearing Tink's robe came hobbling out, scratching his head and yawning.
"Yeah, yeah," he said going to the stove and pouring coffee. "I hear ya, whatcha want?"
Patches was ready to shoot whoever this kid was on the spot.
"I'm Deputy Marshal Patches McDuff, and I have some questions for you." She growled.
He turned and eyed her up and down. "Who?"
Patches had no patience for mincing words. She showed her badge instead and pushed the message toward him. "Patches McDuff. Did you take this message?"
He shuffled over and looked at it. "Yep. Came in around 3 AM. Gave it to Miz Scarlet and went back to sleep.." He stopped as if he were thinking then looked at here. "Patches McDuff ya say? I gotta message for you too," he half turned toward the desk. "Ain't got around ta sendin' it yet though. Damn messages comin in at 3 AM anyhow..."
Patches was fixin to spit bullets. She reached forward and grabbed the boy by the lapels, and drug him over the counter. "How long you been on the key boy?" She growled.
This took him aback some. What a strange question. "Coupla months, not that its any of your business!" He said trying to dislodge her white knuckled grip from him. "Now we aint open yet so why don't you run along and come back at a more reasonable hour."
Patches glanced at the clock. It was barely 8 in the morning and Tink would have been open by six. "Not til you tell me who sent this message," she hissed in his face. Quickly she pushed him back and he stumbled into the desk. She ducked under the counter door and joined him in three quick stride. "Show me!"
"Hey there's no reason fer..." he started, but Patches was right on that. She got up in his face.
"Don't make me shoot you boy," She warned.
He swallowed as he looked in her face. He suddenly had no doubt she would most assuredly shoot him. Uncle Tinker had told him this was a dangerouls job, he should have listened.
"Alright! Ok!" He said as he sat down. "Easy lady, easy. Its here somewhere!"
"Deputy," she said. "Aint no lady today. Get on it!"
He started shuffling through papers, knocking things onto the floor, moving dishes. "Here," he said finally. He handed her a peice of tape. Boy was using the graphite key, the message was still in code.
Patches read it and cursed. "Ya damn fool! Don't you know your codes?"
He bristled. "Acorse I do!"
She pushed the tape at him. "No ya don't. Ya made a mistake in your translation. This says C-U-T-T-E-R...not C-U-T space E space R."
"So?" He defended. "I made a mistake! It was three in the blessed morning! I was half asleep!"
"And drunk too no doubt," she said. "Mistakes can't be made like this. This mistake could cost someones life!"
He looked at her as if she'd grown horns. "What?"
"Nevermind," she was in no mood for explaining. "Get up. Let me at the key."
"What?! I can send..."
'Uh-uh. No way. You've made enough mistakes already." She grabbed his collar and shoved him out of the way, then slid into the chair. Quickly she pushed some trash out of the way and started tapping.
"Ella," she tapped--no time for formalities. "Scarlet and Fritz gone, I'm going after her. Message Marshal at Fort gather everyone. Inquire anyone within the last 5 years named "Cutter". Will message when I know something. Patches."
Once that was traveling well down the wire, she stood placing her hands flat on the desk. Her hand fell on a paper. She looked at it.
"Patches,
Fritz and I staying in town, be back monday morning.
Scarlet."
She picked it up and turned on the boy. "When where you planning on sending this seein's as its dated saturday morning?"
His jaw opened and he attempted to make words but nothing came out. That was fine, she didn't want to hear his excuses anyway.
"You could learn alot from Tinker boy," she said as she went to the door. "Might wanna pay a bit more attention." And with that she ran back to the Ace.
TO BE CONTINUED
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She came to a sliding halt in front of Thunders stall barely acknowledging the fact that Becca was standing at Lucky's stall looking in sadly. She turned around when Patches banged the stall door she opened it so hard.
"Patches?" Becca said. "Where are you going?"
"Goin' to find Scarlet." She said as she yanked the reins from the hook in the wall. "Any idea which way she mighta went?"
"You can't go after her Patches," Becca said in a voice that was truely haunted. "She'd not want that."
Patches stopped and looked at her. "What are you saying?"
Becca sighed. "Just trust me. She'll want to handle this herself."
Patches walked Thunder out of the stall and looked down on Becca. "Yanno I donno exactly whats goin on here but Scarlets and I have had eachothers backs since the day we met. She's always been there fer me and I'm gonna be there for her. Even if it makes her hate me, I don't care. She's the best friend I've ever had and like a sister to me. Now tell me where you think she mighta went."
Becca turned and started for the side door. "She'd probably stop at the C bar C to pick up some things," she said over her shoulder. "Or she'd head toward Devil's Mountain."
The C bar C? Scarlet hadn't been out that way in ages. Something here was definately very very wrong.
"Alright," she said turning Thunder toward the door. "Thank you."
"You won't be thanking me when you end up dead Patches," Becca sighed as she entered the Ace. Patches never heard a word she'd said.....
TAG SCARLET!!!
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Combined post by Fritz & Scarlet
Scarlet gasped as she sat up in bed. She could feel her body trembling and her heart pound as she looked around the dim room of the Ace. All was as it should be.
She put her arm out behind her and leaned back taking a deep breath trying to relax. She smiled as she remembered the party that had gone on much longer than intended; at least she’d wired Patches so no one would worry.
Feeling his hand on her arm startled her.
“This is the fourth time I count this week you’ve woken up from dreams.” Fritz said softly.
“I know” Scarlet smiled weekly thinking to herself “I count more.” As she lay down and curled against the man she intended to marry one day soon.
“I know you’ve spent most of the last two nights in Lucky’s stall. I wish you’d talk to me about whatever is bothering you.” He could feel her tense up as he said it.
“Just dreams.” She said quietly as she started to rise.
Fritz said nothing. He’d accepted that answer the last couple of times, she knew it was not going to work much longer. She just couldn’t figure out how to tell him he was co staring in her recent nightmares.
Nightmares she shouldn’t even be having. She’d gotten word they buried the Rowen’s near the federal Penn in Fort Worth the end of last month. Tinker had given her the wire himself.
Scarlet was lost in her own thoughts as she got dressed.
“The last few days you’ve become introverted. You’ve tired out two of your mothers horses before the rest of us have even thought about waking up, and you’ve been out there well past when most of us have turned in for the night.” Fritz said as he watched her.
She turned slowly facing him, she could see the concern as she looked into his eyes. Crossing the room she sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on his cheek.
“Scarlet, I’ve never pushed you to tell me things. Don’t make me now.” He ran his fingers along the yellow cord she had wrapped in her hair as he spoke, remembering their first date when he gave it to her.
Scarlet leaned down and kissed him. “There’s a place on the ranch, I’d like to share it with you this evening, but for now go back to sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you Sugar.” She whispered.
She would tell him of her dreams later when they rode to the high point on the ranch. It was a climb to the top, but once up there it was like one could reach out and touch the stars. It was her favorite place to go, and think about things or think about nothing.
Fritz watched her go before he drifted back to sleep. He often dreamed of combat. She kept the ghosts of old soldiers at bay while he slept. But not this time...
Fritz commanded the skirmish line. The night was black as pitch, interspersed with violent flashes of lightning. Thundclaps shook the very ground he stood on. Or was it the rippling volleys of muskets?
"Volley fire!" Fritz yelled over the din, jamming a cartridge into the breech of his carbine.
He heard the sounds of his enemy on the wind. It wasn't quite the Rebel Yell, nor was it the screams of indian braves. The sound was an unearthly hybrid of the two...like the keening wail of demons.
"Ready...Aim...FIRE!!!"
His line erupted in red flame. But there were so few left...so few.
Fritz dropped the empty carbine and drew his Navy. "Fire at will!!!"
As his men reloaded, and erie line of soldiers appeared at his front. Their keening reached a fever pitch as they fired. His troopers were struck, their bodies flying from the barricades.
Fritz ran down the line to check his men. He reached the first and turned him over, but it wasn't a man.
It was Patches.
"No..."
He ran further. Each trooper was one his friends. Bill...Rose...Johnny...all those he'd come to love.
Fritz ran frantically towards the end of the fence line. He could barely make her out. Her voice came to him weakly.
"Fritz...help me..."
He saw a soldier standing above her, a bayonet glinting in the lightning's flash. A gleaming skull leered as it brought the blade down.
Fritz pulled the trigger on his Navy.
CLICK.
Scarlet had fed the horses and gone back to their room closing the bedroom door just in time to hear Fritz yell.
"NO!!!!!!"
He shot bolt upright in bed, sweat streaming from his body. He looked at her like he had seen a ghost.
Scarlet crossed the room, taking him in her arms she could feel him trembling.
She held him close, stroking his hair. He laid his head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat. The sound soothed him, and his breathing slowed.
To her surprise Fritz got up and quickly dressed. He didn't want Scarlet to see him like this. He slung his gunbelt over his shoulder, picked up his Ithaca, and headed outside.
The early morning stillness was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Fritz drew and fired the Navy as quickly and accurately as possible. Five quick shots struck the old skillet hanging on the fencepost, ringing it like a gong. He didn't know why he'd done it; maybe just to make sure the pistol would work.
He sensed her behind him. Fritz knew what she was thinking. So he told her about his dream, sparing no detail. As he spoke, he reloaded the Navy from his gunbelt. He hoped she couldn't see that his hands were still shaking.
"I watched you die," Fritz said, "and I couldn't stop it." He holstered the revolver. "I swear to you, I won't EVER let that happen."
Scarlet looked into his eyes she didn’t exactly know what to say. Things ran through her mind. Things like; don’t worry that’s not going to happen, I’ve seen your death too and a few others. Finally, after what seemed like a long silence she took his hand in hers.
“Death had his chance to take me willingly, more than once.” She said with a serious tone in her voice. Then she smiled. “Instead the powers that be decided to play a joke on my father by handing my heart to a Yankee soldier.
Someone finding my heart Fritz, I had given up on that you know. Was sure I lost it with the blood shed on the river. Who would have guessed years later, hundreds of miles away you would jump naked into a river and come up with that.” Her smile had turned into a smirk. “Didn’t anybody ever teach you not to pick up strange things.” She said teasingly.
He started to smile and she wondered if she could see a bit of blush in his cheeks.
“Apparently not, and now you are stuck with it.” She stepped closer and put her other hand over his heart. “I finally have my King and I want my fairytale to have a happy ending. Death is not welcome here anymore and I’ll put up a hell of a fight if he comes for me. It’s more important to me that you keep yourself safe, don't ever let it happen to you.” She kissed him softly and whispered “I love you.” Then backed away with a soft smile; turning she went towards the barn leaving Fritz to his target practice.
Once in the barn she picked up Lucky’s brush and began to groom him.
The stallions head rose watching the familiar figure approach them.
She smiled at the young man who looked at her a bit strangely as he handed her the piece of paper. He was not familiar with the name of the man who had sent the telegram, nor did he have the nerve to ask her who he was.
“You’re up awful early.” Scarlet said watching Tinkers nephew approach her.
“This just came in marked urgent.”
“Thank you.” She said as she paid him then started to read the telegram.
She read it once with disbelief, took a deep breath then read it again, just to make sure she saw what she thought she saw.
She could feel, no, taste the hatred as she read the wire. This would explain the nightmares she’d been having, and the reason she’d felt some of her old habits creeping back, like the way she watched folks, the way she looked into their souls as they spoke to her.
Crumpling the paper and threw it against the wall in Lucky’s stall in a fit of rage.
Scarlet was determined it was going to end now. "I'm not about to let history repeat itself with my friends and loved ones" she thought as she raced up the stairs to her room.
Pulling the old trunk from the closet she dug until she found what she was looking for. Picking up the leather bundle she looked at the red and black markings on the outside, then carefully unrolled it, and tossed the leather on the bed. “I knew I should have cut his heart out when I had a chance.” She thought to herself as she looked down at the bowie knife with the razor back saw toothed blade.
Scarlet’s father, Johnny had given it to Travis when they went off to war; Scarlet knew the knife had shed many a man’s blood; if she got that close to Cutter it would shed his too.
Stopping briefly in front of the mirror she looked at her reflection recognizing the woman looking back, although it had been some time since she’d seen that darkness.
Her mind whirled with thoughts as she went unnoticed back to the barn and saddled Lucky.
“To catch a killer you have to climb into his mind, become what he is.” Was one of the echo’s that bounced though her mind, followed by “A Deputy marshal is not a cold blooded killer.”
Her fingers traced over the badge she wore then unpinned it. She placed it on the door to Lucky’s stall, mounted up and rode out of town.
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(originally posted by Elegant Ella)
Ella heard the key chattering while she gathered eggs. The pace of the message sounded like Patches, who had been planning to go to town this morning for mail and the supplies on the shopping list Rose and Ella had put together Saturday night. It was a good thing that Patches would have left the graphite key on Ella's desk wired in. Ella was getting better at decoding by ear, but Patches still sent faster than Ella could follow.
She went into the office and sat down at her desk to read the tape. She read the note from Patches and pushed it aside while she transcribed:
Ella. Scarlet and Fritz gone, I'm going after her. Message Marshal at Fort gather everyone. Inquire anyone within the last 5 years named "Cutter". Will message when I know something. Patches.
She composed her message to Marshal Tensleep and sent it off:
To: Tensleep Ross, Fort Bliss
Everyone is needed back here. Who is Cutter?
ECW
That done, she carried the basket of eggs into the ktichen where Rose was starting the Monday baking. She rolled up her sleeves and washed up, then joined in the kneading.
"Patches sent a message from town saying that she is following Scarlet and Fritz. Do you know of anyone named Cutter?"
Rose looked shocked and responded, "Why do you ask about Cutter? He is dead."
"Patches's message said to inquire about anyone named Cutter. I don't know why."
TAG SCARLET
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Rose eyed Ella for a moment. “Patches said she is following Scarlet and Fritz and mentioned Cutter in the same message?”
Ella looked at her inquisitively “Yes, why who is Cutter?”
Rose’s eyes darted back and forth as she thought about what Ella had said. “Cutter is dead.” she mumbled wondering who of her new family Scarlet might have told about the killer and just what she would have told them.
The more she thought about it the more concerned she became. Going to the door she opened it to look out hoping she would see any sign of Scarlet, Fritz or Patches. Rose felt something brush over the top of her head; she turned in time to see a bird land in the middle of the kitchen.
Rose’s face went ghostly white, her mouth dropped open. All she could think was it was a bad sign to have a bird in the house, Patches, Scarlet, Fritz & Cutter. She pointed at the bird “bad” was the only word that came out before the room spun, went black and her legs gave out.
To be continued.
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Ella watched the bird land, then turned back to Rose just in time to see her knees buckle. With a lunge, she caught Rose's shoulders with floury hands in time to prevent her head from hitting the corner of the table, and eased her down to the floor. Rose was breathing normally, but her color was very pale.
Ella left her side to throw a dishtowel over the raven that had hopped up to the table to peck at the bread dough. She gathered up the towel and struggling bird and threw it out the door, then closed the door behind it.
She was deeply disturbed by the raven in the kitchen. One had flown into her grandmother's kitchen the morning before her grandmother suffered her final stroke. She had been 13 then, and school had been teaching her to doubt some of her grandmother's teachings as pure superstition, so she had not bothered to burn the herbs and say the prayer after wringing the bird's neck.
This time, she would complete the ritual to resist the omen that had started with throwing the bird out unharmed. Going to the herb cupboard, she pulled out what was needed.
When Rose regained consciousness, she smelled sage and hops and heard Ella chanting.
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Cutters group of three had gathered a few more as they rode to El Paso. He still had the charisma to attract others to join his cause, he liked that, it gave him expendable men and they never even realized it.
As they rode Cutter looked over at Phil, chuckling again at the dark hair.
Phil looked sideways at him knowing what he was thinking. “Maybe you should try it, maybe you could get close ta ‘er. Lord knows I get close to Rebecca.” He grinned.
“It’s Martha Ann, and you stay away from her!” Josh snarled as his lip curled up on one side.
“She likes men with dark hair, don’t think she likes your color much.” Phil suppressed a smirk.
Harry shook his head Phil just couldn’t help himself when it came to Josh, he and found out how to torment the man and took advantage of it. He wondered when Josh would get up the nerve and just shoot Phil. Squabbling amongst the men was never good he thought.
Phil turned in his saddle and looked at Josh. “What is it about Martha Ann you like so much?”
“She’s so sweet and beautiful.”
Phil shook his head in agreement. “That she is Josh, that she is. What about Scarlet?”
“She’s not very sweet.” Josh said flatly causing his brother to chuckle.
“You like that Re…Martha Ann is afraid of you Josh. Scarlet, she just hates ya.” Cutter snorted.
“She ain’t very fond of any of us Kevin. At least my Martha Ann never tried to geld one of us.” Josh said bitterly.
Cutter rolled his eyes towards Josh “Yeah, I bet you give her half a chance you’d see another side of her.”
Cutter had heard things about Rebecca Valentine, he’d seen a few things too. Rebecca’s only failing as a fighter was there was something about himself and his brother that scared the hell out of her. Maybe it was there first meeting. He was sure laying that hot branding iron on her shoulder still gave her nightmares.
“Scarlet can be very pleasant you know.” Phil smiled.
“Tell me.” Cutter looked at him.
“Just small talk, she hangs around that saloon. Pleasantly declines my offers to buy her a drink. But she seems like she could be real hell fire too.
Those two women that are deputies, they are real spit fires too. You want to get to her Cutter, go after the other two women.
Deputy Coatsworth, I hear she is a healer of some sort. Think you still have those contacts that liked to buy women. Wonder what kind of price a healer would bring?”
“If she can heal you she prolly knows how to poison a man too.” Harry spoke up.
“Well there’s Deputy McDuff. She’s got pretty long red hair, that would bring a nice price, she’d be a nice prize should you not want to trade her.” Phil chuckled. “She rides into town most Mondays and Wednesdays.”
“If I could have it my way I would catch and kill each one of her friends; slow while she watched.” Cutter took a deep breath and smiled enjoying his idea.
“If you could have it your way, she’d ride at your side.” Josh looked sideways at his brother.
Cutter opened his mouth to deny it, but he couldn’t he’d said that himself some years ago.
“You were jealous of Hart and you’re probably jealous of that soldier she rides next to.” Josh smiled, proud of himself that he’d gotten a dig at Kevin, it didn’t happen often.
“Guess I’m just gonna have to kill him instead of Hart.” Cutter said kicking his horse into a lope.
-
Combined effort of Scarlet & Fritz
Fritz shouldered his shotgun, and pulled both triggers. There was a satisfying thump to his shoulder, as the bottle he aimed at was vaporized. Fritz shucked the empties and reloaded. He looked at his shotgun. It looked funny. New wood on an old action. Kinda like him...a new badge on an old soldier.
Scarlet’s kiss was still warm on his lips as he walked back towards the Saloon. He figured that since he was awake, a cup of coffee wouldn't hurt.
But something was nagging at Fritz. It wasn't so much what Scarlet had said, as what she didn't say. She loved him, and he loved her. But Scarlet was holding something back; he hoped that when they rode to her "secret place," she'd be of a mind to tell him.
Becca took a deep breath. She didn’t know what to tell Fritz, maybe she should just play stupid and tell him Patches left a message for him to get back to the Starr immediately and Scarlet had already gone. She knew if she told him the truth he’d ride out after Scarlet. That was all she needed, people strung all over Texas looking for someone who obviously didn’t want to be found.
Damn she hated this, they were her friends but so was Scarlet. If Scarlet had wanted company she would have taken someone and not gone alone. She loved Patches and Fritz but her loyalties lied with Scarlet first.
Becca could still feel herself shaking, if it was true she was in danger. She had seen the signature line on the telegram, Mr. Dawg.
Mr. Dawg…it was the signature Trixie Blue used, and Trixie wouldn’t send something like that unless it was true. It meant Trixie was in danger too. Cutter had been gunning for his mother longer than Scarlet had been gunning for him. Becca thought about it a moment the only folks that knew the identiy of Mr. Dawg were herself and the retired deputy Sonny Daily, maybe she should warn Sonny, he might be on Cutter’s list too.
Becca’s head jerked up as Fritz came through the door, she swallowed, put on her smile and tried to act normal.
“Fritz, honey, Patches was here she says you need to get back to the Starr immediately. She rode out not to long ago and Scarlet is gone too.” She smiled her usual warm smile and hoped he couldn’t detect anything wrong. After all, she did have a pretty good poker face.
-
Scarlet pushed Lucky as fast as he would go. She still couldn’t believe it. Cutter alive.
Slowing the stallion as they neared the road that led to the C bar C; she made sure none of the riders from the Star saw her as she rode to the old ranch house.
Once in front of the ranch house Scarlet dismounted and went inside. She knew exactly what she wanted and where it was. Going into her old room she opened the trunk that sat at the foot of the bed and looked in.
Things she’d put in there when she started working for Marshal Hart lay undisturbed beneath the maps she’d placed on top the day the Rowens had gone to prison.
She took the leather cuffs from the trunk and laced them on her wrists. She ran her fingers along the shallow cut made by her enemy’s knife; they had saved her skin once she would take the precaution and wear them now.
Scarlet then looked at the maps making a mental note of her next stop. She wanted to know what had happened. Mr. Dawg’s message said Cutter was still alive…but how? There was someone close that might know, one just had to know where to look for the crazy man.
She rolled the maps up and looked around the house. There were good and bad memories here, it seemed like two life times had been lived and had anyone asked she would tell them she was on her third with her new family and a man she loved.
Fritz…Scarlet hoped he would forgive her for this. She had once told him she would answer when her demons called; and if he couldn’t forgive her, she preferred he lived rather than die fighting her monsters.
Then there was Patches, Ella, Dr. Bill & Tensleep, she hadn’t made friends like that since Becca latched onto her. She hoped they all would understand in order for her to go on with this life she had to bring an end to the last one, and that meant finishing the job she had started out to do so long ago.
Scarlet went out the door, put the maps in her saddlebags, secured a few things then mounted up and rode to her next destination.
The shack was tucked back in a thick grove of trees; if you didn’t know it was there you’d ride right past it. Course the pungent smell that came from the grove alerted one that something was in there.
Once there she tied Lucky in the shadows then snuck up to the shack, making sure there were no other visitors but her. Stepping over the corpses of half rotted rabbits and chickens she knocked on the door. Looking around she noticed the old whisky bottles some were empty some only half empty; the smell in the air made her eyes water.
“Go way, nobody’s here” came the high pitched agitated voice from inside.
Scarlet snorted and shook her head. “Open up.”
“Nobody’s lives here.” The agitated voice called again.
“I can see you, now open up.” She called to him.
The man’s eyes grew wide and he ducked behind a small table as he looked around the room wondering where the voice that could see him was. “Go away. Nobody’s home.”
Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Smiley I can see you hiding in there if you don’t open the door I’m gonna come through it.”
Smiley jumped to his feet and ran to the door. “How do you know my name and how can you see me.” He said yanking open the door.
Scarlet looked into the shock stricken face of the man most folks thought was crazy. He spoke in riddles or sing song often and his face did not help. The scar went from the corner of his mouth and curved upward to his ear giving him the appearance of always having a strange smile on his face.
Scarlet was never sure if the man was really insane or if it was a good act, but she had learned years ago if you listened some of his ramblings were true. Folks said things in front of him with little concern because they thought he was crazy.
Smiley jumped back and pointed at her. “Witch. I know you. Have you come for my soul?” He ran across the room looking over his shoulder trying to put distance between them.
“I have only come for information.”
“I don’t know nuthin.” He shrieked.
“You know about Cutter?” She said leveling her gaze on him.
“Cutter is dead, Cutter is dead.” He chanted over and over.
Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Cutter lives, tell me how.” She hissed walking towards him.
Smiley smiled lopsided then started to dance about the room. “Rowens are dead, Rowens are dead…someone cut off their head.”
Scarlet had been told they were killed in their sleep…stabbed to death, the cutting off their head part she figured was part of his crazy talk.
“So how did they leave Fort Worth?”
The man stopped dancing. “You are the witch, why do you ask me?”
Scarlet’s eyes flashed, she’d had enough of this time wasting. Drawing the bowie “Tell me what I want to know!” she screamed as she plunged the knife into the rickety table causing it to splinter and split.
Smiley nearly fell over himself backing away from her, his eyes filling with fear. “Like you witch, they change.” He hissed.
“What” She said leaning towards him.
“Today you look just like you did years ago, but I have seen you around and you look different Angelina Corbin or is it Scarlet Angel? What did you call yourself yesterday bounty hunter, deputy marshal, witch?” He cackled moving away from her again.
Scarlet thought a moment as she put her knife away. “Identities wrong…of course they had taken on some one else’s identity.” “I call myself executioner today, what do they call themselves?” she smirked.
He smirked back. “Scarlet Angel the executioner. Gonna take more heads? That’s what executioners do, cut folks heads off.” Suddenly he paled. “You’ve not come for my head have you?”
“Only if you don’t tell me what I want to know.” She growled.
“Lawyer said the headstone reads Rowen, but no Rowens in the ground. Headstone should read Rabin but it don’t.”
“Have they visited you?”
Smiley straightened his back and looked her in the eye. “Not even the Indians come here. He fears me more ‘en he fears you Angelina Corbin, crazies is bad luck. How is it you are able to come here?”
“Rabin is my bad luck, and I’m not sure that you’re as crazy as folks think you are.”
Scarlet said as she backed out of the door. She had the information she wanted now she just wasn’t sure how to use it; it did however confirm Mr. Dawg’s statement that the men still lived. She wondered what had happened to Trixie.
“Beware of the man with fake hair.” Smiley called after her.
Scarlet narrowed her eyes wondering what the crazy man meant or if it was just more ramblings. She made her way back to where she’d left Lucky and mounted up. She’d spend the night in Devil’s Mountain; it would be difficult to find her if Cutter dared looking for her there.
-
late the night before
Trixie smiled as her last gentleman caller left for the evening. She picked up her bundle of packages and tossed them on the bed, then went to the stove and poured herself a cup of tea. She went back to the bed, put her tea on the night stand, propped up the pillows, and flopped down.
The large heavy jowled black dog jumped on the bed and laid next to her. Trixie sipped her tea and petted the dog’s soft fur.
“Lets see what’s in the paper tonight” she said to him.
The dog pushed the papers towards her with his nose as if he understood what she was saying. Trixie chuckled. The big dog, who she affectionately called Mr. Dawg, had been her companion and protector since she found him under the stairs of her apartment nearly six years ago.
Trixie picked up the newspaper from Fort Worth TX. She had been reading it since her sons had gone to prison there. She wasn’t really sure why, maybe she hoped to read their obituaries some day.
Trixie flipped through the pages reading some of the articles. Then the headline caught her eyes.
Notorious Rowen Brothers murdered
Trixie’s heart raced as she read the headline again then looked at the picture of the two men in the caskets.
“It can’t be.” She whispered nearly spilling her tea in her lap.
“Oh dear.” She said putting the cup down and wiping the tea off her robe.
She leaned forward and looked at the photo closer. The men in the caskets were definitely not her sons. Not only did she think she would recognize them anyway, but she had looked right into their eyes the year before. The men standing in the background looked more like her boys.
She scanned the pages until she read the tiny blurb on Jerry and Kurt Rabin being released.
Frantically she flipped the pages back and forth comparing the release date to the date of the burial of the Rowens. The dates matched. She could feel the fear building within her as she came to the realization there had been a mistake in identity and her sons were lose.
Trixie jumped to her feet, pulled on some clothing and ran out the door with Mr. Dawg on her heels.
She pounded on the door of the telegraph office until a sleepy eyed man answered.
“Ms. Trixie you’re gonna wake the dead. Whats so dern important you don’t think it can wait til morning?”
“I gotta send a message to a US Deputy in El Paso. I’ll pay extra for your trouble.” She was beginning to look around nervously wondering who he’d send after her and where they were.
“Ok, I’ll send it.” The man said.
Trixie followed him to the counter wrote down the message then laid the money on the desk.
“Mr. Dawg talks a lot” The man chuckled as he looked at the signature then started tapping out the code.
He looked up in time to see the tail of the black dog going out the door.
Trixie ran back to her room, reached under the bed and pulled out the travel bag. She’d never given up the habit of keeping that emergency bag packed. Wiping the tears from her eyes she went back out the door and locked it behind her. Rent was paid for a month so the room was safe in that respect, maybe she could go someplace and try and figure out what to do next.
Trixie made her way to the stables where she kept her horse, saddled him mounted up then disappeared into the darkness with her companion.
-
Tracking someone going into a bustling town like El Paso was easy. Tracking someone going out was prit near impossible. Too easy to cover tracks with other tracks. But Patches trusted Becca's words on the situation, knowing she'd known Scarlet a lot longer than she had.
She made a B-line to the C bar C, easing Thunder into a comfortable lope. Thunder may not be the fastest horse in the Territories but he was built for endurance.
Naturally, she picked up no sign of Lucky or Scarlet. Of course, Scarlet was an expert at covering tracks--her own or someone else's--but even a horse had to answer the call of nature from time to time. Patches, therefore, concluded that she had either not gone to the C bar C or she had taken a round about route. No time to check on that theory though.
Three men were sitting on the porch of the ranch house when Patches pulled up. One of them stood.
"Howdy, Ma'am," he said tipping his hat and smiling. "What can I do ya for?"
"Howdy," Patches returned. "Sorry to barge in on y'all like this, surely don't wanna interrupt ya. But have y'all seen Scarlet recently?"
"No," the man said thinking while scratching his chin. "Ain't seen hide ner hair of Scarlet since last month. I figgered y'all was jus' busy. Why? Is there sumpthin wrong?"
Patches shook her head. "No sir," she lied. "Nuthin' wrong. Just gotta message for her from a friend and thought I'd deliver it in person instead'a waitn' fer her ta git back. If ya see'er, will ya tell'er I'm alookin'?"
He smiled. "Yes Ma'am, we'll do that."
"Thankye, Sir," she said cheerily. "I'm oblidged."
And with that she turned her horse and rode out. She had just crested the ridge and there it was, looming like some kind of shadowed thing out of a fairytale. Devil's Mountain. It'd take the rest of the day to reach its base even at a fast clip. But there was no civilization betwixed here and there, which meant a possibility of picking up some kind of sign.
Patches bent down and patted Thunder on his neck. "Reckon you can git us ta that mountain boy?"
Thunder bobbed his head and snorted, stamping one foot. That horse surely did love a good long trip!
Patches crossed herself, sent up a quick prayer to St. Francis (which always gave her a tingly feeling at the nape of her neck--as if the Saint had suddenly appeared on her shoulder to guide her and the horse) then urged Thunder forward.
-
Co-posted by Tensleep and Scarlet
As US Marshal JB "Tensleep" Ross and Special Deputy Johnny Longknife were signing the transfer of custody papers and sworn evidence papers a messenger ran into the Master at Arms office, stopped in front of the desk and spoke.
"Sarge, wire just came in!"
The big Irishman behind the desk stood and gave the private a stare. "Well don't just stand there lad, give it to me."
"It's for the Marshal and deputy Sarge."
"Then give it to them,and get back to yer post!" The sergeant dropped back to his chair as the trooper handed over the message and departed.
Tensleep took the paper and Johnny signed the last document.
"Thanks sarge, you keep that deserter this time. We don't need him in El Paso." Tensleep winked at Johnny and made his way outside.
Once outside Ross opened the wire. He read and then looked at Johnny.
"Ella says everyone is needed back there. Who is Cutter?"
Johnny's head comes up quick.
"Johnny, who is Cutter?"
Johnny's blue eyes darted back and forth trying to think why anyone would be asking about Cutter.
"Kevin Rowen. 'Member that message came from Fort Worth saying they were killed?" Johnny was walking away from Tensleep as he said it. His pace gaining speed as he went towards the post's telegraph office.
The man behind the desk looked at Johnny as he came in, Tensleep on his heels.
"I need you to send a message." Johnny said to the man behind the desk.
"Yeah, write it down and I'll get to it as soon as I can." The man never looked up.
"Look son, it's urgent, needs to go now and I'm gonna wait for a reply."
The man snorted. "Yes Sir" He shoved a piece of paper over the desk and never looked up. "Write it down and I'll send it after I get these others done for the Army."
Johnny's eyes flashed anger. 'Sleep had heard Johnny was fast. "Damn!" he thought as his mind processed the fact the man behind the desk was now on top of it and one of the knives Johnny carried was near the man's throat.
"I'm tellin you, you send a message NOW!"
The mans eyes were wide as saucers. "Y Ye Yes Sir." He sat at the key and waited.
"First one goes to ECW at the Southern Starr." Johnny thought a moment it had to be quick and clean. "Where's Scarlet?"
The man sent it.
"Second one goes to Fort Worth Federal Pen. Please send all information on the Rowen brothers. Have them send the responce to the Starr and sign it Marshal Ross."
Johnny turned on his heel and went out the door towards the livery.
Tensleep followed and watched as Johnny grabbed the saddle and blanket for his mule. Calling softly to Buck Tensleep began to brush the straw and loose dirt from the buckskin's hide.
"Johnny.... gonna tell me about this Cutter... and who are the Rowen brothers.... wait a minute! Scott was always cussing some Rowen... is it one of these brothers? What tha hell is goin' on? You better tell me what ya know an' what has Scarlet got ta do with it?"
Johnny quickly bushed his mule who could feel the tenseness building in his rider. Johnny looked over his shoulder at Tensleep then past him.
"Same one's Scott must have talked about, don't know any others. Hey you!" He called to the trooper tending some of the horses.
"Yes sir." He smiled recognizing Johnny.
"Can I beg, borrow or do I have to steal a couple extra horses?"
The mans eyebrows came together as he thought about it. "Mr. Longknife I got a complaint about a couple o horses you sold me. They are to high strung for some of our less experienced riders." He said with a smile.
"Bring 'em forward, I'll take 'em and replace 'em with something else." Johnny said shaking his head up and down in approval.
Then he turned back to Tensleep. "Where were you out of before you hired on with Scott? Rowen's seemed to have a reputation from Lousiana to California. Ain't you ever asked Rebecca where she got that brand?"
"Denver." A pause. "Never figgered it was my business Johnny, 'Becca told me it was something she did when she was young and foolish." Another pause. "One of the Rowen's do that to her? Johnny if he did, when I find him he's a dead man. That woman means a lot to me."
Johnny looked sideways at 'Sleep and snorted.
"Let me put it this way 'Sleep. The man earned his nickname Cutter. He enjoys his life on the wrong side of the law. And if Scott ever told you anything about a woman bounty hunter who collected bounty on dead men. That was Scarlet. When Cutter killed her husband, Travis....it changed her 'Sleep. For that name to come up coming from Ella, don't give me warm fuzzy feelings." He took deep breath and tried to wait calmly for the other two horses to be brought up and give the telegram time to get answered.
The man that sent the telegraph came running in and handed Johnny the response from Ella.
"Thanks." He looked it over.
"Crap. Says Scarlet and Fritz gone and Patches went after them."
Johnny looked at the man who had handed him the message, pulled out his billfold and handed him some money. "Send another message to The Starr. Bo check for Travis's things. Ella give Bo Patches info. Sign it JL."
The man shook his head. Money was always better than violence.
Mounted with spare horses on lead ropes both men dug in their heels and thundered out of the stockade gates. The ride from Ft Bliss to the Southern Star was about 35 miles or six hours on a fast horse. By starting just after nine in the morning 'Sleep hoped to be there before mid afternoon.
-
Originally posted by 1st Sgt Fritz King
It was a cool morning, but not so if you dressed for it. Becca was still in her underpinnings, but she had a warm shawl wrapped tightly about her shoulders.
Why was she shaking?
“Becca,” Fritz started, “you all right?”
She batted her eyes and smiled coyly. “Of course, good, kind sir,” she replied.
Fritz hesitated a moment. There was something about the look in her eyes that bothered him…but he let it pass.
“Okay,” he said. “I’m going upstairs to get my weapons.”
Becca watched him go, wondering if he’d believed her.
Fritz climbed the stairs and pushed the door to their room open. Something was amiss. Scarlet’s weapons were gone; nothing else, and that concerned him. That, and the old trunk sat out in the middle of the floor. The lid was wide open. He’d only seen her open it once before: when she gave him the grips for the old Navy...grips that Travis might have put on a similar gun a decade ago. Fritz didn’t recall the other contents, so he wasn’t sure what was missing. He was positive that something WAS.
Fritz took his Henry and Trapdoor from the rack on the wall, and headed out to the barn. Strider was waiting. The horse’s eyes sparkled, for he knew a good ride was coming. He always looked that way when his master rode with the lady, and the big black horse.
Fritz rubbed his friend’s head between the eyes. “I wish you could talk buddy,” he said. “Can you tell me why Scarlet left without me?” Strider whinnied and nodded his head. “Well, I wish I understood you better,” Fritz thought, as he took his McClellen off the stall’s door. Once Strider was saddled, and his guns were stowed, Fritz mounted up and headed out of town.
As he rode, he remembered a time in his youth, when he helped his dad nurse a damaged locomotive back to the roundhouse for repairs. There was a whistle attached to the emergency release valve. As steam pressure got too high, the whistle screamed louder and louder, until the pressure was released, or the boiler blew.
He heard the whistle in his head, and it was getting louder.
Fritz pushed his mount a bit harder as he headed for home.
-
Hank had over heard only part of the conversation between Patches and Becca then Becca and Fritz. His instincts told him something was very wrong.
“What’s goin on Becca?” He asked watching Fritz disappear upstairs.
“Nothin Sugar.” She smiled her practiced smile.
“Don’t you use that smile you use on customers Rebecca. I’ve know you to long for that, I can see right through it.”
“I AM NOT.” She snorted then rolled her eyes.
Truth was she didn’t want Hank to know. He’d do everything in his power to keep her safe, not only was it his job, but he was her friend. She didn’t want him to go up against the Rowens.
Hank narrowed his eyes at her. “I don’t believe ya.” He said flatly.
“Just some deputy stuff..Patches ought to be on stage she’s so good at drama. But I guess that’s good, gettin’ things get done as soon as possible.” She shrugged her shoulders then went up stairs and dressed for the day.
Becca waited until later in the morning when Hank was starting to get busy with the early arriving customers. She slipped out of sight and hurried to her room. She’d decided what she was going to do.
First she’s ride out to Sonny’s. She had convinced herself he needed to know. First of all he had seen the Rowen brothers, ridden their trail, and been at their trial. He also had met Mr. Dawg, like Rebecca he knew it was a code name that until now, had gone unused for some time. Then she’d go stay with Black Wolf for a spell. One had to know where to look to find him and then only if he wanted to be found were they successful. She’d leave a note so Hank would find it when he started to miss her.
First she packed a few things then put on her riding clothes.
She jotted out a note.
I’ve gone to see Sonny, then will be spending a few days with my brother. Have Scarlet come get me when you see her. Take care of things til I get back. Thanks for everything. Love Becca
She wrote his name in big letters on the envelope then put it in the middle of her neatly made bed.
Becca kneeled down and called her puppy. The puppy Scarlet had given her for Christmas bounded across the room, his entire body wiggling with joy. She gave Timber a great big hug and kissed the top of his head then let him out. Luckily Hank had taken a liking to the dog and watched out for him when Becca was working.
Rebecca smiled as she thought of how the puppy sat at the end of the bar and watched the saloon floor when it came to life. Hank slipped him tidbits from the kitchen and denied it along with every one of the girls that worked in the kitchen. Timber would be well cared for.
Picking up the shotgun she went out the door, leaving it slightly ajar, and went down the hidden stairs that led right to the stables.
“Ha, and think I criticized Scarlet when she wanted a secret stair case.” Rebecca thought as she opened the door down stairs and entered the spotless tack room.
Bo was about the only one that went into this tack room as it held mostly broken leather pieces; he liked to make things out of and old saddles that nobody used anymore. Rebecca had teased Scarlet for keeping the floor spotless. Suddenly it dawned on her; there was no dirt or dust to leave tracks in. She shook her head and chuckled.
Becca quietly led her paint pony out of the stall, saddled him and mounted up. She took a look around; there was an uneasy feeling in the air; she figured it was just the mention of Cutter’s name. She pointed Cloud in the direction of the Daily place and set him at an easy pace.
She’d nearly made it to Sonny’s when she noticed another horse coming up the trail. She could feel panic rising, recognizing Phil her panic subsided.
-
Doctor Bill was awake before he opened his eyes. The smell of strong coffee filled the corner of the lab where he lay on the cot next to the desk and wood-burning stove. He had finished putting the last of the supplies in place only a few days earlier and had been busy ever since working on equipment for the ranch.
He picked his glasses up off the edge of the desk, swung his legs off the side of the bed and looked for Patches; confused for a moment at not seeing her and then remembering speaking to her when she got up some time earlier. She had probably gone to the telegraph office and then into town. Generally he would saddle Falstaf and go with her or if he were expecting another shipment of laboratory equipment they would hitch Bunsen and Plato, the two mules, to Bill’s wagon and take that. However, since the electric dynamo had showed up nearly a week ago he wasn’t expecting any shipments of laboratory equipment and the only piece of mail that was highly important had been delivered on Friday and was safely squirreled away in one of the desk drawers here in the laboratory. He smiled to himself thinking about Patches and the package in the desk.
Bill poured a cup of coffee and sipped it as he looked around the laboratory. He was amazed that it had been built and stocked in such a short time. He had been emotionally destroyed when his previous laboratory in Arizona had burned and then exploded in an attack on the ranch there. He had not even bothered trying to recover anything from the remains as the stories in the letters he received indicated that the blast had destroyed everything and what little was not obliterated in the explosion had been burned.
He had no idea how he was going to replace all the equipment, books, and notes he had collected over the years until Patches had presented him with a letter she had received from a Prussian, “German” he reminded himself now that Bismark had forcibly united the little southern kingdoms and won the Franco-Prussian war barely two years ago, chemical and dye company. Without Bill’s knowledge, she had found the name of one of his colleagues at Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Berlin. She had gotten Ella to help her with the translation of the letters between English and German and in the weeks and months since the destruction of Bill’s laboratory and their departure from Arizona, and with the assistance of “Herr Doctor Professor Manfred Johachen von Gobenz” (Ella had always shaken her head at the officiousness of the title) she had negotiated the sale of Bill’s buffered salicylic acid preparation. The payment was not a fortune but it was more than enough to build and equip a new laboratory as well as replace many of his books. He had never thought that the two pages of instructions and drawings that he penned in less than an hour would be worth so much money.
The new building was larger than the old one. He also had built a thick timber and earth berm between the lab and all of the other buildings at the ranch. His adobe cabin was on the far side of the berm and connected by a narrow zig-zag passageway through the wall. Wide skylights brought illumination into the laboratory during the day and lamps with polished tin reflectors behind them could be lit after sunset. Workbenches ran along most of one wall and the middle of the room with the heavy metal working equipment, the smelting and forging furnaces, and the large distillation stoves at the other end of the room with vent chimneys over them to remove the fumes and heat. Shelves and locked metal cabinets on the other wall of the single rectangular room completed the interior furnishings.
Bill finished the cup of coffee refilled the mug and after quickly changing his shirt in his adobe house, started the short walk to the main ranch house to see if there was anything left of breakfast.
Marshal Tensleep had been more than willing to let Bill make contributions to law enforcement in his own ways. Bill knew he was certainly not as fast with a gun as most of the other deputies. He was an acceptable shot with the big Sharps cartridge rifle but there were lots of folks as good as he was. What he really excelled at was the mechanical devices and scientific insight he brought into cases and the marshal was more than happy to have that without requiring Bill to ride with every posse.
The new ideas were what he loved. Bill already had one as he took another sip of coffee. Surely there would be a way to build some sort of clockwork driven system to start the coffee boiler in the morning. A wood or coal fire would be too hard to ignite but a gas burner would work. He already had a digester that generated methane from the stable waste for use in the lab. An electric spark would light the flame and an electromagnet could open the gas valve. Since Patches had showed him that at least a few of his ideas might be worth selling he pondered on a name for such a machine as he sipped coffee and walked; “Automatic Boiler”; no that was too vague. He needed something with “coffee” in the name. “Gentleman’s Novel Efficient Household Automatic Coffee Boiler”; that was much too long and complicated. He needed a name that was short and expressive: only a few words “-something- Coffee”, “-something- Coffee”: just two words. He finished the cup and stepped onto porch of the main house. Perhaps Ella or Patches could help him with the name. It was too good an idea just to forget about. He would ask Patches about it as soon as she got back or he might saddle Falstaf anyway and ride out to meet her.
-
Bread-making day was usually Ella's favorite work day. Kneading the dough while talking to Rose took her back to her girlhood in Grammy's kitchen.
But today was different. Once Ella had finished the chant to deflect the bad omen, she found that Rose was awake, and ready to get to work doing her own work against the omen. The dough that the bird had pecked was thrown into the bucket for the pigs, and then the table and floor were scrubbed.
Ella was called out to the telegraph office in the middle of the scrubbing by a question from Fort Bliss asking where Scarlet was, and sent the reply
..- -. -.- -. --- .-- -. --..-- / -... ..- - / .-- .. - .... / ..-. .-. .. - --.. .-.-.- / .--. .- - -.-. .... . ... / .. ... / ..-. --- .-.. .-.. --- .-- .. -. --. .-.-.-
Unknown, but with Fritz. Patches is following.
She stayed in the office, trying to work at her lace, but she kept having to go back and fix the mistakes she kept making. It was a relief to drop the bobbins when the next message came in. She wrote this one down neatly, and took it and the message from Patches with her to find Bo.
-
Bo groomed the young horse as he listened to the steady beat of Jimmy shoeing his horse.
Seeing Ella the horse nickered. Bo looked up. "Morning."
"Good morning Bo." She said holding out the telegraphs. "Just got this one from Johnny and he wanted me to give you this one from Patches."
Bo clenched his teeth as he read the notes Ella had handed him. She heard him curse under his breath, and could see his muscles tense even under the clothes he wore.
“Thought that nightmare was over.” He mumbled to himself.
“Bo.” Ella put her hand on Bo’s arm “who is Cutter, every time his name is mentioned I’ve gotten reactions but nobody has said who he is.”
Bo looked down at Ella. “Cutter, or his real name, Kevin Rowen. Was, is a killer who made his territory along the border. He’d ride into the states, kill, rape, steal..whatever the feeling he had for the day then slip back across. Most people that followed him back across died by his hand.
Then one day.” Bo cleared his throat and hesitated. He looked into Ella’s eyes not really knowing how to say it and obviously somewhat uncomfortable.
“Ella, my brother died trying to save his wife and their unborn child, a couple that were long time friends and our cousin.
When Jimmy and I made to the scene it looked like a damn massacre. They thought they’d killed everyone but Connie, our cousin. We interrupted them taking turns with her.
Scarlet was the only one that made it, sides Connie. Scarlet had a real bad time recovering from it. Connie shot herself.
Law told Scarlet they had no jurisdiction in Mexico, she’d have to send a hired killer unless they caught him in the states.” Bo shook the bad memories.
Ella if that devil is runnin round out there you stay close to the house.”
Bo had turned the horse lose as he spoke. When he was done he turned on his heel.
“JIMMY!” Bo was yelling as he closed the distance between them.
Jimmy was finishing putting the last shoe on his horse when he heard Bo yelling. Bo never yelled unless he was real mad or if something was very wrong.
“I’m out here.” Jimmy yelled back as he put his horse’s foot down.
Bo came through the doorway and handed Jimmy the notes.
Jimmy stared for a moment. “Hell fire. Ya really think she took Fritz with her?” He said looking at Bo.
James Bradbury was a victim of many bad circumstances before had come to live with Scarlet’s family when they were kids; even though he was a shirt tail relative Rose had taken him in and treated him like family. He and Scarlet had had their moments but now she called him her brother.
He remembered when Scarlet had come to him and asked him to ride after Cutter with her. Scarlet had slipped into his room put her hand over his mouth as she grabbed his right hand. She leaned low and whispered into his ear.
“I’m going now. Will I have a ghost on my shoulder?”
She let him go and slipped out of the room.
Jimmy rose and slipped out behind her. ‘Ghost’, that’s what Johnny called em, came from the war. He’d taught the boys how to sneak into a camp kill em all and disappear, hide in the shadows and wait for their targets and a lot of other things. He had the most confirmed kills among the group Johnny had trained.
He remembered what she had said as they rode in the darkness after the killer. I asked you to come along because, outta everyone, I figured you had an idea of what it was to hate someone so much you wait for the chance to exterminate them and you know the felling of the fear that they will return if you don’t.”
“No. I don’t, I can only speculate, and it’s all bad what could have happened.”
“What we gonna do?”
“I want you to ride to the Ace. There’s a trunk in Scarlet,s room. Most everything she used to carry when she was chasing Cutter should be in there, cept some maps. They are in a different trunk with a few other things at the C-C.”
As the two men began to saddle their horses; Bo couldn’t help but notice Jimmy had pulled the old McClellan saddle off its rack.
“We’re not going to war Jimmy.” Bo mumbled.
“Hope not.” He said as he cinched up the saddle. “This saddle is lighter than my other one. Lighter load the faster we can go.” Jimmy patted Moonshines neck as the palomino bobbed his head up and down. “We logged a lot of fast miles with this saddle.”
Jimmy’ horse snorted and danced as he mounted up.
“Hey, find out what Rebecca knows, even if you have to drag her back here by the hair. And don’t be telling Hank the confederates have come for him.” Bo said looking at his friend.
“I’m not wearing the uniform, only my horse is. Sides I don’t have time to mess with Hank today.” Jimmy snorted as he let Moonshine have his head.
Jimmy had not gone far when he saw Fritz coming up the trail at them. Jimmy pulled his horse to a stop. Moonshine danced in place feeling the anxiety in his rider as they waited for the buckskin to stop along side of them.
-
Combined effort of Fritz & Scarlet
At first Jimmy was happy to see Fritz, it took a moment for it to sink in Scarlet was nowhere to be seen.
“When was the last time you seen Scarlet, do you know where she is?” Jimmy asked.
Fritz reined in and came alongside Jimmy. The whistle was screaming louder now. He wasn't in the mood for games, and this chance encounter didn't make him feel any better.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he replied. "I got word from Becca that Scarlet and Patches were headed back to the ranch, and I was to follow immediately."
It was then he remembered the look in Becca's eyes.
"Oh shit..."
"Fritz," Jimmy asked. "What did you see in the chest? Did you see a bowie knife? A BIG bowie knife?"
His mind was running a mile a minute. "I never...wait." Fritz thought back. "There was an oilskin..."
"We'd best be getting back." Jimmy turned the palomino about. "If the bowie's gone, things are gonna go south fast."
It hadn’t taken long for Bo to ride out to the ranch and confirm his thoughts.
He tore the place apart looking for any map she’d left behind, or anything that told him where she might be headed.
Bo felt his heart in his throat when he rode up behind Jimmy and Fritz. She had gone after the killer, and Patches was following.
“At least Cutter didn’t get his hands on Fritz and Scarlet was chasing him for that.” Bo thought.
Bo stopped long enough to talk to one of the ranch hands. “Bring the stock and the men in, nobody rides alone. Lock this place down tight. Spread the word. Until Johnny’s home I want to know when someone sneezes.”
-
Combined effort by Scarlet Angel and Tensleep
Johnny and Tensleep rode as if their tails were on fire, neither talking for they had talked enough before they mounted. Each man was lost in his own thoughts. The fear that rested in their hearts was not for themselves but for their friends and loved ones.
'Sleep's mind turned back to the last time he had seen Rebecca Valentine. It had only been four days but it seemed a lifetime to him. 'Becca was someone that he had searched for all his life, finally he had found her and had done his best to do everything he could to endear himself to her.
Four days earlier.
US Marshal JB "Tensleep" Ross and Rebecca Valentine, owner of the Ace of Hearts Saloon stood in the hall upstairs in the Ace.
"Rebecca, we need to talk, I'm ready for us to move our relationship on."
Rebecca took his hand and walked to a door, opening it she pulled him in. "I thought that you wanted to move slow."
Tensleep took her in his arms and said, "'Becca darlin', we have walked out together, kissed and held hands... that was moving slow...... Now is the time to pick up the pace."
Tensleep massaged her back as he kisses her passionately.
"You want to slow down darlin'?" He asks.
Becca smiles a genuine smile at him as she thinks about her next move.
Tensleep had treated her like a lady and so far she had responded as such. Now she was having most unlady like thoughts of what she'd like to do with him.
Any other cowboy she'd been this interested in would have been different, most of them only wanted one thing from her and she knew how to handle that but this man was different.
She couldn't remember what it was like to be a 'proper lady' when it came to the advances of men. Hell there were times she made the moves. But this man made her a bit nervous as she was not quite sure what he really wanted. Her heart? a friend, she felt they had a good friendship, he'd worked on that with her for the last few months. Or someone to keep his bed warm at night? He could have had that the first time she laid eyes on him.
"Darlin'.... what I want is a long term relationship, not a one night stand or a sexual only relationship. I want you, all of you. Your mind, your heart, your body. But I want it just for me. I don't care what you do on the saloon floor in front of the crowd, but I really want you to be just for me up the stairs." 'Sleep paused, "Tell me what you want."
She kissed him passionatley as she traced her fingers gently along his cheek.
For the first time in years she was concerned about what she really was.
"You lead I'll follow Darlin'" She whispered.
"Becca, first and foremost you are a lady... I want you to be MY lady. I have needs and desires. All men do. I don't give in to them easily. I want you to be the one to meet my needs. I want to meet all of your needs and desires too. But it needs an agreement from both of us."
'Sleep kisses Becca again, softly this time, gently. His hands are on her hips, holding her, not pulling. He is tender and slow.
"I am willing to lead, but this is gonna be a mutual thing, not fast and furious. I want both of us to enjoy what we share."
He looked deep into her eyes."If this is what you want, then tell me so 'Becca."
As he looked into her eyes he could see the concern. He was getting serious and it spooked her. He was respected in the town. It was one thing for a respected man to fulfill his needs and desires but for a respected man to have a relationship with a woman such as herself was something different. The last thing Rebecca wanted was for the Marshal to lose respect because of her.
"If you want a long term relationship with a lady, maybe you should be looking someplace else. I clean up good darlin', but I am no lady. I thank you for holding me in that regard though." There was a bit of sadness in her voice. "I'm much better at sexual only relationships. There's a few in here this evening that can vouch for that."
Becca was suddenly having flashes of how angry Scott used to become when Scarlet danced with some one else, and she'd never propositioned them.
"You sit in on some of the poker games, drink with some of these cowboys, ask them about me. Then come back and tell me if what I do on the saloon floor doesn't bother you. Or better yet when ya happen to run across the right ones and they can knowingly discuss my little indescresions upstairs how much that will bother you."
She could feel her heart tighten, but she was a good actress and flashed her well rehearsed smile then took a step back. "I've seen the way the proper ladies look at you Marshal Ross. It's been fun hun, but if you're looking a relationship maybe call on one of them."
Tensleep pulled Rebecca back to him, the step back tha she had taken wasn't what he wanted. With his hands now around her waist the two stood thigh to thigh and Rebecca had to look up slightly in to Tensleep's face.
"Rebecca Valentine listen to me. I don't care that you own a saloon. I don't care that you have girls who entertain men upstairs. I don't care what you have done in the past, all that I care about is what you do in the future."
Tensleep kissed 'Becca's full lips.
"What I am trying to tell you darlin' 'Becca is that I love you and I am in love with you and I don't care what the town folks will say, I don't care what the men downstairs are gonna say and I don't care what folks are gonna think of me. I am the US Marshal, appointed by the Chief Marshal in Washington. I have a job to do."
He kissed her again.
"If you are willing to love me back and willing to love only me, then word will soon spread and you will soon find that people will stop talking about us and find something else to gossip about."
The look in Tensleep's eyes was burning. His hands held her tightly to him. His face was so close Rebecca could see his razor stubble.
"Rebecca, I don't want any other woman. I want you and only you. I want you now and I want you forever. One day I want you to marry me. I know that you make more money than I do. I know that I can't give you the things that you can buy for yourself, but, I can give you love."
"I want you now 'Becca, right now! And for always." Tensleep kissed her again as he held her tight.
She caught his hands in hers and moved back a little.
Damn he wasn't making this very easy. Would have been easy if she didn't care about him. She and Scarlet had talked about the 'knight in shining armor' and here he finally was. What was the matter with her?
Truth was she hadn't had another man in her room in sometime, but Scarlet was the only one that knew. She knew she was starting to have feelings for Tensleep sometime back, she should have stopped it then.
"I care darlin'. I care what folks think of you, what they say about you, and I think you would start to care what men say about me. Ain't ya heard my nickname?"
"You know that I don't get into town much darlin'. I also don't listen to gossip. And no, I don't know your nickname. My name is John, folks call me Tensleep... long story. I like to be called Jack, that was what my mother called me." 'Sleep held her hands and led her to the setee.
"Will you sit with me?"
Rebecca sat, then 'Sleep did.
"I know that you think folks would think less of me if you and I get serious. Folks don't think much of me now. I drive the townsfolk crazy. I don't give in to their whims. I don't have to. I'm not elected. You might not know this but the last woman I was with was my squaw. That was before I became a Deputy US Marshal. I lived with the Shoshone for 3 years. She died from the fever one winter, I left after she died. Do you think less of me now?"
Rebecca looked at him. "As long as we are sharing things we might think we'll judge one another on I'll tell you something." She said softly. "If you get up and walk out of here I will understand, but I trust what I am about to tell you will not leave this room." Rebecca stood and walked to the small table pouring herself a drink and one for Tensleep then walked back and handed it to him.
She sat back down and swirled the liquid in the glass before she took a sip, thought about how she wanted to word what she was about to say than began.
"To make a long story short, I don't remember how old I was when we went to live with the Comanche.
"I married Spotted Owl when I was young. He was a good loving husband, until he was killed by white men. After that" She shifted a bit in her seat. "Well being one of the white captives some of the other warriors took liberties with me. In order to survive I learned this profession I practice now very well. After my mother's death."
Sleep noticed Rebecca was staring into her glass now as she talked.
"Well, I became very angry, and some of the men responsible died. I suppose I learned to kill men at a young age too. Inspite what white folks think of Black Wolf I think he is a good man and I am proud to call him my brother."
Tensleep knew Black Wolf was the current chief of the tribe that was rumored to live in Devil's Mountain.
"He felt in order to keep me alive it would be best to send me back to my own people. That's when I latched on to Scarlet."
She had told the short version but Sleep could tell by the way she looked into her glass, by the way her jaw was starting to clench she'd just relived some very long and painful memories.
Rebecca downed what was left in her glass, stood and walked back to the small table. Setting her glass down she refilled it as she began to speak.
"Like I said Marshal I'd appreciate if what I told you didn't leave these walls, be bad for business if the good folks of El Paso knew I was a Comanche whore too."
Rebecca had her back to him and fully expected to hear him leave.
Tensleep stood and walked to Rebecca. His arms went around her waist and he held her from behind. "Darlin', I never want to hear you use that word again when you talk about yourself. Women do what they have to do to survive. It's a hard land. Did you think that I would be so small and narrow minded as to walk away from a good woman because of her past?"
As he slid her arms around her waist he felt her muscles tighten. She'd let herself be vulnerable and she wasn't used to it, nor did she care for the feeling it gave her.
"Tis what I am marshal." She said as a matter of factly. "I don't think you're narrow minded." She said softly as she took a deep breath.
"I just think you deserve someone who doesn't hide her past. I'm not exactly the kinda girl ya take home to the family."
"If I had a family then they would have to like you, and I know that they would. My Ma could see what was in people's hearts."
He turned her around so that she was facing him.
"Rebecca we aren't going to hide anything. You will walk on my arm if you will have me. I will never be anything but a man in love with a wonderful woman."
"You know I often walk the streets in the same clothes I wear down stairs, and down stairs my clothes don't hide much. I don't even know if I can be this woman you speak of."
"Do you think that you could love me? Do you think that you could be one man's woman? Do you think that you could find a place for me in your heart? Clothes don't make you any less the woman that I see, that I have fallen in love with. Clothes don't matter. What matters is in your heart Rebecca."
"Most propsitions I get like this are from men who only want to talk their way into my bed. They think that a girl wants to hear things like this." She looked into his eyes and knew these were just not empty words.
"I'm afraid I'll hurt you."
"And may I ask how you would do that if you loved me as I love you? I loved Little Bird, but I didn't love her the way that I love you 'Becca. I have never wanted a woman like I want you. I don't just mean to bed, I mean to be my partner for life. I need you 'Becca. You would never hurt me."
"How do you feel when you see me down stairs flirting with some other man?"
"If you were only flirting and had promised me that you were mine then I reckon I wouldn't hafta kill him."
"Night after night."
"I ain't gonna be in here night after night darlin'. I have a job and if you tell me that you are mine and mine alone, then I will believe you."
She smiled softly. "If I was to invite you to my room for a proper drink and to talk you wouldn't misinterpret that as some other kind of invitation would you?"
Tensleep looked around the room and for the first time realized while it was a nice room it most likely was not where she spent her personal time. He could tell by the look in her eyes she was extending an offer for him to see a the more personal private side of her, one she shared with only her closest friends.
"Until you say different I intend to be your suitor. I am not someone who would use a woman and cast her aside. If you say drink and talk, then it will be drink and talk no matter where we are.. I may ask to hold your hand, I may kiss you, but until I see a sign from you Rebecca, that is all. I would like to see your room."
Rebecca took his hand slid her fingers between his and led him out of the room, locking the door behind her. She went down the hall to the other side. They past the spot at the top of the stairs where he often saw her standing watching the floor below and went around the corner. There were only two doors on this side. She stopped at one and unlocked it.
"That other one is Scarlet's when she chooses to stay here." She said pointing at the other door.
Rebecca turned to Tensleep. "I want you to know the only folks come in here are my family and close friends."
She pushed the door open and stepped inside gesturing for him to follow.
Tensleep noticed the room was much larger than the other and the only thing it lacked was a kitchen.
Rebecca closed the door behind him then walked to the other door in the room and locked it. "There's a bath that seperates our rooms, door locks from both sides. If you want to go in there just make sure ya knock." She said as a matter of fact.
The room was decorated in the same dark green as Rebecca's eyes and much more elegantly furnished than the other room they had been in. It was tidy but lived in. The other room had been more sterile.
From the looks of the table near the window Rebecca liked to sit there while she read the newspaper and drank her coffee.
The blanket on the floor next to the bed had a stuffed toy that looked like it had seen some better days, laid in the middle, alterted Tensleep she shared the room with a dog. He figured it must be the partially grown wolf dog he'd seen her playing with. There was a picture stuck in the frame of the mirror on her dresser. From where Tensleep stood he could only tell it was three people.
Rebecca went to the small cabinet opened it and poured them both another drink. She smiled as she walked with Tensleep to the setee. She seemed a bit more at ease now, but still somewhat nervous as she sat and curled her feet beneath her.
"You asked if I thought I could be one man's woman. I'm willing to try, you've already found a place in my heart." She smiled and her eyes sparkled like dark emeralds.
"Do you mind telling me how your love for me differs from the love you had for Little Bird?"
"That is one long story darlin'. Her father was chief of one of the Shoshone bands that lived in Wind River. I had helped him by giving him some cows in the starving time, winter, you know." Tensleep paused, holding his pipe, Rebecca smiled and nodded for him to go ahead and smoke. He began to fill it.
"White Eagle, Little Bird's father, found me. I had been shot twice. I was near frozen. He took me to his lodge. Little Bird was a widow at 20. Her man had gotten killed in a buffalo hunt. She had moved back to her father's lodge. Little Bird nursed me til I was well. She laid in the robes with me to share her body heat. As things happen, when I was almost healed, our bodies took over and we joined. From that day on she was my woman. I grew to love her, but I was never in love with her. We supported and provided for each other." Tensleep looked at Rebecca, watching for a response.
Her smile was warm and understanding. "I'm sorry you lost her."
"I'm sorry too. She saved my life. But the way that the other squaws looked at her let her know that they thought she couldn't get a real husband, a warrior, you know. She needed her people, I needed mine. I had thought of leaving when the spring came, but she died, then there was no need for me to stay."
Tensleep once again took her hand. "So Rebecca Valentine, will you be my woman? Will you think about being my wife? Will you try to love and hold only me? I promise, I love only you. I have no desire for any other woman."
She squeezed his hand gently and spoke softly "Jack, I will stop entertaining men upstairs, and we will see how that works out. It is not that I don't have feelings for you, because I do. Like I said, I'm afraid to hurt you. We can talk about the other after we see how this part goes." She took a deep breath trying to figure out how to make him understand.
She'd watched Scott change towards Scarlet. He had told her he trusted her, Rebecca figured he never really did. She didn't want to repeat the same mistake Scarlet had.
"I realize we are not Scott and Scarlet, the situation is different in many ways, but in some it is the same. I don't want to turn you into that kind of man, and I want to be sure that you're not already."
"Darlin' take your time, but I'm gonna be true to you and I believe that you will be true to me. You know that I will be on the trail sometimes with Scarlet, Patches and Ella, but they are just friends. I only have one love and that is you for as long as you will have me."
"I believe if they know about us, well know that we are becoming serious, they will keep us both in line should the occassion ever arise." Rebecca chuckled. "I also don't think any of them are the type to betray their current loves. Ella, she is married and I don't think is the type. Patches and Scarlet. Hell I seen they way they look at Bill and Fritz." Becca chuckled mischeviously.
"Kinda like I look at you darlin'? I really think that they will keep an eye on us." 'Sleep reached for 'Becca. With his arms around her he kissed her slowly and tenderly.
She traced her fingers along his arms as she returned his slow, tender kiss.
"Rebecca?" He kissed her again. "Darlin', is this too slow?"
"What makes you ask something like that?"
"Because I want to kiss you for a long time tonight sweet 'Becca."
She leaned in and kissed him passionately.
Tensleep lifted Rebecca onto his lap and his arms went 'round her tiny waist. They didn't break the kiss that joined them.
Tensleep awoke the next morning to the sound of Rebecca carrying a breakfast tray back into the room. She smiled lopsidedly at him as she looked at him laying in her bed.
She set the tray down on the small table and made her way around to his side.
"Good morning" she whispered as she kissed him softly on the cheek.
He took her face in his hands and kissed her lips softly. "Rebecca Valentine, I love you."
His thoughts faded as the Southern Star came in sight and Johnny raced ahead dropping the lead rope to his mule who followed anyway.
-
Patches hunkered down next to a rapidly drying wet splotch in the sand. She reached out, touched the splotch with her gloved hand and rubbed a bit of the sand between her fingers. She held it up to her nose.
"Horse piss," she mumbled softly looking in either direction. Thunder blew. Patches stood. Devil's Mountain loomed dark and forboding in front of her. "Whatcha think? We close?" Thunder huffed twice.
The sun was fixin to set soon, and the wind had come up. If she was gonna catch up to Scarlet, if this WAS Scarlet, she'd best push on. No one wanted to be cought in the shadow of the mountain after dark, but that was the best place to be if a wind storm were to blow in.
Patches checked her loads--pistol and rifle. She wasn't too worried about the human element way out here, but the coyote and moutain cat could be visious.
"Next time we do this remind me to bring Dawg," she said as she mounted up. "Coulda used a good sniffer. Git on, GIT." Thunder took off at a trot.
By the time Thunders hooves hit the rocky soil at the base of the Mountain, the whole world had turned dark purple with the twilight. Patches once again dismounted and stood motionless listening. The wind made eerie sounds as it passed through the millions of cracks, crevises and caves that made up Devil's Mountain. Anything could hide up here. Anything or any one.
Scarlet would have chosen a place well out of sight, and the rocky ground made any tracking impossible, even if it were broad daylight. Of course she'd need water and shelter but most of the larger caves had some kind of water system running through them.
Patches shook her head slowly as if saying "no" to herself. Relying only on what she knew of Scarlet to help her determine where she was, she figured Scarlet would not hole up in some big cave. Those were too high up, and difficult to reach by horseback. Not that she didn't have time, Patches figured she was at least a half a day behind her. More like Scarlet was sensible about these things. She'd want a place near the base, a place with good cover, a bit of water, and facing east. It'd be a place easy to get out of, yet unseen by just about any direction. It'd have to break this wind, yet have some dry wood for fire--it was, after all, a bit chilly.
A gust of wind blew sending a high pitched keening wail to Patches' sensitive ears. The Song of the Dead, the Indians called it. If you knew what to listen for, it would fade in softly at first then grow louder until it reached an almost painful pitch, then it would slowly fade out as the winds split and sailed down other avenues.
Patches tilted her head. The sound didn't fade out. It simply stopped as if it had run into a wall. Other sounds were missing also. She didn't hear the call of the little owls that lived in the cactus near here, or the howl of the coyote and wolf.
"Geez," Patches whispered to herself sarcastically. Nothing like trying to track someone by which way the wind blows.
TO BE CONTINUED
-
Two hours later it had come up cloud and the wind was like invisible ice daggars blowling sharp sand around every nook and cranny. Lightning flashed from time to time although there wasn't a hint of moisture on the wind, nor a single clap of thunder.
Patches made no moves to conceal herself or her sounds. If anyone could hear above the wail of the wind they'd know she was coming and the last person she wanted to sneak up on was Scarlet. That'd be the best way in the world to get oneself shot.
She had just rounded a rather large rock outcropping when a bolt of lightning lit up the sky. In the instant it provided light Patches saw the form of a wolf or coyote standing above her looking down. Once the light faded however, the glow of the animals eyes remained--but only for an instant longer.
That suggested another light source somewhere near, Patches thought. But before she could complete the thought she heard a scraping sound, so soft she almost missed it.
Instinctively she ducked, even as the shadow seperated itself from other shadows and slammed full on into her body. She fell to the ground, heard Thunder nicker and back away, heard another nicker further off, then the tussle began.
Twisting her body she rolled to her back, grabbing for anything she could get her hands on. It turned out to be a double hand full of coat. Something soft brushed against her face as her opponent sat squarely on her chest. Then she felt the cold steel of a knife blade against her throat.
"Nice to see you too Scarlet," she said softly, not releasing her grip on Scarlet's coat but not making any other moves of defence.
The body on top of her hesitated, the knife lifted up just a hair. "Patches?"
"Yeah," she said. "Unless you cut my throat, then I'm nobody."
Scarlet cursed, but got up. "What the hell are you doin' here?" She demanded.
Patches chuckled and held her hand out. Scarlet took her hand and helped her up--more out of habit than anything else--while simultaniously replacing her knife with the other. "Come lookin' fer you. Guess I found ya."
Scarlet sighed. "C'mon. Get outta this storm."
"Sounds like a plan," Patches mumbled as she cought Thunders reins. Scarlet lead her around the outcropping and into a narrow crevice which then widened into something like a small cave. Patches smiled to herself. Just as she thought, shelter on most of three sides, out of the weather, facing east.
A small, smokeless fire burned in the center. Patches stowed Thunder next to Lucky and then went to it. Scarlet joined her a moment later.
"I coulda killed ya, yanno." She stated.
Patches nodded, rubbing her hands together. "Ya coulda, but ya wouldn'ta. I figgered it was you."
"Yeah? How's that?"
Patches smiled out of half her face. "Even a crazy indian wouldna be out onna night like this. You on the other hand...." She grinned.
Scarlet sighed and squatted by the fire. "Whatcha want Patches?"
Hmm. Nothing like cutting to the chase. She dug in her pocket. "Ya left this back at the Ace," she said tossing Scarlets badge at her feet. Scarlet looked at it but didn't touch it or move to pick it up. "Figured ya lost it."
Scarlet looked up at her friend. "I didn't lose it, I left it."
Patches nodded. "Yeah, figured ya lost it."
Scarlet was about to scream in frustration. Patches could be stubborn as an old mule and nine times outta ten she did it on purpose.
"Wouldn't hurt ta show that to the bad guys though," Patches said indicating the badge. "Sometimes when ya do they just give up."
"Who said anything about me goin after bad guys?" Scarlet said with a squint of one eye.
Patches smiled. "You did. Just now." She dug in her pocket again, this time coming out with a wrinkled yellow flimsy. "Who's Cutter, Scarlet?"
[size=18]TAG SCARLET[/size]
-
“That note doesn’t say anything about a Cutter.” Scarlet said flatly.
Patches mouth slightly twisted up on one side and she narrowed her eyes at Scarlet as if she’d just been insulted.
“Yeah that kid Tinkers got coverin’ the telegraph could use some lessons. I saw the tape, the code that was sent. It said Cutter.” Patches snorted.
“Cutter died last month, got that message from Ft. Worth, member? And I’m not going after bad guys.”
Patches smiled. This was going to take a little more work than usual. Scarlet had been quiet like this when they’d first met, but then they became best friends and Scarlet would tell her just about anything when she asked and some things she didn’t ask, specially if she’d been drinking, but it would not be so now.
There was something different about Scarlet now, besides the way she was dressed. Patches could feel it in the air, almost hear it move when Scarlet did, a cold presence, a darkness that shadowed ones soul.
Scarlet looked at Patches and took a deep breath. She’d said it before, if she could have chosen family, Patches would be her sister. Not the kind you fought with but the kind you laughed and shared all your secrets with, the kind you stood by when the going got tough, the one you protected with your very life, and he would use that against her if he knew.
“You shouldn’t be out here Patches. You’re gonna catch a pneumonia and get sick on me.” Scarlet was trying to find some excuse with out lying to her why she should go home.
Patches smiled lopsided and crossed her arms in a show of stubbornness “Not til ya tell me what you’re doing out here instead of curled up in front of that big fire place at home with…Where’s Fritz?” Patches looked around Rebecca had said Scarlet would go alone, but that had been hard to believe. The signs were bad all day and still getting worse.
Scarlet bristled at the question. “Probably followin you.” She hissed. “Ya come someplace to be alone, ya figure folks won’t follow, pretty soon I’m gonna have the entire posse riding in here.” Scarlet was starting to lose her temper, she could feel the anger taking hold.
Cutter did something to her that she could not control. The thought of his existence made her angry. The fact he’d slipped through her fingers irritated her beyond belief. The fact she could feel his presence and hear his heart beat sickened her. The fact she’d been having dreams about him slaughtering her friends and family made her feel like she was going insane. And finally, the knowledge he would not stop until he’d killed them all and destroyed her awakened the kill or be killed instinct within her with a vengeance that had all but consumed her. She hated for anyone to see this side of her.
She stopped a moment to compose herself, took a deep breath and straightened her back.
She wanted to hug Patches for being a sister and at the same time kick her out for following.
Scarlet looked down at the badge again, she could feel sadness mixed in with all the other emotions and hear the words bouncing around in her mind. “A cold blooded killer doesn’t wear a badge.”
“Damn you Scott” she mumbled to herself then looked back at Patches. “Just do me a favor and go home in the morning.”
The statement was followed by a long silence as the two stubborn women looked at each other, both knowing they were not getting what they wanted from the other.
“Why?” Patches finally asked.
“I don’t want you involved; don’t want any of you involved.” Scarlet said softly.
“Involved in what?”
Scarlet wasn’t about to tell Patches what she’d dreamt about.
The dreams confused her. They were mixtures of bits and pieces from the past with people in her present.
What she was sure of was she had told Scott she’d seen him die in a knife fight. Marshal Hart was poor at best in knife fight. When she expressed her concern and encouraged him to learn how to at least defend himself well he’d told her she was crazy…been living with the Indians too long, then he died from knife wounds.
Travis had held her close and kissed her then told her he’d heard pregnant women often had bad dreams when she told him she had seen him shot. He died from a gut shot.
She’d seen Fritz standing over her grave, he had told her he watched her die. That unnerved her some. She’d also dreamed of him being shot from Dancer’s back just like Travis, maybe she was crazy. He’d never been on the gelding and didn’t have any reason to.
Then there was Patches. Scarlet could hear Cutter’s voice. “Kill her” as he held Scarlet tight making her watch as Patches’ throat was cut.
Scarlet could feel her skin crawl.
“Look Patches, Black Wolf calls em visions, Scott used to call me crazy and Travis said they were just dreams of someone who worried. All I’m gonna tell you is I gotta follow them alone and if I told you what they were…well I told Scott and Travis, I think it’s bad luck to tell.”
-
Cutter always believed fortune smiled on him at times. He’d been shot, but never killed or lost a limb. He’d been jailed but walked out a free man, and now he’d found a good place to hold up while he plotted against his enemies.
The best part of the cabin they had found was the new bride that came with it. It had been along time since he’d had an untouched woman, and never one wearing a wedding dress.
He’d told her if she cooperated he wouldn’t kill her man. Cutter was pleased she only whimpered quietly, so being a man of his word, most of the time, Cutter never did lay a hand on her husband. What she didn’t know while she let him take everything he wanted with out much of a struggle, and then prepare his dinner; Cutter had left her husband to his men.
They had tied and gagged him then used him as a target for knife and tomahawk throwing. All they were told was not to let the mrs see a dead body.
Something intrigued Cutter about the woman; normally he would share them when he was done, but not this one. He really hadn’t figured it out, maybe it was just the fact she was something fresh to play with; and then Rebecca was shoved through the door.
Phil had tried to make it easy on Rebecca trying to trick her by offering her money to come with them for a private party at his place, which she denied. He tried telling her there was a woman in need of help and he was riding for the doctor then suggested Rebecca help, she denied and was obviously becoming suspicious. That’s when Harry had become impatient and nearly gotten himself shot wrestling the shotgun away from her.
Rebecca’s instincts to take flight screamed. She could almost hear her own voice. “RUN BECCA!!” She had backed her horse away from them and pulled the shotgun from its scabbard. The big man leaped on her sending them both to the ground, she’d gotten one shot off that was aimed at the man’s head, but he ducked and yanked the gun from her grip.
Harry tossed the gun to the side and straddled her trying to get control of the situation. He screamed as he felt the sting of her fingers dig deep into both cheeks. Harry backhanded her, grabbed her wrists and pulled her to her feet as he stood. They had tied her to her horse and led her to some place she didn’t know even existed.
Harry pulled Becca roughly from her horse and shoved her up the step and through the door into the small house. He had pushed her so hard she stumbled and fell in.
Looking up she saw the back of the woman with long blonde hair standing over the stove.
“Scarlet” she whispered in shock.
The woman turned around, Becca recognized the pride stripped look in the woman’s eyes.
“Jenny” She said softly. “My name is Jenny”
Rebecca couldn’t believe it, Jenny looked a lot like Scarlet, cept Jenny’s eyes were blue and up close there were differences but from a distance one could easily mistake the two.
Jenny stepped around Becca and placed the dinner plate in front of Cutter. He looked her up and down. That was it! The woman looked like Scarlet. He chuckled to himself thinking of the accusations the men had made about him wanting Scarlet at his side.
Maybe he did, but it wouldn’t happen. They were mortal enemies with some sick need to torture and ultimately kill one another. But they would have made a hell of a team he thought with a grin.
Josh looked at Rebecca, anger crossing his features. She drew back afraid of what he was going to do as he quickly closed the distance between them.
“What did you do to her!” he yelled crossing the room towards her glaring at the two men that had brought her in.
He reached down and wiped the dried blood from the corner of her mouth, then caressed her swollen cheek.
“I’m sorry they did this Martha Ann, but you’re going to have to learn how to cooperate.” He said sweetly.
Rebecca had met some crazies in her life but Josh Rowen was a real piece of dangerous work.
Josh grinned and turned to his brother. “Hey, since you’re done with the dress can I have it?”
Cutter raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“Martha Ann can wear it and you can marry us.” Josh grinned.
“You get it on her..I’m sure Jenny darlin’ has a bible in the house and we’ll marry ya.” Cutter chuckled.
Josh pulled Rebecca to her feet and drug her into the bedroom.
“You become some kind a preacher while you was in the penn Kevin?” Phil asked.
Cutter laughed. “No, but it will shut him up about her.”
In the bedroom Rebecca refused to put on the wedding dress at first. It angered Josh.
“If you don’t marry me Martha Ann then the things Phil says must be true about you being a whore. I don’t think I could stand the thought of you being with other men. I’m not sure if I’d have to kill them or you first, but I’d damn sure beat the desire out of you. Be your first lesson in being a good wife.” He walked to the fire place and started to turn the poker in the hot embers.
Rebecca had no idea why he called her Martha Ann and when he’d gone to the fireplace she didn’t care what he called her as long as he didn’t come after her with that hot iron.
So she slipped on the dress, surprised he didn’t turn to watch yet relieved at the same time.
It was all Rebecca could do to keep from vomiting as Cutter read a few words from the bible and pronounced them man and wife.
When Josh took her to the bed room she began to cry and tell him she was afraid she couldn’t be a good wife to him because Harry had hurt her when he landed on her.
Josh pulled her close and held her. “That’s ok, I’ll look at you in the pretty dress for awhile. I promise as long as you’re good Harry won’t touch you.”
Inside Becca was screaming in sickness and terror but she’d been with men she didn’t particularly care for before and her acting skills were paying off. She thanked God he was happy just looking at her until she could figure something else out.
-
Scarlet could feel her skin crawl.
“Look Patches, Black Wolf calls em visions, Scott used to call me crazy and Travis said they were just dreams of someone who worried. All I’m gonna tell you is I gotta follow them alone and if I told you what they were…well I told Scott and Travis, I think it’s bad luck to tell.”
Patches hunkered down by the fire and put her hands out to warm them. Scarlet studied the thoughtful expression her best friends face. Maybe she'd hit on something?
"Bad luck," Patches mumbled, tilting her head. "Can't rightly say I haven't had my own experiences with that kinda stuff."
Scarlet nodded and there was silence between the two women for a time.
"But," Patches said. "I can't rightly leave ya alone in this either."
Scarlet sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes. She just wasn't gonna give up. "I suppose ya have a plan," she said sarcastically.
Patches snorted. "Ya mean b'sides 'ride in and kill'em all'?"
Scarlet almost laughed. "Yeah."
"Nope," she said. "Can't say that I have. But I'm thinkin' on it."
Scarlet nodded and threw a stick on the fire. She looked over at her freind. "I really can't letcha come Patches."
Patches sighed and looked up at the ever darkening sky. Omens and portents. Stuff never seemed to end. She looked down. "Yeah, I know. But facin this thing by yourself just aint wise. Ya got friends, people who love you--"
Scarlet shot to her feet. "People who I don't wanna see die cuzza me Patches!"
"And a man who you love and wanna marry but can't till this thing is over for good. Am I right?" Patches just sat there looking at her. Scarlet turned to face her. The look on her face was enough, she didn't need to say anything. "Uh-huh. I thought so. Tell me sumpthin' though, before we get too deep into the ins and outs of philosophy," she continued rather dryly. "Whats Becca's place in alla this?"
Scarlet became frozen. "What makes ya think Becca has anything to do with this?"
Patches stood. "Cuz actions speak louder than words, Scarlet." She said in all seriousness. "Just like you're talkin to me now, without sayin a thing. Ya see, cuz if sumpthin were to happen to Becca then Tensleep would find out soon enough. And between Fritz flyin off the handle lookin for you and 'Sleep flyin off the handle lookin for Becca, and Bill prolly flyin offa the handle lookin fer me...well...thats the whole danged posse anyhow."
"Aw crap," Scarlet mumbled.
"Yeah." Patches agreed. "Aw crap. So what we gonna do? We gotta tell'em somethin' make'em understand. And if you keep insistin on goin by yourself then we gotta be ready to roll if you need help. Cuz aint a one of us willin to lose you to some grudge."
Scarlet just threw her hands up and shook her head.
Patches hunkered down again. "If I'm thinkin right we're here." She drew a cone shape in the sand then marked it with an X on the one side. "Figger theres a small town here," she drew an S shaped line and marked it with another X. "That's about a quarter day's ride if I got my bearin's right." She stood.
"Yeah," Scarlet agreed, "that's right."
"Alright. Let me ride with you to that town. I'll telegraph the Star from there and let everyone know I found ya and yer alright. I"ll tell'em I got information that can't be thrown down the wire and I'll be back to tell'em in person."
Scarlet snorted and put her hand on her hip. "With all the codes you know? Do ya really think Ella won't figger that for bullspit?"
Patches shook her head. "Alla the codes I know aint alla the codes Ella knows. Least not yet. I tought her some but not ever'thing. And this really is very sensitive information. Kinda useless ta send a message in a code only I can read, don'tcha think?"
Scarlet crossed her arms over her chest. "Good point. So whatcha gonna tell'em when ya get there?"
Patches smiled out of half her face. "Gimme sumpthin ta tell'em. If nothin' else we can do whatever kinda investigatin we need to do from the Starr, but you gotta leave me some kinda trail. We gotta be able to get where you are if you need us and you gotta promise me on yer fathers grave that you will hollar if you need help. Otherwise you'll have to just shoot me right now, cuz I"m stickin to you like glue, and that'll make yer visions come true in whole different way."
-
“My father ain’t in the grave.” Scarlet raised her eyebrow in Patches direction “and I don’t want him there because of me. He’s always understood that.
You got to promise you’ll turn around when we reach that town.” Scarlet said leveling her gaze on Patches.
Patches smiled lopsidedly.
“Promise me on our friendship Patches. You promise me that and I’ll tell ya a few things.”
“Oh alright, I won’t follow ya if you promise ta call for help.”
Both women snorted with a small half smile.
“Patches, ya got to promise me somethin’ else.” Scarlet’s voice was somber.
Patches tilted her head as her eyebrows came together. “What?”
“When you ride back, you’ll be more careful than normal and you won’t stop til you get home. Not for anything.”
“And.” Patches eyed Scarlet knowing there was something else.
Scarlet kneeled and picked up her badge, ran her thumb across it to dust it off, then pinned it in the inside of her coat.
“Tell Fritz I love him and I’m sorry, but don’t tell him where to find me.”
“Ya know he’s gonna pester me til I tell him something.” Patches snorted.
“Tell him my demons came a calling and I had to answer them ALONE. “ Scarlet closed her eyes, tilted her head back and drew a deep breath, “I’d rather have him hate me and ride away than put him in the ground.”
Scarlet opened her eyes and locked gazes with her friend.
“Patches if Cutter were to find out about him, you, anybody I care much for he’d use it against me, he’d gain the upper hand. Can’t have that.” Scarlet sighed.
“He’d have to get a hold of us first, and what about Johnny ‘n them. Aren’t you concerned about them too?”
Scarlet shook her head up and down. “Yeah, but there’s somethin’ bout Bo that scares him; I think he thinks he’s seen ghosts.
Jimmy, folks say he’s got no emotions, no soul. It’s no fun to torture someone who it doesn’t matter to.
Then dad.” Scarlet chuckled. “He told Cutter once he was going to capture his sprit and keep it earthbound in a little box. Cutter steers clear of him.
The man may be suppositious but he’s smart Patches. He’s mean and he enjoys it.”
“Ok, I understand. But you still have ta gimme sumpthin to tell ‘em. And how Becca fits into alla this.”
“Cutter, his real name is Kevin Rowen.
Mr. Dawg said there was a mistake in identity. I heard the name Rabin. If he’s using that, be easier to pin point him, but I’m not positive. I don’t know the name Rabin so I don’t know how it all fits together. If the Rabin’s had a place Cutter would probably be using it, or headed there.
The official word is Rowens, Kevin and Josh, were both killed in the Federal Penn in Ft. Worth. There was another man, rode with ‘em. Harry something..but I’m not sure where they sent him. Scott tried to keep those things from me. Protect everyone involved ya know.” Scarlet said the last part sarcastically.
She noticed how Patches watched her, reading her every moment. Scarlet half smiled. Her friend was good at reading all kinds a signs.
“Rebecca” Scarlet looked down and shook her head. “I hope she stays close to Hank, the man is resourceful; he can protect her if she lets him.” Scarlet looked back up.
“Joshua, Cutter’s brother, has some kind of sick infatuation with her. I guess it keeps Cutter from hurting her. But I fear if Cutter got mad enough he’d hurt her too.
Josh is…..well..I think a few eggs short of a dozen. Temper..damn hot temper.”
Patches could tell by the way Scarlet furrowed her brow and looked into the distance she was picturing the man and his actions.
“I think if he got mad enough, he’d kill her and not even realize it til it was to late, then probably cry over it or someth….”
It suddenly dawned on Scarlet why Rebecca was so afraid of him. “Damn I’m blind.” She mumbled.
“What?” Patches said.
Scarlet put her fingers to her forehead “Alla these years. I couldn’t figure it out and Rebecca could never tell me why.” She looked at Patches again and started to pace slowly.
“You put Becca up against any man or woman, she holds her own. She’s not as dumb as she lets folks think she is and she’s rather skilled at fighting. But you mention the name Rowen or things that go along with them; it’s all she can do to hold herself together.
That R on her shoulder; ain’t sumthin’ she did to herself and it don’t stand for Rebecca. Josh put his brand on her, told her she was eternally his. She’d wear his mark forever.
At the trial when they were taking him away..he was calling to her.” Scarlet stopped she was searching her memories, her eyes darting back and forth.
“You’re mine Martha Ann, I’ll be back for you. I’ll kill any man touches you.”
Scarlet slightly paled. “Aw crap.”
“Martha Ann! What’s that?” Patches snorted.
“I’ll be dipped if I know, told ya he’s not all there.”
“He’s gonna have a lot of men to track down.” Patches stated.
Scarlet gave her a serious look. “Depends on how far back he goes.”
“I know ‘Sleeps fond of her, to put it mildly.” Patches sort of smiled.
“Yeah, well I know that Becca isn’t making the money she was a couple of months ago, personal income if ya know what I mean.”
Patches narrowed her eyes at Scarlet. The look on Patches face told Scarlet she was pretty sure she knew what Scarlet meant, but Scarlet chose to make it crystal clear.
“She’s only been seeing ‘Sleep. She’s asked me if I thought it was possible he could love someone like her. Then asked me a whole lot of questions about my relationship with Scott and Fritz.
But how this Martha Ann name figures into things I have no clue. One person I know might could tell us what or who Martha Ann is.”
Patches was on her feet in front of Scarlet like a shot. “Who?”
“You find Trixie Blue, you find the key to Rowen’s past.”
“What’s a Trixie Blue, er who?”
Scarlet took the telegram and pointed at the signature line. “Mr. Dawg, you find Mr. Dawg you find Trixie Blue. Ya find Trixie, ya find someone who knows about the Rowens before they had wanted posters on em.”
Patches eyebrows drew together.
“She’ll answer telegrams ta Mr. Dawg. There’s only few people who know that Patches. I’m telling you because I know you’ll take it to the grave with you. Trixie is in a lot of danger too. Kevin means to find and kill her too.
I don’t know how she knew they didn’t die. But trust me, if anyone could positively identify them it’s her.”
Scarlet went to her saddle bags and pulled out some maps, flipping through them until she found the one she wanted.
“When you get home, you send a message to Mr. Dawg. Simply say Angel tracking Mr. Dawg. If she checks the telegraph offices or gets wind of the message she will contact me er you in this case.”
Scarlet laid out the map of California. “Here is where she lives, but I’m sure she’s fled.”
She said pointing at a tiny place called Mokelumne hill.
“She may go here.” Scarlet said pointing to Jackson. “Here.” She said pointing to Angels Camp. “She may be making her way to the Starr. Mr. Dawg likes mining camps. If they have a telegraph office he likes that better, because he can check for messages.”
Patches studied the map, memorizing the places Scarlet pointed out. “Uh huh, got it.”
Scarlet rolled up the maps and put them away then went back to the fire and started to tear the message in tiny pieces and slowly feed it into the fire so it wouldn’t cause much smoke.
“As for finding me if you need to. Just follow the black road, seems that’s where I’m at right now. If that doesn’t work Travis always sees where I’m headin’.” Scarlet half smiled.
“What? Wuz that supposed ta mean?”
“You’ll figure it out if you have ta. I know how you love a good mystery.” Scarlet chuckled as Patches snorted.
-
The minute his horse’s feet touched the earth of the Southern Starr Johnny could feel it, something was wrong, and then what he saw made the hair stand up on the back of his neck.
Four out riders, the men that should be out there watching who came and went on the ranch, but men that normally rode in two.
Johnny dropped Velvet Ear’s lead rope and kicked his horse to move faster.
As he rode up to the house he didn’t like what he was seeing at all. Stock in the corrals that should be on the range, men walking the property armed, damn felt like he was riding into the Alamo. And the Star, place was locked down tighter than a bulls ass at fly time.
There were a few men walking the porch on the second story armed with long range rifles and carrying spyglasses, men guarding the barns. The iron doors and shutters had been mostly closed. Only standing open enough to slip through or watch the grounds, ready to be shut quickly should they need be.
damn, fart and someone’s gonna know Johnny thought as he reined his horse in by the back door.
Bo stood in the den and huffed between clenched teeth as he watched Johnny’s feet hit the ground before his horse stopped.
“Bo!” Johnny’s voice boomed, knowing it had to be him or Rose that gave the orders to lock the place down, but guessing it was Bo since he had sent the wire to him.
Bo turned to face Johnny as he heard his foot steps echo the halls.
“What the hell is going on?” Johnny said coming through the open doors of his office.
“Scarlet’s gone Johnny, took the maps from the C bar C. Fritz said there was an oil cloth layin’ on the bed and all her weapons were gone at the Ace.”
Johnny’s eyes narrowed. “She took that knife?! I thought that boy watched her alla the time how in hells name did she get away from him!?”
“Ain’t gonna do no good gettin’ mad at Fritz.” Bo said watching Johnny grow more frustrated.
“So first she slips away from a man thet is always with her THEN she parades onto the ranch, goes into the house takes everything she needs and NOBODY SAW HER!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY GOOD FOR?”
Johnny walked to his desk and opened the draw he started to dig through some papers looking for something.
“They’re good men Johnny you know that. Ain’t a man alive Scarlet can’t get passed if she sets her mind to it.” Bo stated.
“You’re walkin on dangerous ground Corbin defending them like that.” Johnny growled slamming the drawer and yanking another open.
“Shouldn’t have to defend ‘em. You know there good men. They stand ready to fight, give their lives if they have ta. And you’re not the only one upset, Fritz just don’t know how bad it could be.”
Johnny’s eyes could have shot daggers as he looked up from rifling through the second draw then slamming it.
“And what did you tell him? All we need is folks all spread out. Thought he was with her and Patches was following, so where are Scarlet and Patches?!” Johnny growled.
“Fritz thought the girls were headed back here. I ain’t told him anything; don’t think it’s rightly fair neither.”
“Fair?” Johnny growled.
“You know what could happen if he rides out of here half cocked..and he’s just the type that would. Damn hot head. What is her attraction to damn hot heads any how?” he grumbled.
“Just like her father.” Rose’s voice came from the door way. “Look at yourself Johnny. You might as well be foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. Snapping at Bo like that, shame on ya’.”
She walked in carrying a cup of coffee and set it on his desk. At first Johnny glared then his look softened slightly.
“Bo’s been doing the best he can securing this place and gathering people, avoiding there questions.” She looked at Bo and half smiled. “Cept Ella’s” she mouthed so only Bo could see.
“Ella’s been at the wire a good part of the day doing what Patches asked and something that the Marshal sat in motion.”
Johnny kept at the draws in the desk, soon out of frustration he yanked one open and dumped the contents on the desk top and began going through it.
“Where’s Patches. I suppose she happened to ride out here too without being seen.” Johnny said.
“Couple of the boys said she rode out to the C bar C looking for Scarlet then rode off.”
Johnny shot a nasty look at him.
“She’s allowed to come and go just like the rest of us Johnny, nobody knew there should be any reason to be following or watching them.” Bo said crossing his arms over his chest.
“Johnny, why are we getting so upset, when all the wire from Patches said “Scarlet and Fritz gone, I'm going after her. Message Marshal at Fort gather everyone. Inquire anyone within the last 5 years named "Cutter". What aren’t you telling anyone but Bo?” Rose asked.
She had been worried when he and Jimmy had ridden out earlier and Ella asked about Cutter. But then Bo came back with Fritz and Jimmy. Bo’s actions only confirmed her worries that something was terribly wrong when he started ordering men around.
“You know I get crazy at the mention of his name..there should be no reason to mention it now. He’s supposed to be dead. But I sent Bo to check a few things out on a hunch; unfortunately he didn’t find what I hoped he would. That tell’s me Scarlet, for some reason, thinks Cutter is out there and she’s gone after him.”
Not finding what he wanted in the desk Johnny went to the book shelf and began going through the books. Stopping on occasion and shaking ones to see if anything fell out.
Rose pursed her lips together, knowing Johnny wasn’t going to tell her anymore.
“Bo’s right Johnny, ain’t fair you keep us on a need to know basis. She’s my daughter too ya know, and Patches is like my daughter.
Fritz loves Scarlet.” Rose was stating to become angry because people were keeping secrets from one another. “It’s only fair you tell him what’s going on.”
“What am I supposed to do Rose? Tell the man she maybe gone, but I don’t know for sure. She’s chasing a dead man, but I’m not sure.” He threw the book across the room in frustration. “And I can’t find what I need to even start looking where she might have gone!”
“What ya looking for” Rose asked sadly.
“Maps, there were a second set of maps we had.” Johnny suddenly saw the look on his wife’s face.
“I’m sorry Rose” He said crossing the room gathering her in his arms as the tears began to well up in her eyes and spill down her cheeks.
“That storm has rolled in. Any chance I had of tracking her has been washed away.
I had a second set of maps that traced his movements, notes on his behavior. I could probably do some educated guessing if I was to look at them. But I don’t know where they’ve gotten off to.” Johnny said softly.
“Look for you’re maps. Maybe something helpful will come in on the wire. Maybe Scarlet and Patches are hold up somewhere out of the storm and they will be back in the morning.” Rose said drying her eyes.
She half smiled and headed back to the kitchen where she continued to cook to release her nervous energy. Least there was enough folks around the house this evening to eat everything she’d been cooking once she had helped Ella finish from the bird incident this morning.
````````````````````
Back at the Ace men were starting to come in out of the cold. The place was really starting to get busy. Hank scratched his head thinking to himself he hadn’t see Rebecca all day long, which was strange since Marshal Ross was supposed to be out of town.
On a cold night like this Rebecca liked to wear her long green velvet gown with the black fur trim. Was the perfect night to tell her if she undressed him he would have horns and a tail. Hank chuckled to himself. Rebecca was a smart lady but he had told her that men that belonged to the union army grew horns and tails. She had even written Scarlet and asked if it was true Course it was all a ploy on Hanks part to get her into bed.
Scarlet had written back a letter telling Becca it only happened when the moon was full and it was damp outside or something to that effect. Hank enjoyed teasing Rebecca that way. He was just waiting for her to ask Fritz if he had horns under that slouch he wore.
Hank shook his head chuckling to himself at the entire idea as he walked upstairs and knocked on her door.
Timber who had been following pushed his way through and went to his pillow. Hank opened the door a little wider and called her name.
When she didn’t answer he peeked in. He couldn’t help but notice the note with his name on it. That was very strange he thought going in and opening it.
Hank read the note then folded it and put it in his pocket. It was very strange she would ride off with out telling him fifty times how to take care of her puppy and as of late telling him to make SURE she told Marshal Ross she was thinking about him. Hank rolled his eyes. He had drawn the line when she said “give him a big sloppy kiss for me.”
But he would smirk at the marshal and whisper “Becca says I’m thinkin’ about you hun.” In his best imitation of her and only if no one else was in ear shot. Scarlet had once heard and made some comment about don’t forget the kiss and nearly fell offa the bar stool giggling.
He’d come to love those two women and their antics. He’d been privileged to see the side of them most folks didn’t he thought.
Going to see Black Wolf..that he was used to…but Sonny. Rebecca NEVER went to see Sonny.
Hank decided he’d ride out first thing in the morning to find out what was so important Rebecca would ride out to see retired deputy Daily. Not that they weren’t friends or anything, hell she’d thrown him a retirement party that came close to one of the New Years parties, she just didn’t ride out there.
-
Bill looked up from tightening the last bolt that held the massive carbon-arc searchlight down to its mounting plate on the roof of his adobe cabin. With the installation of the electric dynamo and the weir dam on the creek the week before, he now could power the two lights that had arrived from England some time ago. When he was attending the university in Edinburgh, he had seen lamps like this in London and the beam of ferociously bright white light they projected was astounding. It was visible for miles at night and could be used for signalling or illumination at great distances. He had attended to install a pair like this at the ranch in Arizona but…
He frowned and scanned the horizon again hoping to see a pair of horses approaching but there was nothing. Ella had said that Patches was going to find Scarlet who had gone after someone named “Cutter.” He trusted Patches implicitly and if she thought that there was any real danger she could not handle she would call for help. As it was she was just asking for information. He still did not like the situation and frowned again looking at the clouds gathering on the horizon. Bill was a planner and always believed in trying to carry enough gear to account for any situation that might arise. He and Patches had been together long enough that some of this had rubbed off on her so he was concerned that she had not come back to the ranch for any provisions. Well, he thought, she must therefore be fairly sure that she would not be gone for too long.
He opened the trapdoor in the roof and climbed down the ladder in the corner of the kitchen. The house was very quiet. Often by this time of the day Patches would have dropped by and they might be working together on some project or occasionally making supper together if it was Ella’s Sabbath and she was not cooking. “Speaking of supper,” he said out loud and looked toward the main house. It should be just about time. Bill put the cloth tool roll down on the kitchen table for the moment and after lighting a lamp near the door and pulling on his coat, started the walk to the main house to see if he could help with the preparations.
Rose smiled warmly as she watched Fritz looking over the big gun that ‘decorated’ her yard.
She wasn't sure what to say to him, she had been so happy to hear Scarlet had found someone that made her happy. At first Rose had not believed it; she thought Scarlet had made someone up to keep her from worrying. Then Rose got to meet Fritz, and the way he and Scarlet looked at each other. Rose felt a great deal of joy when she watched them together.
She liked Fritz right away, and she liked the fact she could tease him on occasion and make him blush. But today, like her she could see he was worried.
Rose poured a cup of coffee and stepped outside.
"You're going to catch cold out here if you're not careful." She said offering him the cup.
Fritz looked up. He'd been trying to occupy his mind with inspecting the guns that sat in on the lawn of the Star.
"Those things still work. Johnny's kept them repaired and fires them on occasion to make sure they do. Probably work better now then when they rolled out of the factory." Rose ran her hand across the barrel.
"I have no doubt," Fritz replied, accepting the cup. He'd seen the craters in the ground 400 yards out. He was sure that Johnny had every inch of ground dialed in.
"I feel like a useless part here." Fritz patted the barrel. "The men all know their jobs. Johnny's been occupied with other tasks. Bo and Jimmy haven't spoken to me since we pulled in." Firtz looked down the sights. "This is something I know. Something I'm comfortable with."
Rose put her hand on his shoulder. Her son's shoulder.
"But..." Fritz sighed, and she felt it through the fabric of his greatcoat. "I know she's a big girl. I know she can take care of herself. She's done it long before I came along." His words came rapid fire. "It's just that she's told me about demons from her past, coming to get her, and now she's out there alone..."
Rose smiled understandingly.
"Fritz, you're as much a member of this family as anyone of them. They just been around here longer, know what to expect, and what’s expected of them.
Bo and Jimmy, they probably don't know what to say to ya. Sometimes it's hard wondering if you're saying to much or not enough, if it's even your place to say things.
Johnny, well that's just the way he can be. He'll calm down." She looked back towards the house. "He better, Bo can only take so much, chewing on." She half smiled.
"I'm glad she's told you about those demons. The difference between then and now is she never had a man she loved the way she loves you to come back to."
Rose's hand slipped from his shoulder. "I believe she'll come home to you son.
If you want her fathers attention you might have to stand up and be heard so to speak. Johnny respects a man who'll stand his ground. Maybe he's never said it to you, but he respects you."
"You're right, of course," Fritz said. "There's a time for fighting, and a time for waiting. When he wants to talk to me, I'll be here."
Rose pulled the shawl closer 'round her shoulders and turned to go.
Fritz put his hand out. "Rose...who are those 'demons'?"
Rose stopped and turned back around a puzzled look on her face.
"I thought you said she told you about them. A name is that what you want to know?"
"She never told me," Fritz said. "All she'd say is that some day, her demons would catch up to her, and she'd have to go and fight them."
Fritz sighed. "She also said not to be surprised if I woke up alone one day."
Rose could feel her heart twist and Fritz could see the sadness in her eyes.
"Did she tell you..." Rose didn't know how to say in or how to ask, this really was not her place, it was Scarlet’s, but Scarlet wasn't here and she wasn't going to shut Fritz out. She looked down then looked back into his eyes. "Did she tell you she couldn't have children?"
"Not in so many words," Fritz replied. "She made it sound like it wasn't in the cards...as if she couldn't be a mother, because of the life she'd chosen."
Rose rolled her eyes. “More like her father than I ever knew.” She said under her breath.
She slid her hand over Fritz’s arm. “Walk with me.” She said heading towards the barn.
“I don’t know about all the demons Fritz, but I know plenty about this one. Thing that puzzles me, is that he is supposed to be dead, Scarlet always said he was smart. She also said she wouldn’t believe he was dead until his heart was cut out and the ashes spread to the four winds.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Yeah, more and more like Johnny.” She snorted.
“His name is Kevin Rowen, or Cutter. Depends on what part of the country you’ve been standing in if you’ve heard of him or not.“
Rose stopped in front of her stallions stall. The big grey raised his head and approached them stretching his nose out to take the sugar cube Rose offered. She smiled and stroked his forehead.
“You ever hear of the Rowen brothers or a man called Cutter? I know the army chased him along the border states.”
Fritz put his hand out, palm up. The grey sniffed at it, and obligingly lowered his head. "This one likes his ears scratched too," he thought.
"Cutter. The name rings a bell. We didn't do much about him at Riley, but the troopers patrolling the border were fully briefed by the Rangers."
He looked at Rose, and saw the concern in her eyes. "I was briefed too, before my 'unofficial' scouting mission." As Fritz recalled, this Cutter was found of rape, torture and murder. "I promised those boys I'd save a rifle round for Cutter if I came across him."
Fritz took a deep breath. "Rose, what did he do to her?"
Rose twisted her lips. "Some of the stories I heard about that man Fritz...." She shook her head sadly then took her a deep breath of her own. Rose didn’t want to tell him what she’d heard he’d done to that deputy that worked for Scott. She knew it would only cause him more worry.
Fritz took a deep breath. "Rose, what did he do to her?"
“He took her husband, her unborn son, and until you she believed he took the ability for her to love someone else." Rose said softly as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "She tried to love Scott, I guess looking back they just weren't compatible, she thought it was just her. I probably didn't help the situation either. Then Scott started talking about marriage and a family. Scarlet can’t have children because of the life she’s chosen, she can’t have children because of what happened when her path crossed Rowens."
A soft nicker was heard down the breezeway. Rose smiled softly as she looked at the dark sparkling eyes of the bay gelding who hoped he would get some attention. She started to walk towards Dancer stopping along the way to pet some of the other horses.
He'd spent many hours talking to his love, and she'd never mentioned Cutter. They'd spent nights in a loving embrace, saying nothing but sharing everything...yet he didn't know this.
Suddnely Fritz felt very foolish.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't know."
"I'm sure she would've told you, in time," Rose replied. "It may be that she just wanted to keep you safe...to keep from losing you too."
"She won't," Fritz said. "I swear it."
The bay nickered again, wanting his attention as well.
“I suspect that maybe one of the reasons she’s not talked to you about setting a wedding date. Every time I ask her about it she just replies you two have yet to discuss it. Much like everyone around her Fritz, she leaves the door open for you to walk away.”
Rose stopped in front of Dancer’s stall. The bay gelding bobbed his head up and down waiting for treats and attention.
“Scarlet tells people she had a riding accident. That’s why she can’t have children. Cutter’s brother shot her horse from under her and he fell on top her. I think the only thing that saved her was the sandy ground. The doc told us she was lucky to have lived.”
“Dancer was Travis’s horse. I often wonder what he would say if he could really talk.” She held the sugar out to him, and ran her fingers through the long black forelock that laid neatly between the horse’s eyes. Dancer lowered his head and closed his eyes as he ate the sugar obviously enjoying her attention.
“This horse has a lot of miles on him, good and bad. He’s a hell of a ride. I’m glad Scarlet’s riding him again, and Patches too.” She stroked the horses neck and thought she’d have to ask Patches what she thought of the horse, she seemed to enjoy his company.
Dancer lifted his head and looked at Fritz. He was used to seeing the man come and go with Scarlet and his stable mate. The gelding’s nostrils quivered as he put his nose on Fritz's arm.
For a moment Fritz and Rose looked out of the barn at the horizon. There was a storm brewing.
And it was coming their way.
Ella sighed as she stood up and stretched. Her watch said she had been at the key for the last eight hours. Now that the key was quiet, and might stay that way until morning, she felt every minute of time in her hands and back.
She had stopped at her room to buckle on her holster and add a box of ammunition to her pockets after delivering the messages to Bo. Rose didn't comment on the pistol while they finished cleaning the kitchen and made a new batch of bread, but had given a little nod of her head as though she approved. They finished the kneading before the key called her out to the telegraph office at a run.
That was a report from the prison, addressed to ECW and signed by Tensleep. After transcribing it all neatly, she started asking questions. When she reached the limits of the information the prison could provide, she turned to the Fort Worth newspaper. They sent her accounts of the buria l, and promised to mail accounts from the trial and photos from the funeral right away.
During one of the pauses between sending questions and getting answers, she noticed that someone, probably Rose, had brought her a lunch tray with a pot of tea. She managed to eat half of it, and drink a cup of tea, before the wire called her back to work.
Ella gathered the papers into a neat pile and carried them to the kitchen. After dinner would be soon enough to discuss what the words written there all meant. Some of the meaning was going to come from Rose, Bo and Jimmy.
-
Tensleep watched Johnny drop Velvet Ears' lead and ride hard into the yard. Buck followed close and stopped when 'Sleep reined the borrowed army mount to a halt in front of the barn. One of the many hands in the barnyard caught Velvet Ears. The marshal dismounted and led his horses into the long hallway tying them each to the rail. He stripped his saddle from the bay and hung it from the rope that had the tag with his name on it. He grinned as he looked at the tag. Scarlet had cut the leather in the shape of his Marshal's badge and Rebecca had carefully carved "10zzz" on the leather.
He hung his bridle on the saddle horn and walked back to the horses.
Slowly he brushed both horses after cooling them down. His mind was on the things he had been told and on how to proceed. Finishing the wipe down Tensleep put both horses in stalls and fed them.
Walking to the cabin that served as both his quarters and office the marshal looked closely at the number of men walking around heavily armed. Bo and Jimmy seemed to have brought in all the hands from all the outposts on the Southern Star. The place was battened down as tight as 'Sleep had ever seen in his life. There were army posts that couldn't begin to compare with the number of men or the measures taken here.
Inside the cabin Tensleep threw his saddlebags on the bunk and saw that there was already a fire in the stove. He filled his coffee pot and set it to boil. In minutes all of the paper that could be found in the file cabinet was spread on his desk. Anything that didn't say 'Cutter" or 'Rowen" was piled to be put away later.
"Damn Scott Hart! Why didn't he write better reports?" Tensleep's report writing wasn't very good so he had started making notes and Patches and Ella would read them, then question him and write the reports filling in the details. To him that was the best way to overcome one of his self known shortcomings. It worked well and the marshal also got different perspectives from his deputies.
After having read everything he could lay his hands on Tensleep knew that there were more holes to be filled. He stood and filling his coffee cup stepped onto the porch in front of his cabin. He looked at the sky and saw the gathering clouds. Then he saw Bo walking from the ranch house.
"Hey Bo! Got some time to talk?"
-
Combined effort of Tensleep and Scarlet
Bo stepped out of the house. He knew what it was Johnny was looking for, just had no clue where to tell him to look. Scarlet was Johnny’s daughter and had been one of his best students when it came to fighting skills and apparently squirreling things away as not to be found unless she wanted them to. The only things he’d been able to say when asked where the maps were was “Where would you put them.” That had only irritated Johnny more. He knew there was a false panel in Lucky’s stall, hell there was one in Dancer’s too. But anything to be well hidden would have been in Lucky’s because nobody went into Lucky’s stall. Bo had found the hiding spot and only turned up a pistol, ammo and a knife. He had searched the C-C and come up with nothing earlier.
He was going over other hiding spots in his mind, wondering if there was anything in the tunnels that led to the house and thinking about asking Fritz if he noticed or knew where there might be any maps Scarlet kept. He’d sent Jimmy to look through the rest of the barns. Jimmy knew of a few spots Scarlet might put things, but so far he’d not found anything but a couple of bottles and a note saying “nothing here Jimmy” with a smiley face drawn on it. Damn that woman.
Bo’s head jerked up when he heard the Marshal’s voice.
“That depends on if you have any more coffee and what you want to talk about.” Bo said stepping onto the porch.
Tensleep could see the frustration in the mans eyes.
"I have coffee aplenty, an' I wanna talk about this 'Cutter' that I keep hearing so much about." 'Sleep poured Bo a cup of strong coffee and pointed to the paper scattered over the desk. "I have gone over everything Hart wrote about the Rowens an' it ain't much. If we are gonna find Scarlet an' catch the Rowens then I need more information. I figger you know as much as anybody but Scarlet, you wanna tell me what ya know?"
Tensleep settled back in his chair waiting.
Bo stood looking down at the paperwork strewn across the desk.
“I know, like you he’s supposed to be dead.” Bo’s finger landed on the paper from Fort Worth informing the Marshal Kevin Rowen and Joshua Rowen had been laid to rest.
“What I don’t know is who set Scarlet off and put Patches on her trail. There’s a missing piece there. You think you could find out what that telegram said and most importantly who it was from?” Bo looked at Tensleep then looked at the papers on the desk again.
Bo spotted the report regarding the deputy Scarlet had called Tom. “Died in the line of duty.” Bo snorted.
“Ya know what I heard Cutter did to this boy.” He said letting the paper flutter onto the desk.
Tensleep shook his head no looking into Bo's eyes.
“Scarlet told me that Cutter skinned him alive. She said Pete told her took him days. Said they cut his eyelids off too.” Bo sipped his coffee and sat across from ‘Sleep.
“Kevin Rowen is a smart man, sick bastard, but smart. The maps Johnny’s tearing the place apart trying to find marked his trails, his hideouts, things like that. The family had a ranch in San Diego at one time.
"His brother Josh, he’s a strange one. I don’t know that he has the blood lust Cutter does but it seems he likes his brother’s praise.
Kevin will do his best to try and figure out how he can get to Scarlet or those that love her, and take advantage of what he knows anyway he can. Mental games Marshal, they are a challenge to him and he enjoys a good challenge before he slaughters his prey.
Men, women, children, babies he don’t care. Rape, torture, sell the women, all depends on the mood of the day. The ones that scream and fight back excite him; like cat and mouse I suppose.
He’s good when he can think about the situation, frustrate him, anger him, he starts to make mistakes. Scarlet is good at that.
There’s a list miles long with names of folks he’s killed. Out of that list there are four people I can think of that have ever escaped him. I think he’s come to collect; Scarlet is one of em. He caught her once ‘Sleep. She wouldn’t tell him anything then and I doubt she’d tell him anything now, especially about you folks.”
Bo leaned back and looked across the desk at Marshal Ross.
Tensleep was taking it all in, listening like he had never listened before. When Bo finished talking the marshal was making a note on a sheet of paper that he had started hours before. Slowly he lifted his head and looked at Bo.
"You said there were four people that had escaped him. Who are the other three?"
"Your deputy Pete, they left him for dead. That's how we knew what happened to Tom. His mother, calls herself Trixie something; you know Scarlet told me his mother prays for his death."
Bo looked down at his cup then back up at Tensleep. "Rebecca is the other one Marshal, Cutter's brother got some kinda of a thang for 'er. If she stays close to Hank she'll be ok.
Cutter went into the Ace once, don't think he'll go back into Hank's playing field again. He'd be the type to wait until someone left there."
Tensleep went cold at the mention od Rebecca's name, he stood suddenly. "You got anyone that can ride to El Paso and to Sonny's? Sonny's name is all over these reports, I wanna meet him. I wanna know right now where 'Becca, Hank an' Sonny are an' if they know what's goin' on. I need to talk to Johnny. We gotta have a plan an' be ready to move. Bo yer gonna hafta stay here an' take care o' Rose an' tha Star. I don't want nuthin' happenin' to these folks. You know that Johnny an' Fritz ain't gonna stay behind. If Sonny will go I want him to be with us. Can ya find two riders?"
Bo eyed 'Sleep knowing when he'd heard Becca's name he'd be upset even more than he was before.
"Sonny rode with Scott for alot of years. He was Scarlet's partner from the day she started til the day he retired; he's chased after Cutter for alot of years too." Bo tapped one of the more completed reports. "He knows all about Cutter Marshal. He's also got a wife and couple of kids. You best be prepared to do some fancy talkin'. You ever even met the man?" Bo asked.
"Never have, but all I ever heard was good. I'll talk to him. I'll have Ella wire Pete, I want him to know the Rowens are alive an' loose. Ya got men that will ride now? I need to talk to you an' Johnny an' Fritz now. If Sonny comes he can tell us lots of things that will help even if he won't ride with us. Tell yer man to see if Hank will come out here to the Star." Tensleep lit his pipe as he looked at Bo.
"Sonny's one of the best in my book. Good deputy from what I know, and a good man fer sure. I can have someone ride out to Sonny's. I'll have 'em tell Sonny what you want and offer for his family to stay here.
Ain't nobody gettin in here unless they are invited, especially with that light Doc Bill has blinking around out there.
You want Hank out here regardless or shall we leave him at the Ace he refuses? And Rebecca, I don't think it would be wise to drag Hank out here and leave her behind, unless someone stayed with her, safer here anyhow." Bo said as he thought of who he was going to send.
"I want Rebecca here, it's the safest place for her. If Hank knows that Scarlet is out lookin' for the Rowens he will come here with 'Becca. He thinks as much of Scarlet as he does of 'Becca.
Bo I don't know if you know it or not but Hank is one of the most efficent killers ever known. He's reformed, but I jist know that he can be one hell o' ah lotta help to us. We need him on our side, we need his help, we need to use things that only he knows. If there is a match for Cutter it's Hank."
Bo raised an eyebrow and looked at the Marshal; Bo knew things about Hank but he was curious just what Tensleep knew. "What makes ya say that?"
"Let's jist say I been to N'orleans, an' I talked to tha lawmen there over coffee. Anytime lawmen git together they talk cases. The 'Iceman' is famous," 'Sleep grinned. "Maybe I should say Infamous in N'orleans. Seems tha he never killed ennybody that didn't need it an' he kinda thinned tha ranks of tha 'bad guys' down there."
Tensleep looked at Bo. "When I got to El Paso I had descriptions of lots of wanted men in my head. I know about lots of things that happened in all kinds o' places. I even know that Bo Corbin had another name for a while."
Bo chuckled softly.
"In my territory if a man ain't caused no problems an' walks the straight and narrow he has no problems with me. You have nuthin' to worry 'bout Bo." Tensleep grinned again. "I might have had another name once myself."
"Then ya probably know the 'Iceman' was killed by a bunch o' boys that didn't like yanks much; or so the story goes.
Hank on the other hand is a little slower on the left draw than he used ta be but I ain't gonna go against him. If Hank doesn't want to go I know someone more efficient than him, ain't me if that's what you're thinking but Hank's more even tempered.
Didn't think the law wanted that other fella you're thinking of Marshal cuz Scott would have arrested him fer sure." Bo grinned as he stood. "I'll get those two riders on their way and find Fritz if you're wanting to talk to him. I don't know if I'm ready to go back in there and tell Johnny we haven't found anything Scarlet might have hidden cept this." He held up the note with the smiley face drawn on it.
-
The marshal watched Bo walk out. His mind was on Rebecca and Scarlet and what might be happening as he stood here not yet knowing which way to go. Patches crossed his mind next. That girl had a way of winding up in the middle of any mess that was going on.
Ross shook his head. All three of the women were capable and could handle themselves in a scrape. It was just the fact that he had grown close to all these people, they were all the family he had. Rose treated him like a son. He and Johnny could talk about almost anything. Johnny gave damned good advice... except where it came to women. The marshal snorted when he thought of how Rose and Scarlet could twist him around their fingers. Even Rebecca and Patches could make Johnny squirm. Ella didn't even try to shake Johnny. If she stated a need Johnny jumped.
It was true, Johnny was the boss at the Star. He managed the cows and men, Rose managed the horses. It was just the fact that the women managed Johnny that made 'Sleep snort. When it came to women Johnny didn't have a clue.
Johnny was usually low key and easy going. With the news that Scarlet was out of pocket, Johnny was a raving lunatic. He wanted action, but he was like Tensleep, no place to start.
'Sleep gathered his notes and then checked the fire. With the fire banked the marshal left his office heading to the house for his meeting with Johnny, Fritz and Bo.
-
orginally posted by 1st Sgt Fritz King
The waiting was the hardest part...it always had been. Fritz idly wondered how much time he'd spent in uniform, 'just waiting.' He'd checked his gear already. Everything he'd ever needed was on his person, in his saddlebags, or hooked to his McClellan. All the extra kit had ended up dumped on the trail, or put into storage, never to be seen again.
Fritz leaned against the hitching rail, and patted Strider's head. Old words from an old sergeant came back to him: "Don't wait for it to happen, don't even wish for it to happen." Fritz spoke the ending aloud: "Just be ready when it DOES happen."
He pulled a cigar from his vest pocket, and struck a lucifer with his thumb. Fritz drew in the aroma of good tobacco, but didn't savor it as much as he should have.
Scarlet was in danger.
And he didn't know where she was.
One of Johnny's hands apporached him. Fritz hunted his memory for the name.
"Zeke...right?"
"Yeah. Johnny wants to talk to you in the house."
-
Combined effort of Fritz, Tensleep & Scarlet
Johnny was standing on a ladder looking through some of the books on the top shelf of the book case and running his fingers along the top of the case. He looked down at Fritz as he came in.
“Fritz, I’m looking for some maps, with markings on them, and some papers on Kevin Rowen. Do you have any idea where Scarlet would keep something like that?” He said calmly as he climbed down from the ladder. He’d had a lot of time to think as he tore the place apart and knew he’d not find anything in the office.
He wanted to scream “Why didn’t you keep a better eye on her.” But he knew it wouldn’t be fair. She had been on the ranch and not one of his so called trained men had spotted her.
There was tension in the room. Fritz felt it as soon as he walked in the study. He wasn't surprised. Scarlet was his daughter, after all.
"I'm sorry sir," Fritz began. "Scarlet never mentioned Rowen to me. And if she had, I wouldn't have made the connection to Cutter."
Fritz was uncomfortable, but did his best to bear with it. "Scarlet and I talked about lots of things...but never this. She said that one day, her demons would come back to haunt her. And," Fritz took a deep breath before continuing, "to not be surprised if I woke up alone one day."
"Hmmm..." Johnny said, thumbing through the same book a second time.
Johnny was about to say something else when he heard Bo clear his throat.
“Are you bringing me something useful Bo?”
Bo handed Johnny the drawing. “Nope, but the Marshal would like a word with the three of us.”
Johnny looked at Bo unimpressed by what he’d been handed then looked at Tensleep.
“Then shut the door and talk to us Marshal.” Johnny took a seat behind the desk and motioned for the rest of the men to take a seat.
"I want to find out what is goin' on..... I hear this from you Johnny, I hear that from Bo... I want to talk to Sonny and Hank. I have Scott's reports and they don't tell me much." Tensleep paused.
"We all need to know the whole story so we can form a plan. Johnny, why don't you start?"
Johnny ran his fingers through his hair and exchanged knowing looks with Bo.
“Where would you like me to start Marshal? Here’s what I will tell you both.
Fritz she rode out after her demons, most likely afraid if she didn’t kill them, they’d come and take you too.
When she rode out after him the first time I was told I was left behind because she didn’t think she could look me in the eyes after she killed a man in cold blood.
Marshal she didn’t invite you along because she intends to kill him.”
Johnny eyed them both waiting for any comments.
"I don't have a problem with Scarlet killing her demon. I have a problem when she won't ask us to help. I know enough about the Rowens to know that they don't deserve to live and a judge made a mistake by not hanging them on the spot."
'Sleep walked, packing his pipe.
"Bo told me about the same thing. He said you were looking for maps. Have you looked in the obvious place? Her room?"
Johnny shoved the smiley face at him. "Jimmy's been in there. Brothers seem to know where to look for hidden things, although I've seen this before."
What did it mean when you saw it before? How were the maps packed and where did you see them last?" Tensleep grinned when he saw the note.
“What did it mean?” Johnny had to laugh. “Means Jimmy used to take stuff. He was not a very nice kid when he came here. He self appointed himself to irritate her. So she took to hiding things. After awhile it became a joke. You’ll probably find notes like this all over her room if you look hard enough. His pockets are probably full of em by now.” Johnny eyed Bo again.
Bo looked down and pulled more notes out of his pocket and handed them over.
“Oh this is cute, isn’t my baby talented.” Johnny said sarcastically as he held up the paper with the smiley face’s tongue sticking out. Better luck next time written across it.
“The maps were in a leather folder, last time I saw them they were tucked in that book.” He pointed to the book that lay on his desk. “It’s a blood line book of the horses. Before that it was tucked in this book.” Johnny held up the book that had notes on loads for the different guns Scarlet used. “That was in her room.” Johnny said flatly. "I am out of places to look gentlemen. Unless somebody else has a good idea?”
"Scarlet have a secret place as a child? Somewhere she went to be alone? Every child has one, think it might be there?" Tensleep was grasping at straws.
“The horse barns was where she went to be alone. You seen grown men digging under my water troughs? She hides stuff everyplace. Rose ran them out of the garden earlier..I think that’s Rose’s hiding spot anyhow.” Johnny sighed.
“I looked in the bird house roof.” Bo said quietly.
Fritz thought hard...would she put them there?
"Gents," Fritz began, clearing his throat. "Back at the Ace, she has a bookshelf. There's an old book on Camelot."
He got questioning looks form the men around him.
"You know...the Arthur legend...knights in armor?"
“Fritz if she would have had the maps at the Ace why did she take the ones from the C bar C? I mean it’s a good idea, but if it were me, I would have taken the one’s from the Ace and not taken the time to ride out to the ranch. Whatcha think?”
Johnny stood and went to the fire place, carefully he put his hand up inside and felt around, coming out with nothing but sooty fingers. “She used ta put stuff up there but I guess she decided it got to hot.” He said.
“That’s a summer hiding spot Johnny, didn’t ya’ know that?” Bo snorted as he watched.
Johnny sat in his chair. “We wouldn’t be so lucky Hart would have noted the places they went would we?”
Tensleep sadly shook his head no.
Fritz was at a severe disadvantage. These people knew Scarlet better than he did, and this was her home ground.
Ground...?
"Damn!" Fritz exclaimed. "I was right on top of them. Johnny, when was the last time you fired that parrot rifle out front?"
"I dunno...six months ago maybe? Why?"
Fritz headed for the door.
The three others exchanged curious looks and followed him. Johnny the most curious of what he was thinking.
Fritz reached the gun first, with all the others in tow. He pulled off the muzzle cover, and removed a wooden plug from the bore. Once done, he peered inside.
Johnny asked, "What the hell do ya think you're doing?"
The bore was dark, but not from rust or carbon. Fritz ran a finger around the muzzle crown. "Grease," he said, smiling.
"Ya..so?" Bo replied.
"You said yourself that Scarlet liked to play games, right? So it stands to reason she'd make it harder for you." Fritz stripped off his blouse, and rolled his sleeve up as far as he could. He reached into barrel of the Parrot rifle, feeling around on the inside. "Ella's gonna hate me for this," he thought.
"Aha!" Fritz exclaimed. "Got it!" He pulled his arm out, and opened his hand. Sitting in his palm was a brass skeleton key.
"What's this Johnny?" Fritz asked.
"That," Johnny said, "is the mystery."
Bo was looking at the key trying to figure out what it might go to. Only one box he could remember that would take a key that size and shape but he’d not seen it in years.
Suddenly it dawned on Johnny. “What the hell is she doing shoving things in the barrel of my guns?” He blurted out.
“She always knows when yer gonna fire ‘em because you talk about three days ahead of time.” Bo said under his breath only to receive a glare from Johnny.
“Yeah I’m afraid to know what else she might have put down the barrels, now I’m gonna have to check them over real good.” Johnny snorted.
Tensleep had watched as the frustration grew in Johnny and Fritz. Bo was uncomfortable because Johnny was frustrated.
Finally the marshal spoke. "Johnny since we can't find the maps do you think that between you, Bo, Jimmy and Sonny you could recreate the maps fairly closely?"
Johnny looked at Tensleep for a moment. “Yeah, we might come close. I have the maps she started with, Sonny might be able to fill in the places the rest of us can’t. Jimmy can tell us a lot; thing is if we find those maps Scarlet has we might find the notes she had on him. Seemed she had figured out just where to find him, if the notes are with the maps.
I found the information I had on Cutter in the beginning, if we go over that we might find a place to start too.
When Ella gets all the information she sent for that will tell us how long he’s been out, maybe could figure where he’s at.” Johnny was talking to whoever was listening.
“We can work on the maps, I asked Jimmy to fetch Sonny, so that part will have to hold til they get back.” Bo stated.
Johnny nodded his head in approval as he watched Fritz reaching into the barrel of the second big gun. At least he’d know the barrels were clear now.
Nobody figured they’d be lucky enough to find anything in the other gun, but since Fritz was already dirty it didn’t hurt to check and they all would have felt foolish if something had been there.
As the men walked in Rose met them in the foyer. “You men need to eat something.”
Johnny opened his mouth to object.
Rose raised her hand. “Look I know how you men are, you’re not going anywhere in the dark and the rain. I expect the moment you get some lead you’ll be high tailing it out of here. First food, then you all can go do what ever it is you were headed for.”
Rose raised an eyebrow at Fritz “Cept you, you get to clean up before you rejoin them, unless they are going to make you go someplace else filthy.” The way she looked at the men and the tone in her voice told them there was no denying her request.
Johnny sat next to Ella. He was tired and he knew Ella had had a long day but like most women he knew you had to look close to be sure.
“Rose told me about this morning, the bird ‘n all. I want to thank you for doing what you did. Want to thank you for everything you do ‘round here Ella. I’m glad Rose has other women to talk to here.” Johnny smiled. “Have you heard anything from your inquiries?”
Ella posted:
Dinner was a far more somber meal than usual, with Patches and Scarlet both absent, and everyone else concerned about them. Ella and Rose tried to keep conversation moving lightly, but it was a strain. It was a relief when Johnny asked, “Have you heard anything from your inquiries?”
"I was waiting until after dinner to bring it up," said Ella as she got up to bring her stack of papers from the kitchen.
"Tensleep had the prison at Fort Worth send me information. They wired that the Rowan brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment, had bounced around the prison system for almost a year with trials and appeals and such, arrived at that prison on March 15, and were murdered in their beds on March 22. That was all they sent, so I started asking questions.
"The Rowans' personal effects were turned over to Kurt and Jerry Rabin, who were released on March 23, having completed their sentences for petty theft. The Rabins had been the only friends the Rowans made in prison, but the four got to be inseparable almost as soon as the Rowans arrived.
"I couldn't get any more information about the week the Rowans were in prison, because the prison guard who checked the Rowans in died of fever in the middle of March. Other guards fell ill of the same fever, so the whole crew was replaced.
"The Rowans were murdered by strangulation. The bodies were chewed up pretty bad by rats before being discovered, so the identification was based on what they were wearing and where they were sleeping.
"I tried the newspaper, and got an account of the Rowans burial, which was attended only by the Rabin brothers. The paper is sending me copies of the pictures taken of the bodies and the burial."
-
Johnny sat next to Ella. He was tired and he knew Ella had had a long day but like most women he knew you had to look close to be sure.
“Rose told me about this morning, the bird ‘n all. I want to thank you for doing what you did. Want to thank you for everything you do ‘round here Ella. I’m glad Rose has other women to talk to here.” Johnny smiled. “Have you heard anything from your inquiries?”
Dinner was a far more somber meal than usual, with Patches and Scarlet both absent, and everyone else concerned about them. Ella and Rose tried to keep conversation moving lightly, but it was a strain. It was a relief when Johnny asked, “Have you heard anything from your inquiries?”
"I was waiting until after dinner to bring it up," said Ella as she got up to bring her stack of papers from the kitchen.
"Tensleep had the prison at Fort Worth send me information. They wired that the Rowan brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment, had bounced around the prison system for almost a year with trials and appeals and such, arrived at that prison on March 15, and were murdered in their beds on March 22. That was all they sent, so I started asking questions.
"The Rowans' personal effects were turned over to Kurt and Jerry Rabin, who were released on March 23, having completed their sentences for petty theft. The Rabins had been the only friends the Rowans made in prison, but the four got to be inseparable almost as soon as the Rowans arrived.
"I couldn't get any more information about the week the Rowans were in prison, because the prison guard who checked the Rowans in died of fever in the middle of March. Other guards fell ill of the same fever, so the whole crew was replaced.
"The Rowans were murdered by strangulation. The bodies were chewed up pretty bad by rats before being discovered, so the identification was based on what they were wearing and where they were sleeping.
"I tried the newspaper, and got an account of the Rowans burial, which was attended only by the Rabin brothers. The paper is sending me copies of the pictures taken of the bodies and the burial."
Fritz hadn't eaten much. Ella's cooking was excellent, as usual. But he didn't have much of an appetite. He'd pushed his food around the plate a bit, and sipped at some coffee. But his mind was on Scarlet, and would be...until she was safe.
"I'm sorry," Fritz said, placing his napkin on the table. Eyes fell on him. "But I can't just sit here. I'll be over at the lab should you need me."
Johnny watched Fritz go, he didn't envy how Fritz felt, at least Johnny was doing something to keep himself busy.
Johnny turned back to Ella. “I’m impressed.” Johnny said as he looked at the papers Ella had “You didn’t happen to find out anything about the Rabins did you?” Johnny furrowed his brow. “Like if they had any family that might be able to identify them? Cutter might think those people need to be disposed of.” He was thinking out loud again. He looked at Ella and smiled. “I’m sure you have thought of all of that.”
Johnny rose “I’ll be in the den working on those maps if anybody needs anything.”
"No, it looks like the Rabin brothers had no family left. They came from Georgia after the War, and started a small ranch east of Fort Worth. They probably met the Rowen brothers in jail awaiting trial in March last year. A neighbor had accused them of rustling his stock. Their lawyer, who happened to be the same lawyer defending the Rowans, convinced them to accept a plea bargain with a sentence of one year. The telegraph operator in Fort Worth thinks their lawyer sold them down the river, since the charges against them were created by the neighbor in order to take over their ranch."
Ella straightened up, "That's it!. The Rabin ranch is the first place Rowens would have gone."
-
Hank lay in his bed listening to the wind scream through the street and alleyways. He’d heard some of the patrons talking about how bad the storm was. He sat up at the sound of the thunder and the pounding of the rain. Taking a deep breath he swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked down at Timber. Timber sat up and made a low whine as he looked back.
“Is no rest for man or beast is there.” Hank said leaning over petting the dog’s head.
He reached for the letter he had placed on the nightstand. The weather was turning cold yesterday and Rebecca would have known it before she left. One thing Hank knew about Rebecca Valentine was the woman didn’t like to be out in the cold weather.
Warm bed, hot lovin’ and good whisky, not necessarily in that order, was her philosophy on how to handle a cold night. She’d told him that on more than one occasion. She also told him she’d spent enough cold nights under buffalo robes and inhaling camp fire smoke she didn’t want any more.
So why would she ride out to the Indian camp to spend a cold night under a buffalo robe when she could have stayed home, entertained a house full and then gone to a warm soft bed? The question ate at his insides until he couldn’t stand it any longer.
Gone to see Sonny..her false smile…the conversation with Patches, then Fritz, who both had ridden out of town directly after. It didn’t add up and reeked of deception.
Hank pulled on his trousers and boots then made his way to the kitchen for something to eat and cup of coffee; made his rounds checking the place then back to his room.
Lighting the lamp he looked around for some warm clothes and his gear. It was second nature to put on the shoulder rig he wore under his jacket in the saloon. He stopped just as his fingers touched the leather. Something told him he better be more prepared for this outing.
Hank reached for the rig that lay hooked over his bed post. About the only time he strapped on the gunfighters rig anymore was to practice his quick draw. He grinned, there was still some satisfaction in knowing he was as fast and more accurate than most; one never lost the instinct. Occasionally there were folks that asked him about the stories he’d heard about a gunfighter called the Iceman, but as far as he knew there were very few that really knew where to find the man, or if he still lived.
He’d never forget that night. He’d heard about knife fighters, but until that night had never stood toe to toe with one.
The group had come at him for having the wrong kind of accent and asking too many questions, his gun had misfired. He still felt the ache in his shoulder where the blade had been sunk, especially in weather like this.
He could still hear Travis Corbin’s deep southern drawl behind him. “Knifes always loaded boy.” He was sure he was dead when he saw the flash of the blade, but the spray of blood that hit his face was not his own. Then all hell had broken loose. When the dust had settled he and two of the biggest men he’d ever seen stood over a group of dead men; who he understood were fed to the hogs later.
Strange how folks paths intertwined Hank thought as he made his way to one of the girls rooms and knocked on the door.
The dark haired girl answered the door smiling as she looked Hank up and down. “Sorry Darlin’ you missed out.” She grinned as she pulled the sheet closer around her.
Hank grinned. “I need to talk to your friend, Jack, in there.”
The girl pushed the door open and stepped aside. “Awful early for you to be rousting the customers Hank.”
Hank chuckled as he stepped in. “Jack, I need ya to fill in for me while I ride out to see someone.”
Jack opened his eyes. “Yeah, ok. When ya coming back and where’s Rebecca.”
“I’m not sure, but I trust you’ll run the place as you always do when I need ya.”
“And if I don’t?” Jack chuckled.
“You don’t have ta ask that Jack. To many folks be hunting your hide you do wrong here.”
Jack grinned. He knew he was one of the very few people the owners of the Ace of Hearts trusted behind the bar when no one was looking.
Hank turned to the girl. “Will you watch Timber for me?”
“Always Hank, anything for Becca ya know that.” She ran her hand across his cheek and smiled.
“Thanks” Hank said as he shut the door behind him making sure the dog was safe inside so he wouldn’t follow.
Hank went back down stairs and out to the barn. “Come on Blaze.”
The sorrel dun looked at Hank then out into the storm and back at Hank like he was insane.
“Yeah I know, been along time since we’ve been out in something like that, we’re getting soft old man.” He said saddling the horse.
He was thinking to himself he was worrying for nothing as he mounted his horse and rode out into the pouring rain.
Blaze jumped at the lightning and the sound of thunder that followed soon after.
“Damn all I’m gonna do is get shot riding up on Sonny’s in the middle of the night like this fer nuthin’.” He said to his horse as he patted Blaze’s neck.
Over the sound of the rain he thought he could hear the sound of hoof beats. Hank turned in the saddle and saw nothing in the darkness.
“Must be jumpy too now.” He thought…but there it was again..hoof beats.
The lightning lit the sky and he saw it, a horse and rider coming up the road at a fast clip but suddenly they were gone.
Hank kicked Blaze off of the trail, waited and listened; nothing came, nothing but the sound of rain. The hair stood up on the back of his neck from the feel a presence.
He waited for what seemed like an eternity, the rain just pounded down harder. Hank rode off the trail for awhile before he finally steered Blaze back onto it.
He couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched he turned in the saddle to look, just to confirm to himself he was paranoid when the lighting lit up the prairie again and he saw the pale horse.
Hank spun Blaze about drawing his pistol. The horse and rider had vanished off of the trail again. “Am I seeing ghosts?” Hank wondered as his eyes scanned the trail.
“I’m not gunnin’ fer ya Hank, put it away.”
It was Jimmy’s voice. Hank turned Blaze to face where the voice had come from only to hear the faint sounds of hoof beats as Jimmy’s horse moved.
“What are you doing out here on a night like this following me then?” Hank turned his horse again.
Jimmy rode up onto the trail where he could be seen. “I’m going to fetch Sonny back to the Starr.”
“Why?”
“Ross wants to talk to him about Cutter, they’re sayin’ he’s still alive, and runnin’ lose. Whatcha doin’ out here?” Jimmy said eyeing something on the ground as he rode closer.
“Ah Crap! Well that explains a lot; Becca left a note saying she was going to Sonny’s then…”
The lightning flashed again, Jimmy he slid off his horse to retrieve what he’d been looking at.
“What is it?” Hank asked watching him pick it up.
Jimmy ran his fingers over the hearts and roses engraved on the stock then cracked open the shotgun and picked the shells out. He tossed the empty one up to Hank.
“Becca was here but something tells me she didn’t make it to Sonny's,” Jimmy said handing Rebecca’s shotgun up to him. He looked for signs, if there were any they’d been washed away.
“Somebody better get word to Scarlet, I can ride on to..” Hank was saying.
“Forget it, Scarlets gone too.” Jimmy interrupted as he mounted his horse.
“Then we better be making tracks.” Hank said. Kicking his horse, the two raced towards the home of retired US Deputy Marshal Sonny Daily.
-
Cutter paced the floor. He could feel her, she was thinking about him. He poured the whiskey into the coffee cup then took a long swallow.
“What was she thinking?” He stared into the fire. She was close, it wouldn’t surprise him if she was looking down on the cabin as he thought of her. “Where are you?” He mumbled.
Phil rolled over and looked at him. “None of us is getting any rest with you pacing like that. She’s probably curled up next to her lover. We all ought to be curled up next to something warm.”
Cutter turned and threw his cup at Phil in anger causing Phil to jump to his feet as the cup and hot liquid bounced where his head lay seconds before.
“I want to know where she is!” Cutter growled.
“Why don’t you ask Rebecca?” Phil said walking to the table rubbing his eyes as he sat down.
Cutter slowly grinned then turned, went to the bedroom door and banged on it.
“What?” Josh replied.
“I want to talk to the Mrs.”
“Can’t it wait til morning?”
“NO!”
Rebecca felt instant fear. “Don’t let him hurt me Josh.” She whispered.
Josh looked down at her. “Just be a good girl and tell him what he wants to know.”
Rebecca felt already defeated as Josh led her to the door and opened it.
“What do you want?” Josh asked standing between Rebecca and his brother.
Cutter reached around Josh grabbed Rebecca by the hand and pulled her close.
“I want to know where she is.” He said staring into Rebecca’s eyes.
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie or I promise I’ll hurt you.” He chuckled with sadistic glee.
“I swear I don’t know, people been asking all day, and I’ll tell you what I told them. I don’t know.” She said taking a ragged breath.
Cutter grabbed by the jaw and narrowed his eyes.
“Look I can feel her heart beat, means she’s closer than I would like her to be. If you had to guess where might that be?” He snarled.
Rebecca put her hands around his wrist. “You’re hurting me.” She was hoping Josh would intervene but he just stood watching.
“I’m just getting started.” He squeezed harder.
She tried pulling away but he had to tight of a hold.
“I don’t know, just kill me know.” She spat.
“I’ve always been a man of my word, haven’t I?” He said in low tone.
Rebecca shook her head in agreement.
Cutter grinned sadistically as he watched fear take hold of her. “I’m not going to kill you, but I will hurt you and you’ll wish I’d killed you.”
“She went to the ranch earlier.”
“Why?”
“Help to come after you.”
“Then?”
“Don’t know.” Rebecca’s eyes watered from the pain.
“Guess.” He growled.
She finally slipped his grip and started to back away. But he was quick and grabbed her by the back of the neck.
“You lived with the Comanche; are they fond of cutting a mans tongue out?” He said as he drew his knife and drug her towards the fire place.
“NO!” She screamed.
Josh stepped close causing Cutter to shoot an evil glare at him. “Don’t worry I won’t kill her.”
“If I tell you will you leave me alone?” Make you’re men leave me alone?” Rebecca said in a voice filled with defeat.
Cutter chuckled. “You’re not dumb are you; tell me what I want to know and I’ll give you back to Josh, and leave you alone until I get back.”
“The only place I know she might go is the mountain.” Rebecca’s heart twisted with the pain of feeling like she’d just sold out her friend.
“Damn, I hate that place.” Cutter mumbled as he let go of her.
Rebecca slid to the floor and put her head in her hands. “If you had any kindness, you’d kill me now.” She whispered.
“I told you I wasn’t going to kill you. Maybe I’ll let Scarlet have a go at ya though.” He laughed. “Come on men we’re riding out now.”
Josh was next to her almost instantly. “See I told you. Be good and you’ll be ok.” He went to put his arm around her.
Rebecca glared up at him. “What kind of husband are you to let your brother man handle me. How can I ever trust you to protect me?” she said through tear filled eyes. Hoping she could turn the two on each other.
Josh was shocked at first. “He didn’t hurt you.” He finally said flatly.
Harry looked at Cutter. “Are you kidding? Ride at this time of night in this weather?”
“Yeah. Some of ya need to stay here and watch after the women. Don’t let ‘em do anything foolish, like try ‘en run, or hurt themselves. The rest of us are riding out now.” Cutter said then went out the door to the barn followed by his men.
Phil caught up to him. “What are we doin’ this for?”
“It’s the last place she’ll expect to see me. She knows I don’t like that place, probably why she goes there. If I’m going to catch her, gonna have to surprise her.”
-
Patches watched Scarlet stand at the opening of the cave looking out into nothing. She finally stood and walked up next to her.
“Whatcha looking for?”
Scarlet looked at her. “Just listening.”
It seemed to both women there was more silence between them tonight than the entire time they’d been friends.
“There’s nothing out there.” Patches finally said. “what is it you’re listening for?”
“Listening to ghosts is all.”
Both women turned and walked back to the small fire and sat down.
“Ya know, if Travis was the kind of man I think he was, he’d forgive you if you broke that promise to bring his killer down.” Patches said softly.
Scarlet half smiled. “He would, he’d scold me for runnin’ round out here like this if that was all it was about. Somewhere, somehow it changed from that. There have been days I wished it was just that, there are things now that would have made it easy to break that promise. Same as there are things now that drive me to make sure he dies.”
Patches watched Scarlet run her thumb across the bottom of the ring she wore. Patches wondered if Scarlet was aware she did it when she was thinking.
Patches had been thinking too. Thinking about what Scarlet meant when she’d said Travis sees where she’s at. There must be something hidden that would help them find Scarlet where he could see it; perhaps behind a picture.
“Scarlet, how we gonna find you if you need help?” She asked.
“I told you already.”
“Well much as I love a mystery, how can I look for something when I don’t what it is I’m looking for?”
Scarlet grinned. “Got a point. There’s another set of maps. Like these.” Scarlet held up the leather pouch with the maps they’d looked at before. “And a notes on Cutters habits, with it.”
Patches was immediately trying to envision where a picture would be that would hold something that bulky.
“The only ring I’ve ever seen you wear is the one Fritz give ya.” Patches motioned with her eyes at Scarlet’s hand. “When you stop wearing your wedding ring?” Patches had never seen the ring and thought maybe it was in the same safe place as the maps.
“I took it off along time ago. You have to put the past behind before you can move forward. I tried to move forward, yanno.” Scarlet said a bit regretfully.
“What did you do with it?”
Scarlet half smirked. “Travis had a box that he kept valuables in. I put it in the box, so he could watch over it too.”
Patches was about to say something else when Scarlet rose. “It’s time to go.”
Patches looked outside. “It’s still raining and dark.”
“Yep. The rain will cover our tracks. If we wait til it stops the mud could leave a trail a blind man could follow. It’ll be daylight soon enough. You could be home by this afternoon.”
-
Combined effort of Tensleep and Scarlet
The rain had pounded the ground all night. Sonny had awoken his family and they had ridden out as soon as they could gather a few belongings for their stay at the Star.
Katharine Daily was a gentle, kind, hard working woman who never questioned her husband’s decisions. She was a supportive wife of a US Deputy and proud of her man and their family. But as she rode in the rain and dark listening to the men talk and telling her baby girl there was nothing to be afraid of she was beginning to wonder what kind of man the new marshal was. He’d sent Jimmy instead of coming himself, although there were reasons for that, she’d heard Jimmy tell Sonny.
Rose spoke well of Marshal Ross, and for Johnny to be letting them live at the Star meant something to her. But why did she want Sonny to ride, after Cutter of all people! He had so many men at his disposal and he had called on Sonny. Would he give Sonny a good partner to ride with, or some idiot that would tuck tail and run at the first sound of gunfire? He had no right, Sonny had done his duties and had a fair amount of scars to show for it!
Katherine didn’t know if she should be ashamed of her thoughts or not. After all Sonny was going to help Scarlet and Scarlet had not only been his favorite partner but the best one.
Katharine remembered having fits when Sonny told her he’d be riding with a woman, then she remembered seeing Scarlet in the Saloon. She had gone to the saloon without Sonny’s knowledge and accused Scarlet of having wicked intentions of getting a married man alone because that’s what those kind of women did. Katharine had been so embarrassed when she realized she was calling her good friend Rose’s daughter a blonde hussy. She remembered Scarlet not saying a word until she was done. Then the woman had simply stated “I have no intentions of bedding your husband but I promise you I’ll never leave him alone.”
She wondered if this Marshal had other deputies that had that kind of grit. Just thinking of what could happen to Sonny made her madder and more upset. By the time they reached the Star she was determined to find out what Ross was made of.
Katherine dismounted and politely handed the reins and her daughter to her husband then without another word she went into the house. She smiled at Rose who smiled weakly back. Skipping the formalities because she knew once Sonny started talking to the marshal she’d probably not get either one of their attention she asked. “Where’s the Marshal?”
“In the office with Johnny.” Rose pointed as she said it.
Katharine straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath as she entered the room of men. Her eyes swept the room until they landed on the man she remembered being pointed out as the new marshal.
She walked up to him ignoring the rest of them, hands on her hips, mad as a wet hen and somewhat resembling one.
“What kind of man are you JB Ross?” she demanded.
"Mrs Daily, it's a pleasure to meet you." The marshal's hat was off in the house and he held his right hand out to her just as he would have had it been a man. "I have heard quite a lot about you and Sonny and your family, now I finally get to meet you all face to face.
If you would like to freshen up please feel free, if not, I would like to talk with you.
Please, come sit down and have some hot coffee or tea. I'm sure that you are cold and damp from the long ride"
Katherine had taken the marshal's hand when he offered it. It was strong but not over powering, work roughened but not hard callused. His touch on her hand was firm but gentle as he led her to the leather sofa near the giant fireplace.
"Thank you so much for coming to the Southern Star, as you know the Rowen's are on the loose again. I need information from Sonny. I need he, Johnny, Bo and Jimmy together so that I can get what I need all at once."
Tensleep had poured steaming tea from a porcelain set that Rose had brought into the room earlier. He poured it in a heavy mug rather than the small cups that let it cool too quickly. Now Katherine was holding the mug warming her hands as she listened.
"I think that we are all safe here and that is the main reason I asked that you and Sonny come." He paused. "You ask what kind of man am I." Here he paused again.
"I hope that I am honest and straight forward. I am a man who works with people, my deputies do not work FOR me, but with me. I am concerned about their welfare and the welfare of their families. I will never ask a man or woman to do something that I would not do myself. I also believe in what is right, and I try to do what is right. I do not court the favor of the town or county."
Tensleep sipped his tea. "I am sure that you have questions."
She eyed Tensleep suspiciously. "Well that alone begins to set you apart from the man you replaced, working with your deputies, it was a lesson hard learned for Scott at times.
Jimmy says you are thinking of having Sonny ride with you. You know he will, under the circumstances, but where does that leave my family marshal?"
Katharine shifted a bit nervously. She knew Sonny would not be impressed she had come in here before he'd had a chance to even introduce himself.
"Mrs Daily, I have not asked Sonny to go with us to find Miss Longknife or to chase the Rowens. What I need from your husband at this time is his knowledge of the way the Rowens travel, think, act, where they go, what they do. I really need Sonny to help recreate a map that Scarlet had made that is lost."
"I understand your concern for your husband and family. I leave it to you and your husband to decide how much you will be able to help us."
The marshal stood. "Would you care for more tea, or perhaps something else?"
"Huh" Katharine snorted "Once a law man always a law man Marshal." She stood when he did. This was something she rarely did, stick her nose in his business, and she was uncomfortable with it.
Katharine looked out the window. Sonny was still making sure the horses were cared for but he'd be along any moment and she didn't want to be in the middle of anything when he came in.
"Something else Marshal. Has anyone asked why Scarlet didn't invite any of you along?"
"We have talked about that. Some think that she feels she must face these "devils" alone. Others feel that she fears for our safety. Personally I believe that she doesn't want any of us to see her die if that is what happens." Tensleep looked at the growing light. "I need to be out there, she is one of the good ones."
"Scarlet always has a reason for doing what she does Marshal." She was watching him, judging his character and he knew it. "Why Marshal? Because the Rowens are bad and the law needs to round them up, or Scarlet is out there and you're going to ask your deputies to risk their lives for her?"
Tensleep turned and looked into Katerine Daily's eyes. "Ma'am I goin' out there for two reasons. One it's my job an' I don't ask anybody to do my job. I ask no man or woman to do something they don't want to do or something that scares them."
He paced then stopped in front of the woman. "The second reason I will go is because I need Scarlet, I like Scarlet and I want to be there if she needs help. No one should have to think they have to face their devils alone. Scarlet is my friend. I'm goin' if nobody else moves a foot outta this house."
The marshal turned and walked to the window and stared into the coming dawn for a moment.
Katharine smiled behind his back. "Marshal, when you step outta this house you'll most likely find a group of good men saddled and ready to ride with you." She wanted to dislike him, but she couldn't. "Thank you for your time Marshal Ross, I suspect Sonny will be along shortly." She turned and took her cup into the kitchen.
Tensleep walked outside to his office where he began to pack. In the distance he heard hoofbeats approaching. Was it Hank and 'Becca? Maybe it was Patches....
He was disappointed to see it was only the rider Bo had sent for Hank and Becca, alone. He turned at the sound of the men coming from the barn, Hank among them, but Rebecca was nowhere to be seen.
-
Orginally posted by 1st Sgt Fritz King
Fritz opened the door and reached for the matchbox. He struck a Lucifer on the bottom of the box, spilling long shadows down the room from its guttering flame. He moved to the desk and lit the lamp. There was a pot of coffee still warm on the stove. Fritz took one of Bill’s spare cups and poured himself some. He grabbed the key ring from the hook, and started moving towards the lockers.
Fritz stopped for a moment, taking it all in. He felt strangely comfortable in the lab. The overhead pipes and the smell of the boiler brought him home. It was like the cab of a locomotive. Fritz imagined his father at the throttle and smiled. Happier times…
Footsteps behind brought him out of the revelry. Fritz turned slowly.
“You caught me off guard at the table,” Bill said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
“Besides the prairie, I find this place peaceful,” Fritz replied. Fritz handed the key ring back to its owner.
“So, what can I do for you?” Bill asked.
“I was wondering if you’d had the chance to work on those rounds we talked about.” Fritz hadn’t bothered Bill much since their move to the ranch. The destruction of his old lab had hit Bill pretty hard. Most of his time and energy had been devoted to getting the new facility up and running. By all accounts, Bill and Patches had done a great job. And the half-empty coffee cups and unmade military cot told Fritz Bill lived here most days too.
“Come on,” Bill said, smiling as he went. Bill used the keys to open one of the big lockers on the left wall. Inside were boxes of ammunition; enough to rival the arms room up at the fort. Bill pulled a loading block from the top shelf.
“Help me get the lamps lit, and I’ll show you what I’ve got.” Bill set the block on his workbench, and started lighting the carbide lamps along the wall. Fritz worked down the other side.
Bill handed the block over. There were four rows of five holes drilled into the wood block. The rounds sat on their primer end. The first appeared to be an ordinary .38 long colt round. “What’s this?” Fritz asked, picking one up.
Bill smiled. “That’s the standard projectile. However, I increased the powder charge. I had to be very careful. I had to make a charge that’s safe enough to shoot, without blowing up your pistol…it has a bit more kick.”
Fritz wondered how Bill had tested them.
“The second round is what we talked about.” Bill picked one up. “It’s the ‘hollow point’ round. It’s by far the most effective, and consistent round I’ve come up with.” Fritz noted a large cavity in the nose of the projectile. “The cavity causes greater expansion, forcing the round to expend all its energy on the target.”
The next round was capped with sealing wax. “This one’s interesting. What is it?”
Bill frowned a bit. “Ah. That round is a bit disappointing. I envisioned creating a heavier bullet. The method I chose requires filling the cavity with mercury. The wax cap is the only safe way to trap the liquid. Molten metal and mercury tend to react, ah…badly.”
Fritz asked, “How does it work?”
“It’s quite effective at close range,” Bill answered. The mercury causes the bullet to shatter on impact, creating several projectiles. Unfortunately, the round drops quickly.”
“How much?”
Bill sighed. “Eight inches at 25 yards. Your intended target would probably die of peritonitis quicker.”
Fritz pointed at the last row. “And these?”
“Another disappointment I’m afraid,” Bill replied. “In another attempt to add weight to the projectile, I cut tungsten rods and cast them into the bullets. They will penetrate heavy clothes, or even a suit of armor.”
Fritz wondered if he HAD a suit of armor…then thought better of it.
“However,” Bill added, “they begin to keyhole at 25 yards. Not nearly as accurate as you need.”
Bill walked toward the far wall, opening the windows as he went. At the end of the room was a large planked stop on wheels. He rolled it into place, and locked the wheels. Bill then took some squashes from a bushel basket, and stuck them to nails protruding from the surface. Satisfied, Bill walked back to the bench, pushing chunks of sealing wax into his ears.
“The gourds and squashes best simulate human tissues,” he said, handing Fritz a leather pouch.
“Cotton?” Fritz asked.
“For your ears,” Bill said. Fritz was skeptical, but did as he was bid. Once done, he pulled the Navy and emptied the cylinder. He took one of each round from the block, and carefully reloaded.
“Ready?” Fritz asked.
“Fire away!” yelled Bill.
Fritz cocked the Navy and squeezed the trigger. The recoil jerked his arm up and back, and flame erupted from the barrel. But the round found its mark, shattering the first gourd.
“Ouch!” Fritz said.
“What?” was Bill’s reply.
The second round was the hollow point. The recoil wasn’t as fierce, but the results were more dramatic. The squash exploded, covering the backstop with orange liquid. Fritz said one word…
“Wow.”
The third round missed the gourd by a good eight inches, just as Bill had said. But it blew several large chunks of wood from the backstop.
The fourth and final round clipped the right top corner of the target, splashing lead fragments back towards the men. But the round drilled a nice smooth hole through the exterior wall.
“Sorry, Bill.”
Fritz emptied the cylinder. Bill handed him a box covered in wax paper. “The hollow points,” he said to the unasked question. “I’ll work on the others some more. Who knows?”
Fritz shook his hand. “Thanks Bill. I appreciate it.”
Bill grabbed his shoulder. “She’s all right you know. Besides,” Bill smiled, “Patches is with her. What could possibly happen?”
Thunder crackled in the distance.
-
Scarlet and Patches skirted the base of the mountain, the rain washing away any tracks they made. Both women were quiet, listening and watching their surroundings; nothing seemed amiss until they reached the river.
Lucky stopped suddenly and eyed the water suspiciously. His nostrils quivered as he lowered his head and snorted at the water.
Scarlet patted his neck and looked into the water. It was murky from the rain and running a little faster than normal. She wondered if the horse had seen a snake; seeing nothing she urged him forward.
Lucky balked for a second before he rose up on his back legs and made an attempt to leap the river. He landed three quarters across and Scarlet could feel him gather himself to jump again. She felt him rise to make the jump then his back feet slipped from beneath him. As they splashed into the river she thought she heard Patches yell “Ambush!” she was sure she heard the sound of gunfire.
Scarlet felt the stallion thrash as they went under the water then roll back to his feet, she held tight as he leaped up and out of the water still kicking his back leg. Scarlet slid off his back, still coughing from the water she’d inhaled, and ran her hand along his leg surprised to feel a rope around his ankle. She slipped it free just before it was pulled tight.
Scarlet’s first instinct was to draw her pistol and fire when she saw the men coming out of the rocks at her but she knew the guns had gotten soaked in the river her powder would be wet and useless.
She drew her knife as she felt Lucky move into her. The man with the other end of the rope was closer than she realized. First Scarlet heard the thud then the man gasped for air as he went down holding his chest.
The second man made a dive for her; Scarlet sidestepped and sunk her knife as deep as she could into the oncoming target. As she pushed the man by she saw him.
Scarlet couldn’t believe her eyes. Cutter in this place, it couldn’t be. He’d never come here.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion from there.
She watched him level the rifle. At first she thought it was aimed at her then she realized it was aimed at Lucky.
“No! Lucky GET!” She screamed as she let go of the big knife leaving it stuck in her attacker.
In one fluid movement she reached behind her drew the small throwing knife she carried and let it go. It struck Cutter in the back of his trigger hand causing him to jerk the gun off target.
She could hear the stallions hoof beats as she felt a full body hit from behind.
The two rolled to the ground. She felt him roll her over and grasp her by the wrists. He smiled at the position they had ended up in. She smiled back just before she wrapped her legs beneath his ribs and squeezed as hard as she could. The man laughed at first, but then he couldn’t catch his breath and her hold just kept tightening. He let go of her wrists and tried to pry his hands between him and her to get away.
Scarlet felt herself being yanked off the ground. There was a struggle between the three before she finally let go of the man she had her legs around.
“Bitch” he gasped as he lay in the dirt.
She knew it was Cutter who had his arms around her and held her tight.
From across the river a voice came. “What do we do with ‘er boss.?”
“Kill her.” He replied.
“Oh God Patches.” Scarlet thought as she struggled to reach the knife that hung on her belt trying to twist away from him at the same time.
Cutter’s hold loosened just long enough for Scarlet to reach her knife and plant it in his thigh.
Cutter gritted his teeth as he felt the sting of the blade. The pain of her dragging it up and out was almost unbearable. As she turned on him he took the rifle from his shoulder.
Scarlet turned into it. The hit wasn’t so much painful as it was just hard and it rocked her. She blinked her eyes and tried to focus. Everything came clear for a split second then went fuzzy. Her head swam, she could feel her legs give out then everything went black.
-
To say that things happened too fast or all hell broke loose was the worlds biggest understatement. Upon reaching the river things got real hairy real fast, literally.
Patches was contemplating the rolling water and watching for water mocs when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and began to tickle. Instinctively she rested her right hand on her crossdraw pistol, while holding both reins in her left. Quickly she attempted to look in all directins at once, when out of the corner of her eye she saw Lucky jump for the water.
THEN she saw the human shaped shadow slipping like oil from the rocks.
Fast she drew her pistol, shouting the single word "AMBUSH!" as she did. No sooner was her finger pressing the trigger when out of nowhere 200 pounds of solidity slammed into her back from the left.
She got one shot off, which went wild, before the gun flew from her hand. She and whoever had jumped her slammed to the ground with numbing force and she took two punches to the kindeys before she could even gain her breath back.
Thunder, in the meantime, had screamed and reared, then attempted to take off away from the water. But he was no dumb horse, realizing that someone was trying to catch him. He spun on a dime, half in mid air, bucked and kicked his attacker in the head - killing him instantly - before running off to the shelter of the rocks.
Meanwhile, Patches struggled with the greasy smelling thing that straddled her back. His arm circled around her throat, choking her and bending her backwards at the same time.
She reached up with both hands, trying to see through the stars obstructing her vision, and gouged as deeply as she could at the mans face. He screamed as blood tricked down both cheeks, raising his hands to his wounded face. Patches took that opportunity to spin underneith of him and slam the heal of her hand squarely into his nose. He fell back screaming and kicking, and Patches sprang to her feet.
Next thing she knew...they were all over her. What truely couldn't have been more than 7or 10 men seemed like a horde and Patches did the only thing she could do -- she started throwing punches.
The scuffle couldn't have lasted more than half a minute (although it seemed like an eternity), before Patches found herself face down in the mud attempting to roll with each kick what surely had been coming from 20 or 30 different boots. Not that she didn't get her share of licks in, but one blow to the gut doubled her over and she was done for.
She heard someone ask someone else what he should "do with'er", and another person answer "Kill'er". She was rapidly losing consiousness and the only thought in her pain filled head was "Don't worry Bill, I toldja if I die, I'd haunt ya for the rest of your life."
She had every intention of doing just that too. Returning as soon as she could as a ghost to haunt the lab at the Southern Star forever, or until someone at the Star could hear her message....
~Several hours later ~
Patches swam out of a deep darkness, her eyes coming open slowly. It was still dark. Dark like it was when she and Scarlet first left the cave.
That could only mean one of two things. One: She had not been unconsious for too long or two: She had been unconsious for most of the day.
It was still raining too. Each drop coming to crash on her badly bruised back making her feel like a cushion full of holes.
Obviously she wasn't dead. She hurt way too much to be dead.
She raised her head attempting to blink the liquid out of her eyes. Only one eye was working properly. She groaned at the sharp pain in her neck as she lifted her head.
"Aw crap," she mumbled through swollen lips. This was not good. Carefully and with a great deal of effort she managed to roll over, letting the stinging rain wash the blood from her face for a moment. Again, she slowly opened her one good eye and attempted to make sence out of a water coated world.
A soft blowing from her right cought her attention and she turned her head to look. Peaking out from between two rocks, tentative, was Thunders head, his reins dangling down.
"C'mere boy," she said as loudly as she could. At what point did her throat become filled with ground glass? The horse took a slow step forward. Patches patted the ground with her hand, hoping the horse would realize she was alive and in desperate need of a hand up.
It took some doing but finally he came up to her, bending his head to softly blow in her face. She reached up and tugged at a rein.
"Gotta lay down," she whispered, still trying to find her voice. Thunder looked at her as if she were speaking in tongues. She tugged the rein a bit harder. "Lay down....need help."
God only knew how long later Thunder finally got what she was saying and laid down next to her. Using the tack, the reins, and the saddle horn as leverage she was finally able to slide down and wriggle around enough to get one leg over the saddle even though every little movement caused an excrusiating, seering pain throughout her body.
Surely this operation had taken hours.
"Up..." she said and this time the horse obeyed, instantly gaining his feet. Patches' head went dizzy and her vision greyed to almost nothing as Thunder rose. She sat as still as possible on the nervous horse, doubled over, until it cleared.
She reached for the reins, but could only catch one. Finally, short of breath and weakening more with every movement she just let go and wrapped her arms around Thunder's neck.
"Go home boy," she whispered into his wet main. "Gotta go home and get help."
That seemed to be a command the horse understood and he took off.
Patches was in and out of consiousness during that half a days ride, never really sure how long it took or why she never fell from the saddle. Thunder only stopped once or twice to drink from some ouddle before pushing on. When she was consious she spoke to the horse as she could, urging him to go faster, but he was very aware of the condition of his rider and didn't jostle her too much. When he thought she was slipping from the saddle he'd stop, and the stop always woke her.
~Somewhere around 8 PM~
Dr. Bill stood under the shelter of the porch roof of the telegraph office smoking a cigar, listening to the rain coming down, and staring into the inky blackness of the night.
Where was she? She should have been back long before now WITH Scarlet in tow. Something had happened. Something terrible and hurtful and by God he could feel that in the core of his very bones.
His eyes frantically searched the land he could not see, although his body was held in a stance of calm like never before. To look at him, a person would think he was casually standing there smoking, perhaps enjoying the sound of the rain before turning in, but every muscle in his body was tense and ready to spring should the need arise. His normally active mind that held a myriad of thoughts at any given time now only screamed one sentence: "Where are you?"
He realized quickly that in this weather, as dark as it was, his eyes would easily deceive him, perhaps tricking him into seeing that which was not there to begin with. Several times already he thought he saw movement where there was none. But he recalled a lesson in listening from back in Arizona, where Patches had taught him to seperate sounds.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and listened.
Rain, spattering down, not as hard as it was earlier. Horses in the barn. Running rain water from the roof of the house. A voice calling to someone, also from the house. Hoof beats...coming in fast.
Hoof beats?
His eyes snapped open, searching the darkness. Where, where were they coming from? Patches? Hoof beats, closer now....
Then the flair went off. Bright yellow lighting up the night. THERE! A shadow of a horse running in, with a lump on its back. Thunder?
He had no time to make his mind register exactly what he was seeing in the eerie yellow glow, he simply tossed his cigar and ran as fast as he could into the rain.
Bill came to a screetching halt just as the running horse did the same. There was a moment when horse and human simply looked at eachother. Thunder was covered in foam and scratches, his head down, breathing hard. Bill took a tentative step toward him, hand held palm out. Thunder looked over his shoulder, then back at Bill.
Bill stepped around, his heart slamming full throttle into his throat. Fast he stepped to the saddle and cought Patches before she could slide off and fall to the ground.
"Oh God," he said as he cradled her in his arms. She was hurt and bad. Even her knuckles were scraped and bloody. "Patches? Patty!"
"My God what happened?" Johnny's voice by the horses head.
"Where's Scarlet?" Fritz's voice at Bill's shoulder.
Bill wasn't even aware they had joined him. He stood and turned around, his face set in a mask of concern. Johnny and Fritz took one look at the limp form in their friends arms and all three men rushed to the house.
Ella ran down to the kitchen in response to Johnny's bellow and met the men coming in.
"Lay her there on the kitchen table," she ordered while pulling her supply box out of the pantry. "Fritz, fetch water and boil two pans full. Johnny, bring lanterns in here for extra light. Bill... ," her voice trailed off as the naked emotions on Bill's face stopped her from sending him away.
She took out a piece of soft cloth and moistened it with her disinfectant. Handing it to Bill, she said quietly, "Clean her face and hands."
Ella turned to assessing the injuries. Patches had broken ribs for sure, and only a miracle could have prevented a punctured lung, but both lungs sounded clear and sound. She had a broken collar bone as well. The bruises on her throat were going to be more dramatic-looking tomorrow, but were not an important problem now. Her eyes were responding to light normally, so her head wasn't damaged too badly.
Rose had come in with the lanterns, and sent Fritz and Johnny out. Then Rose helped Ella undress and bathe Patches. Ella bit her lip at the sight of blood that could only have come from kidney damage.
The jar of bruise ointment was empty by the time Ella and Rose had applied it to all the places that needed it. After Ella had bound Patches's ribs and set the collar bone, Rose helped her dress Patches in a soft nightgown. "We can take her out to her bed in the telegraph office in the morning. I don't want to move her until then," said Ella.
The probability of surviving any injury or combination of injuries was a mathematical equation. Since the human body was not a series of independent variables the total probability was a summation and not a summation of squares and root of the sum. SHE’S GOING TO DIE SHE’S GOING TO DIE SHE’S GOING TO DIE SHE’S GOING TO DIE. Per istam Sanctam UnctioXnem, et suam piisimam misericordiam, indulgeat tibi Dominus quidquid per visum deliquisti. Amen. Per istam Sanctam UnctioXnem, et suam piisimam misericordiam, indulgeat tibi Dominus quidquid per auditum deliquisti. Amen. YOU’RE NO PRIEST. YOU COULDN’T FINISH ANTHING. YOU WERE’NT THERE WHEN SHE NEEDED YOU THE MOST! SHE’S GOING TO DIE. SHE’S GOING TO DIE. SHE’S GOING TO DIE. SHE’S GOING TO DIE. SHE’S GOING TO DIE. Assigning a value of “X” to the probability of successful recovery and solving for the cumulative percentage we arrive at a statistical negative result that normalizing SHE’S GOING TO DIE. SHE’S GOING TO DIE. SHE’S GOING TO DIE. SHE’S GOING TO DIE. SHE’S GOING TO DIE Per istam Sanctam UnctioXnem, et suam piisimam misericordiam, indulgeat tibi Dominus quidquid per odoratum deliquisti. Amen. Per istam Sanctam UnctioXnem, et suam piisimam misericordiam, indulgeat tibi Dominus quidquid per gustum et locutionem deliquisti. Amen. FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM FIND THEM KILL THEM.
Through this holy annointing, and His most loving mercy, may the Lord forgive you whatever wrong done. Amen
“Bill?" A voice from far away, too soft to break through the litany in his head. He couldn't take his eyes off the battered form on the table. For some reason everything was swirling.
"Bill?" He should have been there. He could have protected her, SHOULD have protected her...
"BILL!!" His head jerked around, his eyes finally meeting with Ella's. Thankfully -- for the moment -- the internal clamor stopped. "I think that’s all we can do for right now,” Ella said, calmly. “I’ll put the coffee on and we can sit here with her.” She handed him an unused bit of leftover bandage so he could clean his glasses before turning toward the stove to start on the coffee. He sat near her head and cleaned his glasses all in one fluid motion, removing the tears that had accumulated on the lenses.
Once his glasses were back on his face he noticed some dirt and twigs or something in Patches hair. The fact that her hair was loose and so unkempt bothered him terribly for some strange reason. Ella must have unbraided it in order to check for head injuries, and all 40 inches of it was balled up under her neck.
"I need a brush," he said gruffly. Those were the first words he'd spoken since he found her drapped over the back of her horse.
Ella turned. "What?"
Gently Bill lifted Patches head with one hand and began straightening out her hair with the other. "She doesn't like to sleep on her hair," he said. "I need a brush."
Ella looked at him, then down at her. Was the brushing of Patches hair something that he needed to do for her or for himself? She supposed it didn't matter as long as Bill was occupied enough to stay sane. She smiled just a tiny bit. "I'll get you one." She said and went to retrieve a brush.
"Bill?" Another voice disturbed his attempt to sort out all the other voices that threatened to fill his ears again. Bill looked up. It was Tensleep. His mustache drooped and he held his hat in his hands. "How bad is it?"
"Bad," Bill said, as Ella handed him the brush. Ella poured coffee for both men.
"Has she said anything yet?" Sleep took a step in the room.
Bill shook his head. "Not yet," he said quietly as he carefully began to remove bits of dirt and grass from Patches's hair.
Tensleep sagged against the wall. "Patches hurt, Scarlet missing and Fritz is goin crazy with worry. Sure wish I knew what happened out there."
"I'm sure you'll find out as soon as Patches regains consiousness," Ella stated guiding 'Sleep into the room to sit down with his coffee.
'Sleep looked up at her and nodded, then looked at Bill. "She'll make it Bill. She will," he said comfortingly.
Bill nodded, never looking away from his methodical brushing, his mind recalling every last scientific fact he knew about human hair. He thought that he looked forward to watching all that fiery red turn to gray, slowly, over time. Years and years and years watching her hair turn. He wondered how long it would be in 20 years if she still refused to cut it. But will he be able to after this? The first 24 hours were always crucial. How long could a hair grow in 24 hours?
"Ella," Fritz and Johnny had come in the room followed by Bo and Jimmy.
Ella turned, reached down more cups, filled them then went to the kitchen door. "How is she?" Johnny asked.
"She's breathing slow and steady," she said with a glance over here shoulder. "But hasn't woken up yet. It's going to be a very long night. And don't even think about asking Bill to leave her or get some rest because I can tell you right now, he won't."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Fritz said, staring. If that was Scarlet laying on that table, 25 pounds of TNT couldn't get him away. He tore his gaze from the scene in the kitchen, accepted the proffered coffee and sipped although it held no flavor for him.
"Bill and I will stay with her, I assume you and Tensleep will come on and off. For right now though, we'll give her room to breathe. I'll let you kniow when she wakes or if she says anything. Alright?"
Fritz and Johnny both nodded and then left, taking Bo and Jimmy with them.
"Bill's holding in a lot of pent up anger," Fritz noted to Johnny once they gained the hall.
"Wouldn't you?" Johnny asked.
"Oh yeah. Figure he might need something to do while waiting. He can't brush her hair forever."
Johnny raised one eyebrow. "I think you've got tetched." He quipped as best he could under the circumstances.
"Maybe so." Fritz agreed. "But I know that if I was in his position I'd wanna be killing something. All that waiting is enough to drive a man mad."
Johnny sighed. "Is Scarlet the only person in this world who can make sence out of what yer sayin?"
Fritz almost laughed. "I think so. I'll be right back."
And so Johnny Longknife stood in the middle of the hallway and watched his soon-to-be-son-in-law stride out door. A few minutes later he came back with a long branch, his unsheithed knife still in his other hand.
"Figure Bill might want to make her a cane. With broken ribs she might need it. Might give him something to take his agressions out on too."
And with that he strode back into the bedroom.
~ Somewhere around 3 am ~
Patches groaned softly. Bill sat straight up in his chair, the branch Fritz had given him sliding off his lap to clatter to the floor. Ella lifted her head from the table at the sound, took one look at Patches and went straight for warm water and a cloth.
Bill took her hand, very gently. "Patches?"
Her one good eye fluttered open. "Bill...."
Bill smiled inspite of himself. "Yes darlin. It's me."
By this time Ella was swabbing her face gently. It must have felt good to her because she closed her eye and moaned softly.
"Bill..." Her voice barely above a whisper, her eyebrows coming together with the effort of her thoughts. "Tell Johnny...."
She stopped. Bill glanced at Ella who indicated he should encourage her to go on. He leaned down closer to her, one hand on the top of her head.
"Tell Johnny what darlin?" He asked.
"Tell ...Johnny...Travis sees..." She managed.
"Travis?" Bill was confused. "What does Travis see darlin?"
Patches moved her head to the side, almost a jerking motion. She swallowed hard twice then Ella gave her a sip of water while Bill held her head.
"Travis...sees...where Scarlet....is going." She whispered. "Travis sees....love you darlin. Be alright." And with that she fell back into oblivion.
Bill, his eyes beginning to tear up again, leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Love you too darlin." He whispered. She squeezed his hand.
"I think I need to get Johnny," Ella said.
-
Johnny’s frustration grew, he tried not to show it but he wondered if Scarlet lay dead in the rain someplace. Hell maybe Patches hadn’t even caught up to her. He was impressed with the effort the men had put into recreating the maps. Unfortunately, they had approximate places. With approximates they could be a half a days ride one side or the other and not even know.
He had dozed at his desk in between trying to remember little details and checking on Patches.
Bo had done what he could and when he was no longer any help he picked up a small piece of paper and wrote on it. He remembered the question Tensleep had asked earlier and wrote it on the note.
Places where Scarlet goes alone.
He drew the barns of the Starr and some of her favorite horses stalls. In one corner of the paper he had put Devils Mountain. She used to go there a lot. He drew the high point on the ranch she liked to go. The big tree near the rose garden, the horse fountain…he put a little star next to that. She loved that thing, just like her mother.
He drew the trails she took the horses on to exercise them, the culvert she jumped along that trail, then looped down around the cemetery and home. He was getting to tired to think so he just started to doodle. Filling the small details in of the cemetery; his drawing wasn’t big enough to put people’s entire names on so he put initials. He finally laid the drawing on the floor and put his head back falling asleep.
“Johnny.” Ella said softly.
Johnny jerked his head up and blinked. “What is it, everything ok? Is Patches”
“Patches is saying things, I don’t know if she is delirious but she seemed like it was awful important to tell you.” Ella said as she watched Johnny jump up and move swiftly with her to Patches side.
By the time they reached Patches room she was quiet.
“What did she say?” Johnny asked.
Bill gave him a puzzled look. “She said Travis sees where Scarlet is going. Does it mean anything?”
Johnny rubbed his chin. “I don’t know.”
He picked up the cloth that Ella had been using and gently dabbed Patches forehead and cheek. She’d come to mean so much to him in such a quick time. Johnny always had a place in his heart for spitfires. He sort of grinned wondering what it would have been like if Patches and Scarlet really were sisters. He could only imagine having to chase after both of ‘em.
“Don’t you give up on me.” He said softly.
Patches reached for the voice, instead her hand landed on Bill’s arm. “Ring.” She said weakly.
“What?” Bill leaned closer to her.
“With ring.”
Bill, Johnny and Ella all exchanged puzzled looks.
Patches grew frustrated. In her mind she could hear herself asking full sentence questions but nobody seemed to understand.
“Travis sees…maps with ring. He watches….Bill…love you.” Patches hand slipped from Bill’s arm and she was out again.
Johnny had started to write down what she’d said, mumbling something about more damn codes he went back to his office.
A trail of men seemed to continuously stream in and out of the house all day long; some coming in for food, some for instructions. Sonny had followed Jimmy straight into Johnny’s office followed by Hank. The men working on the maps didn’t show themselves until they got the news on Patches.
Sonny had walked by the kitchen and stopped momentarily in the doorway. If anybody noticed the look on his face they would have seen sorrow but not shock. He’d seen plenty of Cutters work close up.
Sonny bowed his head and said a quiet prayer asking God to look after the young lady. Then he was heard to say a few more words in Comanche before he went back to Johnny’s office.
Hank spotted Marshal Ross standing over Patches as he went towards Johnny’s office. They had not had time to speak with all of the activities and he didn't even know how he was going to tell the man Rebecca hadn't made it to Sonny's, especially now. She could have been jumped by any outlaw but Hank figured it was a pretty safe bet it was Cutter's men.
Hank vaguely heard Johnny introduce Sonny to Tensleep as he stood looking at Rebecca's shotgun leaned against the wall. He was lost in his own thoughts.
After shaking hands with Sonny 'Sleep was just about to ask how they’d done redrawing the lost map. Before he could get the words out his eyes took in the shotgun against the wall.
"Hank..... where's 'Becca............ Hank?"
Hank's eyes fell on Tensleep. It took him a moment to realize the man was talking to him.
He handed the two shells they'd found to Tensleep. "Found these about five miles from Sonny's long with the gun." He pulled the letter from his vest and handed that to Tensleep. "She left this where she knew I wouldn't find it until later in the day. She was at the Ace for breakfast, but I don't remember seeing her after that."
"Awwwwwwwwww Gawd! Now they got 'Becca!" Tensleep just stood and shook with rage. Finally he gathered himself.
"I don't know what to say." Hank said softly.
"Nothin' to say Hank. Hell.... you couldn't have stopped her if you had known what she was gonna do. That is one strong willed woman. Never since I have known her have I seen anything that would scare her, but it looks like this sure has. It's really hard for me to believe."
Tensleep felt as if his world had turned upside down. He didn't know what to do or say. He was having feelings that he had never had before.
Tensleeps words made Hank feel a little better. "We all have things that scare us. Marshal, how can I help?"
"Hank.... I really need to know everything that you know about Scarlet..
an' now 'Becca... Everything, stuff that you know that they might not tell me. I need to know how they think so we can find them, and so we can get them back when we do. Please Hank?"
Hank looked a little puzzled. "You want to know about Scarlet I can help you some but you should be asking Bo. Becca...I can help you there.
Ya know Scarlet once told me the most important lesson Johnny taught her was not to expect others to do things you wouldn't do yourself. Becca's the same way. It shows in how they treat folks. The people that work for her. She treats them all the same, nobody is any better than somebody else. They are both liked and respected for that. Ask any of the men on the ranch about Scarlet they'll tell ya the same."
"How they think...I'm sure Becca took off because she didn't want to bring harm to anyone. You don't find anybody in that mountain if they don't want to be found. I don't know a lot about Cutter, only the things I've heard from hanging around Scarlet an them.
I'm pretty sure he'd not ride into a Comanche camp. That's where Rebecca was going..ta see her brother."
"Scarlet" He thought about it for a minute then he half smiled. "I often heard her say 'my fight, I'll choose the battle ground.'
Sleep that man has taken alot of things over the years from Scarlet. Loved ones, morals, the feeling of being safe.
I can tell you she's tired of him. For her to ride outta here without anybody. She means to kill him. Ain't no law gonna stop her this time. Law stopped her last time. I'm sure she's got some wanted poster says dead or alive on it. She covers herself that way." Hank waited for a response.
"Hank I don't care if she kills the whole damn bunch, what I know now, they deserve whatever they get. All I want is 'Becca, an’ Scarlet back here safe fast as we kin do it.
"If these deputies of mine don't kill tha Rowens then I will."
"Just don't get yourself killed in the process, or worse from what I understand captured. He's the type that enjoys what he does yanno.” Hank bowed his head thinking of Patches.
There was another one in the prison system. Don't rightly member his name. I'm sure Sonny does if it's not in your reports. Maybe you could find where he is and get the right person to get some information out of him." Hank half grinned.
“Harry Montgomery. That’s who you’re looking for; was Cutters right hand man. He was tried in El Paso the same time but sent someplace else to serve time.” Sonny said without looking up from what he doing.
When Scarlet regained consciousness her ears rang and she could feel the swelling on her chin; it took her a few minutes to figure out the world was black because they’d blindfolded her. She could feel an arm around her waist and judging from the large size of the horse and the smell of the man behind her it had to be Harry.
Scarlet wasn’t sure how long she’d been out or how far they’d ridden. She was cold and her clothes were still damp, maybe from the river maybe from the rain, but it had stopped raining.
She took a mental inventory of herself. Her hands were bound and tied to something. She thought for a moment.
Trying to make as little movement as possible to let her captors know she was awake she tried to feel what she was tied to; the saddle horn. Nice she thought, kept her from bailing off and running or trying to take control of the horse. She continued to think and thankfully decided nothing was broken.
They stopped once to let the horses rest. She could hear a stream and the breeze blew across what sounded like tall grass. Scarlet heard one of them comment on the field of blue. That didn’t help her figure out where she was, blue bonnets where everywhere.
The ground soon turned hard, in spite of the rain; the horses hooves made a hollow sound as the hit the ground, like they would on rock or a road that had been traveled heavily and packed down and the wind now blew through trees.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity of smelling the greasy foul odor mixed with blood they came to a stop. She heard the men dismount. Someone hurried up two wooden steps and through a door. Then she heard Josh’s voice and the man from the Ace?
“What the hell ya doing!!” Josh shrieked.
“I told you it’s what she does for a living. Get over it, ya won’t be her first.” Phil yelled back.
“Who else, who else has she been with?!”
“Can’t count that high.”
“Martha Ann you tell me he’s lying.”
It was faint but Scarlet was sure it was Rebecca’s voice. “Oh geez they had her too.” Scarlet thought.
“Your Martha Ann’s not been with anybody.” Then the voice got louder and Scarlet was sure it had to be Becca. “I’m so glad you’re home. He’s been making advances on me all day.”
Then the sound of two men fighting rang in Scarlet’s ears, the sound of gunfire made her jump.
“STOP IT” Cutter Growled as he holstered his gun.
Scarlet was untied and yanked off the big horse then the blindfold was removed.
Josh and Phil sat on the ground exchanging hateful looks. Rebecca stood on the porch in a wedding dress looking at Scarlet with fear on her face.
Josh looked up a Scarlet. “Who is that woman?” He gestured with his head towards Becca.
Scarlet shook her head in confusion. “Martha Ann?”
She could see the relief wash over Becca’s face.
Josh glared at Phil “Told you. Keep your paws off.” He said standing.
Cutter limped up to Scarlet. “I don’t care what you call her. If you misbehave, I’ll kill her, then I’ll kill the other one.”
Scarlet’s eyes darted around looking for someone she recognized. They fell on the blonde who stood in the doorway. She was relieved that it wasn’t one of her friends, then felt guilty for thinking that.
She looked around the landscape before she was shoved towards the house. The house seemed to sit in a circle of cliffs except at one point where the cliff almost looked broken; the place had two exits, the break in the cliff and the way they came in.
Then it dawned on Scarlet “beyond the field of blue lies the broken shoe. Egads! The broken shoe homestead.” It was a good day’s ride from the Starr.
The place had been abandoned for years. Old man Garrett died and left the place to a son that lived in the East. As far Scarlet knew the son had never come to live here. They had called it the broken shoe because the valley where the house sat was in the shape of a horse shoe, open at one end except for the broken part.
She had the place marked on her maps as a highly likely place for Cutter to come. How she wished she’d just told Patches where to find those maps.
“Ah Gawd Patches.” Scarlet felt ill as she thought about the scene at the river.
“Come on.” Cutter said pulling her into the house with the rest of the group.
He sat at the table and laid Scarlet’s gunbelt and gear he’d taken from her on it; then looked up at Scarlet. “I ought to do the same ta you.” He said looking down at his leg. “But instead you’re gonna stitch it up for me and if you’re not nice about it. I’ll have a discussion with my brother about who Martha Ann really is.
Phil is very knowledgeable about the company she’s been keeping lately.” He leaned towards Scarlet. “Cept I might put a little twist on reality and make up a few stories of my own.” Cutter smiled sinisterly.
When it came time for them to turn in for the night Cutter tied Jenny and Scarlet back to back with Jenny’s hands to Scarlet’s ankles and Scarlet’s hands to Jenny’s ankles.
He leaned down and kissed Scarlet on the cheek. “There are two guards in the house watching you at all times.”
-
A cold wind blew desolaton through the deepest, darkest recesses of her mind. A darkness surrounded her, and the only thing she could hear was a steady throbbing beat.
Thump, thump...thump thump...weak but there.
On the table in the kitchen her body shivered. Dr. Bill leaned toward her, gently placing a hand on her arm. Ella turned from pouring yet another one of the hundreds of cups of coffee for Bill to look at her. Something was definately happening.
"Where am I?" Patches said. Bill glanced at Ella who shrugged.
"In the land of peace," an invisible voice answered her.
It was quiet here, but the darkness was too thick. And the silence surrounding the thumping was also too thick. She couldn't see a thing.
"Ssssshhhhhh...." that invisible voice, cold. "It is time to rest now."
Patches sighed. "Rest...."
"Yes. Rest. Sleep. You are safe here. Let the silence comfort you."
Silence never comforted her. She couldn't remember a time when silence made her feel safe. Nor dark either for that matter. Her head twitched on the table.
"It's dark here," she stated. Ella lit a lamp and brought it closer. Patches eyes moved back and forth rapidly under the lids.
Bill looked up at her. "Is she dreaming?"
Ella's face was set in an odd expression. She shook her head no, then reached for a cool cloth.
"The dark is soft, it covers you like a blanket. It is a good place. Just like the silence." The voice was starting to sound a tad bit patronizing.
"I hurt." She said.
"There is no pain in the dark, in the silence. Come with me into the dark."
The silence was getting thicker, suffocating the sound of the thumping. She strained to hear, but she caught another sound. Clop...clop. Hoofbeats? Here? She strained to see.
"Don't listen Baby Girl," a very familiar voice spoke. "The pains what lets you know yer still alive."
"Sarbuck?" Her eyebrows knitted together. "Yer dead."
"Ella. What's going on?" Bill asked.
"I believe she's delerious," Ella said, lifting her eyelids to check her eyes. The pupils dialated but there was no other movement. She was literally out cold--yet speaking too.
Sarbuck laughed. "Dead? Me? Never." Then she saw him partially materialize. Sitting there proud on the jet black stallion with the red glowing eyes. "Always lookin out fer you Baby Girl. Always have, always will."
The other voice hissed like an angry snake. "Don't listen to him. He is a demon. He will trick you. Come to me. I will keep you safe."
Patches looked at her brother. "I'm dying."
Bill's head snapped up and he took her hand in his.
"You are if you listen, Baby Girl," Sarbuck said.
"Ain't ready to die, Buck." She said.
Bill would have said something but his heart was stuck in his throat.
"Then don't, Baby Girl," Sarbuck said. "Reach out."
As if it were that simple. Right now she couldn't move.
"See? The pain is going away," the hissing voice spoke. "No more pain, no more feeling, no more emotion. Its safe here. Here in the dark, here in the silence."
Her body moved a bit on the table. "Who are you?"
"I am God," the voice seemed mocking now. "And it is time for you to come with me."
There was no way she would believe that heaven was filled with dark and silence. Her body shivered, she was so cold.
"He lies Baby Girl," Sarbuck said, the two dogs at his side materialized and began growling. "Reach out. Find Bill."
"You MUST come with ME!" The other voice close now in her ear yet loud as if it were yelling.
The thumping sound quickened a bit, became louder.
"Bill..." she said.
"I'm right here darlin," Bill whispered to her.
"Bill can't help you," the voice said. It felt suddenly as if tenticles had wrapped around her chest and began squeezing. She gasped for breath and was met by a sharp pain. "Bill cannot defy the word of God."
"Reach out Baby Girl!" Sarbuck said urgently as his horse stamped and the dogs began to howl.
"I can't breathe," Patches said haltingly. "Bill. Where are you?"
Bill placed his hand on the top of her head. "I'm here darlin. Right here!"
"Louder, Bill," Ella urged suddenly. "She can't hear you."
"Don't be afraid of the pain," Sarbuck encouraged. "Dark and silence are no place for you. Reach out!"
"Patches!" Bill said intently to her face. "I'm here darlin. Right here!"
"No! You will come with me!" The voice screamed, the tenticles gripping her tighter.
"NO! BILL!" Her head twisted toward him as if she were seeking him. Her whole body jerked. Her arm reached upward.
"Look for the light Baby Girl," Sarbuck said.
"There is NO LIGHT!" The other voice screetched.
Patches hitched trying to find a breath. "Bill, please..."
Bill grabbed her hand hard, placing his other hand on the back of her neck.
"Sit her up! She's choking!" Ella said as she helped Bill sit Patches up.
At the exact moment Bill grabbed her hand Patches heard a sound very similar to breaking glass. Shards of the darkness flew around her and she instinctivly ducked even as she felt her spirit core turn toward it.
There was the light. Not the bright light she was expecting, but a warm orange yellow light. Light like what would come from a lantern, a candle or a fire in a hearth.
"Patches hold on!" Bill urged as loudly as he dared in the silence of the room. "Come on Darlin, hold on!"
In the middle of the light was a figure. A head, neck shoulders, part of a torso, silohetted against the warm light. The light of comfort, of home, of safetly.
"Come on Patches! Take hold!" Bill's voice from the shadow. His arm reaching out.
"You cannot have her!" The voice screamed. "She is MINE. It is her TIME!"
"NO!" She screamed as well as her wounded throat would allow her. "Not today!"
"Grab hold, Baby Girl," Sarbuck said and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Bill's got you."
She looked up, saw the urgency on Bill's face, the dark wind blowing his hair across his brow, his glasses halfway down his nose, one strong arm reaching for her from above, the fingers of his large hand splayed, the other bracing himself on a jagged peice of broken darkness.
"Bill!"
"Take hold, Patches!" He said to her his fingers working her hand. "I've got you!"
With every effort she could muster she reached up and grabbed his hand, hard, squeezing with all her might. In her mind he pulled her out of that deep hole, in the kitchen that was the precise moment she sat up and began coughing.
She threw her arms around Bill's neck. He slid her onto his lap sitting back in the chair at the same time. Ella was right there patting her back slightly until she coughed up whatever obstruction was in her throat.
"Patches?" Bill asked breathless while he cradled her.
"Don't...let go...please," she managed.
"Alright," he said with a smile. He'd never felt more like laughing in his entire life. "I'm here. I won't leave you."
She heaved a sigh, then groaned. Sarbuck was right. The pain let you know you were still alive.
After a few minutes she drifted off to sleep and Bill looked up at Ella.
"What just happened?" He whispered. Although he already knew he simply wanted confirmation.
Ella smiled. "I'd say you pulled her from the brink of death."
Marshal Ross cleared his throat, then said, "Ella, if you've got a few minutes, I need some information run down."
Ella turned to face him. "Patches doesn't need me right now, she just needs Bill to keep holding her hand. What information do you need?"
"Present whereabouts of Harry Montgomery from Cutter's gang."
"That name was in the records of Cutter's trial. Harry Montgomery was sentenced to ten years in Huntsville State Prison. I'll send the query out, but don't really expect any answer before morning," replied Ella. "By the way, did what Patches said earlier about 'Travis sees where Scarlet is going' make any sense to Johnny and Bo?"
-
Originally Posted By Scarlet:
Johnny’s frustration grew, he tried not to show it but he wondered if Scarlet lay dead in the rain someplace. Hell maybe Patches hadn’t even caught up to her. He was impressed with the effort the men had put into recreating the maps. Unfortunately, they had approximate places. With approximates they could be a half a days ride one side or the other and not even know.
He had dozed at his desk in between trying to remember little details and checking on Patches.
Bo had done what he could and when he was no longer any help he picked up a small piece of paper and wrote on it. He remembered the question Tensleep had asked earlier and wrote it on the note.
Places where Scarlet goes alone.
He drew the barns of the Starr and some of her favorite horses stalls. In one corner of the paper he had put Devils Mountain. She used to go there a lot. He drew the high point on the ranch she liked to go. The big tree near the rose garden, the horse fountain…he put a little star next to that. She loved that thing, just like her mother.
He drew the trails she took the horses on to exercise them, the culvert she jumped along that trail, then looped down around the cemetery and home. He was getting to tired to think so he just started to doodle. Filling the small details in of the cemetery; his drawing wasn’t big enough to put people’s entire names on so he put initials. He finally laid the drawing on the floor and put his head back falling asleep.
“Johnny.” Ella said softly.
Johnny jerked his head up and blinked. “What is it, everything ok? Is Patches”
“Patches is saying things, I don’t know if she is delirious but she seemed like it was awful important to tell you.” Ella said as she watched Johnny jump up and move swiftly with her to Patches side.
By the time they reached Patches room she was quiet.
“What did she say?” Johnny asked.
Bill gave him a puzzled look. “She said Travis sees where Scarlet is going. Does it mean anything?”
Johnny rubbed his chin. “I don’t know.”
He picked up the cloth that Ella had been using and gently dabbed Patches forehead and cheek. She’d come to mean so much to him in such a quick time. Johnny always had a place in his heart for spitfires. He sort of grinned wondering what it would have been like if Patches and Scarlet really were sisters. He could only imagine having to chase after both of ‘em.
“Don’t you give up on me.” He said softly.
Patches reached for the voice, instead her hand landed on Bill’s arm. “Ring.” She said weakly.
“What?” Bill leaned closer to her.
“With ring.”
Bill, Johnny and Ella all exchanged puzzled looks.
Patches grew frustrated. In her mind she could hear herself asking full sentence questions but nobody seemed to understand.
“Travis sees…maps with ring. He watches….Bill…love you.” Patches hand slipped from Bill’s arm and she was out again.
Johnny had started to write down what she’d said, mumbling something about more damn codes he went back to his office.
************************************************************
Originally Posted by 1st Sgt Fritz King
A bit earlier that evening...
Fritz led Thunder back to his stall. The horse followed without argument. He took an old wool blanket and wiped him down. It came away covered in blood. Not great gouts of it...but enough. Only problem was, Fritz couldn't tell WHOSE blood it was.
He took the saddle off and hung it on the stall. Fritz took the battered can of salve down from a shelf, and began daubbing it on the small wounds that littered Thunder's legs. Ella said the stuff was "good for man or beast." In truth, he'd used it on a few of his own cuts too.
Fritz lifted each of Thunder's hooves, and inspected them for damage. He'd hoped to find bits of rock or clay; something, ANYTHING that might point him in the right direction. Unfortunately, his search was in vain.
Once done, Fritz forked over about half the horse's usual ration of oats and water. Thunder gobbled them down, and looked at him greedily.
"No, no...not right now. Let's have some time to settle down. Don't want you to get sick." Fritz brushed the horse for awhile.
"Damn...now I'm talking to 'em."
"There are two possibilities," Fritz said to himself. "Either Scarlet's been captured...or...she's dead." The latter was too terrible to contemplate.
Patches and Scarlet were like sisters. There was no way she'd leave her while she still had fight in her. Although Patches wasn't as foul-mouthed as another frontier woman he'd known, she was just as tenacious.
"All right," Fritz replied. "Captured then."
He finished with Thunder and and headed to Strider's stall. He'd not removed the McClellan from the buckskin's back. Fritz checked the cirsingle, ensuring it was tight. The rain fell in torrents. If there had been any sign, it was long gone now.
"Damn..."
*********************************************************************************************
Originally Posted by Patches McDuff
"Dagummit Buck!" Patches cursed as she threw the long grass from her mouth and into the bubbling water. "Why's everything gotta be so hard?"
She looked out over the creek, squinting in the Georgia summer sunlight. She could just barely see the back of Daddy's workshop through the trees.
"Where's the fun in that?" Buck said with a lopsided smile. "Ever'thin' bein easy?"
She looked at her brother, sitting there with his dogs. For as long as she could remember he'd always had two dogs.
"Yeah but Scarlets in trouble and I got information and I cain't seem ta git it out." She said picking up a pebble.
Sarbuck looked at her. "Anybody ever tell ya why Pop named ya Patience?"
Patches rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Cuz I kept'im outta the Gold Rush in '49. Heard that story hundreds'a times, specially when HE was losin patience."
Buck chuckled. "Yeah well that aint the whole truth. See cuz I was there when you was born."
She looked at him attempting to see his eyes through the dark glasses he wore. Glasses not unlike her own but instead of blue lenses like hers, his were pitch black. "So?"
He turned to face her for the first time. "So. You come outta Ma real quick like. Ya took one cough, looked around, then settled inta Pops arms."
She looked at the cabin again. "So?"
"So," He said looking out over the water again. "You always had patience. Was Pop that needed it." He smiled. "Now you need it too. Ever'thing happens fer a reason Baby Girl."
Patches sighed and tossed the pebble in the water. She watched the splash then the ripples. Then she watched the ripples get swallowed by the current of the water running around the rocks.
"So that's what I do? Get patient? Hurry up and wait?"
Sarbuck nodded. "Yep. Scarlets gotta chase her demons. We all got our demons."
Patches turned to him once again. "Like you Buck? Whoever that voice was before said you was a demon. Last I heard demons were evil. You aint evil, least not ta me."
"All demons are bad, Baby Girl," he said factually. "But not all demons are evil. I ain't never killed nobody what din't deserve it."
She reached over and put her hand on his arm. "You aint an angel?"
He tossed his own rock. "Nope. Just did what I had ta do ta make sure you made it through."
"Like now?" She grinned.
He grinned too. "Yep. Like now. Ever'body's got two roads ta follow."
"Whatcha mean?" She asked. He tapped her forhead with his fingers.
"Gitcher head outta that religion ya hold so dear an' remember whatcha learned from Little Skunk'n them. Theres a black road anna red road. I took the black road even though it was fer red reasons."
"Scarlet said sumpthin about that. I was supposed ta tell Johnny." She frowned, then looked at her older brother. "Did I?"
He shook his head once. "Nope. Not yet."
"Dang." Another frustration her condition wouldn't let her solve immediately.
There was silence for time then Patches stood and brushed the red clay from her tan canvas pants. "Reckon I gotta get back, ya think?"
Sarbuck stood too. "Reckon so. One more thing though."
She turned, shaking her head a bit because he should have been right behind her but now he was up on his horse and to her right. "Huh?"
"When ya talk next? Remember thet Travis is a ghost."
"Geez," she mumbled. "Ghosts and demons."
Sarbuck laughed as he began to fade. "Yep. We all got'em."
Patches heard the sound first. The steady scraping of metal on wood. A sound she was very familiar with and comforted by. Back in Georgia, where she had grown up, her father was a wood worker. He built furnature and cabinets and had even built their home in Blossom Creek. He was always scraping wood to prepare it.
She opened her one good eye. It was still dark, but there were sounds coming from all over the house.
"Bill?" She couldn't see him and turning her head was not an option. Way too painful for right now.
****************************************************************************************
Originally Posted by Scarlet Angel
Patches squinted her eye. “Bo?” She whispered. He stepped closer, a coldness seemed to surround him as he looked down. Patches couldn’t remember when Bo had grown that mustache, how long had she been out? She didn’t remember his eyes being that blue either. When he spoke his voice was deeper with more of a drawl.
“The first battle is lost but don’t let the bastards win the war little sister.”
“Bill” she said a little louder.
******************************************************************************************
Patches moved slightly. The whole side of her head hurt so much that it didn’t seem to matter that she couldn’t see out of that eye. If anything the rest of her hurt more; almost more than she could stand. If she had the energy she would have cried or screamed it hurt so much. She was on something soft though. She vaguely remembered Bill picking her up and carrying her somewhere. “Bill?” she weakly called again. It was very quiet. She could hear the big clock down the hall and for just an instant she thought she was alone.
“I’m right here darling,” she heard from somewhere to her right. There was the sound of an object being placed on a table and a chair creaking. He moved into her field of vision. The oil lamp next to her bed reflected off something. Bill was wearing both of his Remington pistols. “Strange,” she thought to herself. “Never wears those things anymore even when we’re going to town. “Patches?” she heard him ask again.
“Thirsty,” she finally managed to get out. Bill disappeared and then came back into her view a moment later. A few drops of cool water dribbled between her lips. It even hurt to swallow but the water was good. Patches opened her one good eye again. Bill was patiently spooning water from a cup to her lips.
“It’s nearly dawn,” he said. “You’ve been asleep for almost four hours this time. I thought you would sleep longer considering the shape…” he paused for a moment.
“Hurt too much.” Patches said. There was something she was supposed to tell Bill. Something Sarbuck told her.
“I was afraid of that, darlin’,” Bill said. “I can’t give you any buffered salicylic acid. I’ve tried that on myself enough to know it thins the blood and you don’t need that. I’m goin’ to give you some morphine. It’ll be bitter because I’m goin’ to mix it with water.”
He was right. It was terribly bitter. Patches cringed in spite of herself from the taste and her face hurt from the effort. Almost at once though she could feel the pain starting to ebb away. She still hurt but it was almost bearable. Bill leaned forward and gently kissed the right side of her face. “I’ll be right here as long as you need me,” he said. “I’ll never leave you as long as you need me.”
She was getting sleepy again. There was still something she had to tell Bill. Just as she was falling asleep again she remembered it. “Sarbuck says Travis is a ghost. Love you Bill,” and then she was asleep again.
Bill stood over Patches watching her for several moments and then reached into his pocket. Taking the rosary from it he hung it over the bedpost by Patches’s head and then sat down in the chair again and picked up the small leather pouch from the table. He placed a pinch of dried leaves in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “Travis is a ghost”, he said to himself. Travis certainly was a ghost. Scarlet’s late husband had been dead for about five years. Scarlet had once said that he haunted the Southern Starr. Bill would have to think about that for a while. He picked up the cottonwood branch and knife and began carving again.
-
Combined effort of 1st Sgt Fritz King and Scarlet Angel
Johnny had gotten all the words down verbatim. What Ella had said Patches said and what he had heard.
Bo and Fritz had woken up at the sound of Johnny leaving the room. They watched him walk back in. The looks on their faces told Johnny they feared he would bring back bad news.
“Patches is about the same.” He said handing the pad of paper to Bo. “Cept now she’s talkin’ to Scarlet’s ghosts too.”
Bo looked over the words thoughtfully. “I don’t ever member those maps having rings on them.”
Fritz had looked over Bo’s shoulder at the words but then the drawing on the floor caught his eye. He was started to think about the key he’d found. It had been in the barrel no more than six months, which meant she had to have put it in there sometime after they came from Arizona. They’d practically gone everywhere together since then. She had mentioned wanting to take him the high point Bo had marked on his map. The only other place she had been with out him was the cemetery. He wondered.
Johnny had the paper again and was trying to make sentences out of what Patches said.
Travis sees where Scarlet is going.
With the ring.
Travis sees the maps with the ring.
He watches Bill. Johnny scratched through Bill so it read Travis watches…
Travis sees the maps.
Johnny looked at Bo. “You guys checked behind any pictures didn’t ya?”
“Yep.” Bo replied.
It suddenly dawned on Fritz. "Quick! What the name of Travis and Scarlet's old ranch?"
Johnny seemed annoyed. "The C-Bar-C. Why?"
Fritz smiled. "We're looking in the wrong place!"
“That’s where she took the first set of maps from; the main house.” Bo sighed. “ And I looked in the spots I knew didn’t find anything. Unless yer thinking of the house they lived in together. I don’t think Scarlet will go back into that house Fritz.”
“I think he’s right Fritz. Scarlet gave that house to Bo. Told him if he didn’t want it to burn it to the ground.” Johnny said wishing Fritz was onto something.
"Damn it...what else would Travis see....Travis C?"
“Why don’t ya just ask ‘em. Hell that’s what Scarlet would say.” Johnny huffed as he got up to go fill his coffee cup. “That or one of them horses.” He was heard to mumble on his way out.
Bo narrowed his eye’s at Fritz. “What are ya’ thinking?”
"We've been thinking that Scarlet would've hidden the maps here, in this house. What if Scarlet hid them at the C-Bar-C? Are there any paintings or pictures of Travis over there?"
Bo sort of smiled. “There’s a painting there. If ya want to go for a ride we can go look.” Bo said doubtfully.
The two men walked towards the door, pausing in front of the kitchen. “We’re gonna take another look out at the ranch.” Bo said to Johnny.
“Good luck.” Johnny replied.
Out in the barn Bo pulled his saddle off the rack and started to saddle his horse.
“Why don’t you talk to me like Scarlet says ya talk to her.” Bo mumbled thinking of his brother. He pulled his coat around him as a cold wind blew through.
“You still got that key don’t ya’?” He called to Fritz.
“Yeah.” He heard Fritz reply over Dancer’s pacing. The bay gelding stopped at the gate of his stall and pressed his chest against then began to paw furiously.
Bo went over and put his hand on the horse’s nose. “Quit.”
Dancer stopped for a moment and when Bo turned his back he nipped and snagged Bo’s coat. Bo looked at the horse. “Bad.” He said pointing at the horse.
Dancer pinned his ears and raised his head then began to paw the railings finally rising up on his back legs he turned and ran out into his paddock spun around and ran back in. Bo was back at his horse tightening the cinch when Dancer began to paw at the gate again.
“He probably thinks it’s time to go and run, this is about the hour Scarlet was taking him out. I haven’t seen him act like that in a long time. Usually he’s WELL BEHAVED.” Bo said looking at the horse who was now ignoring him and pawing at the gate so hard he was beginning to break a fine sweat.
“What’s going on in here?” Jimmy’s voice echoed thorough the breezeway as he walked towards them.
Dancer stopped pawing, nickered and looked hopefully at Jimmy.
“He’s pissed about something.” Bo answered.
“He’s been in the stall to long, Patches is laying there with us all wondering if she’s gonna make to sunrise, Scarlet’s gone, he knows Bo.” Jimmy said as he took Dancer’s bridle off the wall.
The horse nickered and hung his head over the top rail so Jimmy could put his bridle on. “Take him instead of your horse you’ll get where you’re going faster.” Jimmy rubbed Dancers neck then opened the gate and led him over to Bo.
“Scarlet rides him again, you can too.” Jimmy said flatly.
Bo sighed, unsaddled his horse and put his gear on Dancer, then swung into the saddle.
“Lets go.” He said as much to Fritz as he did Dancer.
Dancer arched his neck and held his tail up making it look like a long black flag flying behind him as he loped through yard.
Bo noticed some of the ranch hands looking twice as he rode by. From the kitchen window Johnny stared, blinked his eyes and looked again. “Damn.” He mumbled.
“What is it?” Tensleep said looking out the window.
“I’m seeing ghosts too.” Johnny replied.
-
Combined effort of Fritz & Scarlet
Bo and Fritz rode towards the main ranch house of the C-C. They had gone halfway when Bo pulled Dancer to a stop and looked up the road that led to the house Scarlet had lived in with Travis.
“All my instincts say no, but we are here we might as well be sure.” Bo said turning down the road.
Stopping at the three room ranch house the men dismounted, tied their horses to the rail, then stepped up onto the porch. The porch was covered in dust, showing signs that no one had stepped there in along time.
Bo pushed the door open and looked in. The house that was once filled with laughter and warmth stood cold and empty. A thin layer of dust evenly covered the inside.
Bo stepped in and went to the window pulling back one of the curtains to let in the light. He remembered coming back with Scarlet once or twice to get a few things after Travis’s death and judging from the layer of dust in the place they were the last ones to have been here.
Fritz stepped in behind him and looked around. The house whispered with the sounds of once-happy voices. Such voices never completely died away. The house could've used a woman's touch. But since he began riding with his posse, he wasn't quite sure what that meant anymore.
Bo walked to the first room and opened the door. The same layer of dust was all over everything. Fritz could see a picture of a woman with long hair draped over her shoulder on the dresser. Bo looked at her for a moment, smiled a bit sadly and closed the door.
“I used to live here too, after she died. I don’t know what I would have done without Scarlet at the time.” He said quietly.
Bo pushed open the next door. The light danced across the carved wooden ponies hanging above the crib. The same thick layer of dust on everything and no foot prints saying anyone had been here.
“Thought the trips down memory lane were supposed to be good ones.” He mumbled going to the next door and pushing it open.
“I guess my instincts were right, nobody’s been here. But now we can say we looked.” Bo said looking into the room that Scarlet and Travis had shared.
A picture on the dresser caught his eye. He walked in and picked it up.
Blowing the dust off he carried the picture back into the main room looking at it.
He showed it to Fritz. “This was taken not to long after they moved in.”
Fritz looked at the picture. It was a picture of what he thought at first was Bo standing behind Scarlet with his arms wrapped around her taken in front of the house.
He was about to ask why there were pictures of Bo with Scarlet but he hadn’t seen any of Travis yet when Bo turned on his heel and went out the door. He stood back looking for something.
The picture had been taken of Scarlet and Travis near the front of the porch. But there was something different; something was missing from the front of the house that was in the picture.
Bo held the picture out as Fritz approached him. “What’s missing?”
Fritz studied it for a moment “What happened to the stone?” He asked pointing to the large stone leaned up against the corner of the house in the picture. “And what is written on it?” He said looking closer trying to make out the writing.
“It’s the C bar C brand. Travis painted it on that stone the day we finished building the house. I member pop let him pick the name of the ranch when we moved out here. He told us the ranch would be ours someday to share. Travis chose the C bar C because it was the initials of both our last name er something like that.”
“Travis C’s” Fritz thought unaware he’d said it out loud.
“What?”
“Where’s the stone now?”
“In the cemetery someplace.”
“She wouldn’t have put the maps in Travis’s tomb would she?” Fritz was almost afraid to ask thinking it would be a bit macabre.
Bo half grinned. “Maybe if he was in a tomb and maybe if she didn’t want to ever get it out, but Travis is buried up on the hill.” He pointed to the top of the knoll.
Bo and Fritz mounted up and rode to the top of the hill. Dismounting they walked to the gates of the small cemetery. In some places, it would've been called a 'family plot.' Fritz put his hand to the gate and pushed. It moved freely enough, but screamed in protest. It swung on its hinges, sounding like a wounded animal.
Fritz removed his slouch, letting it hang on its stampede strings. Bo thought it a bit odd, but followed suit. He stood before the stone. Its granite face was a bit worn, but shone with care. It read:
"Here Lies Travis Corbin...Beloved Husband and Father."
Fritz turned, with the stone to his back. In the distance was the mountain.
"Travis sees where she's going..."
Bo turned and looked. He’d been here plenty of times, but never really looked at the surroundings. You could see the Starr from here, Devil’s mountain, turning the other way you could see what Scarlet sometimes referred to as Heaven or the high point, from which you could see almost everything.
Devil’s mountain. No doubt she was headed there. She would feel safe there, would be a place she could gather her thoughts. Bo thought to himself.
“There’s got to be more to it than that.” He said turning back to the grave stone. He walked over to the small circle of stones, kneeled down and looked at it. “She used to sit leaned up against the back of that headstone for hours sometimes; would build a fire when it got cold. Dancer would stand under that..” Bo looked up to see the bay horse standing under the big tree just outside the fence his head dropped, his eyes closed and his back leg cocked resting on the tip of his hoof. He was and entirely different animal than what had left the stables.
Bo stood and turned back around to face Fritz. His eyebrows knitted together as he looked at the back of the headstone and he half smiled. “So that’s where she put it.”
“What’s that?”
Bo pointed to the stone that was mounted in the back of the headstone. “That stone that was in the picture. It’s right there.”
Bo and Fritz locked gazes. “You don’t think?” Bo said with disbelief.
-
Combined effort of Fritz & Scarlet
Bo and Fritz stood behind the headstone looking at the stone with the C-C painted on it.
“Travis C’s” Fritz said.
“With the ring… Scarlet once told me she gave her ring back to Travis. I didn’t know what to think at the time…It can’t be hollow can it.” Bo said looking at the headstone.
Fritz looked it over. The slab on the front was one piece; the back had been built to incorporate the stone with the brand on it.
“There’s not anything in any of those stories that tells us how to open it is there?” Bo asked seriously.
Fritz kneeled behind the stone, and tried to think of all the things he read and heard about. Nothing helped. So he asked God.
"Dear Lord, someone I love is in great danger, and I ask you, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, to help me in my quest. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...Amen"
He'd crossed himself without thinking.
"It can't be that easy...can it?"
Fritz pressed the top of the stone, then the center, then the left and right sides. With a click, the face of the stone swung down on well-oiled brass hinges.
Bo whistled. "The Lord DOES work in mysterious ways!"
Frit peered cautiously inside the dark hole trying to see inside.
“Ya thinking there’s some kinda trap in there.” Bo chuckled thinking Fritz was smart to be cautious.
“I wouldn’t put it past her.” Fritz said looking around for something to stick in the hole besides his hand.
Bo picked up a stick and handed it to him then stood back and to the side.
Fritz stood to the side and ran the stick around the inside of the opening. The two men almost looked surprised when nothing happened.
Fritz moved a little closer putting the stick in deeper he felt something. Using the stick he tapped it, it made a metallic hollow sound. Just as both men smiled they heard the unmistakable sound of rattlers. Fritz jerked his hand out as he jumped back.
“You ok?” Bo asked looking suspiciously at the opening.
“Yeah.” Fritz said taking a deep breath.
“Something ain’t right.” Bo said looking at the headstone that now sat quiet.
”Really.” Fritz said somewhat sarcastically.
Bo chuckled. “If we were diggin’ round in one of Jimmy’s or Johnny’s hiding places, I wouldn’t put my hand back in there for anything, but this is Scarlet, and if there’s one thing I know about Scarlet is she has about the same amount of love for snakes as I do. If she wanted to retrieve something from here she wouldn’t be puttin’ no snake in there.”
Bo found a longer stick. “Just in case I’m wrong.” He said as he went back to the headstone and placed the stick inside. Moving it very slowly he heard the slow rattle, the sound of the rattle matched the speed of how fast he swept the stick around. Bo half grinned and fished around a bit more hooking the rattles he pulled them out. The rattles were tied to a piece of horse tail and hung just above the small metal strong box.
Bo took a deep breath hoping he knew Scarlet as well as he thought as he reached in and lifted out the box.
“I bet that key fits this.” He said handing the box to Fritz.
-
It was nearly 8:00 in the morning when Ella looked in on Patches. What she saw made her smile in spite of the worries about Patches’s condition and the unknown whereabouts of Scarlet. Bill had pulled his chair close to the bed and had gone to sleep sitting in it with his head lying on his crossed arms next to Patches. Though she was asleep as well, the fingers of her right hand grasped one of Bill’s hands and she seemed to be resting comfortably for the moment.
Ella stepped into the room and the floor creaked slightly under her foot. Bill opened one eye to look at her but didn’t move otherwise. “I thought I would check on the two of you and see if you might want some coffee or breakfast,” she said as she crossed the room and placed her hand on Patches’s forehead. “No fever,” she commented. “And she does seem to be sleeping well. “Did you give her anything?” she asked looking at Bill.
Bill had carefully placed Patches’s hand on the bed and was stretching. There were several noticeable “cracks” as he did so. “Only half a grain of morphine,” he said as he stood up from the chair. “Given what I estimate her weight to be it should have been just enough to dull the worst of the pain without puttin’ her in a stupor.” He reached for the small leather bag sitting on the bedside table but stopped when Ella “tut-tutted” and picked the pouch up before he could reach it.
“I’ll let you know if anything happens. Why don’t you go get a bite of breakfast and change shirts? Anyway, I want to check Patches’s bandages in a little while and I think I can take care of that by myself.” Bill started to protest but Ella had already taken over the chair and opened a book to read while she sat with Patches. In any case, Bill noticed that Ella did not seem inclined to give the leather bag of cocoa leaves back to him right now so he might as well find something else to do for a while.
The kitchen was empty but there was still a pot of coffee on the stove and from the smell it was not too old. He poured a cup and sat there looking out of the window. The sky was still darkly overcast but it was not raining as it had nearly all the previous night. He knew he should be worried about Scarlet but right now all his thought were with Patches as she lay in the bedroom down the hall. Bill refilled the coffee cup and wandered out the door toward his adobe cabin and laboratory.
It was cold and the wind was blowing but he didn’t notice. He had made a terrible mistake. After months of staying near the ranch he had forgotten how dangerous this job truly was. In an analytical way he realized that, but when he spent most of his time either at the workbench or picking through the scene of a crime long after the violence had occurred he became removed from the hazards of the job and had forgotten that he, and the people he loved, could be affected by it.
He walked through the door of his adobe house and straight into the hallway that lead to the workshop on the other side of the berm. After pulling the chains to open the skylights and then turning the polished tin reflectors on the roof to gather as much of the meagre sunlight as possible, he lit a few of the carbide lamps, started a fire in the stove and set to work.
He laid the cottonwood branch on the workbench across the room from his desk. He had carved the wood into rough shape the previous night but now he wanted to put some finishing touches on it. With a thin-bladed coping saw he removed the top portion of what was now obviously a walking cane and mounted it on the lathe using an eccentric chuck. After making sure that the boiler and steam engine outside the other end of the lab was running well, he pushed the drive belt from the lathe into place with a long wooden pole and started working on the spinning wood.
Normally, this was a time for him to relax and clear his mind. It was one of the few pursuits he could enjoy without “spoiling it by thinking too much” as Patches frequently accused him of. But that was the problem. Right now all he could think of was Patches and how close she had come to dying because he wasn’t there when she needed him. He stopped and looked at the wood. It was nearly done now. He would glue the pieces of cherry and ebony inlay in place later and then reattach the handle this evening. Patches wouldn’t need it for a few days at least. If she ever… He stopped the thought before it was finished. He had to make sure he didn’t fail her again. He placed the chisel aside next to the lathe and quickly walked to the cabinet that held several firearms in various states of repair.
It was after lunch when he finished. The two shotguns he had started out with had been cut down to a bare six inches of barrel and the pistol grips. The hammers had been severely bobbed as well. The thumb-rests were completely removed leaving only a semicircle of metal to strike the firing pins. “Have to create some lighter loads for these things” he mused to himself as he looked at the two guns. He might not be the fastest or most accurate but with something like this any shot that was even close to being on target would end a fight in a hurry. Now, if he could just get someone to design a harness rig to hold all this hardware.
*****************************************
Originally posted by Scarlet Angel
Combined effort of Fritz & Scarlet
Bo reached back into the opening, feeling around he pulled out a few loose papers setting on the stones wondering if they were notes that may help in their search. He unfolded the first one and looked at it.
He recognized Scarlet’s handwriting; she used to come here a lot to talk to ‘em he remembered. He frowned as he read the first few words.
There’s nothing I know to say except I am sorry. I guess I wasn’t very good at keeping our baby safe.
Bo stopped there and unfolded the next one.
They follow me at a distance; I know they are afraid I will take my life like Connie did. Some days I wish I could.
He took a deep breath remembering how he and Jimmy would take turns watching her. They thought she never knew, he continued to look through the notes to see if there was anything that would be informative.
Some of the notes told Travis she loved him and were full of guilt of what had happened. Some of them talked about significant things that had happened over the years. He smiled when he read Bo has been my shoulder to lean on. I don’t know what I’d do without him. Bo opened the last one, he recognized the date as the day of the party Rose had when the posse signed on with the new Marshal.
I know it’s been sometime. I’ve been away for awhile. You know how I like a good adventure. I’ve found a new family, you would like them.
I have fallen in love again too, which after the past few years I was sure would never happen.
Bo read the next line then folded it up. He stepped over to where Fritz was kneeled down looking at the contents of the box.
He tapped Fritz on the shoulder and held out the folded paper.
He didn’t know if he should be giving it to Fritz, hell he probably shouldn’t have read what he did. They were her personal thoughts, but sometimes folks should say things to one another and Bo really didn’t know how often Scarlet had told Fritz her feelings or if she did. She’d managed to shut people off from that side of her along time ago and until recently if you didn’t know her well you weren’t welcome to knock on the door she’d locked them behind.
“It’s sumthin’ Scarlet wrote not long ago, you may or may not want to read it.” Bo said.
Fritz held the note for a long time. He wanted very badly to read the words inside. But he remembered all the times he'd packed up the belongings of his dead troopers. Fritz had to read their letters and journals. He scoured the contents just to make sure there was someone back east to send the traps to. So many times those possessions just sat in his office, collecting dust. Someone would throw them away one day...
But not Fritz.
"She's still alive," he insisted. "And I won't stow her gear until she's dead. I won't let her die, Bo."
He put a hand on the old soldier's shoulder.
"I know," Bo said. "So, what's in the box?"
********************************************
Originally posted by Elegant Ella
Patches woke up while Ella was changing her bandages.
"How are you feeling, Patches? " she asked.
"Finer than frog hair, but mebbe not split. Thirsty," Patches answered. "Where's Bill?"
"I sent him off to eat while I change your bandages. I confiscated his cocoa leaves, so he might fall asleep if he lets himself relax. He watched over you all night, and is pretty worn out," answered Ella while she fetched a cup with a straw and held it to Patches's mouth.
Patches sipped from the cup for a minute, then drifted back to sleep. Ella finished changing the bandages, then went down to the kitchen.
Rose asked, "How is she?"
"Sleeping. I think she'll be hungry the next time she wakes up," answered Ella, putting a pot on the stove to start some broth cooking.
Once the broth was simmering, Ella went looking for Bill and found him in his laboratory looking at the oddest firearms Ella had ever seen. "Patches IS going to recover, Bill. But you are not going to do her any good by fretting yourself into a fever."
***************************************
Originally posted by 1st Sgt Fritz King
Fritz folded the paper up and put it in his vest pocket. He'd give it back to Scarlet once they'd found her. If she wanted to tell him what was on it, it was her business.
The key fit smoothly into the lock. With an audible click, the lid popped open. Inside the box was a leather-covered binder, and some papers tied with a piece of latigo.
"Must be the maps," Bo said. "We'd better get them back to the Star."
In the bottom of the box was a simple gold band. Fritz touched it, and looked at the stone. He closed the box, and slipped it back into the compartment.
"This belongs to you sir," Fritz said, closing the trap.
***************************************
Bill leaned on the workbench and closed his eyes as Ella watched. He did not speak for several moments. “I’m sorry,” he said as he removed his glasses and placed them on the bench. “I just can’t give up feeling that I should have been there with her. Patches may be awfully independent natured, and I love her for it, but…” He let the sentence trail off.
“Bill, Patches has made it through nearly the first twenty-four hours without any sign of a fever and she just had some more water and spoke to me for a moment before she went back to sleep.” Bill started to say something but Ella stopped him. “Now, why don’t you let me help you shut things down here and then you can come back to the main house and try to take a nap in the other guest room across the hall from where Patches is convalescing. After that, Patches might be awake and you can apologize to her if you feel that you really need to.”
Bill slowly put his glasses back on and with Ella’s assistance closed the shutters over the skylights and put out the carbide lamps. Together they walked back to the ranch house as the sky began to darken in the West. Just before stepping into the guest bedroom Bill stopped and turned around. “Ella, I don’t know if anyone has said this enough but, thank-you. I sometimes don’t know what the rest of us would do without you. I don’t know if I can sleep or not but I’ll just lay down for a while.” Ten minutes later when Ella walked back down the hallway, Bill was sound asleep on the bed.
-
***************************************
Originally posted by Scarlet Angel
Scarlet’s eyes flew open as she felt his touch on her breast. “You’re either braver or stupider than I thought.” She hissed as she glared at him.
Cutter leered at her. “You seem to be harmless in the position you’re in.”
“You’ve called me a witch for years; I’m surprised you’d touch me.” She smirked.
“What you going to do to me?” He chuckled.
Scarlet thought a moment, she knew she’d not cleaned the cut before she sewed it up, and she’d not cleaned the blade after she’d gutted the rabbit for dinner the night before. If she was right the wound in his leg should be red, sore and inflamed by now.
“I’ve been cursing your rotten soul for along time, but last night you let me touch you.” She rolled her eyes and chuckled.
Cutter narrowed his eyes at her. His leg was sore but he had figured it was from the stitches and the cut, like all the cuts he’d had before.
“What’d ya do?”
“If you’re lucky there’s no red streaks, if there are your time is limited, curse is headed towards yer heart, if not you may only get gangrene.”
Cutter stood up and backed away unbuttoning his union suit as he did. He pulled the garment down until he could see his leg. The area was bright red, puffy and weeping. A small red line ran up and down his leg. He gingerly touched the inflamed area, suddenly aware of how sore it really now was.
Cutter pulled up his union suit and glared at her.
“What did you do to me!” He stepped forward and kicked her in the stomach.
Normally a blow like that would have doubled her over but in the position she was tied she couldn’t bend over. Scarlet closed her eyes and gasped.
“Go ahead, you hurt me to bad and I won’t be able to help you even if I wanted to.” She choked.
Cutter leaned over and untied the two women. “You’re gonna fix it now.” He growled at Scarlet.
“and you’re gonna make me something to eat.” He spat at Jenny.
Rebecca followed Josh into the room.
Scarlet was glad to see her still in the white gown and wondered how long she’d be able to put him off. They had to get away.
Cutter’s words interrupted her thoughts. “You’re going to tell Martha Ann how to fix my wound. I don’t think I’m going to take the chance of you touching me again.”
He turned to Phil. “Take somebody, ride into El Paso and find out what’s going on.”
Phil went out the door taking one of the others with him.
“Tell her how to fix it.” Cutter said flatly eyeing Scarlet.
Scarlet told Rebecca how to make a charcoal poultice using the burned wood from the fire and boiled water. She then instructed Cutter to change it a couple times a day. “It should be better in about four days.” Scarlet said as he watched Rebecca tie Scarlet’s hands to her feet, at least this was more comfortable than she was before.
“I’ve seen that work and I’ve seen it fail.” Rebecca whispered.
“It will help with the oozing and I hope we’ll be long gone by the time we know if it’s going to work or not.” Scarlet said softly.
Cutter dressed then came and sat next to Scarlet.
“Such passion burns in your eyes.” He half smiled. “Who is it for?” He said as he pulled the ring off of her finger and examined it.
“Don’t confuse the passions of love with blood lust for you.” She growled.
He looked at the yellow cord weaved through her hair. “Oh come now, there’s someone, I’m going to guess a soldier by the looks of this.” He leaned back and took the barrette out of her hair that held it up.
She watched closely as he laid it on the floor between them, relieved he’d not looked too closely at the piece that held the fancy wire in place.
Cutter ran his hand along the long braid.
“Taking chances again?” She said with a glare.
“Come on Angel, who’s the man who has your heart?” Cutter said as he started to take the cord out of her hair.
“You cut my heart out along time ago, I buried it with my husband. You just haven’t been man enough to manage to take my life.” She had a few other choice things she thought about saying. Things about being a man after seeing him wander around half naked but decided to hold her tongue for now.
“Phil says he’s a Yankee soldier, rides with the new marshal.”
“How well do you know the group of men I ride with?”
Cutter raised an eyebrow “Why?”
“Really” she rolled her eyes and snorted “how close do you think they’d let a Yankee to me?”
“Then what’s this?” He pulled the cord from her hair and held it out towards her.
“I’ve been known to take a few souvenirs now and then. Yellow cords, belt buckles, sometimes the entire head.” She smirked as she looked him in the eyes.
Cutters eyes flashed anger. He stood, walked to the table and sat down laying the things he’d taken from Scarlet in front of him. He stared at them thinking about what she’d said, wondering if Phil had been mistaken in his information.
Phil couldn’t be wrong, but Scarlet had only been back for a short while. Phil had told him stories of her spending time alone with the bartender, dancing with the man who folks said was her brother in law, would a man who she was engaged to tolerate such behavior, he wasn’t sure.
Cutter looked over the table at Scarlet. “Who’s the big man you spend time with?”
“Who do you mean?”
“The one they call you’re brother in law.”
“Well that would be my brother-in-law.” She said sarcastically.
“He looks just like the one I killed.” Cutter grinned.
Scarlet shot him a confused look. “No he doesn’t, you seein’ ghosts through him or something?”
Scarlet held a straight face but on the inside she was grinning ear to ear. She could tell by the look on Cutter’s face she had him spooked and questioning himself now.
“What about this Marshal you’re working for?”
“Ya seein’ ghosts through him too?” Scarlet retorted.
“Which one of you he sleeping with, Phil says it’s her.” He glanced Rebecca’s way.
Scarlet rolled her eyes and turned her head. “If Phil is so knowledgeable ask him.”
Josh’s head snapped up and he looked around. “What do you mean she’s sleeping with the Marshal, I thought that was her job.” He said gesturing with his chin towards Scarlet. “Or is it the army?”
Cutter chuckled at the comment. “Martha Ann been sleeping with the Marshal, Angel been sleeping with the army, keep up.”
Josh bolted out of his chair sending it tumbling across the floor. “What Marshal! You said you’d wait for me while I was away.”
He grabbed the poker from the fireplace and went after Rebecca.
Rebecca tried to evade him but one of the other men standing around caught her by the wrists as Josh swung at her side sending her to her knees.
Rebecca pulled her wrist away quick enough to block the next blow with her arm.
Josh raised the poker again.
“STOP IT JOSH YOU’RE GONNA HURT HER!” Scarlet’s voice held a tone of anger and authority at the same time.
He wheeled around glaring at Scarlet. “Why shouldn’t I?. She’s been cheating on me!”
“It’s not Martha Ann sleeps with the Marshal.” Scarlet was trying to think fast, bits and pieces of conversations with Trixie racing through almost forgotten memories.
“If it’s not her, like Phil and Kevin say then who is he bedding?” Josh’s eyes held a crazy look that nearly unnerved Scarlet.
“Rebecca….Marshal sleeps with the whore that runs the Ace of Hearts, Rebecca Valentine.”
All eyes were on Scarlet even Rebecca’s.
Cutter had leaned forward. This is gonna be interesting he thought to himself.
Josh stepped closer to Scarlet. “They been saying she’s Rebecca.” He gestured towards Becca with the poker.
“That’s Martha Ann, your Martha Ann..she promised to wait for you before you left for the war.” Scarlet said frantically
“How do you know?”
“She told me..she told me you were the only one she loved and she’d wait forever for you.”
“How do I know she’s not the whore?” he growled.
Scarlet hoped she knew Rebecca as well as she thought as she spoke. “Your Martha Ann would never wear the kinda clothes Rebecca would. What was she wearing when they brought her to you?”
Josh thought a moment. “What kind of clothes would Rebecca wear?”
“Corsets she wears corsets even to church, and lace lots and lots of lace.”
Josh turned and looked at the woman on the floor with her feet tucked under her holding her arm. “She was wearing one of those skirts you ride in and a button up top, made of some heavy weight material.”
“No corset, on the outside anyway or lace where someone could see?”
“No.” Josh mumbled letting the poker slide out of his hand and bounce on the floor.
He went back over to Becca and kneeled down taking her hands in his. “I’m sorry Martha Ann. Will you forgive me?”
“I forgive you Josh, I love you how could I not forgive you. You were only doing what you thought best.” Rebecca sighed.
Josh helped her to her feet. “Are you hurt?”
Rebecca shook her head slowly up and down. “Will you let Scarlet look at me and make sure nothing is broken? She is good with that kind of thing and I am unfit for you to look upon.”
Cutter chuckled and shook his head back and forth. “Very good Angel, very well played. Look at her wounds, but if you try anything I will beat her to death myself.”
Josh narrowed his eyes at his brother as he untied Scarlet. “If you misbehave I’ll beat you.” He whispered to Scarlet.
The two women disappeared into the bedroom. Jenny tried to follow but Cutter called her back.
In the bedroom Scarlet looked at the bruises while she told Becca what she could remember of the girl Martha Ann.
“I don’t think you broke anything but you’re going to be sore. Ella would have ointments for stuff like this, everything I had was in my saddlebags.” Scarlet said as she pressed on Becca’s ribs.
“I seen Lucky. When they brought you in, he was skirting the tree line.”
“Thank the Gods.” Scarlet said “I don’t think he was hit, Cutter took a shot at him. Least I got some extra gear and a ride outta here if he’s ok.”
Before they walked back into the main room of the house Becca told her Jenny’s husband was the son of the man who used to own the place. They were new to frontier living and were looking forward to the adventure.
“Damn” Scarlet snorted.
-
************************************************
Originally Posted by Patches McDuff
"Damn," Patches mumbled. She heard the door open and soft footsteps coming in the room. That could only be Ella.
A soft touch to her forhead. "What 'damn'?" Ella said kindly.
"Hurts." Patches mumbled as her hand drifted to her midsection. "Like a knife." So far she hadn't even opened her eyes much preferring to listen to see.
"Hmmm," Ella said. "And no wonder too with all those broken ribs. It's a miracle you didn't puncture a lung."
Patches attempted a half snort. "Wadn't me that broke ribs. Was the fella with the silver tipped boots."
Ella raised an eyebrow at that comment and made a mental note to tell the Marshal. Now she had to venture into another territory even though she really didn't want to.
"Patches?" She asked softly as she held the morphine laced water.
"Hmm?" Patches returned as she swallowed. She grimmaced but didn't complain about the taste. Whatever that stuff was it made the pain go away and sleep come. She'd been having some pretty interesting dreams since Bill had given her the first dose. They were kinda neat, what with Sarbuck and Travis being in them and all.
"What happened to Scarlet?" She held her breath. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Patches but she had to find out something.
"They took her." Patches said her eyebrows knitting together as if she were trying hard to recall every last detail.
"You mean kidnapped?" Ella asked. Patches nodded.
"Stunned her. Picked her up. Went away." The morphine was already doing its job. Suddenly her thoughts were all jumbled. "West I think." She said after a moment. "Might have been east. No sun to tell. Where's Bill?"
"In the other room resting. Right across the hall." Ella said softly brushing Patches's hair. "Do you want me to get him?"
"Is it lunch time?" Patches asked seemingly on a whole different subject.
"Not quite but are you hungry?"
Patches head nodded once. "Wanna take lunch with Bill," she said even as she drifted off. "Cuz we do that....every....day...."
**********************************************
Originally posted by Elegant Ella
With Patches and Bill both asleep, Ella decided she had time to check the telegraph office. She had heard the key chattering when she went out to check on Bill.
She lit a lamp and pulled the strip from the graphite key. It looked like several messages had come during the day. Sitting down with a sheet of paper, she transcribed them.
Harry Montgomery sentenced to 10 years at Huntsville State Prison.
Huntsville Prison and inmates leased to Ward, Dewey Co. of Galveston.
Harry Montgomery leased to Lake Jackson Plantation.
Montgomery went missing from Lake Jackson Plantation March 20.
Ella thought some of the words that would never pass her lips, and took the flimsy in to the Marshal's office.
*************************************************
Originally Posted by Scarlet Angel
Cutter watched Scarlet and Rebecca enter the room. Why couldn’t women just behave and do as they were told. He thought to himself. Like horses, if their rider was killed they just accepted the new one, happy with whoever gave them their next meal.
He watched Scarlet bend down, pick up the barrette he’d taken out of her hair earlier and put her hair back up. There was something he liked about her. Was it the fire that burned in her soul? The fact she was more dangerous to him than anybody he’d ever known? She’d kill him first chance she had, he knew that. Even now as they looked at one another he could tell she was figuring her next move. She knew how to get to him. Maybe there was something to be said about a woman who had a mind of her own. He smiled, he’d break her one way or another, she was a challenge, maybe that’s what he liked the most.
“Why didn’t just kill me back there? You could have you know.” Scarlet said dryly.
She was looking his way but deciding what her odds at getting her knife back. No doubt it would be a distraction and the two of them would probably go rolling across the floor trying to kill one another. With the men that were standing around, Josh in the equation, the odds were not good for Becca to get out, worse for Jenny. At least Rebecca would fight or run, Scarlet wasn’t sure about Jenny.
“You’re my ticket to wherever I want to go. Those men that ride with you, they’re not gonna let anything happen to ya. My guess is if I tell them to jump, they’ll ask how high to keep you alive. Then…..I can kill em one by one and watch you suffer.”
Cutter smiled and moved slightly back from the knife as he put his hand on his own.
“Those men that ride with me. They will kill you without mercy if I don’t first. If they think I am suffering they will kill me.”
Cutter chuckled. “I have observed them well enough to know better than that. Trade their lives for yours, yes, like you would them. Kill you, I think not.”
“Longknife I finally figured out he’s your father. Kill men, he would without a second thought, kill his own daughter, no.”
“Bo Corbin, the man has spent more time stitching you back up and covering your ass than I can count. There’s a loyalty there, his life for yours…absolutely…put a bullet in you..I doubt it.”
“Then there’s your ghost, James Bradbury. Kill his own brother, they say he did that. Hell woman we used to tell spook stories round the campfire during the war about the man they called the Confederate Ghost. I believe if either one of those other two raised the gun to shoot you James would kill them.”
“Then there’s the soldier you deny having feelings for. Love does crazy things ta folks..look what it done ta you. How long you been chasing me because I killed the one you loved? You would have shot yourself before you shot him. I suspect that soldier is cut from similar cloth Scarlet or you wouldn’t have looked twice at him.”
“Marshal JB Ross, I’m guessing my ticket to freedom with him is having both you women. If that ain’t enough them other four men will keep him in line. I’ve seen it before you know. Done it enough times ta know.”
“Oh wait lets not forget the scientist guy. He’s probably gonna shoot some gaseous thing at me. Course again, there’s you and Reb..Martha Ann. He’s got five against him gonna keep you ladies safe.”
“And I’m not letting any woman posing as a doctor within miles of me. Mite slowly kill ‘em all off though. The red head put up a good fight, she was tough. You always surround yourself with interesting people.” He grinned at his analogy while Scarlet looked at him in disgust.
She hated talking to him, was still trying to figure out the pleasure he got from talking to her. The only benefit was getting deeper into his mind, and frankly she was in as deep as she wanted to go.
“At least she went down fighting, not on her knees begging.” Scarlet snorted.
Cutter tried his best to ignore the last remark.
“When’s the last time you heard from my loving mother? I might have my hands on her too.” He smiled evily.
Scarlet knew he’d been fishing for information on her loved ones and now he was starting to dig for information on Trixie.
“You don’t have her.” There was irritation in Scarlet’s voice.
“What makes you think so?”
“I was at her funeral. Don’t lie Cutter. You’re mother is buried in the local cemetery in Mokehill, died of the fever two months after your trial. I guess she thought she could finally rest in peace.” Scarlet lied.
Cutter watched her, it was always very difficult for him to tell when she was lying or not.
How he’d love to get his hands on that good for nothing tramp that was his mother. She’d ruined their lives and she had to pay. He had no intentions of keeping her alive. He wasn’t sure what he really wanted to do with Scarlet. He wondered what would be more fun. Watching her suffer as he took the lives of her friends or watching them as he took her life. His lip curled up in a sadistic smile.
Jenny stepped timidly up. “May I take my husband something to eat? It was cold last night and he’s not had anything.”
Cutter’s sadistic smile turned charming as he looked at her. “I won’t let you near him, I wouldn’t want you getting any crazy ideas. But Harry will take him something for you.”
“Thank you.” Jenny said politely making a plate and handing it to Harry.
Harry smiled and went to the barn. Sitting on the milking stool he looked up at the now blue body that hung from the rafters and began to scarf down the food. “She’s a good mrs. Wonder if the boss will let the rest of us have a turn at her.” He grinned up at the dead body and wiped his mouth on his sleeve then went back into the house.
*************************************
Originally posted by Tensleep
As Tensleep walked from the house to his cabin his mind was moving in a hundred different directions.
Was Patches going to be all right?
Where were Scarlet and Rebecca... his beloved Rebecca? Were they still alive?
Were they together? Did Cutter have them? If so, where?
Were Johnny and the others going to be able to redraw the map?
Ross looked out the window and saw Jimmy standing looking across the open plain.
Opening the door Tensleep hollered to Jimmy. "Can you come in for a while?"
Jimmy turned and walked to the marshal's cabin. "What can I do for ya?"
"Jimmy I figger that we need to start to load up. Gonna be ridin' shortly an' there's lots o' stuff we gonna need. I figger two mules to pack stuff on. Grub an' bedrolls, tent, medical supplies you know as well as I do what's needed." Tensleep had fallen back into the vernacular of the range hand he had been for most of his adult life.
"See if you can find me two big strong mules with good feet, legs an' lotta heart. We gonna travel fast an' I woan 'em to keep up. Pack saddles for both, coupla hunnert foot o' rope, some dynamite, caps an' fuse. I need to see what Bill has in tha lab that we might use.
Jimmy turned and walked out without a word. Tensleep knew that the requests that he had made would be filled and everything would be done as if it were the only task in the world. The marshal took his rifle from the wall and laid it on his desk along with enough ammunition for both pistols and rifle to last an eterity. Only then did he leave the cabin. When the fresh air hit his face so did the sight of Bo and Fritz riding into the ranch yard.
Both men swung down from their saddles and Bo said, "Found it!" He waved the maps. "Gonna go see Johnny." Fritz made to follow Bo.
"Sergeant!" Fritz stiffened and came to attention, did an about face and then saw the grin on Tensleep's face. "You did it again didn't you Captain?" Fritz smiled referring to Ross' former rank in the Union army.
"Sure did... Fritz we need to see Bill, think you can find him?"
-
Someone was calling Bill’s name. He wished they would go away and let him sleep but whoever they were they seemed to be determined to wake him up. Bill slowly opened his eyes. He could just make out Fritz King standing in the door of the room. “Sorry to wake you up, Bill but the Marshall wants to start getting things gathered up and sent me to see what you had in your workshop that you wanted to pack.”
Bill swung his legs over the edge of the bed and picked up his glasses from the bedside table. He checked his pocketwatch and then looked past Fritz across the hall to where Patches lay in the other guest room. She was still asleep in the bed almost in exactly the same position he had last seen her. It was hard to believe that someone could call himself human, much less a man, and treat a woman like that. “Let’s get goin’ Fritz,” he said as he picked up his coat from the back of the chair. We’ve got a lot of stuff to look at and we better get the Marshall as well.”
“I’ve got a lot of the smaller ordinance in here,” Bill said opening the door to his workshop. “The heavier firepower, high explosives, and more dangerous materials are stored out in the bunker and then there is something special I want to show you in the test shack.” He began opening the lockers along the West side of the lab and methodically laying boxes of armaments out on the nearest workbench. Tensleep and Fritz recognized most of the equipment; the small flash, smoke, and pepper bombs that could blind, or confuse an opponent or provide cover for an escape. Then there were the metal-cased fragment bombs which, though looking like nothing more than a soup can, could cripple, maim, and kill several men at a time with the horde of lead pellets each one unleashed upon exploding. Boxes of illumination flares, and signal flares were placed on the table as well as armour piercing shotgun rounds – lead slugs with a hardened steel core. There were explosive charges that detonated on contact, some that jumped into the air and sprayed shot in all directions and also much larger versions that would throw pounds of lead pellets at one time like a giant shotgun. “We just have to decide how much of this stuff we can take with us,” Bill commented as they looked at the plethora of material laid out on the bench.
“Not going to be able to carry a whole lot,” Tensleep commented as he hefted one of the fragment bombs. “And we need to be sure that we don’t hurt Scarlet in the process of taking care of Cutter and whoever else is with him,” he added looking at the mass of equipment.
Bill opened one of the last two cabinets. “Here,” he said as he handed a leather scabbard with a shotgun in it to Fritz. “You’re familiar with this one I think.” Fritz pulled the shotgun out of the leather sleeve and realized that it was not the coach gun he thought it was but the silent rifle he had seen Bill shooting several weeks ago. Now however, the firearm sported a telescopic sight. “I added the sight just a week ago. The barrels are regulated to one hundred yards and the telescopic sight is zeroed to that range as well. Remember whoever uses this has to soak the barrels in water first so the felt and leather packing doesn’t catch fire. The scabbard is waxed leather inside just for that purpose. I’ve got about a hundred rounds cut down and loaded,” he added setting a box of the elongated 0.45 rounds that he called ’45-50-250’s on the bench.
“One last thing,” he said opening the final cabinet. He tossed a leather duster each to Fritz and Tensleep. Fritz nearly dropped the coat in surprise at the weight.
“What are these things made out of, Lead?” Tensleep asked hefting the coat he held.
“Tempered steel wire and silk actually, with padding under it and extra thick leather on the outside,” Bill said flipping the lining back on a third coat he held to reveal the layers of tightly interwoven metal and silk threads. “It’s something that our military is working with based on medieval Japanese armour. They’re hot, stiff, and heavy, but they’ll turn everything except a rifle cartridge or a large pistol bullet at very close range. For a little while anyway,” he concluded with a frown.
“Only for a while?” Fritz asked holding the duster out in front of him and looking at it. “What if you’re wearing this and get hit a couple of times in a row or somebody cuts loose at you with something like a 45-70-500?”
“That,” Bill replied, “would be very bad to say the least.” The implications of the statement didn’t require further explanation. “Come on out to the test shack. I need you to help me with something that I haven’t gotten around to and this is as good a time as any.
The ‘test shack’ in reality was nothing more than an old chicken coop that Bill had adopted to use as a proving ground for some of the equipment he created for the Marshall and the other deputies. By now the walls were covered with patches where burned, splintered, and punctured wood had been replaced as the result of various trials. When the door to the single-room building swung open both Fritz and Tensleep involuntarily flinched. Hanging nose-down from one of the crossbeams of the roof was a large, finned missile. They had seen these weapons tested and knew what the large quantity of blasting gelatine and shot in the nose of the missile could do.
“Oh don’t worry about this girl,” Bill said walking to the weapon and removing the safety cover from the trigger in the nose. “I modified the missile to only have three metal parts, the percussion cap, the firing pen, and the spring that holds the pen away from the cap,” he said pointing to the tip of the nosecone. “I also replaced the normal gallon of blasting gel and lead shot with a large combination flash, smoke, and pepper charge. Now, if the two of you would be good enough to step back outside and close the door behind you,” he added while picking up what was obviously a release line to drop the missile on the floor.
“Bill,” Tensleep said worriedly, “you aren’t planning on staying in there are you?”
“Actually, I am,” he replied. “This device, or more precisely, its twin that is sitting in the storage bunker could well be detonated in close proximity to Scarlet and I need to be absolutely sure that it is as safe as possible. She won’t be able to wear the protective masks that I normally would use so…” he shrugged and stared at the two.
“Bill, I think I need to keep ya’ company in that case,” Fritz said stepping into the room. “One of us might have to drag the other one out.”
Bill handed an oilcloth package from a shelf next to the door to Tensleep. “Here is one of the mask and goggle sets. If we don’t manage to get out on our own, you’ll have to drag us out. There are buckets of water and soap next to the door along with a tin of olive oil; wipe with oil first then plenty of soap and water,” he added as Tensleep closed the door. Bill and Fritz both looked at the missile. “I think it would be better if we faced the door,” Bill said. “And we probably ought to shut our eyes just in case.”
“OK,” Fritz replied. “By the way, you ever tried anything like this before?”
“Nope,” Bill said as he jerked the lanyard and the missile dropped to the floor behind them.
Outside the building Tensleep heard someone yell “Oh Sh..” and the rest was lost in an explosion. On reflection, the actual blast was not all that loud: not much louder than a ten-gauge shotgun. The other effects were astounding. The small building almost seemed to swell from nothing more than the degree of light coming out of it. For a moment every crack in the wood, every joint, even the fibres of the planks themselves seemed to be outlined in searing white light. Tenseep blinked and when his eyes opened, thick white smoke was virtually jetting out of every opening in the building. “Fritz, Bill,” he yelled tearing open the oilcloth package and jerking the goggles and mask over his face.
Inside the building Bill and Fritz had heard the missile hit the floor and then both were knocked to their knees from the concussion. His ears were ringing and Bill could already feel every exposed inch of his skin stinging as if it was on fire. Through the closed lids of his eyes he could see the after-image of the interior of the room. Somewhere beside him someone was coughing.
“Doc” came a single, strangled word from somewhere. A hand landed on his shoulder. Bill grasped the hand and started crawling forward toward what he hoped was the door. His eyes burned horribly in spite of not opening them. Tears poured down his face. “This might have been a mistake,” he thought to himself. Just as it seemed he would have to breathe another hand grasped him by the collar and rapidly began to drag him forward.
The fresh air was wonderful in spite of the fact that it seemed to make the stinging even worse. Bill and Fritz found themselves side by side on their hands and knees coughing while Tensleep stood to one side lecturing them about exactly what a pair of idiots they were for trying such a fool stunt. The oil and soap had helped but they both were still almost incapacitated. “Had to be sure it wasn’t going to be fatal,” Bill finally managed to gasp out as he rolled over and sat watching the shack. The smoke almost completely obscured the building and formed a column that rose for well over a hundred feet in the air.
“Damn,” was Fritz’s only comment as he also moved to a sitting position.
“You two were out of action for nearly ten minutes even with the washing up and olive oil,” Tensleep informed the pair as he studied his watch. “You sure this won’t be fatal?”
“Nothing’s one hundred percent sure,” Bill said without commenting on the aghast look that appeared on Fritz’s face when he heard this. “The metal spring could hit you in a vital location, you could have a pre-existing lung condition, there are plenty of things that could happen but I think it’s about as safe as I can make it and still do the job. Come on,” he said standing up. “Let’s go get the other one from the bunker.
Doctor Bill
-
“The Bunker” was another two hundred yards away from the house. When the Southern Star was first built, it was just an earth dugout to store gunpowder and dynamite for blasting out stumps. Concurrently with the building of his new workshop, Bill had asked for permission to renovate and enlarge the old dynamite magazine as well. It now was a storage facility that would make a military outpost proud. The entire structure was topped with a heavy earth and timber cover and it backed into a natural swale in the earth so even the detonation of the entire contents would be directed away from the ranch.
They left Bunsen the mule and the small wagon at the top of the stone incline and walked down to the heavy double doors. Tensleep opened the lock though all three of the men carried keys to the heavy oak and iron door.
Inside a short hallway branched off into a few small rooms. The walls were built of large stone blocks mortared together. Light was brought into the rooms through glass prisms and polished tin tubes that pierced the massive roof structure. Gunpowder, dynamite, tri-nitrotoluene and other explosives were stored here. The rocket was in a room which also held some small stacks of shells for the two cannon back at the main ranch house.
After they had carried the wooden crate containing the missile out into the hallway, Bill went to the metal locker at the end of the hallway farthest from the door. In small, precise lettering the word “DANGER” was stencilled across the two doors. Tensleep and Fritz watched as he pulled a key attached to his watch-chain from his vest pocket and opened the door.
The cabinet was filled with spherical sealed glass containers and metal cans. Some of the vessels were wrapped with a padded cloth mesh. Others simply were unadorned but they all were restrained into the cabinet by cords. Fritz King and the Marshal stepped forward to look at the contents. The liquids that were visible were definitely not water. The materials in these sealed glass orbs were green, yellow, and other unnatural hues. Those that were violently tinted swirled within the glass and even those that were clear seemed to move slightly as they watched. Many of them held an atmosphere above the liquid that was a similar sickly colour.
The metal tins, though fused and looking like a larger version of the fragment bombs, were labelled only with the letters “WP”. While these did not look as ominous as the glass bottles, the fact that they were stored with the other items indicated that they were worthy of extreme respect.
“Bill,” Tensleep said breaking the silence. “You figuring you might want to take something out of there?” The question was not inconsequential. Bill had impressed on all of the regular residents at the ranch the danger contained in any one of these vessels. There was a long pause.
“No,” Bill said and sighed as he began to close the cabinets. “There are limits to retribution and to what it can correct.” He shut the doors, carefully locked them and put the key away again. He didn’t speak again until they had loaded the rocket on the wagon.
“Marshal," he began. "I thought about making the men that hurt Patches suffer like they never did before in their lives; making them scream for somebody to put a bullet into their brains to stop what they were feeling. I actually was looking forward to it but just now it suddenly seemed to be nothing; just an empty act. I need to stay here with Patches. I think right now my being with her is more important that carrying out some act of revenge against someone I don’t even know. I hope you understand.”
Tag to Tensleep and/or Fritz
-
As Tensleep, Fritz and Bill approached the house they saw Johnny talking to the town Sheriff. It didn’t go unnoticed there was a body draped over the horse the sheriff lead.
The three men could hear the conversation as they approached.
"I sent him out to check out some cattle rustling. The rancher brought him in earlier. Coroner says he's never seen anything like it."
Johnny walked over to the blanket and pulled it back. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of the skinless body.
"I seen Indians do a lot of things, but nothing like this, we didn’t even think it was Indians." The sheriff said watching Johnny.
There was little that made Johnny ill, but suspecting it wasn't Indians who did it and knowing Scarlet could be with the man who did turned his stomach and angered him.
"Ain't indians sheriff." Johnny pulled back the blanket a little further to look at the body better. The bit of sun that had peered through the clouds glinted off the deputy’s badge that was stuck in the chest muscle.
Johnny swore under his breath.
"Ain't a stitch of skin left on him is there?" Sonny's voice came from the porch.
Johnny and the sheriff both spun around.
"How you know?" the sheriff asked as Sonny approached them.
“Tell me Andy, was there a fire going next to the body?” Sonny asked as he loosened the ropes and pulled the blanket back for a better look.
“What?”
“A fire….he burns the skin as he peels it off.”
“How the hell you know that.” Johnny’s eyes bore into Sonny’s.
"Cuz that's what he done to Tommy. Not even skin left on his eyelids, no finger nails either. That’s what wasn’t in the reports that were filed."
"It was Cutter wasn't it?" Johnny asked confirming his own suspicion.
"Has damn little respect for the law Johnny." Sonny said taking a closer look at the body. "Just like he done to Tom." Sonny shook his head.
“Cutter?” the Sheriff asked.
Rowan is his name, he's called Cutter." Tensleep had stepped up. "We are putting together a posse now Sheriff. Figger he is hold up somewhere not too far away and has some hostages. Just starting to get things gathered up. Dr Bill has a few more things to show me."
As Tensleep turned and walked away he felt as if he would retch. The sight of the skinless deputy was almost more than he could take. Many were the atrocities he had seen during the Late Unpleasantness and his years fighting Indians but nothing had prepared him for what one 'civilized' man had done to another this time.
In his mind he was thinking what he would do to Cutter Rowan when they had him. A small hot fire, a tripod with Rowan suspended over the fire, watch a his brains came to a slow boil. 'Sleep wanted to hear this Rowan scream as smoke seared his lungs. Rowan's skin would char and drop off... his eyes would swell and burst. The Shoshoe had taught him many tricks, maybe now was the time to use them.
Regaining Bill and Fritz Tensleep asked, "How do we get that missle in to where Rowan is? I want that bastard!"
Ella and Rose were in the kitchen making journey bread when the sheriff arrived to talk to Johnny. They heard a bit of their conversation with the other men.
Ella shook her head, "Patches is doing well enough that you and Bill can take care of the nursing she needs, and Scarlet might need medical help when they rescue her, but I don't want to ride out with the posse. I'm afraid I would be more hindrance than help in the event of any fighting." She paused and sighed before continuing, "Probably the biggest reason for my reluctance is that the men are going for blood, and I don't want to see them while they take vengence. Better to send them off as heroes with the provisions and supplies they need and greet them as victors when they bring Scarlet home than go along and risk seeing them act like barbarians."
Rose smiled understandingly. “Ella, I think it’s best if you stay. Cutter…he is…well, Scarlet has always called him a demon. The more I hear of the things he’s done. See what he is capable of I am starting to believe he is the devil himself.
"It is obvious to me by the way they have secured this place they don’t want Cutter to get to us. You should have heard the lecture Johnny gave me about staying close to the house, take one of the men with you, even to the barn. Have you noticed every time you step out of the house you are trailed? Seems they come in pairs. I’m sure they know things they are not telling us.”
Rose dropped her head to her chest. “Cutter has that affect on folks, Ella, brings out the very worst in ‘em.
Scarlet has done things I know she is not proud of and for what ever reason she had, she had Jimmy at her side for the worst of it.”
Rose lifted her head and looked Ella in the eyes. “It’s taken everything I have not to ask him to go and show no mercy. I guess that means Cutter's getting to me too, but I won’t ask any of them to trade their life for hers. Scarlet wouldn’t be very happy if that were to happen.”
It was hard to keep detached; remain unemotional. But he'd been a professional soldier for far too long. Fritz resolved to keep a cool head, even if others lost theirs. He had to trust Scarlet. She was a big girl, and could take care of herself. If there were a way out, she'd find it.
If not...
Fritz smiled at Bill. His respect for the man rose. He decided to take himself out of the equation. As a scientist, Bill knew he must keep his objectivity.
Unfortunately, that meant that Fritz had to become an expert with all of Bill's "toys"...and fast.
"Bill," Fritz asked, "can one of your congreve rockets hoist a payload that large?"
Bill took Fritz over to where the wooden crate lay on the wagon. “An original Congreve rocket was a piece of junk. They used metal tubes, a cast iron cannon ball for the warhead, no stabilization fins and nothing but black powder for the explosive and propellant. I started over with the basic concept of a rocket and redesigned it from the ground up.” As he spoke, he pulled the crate off the wagon and laid it on the ground with Fritz’s help. “To start with I constructed the body of the rocket from layered paperboard and used a ceramic liner for the rocket motor and nozzle. This reduced the weight by half right away. I changed the propellant to a mixture of sulphur, zinc dust, potassium chlorate, and powdered sugar. It provides a steadier, more stable thrust than the black powder and further increases the payload. Finally, I replaced the old thirty-pound, cast iron with a paperboard laminate nosecone and percussion detonator. Even my antipersonnel model, which carries nearly ten pounds of shot and a gallon of blasting gelatine, has a maximum range of over a mile. This one will travel even further if necessary.”
By now Bill had flipped the sides of the crate down to form two legs and the remaining portion of the crate became a trough to hold the missile. “The fins are not attached but they will fit in these slots on the side.” He held the thin sheet-metal triangle in one hand and indicated the slot on the side of the rocket where they would slip into place. “Once you have the front of the trough pointed at the target in a left to right direction by dead reckoning, you have to set the elevation. I didn’t count on anyone who used this thing doing geometric triangulation in their head so I came up with an aiming device.”
He handed Fritz a small telescope that had a third opening in the centre of the tube. Two long pieces of cotton cord were attached one to each end of the brass tube and a small wooden protractor was attached to the end of each cord. “Unfortunately it takes at least two and preferably three men to fire the rocket,” he said as he clamped the tube across the trough above the rocket. “Marshall, if you would give us a hand. Fritz, look through the eyepiece and you will see a split image with two cross hairs like the telescopic sight for a rifle. When each string is aligned with it’s respective cross hair, tell us to stand still.” Bill and Tensleep each took one of the protractors, stretched the cords to their fullest extent and with a moment of hand waving and directions from Fritz they were both in the correct location.
“Now,” Bill said. “I roughly aimed it at the far corner of the berm around the lab. Marshall, use the sights on your protractor to aim at the same point then read the angle where the cord crosses the scale and I’ll do the same.” A moment later both men had called out the angle. “Fritz, you could solve the distance using two right-angle triangles or you could look at the inside of the crate where you will find a table of angles. Match up the two values that we just gave you and where they intersect you will find the elevation for the front of the launch ramp. The legs are already marked in half-inches and can be adjusted. It should be accurate to a few feet at the point of impact. The plunger in the nose will detonate the charge once the safety cover is removed and you simply light the fuse to set it off.”
“It just took us nearly five minutes to set this up and get a firing solution,” Bill said as he rolled up the string. “You may not have that long. I always figure that if it’s less than a hundred yards, the rocket will fly flat enough to aim by rough sight and let it go. Out to one hundred and fifty; aim a little high and light it up. Fritz, I’ve been the only one using most of this equipment for too long. Unfortunately, the only way to get a good feel for how some of this hardware performs is to actually get out and use it. If you could spare an hour or two, I’ve got five missiles that, though they are loaded with shot and blasting gel, would give you some practice in aiming. We also could try out the other gear as well. You and anyone else on the posse at least need some instruction in using the dust mask and goggles since it would be a great advantage to actually attack Cutter while the capsicum and smoke is still hanging in the air. Feel like blasting a few huge craters in the landscape?”
Fritz always enjoyed experimenting with new weaponry, but wasn't sure if now was the time. Maybe it'd be best to stick with the tried and true...at least for now.
But he wasn't the C.O. of this unit.
"Marshal," Fritz asked, using the title as 'Sleep so often did with him, "what are your orders sir?"
"Sergeant I think that you have about three hours til we move out. Practice is in order. I can see a real use for this piece of weaponry."
Johnny stood back for a moment watching the three men.
Finally he had to ask. "What happens if someone takes a shot at that thing with a buffalo gun?"
"Unless you happened to exactly hit the percussion cap in the nose cone," Bill replied, "nothing other than you get a hole in the missile." "Oh, it would ruin the rocket motor; it couldn't fly with a hole in the side of it; but you could tear the nosecone off, knock the charge in the warhead out, pile it up in the middle of the floor and light it off with a fuse and you would still get the same effect. There is nothing in here," he slapped the side of the rocket," that is shock sensitive as there is in dynamite.
"In fact," he continued, "your back-up use of this wepon should be to remove the nosecone completely right here," he indicated a point just behind the junction between the nose and the body of the rocket, "and just worry about getting the nose section into where most of the miscreants are located. Drop it point first, cut a hole in the side a stick a length of fuse in, or even as I said earlier, build a fire under it and wait for it to burn."
-
Cutter rose and went out the door followed by Josh. Rebecca watched them go then sat next to Scarlet.
Scarlet was watching the fire. Rebecca knew the look in her friend’s eyes. Scarlet was most likely trying to figure the best way out, timing, route, and casualties. That’s what was keeping her in line, Rebecca knew it.
Scarlet glanced over at Rebecca. She knew the look in her friend’s eyes, something was eating at Rebecca.
“Just ask me. There are few secrets between us Becca.”
Rebecca looked at the knife in the middle of the table.
Scarlet half grinned. “If I reach for it Harry’ll shoot me in the back, same goes for you. Odds are not in my favor at all. Choose your battles carefully ya know. Without looking I’d be willing to bet he’s eyeballing my every muscle twitch. But that ain’t what you’re wondering.”
Rebecca’s gaze darted to the floor then into the fire watching the flames dance.
“Scarlet, how do you think Fritz would feel about you if you had to lay with one of these men to keep yourself alive?”
Scarlet turned her head and looked at her friend slightly surprised, but she knew she shouldn’t have been. “I’ve known men that would throw their wives into the street for doing something like that. I would like to think Fritz is not that type, I know he wouldn’t be happy but I think he would think it was better than the alternative, where some men wouldn’t.”
Scarlet could see a slight sadness cross Rebecca’s features.
“But that’s not what you wanted to ask me either.”
Rebecca locked gazes with Scarlet.
“I think Tensleep is like Fritz in that respect.” Scarlet said as she took the barrette out of her hair.
“It’s been a long time since I had to be with someone I really didn’t want to be with. I’m afraid of him Scarlet.” Becca said softly.
“I know.” Scarlet said as she rolled the piece that held the wire barrette in place over in her palm for Becca to see.
“That’s beautiful.” Becca said looking at the polished horn.
“Mom gave it to me along time ago.” Scarlet said holding it for Rebecca to see. “A girl can never be to safe.”
Rebecca hid her surprise as she saw it was actually a long thin folding knife.
“Just in case.” Scarlet said winding Rebecca’s hair in the barrette. “What horse are you riding?”
“Cloud” Rebecca’s eyebrows pulled together thinking it was a strange question.
“When the odds change Rebecca I want you to get on that horse and ride for the mountain, don’t stop, don’t look back.”
Rebecca started to object.
Scarlet shot her what Rebecca referred to as “the look”. When you saw the look you knew you were being handed down orders not negotiations.
“You get to Black Wolf. It’s faster and more cover to go there than trying to make the ranch. Once there you send one of the braves to the ranch, one of the ones the boys know so he won’t be shot at. You tell him to tell Johnny or Bo the black road leads to the gates of hell. It’s at the gates of hell the devil will make his last stand.”
“Cloud will never out run that horse Cutter is riding.”
Scarlet chuckled. “There are only a few horses in the Southern Starr stables I would wager on beating that Comanche Indian pony oh ye of little faith.”
Becca half smiled. Black wolf did know his horse flesh and Cloud was one of the better ones she thought.
“Will Johnny know where these gates of hell are?”
“Exactly.”
Fritz wasn't a ring-knocker. He hadn't attended the Point. If he had, he would've been schooled in artillery. As it was, he was a Mustang; an enlisted man rose from the ranks to a commissioned officer. He served his purpose during the war. Afterwards, he wasn't needed anymore.
And besides, he was a horse soldier.
Fritz never thought of himself as a smart man. His father was an engineer, and had tried to teach his son the trade. But during the war with the Seminoles, they transported the Second Dragoons to Florida. A young trooper, not much older than Fritz, had lent him a Hall carbine. He and the trooper spent many hours firing from the boxcars.
Fritz had an afinity for firearms. He'd mastered almost every weapon he'd put his hands on. But the only artillery piece he'd fired with regularity during the war was his unit's mountain howitzer.
The weapons he'd dealt with were primarily flat trajectory. Even the small brass cannon he used mainly to fire cannister. So this rocket was, at first, a study in frustration. The first round overshot the target by at least fifty yards. But the concussion rippled the air like a rock dropped in a pond.
"Whoa..."
"I'd guess that you were aiming at about five hundred yards," Bill said, looking through his spyglass. "Prepare a second rocket, and drop your elevation about a half inch."
"I might need more tha five rounds to get this right Bill," Fritz replied.
The explosion was heard in the house, and woke Patches from her sleep.
"What...," she mumbled sleepily.
Ella brought her a glass of water, and said, "Fritz is learning how to shoot Bill's rockets, for the posse going after Scarlet. Bill is going to stay here, to watch after us."
Patches sipped sleepily and murmured, "Bill makes me feel safe," as she drifted back to sleep.
"Part of it's math, part of it's just getting the 'feel' for where a projectile goes. I guess the closest approximation I know is shooting billiards," Bill said as Fritz put a second rocket in the now smoking wooden rack. "Anyway, we're not looking for pinpoint accuracy here. The dispersion of smoke and dust should be pretty large. It would be nice if you can catch them in a building but even out in the open you should have a pretty good area of effect. Of course, if theres any wind you would have to take that into affect in laying the cloud of smoke. Light that one up now and let's see what happens."
Fritz picked up the smoldering punk-stick and pressed it against the end of the fuse that protruded from the tail of the rocket. The pencil-sized cord smoked for a second then began to sizzle and burn. Bill and Fritz both took a few steps away and waited.
With a whosh and roar the rocket jumped into the air leaving a trail of white smoke behind it. After a few seconds of burn the engine stopped and the rocket, which now was nothing more than a small spot, began to drop. Bill raised the telescope to his eye and watched.
"You see, if you can get close enough the flight is nearly flat. The engine burns for almost ten seconds so as I said earlier, for anything less than about one hundred and fifty yards I wouldn't even try to aim it with the cord and," he paused for while several cubic feet of rangeland were vaporized and the ground jumped beneeth their feet. "string aiming device." he concluded. "That was a lot closer to the mark. Why don't we pick out a new target and see how you do."
They were rolling up the cords after Bill had called out the second angle to Fritz. "Remind me to give you a clockwork fuse or better yet two before you go," Bill said. "That would make it possible for you to aim the rocket, set the fuse, and then move in closer to wait for it to fire without having to leave a fuse burning. I'll show you how to set two of them to work on a single fuse so there's less chance of a failure of some sort. I don't want everyone to be counting on some gizmo of mine to save the day and have it fail at the last minute," he added with a frown.
Fritz took a third rocket from its crate, and slipped the fins into place. There was a big-barreled cactus about 200 yards out. Fritz dropped both legs, and set the rocket in the trough. He used the sides of the trough like a rear sight notch, and the nosecone as the front sitght blade. Moving as quickly as safely possible, he aimed the rocket and lit the fuse. The rocket streaked forward and struck the base of the cactus. It, and much of the surrounding flora were vaporized with a flash and a satisfying crump.
-
------Interesting! Verrry interesting!------- ;)
-
Posted by Fritz
Fritz smiled, looking at his watch. "Two minutes, eight seconds...now that's more like it."
_________________
Scarlet
Rose stepped on the porch looking in the direction of the artillery fire, it stirred bad memories of the war. The sound of the hoof beats drew her attention towards the barn.
The sight of the five horses, two mules, Dancer and Moonshine made Rose draw a sharp breath as they stopped outside of the barn. A group of animals the ranch hands had nicknamed the hard stock. It was a name that was earned and worn with pride. The animals had all proven their worth under fire at one time or another and had the endurance to match most of Rose’s Arabians. Some of them required better riders, but Rose guessed Jimmy had chosen them as spare mounts and the men who would be riding them were good horseman.
Sugar and Spice, the two mules, would earn no beauty points and on some days needed attitude adjustments, but they knew their jobs well and would not slow the crew down.
Moonshine had been young when Jimmy rode him off to the war, Rose couldn’t begin to imagine the miles the pale palomino had traveled in his life. To look at him now the middle aged Arabian looked the same as the day Jimmy had ridden off, in fact he looked exactly the same as the day they came home, the McClellan saddle, the long curved knife that hung from the saddle, the only thing missing was the ragged uniform Jimmy had worn. Jimmy had tied Dancer to his saddle as his own spare mount.
Rose watched Jimmy tie the spare mounts to the fence, pick up the lines for the mules then swing into the saddle and head off to where the others were.
Jimmy stopped in front of Johnny and handed the lead lines to Johnny.
Johnny looked him over. He knew by Jimmy’s actions he was headed out, there would be no changing his mind or asking him to wait.
Jimmy saw the way Johnny looked at him. “Takes less than a minute to stop a heart beat. The bastards had too much time already. It’s time to give him something else to think about.” Jimmy said flatly.
“Leave us signs.” Johnny said as he watched Moonshine start to move off followed by Dancer.
_________________
Dr. bill
Doctor Bill watched the blast from the last of the missles and nodded slightly. "I think you're getting the hang of it," he said as he lowered the telescope. "It's about time to get things packed up anyway," he added looking at his pocket watch.
He explained the use of the timed fuse for the rocket as he and Fritz rode back to the workshop on the wagon. The small wooden boxes each were fitted with a single timer dial on the face that was graduated from one to thirty minutes. The lever on the top of the box set a hammer inside and the metal gromet on the side was for the insertion of the end of a piece of "quick-fuse". At the appointed time, the internal hammer would crush a fulminate of mercury capsule which in turn ignited a mixture of magnesium ships and an oxidizer that set fire to the fuse. With two of the units both set on the fuse, it should provide reliable ignition of the rocket without the need for someone to sit and wait with a match in hand.
"The whole thing doesn't weigh all that much," Bill added as he and Fritz lifted the rocket in its box onto the wagon. "One mule should be easily able to carry it on top of a packsaddle. All the other gear should be distributed between the various riders anyway since it could be needed at any time." He looked at the various crates sitting on the wagon. "Let's haul this over to the house so it can get loaded."
_________________
Scarlet
Johnny walked the two mules back to the rest of the string. He eyed Jimmy’s choice of spare mounts with interest.
Dynamite, the lead horse on the string laid his ears back and bobbed his head up and down. Johnny suspected he’d be stuck on the big sorrel with the wide blaze and borderline disposition; one of the few horses on the ranch that didn’t accept treats from people, but a solid ride if one knew how to handle him.
Johnny felt the nose of one of the horses in the corral brush against him and turned. The two geldings eyed him curiously as they waited for attention. Johnny reached up and rubbed the grey face of one of them and removed the note attached to the animals halter.
He chuckled as he read it.
If Doc goes..
“Why didn’t he pull you out for me ay Sam?”
The horse leaned his head down and put his nose in Johnny’s hand. Johnny thought Jimmy had a good eye to match horse and rider, almost as well as Rose and Scarlet. It was no secret that Dr. Bill appreciated a gentler, kind animal.
“There are times I wish I had Jimmy’s attitude.” Bo’s voice came from behind Johnny.
“I don’t think I could handle that Bo.” Johnny half smiled. “But I know you’re thinking the same thing Jimmy said, we need to get on it if we’re goin’ at all.”
He led the mules to where Dr. Bill’s wagon had come to a stop.
“Let’s get ‘em packed up and move out.” He said looking at Bill then turned his attention to Tensleep.
“Best get whoever’s going aboard their horses ‘for Cutter sends us an invitation.”
_________________
Fritz
Fritz hopped from the wagon and grabbed Strider's reins. 'Sleep was waiting for him.
"How ya feel about those rockets son?"
Fritz sighed. "I wish I had more time with them, but I should be able to drop them close to where they're needed."
"Yep," 'Sleep replied. "That's why I want you to stay with the wagon and launch 'em, while we ride in."
Fritz let go of the reins and turned.
"Marshal Ross," Fritz said, trying to remain calm, "I'm a cavalry trooper. I do my best work on the back of a horse."
"That ain't necessarily so," 'Sleep responded. "I've been talking to Ella."
"Damn..."
"She told me when you first rode with this posse, you were hell with a long-range rifle. Saved alot of lives down Mexico way."
Fritz took a deep breath, and let it out slow.
"You're the only one who's had time on them rockets...I need you Fritz."
'Sleep laid his hand on the old soldier's shoulder. "You can come in once the rockets are inbound. We'll get her back...I promise."
"Okay," Fritz said. There was no use in arguing...
...because 'Sleep was right.
_________________
Dr. Bill
Bill and Fritz tied down the large smoke and pepper rocket and then began to make piles of the smaller munitions for each of the riders. Each man was assigned fragment bombs, smoke and flash bombs, the armour piercing shotgun rounds, incendiary bombs, the impact detonated buckshot bombs, and the smaller hand-thrown pepper bombs. A number of the dust mask and goggle sets were stacked alongside the individual rations of weapons. Additional reserve munitions were left in the wagon along with the large rocket. It only took a few minutes to get everything ready for each of the riders to stow in their individual saddlebags. The noiseless rifle and its ammunition was also carefully stowed in the wagon. The two bullet resistent coats were each packed away as well in case they were needed.
Tensleep walked back over to the two men to inspect the progress. “You sure about wanting to stay here, Bill?” he asked.
“I’m sure, Marshal,” Bill replied. “I think Fritz will do just fine with the rocket and most of the other gear is almost fool-proof.” He was quiet for a moment. “This is the worst I have ever seen Patches be injured and; well, I know how important getting this man is; and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about giving you some of the stuff out of that locked cabinet; but I just have got to stay here with Patches right now. She needs me and I need to be here with her.”
_________________
Scarlet
Cutter was becoming agitated; he could feel the tension and stress building. He needed some kind of relief, it had been days since he had the pleasure of feeling warm blood wash over his hands as he took someone’s life. Suddenly he grinned, turned and went into the house.
Cutter went to the chair Scarlet’s slicker was hung over and searched the pockets, delighted to find her badge, he then went to the table and pulled her knife from it.
“Tie ‘em up, I’m going out.”
Harry moved immediately putting his gun to Scarlet’s temple. “Why don’t you try anything?” He whispered in her ear.
It irritated him she didn’t even look at him as one of the others tied her hands behind her back then tied Rebecca’s. The two women were then tied together and to the table leg.
“What about that one?” Harry said leering at Jenny.
“Long as everyone behaves themselves and she doesn’t go near the other two or speak to them you leave ‘er be. If they get out of line…you do what ever you want with them except kill em. You can beat them near to death but leave some breath in their bodies.”
“Come on Josh” Cutter said going out the door.
Cutter’s look outs had reported a small herd of cattle being driven not far from them, four men was all, so he took one of his men and Josh and set out knowing they wouldn’t be out of earshot of gun fire should a posse be spotted.
The cattle looked like they were walking on water as they strolled through the grass just on the other side of the blue flowers that blew in the morning wind. Cutter couldn’t wipe the grin from his face thinking of what was coming until they were almost upon the drovers.
The lead man stopped and cautiously watched the three men riding towards them.
Cutter had pinned the badge on his jacket and flashed it for the man to see as they approached.
“Mornin’ Marshal.”
Cutter touched the brim of his hat. “Mornin’”
“What kin I do fer ya?”
“There’s been some rustling in the area and my deputies and I are checking it out. Ya got papers on these cattle?”
“Yes sir.” He turned in his saddle and waved to one of the other men to come in.
“I’d like to get a closer look at yer men too, just to make sure they don’t fit the descriptions of the outlaws we’re looking for.”
“Anything to help Marshal? I didn’t catch your name.” He said waving in the others.
“It’s deputy actually, US deputy Corbin.”
Cutter pretended to look over the papers the cowhand had given him as he waited for them all to get close.
As the last man rode in Cutter leaned forward holding out the papers. The cowhand reached out to take them as Cutter drew his pistol and pulled the trigger.
Josh and Cutter’s other man had the drop on the other two cowboys.
“Raise ‘em.” Josh said sliding off of his horse. He stepped up to the two cowboys, relieved them of their weapons and pulled them off of their horses.
The fourth cowhand hand not been as close as the others when the gunfire started, he wheeled his horse around and tried to escape. Cutter grinned sadistically as he pulled the trigger shooting the man in the back. The cowboy slumped forward in the saddle but was able to hold on and keep the horse moving.
“We’ve not done anything deputy.” One man yelled.
“String that one up.” Cutter said cheerfully.
Josh and his partner forced the man to a nearby tree. Taking the rope of the cowboys horse they put the noose around his neck and pulled everything tight, securely tying it off before the led the horse slowly away from his rider.
“Take me into town deputy I can prove we are who we say we are.” The last cowhand begged.
Cutter stepped off of his horse, his eyes dancing with excitement.
“No doubt you are who you say you are.” He said walking behind the man.
Cutter kicked him in the back of the knees grabbing the man under his chin as he fell. Taking Scarlet’s knife he plunged it into the mans stomach and jerked it upward until it stopped just below the mans throat. The warm feeling of blood spilling over his hands brought Cutter a feeling of satisfaction and power. He took a deep breath as he let the lifeless body fall forward.
The three outlaws mounted up and rode back to the ranch house. Cutter thought his day had started out perfect, three killings all before lunch. The fourth one might live long enough to tell someone Deputy Corbin shot him in the back, at least Cutter hoped so.
_________________
-
Tensleep
"Sounds good to me Bill." Tensleep turned to Fritz. "Sarge," he said with
a wink "be sure and leave some space in the wagon for some feed for the
horses and mules. As fast as we hope to move there won't be much time
for grazing."
"Hank, you and Sonny gonna ride with us?"
Hank was sitting at a small table on the porch and had busied himself at
what looked like to be drawing. His head jerked up at the sound of
Tensleep's question.
"I ain't no deputy Marshal, and I don't think I want to be deputized."
Hank said standing and handing the drawing and the old wanted poster to
Sonny.
"I'm a bit slow on the draw anymore too, anybody could tell ya that."
Hank continued, trying to ignore the snort he'd heard from Sonny. "Ain't
real good with a long rifle, although I can hold my own. If you want me
ta ride with ya I'm in."
There was no denying the angry look on Sonny's face as he looked at the
drawing. "Son of a bit..." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Been
here under our noses alla this time. Shook hands at the trial." He
shoved the two papers back at Hank cursing under his breath.
"I'll be ready in under five minutes Marshal." Sonny turned on his heel
and went into the house to retrieve his rifle and tell his wife he was
going.
Hank stepped off the porch and handed the drawing to Tensleep. It was a
man with short dark hair, and wide set eyes.
"Ya recognize him?" Hank asked.
Tensleep could see Hank had traced the features of the face from the old
wanted poster of the man with the long light colored hair and sparse
beard marked Unknown then drawn the dark short hair on it.
"Yeah dammit! It's that Phil character been hangin' round tha Ace lately. That devil is a spy for Cutter!" Tensleep threw down the matchstick he was chewing on. "We got no time left to waste."
Tensleep saw that Johnny was still talking to Bo. "You near ready Johnny?"
"Been ready." Johnny said looking in Tensleeps direction then to the wagon.
Seemed as if there were all kinds of things slowing them down Johnny thought.
Tensleep saw Johnny's look. "Tell one of the hands to ride with Fritz Johnny, we gotta fly an' catch up to Jimmy!"
Johnny chuckled. "Sleep your horse is gonna have ta have wings ta catch Jimmy. If I know that boy he'll not even stop to change horses just slide from one ta the other only slowin them sos they can catch their breath or if he has to check something out. He'll reach the mountain long before we do."
"I thought Dr. Bill said that stuff could be packed up on the mules." Johnny said looking at the items in the wagon. "Fritz, it's up to you, if you think it's best to pack it on a mule do it, if not choose a man ta ride shotgun with ya."
Tensleep mounted Buck and adjusted himself to the saddle. Hank and Sonny were mounted and ready. Johnny stood by Velvet Ears. "I'm gone boys, stay with me if ya can!"
Johnny swung into the saddle, took up the line on the spare horses and waited for Fritz to reply.
Fritz
Fritz tied Strider's reins off to the back of the wagon.
"Sorry fella," he said, patting the buckskin's head. He leaped to the buckboard seat.
"Zeke!" Fritz yelled. "Grab your shotgun! We gotta go now!!!"
_________________
Scarlet
Zeke waved a acknowledgement to Fritz, stopped in front of two of the other hands for a brief moment then ran to the bunk house for his gear.
In the moment it took him to return one of the ranch hand had tied Zeke's horse next to Strider and the other one had stowed some extra harness pieces in the wagon.
Johnny half grinned as he kicked his mule. Efficiency, he was proud of the way the men worked togeather, most of the time. Why Fritz had chosen Zeke Johnny wasn't sure, but it was a good choice.
The sound of fast moving horses filled the air as the group moved out.
The stage driver put his hand out to help the fancy dressed lady down. She was pretty he thought. It was hard to tell her age, he wasn’t sure if she was older or just maybe had hit a few hard times.
She smiled sweetly at him as she stepped down and stood aside for the black dog to step off the stage with her. The driver chuckled, the slick black dog had a fancy leather color. They both must come from a well ta do family someplace.
He pointed her to the train station and telegraph office. She politely thanked him and lead the dog down the boardwalk.
Trixie smiled to herself. She had saved her money and made the fancy dress because she’d fallen in love with the fabric she’d found in the mercantile. Some of the other women had teased her about having the occasion to wear such a dress. It was never intended to be something to hid in, but Kevin was not looking for a fancy lady, he was looking for a working girl.
She stepped up to the counter and told the man where she wanted to go. He smiled at her and took her money, then looked at the dog. “He’ll have to ride in the stock car.”
She pushed more money his way. “Nope”
Trixie noticed the way he was looking her up and down. She leaned close and whispered something in his ear. The man grinned and pulled down the curtain then opened his office door. Trixie laid the leash on the floor and told the large black dog to stay.
Trixie adjusted her fancy clothes and fixed her hair in the small mirror that hung in the ticket masters office, picked up her ticket and went out the door.
The man smiled as he watched her go. He’d never had a fancy woman, just the cheap whores at the saloon. It was worth the private room on the train he’d practically given her he thought.
Trixie had just enough time to go to the telegraph office and ask for a telegram be sent to US Deputy A. Corbin. Southern Starr El Paso, Texas.
Uneventful
Mr. Dawg
She hoped Scarlet would know that meant she was ok and hadn’t seen any signs of her son’s or their henchmen.
The telegraph operator looked up from the note. “Is that all ma’am?”
“Well I’m sure that’s all he told me to send.” She gave him a puzzled look and he smiled thinking her husband sure would be mad if there was more.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Thank you.” She said going out the door back towards the train depot.
She waited patiently for the train to board, handed her ticket to the conductor and was politely escorted to her room.
--------
Fritz
Some of the gear bounced around a bit, but the ordnance had been lashed down tight. Considering how long he and Bill had worked, Fritz was pleased with the results.
Zeke spoke up above the tinkling of harness.
"Fritz! Give me the reins!"
"Why?"
"Cuz from what I hear," Zeke replied, "you're a better shot!"
Fritz handed over the reins. He took the scattergun and placed it in his lap, the barrel pointed outboard. Reaching behind him, Fritz grabbed the Springfield.
The posse was pulling ahead, and Zeke was set on closing the distance.
_________________
Scarlet
Cutter smiled at his own ideas as he stepped off his horse and tied it to the rail of the ranch house.
Now that he’d released some of the pent up energy that had been distracting him could think more clearly. If his mother was dead he wanted proof. If she wasn’t he wanted her, and he had a few ideas on how he might get the new marshal to do it for him.
“Across flat ground spare me not.” Scarlet was famous for rattling off quotes or poems about horses.
“Across flat ground spare me not.” It kept running through Jimmy’s mind as he pushed the two horses as hard as he dare, he knew where he wanted to start looking for Scarlet and Rebecca.
Before Jimmy knew it he was nearing the base of Devil’s mountain. According to Scarlet’s map there were a few different possibilities where Cutter might be hol up. If Jimmy could figure out which way she was headed when she and Patches were jumped it would narrow it down.
He guessed Cutter would not venture inside the mountains so it had to be the outskirts. Scarlet would have picked a spot near water to camp, which was no help as there were many small streams winding through the mountains. Cutter had to be someplace fairly close to have taken Rebecca and been able to jump Scarlet and Patches too, half a days ride at the most, which narrowed it down more.
Jimmy thought about it, if it were him he’d hold up at the old Broken Shoe. You could guard it well and there was an abandoned ranch house there if it still stood. Or there was the small town just south of the shoe, the town nobody asked questions in. Scarlet had had a star on the map for those two places. “Go with yer gut feelings” he thought to himself turning the horses in the direction of the old ranch.
He rode slow and quiet blending with the rocks skirting the base of the mountain. He was beginning to wonder if he was wrong this time when Moonshine pinned his ears against his neck and snorted. The horse had always done that at the smell of death. Considering horses smell was better than peoples Jimmy could understand why the horse didn’t like it.
Jimmy slid off his horse and cautiously looked around before he approached the body. The man’s skull was crushed at the forehead. Horse kick Jimmy was pretty sure of it. Looking on the other side of the river he spotted another one.
Jimmy found a shallow place to cross and went over to look at the other body. The man had a look of pain on his face and his hand was over his chest. Jimmy moved the mans hand looking for a gunshot. Nothing.
Thinking of the first man Jimmy lifted the mans shirt at the collar and looked down. There was a perfect hoof print partially over the mans sternum and ribs. Jimmy pushed on the spot outlined by the hoof print, it to was crushed, the man probably had suffocated.
Jimmy knew this was Lucky’s handy work. The other he wasn’t so sure, but this one, Lucky could have cow kicked judging from the placement of the hoof and the angle of the print.
Jimmy stood and looked around wondering which way they went. The trail had been washed away by the storm. The small low broken branches caught his attention. Something had gone through them like a locomotive. He looked closer examining the flat grass, broken branches. There was a definite trail here, not one used by many, maybe one or two horses. Jimmy stopped at one of the branches and picked the black hairs from it. Between the print on the dead body and the black hair stuck to the branch Lucky had to have come this way.
Jimmy looked down the path the horse had blazed. Scarlet wouldn’t have ridden him that way, she would have made him go around things. Lucky was most likely rider less at the moment. If he stuck to his normal habit he wasn’t far from Scarlet though.
Jimmy mounted up and headed back to intercept the posse.
------------------------
Scarlet
Jimmy watched the horizon. He knew where the posse should be, what he couldn’t figure was the movement off to the side following them. He wondered if somebody was riding drag.
Jimmy found a high concealed spot, stashed the horses, melted into his environment and began to watch the movement.
The posse was closing fast. When they finally came into view of his spyglass Jimmy half smiled. Somebody had the good sense to have Zeke at the reins of the team. One of these days Johnny was sure to find who all was having wagon races, he had to really know though thought Jimmy.
Jimmy recognized one of the other riders too. It was Phil, the irritating cowboy from the Ace that was always too friendly for Jimmy’s taste. He didn’t recognize the drifter that rode with him, but he did recognize the surge of adrenaline that told him he needed to be on high alert.
He thought for a moment trying to figure out how to warn the posse without alerting the others. Taking the small mirror he quickly flashed it hoping one of the posse members would see it and check their flank.
Jimmy came out of his hiding spot, mounted up and moved out towards where he figured the two cowboys would intercept the posse. The posse would have some kind of cover fire if they needed it.
---------
Fritz
Fritz scanned the horizon, looking for something...anything. Just when he thought he was going blind, he saw it. A flash caught his eye. The bright reflection of a mirror...or polished steel.
Fritz shifted on the seat, and brought the butt of his Springfield to shoulder. It was then he caught movement off to his left. Two riders coming in. Instinctively, he brought the hammer back.
"Zeke...Trouble!"
---------------
Scarlet
Zeke looked in the direction Fritz had looked. The two riders weren’t coming in fast but they would definitely all be meeting soon. At first he wondered why Fritz was thinking trouble; it was when the two riders split he got nervous.
“Hang on Sarg we’re not getting caught out here with a wagon full of stuff and our pants down when we could be up there with the rest of them.”
They had been keeping fairly close to the posse but now Zeke wanted to be right up there in the middle of ‘em.
He leaned forward. “HA!”
The wagon surged forward with as the team responded.
Johnny not only had seen the flash of light from the mountain but he could hear the pounding of the team’s hooves closing fast.
It meant trouble. He was sure of it. Johnny saw one rider and wondered who it was and if there were more.
The posse grouped together and came to a stop.
-
Combined effort of Scarlet & Tensleep
Jimmy had stowed Dancer in the brush then taken Moonshine and ridden to where he could get a clean shot at the incoming riders should he need to.
Unbeknown to the posse they had stopped about twenty yards from where the palomino lay still on his side in the tall yellow grass. He had one ear cocked in the direction his rider had gone.
Jimmy was surprised when Hank had pulled his horse to a stop next to the tree and right beneath him, more surprised when just one rider came in to greet the posse.
His eyes darted, looking for the other man.
Tensleep watched as the rider approached. The glaring Texas sun was as bright as could be and obscured the man's face.
It seemed like forever standing there watching the rider come in.
"Howdy Marshal, gentlemen." Phil said as he slowed his horse to a stop.
Phil noticed there was not a friendly face among them as he looked at them.
"What brings you out here?" He asked.
Jimmy listened as he watched for the other man.
"Why we just like to ride Phil." Tensleep watched the man's face. "What might you be doin' ridin' out here in the middle of nowhere? Oh.... by the way, ask your friend to ride in real slow and keep his hands where we can see them."
Phil smiled his normal happy smile everyone was used to seeing at the saloon and shrugged his shoulders as if he knew the marshal meant it was none of his business what they were doing out here.
“Boss been expecting a few cattle ta come in, they haven’t shown up yet so he sent us to look for the herd.” Phil turned in his saddle and looked the direction his companion had ridden in then looked back at the men. “I’m supposed to catch up with him at the river. He said we didn’t have time ta visit cuz we had our orders and the boss is waitin’ on us. I tol’ him I thought it was you and we best let ya know we were out here too.” Phil said cheerfully, it was the truth, for the most part anyway.
“How is ol' Mr. Elliot?” Hank asked knowing Phil had been working for the outfit since he came to El Paso.
“Doc says if he keeps his temper under control he won’t have no more of them spells like he had couple days ago. Scared the Mrs. almost inta’ having one too. Made things more pleasant around the place him not yellin’ so much.”
Hank shook his head in agreement. He was trying to figure out if Phil had been to his employers recently enough to know the latest news and apparently he had.
“Leave the ladies at home Marshal? I sure enjoy seeing them when I can. Course they never are to chatty, cept Miss Rebecca, she’s always very pleasant.”
Johnny was looking through his spyglass. “You’re friends almost near the river Phil.” He said as a matter of factly just to let the others know Phil had not been lying.
What he didn’t see from the ground and Jimmy did happen to from his vantage point, now looking through his own glass was Phil’s friend meeting up with another man.
"Actually Phil this is a coyote hunt, we are just out for a day of sport." Tensleep noticed the remark about Rebecca but didn't show it. "When we heard that there was a pack of coyotes in the neighborhood we thought we might just do some roping. Lotta fun that.... coyote ropin' that is."
“With spring coming, the cows calving and horses foaling ya might just think of shooting them if they are to close to the ranch.” Phil said in his cheerful voice, wondering what was in the wagon but dare not asking.
Jimmy caught the movement of another horse coming in. He looked closer, it looked as if the rider was either dead or dying by the way he was slumped over the saddle, the horse was completely covered in sweat. Dead men were no concern right now to him so he looked back towards Phil’s companion. Two men at the river now and movement of one heading back to where ever he’d come from.
"Oh I expect there will be some shooting too. You know... whatever it takes. Ropin' an' draggin' coyotes is fun though. Ya shoot 'em it is over too quick, kinda want to see 'em suffer." Tensleep grinned.
The other men in the posse had caught on to what Tensleep was getting at and had a chuckle.
“Ya drag em Marshal then the hides get all messed up. Then they’re no good for skinnin’ and making something out of.” Phil said.
“Oh ya can still skin em’ just fine.” Johnny chuckled.
Sonny turned and looked in the direction of the incoming horse.
“Can I borrow those?” He said reaching out to Johnny indicating the spyglass.
Johnny handed it over.
“What brand them cattle carry you’re waiting on Phil?”
“Lazy G”
“Looks like them boys ran into some trouble.” He said looking at the brand the horse was wearing.
The sweaty horse whinnied and began to move faster towards them.
Jimmy raised the heavy Whitworth and took a bead on the man slowly moving towards the posse, he’d be in range in short order.
"What ya seein' Sonny?" Sleep stood in his stirrups, his eyes going back to Phil, watching him closely. "See the herd?"
“Nope see a dying man on a Lazy G horse.”
“What!” Phil said his eyes shooting in the direction of the incoming rider. He was caught off guard. He knew the herd was out there but he’d told Cutter to leave ‘em be. They didn’t want any reason for the Sherriff or Marshal to be coming that close to the hide out, or so he had thought.
_________________
Combined effort of Scarlet, Fritz & Tensleep
Jimmy watched the inbound riders. If they were just drovers that was one thing, if not that was something entirely different.
Jimmy steadied the rifle while he reached in his pocket and took out a pebble. He tossed it towards Zeke, it over shot the wagon and landed between it and Moonshine who’s ear flipped at the noise.
"Damn" he thought to himself.
Jimmy took a second pebble and tried again. This time it hit Fritz on the shoulder.
Fritz' eyes were open and looking over the sight of his carbine. If one of those riders tried anything foolish, their backbones would be found about fifty feet to their rear. Something hit his shoulder; not hard enough to hurt, but enough to get his attention. He didn't want to, but he had to risk a look over his shoulder...
"Should somebody go collect him Tensleep?" Sonny asked handing the spyglass to the Marshal. The horse was getting close enough to see the rider with out it.
Jimmy rolled his eyes, irritated with his poor shot at pebble throwing, he hadn't meant to hit Fritz. It appeared he had somebody already in his sights, but now he had been distracted.
Jimmy took a sugar cube and tossed it. The Sugar cube hit Fritz on the top of the shoulder and bounced into the seat between him and Zeke making a faint noise.
Zeke cocked his head, his eyes glancing down at the seat, he spotted the sugar cube then shot Fritz a curious sideways glance.
"...what the hell?" was all Fritz could muster.
Jimmy wondered if this was going to be fruitless. It would be nice not to be shot outta the tree by his own side if he ended up torching the rifle off. He wasn’t thrilled that Moonshine could be right in the line of Fritz’s fire should the horse stand up either.
He pulled another sugar cube out of his pocket. Surely they would figure out it wasn’t raining the things, besides he’d only have one left after this and that was for his horse, he’d have to resort to pebbles again if they didn’t catch on.
This time threw it a bit harder. It hit Fritz on the shoulder and bounced off his neck before it fell into the seat.
Zeke looked sideways and down again, trying not to draw attention to them, then at Fritz.
“Scarlet calls you sugar but I never figured you’d leak the stuff.”
It would be comical if the situation wasn't so deadly. Fritz looked over his shoulder, towards the high grass.
Jimmy.
Fritz took his hand off the stock, and touched the brim of his slouch.
"We're covered," he whispered. "And have the advantage."
"Why don't we all ride since that's the way we are goin'?" Sleep said still watching Phil.
Maybe it was somebody else shot that cowboy Phil was thinking as he turned his horse to follow the Marshal.
Everyone moved to follow Tensleep.
Zeke had the team reined in moving slow so Fritz could keep an eye on the incoming riders and he had liked the idea of being covered with an advantage. The posse rode slow with the wagon making Zeke smile to himself, because they barley had gotten anywhere when the dying man’s horse trotted right up to the Marshal’s.
It took every ounce of what was left of the man’s strength to raise his head off of the horse’s neck and look at Tensleep.
Trying to smile at the face he recognized from some time ago he coughed out.
“Deputy Corbin shot us up”
Phil was shocked when he heard it.
"Get him off that hoss quick." Sleep scowled. Fritz stayed in the wagon but Zeke was on the ground going for the rider. Hank and Johnny had dropped to the ground too.
As he was lowered from his horse Tensleep asked, "What did this Deputy Corbin look like?" The marshal's eyes still had not left Phil and the man knew it. 'Sleep's mind held the sketch that Hank had made.
“said thieves Corbin shot us.” Were the last words the cowhand said as he slid into Zeke’s arms.
“He’s dead Marshal.” Zeke said laying the man on the ground and hurrying back up onto the wagon so he had control of the horses if anything happened.
The men looked somber unwilling to believe the words of the dead man.
Johnny wanted to tell ‘em Scarlet wasn’t a back shooter, but the right time, right place, right circumstances he didn’t know if he’d be wrong or not.
Phil sat with a shocked look on his face.
Tensleep's Remington was in his hand in a flash and covering Phil.
"Step down from the saddle Phil, we need to talk."
Phil looked blankly for a moment at Tensleep, beginning to wonder if they had an idea that he was not just a happy go lucky cowhand, but the dead man said it was a deputy that shot him.
Slowly Phil raised his hands and began to step down. He knew he didn’t have a chance, Tensleep was to close and he knew if the Marshal didn’t shoot him Hank would, there was something cold and deadly in his eyes.
_________________
Scarlet
The posse had only gotten a hundred yards or so away from Jimmy so he had a clear view of what was going on with the posse. The two riders had stopped about three hundred yards out and were watching the events.
Being out of earshot of normal conversation he couldn’t hear what was being said but out of the corner of his eye Jimmy saw Phil raising his hands.
He also saw one of the two riders dismount, wrap the reins around his forearm and bring a long rifle to his shoulder. Without looking he knew it was aimed either at the Marshal or Phil.
He’d seen men shoot their own to keep ‘em quiet so he made a decision.
He took aim, let out two low whistles and touched the old rifle off.
Things happened quickly after that. Moonshine was on his feet and heading for the tree.
First the posse heard the roar of the rifle, those who looked in the direction of the noise could see smoke billow from high in the tree.
Jimmy moved immediately, shouldering his rifle and coming fast down from the tree. Johnny’s head jerked in that direction but he couldn’t see how Jimmy made it out of the branches so fast and now stood on the back of his horse.
The outlaw had taken aim on Phil. He had his orders, Phil was valuable to Cutter but he wanted to keep the winning hand, Phil may leak if caught, don’t let it happen was what he said.
The second outlaw had waited to see if his partner was as good with the long range rifle as he claimed to be. What he heard and saw shocked him.
The mounted outlaw had never been close to a man that was hit like that before. The thud it made as it entered the man’s chest didn’t shock him so much as spray of blood, flesh and bone fragments that splattered the rifleman’s horse. The hit had made the rifle fire go wild.
The combination of noise from the rifles and red shower spooked both horses. The dead mans horse bolted dragging the body with him like a rag doll.
The mounted outlaw clung to his mount as the animal bucked then lined him out for cover as he tried to figure out what in the hell had just happened.
“Runner three hundred yards.” Jimmy yelled and pointed in the direction of the fleeing rider, before he jumped to the ground and began to reload.
_________________
-
Fritz
Fritz swung the muzzle around. "Zeke...DOWN!!!"
The rider was spattered in gore, but had enough sense to wheeel and run.
Zeke fell to the floorboards as the Springfield roared. Zeke's arm was close enough to feel the heat; his sleeve moved with the concussion. The shot caught the rider in the right shoulder, flipping him forward over his mount's head. The spooked mare kept on running...right over her rider.
"Well...that's gotta hurt," Fritz said, reloading his carbine.
Zeke brushed flecks of unburnt powder from his sleeve. "Nice shot."
Fritz shook his head. "Nah...I was aiming center mass."
_________________
Scarlet
Jimmy saw the rider go down and half grinned; one could ever be sure if it was a look of approval or one of somebody admiring a job well done. He brought the rifle up and steadied it on the horse’s saddle as he looked through the telescope for the next target. He knew there was another man out there, he’d seen him.
There in the trees he could just make out the rider who had stopped and was looking in the direction of the gunfire. The rider began continue in the direction he was headed.
Jimmy figured the man to be out of range but he knew he was going to have to unload the rifle one way or another so he squeezed the trigger. He could see the horse move off faster but could not tell if the rider had been hit or not.
Jimmy put his rifle in its scabbard and mounted up.
“No doubt they will be expecting us.” He said quietly as he rode by the posse.
“Should’ve saved that ‘un for you.” He growled as he passed Phil on his way to retrieve Dancer.
Rose had slipped in Patches room between Bill and Ella coming and going. She just put the finishing touches on a painting she’d been working on off and on for a short time.
She put it up in the corner of Patches room, stood back and smiled at her accomplishment. Rose didn’t know if Patches could hear her and really didn’t expect any response but she spoke softly anyway.
“What do you think? I think I captured our likenesses pretty well.” Rose said looking at the portrait she’d painted of Ella, Patches, Scarlet, Becca and herself.
They were on in the gowns they wore at the New Years Eve party at the Ace. Becca and Scarlet sat on the bar their long legs crossed. Rose had caught the devilish grin both women sometimes got. Rose had put herself standing on the floor between Scarlet and Rebecca. Patches stood sideways on Scarlet’s left , her face turned slightly so she appeared to be looking at the painter. Rose had caught the mischievous smile Patches sometimes got when she had an idea. Ella was on Becca’s right standing fully facing the painter. She had a knowing smile and a sparkle in her eyes that told you she could be just as mischievous as the rest of the girls when she wanted to be. Rose had given herself a proud look, because she was proud to know each of the girls and in a way she felt close to each and every one of them. The women all had drinks in their hand and appeared to be toasting.
“I hope I did right by all of you, kind of difficult since it was never posed for.
I know we’re not blood related but you and Ella are like daughters to me too. So you better pull through Patches. You’re a woman of the Southern Star now and women of the Southern Starr are a tough lot.”
Rose looked at the picture for a moment. Even though Patches had said nothing Rose acknowledged her like she had.
“You know I think you’re right.” Rose said. She took her paint brush and neatly wrote across the bottom of the portrait. The Women of the Southern Starr.
“When you feel up to it you and Ella can help me decide where to hang it.”
Rose began to sing softly enough not to disturb Patches as she straightened a few things and arranged a few of the flowers she had brought in earlier.
Rose turned at the soft sound of Ella’s footsteps followed by Bill's heavier ones, she tried to smile pleasantly but could not mask the fact she was worried.
“It’s the waiting I’ve always found to be the most difficult.
Is there any thing else we should be doing for her or anything more we can?” Rose said looking from Ella's face to Bill's.
_________________
Ella
"It's time for her to wake up and eat lunch," replied Ella, putting down the tray she had been carrying. "I've been feeding her honey water whenever she rouses, to give her some energy, but she should be ready for some more solid food. She hasn't indicated any pain this morning, so I haven't given her any morphine yet today. Bill, why don't you wake her?"
_________________
combined effort of Tensleep & Scarlet
"Should've saved that 'un for you." It was probably the most words Jimmy had ever said to Phil.
Phil watched Jimmy ride off then looked at Tensleep.
"I've never done anything to him, that boy just has snake blood in his veins. He's gonna kill me marshal. Did ya see the look he gave me?"
Tensleep studied Phil for a moment. "Ever have any family? Ever have yer family mistreated? Abused? Hurt? Ever feel the pain of loss when you lose someone you love? That boy loves Scarlet... and Rebecca. Scarlet like a sister, Rebecca as a close friend. Jimmy sees lots o' things others don't Phil. Jimmy is one who takes family an' friends seriously. Jimmy thinks you know somethin' an' he's gonna dawg you til he decides whether or not yer friend or foe."
While he talked the marshal had been looking through Phil's saddlebags.
Phil's mouth twisted for a moment. Tensleep had asked him a question nobody had in years.
"My ma died along time ago Marshal." His eyes rolled into the direction Jimmy had gone again and narrowed. "Hell, he's probably the one shot 'er.
I didn't think Jimmy had friends or family. Thought he was just loyal to the brand, heard the Southern Starr has a lot o' men like him." Phil watched Tensleep as he went through the saddlebags.
"Look marshal, I ain't done nuthin'. All you're gonna find in there is grub and some papers on them cattle I'm supposed to be getting. Sounds like you got bigger problems, with one of your deputies shootin' drovers in the back."
"Never in yer life think that one of my deputies shot somebody didn't need shootin' Phil. Why don't you mount up an' ride? See if you can find yer cattle." 'Sleep mounted again as did Phil who turned his horse.
"Oh an' Phil, remember, Jimmy is one o' my deputies when he wants to be.... an' he's watchin' you!"
A cold shiver danced through Phil's body. That boy was probably worse that Cutter he thought.
"Well Marshal I might rethink that statement if Jimmy's one o' 'em. Scarlet, no I don't believe she'd do it, but that 'un." He snorted, then turned his horse and rode in the direction he figured he'd find the cattle just in case he was being watched.
Hank and Sonny watched Phil ride off.
"Sleep, Jimmy didn't see that paper I showed Sonny." Hank said "ya know if he had.." Hank's voice drifted off.
Johnny looked between the men. "What paper?"
"Ya got it with ya Hank?" 'Sleep drew on his pipe. "If ya do show Johnny.
Ever wonder jus' what Jimmy does when he rides off by hisself?"
Hank took the drawing and the wanted poster out of his saddlebag and handed it over to Johnny.
Johnny studied it a moment raising his eyebrow as he did. He thought for a few seconds narrowing his eyes and grinding his teeth.
"I don't worry ‘bout it much Sleep. If I ever want to know I just ask him. If he's been up to no good he'll tell ya ya don't want to know. I used ta have to make him clean out the outhouse or whatever nasty job I could think of to get him to tell me stuff, but he grew out o’ that.
Why'd ya let that boy ride off?" Johnny said as he handed the paper back to Hank.
"Figger he will start to stew an' mebbe do somethin' foolish. If he does, Jimmy will see him do it, might lead us to tha wimmen. That's what I want, wanna find tha girls.... whatever it takes." Tensleep nudged Buck into a walk toward the man Jimmy had shot.
Johnny chuckled softly. "If Jimmy didn't see that paper then sumptin has crawled under his skin about that boy."
Johnny followed Tensleep towards the shaking, blood sprayed horse who had finally come to a stop.
He looked at the man. "Jimmy always was a good shot."
Zeke held his hand out towards Hank wanting to see the paper that was passed between the men.
Hank handed them over.
Zeke studied the wanted poster of the unknown man and the drawing that was obviously Phil. “Damn” Zeke said under his breath as he looked at it.
_________________
-
Tensleep
When Tensleep got to the body his eyes were on Jimmy who head down, was watching the ground. 'Sleep stood in his stirrups and whistled loudly, the sound like an eagle's scream. Jimmy's head came up and he turned looking back at the marshal.
Tensleep held Jimmy's gaze for a moment then looked in the direction Phil had ridden. Jimmy followed with his eyes then looked back at the marshal.
Tensleep nodded slowly. That was all it took, Jimmy began to drift his mount in a direction that would soon intercept Phil's track.
"Just when did you an' Jimmy git so close?" Johnny was beside Tensleep talking quietly.
The marshal grinned. "Lots o' things happen when folks can't sleep Johnny." Tensleep winked.
_________________
Bill
Patches listened carefully. Somebody was calling her name. She recognized the voice almost at once. It was Bill. She tried to smile. The side of her face still hurt but she was able to move the corners of her mouth up a bit. “Welcome back, darling,” she heard Bill say. She managed to open both eyes this time though her left eye was still swollen. She swallowed and licked her lips. “Glad to be back,” she replied.
Bill reached for the water glass beside the bed. “Do you want some more water to drink?” he asked her as he turned back toward Patches.
“I . . .” she paused and tried to smile again. “I’m hungry.”
Bill grinned back at her. Those two words were the best news he had heard in days. “I believe Ella has some soup right here so let’s get you sitting up in bed, if you think you’re up to it.” His brow furrowed and the worried look returned to his face.
Patches smiled at him again. “I’m sore and I still hurt darlin’ but I think I can sit up if you help me.” Bill reached forward and carefully placed his arms around Patches being sure to avoid the broken ribs. She leaned forward and laid her head on his shoulder while putting her arms across his back.
For one of the very few times in the last few days Patches felt comfortable. She sighed even though she knew it would hurt her ribs to do so. She could feel the muscles moving across Bill’s back as he gently lifted her into a sitting position while Ella piled the pillows up against the headboard. When Bill started to lower her onto the pillows she grasped his shirt and spoke. “No.”
She could feel Bill flinch under the cotton material. “Did I hurt you, darling?” he asked. She couldn’t miss the sudden concern in his voice.
“I’m fine. Just not yet,” she replied and held onto him for a little longer.
_________________
Scarlet
Cutter ground out his smoke with the toe of his boot and entered the cabin. Some of the men were sitting around the table near Scarlet and Rebecca.
“Whacha’ like blonde?” One of them asked as he ran his fingers through Scarlet’s hair.
Cutter could tell by the look on her face she wanted to tear the man into little pieces. He wondered if she would break any teeth the way she was gritting her jaw. By the raw look of her wrists she’d already tried the ropes more than once.
One of the other men put his hand against her cheek “I know what you’d like” he said as she jerked her face away from his touch.
“I know what she’d like too.” Cutter said.
Everyone’s heads spun around to look at him. He was back earlier than they’d expected and while they’d really done nothing but torment the women they didn’t think he’d approve.
“We was only havin’ a little fun boss.” One of them said.
“I told ya to leave the women alone.” Cutter replied half smiling.
Rebecca sat with her knees up and face buried in them. Scarlet glared at him obviously fuming.
“We didn’t touch Jenny, an we only touched those to a little.” Came another voice.
“Yeah boss, you can’t ‘spect us to be gentlemen, cuz we’re not. You n Josh ‘ve had somethin’ warm to hold at night the rest of us would like somethin’ too.” Harry chuckled.
“Shouldn’t have killed Red.” Cutter smiled as he watched the brief look of sorrow play in Scalret’s eyes only to be replaced with more hatred.
“Which one o’ ya wants her bad ‘nuff ta try it?”
“Ya say she’s like a wild mustang. Here tell if ya break one they are a might fine ride. I’ve been a rough stock rider before.” Doug stepped up with a smile and looked down at Scarlet. “I’d be happy ta break ‘er for ya boss.
Cutter looked at the man, he was new to the mob, and a bit cocky. “All balls and little brains. Let’s see how long ya last. My moneys on blonde.” Cutter chuckled as he tossed some gold coins on the table. The rest of the men followed suit naming who their money was on.
“Oh God” Rebecca whispered. “I’m sorry Scarlet.”
Doug grabbed Scarlet by the ankles and pulled her legs straight than sat on her thighs. He smiled as he looked into her eyes. “Ya might just kill me with that look lady.” He said.
He started with her cheeks then let his hands familiarize themselves with her body.
Scarlet’s skin crawled at his touch and she knew what it was like to be an animal in a trap willing to chew it’s own leg off to escape. Doug’s hands stopped just below her breasts and she felt his tongue on her chest.
He felt her muscles ripple under his touch and thought he heard her growl.
“She’s real sweet boss, I don’t know what the problem ya have with her is, maybe she just don’t like y’all.” He chuckled.
Cutter laughed. “Boy it ain’t fair to try and ride a mustang when she’s all tied up.” He swung the sharp blade. “Let ‘er buck.”
Scarlet couldn’t believe her luck when she felt her hands come lose, Cutter had sliced the rope that bound her to Rebecca and the table.
She curled her hands into tight fists and brought them against Doug’s ears as hard as she could.
The man screamed in pain and surprise as he felt her hands on his chest shoving him backwards while she tried to scramble to her feet.
She felt a fist to her thigh then her ribs before he grabbed her by the leg bringing her back down. She kicked at his face missing but causing him to let go of her. She was on her feet then felt him hit her low and lift her up. She balled her hands together and hit him in the small of the back. The two crashed into the door, down the step of the cabin and into the dirt.
“Looks more like a cat fight ta me!” could be heard amongst the laughs and the “Ride ‘em cowboy”
Cutter watched the two figures roll, kicking and punching one another. He figured this would take Doug’s big ego down and maybe wear Scarlet out. The two of them were beating the hell outta one another. He had to wonder where Scarlet learned to fight, because she was sure holding her own against a man who was not being kind because she was a girl.
As they rolled through the dirt Doug felt her reach for it. He couldn’t believe it, she was fast and accurate as she pulled his gun from it’s holster.
He pulled Rebecca close “Who taught her to fight?” He asked.
“Don’t know.” She replied.
The whistles and calls suddenly turned to cursing and men moving about.
Cutters head jerked up as the sound of two shots rang the air. Doug lay at Scarlet’s feet blood running from the whole in his head and his shirt soaking up the blood from the chest wound.
She had a crazy look in her eyes as she stared at Cutter over the top of the pistol.
He pulled Rebecca closer and shoved his pistol into her ribs. “Give it up Scarlet, or I’ll do it.”
Scarlet stood her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath for a brief moment she wondered if this would be the only chance they had. It would be bad at best, she knew Becca would die, with the guns that had been drawn while she stood staring at Cutter she would die too, if she was lucky. If she was not she’d have to live with Rebecca’s blood on her hands as well as Patches. Scarlet let the pistol slide from her hand and drop into the dirt.
She heard it but she wasn’t sure who said it or where it came from. “The battle is lost, but the war is not over.”
“I’ll kill you one day Kevin Rowen.” She mumbled as she walked past him back into the house.
“Or dye trying Scarlet.” He said pushing Rebecca after her.
Scarlet leaned against the wall then sunk to the floor drawing her knees up she took a deep breath. The pain told her her body was bruised. Doug had been a fighter and what had started out fun and games for him had turned into a fight he’d not expected. He had fought for his life never minding it was a woman with whom he fought and the aches were letting her know.
Rebecca sat down next to her and handed her a damp cloth.
“You’re a mess and you’re a fool.” She said brushing Scarlet’s hair away from her face.
Scarlet locked gazes with her.
“Cutter wouldn’t have let him do anything to you, he’s just wearing you down.” Becca said softly.
“I know.” Scarlet said touching the cloth gingerly to her split lip.
“You should have run when you had the chance Scarlet.”
“He would have killed you, most likely slow.” Scarlet whispered.
“Maybe he’d be doing me a favor.” Rebecca’s eyes darted in Josh’s direction then back to Scarlet.
“Do you really believe that?”
“No.” Becca said flatly. “I’ll just have to suck it up and deal with it. After all I been with scary men before. If you don’t like them you just pretend they’re someone you want to be with, makes it easier.” She said it to convince herself as much as Scarlet. What she wasn’t prepared for was Scarlet’s simple answer.
“I know.”
A puzzled look crossed Rebecca’s face. It was the words as much as how it was said that told Rebecca Scarlet had been with someone while she was thinking of someone else.
“If you’re doing that it’s time to cut another pony from the herd.” Becca said softly.
“Yep.” Scarlet snorted.
“Scarlet it’s not…” Her question was interrupted by a man coming through the door.
“We got company boss.” The man said as he sat in a chair near the two women.
Cutter looked at the wound in his arm. “Looks like one of them left his calling card.”
“Little bastard took a long shot at me. What the hell they shooting that can range like that?” He said taking off his shirt and looking at the lump just under the skin in his tricep.
The outlaw took out his knife and cut his skin, the bullet bounced to the ground, rolled and came to a stop at Cutter’s feet.
The outlaw bent over and picked up the hexagonal bullet and examined it. “I ain’t never seen anything like that boss. What’s it from?”
“I’d say you’ve been tagged by a confederate sniper. What would you say Scarlet?”
Scarlet raised one eyebrow. “Dead man walking.” She half smiled.
Cutter grinned back. “I think we need to go meet our guests.” Cutter thought a moment then reached towards Scarlet.
Her eyes flashed fire at him; she was ready to fight him too and he knew it. Cutter thought a moment longer; looking over at Jenny he smiled his sinister smile.
“Come here.” He reached towards Jenny. Smiling even more wickedly he took his knife, grabbed Jenny’s hair and cut a handful. He then took a sack and placed the hair and a spyglass in it. Thinking a bit more he looked Rebecca over.
“Give me the ring.” He said holding out his hand.
Rebecca slid the emerald ring she always wore off of her finger and handed it to him.
Cutter dropped it in the sack then tied it all with the yellow cord he’d taken from Scarlet earlier.
Turning to one of his men he said. “Here go put that on a tree at the head of the trail, just below the cliff. Make sure it’s someplace they will find it.”
He turned back to Jenny and looked her over. She’d been allowed to wear her undergarments and that was all. Cutter took Scarlet’s slicker off of the chair, pinned her badge back on it and handed it to Jenny. “Put it on.” Turning to Harry. “Tie them other two up, same deal as before, if they don’t behave, cept I’ll have Jenny with me this time.”
Cutter looked Jenny over again, picked the ring he’d taken from Scarlet and put it on Jenny’s finger. “Whacha think?”
“Could be her sister. Could be her if you don’t look to close at the face.” Harry replied.
Cutter found another sack and put it over Jenny’s head. “There” he said proud of himself. “Let’s go. You two behave.” He said to Rebecca and Scarlet. Then lead Jenny out the door and put her up on his horse. A small group rode off.
“What you think he’s gonna do?” Rebecca said watching them go.
“You can bet it ain’t gonna be good.” Scarlet replied.
_________________
Fritz
At the base of the cliff the trail widened and split. Well worn wagon ruts headed east and west, but there were fresh hoofprints going staight ahead. Off in the distance there was a house; little more than a cottage really. But smoke rose from the chimney. Horses both in the barn and on the rail. Phil's horse plucked shoots near the hitching post.
Jimmy was first to notice it; a burlap sack swinging in the breeze from a low-hanging branch. He rode foward, covered by Fritz's Trapdoor. Jimmy flipped out his knife to cut the cord it hung by, and stopped. Gingerly, he pulled it from the branch, and rode back to the posse. He could feel eyes on his back from the house.
"Whatya got there?" 'Sleep asked.
Jimmy shook his head. "A calling card. Fritz, come here."
Fritz jumped from the buckboard and walked to the mounted men. It was then that he noticed the cord. Jimmy unravelled the cavalry cord and handed it over. Fritz said nothing. He took off his slouch and replaced the cord. 'Sleep saw the mucles in Fritz's jaw clenching, and noticed the color in his cheeks rising.
"What else is in the bag?" 'Sleep cupped his hands, and Jimmy emptied the contents. The heavier items fell out. A leather-wrapped spyglass, and an emerald ring. 'Sleep recognized it immediately. Lastly, a hank of blonde hair floated lazily out, to rest in 'Sleep's hand. Fritz reached up and took the hair.
"Scarlet..."
Fritz mounted the buckboard and took his seat.
"I think the high ground on the left will be a good spot for the rocket."
-
Scarlet
The last half mile of the ride Cutter made Jenny walk the rocky trail to the top of the mountain barefoot, she had stumbled and fallen to her knees a couple of times because the only time he took the sack off of her head was to tie the gag in her mouth.
When they reached the spot Cutter wanted to be in he dismounted and pulled Jenny close to him. “Yer so perfect.” He whispered in a heinousness voice.
He removed the rope he’d tied around her neck to lead her. He grinned at the burn it had made against her pretty throat. He fixed the sack as not to show her face but to be sure the rope burn was seen. Then he rolled the cuffs of the slicker so the bruises on her wrists could be seen. Oh they were a thing of beauty; he never knew one could leave bruises that were obviously hand prints. He’d never kept one alive that long he supposed. She had struggled some when he had forced himself upon her, causing him to hold her wrists tight.
Cutter tied her arms against her body the left hand was palm down so they could see the ruby ring she wore, her right was palm up so they could see the wound she had given herself digging her fingernails into her palm while he held her wrists.
Standing back he observed her, and then halfway unbuttoned her chemise exposing another bruise. She had probably gotten hit by one of the boys when they first arrived at the house. Jenny wasn’t much of a scrapper like Scarlet but there were bruises that could convince one different, the bruises around her ankles from being tied were a nice touch too.
Cutter was impressed with the way he’d prepared the blonde woman for the posse to see.
He stepped to the edge of the rocks so they could be seen by the posse. Cutter stood directly behind her. If they tried to take a shot she would be hit, then he’d simply drop her over the edge, if the bullet didn’t kill her the fall would. He had made sure he chose a spot that would be difficult for them to get at him, and the small group of outlaws had the posse covered.
“It’s show time sweet thing.” He whispered in her ear as he brought her hair over her shoulder for the posse to see this was the woman who’s hair he’d sent as a welcome gift.
_________________
combined effort of Tensleep and Scarlet
"Greetings ya wet dogs.” Cutter called down to the posse.
“I know some of ya and the rest I know of ya, cept the boy at the lines there.
In case you don’t know I am Cutter, but I 'spect you know that cuz here ya are.
Marshal Ross, who’s that boy at the reins on the wagon?” While he spoke he moved his hand intimately along the woman’s body.
“And before you get any idea’s ya should know you are covered by some of the nicest gentleman I’ve had the pleasure of ridin the river with.” He grinned his sadistic grin.
Tensleep looked up into the rocks and spotted Cutter holding Jenny. "Why that's Zeke, he's always wanted to see a hangin'." Tensleep had noticed that Jimmy wasn't in Cutter's sight and had begun to slip off.
"Hey, one of ya is missing. That boy better get back here or Zeke gonna see a hanging alot sooner than y'all are planning." Cutter looked sideways into the rocks "Spot that ghost." He hissed at one of his men.
"Marshal I'm in the mood to cut a deal, but don't go pissin me off or it's gonna get bloody quick. Yer girl here will be the first ta die. Ask those around you, it won't be quick. Then I will have to go back and punish yer whore for the bad things you are doing. I really thought I was going to be dealing with a smarter man than Hart." Cutter yelled down.
"You mean Bob? We left him back with the wounded drover. We're all here Cutter." Tensleep had raised his voice so that Jimmy could follow what was being said.
"That ghost spilt himself in two and now is calling the other Bob? Come on Marshal I'm not a fool, and I'm beginning not to like you. Look I want to make a simple deal with you. But if ya lie right from the start how can I trust ya?"
"Ghost I know yer out there. Get back to the posse now or Scalets gonna end up like that drover in the field. I know you saw him."
"Now Marshal, lets start again, I'll give you an eaiser question to answer. What's in the wagon?"
"You're starting to piss him off Tensleep." Sonny whispered. "I'm not sure that's a good idea right now."
"Now Cutter just what gave you the idea that I ever wanted you to like me? Kinda hard to even think about you as anything but a rabid coyote after what you have done ta folks all over this country. Tha very thought of you makes my stomach sour."
Quietly Tensleep whispered to the posse, "Give Jimmy time to move and Cutter something else to think about."
Cutter chuckled. “So ya’ve seen my handi werk.
“But ya didn’t answer my question Marshal and I still don’t see the other one.” Cutter was becoming irritated. “What’s in the wagon?”
Cutter drew his knife and stuck the point between the woman’s breasts. “Don’t make me do something I won’t enjoy Ross.”
Johnny and Sonny were becoming uneasy, Cutter wasn’t much of a bluffer and they knew it.
"Why would I ever do that Cutter? Soon as you stick that knife in yer exposed, you can see us, we can see you. Do it and you will have a rifle ball between your eyes. I never expected any of us to leave here alive when we started this. You just as well use that knife and die." Tensleep remained calm as he spoke.
_________________
Scarlet
“Ya think I’m stupid don’t you. I ain’t gonna kill her, just make her bleed. So no, I won’t be exposed and you’ll have to shoot ‘er yourself.” He pressed the tip of the knife to her cutting the material and slightly cutting her causing a few drops of blood to wet the blade.. “Scarlet’s always been resilient when I’ve carved on her.” Cutter yelled as the woman pressed her body closer to him trying to escape the pain.
“Rebecca is not so much Ross. Thus far I’ve left her to my brother’s care. He’s not hurt her on purpose, he loves her to much. Keeps her safe from the other men. But if you continue the path you’re on I’m gonna send word back down to those men that they can do what ever they want with her. They been waitin Marshal, waitin along time for me to let em loose on her. She smells like Jasmine ya know, kinda drives the men crazy. I hear it’s hard on a woman when a group has at her. Course maybe being a whore she can handle it.
Now if you want to deal let me know, get the other one back here, and tell me what’s in the wagon or we disappear.”
Jimmy drifted back next to the wagon “We are about as close as we are going to get.” He said flatly “He’s covered the place well. We start shooting they’ll escape on the back trail. I’m afraid if I try to work my way around they’ll spook and run.”
Jimmy watched the two above them. “What the hell has he done to her.” He said more to himself than anybody else.
“What kinda deal you want Cutter?” Johnny yelled up to him.
Cutter smiled. Someone finally to play his game he thought. “Johnny, I always knew you was a smart man. I want Trixie Blue. I’m a reasonable man. I’ll trade one whore for another. What say you?”
“We don’t have her, don’t know where she is. Ask Scarlet how to find her.” Johnny yelled back.
“Scarlet doesn’t give up her friends Johnny, you know that. She’ll die ‘for she tells me something like that so we been having a different kind of fun.”
“Hey soldier. I’m surprised you could handle one as wild as Scarlet, course once ya break her she’s an awful nice ride. We’ve been havin us some good times.” Cutter licked her neck. “So sweet.”
“I’d consider givin’ her back but I don’t think she wants ya any more.”
Cutter buried his face against her neck and whispered. “Your husband is dead Jenny, boys cut him into tiny pieces.”
That had brought her to life, a little more like Scarlet. Jenny began to struggle but Cutter had a good hold on her. One of the reasons he didn’t want to bring Scarlet, the woman could be like a blind bucker, strong, and she fought dirty too. He wouldn’t have had near the control of her that he had on Jenny.
Jenny began to cry as she struggled causing the sack on her face to become wet.
“Oh look King, the thought of me returning her to you upsets her…ya gone and made her cry. Guess I’m going to have to take her home see if I can’t make her forget about you some more.”
Jimmy looked at Johnny he knew they were thinking the same thing even though Johnny’s back was to him.
Scarlet had told them “Don’t give him the satisfaction of breaking me. I’d rather die, if you love me at all and have to make the decision you’ll kill me then you’ll kill him.”
It’s what was making Johnny uneasy; wondering if this was what Scarlet meant. She’d never been afraid of death, at times had prayed for it, but things were different now.
Johnny looked over his shoulder at the man sitting in the wagon. He had tolerated a lot of inappropriate behavior under his roof because Fritz had given Rose and him back a piece of their daughter he counted on never seeing again, because of the bastard that held her so close now.
In some ways Johnny figured it was his own fault. he’d told Scarlet to live every day like it was her last and to do what made her happy. He sort of figured that would be more horses or something, but the thing that made his daughter happiest of all was the soldier sitting in the wagon who seemed to think the world of her too, and that to Johnny was worth the indiscretions he knew went on in his house.
Johnny caught Jimmy’s gaze then looked back up at the situation.
Jimmy’s hand rested on the butt of his rifle. He could work his way back around and do what Scarlet had asked of him, Cutter wouldn’t have the time to get word back to hurt Rebecca.
Johnny’s glance at Fritz hadn’t gone unnoticed by Jimmy, he too wondered what she would say. Scarlet was strong, a fighter. The woman in Cutters arms was a shell of what was left of the woman he knew. He could almost hear her scream carried on the wind.
“I only ever asked one thing from you Jimmy and you wouldn’t do it!!” He knew it was his imagination because Scarlet had not said anything. Jimmy glanced down at Fritz and wondered if he had what it took to bring Scarlet’s soul back from whatever hell Cutter had dealt her this time.
-
Fritz
Fritz climbed down from the wagon and dropped to his belly. He took up a good prone position, and flipped the ladder sight up. Fritz put the Trapdoor to his shoulder, and thumbed that hammer to full cock. He took a deep breath; let it out slow, and peered through the sights.
Cutter knew what he was doing. He bobbed and weaved, pushing Scarlet to either side in front of him. Fritz wasn’t sure, but he thought Cutter was smiling. If he’d had his rifle he would’ve taken the shot. But with the shorter carbine barrel, he just wasn’t sure. Reluctantly, Fritz lowered the hammer.
“I don’t have a shot!” he called out, muttering “Damn” to himself, under his breath.
Jimmy looked over at the soldier and mothed the words "take the shot."
Fritz shook his head.
"Save her," Jimmy whispered.
"I can't be sure," Fritz replied.
Jimmy knelt down beside him. He put his hand on Fritz's shoulder.
"Then you can spare her."
The horrific meaning of Jimmy words finally hit home.
Fritz threw the hand off. "NO!!! I won't kill her! There must be another way."
_________________
Scarlet
Jimmy looked at Fritz. “How can you be sure he hasn’t already killed her Fritz? Look at ‘er. Can you honestly tell me he hasn’t broken Scarlet’s spirit and sent her soul back to hell?
When our group started riding together we all made a deal. If we thought the other was beyond help to show mercy and not give the outlaws the satisfaction of breaking us or taking our lives.
Take a good look at 'er. Can you tell me you can go into what ever dark place he’s sent her this time and bring her back? Cuz I keep trying to shut out the sound of her yelling at me ta do it."
Johnny was listening to every word the two men exchanged. It wasn’t often Jimmy went searching for reason’s not to carry out an order, or in this case a request by someone he loved.
Johnny took a deep breath. He was ready to back whatever decision that was made. If Scarlet went down he knew it would be as quick and as painless as possible, then he’d splatter Cutter all over the rocks. If they chose to play Cutter's game he would wait it out.
_________________
Fritz
Fritz pulled the big Colt and handed it butt-forward to Jimmy.
"Then you better blow my brains out too," Fritz said coldly. "Because I've learned my life's not worth a damn without her!"
Jimmy just stared at the soldier.
"There MUST be another way. She told me she'd go after her demons one day. If she found them, I won't let her fight them alone."
Fritz threw the carbine on the buckboard seat, and hopped into the back.
Jimmy followed, still holding the Colt. "What the hell are you doing?"
"He wants too see what's in the wagon," Fritz said. "How 'bout we show him?"
_________________
Scarlet
Johnny couldn’t believe what he was thinking. She was his little girl, no matter what had happened to her, Scarlet was still his daughter.
He was about to tell Jimmy he didn’t think this was what Scarlet meant when they’d made that pact when he heard Fritz’s response and saw him hand over the colt. If that wasn’t plain enough he didn’t know what else would be.
He looked around his eyes falling on the big grey mare Sonny loved so much, she was probably the best choice other than Jimmy’s horse or Dancer if one had to make a fast ride. He knew Jimmy wasn’t about to leave and ride to a telegraph office, Sonny would be the next best choice.
He then looked back at Jimmy and Fritz. “Wait on that boys.” He said softly.
“Zeke can you get that wagon to the flat Fritz was talking about quickly?”
Zeke eyed the spot Fritz had pointed out earlier and half smiled. “Yep.”
“Back that wagon up slow enough he won’t notice.”
“Yessir.” He said to Johnny then turned to Fritz “Let’s go find us a better spot.”
Jimmy handed Fritz the colt then went to his horse, mounted up and rode out in front of Johnny.
To somebody watching it didn’t look like Zeke was doing anything but sitting in the wagon. The horse’s heads bobbed up and down looking impatient and occasionally they would back.
Cutter watched for a moment curious of what Jimmy might be doing. When Jimmy came to a stop Cutter yelled down to him.
“I’m disappointed, shooting him with his own gun would have been so very sweet to see. Ain’t that what you were trained ta do. Shoot all the Yankees and let God sort ‘em out?” Cutter chuckled at his own wit.
Jimmy turned his horse to face Cutter the horse arched his neck, Jimmy sat straight in the saddle. He brought his finger up to the brim of his hat in what would have been the perfect salute had he not only used his middle finger.
Johnny rode out next to Jimmy. “Enough, you want to cut a deal lets do it.”
Cutter grinned. “I want Trixie, plain and simple.”
“I want both women.” Johnny yelled back.
“No deal, one whore for another.”
“What about Scarlet?”
“I don’t know Johnny, I haven’t had the peace and quiet to think of what she is really worth to you unless you can grant me immunity, clear my slate of all my past sins and guarantee me a law free future.”
“You know I can’t do that.” Johnny yelled.
“OK lets deal in whores first, we can talk about Scarlet when I am satisfied you can bring me the first thing I want.”
“I have to send a rider, we got to try and find where she is. You have to promise me safe passage for him.” Johnny yelled back.
“Why don’t you all go?”
It was what Johnny had been waiting for, Cutter to think they were moving because of him. “We’ll go, but one rider is faster to get the information you want.”
Cutter thought for a moment. Was it a trick or did he really have them over a barrel.
“Who? Who will ride ahead?”
“Sonny.”
Sonny looked surprised, but he was willing to do it.
“Ok, Deputy Sonny can go and come back, he has til sun up to bring me some news.” Cutter yelled down.
Johnny turned to Sonny. “I hope that grey mare is what I think she is Sonny. There’s a town not..”
Sonny cut him off. “This mare is better than the day Scarlet gave ‘er to me, I know where the town is and I know what I need to do. Where should I meet ya Johnny?”
“I’ll leave a sign in field with the blue bonnets. Be careful Sonny.”
“You bet.” Sonny said then kicked his horse and headed for the little town.
“Now let’s talk about Scarlet.” Johnny yelled up.
“No, we will talk about Scarlet in the morning. You people leave my sight now.”
“Cutter if you hurt that girl any more I’m gonna keep your soul earthbound for eternity.” Johnny said viciously. “And if you hurt Rebecca, the deals off too!”
To Johnny Cutter seemed to have the strangest grin. “I will not hurt this girl unless she misbehaves Johnny. That I promise. And I will keep Rebecca from the others unless you disappoint me.”
Cutter was so pleased with himself he didn’t notice the wagon drifting off the path they had come in on.
Johnny turned to the rest of the group. “We got til sunrise. I’m thinking we let hell lose on ‘em just as soon as we can.” He looked where the wagon was heading now. Zeke being careful not be seen.
Zeke shifted in his seat briefly, something had caught his attention. Someone was following. He listened.
“Ya hear anything Fritz?” He whispered.
Fritz listened, he heard nothing but noticed Strider and Zeke’s horse looking into the underbrush. They didn’t seem alarmed, just looking. Strider’s nostrils quivered but he made no noise to speak of.
Zeke looked in the direction the teams ears were cocked wondering if he could spot what might be following them. He blinked his eyes a bit as he saw the dark figure of a rider less horse then it was gone.
“I don’t think I’m used to this kind of livin any more.” He mumbled as he tapped the team with the reins to get them moving faster.
When the posse disappeared back from where they’d come Cutter backed away from the ledge, mounted up and pulled Jenny up in front of him.
He’d put scouts out if they decided to come back tonight, but Cutter didn’t figure on seeing the posse until morning.
Cutter rode his horse into the small barn, dismounted then pulled Jenny off. She stood shaking. She couldn’t believe what he’d told her earlier, she’d done everything he’d asked of her.
Cutter pulled the sack off of her head and took the gag out of her mouth.
“You lied.” She sobbed.
Cutter rolled his eyes. “I didn’t. I never touched him. That was the deal.”
“You said he was dead.”
“He is, but I didn’t do it. Tol’ ya the boys done it.” With that he spun her around to face the corpse that was once her beloved husband.
Jenny sunk to her knees, her face in her hands and began to sob. “No.”
Cutter bent down, scooped her up, carried her in the house and deposited her in a chair at the table where she continued to cry.
“You two.” He said as he bent over and untied Scarlet and Rebecca “find something to cook.”
Scarlet and Rebecca stood, rubbing their wrists from where the rope had been tight then went to the kitchen and started to go through the pantry. Both wondering what Cutter had done.
Rebecca was the first to break the deafening silence when she leaned over to Scarlet and whispered. “The only thing eatable I see here I can fix is bacon & eggs.”
Scarlet half smiled. “I’ll do the biscuits, don’t ‘spect Jenny to be much help right now.”
Cutter sat watching. It was nice the women behaving themselves like women ought to, except for that one that wouldn’t stop crying. He stood up and went to Jenny.
“Come here, I think it’s time I gave you something else to think about.” Then he kissed her.
Jenny hit him hard on the chest. “You bastard!” She screamed then started to hit him wildly with her fists.
Surprised Cutter backed away, she came at him screaming, sobbing and hitting. It wasn’t that the hitting hurt so much as it angered him. He grabbed her by the back of her head and chin and twisted with all his strength. Jenny slid lifeless to the floor.
Scarlet and Rebecca froze in shock for a moment at the scene before them. Cutter coming back towards them snapped them out of it.
“Becca member what I told you. Odds have just changed.” Scarlet whispered.
Cutter grinned at her. “Guess it’s your turn now.”
Scarlet wasn’t sure what he meant by that until he reached out put his hand around the back of her neck, pulled her close and kissed her hard on the mouth.
Cutter couldn’t believe the sensations he felt.
Rebecca was shocked by the scene and couldn’t move, her feet seemed nailed to the floor. Her mind whirled with what she was seeing; she just could believe it and the awful noise.
Scarlet wrapped one arm around Cutters back then with her other hand she plunged her fingers as hard as she could into the wound in his thigh.
The pain was excruciating, like nothing he’d ever felt as the charcoal poultice broke against the stitches that gave way. Scarlet pulled her hand back and put more force behind the second thrust. She could feel the stitches break and the wound open. She grabbed hold of open wound and lifted him off of his feet causing Cutter to let out the most blood curdling howl. He started to swing wildly at her, but she wouldn’t let go of him.
Cutter and Scarlet stumbled over the table knocking it and all it’s contents to the floor.
Scarlet heard the shatter of glass, footsteps and someone yelling to put the fire out. She knew there had been a lantern on the table, but she dare not let go of the hold she had on Cutter who was trying to pry her hand from his thigh while he screamed obscenities at her.
“Run!” Scarlet yelled snapping Rebecca back to her senses.
Josh made a move to grab at Rebecca so she couldn’t get away. She looked wildly around for anything to defend herself with, determined to escape this time. Spotting the frying pan Rebecca grabbed it and swung it at Josh. He held up his hand to protect his face cursing as the hot pan hit his forearm and bacon grease splashed on him.
Josh lunged at her, Becca ducked and grabbed one of the chairs from the table swinging it at him. A gun belt slid from the back of the chair she had down her arm. She glanced quickly hoping for a gun, to her disappointment there was none, so she chucked the belt into the fireplace.
“Fire in the hole.” Becca yelled.
“Get out!” Scarlet yelled back.
Becca looked in time to see Cutter bringing his knife down and Scarlet rolling out of the way just in time. The first of the shells on the gunbelt started to go off. The man that had pulled down the curtain to try and put out the fire dropped the cloth and ran out the door.
Scarlet was on her feet. “Run Becca.”
Rebecca turned and ran out the door, Josh trying to follow. He grabbed the back of the long dress she wore almost making her fall. Rebecca reached for the barrette Scarlet had given her. The fancy wire popped and Rebecca had the knife open by the time she turned to face the Josh. She swung it at his face catching his cheek and barley missing his eye.
“Bitch” Josh yelled as he brought his hands to his face.
Becca turned and ran cutting at the gown trying to remove it as she went. She could hear the gunfire and the noises but she didn’t stop, she had to get to help, let them know where they were like Scarlet had made her promise.
Becca looked over her shoulder as she swung up on her horse. She couldn’t imagine what would cause so much smoke to be coming out of the cabin that she could barely see it now.
She turned Cloud intending to go back and help, that’s when she saw Harry and Josh coming after her. Wheeling Cloud around she kicked him and hoped he knew the way home on the back trail like Scarlet said.
Scarlet was nearly to the door when someone grabbed her from behind. She could hear the men yelling, the bullets in the fire going off, then there was a noise she couldn’t identify, it was almost a whistle before the sound of breaking glass.
The broken lamp and bacon grease had caught fire, spread and started to climb another curtain causing smoke in the air, but suddenly the room was filled. Her eyes burned and watered, it was all she could do to catch her breath, her lungs felt like they were on fire.
Whoever had a hold of her let go in a fit of coughing.
She could hear the fear filled screams of the horses tied at the railing. Scarlet felt a hand reach for her just as she bolted out the door towards the sounds of the horses. Between the smoke and her teary eyes she could just make out a horse starting to pull away. She grabbed the rein that was coming away from the rail and made a dive for the saddle landing ungracefully behind it and almost coming off as the horse spun away from the smoking building.
Scarlet wasn’t sure how far they’d gone when she heard him splash through water and finally pulled the horse to a stop. The cover of the trees concealed her position as she slid from the horses back. Wiping her eyes again she looked back. There was a bright light below her position, she knew it was the cabin was going up in flames, she only hoped Cutter was still in it.
-
Fritz
Fritz worked quickly. He couldn't bear the image of Scarlet bound and crying. He tore the lid of the crate. Fritz fitted the fins onto the rocket and locked them into place. He picked up the string aiming device, and looked over at Zeke.
"Nah..."
Fritz tossed it aside, and did what he knew how to do. He pushed the trough over the lip of the wagon. Using the tailfin as the front sidght blade, and the sides of the trough as the rear sight notch, he aimed the rocket at the thatched roof of the house.
"God, please make this a good shot."
Striking a Lucifer on his matchbox, he touched the fuse and turned away. Zeke wasn't sure what to expect, but had seen Fritz in action before. He dove from the wagon, landing face-first in the dirt.
With a "WHOOSH" and a whistling roar, the rocket motor ignited. As the smoke cleared, Fritz trained his spyglass on the rocket's trajectory. It arced towards the roof, but at the last minute, a gust of wind altered its flightpath. The rocket punched neatly through the window.
Zeke yelled "Yeah!"
Fritz whispered "Thank you."
He heard the concussion of the warhead detonating, and smoke billowed from the open door.
Fritz cringed as he heard that damned Rebel Yell. The posse was on the move, firing, whooping and hollering. 'Sleep and Johnny were out front, leading the charge.
His eyes were drawn back to the house. Men boiled from the door way to meet the threat. But somehting wasn't right...
The smoke was the wrong color.
"No..."
Suddenly, the thatched roof burst into flame. Great gouts of fire spewed from the door and windows.
"Zeke! Mind the team!!!"
Fritz leapt to Strider's back, and rode hard towards the inferno.
------------
Scarlet
Jimmy had Phil’s’ horse in his sights waiting for his rider to appear. Smoke billowed from the cabin, something had gone wrong, Jimmy was sure of it but he kept the horse in his sights, waiting for it’s rider.
The horse was pulling away from the rail, just as Jimmy was about to give up he saw a figure coming through the smoke and making a jump for the broom tail. Jimmy had the figure in his sights and began to squeeze the trigger. It would have been a perfect chest shot, but something wasn’t right when Jimmy looked through the telescope. He could have sworen it was a woman by what he saw. He took his finger off the trigger and looked over the top of his rifle. The horse and rider had disappeared into the smoke cover.
“Damn.” He said under his breath, but he was sure it was a woman, no man had a chest like that, and that meant it was Rebecca or Scarlet.
Jimmy picked another target and fired blowing a neat hole for the mans innards to exit out the back.
Josh was gaining on Rebecca when he heard his brother calling him. He turned cursed and ran back for his brother. It was difficult to tell where the gunfire was coming from in all of the smoke, there seemed to be men and horses everywhere. He and Harry reached Cutter and helped him back to the barn and on his horse. The three outlaws rode out the back of the barn and away from the incoming fire of the posse.
Tensleep rode right into the middle of the men coming out of the small house. He could smell what ever it was Doctor Bill had filled the rocket with and backed off a bit, taking shots and dropping a few of the outlaws that came out.
Johnny made his way around to the side of the small house, dismounting he ran up on the porch. Peeking quickly into the window he saw the flames.
He ducked under the window and made his way around the front of the house, grabbing hold of one of the men who came out. The mans eyes watered and he fought for breath.
“Who else is in there?” Johnny demanded.
“I was the last one. I swear mister.” He yelled as he felt the cold steel of the colt against his temple.
“Johnny get outta there. The place is going up!” He could hear Hanks voice above the rest of the noises.
Johnny kept ahold of the man and drug him clear of the cabin.
He turned as he heard Fritz ride in. "What happened?"
_________________
Fritz
"I DON'T KNOW!" Fritz yelled, as Strider slid to a stop. He dismounted quickly, and drew his Navy. "Where's Scarlet?"
Johnny held his hands palm up. "I just cornered a cowboy. He said there was nobody left"
They threw what water there was available on the blaze. In time, most of the combustables burnt themselves out. It was still warm, but Fritz went in anyway.
There is no smell quite as distinctive as burnt flesh. It has a sickly sweet odor, and once smelled, it was never forgotten. Fritz recalled one time on the plains, when two of his troopers were separated from the column. They were found an hour later. The men had been stripped naked, and staked to the ground. Both had been scalped and disemboweled, and their genitals cut off. What remained had been set on fire. It was as gristly a scene as any Civil War battlefield he’d encountered. Fritz had prayed over the bodies, and saw to it they were properly buried.
He smelled that odor now, and drew back the hammer on his Navy. Fritz rounded the corner into the kitchen, his weapon at the ready. About three paces away, he saw something that froze his heart. Then Navy slipped uselessly from his hand, thumping on the ground. Fritz sunk to his knees, and reached towards the body. It had been burnt beyond recognition, but there was something he recognized. On the ring finger of the left hand, there was a gold ring with a ruby setting. It had been dulled somewhat, but it still stood out in sharp contrast to the blackened flesh.
Sleep rounded the corned and saw Fritz on his knees. “Fritz!” he called out, “Are you hurt? Are you shot?” He got no response, and walked towards him, picking up the Navy as he went. Fritz was holding the smoldering hand, and whispering one word over and over…
“…Scarlet…”
Sleep holstered his revolver, and helped his friend up. He looked into the old soldier’s eyes. Tears were coming, but no sound came with them.
Fritz turned away and went to work. He went outside and cut two saplings down to form a travois. Fritz brought Strider over and slipped the poles into his harness. He pulled his greatcoat from the saddle straps, and buttoned the coat around the poles. Fritz stripped off his sack coat, and placed it over her face. Then carefully, gingerly, he picked up the body, not heedful of its condition. Bits of flesh and streaks of blood stained his vest and shirt. Fritz placed the body on the travois, and prepared to mount up.
“I have to take her home” was all he said.
_________________
combined effort of Tensleep and Scarlet
Johnny watched as Fritz walked past him and go towards the treeline, Sleep not far behind. Judging from the look on Fritz’s face Johnny knew he’d found something.
“What is it?” He asked Tensleep afraid of what the answer might be.
"He found a body and Scarlet's ring was on it." 'Sleep watched Johnny's face closely.
Johnny stared at Tensleep for a brief moment taking in the words he’d just heard. He slightly paled then his eyes narrowed and he yanked the outlaw to his feet.
“You swore you were the last one!” He screamed putting the pistol under the man’s chin preparing to blow his head off.
“I was, I swear, the blonde was on the floor when I came out.” There was panic in the outlaw’s voice.
"Dammit!" Tensleep spat the word out. "What about the brunette?"
"She bolted when Cutter and the woman started fightin’ then that thing came in tha winder.... I swear!" The outlaw was shaking in Johnny's grip.
“Where’d she go? And where did Cutter go?” Johnny growled.
“I don’t know!” The man retched and coughed. "When the smoke an' flames started it was hard to see. I just dropped to the floor."
"How many people we lookin' for? How many was in that cabin?" Tensleep felt the need to hit something, he was seething.
The outlaw shook his head back and forth. He either didn’t know or wasn’t going to give up the information. Johnny was becoming more agitated with every second.
Jimmy came from the barn carrying a wad of white satin.
“What’s this?” He said as he dumped it on the ground.
The outlaw’s eyes widened. “Part of the brunette’s wedding dress, Josh married her.”
It was now Johnny’s turn to watch Tensleep’s eyes grow wide in surprise.
“Who’s the man swingin’ in the barn in his Sunday clothes?” Jimmy asked.
“Don’t know.” The man choked out.
Tensleep knew by the look on Johnny’s face if he wasn’t standing there the outlaw would be dead.
Johnny watched Fritz walk by carrying Scarlet it was as much as he could bare.
“How long you been ridin with Cutter boy?” He growled.
The man said nothing.
“That long huh.” Johnny said squeezing the trigger on the Colt and letting the man fall to the ground.
“Hank.” He said looking around for him.
“Yeah.”
“Can you find Black Wolf’s camp without gettin’ killed?”
“No, but I can be found by them, an’ hope like hell they don’t kill me.”
“If Rebecca was smart that’s where she’d go, that’s where she started to go in the first place according to your note.”
Hank nodded his head listening.
“You go and you bring that girl home safe.”
“Yes sir.” Hank replied gathering his gear. He looked at Tensleep who seemed to be a bit confused as to who was in charge and giving orders.
“Comin’ Marshal? I might need someone they’ve seen ridin’ with Scarlet before.”
Tensleep was up on Buck almost immediately.
“Zeke!”
The wagon had just come to a stop and Zeke was taking in the grizzly scene. He removed his hat and jumped off the wagon when he heard his name.
“Yeah boss.”
Take that pony o’ yers and you catch up to Sonny, tell him what’s happened. I’m going with Fritz.”
“Yes sir.” Zeke replied.
Jimmy watched as Johnny turned to get his mule. “We’re not going to just let that bastard ride off are we?”
“I got to be with Rose….and I don’t know what I’ll say ta Bo.” He mumbled picking Velvet Ears reins.
“Use your own judgment Jimmy, I trust you, Scarlet trusted you.”
Jimmy quickly gathered the gear he wanted on Moonshine, handed Johnny Dancer’s lead line then swung up on his own horse and looked over where Fritz was laying the body.
“Johnny.”
By this time Johnny was in his own saddle. “What is it?”
“Make sure her soul is safe. I’ll leave ya a trail and check in.” With that Jimmy turned and rode in the direction of the outlaws trail.
Johnny knew it meant the turquoise charm she wore was missing. Jimmy must have seen that it was missing when he was saying something over the body.
As he rode by Johnny took the lead lines of the extra horses and the team and fell quietly in behind Fritz.
_________________
Scarlet
Scarlet kneeled down and splashed the cold water on her face, she was glad it was to dark to see her reflection clearly in the water, she felt like she’d gone ten rounds with the men Johnny had told her about on occasion that boxed for a living, even her hands were sore. Looking at them noticed her knuckles were skinned and bruised. She looked up at the horse who stood quietly next to her. It was the Phil’s horse, she wondered if there was any medical kit to speak of in the saddle bags, but then she noticed there were no saddle bags.
“Figures.” She thought to herself.
At least she and Rebecca were out of Cutter’s grasp Scarlet thought. Leaning against a rock she watched the light below her as the cabin burned itself out.
When the light of the fire faded Scarlet leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She whished she was in a hot bath, Fritz’s arms around her. She thought of him often when they were not together, and when she did she could feel his warm touch and see his smile clear as if he was standing right next to her. His eyes always seemed to dance with a great deal of passion and a bit of mischief when smiled at her. He had rekindled the passion for living and loving she had once known. She could not help but smile back at him. Often when she saw him later she would tell him she had thought of him and he would smile the smile she loved so much and tell her he could feel her thoughts.
For some reason she could not see his smile right now and the comfort she could normally feel at the very thought of him was eluding her. Instead she could only see a clear picture of Patches laying quietly her hands folded neatly on her stomach, Bill, Ella and Rose stood around her with looks of concern. It reminded Scarlet of a funeral. She could hear the sadistic laugh of Kevin “Cutter” Rowen. For the first time in a long time she let sorrow take its hold on her and she could feel the warm tears roll down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry Patches.” She whispered as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
Scarlet hoped someone had found the body and knew where to take her instead of leaving her in the cold or in an unmarked grave at the base of Devil’s mountain. Maybe someone had found her still alive and it was not a funeral she could see in her mind. She thought of Bill and the hell he must be going through, he deserved to know what had happened to Patches if she had not made it.
Then there was Fritz, how did you explain to the one you loved you just up and left. He deserved a wife who would stand by him not up and leave with no explanation. The sorrow she was feeling was suddenly over taken by a great deal of rage as she heard Cutter’s laughter on the wind once more. She knew he’d follow her to the end of the earth; they had become one another’s incurable disease that needed to be eradicated.
Scarlet took a deep breath she’d come this far she’d finish the job. “Never ask anything of someone else you’re not willing to do yourself.” Johnny had taught her that from the very beginning.
Scarlet stood preparing to find a good spot for the night when she heard the sound of a twig snap behind her, it was barley noticeable but rang through her ears like thunder.
She ducked behind the rock, the pounding sound of her heart drowning out everything else. Then above it she heard the soft nicker.
“Lucky” she barely spoke his name afraid she might be mistaken.
The big horse stepped from the shadows. Scarlet let out the breath that had become stuck in her throat.
“Thank the Gods.” She whispered as she went to the horse and put her arms around him burying her face in his thick black mane.
Letting go she stood back and looked at him. He looked to be in perfect health aside a few scratches on his chest. Scarlet removed his bridle and hung it on the saddle horn. She mounted the other horse and rode until she found a place she felt was safe for the night, Lucky following close behind.
Once she decided on a spot she unsaddled and rubbed down both horses, tied Phil’s horse to a tree then went through her own saddlebags. Finding her medical kit she first treated Lucky’s scrapes then her own.
She smiled when she found the dragoons she had stowed in her saddlebags. The cartridges for the rifle were a damp and a few were split, probably where Lucky had landed in the river on them, they would be of little use. Looking at the powder flask she wondered if it had kept it’s contents dry.
Scarlet loaded one of the pistols, hoping she wouldn’t need to find out if it would fire or not but just in case. She could feel the exhaustion of what had seemed like weeks taking hold of her as she fell into a light sleep, every noise jarring her awake.
_________________
Fritz
They rode quietly. There wasn't much to say. Both men were lost in their own thoughts. The steady sound of the travois dragging across the ground was their only companion. It was slow going.
Johhny looked at the soldier. He never thought he'd see his daughter with a Yankee. But this one was different somehow. He'd won her heart, and Johnny had sneaking suspicions he'd have made a fine son-in-law.
But none of that mattered now.
His face was streaked with grime. Clean paths of tears cut deep furrows; like an old mask covering a new face. Something inside him was broken, and could never be repaired. Fritz whispered something.
Johnny leaned in closer. "What was that son?"
Fritz looked at him. "He was right, and I was wrong...Jimmy was right. I let her down, Sir...I'm sorry."
_________________
-
Scarlet
“You are no more guilty than the rest of us Frtiz. Wasn’t you she asked to…You aren’t the one took her life. You are the one that made her happy. You are the one who.” Johnny wasn’t sure how to put it in words, Rose was always much better at this kind of thing.
“You are the one that she stood toe ta toe with her ol’ man for and declared “if ya know what’s good for you ya won’t touch him.”
Johnny smiled slightly at the memory.
Scarlet had watched him for along time over her coffee cup.
“I don’t think it will come as a surprise when I tell you I’ve been spending time with Fritz”
Johnny eyed her back with disapproval. “I’ve noticed. Stay away from that Yankee boy Scarlet. He’ll break your heart.”
Scarlet had only chuckled “You forget who you’re talking to.”
“Maybe I should geld him.” Johnny had mumbled.
Scarlet looked a bit shocked he’d said it but not really surprised. Scarlet stood and leaned into him. “If ya know what’s good for you ya won’t touch him.”
“He’ll never know what happened. Don’t forget who you’re talking to” Johnny had been irritated.
Scarlet’s eyes flashed. “Don’t forget, you trained me well Johnny.”
“Ask him Scarlet, ask him where you are on his string of conquests.”
“He’s not like that.” She said sitting back down and picking up her cup.
“He’s a Yankee soldier Scarlet.”
“Wars over Johnny Reb. Been over. You and mom taught be better than that anyway and you know it.”
“Jimmy says he makes you smile.”
One side of Scarlet’s mouth slightly pulled up but she said nothing.
“Scarlet if he is what makes you happy, I will not stand in the way. Lord knows you’ve paid your dues, you deserve happiness and you’re a big girl.”
She had stood and hugged him tightly. “I’d have hated to tell mom ya ran one off.” She had chuckled.
“Watch yerself Scarlet, something tells me he has your heart already.”
“I lost that years ago dad. What makes ya say so though?” She said curiously.
“I threatened Scott once and you’re reply was just make sure you have an alibi.” Johnny chuckled. “Tell that boy I’ll be watching him.”
“Behave you self Dad.” She smiled, finished her coffee and got up to go check on her horse.
“Fritz, you are the one that succeeded in making her happier in the short time you were together than she had been in years. Thank you for that.”
Johnny looked at Fritz. “You didn’t let her down.”
The after hours businesses were in full swing when Sonny reached the small town. He rode the narrow street until he found the place he was looking for. Swinging of the mare he tied her to the hitching rail and went into the saloon.
He wasted no time approaching the man who usually knew most things happening in the town.
“I’m looking for the telegraph operator.” He said to the bartender.
“Who’s looking and what’s it worth.” The man next to him said.
“Depends on who you are.” Sonny said.
“I’m the key man, but the office is closed.” He said taking a drink
“I’m somebody who knows how to show appreciation for a favor.” Sonny slid a few coins on the bar towards the man who smiled.
“Come on cowboy.” He said getting up and leading Sonny to the telegraph office.
Sitting behind the desk the man looked at him. “What you want to say and who to?”
Sonny had had time to think about what he had wanted to send. He wanted to get the information but not put Trixie in danger in case some else picked up the messages.
“Send it to the Southern Starr. Say need information on T. Blue. Search Mokelumnehill, CA. Urgent. Then send a second wire. What do you hear from Mr. Dawg?”
Sonny remembered Trixie had told him she’d chosen her name from a grave stone. The last name anyway then had thought of something that started with a T. Then he hoped to find out what he wanted by the response from Mr. Dawg.
“I need an answer on the first one as soon as ya hear.” Sonny said sliding more coins across the desk making the man smile. He then went out and sat on the boardwalk and watched activities around him. Carefully looking at anyone coming into town.
-------------------------------
Ella
Patches and Bill were eating when the telegraph started chattering, so Ella dashed out to the office. She transcribed the graphite tape and brought the tape and the flimsy back with her.
"Need information on T. Blue. Search Mokelumnehill, CA. Urgent."
"What do you hear from Mr. Dawg?"
"Patches, are these messages in some code? Who are T. Blue and Mr. Dawg?" asked Ella.
Patches looked up, and said, "That brings to mind somethin' Scarlet said, let me think ... 'You find Trixie Blue, you find the key to Rowen’s past. You find Mr. Dawg, you find Trixie Blue. Ya find Trixie, ya find someone who knows about the Rowens before they had wanted posters on em. When you get home, you send a message to Mr. Dawg. Simply say Angel tracking Mr. Dawg. If she checks the telegraph offices or gets wind of the message she will contact me er you in this case. She lives in Mokelumne Hill, but I’m sure she’s fled. She may go to Jackson or Angels Camp. She may be making her way to the Starr. Mr. Dawg likes mining camps. If they have a telegraph office he likes that better, because he can check for messages.' "
Patches started to swing her legs out from under the blankets, but stopped when she realized exactly what she was wearing. She was not ready for Bill to see her wearing a diaper and nothing else below the waist!
"Ella, get me dressed so I can get to work," she pleaded.
Ella smiled, glad to see Patches regaining her normal spirit. "Bill, why don't you take the dishes back to the kitchen? After Patches is ready, you can help her out to the telegraph office."
_________________
Scarlet
As Jimmy followed the trail he couldn’t stop thinking about what he saw through his telescope. With Scarlet dead it had to have been Rebecca he had seen, but there was something that was not right. Had he had time to admire what he’d seen he would have said the woman was indeed well endowed. Rebecca knew how to display herself well and had anybody asked Jimmy he would admit to admiring her from time to time. The man had an eye for detail too but there was something he couldn’t put his finger on that nagged at him it wasn’t Rebecca.
He played the scene over in his mind. He could see the saddle of Phil’s horse through the scope, the horse started to spoke and pull on the reins sitting on his haunches. He had peeked over the rifle in time to see A blur of a dirt streaked black shirt coming out of the smoke the rider had landed behind the saddle and was grabbing for the horses mane as the horse spun towards Jimmy. Jimmy aimed at his target, it would have been a beautiful chest shot, he started to squeeze the trigger but then he saw the curves of a woman’s breast rising and falling as she gasped for air.
He thought on this a moment longer. Her tanned skin was streaked with the colors of smoke, dirt and blood. Suddenly it hit him. Rebecca’s skin was not tan, at least not like that.
Jimmy turned his horse about and headed back for the house to pick up the trail of the woman. Should it lead towards the mountain, towards Black Wolf, he was wrong and it was Rebecca, if not there was a third woman, maybe it was Trixie.
Cutter was smart maybe he was playing a game or buying time when he’d bargained for the exchange of Trixie and Rebecca. If so Cutter would be looking for her too Jimmy thought.
As he rode in a couple of horses raised their heads and watched. One looked to be a wagon horse and the other probably belonged to one of the dead outlaws.
Jimmy dismounted and went into the barn. He looked up at the man who still hung there. “Who are you?” He whispered then cut the man down. He wandered about the barn looking at all the tracks. They told a story if you knew how to read ‘em right.
Kneeling he finally spotted what he was looking for. A shoeless hoof print, Rebecca’s horse had been here. Jimmy followed it out of the barn towards the house. From the looks of it the horse was stopped and turned fast then headed for cover. That didn’t tell him who was riding Cloud or even if the horse had a rider. The torn fabric of the wedding dress could have been put there anytime. Still there was a woman on Phil’s horse and Cutter would pick up that trail as soon as he could. By following it Jimmy figured he’d find out who the woman was and find Cutter too.
He followed the trail until he it became to dark. He found a good spot to hide and settled in for the night.
Sonny pulled his duster up around him and looked down the street. The figure coming in caught his eye. For a moment he thought maybe it was one of Cutter’s men but then he recognized Zeke.
Sonny watched as Zeke rode up and pulled his horse to a stop.
“You look like a motherless calf, what’s happened.?” Sonny said looking at the man, it didn’t dawn on him it was something bad until Zeke wiped his red eyes with the back of his hand.
“Fritz.” Zeke started to speak.
“What, what’s happened to Fritz?” Sonny could feel panic starting in the pit of his stomach and spreading through his veins.
Zeke shook his head back and forth then spoke again. “He found Scarlet.”
Now Sonny could feel himself holding his breath as he hung on every word Zeke spoke.
“He’s taking her body home.”
“Oh God no.” Sonny whispered closing his eyes tight then taking a deep breath “What about Rebecca?”
“Hank and the Marshal ‘ve gone after her. They figure she’s headed for the Indian camp. Johnny went with Fritz and Jimmy is following Cutter’s trail.” Zeke said sadly.
Sonny thought a moment. “Zeke, I was asked to ride down an outlaw and to help bring those two women home. One’s still out there and the other one wouldn’t want me standing over her grave crying while the bastard thet killed her is still out there. Jimmy’s good, but a man can always use back up. It’s up to you what you do.”
“Sonny, I know you always been particular about who you shared the trail and your campfire with. Fritz chose me to ride along with him for some reason and I’ve never been the type to quit in the middle of a job. So if you’ll ride with me..”
Sonny half smiled. “Zeke I’ll ride with ya.”
“Hey you got any money for a cup o’ coffee or somethin’? I have a feeling I’ll be giving all mine to that telegraph man.”
“I can buy us a few things. Then we hit the trail in the morning.”
Sonny walked back in to the office and told the telegraph man where they could be found should anything come over the wire.
By the time Fritz and Johnny reached the house word had spread that they were coming in. By the look of the two men and the fact that Strider was pulling the travois everyone knew it was Scarlet they had brought home. The men removed their hats and bowed their heads as Fritz rode by. Some saying prayers, while words of condolences could be heard from others, some let tears roll down their faces while others held them back.
As they came to a stop at the steps of the house Johnny stepped off of his horse and caught Rose in his arms before she could make it to the body.
“What happened.” She sobbed softly then tried to move towards the body. Johnny pulled her back.
“You don’t want to see her.” He said softly.
Bo’s gaze locked with Johnny’s “Who’s bullet?” He mouthed.
Johnny closed his eyes and shook his head no.
“What happened?” Rose asked again.
“There was a fire….she didn’t make it.” Johnny replied.
“Where are the others?” Rose managed to ask through her tears.
Johnny looked at the group of people that were looking at him for answers, took a deep breath and began.
“We found them hol’ up in a small cabin, the Broken Shoe, the cabin caught fire, from what we can tell Rebecca made it out and we hope she is headed towards the Indian camp, Hank and Tensleep have gone after her. Sonny rode out to send a telegraph from the nearest town so I sent Zeke after him. Jimmy is following Cutter and Josh’s trail.”
Bo drew a ragged breath. Running hand across his face he could feel the scar that his beard mostly hid. He wanted to scream at the horrible memory of his wife’s burnt body coming to life in his mind again. He closed his eyes tight and clinched his jaw trying to make it go away but he could see Travis holding her. “They shot her Bo, she would have never made it.” He wanted to scream but he could feel Scarlet’s arms tight around him. “We’re here Bo. I won’t let you go.” She whispered.
Bo could hear Rose’s questions it brought him back to the here and now.
“How is it Scarlet didn’t make it out?” Rose looked up at Johnny wiping her eyes.
“I don’t know Rose.” Johnny said sadly.
“Maybe its not Scarlet?” Rose said hopefully.
“Rose, it’s Scarlet.”
“How do you know?”
Johnny looked over his shoulder at Fritz then back at his wife.
“Come inside we can talk about it.”
Rose stood fast on the steps staring at the body covered by Fritz’s coat. Her eyes moved slowly over the team then the horses that had come home with them.
“Where’s Lucky?” Her voice barley a whisper.
“What?” Johnny asked a bit confused.
“Where’s Lucky?” She repeated softly.
“I don’t know Rose, we never saw him. Jimmy mentioned seeing a trail Lucky left but that was all.”
Rose looked at him again. “Johnny if that is Scarlet than Lucky would be here.”
“Rose y’er grasping for straws.”
“If that is Scarlet” she pointed to the body “Lucky would be here. He’s never left her side.”
“You’re putting a lot of faith in a half wild stallion, who’s been rider less on the open range for days Rose.” He said softly trying to calm her.
His words only irritated her as she continued to deny Scarlet’s death.
“From the day he was born Johnny that horse has followed her, slept outside her window many nights, ya know he’s even followed her into the house. He’s stood over her body more than once. Don’t you try and tell me this time is different.” She began to cry again.
Johnny put his arms around her and took her into the house.
Bo took another deep breath trying to get ahold of himself, he could feel his hands shake as he straightened his back and walked down the steps.
He looked from Fritz to the body and back. He wanted to tell Fritz he understood what he was going through, if he needed someone to talk to, to listen to him or to keep him from crawling into the bottom of a bottle like he had he would be there, but there was a time and a place for everything and all Bo could manage was to softly say “Lets put her in the cellar until we can bury her properly.”
_________________
Fritz & Scarlet
Fritz sat alone in their dark room. He hadn’t changed. He still smelled her perfume, mingled with the blood. The plate of food Ella left lay untouched, the bottle sent by Patches unopened. All he saw was the body in the basement.
Bo had wanted him to talk, but there was nothing he could say. He was afriad that if he'd opened up, he wouldn't be able to control what came out. So for now, Fritz stayed silent. He hoped Bo would understand.
There was a piece of paper in his vest pocket. Bo had given it to him. Fritz opened it up and looked at it. He recognized Scarlet's writing.
"When I am with Fritz I don’t find myself wishing he was you. He fills places in my soul that have been dark, cold and empty for so long I had forgotten what it was like to be whole, to feel safe and be able to sleep through the night because I trust he will protect me."
Tears fell freely again.
"I told you once I believed God had abandoned me. When I look at him, well, I wonder if maybe I was mistaken."
He read the last line.
"I just hope I don't fail him the way I failed you."
That was all it took. Fritz set to work. He lit the lamp on the desk, and set pen to paper. Fritz wrote two letters: one to the Department of the Army, and One to Marshal Ross. They said essentially the same thing. To the latter he pinned his badge.
Fritz gathered up his gear. He took his boots off, so as not to disturb the others. As an afterthought, he wrote a note to Ella, and slipped it under his plate. It read, “If I die, sell my traps, and put the money in the company fund. Bury me next to her.”
Fritz blew out the lamp and closed the door.
-
Ella
Ella had taken the job of preparing the body for burial, leaving Johnny and Rose time to grieve.
She had had enough practice during the War that she could continue washing even with her tears were flowing freely. Part of carrying on with the job entailed thinking of it as "the body" instead of by name. After all, the soul attached to the name had departed, leaving only the shell of flesh.
The body had been lying on the floor of the burning cabin, and had only been burned superficially on the front. A lot of the char came off with washing, but the face still looked wrong. The lace-trimmed handkerchief that she had made to give Scarlet on her wedding day would cover that.
Ella rolled the body over, to wash the back. Something was wrong. The head flopped loosely. A little probing revealed the broken neck, that was probably the cause of death. No wonder she hadn't made it out of the cabin.
Something else looked wrong. The shoulder wound that Ella had stitched had not left a very big scar, but there was no scar there at all.
Ella ran to find Doctor Bill.
She found him in his lab, working on something that might be a new Ghost Machine for Patches.
"I don't think she is Scarlet. How do we verify that? I don't want to raise doubts and then be wrong. That would be cruel."
_________________
Dr. Bill
Bill stood up slowly from the workbench. Ella noticed that he was still wearing the double holster rig that he had adopted during the long night after Patches had been brought back to the ranch. It had only been a couple of days now but it felt like it had been years. “Patches has already begged me to make sure it was not Scarlet,” he replied and paused to sigh. “When Fritz showed me the ring I couldn’t believe it either. Give me a minute to gather a few things and I’ll see what I can do. Don’t tell anyone yet,” he added.
They both looked at the body when they entered the hospital room in the main ranch house. “This is what I noticed first,” Ella said pointing to the shoulder. “I sewed a bullet wound up on Scarlet and there is no scar here.”
Bill frowned slightly and opened the bag he had brought with him. He extracted a small carbide lamp that he lit and handed to Ella after adjusting the flame and reflector to produce a bright spot of light. He then removed a small clamp, a short metal ruler, and dental mirror. “Many of the police departments in the east are starting to use dental measurements to supplement the other Bertillon identifiers and photographs. What can you tell me about Scarlet’s teeth?” he asked as he carefully opened the corpse’s mouth and placed the small steel clamp between the teeth.
“Scarlet had all her teeth,” Ella commented as she carefully aimed the light.
“This body does not,” Bill replied looking in the small mirror that he was holding inside the body’s mouth. “One of the molars is missing and it has been gone for some time. The socket is completely healed. She also did not die from the fire,” he added. “There’s no sign of searing of the tissues at the back of the mouth.”
He paused for a moment and moved the mirror slightly. “Didn’t Scarlet have a little chip on one of her incisors from a fight with her brother when they were young?” he asked.
“She certainly did,” Ella replied leaning forward slightly. “I remember her telling that story to embarrass him more than once.”
“Look here,” Bill said turning the body’s head first one way and then the other so the little dental mirror showed backs of the teeth. “No chips on either incisor. I don’t know who this is but . . .”
“You stay here,” Ella interrupted as she blew out the lamp and placed it on a side table. “I have to tell the others that this is not Scarlet and especially I need to tell Fritz.” And with that she was gone.
Bill looked down at the body then carefully pulled the sheet up over its face. Later he would offer a prayer for this poor unknown woman and for Scarlet wherever she was.
--------------
Ella
Ella knocked first on Fritz's door. When he didn't answer, she opened the door. The light from her lamp fell on the note with her name on it. When she had read it, she exclaimed, "You rock-headed, simple-minded, soft-hearted FOOL of a YANKEE."
She knocked next on the door of Johnny and Rose's room. Her news was important enough to wake them even if they had managed to sleep at all.
Johnny was still fully dressed when he opened the door.
"It is definitely not Scarlet's body. Teeth don't match and scars don't match. But Fritz has already gone, probably looking to get himself killed. I am going after him at first light. Can you send Bo with me? And loan me a faster horse?"
------------------------
Scarlet
Johnny stood frozen as the news sunk it. At first he wasn’t even sure if he’d heard her correctly. “Definitely NOT Scarlet’s body.”
“We were right on top of them and we left her out there.” He mumbled irritated with himself.
Rose was at his side in a flash, she too was fully dressed.
“I told you, no Lucky, no Scarlet.” She said softly as she pushed past Johnny.
“Thank you.” She said giving Ella a tight hug. “I remember what you said about not wanting to be out there. You don’t have to go Ella. We can send somebody else.”
-----------
Ella
"I have to go. I was Fritz's angel during the War, and I feel that he needs me again. With any luck, I'll catch up with him before he does something stupid and dangerous," replied Ella. "Besides, Scarlet would not forgive me easily for letting him get himself killed."
She continued, "Patches is out of immediate danger. What she needs now is normal nursing that Rose and Bill can do. Mostly you have to make sure she eats enough and keep her from doing something more active than is appropriate with broken ribs and collarbone. Bill has pain medicine for her, and knows how much to give her."
_________________
Fritz
Quartermaster Sergeant Keith Gaines fed another chunk of wood into the potbelly stove. Rank had its privileges after all, and his position gave him some privacy. The fire was the only light in the Quartermaster’s office. He stayed there to provide security…or at least, that’s what he told the troopers. He sat by the fire with a tin cup full of good black coffee, and a hefty dollop of Irish whisky for good measure. He was trying to remember a time when his bones didn’t ache in the cold. “It had to be some time before 1861,” he thought. Keith liked to stay awake late into the evening. It kept the dreams at bay, and he could choose his memories. Right now he was thinking about campfires under the stars, good cigars, and the company of soldiers. He knew he wasn’t long for this world...at least, not as a soldier.
Keith was surprised by a knock at the door. “Come in! It’s open,” he barked, expecting the Sergeant of the Guard to come begging for coffee. The door opened, accompanied by a blast of cold air. He saw an old trooper wearing the outdated, sky-blue greatcoat. “Fritz, that you?” Keith asked.
The figure nodded. “Well come in dammit, it’s cold outside!” Fritz entered and closed the door. Once inside, Keith looked his friend over. Even in the dim light, he knew something was wrong. Fritz usually took great pride in his uniform. It was dirty and stained. Fritz’s eyes looked sunken, and deep circles sat beneath them. Despite this, Keith noted that his eyes seemed to glow with a fierce intensity. He asked, “Are you okay?”
“No,” Fritz replied.
It was then that Keith smelled the blood.
He poured some whisky in a tin cup, and splashed in some coffee to add some color. Fritz accepted the cup, and squatted by the fire to warm his hands. The first sip burned a hot trail down his insides.
“I need a favor,” Fritz said.
“Tell me,” Keith replied.
Fritz reached behind his back, and unhooked the Springfield carbine from the cavalry sling. With practiced hands, he opened the breechblock. The cartridge case ejected and spun for a moment in the air, reflecting the firelight. Fritz caught it in his right hand, and handed the weapon over, butt-first.
“I need something a bit more ‘substantial’ than this,” Fritz said. “Something that’ll reach out and touch someone at distance. Preferably, something that won’t be missed.”
Keith took the Trapdoor, closed the action, and lowered the hammer. “I might be able to help you,” he replied. Keith stood, and pulled a large ring of keys from his vest pocket. He walked back into the darkness, and pulled a long rifle from the gun rack.
“Nobody wants these conversions anymore,” Keith lamented. “All these kids today know about is the Trapdoor.” Keith opened the action, and handed the rifle over. “I ‘acquired’ this in a poker game…it’s been well done. Converted at the arsenal.”
Fritz took the rifle. “Rock Island?” he asked.
“Springfield” was Keith’s reply. “Did you carry the Sharps?”
“Not at first,” Fritz said. “We carried the Smith ‘til the summer of ’63. Then we were forced to turn them in. I suppose it was a smart move…commonality of caliber and all. But I sure do miss that carbine.”
By all accounts, the Sharps was in good condition. The stock had some dings, but nothing major. The exterior had some bare spots, but no rust. Fritz looked down the bore. As expected, it was clean with no pitting, the rifling sharp.
“The barrel was sleeved to .45 caliber…like you said, a pro job.” Fritz closed the action, and noted with surprise that there were two triggers under the guard. He quickly turned the rifle over. Sure enough, at the left wrist, were the stampings “Co. F, 2d U.S.S.S.”
“It’s a Berdan!” Fritz exclaimed.
“Yep,” Keith sighed. “I figured I’d keep it, or sell it to fund my retirement. But you’re in greater need than I.”
“Can I get some extra ammo?” Fritz asked.
“Sure,” Keith said. “How much do you need?”
“About a hundred rounds ought to do…plus fifty for the pistol.”
“Come on,” Keith said. Fritz set the Berdan by the door, and followed his friend back to the racks. On the way, Fritz saw three wooden crates on the floor. He knelt to read the writing on the boxes. “1874 Camel,” they said.
Fritz’s face broke into a wide grin. Keith noted that the grin wasn’t entirely pleasant.
“Oh no,” he said. “We aren’t even supposed to have those. They’re earmarked for the Seventh.”
“Who’s gonna know?” Fritz replied.
“They haven’t even been tested in the field!”
“I’ll test ‘em for ya,” Fritz said, patting the lid.
Keith looked at his friend, and saw the seriousness of his expression. “Marshal’s business I suppose?”
“Yeah…something like that.”
“If you get caught with this thing, I don’t know you,” Keith replied. “I won’t burn for you. I’ll tell ‘em you hit me over the head or something.”
It took the men most of the night to set up the cavalry cart. The manual recommended two horses, one for good roads, and two for bad. As Fritz strapped Strider and Dancer into the traces, he thought it was fortunate that he’d brought two horses.
Fritz turned to his friend and shook his hand. “If I don’t see you again, it’s been an honor knowing you.”
“Just get that thing back here in one piece,” Keith said.
It was about an hour before dawn when Fritz rode out the gates. Keith looked towards the horizon and mused…
“What did he mean by that?”
_________________
Scarlet
“I’ll find Bo and tell him to get ready and choose a couple of the faster horses. Some one will need to send a wire to Sonny that we have the wrong body.” Johnny said going down the stairs.
Rose’s eye lit with a new hope as she yelled after him. “Johnny you tell Bo Ella’s riding Diamond and he best find a horse to keep up with her!”
“When you’re ready I’ll take you to meet Diamond, in the mean time what else can I do to help?” Rose asked. Ella could see the change come over her, from one in mourning to the strong woman Ella had seen giving orders around the ranch at times.
Johnny made his way down to the barn, somehow he knew he’d find Bo in there.
As he walked the breezeway he noticed Dancer missing and wondered if Bo had gone without saying anything. Walking farther he heard Bo’s voice coming from Gypsy’s stall.
“Scarlet sure was looking forward to winning the bet she had with Rose on who’s baby you’re carrying.” Bo said softly.
The blue roan mare moaned as she got to her feet, she still had about three more months before the foal would come, but Scarlet had brought her in so she could keep an eye on the aging mare.
Johnny stopped at the door that stood ajar and looked in. Gypsy was sniffing at the whisky bottle in Bo’s hand.
“Scarlet wouldn’t like this.” Johnny said softly, afraid Bo would be in no condition to ride with Ella.
“You ever ride this horse Johnny.” Bo said looking into the mare’s big gentle eyes.
“Oh hell no.” Johnny Chuckled. “She’s the sweetest horse if you’re not ridding her but a man would have to be insane to put his leg over that mares back. Even right now, old and in foal I bet she’d give you a ride make you’re hair stand on end.”
“I got sumpthin’to”…Johnny started to say when Bo cut him off.
“Scarlet ever tell you I rode her?”
Johnny was a little surprised. “No, she never mentioned it but..”
“Bout three months after Marie was killed. The one thing I remember as drunk as I was was Travis bout beating the hell out of me when I got mad at her for trying to take the bottle away from me.
I also remember I wanted to put that pistol to my head and pull the trigger so bad.
Scarlet told me she wanted me to go for a ride with her and if I still wanted to do that when we got back she’d let me have my pistol back.
We rode to the top of the peak. I remember when we were up there Scarlet rode Gypsy as fast as she could across the flat top. She let go of the reins and held her arms out as the mare ran. I was riding Dancer at the time and she tried to make me do the same thing.” He sort of chuckled at the memory.
“Course I didn’t want to. So she told me just to try it once on Gypsy, and after I did we could turn around and go home. Of course I was all for that. This horse has a gallop smooth as glass. I took her once across the top of the flat.
When I came back Scarlet asked me if I thought life was worth living and I told her no.
So she said we could head back. She mounted Dancer spun him around and took off across the flat as fast as she could. I don’t remember what she said but Gypsy took off right after her. I couldn’t get her to stop for love nor money. I remember Scarlet’s smirk as Gypsy raced past Dancer and down the side of that mountain like the devil himself was after us. She stopped when we reached flat ground.
I remember jumping off of her and losing everything I’d drank or eatin. I remember accusing Scarlet of trying to kill me. It was then I guess I realized I wasn’t ready to put that gun to my head Johnny.
This bottle was the one Scarlet took away from me.” He held it up so Johnny could see.
The bottle was covered in dust, was a bit wet from where Gypsy had licked it and to Johnny’s surprise was still sealed.
“This bottle reminds me of the kind of friend Scarlet was when I was at rock bottom. Care to join me in a toast to one hell of a woman?” Bo stood and looked at Johnny.
“No, you save that and share it with Scarlet when she comes home. Tell her yourself how much she means to you. Where’s Dancer?” Johnny said pointing to the empty stall.
Bo looked confused. “Fritz went out of here some time ago with him. What do you mean tell her myself?”
“Ella says that body Fritz brought home isn’t Scarlet.”
“Is she using Rose’s theory?”
“No she and Bill been looking at teeth and scars. All I know is she has something physical to base her statements on. She wants to ride after Fritz at first light and she’s asked you go with her. Will you be sober by first light?”
“I’ve only been drowning in sorrow Johnny I ain’t been drinking. I’ll be ready when ever she wants to leave.”
“Good. Rose says Ella is riding Diamond and you best find something to keep up with her. Guess it’s a good thing Gypsy’s in foal huh?” Johnny chuckled.
Bo laughed he could feel his sprit lifting thanks to Bill and Ella’s discovery.
The two men exchanged knowing looks. “I’ll not let anything happen to Ella Johnny.”
Johnny shook his head up and down. “I know ya won’t Bo, and so does she.”
_________________
Ella
"I can use your help packing as much of a field hospital as possible into saddlebags," answered Ella. "I can't predict how much of a battle I'm going to find at the end of this ride, nor how many patients to patch up. I'll take all the prepared bandages and ointments, and need oilcloth and canvas enough to make an enclosure in case a sterile field for surgery is needed."
She sighed, "Even if I catch up with Fritz, he won't be willing to turn back until we bring Scarlet home. At least we won't need to track him because we can head straight for the scene of the fire, until we find sign from Jimmy."
-
Scarlet
Rebecca rode through the night driven by determination to get the message to Johnny. She stopped once to rest Cloud and lose the two sets of riders dogging her trail.
She was sure she heard Harry’s voice among the first set. When the second set of riders went by she imagined she’d heard Tensleep and Hank. Figuring that to be just her imagination drumming up something she wished for she shook the idea from her mind and waited.
Striping the once bright white wedding dress off left her in her undergarments; she figured that to be better than a giant white target moving into the open. At least her underpinnings were dark colored. She swung onto Clouds back, said a small prayer and moved out.
Cloud was at full stride by the time they hit the open space. Becca could hear gunfire erupt behind her. Thinking they had seen her she kicked Cloud faster and never looked back.
The pony raced along old familiar ground his rider never having to guide him, she only slowed him when she saw the figure on painted horse on the trail above.
The warrior watched cautiously as the horse and rider followed the trail that brought them up to him. Recognizing the pony and his rider made him wonder about the woman’s choice of clothing what was happening.
“Point me to camp. I need to see Black Wolf.” Rebecca said looking at the warrior.
The man said nothing as he turned his horse and motioned for her to follow.
Once in camp the warrior dismounted and went to wake his leader while Becca warmed herself by the small fire.
After a short wait she saw Black Wolf approach carrying a blanket for her to cover herself with.
In the firelight he could see the black and blue bruises on Little Fox’s white skin. He held the blanket out to her.
In the firelight she could see the anger building in his eyes. “Is this how your white lawman treats you? I will kill him.” Black Wolf growled.
“Bring him.” He said turning to some of the warriors who had begun to gather.
Black Wolf was speaking his native tongue and it took Rebecca a moment to comprehend what he had said, not because she didn’t understand the language, it had just been the farthest thing from her mind.
“No!” She yelled.
Everyone stopped and looked surprisingly at her.
“No. I was not Tensleep.”
Black Wolf eyed her as he circled. “Do not try to protect a man who does such things.” He ground out.
“No. Listen to me.” She was now jumping from English to Comanche. “I need a rider to take a message.”
“I will send a message he will not forget.”
“No. It was Cutter’s men who did this.”
Black Wolf eyed her questioningly.
“Cutter.” Rebecca said. Thinking a moment she turned and pointed to the R on her shoulder. “The men that did this. The outlaws.”
“The one’s you said to leave to white mans law.”
“Yes. I need a rider to take a message.”
“I will not send a rider to the white man’s law.”
Rebecca wanted to scream, he kept interrupting.
“If not for me then for Scarlet if not for Scarlet then for Longknife!” She yelled.
Now she had the attention of almost every man in camp she’d awakened.
“Where does this message have to go.” Black Wolf said.
Rebecca could detect the irritation in his voice. “To the home of Longknife.”
Black Wolf was somewhat hesitant.
“What is it’s purpose?”
“Scarlet needs to get a message through. Brother I need a rider with a fast pony who can speak to them, or give me the pony. I will go. I must get the message through.”
Black Wolf’s wife approached. “You need rest Little Fox.”
Rebecca stomped her foot. “Is there not a warrior among you brave enough to ride onto the Southern Starr.”
Rebecca recognized the warrior who came forward.
“I will go”
Black Wolf shook his head in approval.
Rebecca stepped forward, there was something she had to know, something she’d never asked Scarlet, she’d only seen the tell tale sign. She had seen his reaction when she mentioned Scarlet’s name. Taking his hand she turned it over and looked at his wrist, the tiny line matched the one on Scarlet’s opposite wrist.
“She’s told me great stories of you. Do you know Bo?”
The warrior shook his head yes.
“You must find Bo or Johnny. Tell them the black road leads to the gates of hell. It’s at the gates of hell the devil will make his last stand.”
The warrior repeated the phrase back to her then mounted his horse and rode the familiar trail to the river that ran through the Southern Starr. Scarlet had always met him there, he knew some of the men had seen them together and guessed his best approach would be out in the open from there.
Hank and Tensleep both saw it at the same time, they were to far away to do anything.
The outlaw was leveling his rifle at someone. Looking beyond the outlaw they saw the dark figure of a horse with a rider leaned close to his neck moving fast across the open desert.
“Rebecca.” Tensleep unknowingly said out loud.
Hank did the best thing he knew to do. “Take cover!” he yelled at Tensleep as he drew his pistol and shot in the direction of the outlaws.
Tensleep rolled up behind a rock Hank right behind him.
“What ya do thet fer? We’re outta range.” Tensleep said eyeing the man he thought had better sense than that.
The outlaws shot went wild at the sound of the voice and gunfire. Both outlaws had immediately moved to take cover from the men coming up behind them.
“We may be outta range but it gave him sumthin’ ta think about and he missed his target.” Hank half smiled.
Tensleep returned a half smile.
Much to Hank and Tensleeps frustrations the outlaws seemed to keep them pinned while managing to waste their ammunition.
After what seemed like hours Hank looked at Tensleep.
“Got any good idea’s when that sun comes up?”
Tensleep looked at the horizon. The sun would be making it’s appearance any moment.
The warrior had tried his best to ride in the open once he’d crossed the river. He followed the trail he’d watched Scarlet come down many times. Maybe it was to much in his nature to move with the shadows, of that he was not sure. He’d gone unnoticed except for the two outriders he recognized. They had followed at a distance watching him, apparently deciding he was of no threat they broken off and gone their own way.
Every thing had been peaceful in the predawn hours until he’d nearly reached the cabin.
Grey Eagle recognized the man who was closing the door him. He was the tall man that rode the big horse. He could not remember the man’s name it was Doctor something, but he did remember Scarlet talking about the colored smoke.
Dr. Bill had gone to his cabin to retrieve some items for Ella’s departure; he’d turned to take one last look inside before he went back to the main house.
It all erupted at the same time, the voices, the sound of running feet and rifles making ready for a fight.
“Indians!”
“Doc! Doc! Look out!”
Bo had lead the horses from the barn headed towards the house to get Ella.
Rose and Ella had just opened the door to carry Ella’s supplies to the horses when they heard the commotion.
Bo’s head jerked up and looked in the direction of the running men. “Crap…. Stand Down!” He dropped the reins to Ella’s horse as he swung up onto his own and headed after them.
Johnny pushed past Ella and Rose, grabbed Diamond’s reins, swung up and followed Bo.
It wasn’t the sounds in the distance that worried Bill so much as the sound of the horse snorting that came from directly behind him. There had been nothing there when he stepped out of the door.
Grey Eagle eyed the oncoming group with concern, but stood his ground.
Holding up the lance with the white material tied to it he hoped they recognized their own “flag of truce”.
“Greetings Man of Colored Smoke. I bring message from Little Fox.”
-
Dr. Bill
Bill stood still for a moment pondering what he should do next. “I’ve been called a few odd things in my time but ‘man of coloured smoke’ is a first,” he thought to himself. The white flag was a good sign though. Bill took a measured, deliberate step toward the Indian and held out his right hand. “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said. “Might I ask your name?”
Grey Eagle paused a moment. He had seen the whites greet one another in this manner; extending an empty hand to show that they did not hold a weapon. He found it ironic that these men would make this greeting while still armed, even as this one was doing now. Still, this was one of the men he had been told to look for had he seemed to be honest in his intentions. Grey Eagle reached down from the horse and the two men grasped each other’s hands for a moment. “I am Grey Eagle,” he said simply.
“William Curtis McDowell,” Bill responded with a slight nod. “A pleasure to meet you,” he added. “Now, you said you had a message from someone called ‘Little Fox?’” he asked as Grey Eagle swung down from the horse. Both men looked up at the sound of approaching horses from the main house. Bill stepped partially between Grey Eagle and the others. Whoever this was he apparently had important information and Bill didn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.
_________________
Scarlet
“Little Fox, yes.” Grey Eagle searched Dr. Bill’s face for recognition of the name.
By the look Grey Eagle gave him Dr. Bill knew he should know this person, but the name meant nothing.
Grey Eagle new she had a name her people called her but he couldn’t recall hearing it. He eyed the group that was coming closer.
“Little Fox…she wears the white man’s brand on her back.” Grey Eagle touched his shoulder indicating where Little Fox had the brand.
“Rebecca.” Dr. Bill said understandingly.
“Little Fox says I must tell Longknife or Bo the black road leads to the gates of hell. It’s at the gates of hell the devil will make his last stand. Wild…..Scarlet follows the black road.”
The men slowed hearing Bo’s order to stand down followed by the pounding of his horses hooves as the animal covered the distance between the house and Dr. Bill’s cabin.
Bo pulled his horse to a stop a short distance away and watched Dr. Bill talking to the warrior he recognized as Scarlet’s friend.
Johnny pulled Diamond to a stop next to Bo.
“Do you know him?” Johnny asked.
“That is Grey Eagle, I’ve only ever seen him with Scarlet. We’ve never been formally introduced. You?”
“Grey Eagle, I’ve heard Scarlet say the name, he rides with Black Wolf.” Johnny looked at Bo. “He is the one Scarlet rides down to the river to meet?”
“Yes”
Johnny half smiled.
Bo looked back curious to Johnny’s reaction. “Why?”
“The few times I have met Black Wolf, he’s been riding with his better warriors. It is my understanding that man has taken a lot of scalps, but I never knew his name. That would explain where Scarlet has learned some of the things I have not taught her.”
Grey Eagle continued to watch the group of men cautiously.
Johnny turned and looked at the group behind him. “Go back to what you were doing, there’s nothing to worry about here.”
The two men stepped off of their horses.
“Take her to Ella.” Johnny said handing the reins to one of the men.
“Greetings Grey Eagle.” Johnny said walking up.
Grey Eagle looked at Dr. Bill then to Johnny. Johnny has always observed their customs when they met and now Grey Eagle was in Johnny’s world. He repeated the gesture that Dr. Bill had made by holding out his right hand. “Pleasure to meet you Longknife.”
Johnny grasped his hand and shook it. “That is Bo.” He said gesturing towards the man that stood slightly behind him.
The men nodded to one another.
Johnny looked into the distance.
“I come alone.” Grey Eagle stated.
“What brings you?”
“Little Fox says I must tell you the black road leads to the gates of hell. It’s at the gates of hell the devil will make his last stand. Scarlet follows the black road.”
Johnny and Bo exchanged knowing looks of concern.
“You know where the black road leads?” Grey Eagle asked.
“Yes.” Johnny replied.
“You have seen Little Fox?” Bo asked stepping forward.
“She is in camp.”
“Is she alright?” Dr. Bill asked.
“She is..”he thought on this a moment trying to put the words together correctly. “black and blue but otherwise unharmed.”
“Have you seen Scarlet?” Johnny asked.
Grey Eagle shook his head no. “Little Fox is only one I have seen.” He said stepping back towards his horse. The message had been delivered and understood.
He grabbed a handful of mane and swung back up on his pony, nodded and began to back away.
“Ride in peace Grey Eagle.” Johnny said
“Good bye.” Dr. Bill said.
“Until we meet again.” Grey Eagle said turning his pony.
Tinker’s family had been operating the telegraph wire for El Paso since it had come to the town. Tinker enjoyed the excitement that often found it’s way to El Paso and the colorful people who lived there. He had been out of town for a spell and upon his return the man who he’d left in charge of the wire told him the entire goings on in recent days. He was going to ride out to the Southern Starr for a visit later and to make sure things were as they should be.
The sound of the morning stage mixed with gun fire and cowboys whopping it up was not uncommon, especially if there were some new “working girls” arriving. But this morning’s noises were different. Tinker was good at detecting the noises, he recognized some of the gunfire as being a shotgun, maybe the stage man, some was pistols, men yelling, the strangest of all was the low growl of a dog, he was sure of it and the fact that the stage had stopped at the edge of town.
“Get him offa me!” Came the voice of a man.
“No!” was the woman’s voice again.
Tinker retrieved his rifle and headed for the door. He’d almost reached it when the sound of the pistol discharging rang in his ears followed by the yip of a dog and commotion in the streets.
Going out the door he could see the stage, the driver was hit, people were running to and from the scene.
“What happened?” He asked reaching the driver.
“They took the strong box and one of the passengers.”
The town sheriff reached them along with the doctor. Tinker stepped out of the way to allow the others to do their job. Feeling something under his foot, Tinker bent down and picked up the leather collar.
Felling the wetness on his fingers he looked at the inside of the collar, there were a few dark spots, looking at his fingers Tinker recognized it as blood, he also recognized the name on the inside of the collar.
Tinker looked around there were paw prints following horse tracks headed out of town. Tinker went into the office and sent a wire to the Starr.
“Mr. Dawg trouble in town.”
_________________
Fritz
Fritz was going to do what was expected of him…to a degree. He would set up his camp in an obvious location. He knew all about ambushes, and the way he’d lay it, Cutter couldn’t resist. Fritz picked a spot just off the main trail, close to a babbling brook’s edge. There were a couple of shade trees, and spots where the grass was still long enough to feed his horses. Satisfied, Fritz collapsed his spyglass and put it away.
There were numerous hills in the area, but this one commanded it. The front dropped off sharply: not an easy approach, while the back sloped up to the summit. There was enough scrub brush for concealment, and some small rocks for cover. Fritz estimated the range at about 500 yards. He dismounted and removed his mounts from the traces. Strider and Dancer moved a short distance away and began grazing. While the buckskin and the bay ate, Fritz set the cavalry cart in place. He braced the wheels with stones, pulling back on the staves to ensure they were set. Fritz placed sticks at his left and right lateral limits, and ensured the oscillator was engaged. There would be no time to test fire the piece; it would attract too much attention.
Fritz poured out half his canteen on a shallow rock with a dished-in surface, and dumped enough grain from his haversack to sustain one horse. He tied off Dancer’s lead line to a low-hanging branch, and fed him a cube of sugar. The horse munched contentedly.
“I’ve got to leave you here fella,” Fritz said, scratching the bay behind the ears. “I’ll be back for ya…if this works.”
He mounted up on Strider, and rode down the hill to bait the trap.
_________________
Scarlet
Johnny saddled his mule while he watched Ella and Bo ride off. He still couldn’t believe what Grey Eagle had told them; somehow it was poetic justice he supposed.
A memory surfaced as he shoved the old rifle in it’s boot.
They sat on top of the hill over looking the river. It was the first time Scarlet had been back to that spot since her husband’s death. Johnny looked over at her, she seemed to be so full of pain and hate and there was nothing he could do.
“Are you ok?” Johnny started to reach out to her.
“It’s like looking through the gates of hell, knowing you have to go through.” Scarlet said as she leaned forward and kicked the blue roan mare causing Gypsy to leap forward and race down the hill followed by her black colt.
The sound of Patches’ voice interrupted the memory.
“Bill! Something is wrong.”
Johnny peeked towards the telegraph office. Patches was doing her best to stand outside while she held a flimsy.
-
Fritz
Fritz dismounted by the shade trees he’d seen up above. He took his time, and set a camp as close to regulation as he remembered it. He drove a picket pin into the ground, and tied his lariat to it. The other end was looped around a tree and tied off. There was enough room for six horses. Fritz tied off Strider’s reins to the rope, between the two trees. Maybe they’d think he was expecting company.
Fritz set up a fire pit, and gathered kindling. In a few moments, he had a good fire going. He cringed, thinking it was way too big. But then he remembered, he was putting on a show after all. Fritz set a small pot of coffee to the boil, and began frying some salt pork and hardtack. “This better be worth it,” he thought, as the smell brought him back to his war days.
Fritz pulled Strider’s saddle and blanket, and wiped his mount down. The McClellan was staged on the ground, his long guns placed against it. Once he’d fed the buckskin, he fed himself. The sun was low on the horizon as he lit a last cigar. Fritz drank coffee and enjoyed his smoke while the sun set, wondering if Ella had posted his letters, and read his will.
Once the sun was fully down, and the blanket of stars spread above him, he pulled his greatcoat from the saddle straps. Fritz unbuckled his prairie belt and hung it on his saddle. He slipped the Navy from its holster, and set it on the ground within reach. Fritz pulled his boots off and bedded down for the night. His mind was on Scarlet, and thoughts of her kept his mind alert.
_________________
Scarlet
Cutter winced at the pain that shot through his leg as he mounted his horse.
Josh had cleaned and tried to restitch the wound. Scarlet had torn the stitches, and in general made a bloody mess of his thigh when she’d attacked him.
He thought about it a moment a grin slowly parted his lips, she had accomplished awakening a feeling no one else could, fear. She knew his weaknesses and played on those, but whatever he had done to unleash the reaction she had last night made him aware he was alive. The pain he felt made him aware he was human.
He shifted his weight to straighten the saddle on the horses back and took a breath.
“I know you’re waiting for me.” He whispered.
Scarlet’s head jerked up from checking Lucky’s shoes. She could have sworn she heard something, but nothing was there. She paused a moment to look at the sunrise. She could remember a time she prayed not to see the sunset, those had been replaced by prayers of living long enough to see Cutter die, which not long ago had been replaced to keep those she loved safe, Scarlet clinched her jaw as she thought of Patches.
“Come on Cutter, it’s time to send you home.” She said softly as she climbed onto Lucky’s back.
Jimmy followed the trail, it was puzzling trying to figure out who he might be following. Another horse had joined the one he’d set out to follow, and who ever was riding them was making very little effort to cover their trail.
It didn’t take long before the tracks were joined by others. Jimmy knew it was Cutter’s gang long before he saw them.
Cutter turned in the saddle, he couldn’t see anybody following yet instincts told him someone was back there.
“You two check it out” He said pointing at Phil and one of the men that rode next to him.
“Ok boss.” Phil said peeling off from the group.
_________________
Fritz
A Few hours earlier...
There was no moon, and the stars only belayed the darkness of the night. They gleamed like chips of diamonds. His brother had tried to teach him about the constellations, but he just didn’t have the interest. Fritz did appreciate their beauty, however.
Once the fire had burnt down to small embers, Fritz slowly wriggled out from under the coat. Making as little noise as possible, he picked up the Navy and crawled away from his camp. He’d moved about a hundred yards on his hands and knees before he stood, running towards the gun position. He’d have to replace his socks after this jaunt, but the end result was worth it.
Dancer snorted a welcome as he arrived. Fritz shushed the horse, and rubbed the spot between his eyes. It would be a cold night…Fritz kept close to Dancer to share his warmth.
Fritz grimaced. “Now all we have to do is wait…”
_________________
Scarlet
Sonny looked at the papers the telegraph man had handed him.
“Damn.” He mumbled.
Zeke was looking over his shoulder. “What is it?”
“Told ya I was gonna end up givin’ alla my money to him.” Sonny said as he handed over what he had left. The telegraph operator gave him a strange look when he asked for a receipt.
“Seems Patches is up and at it. These are from her.” Sonny said as he flipped through them.
The first one read. “T. Blue in Mokehill cemetery. Confirmed by town Sherrif”
Sonny smiled at that. Somebody had followed his lead, but it would do little good now.
“Mr. Dawg on way to see Stars.” Sonny smiled if he was right Mr. Dawg was on his way to the Southern Starr.
Both Sonny and Zeke read the third incoming wire twice. “Body not Scarlet.”
“That’s about the best news coming down the wire I think.” Sonny said looking at Zeke.
Zeke smiled back.
Sonny had sent a wire asking how many posse members in the field. The reply came. “8 with you”
Zeke stood running down a list of names and counting on his fingers. “Jimmy, Marshal Ross, Hank, Me, Sonny.” He stopped with a puzzled look. “Maybe Fritz and Johnny rode back out, but that’s not right.”
Sonny looked sideways at Zeke who was now trying to solve the mystery.
The wire came to life as Sonny stood reading the papers.
“Looks like one more for ya Mr.” The key man said as he wrote then handed the transcript to Sonny.
“Hells bells” he whispered as he looked at the paper. “Mr. Dawg in trouble.”
This time Zeke had to pay the man.
Sonny thought for a moment on where to back up and start. If they had Trixie where would Cutter’s group meet up? The only logical place was the cabin unless they had a different arrangement.
“The best place to start is back at the Broken Shoe I would guess.” He said to Zeke. Then turned to the telegraph operator.
“Send one last wire. Tell them we are on the trail.”
Johnny had never been the type to wait for trouble to find him, he’d ride out and meet it head on. That was one of the reasons he’d hired the men he had to work the ranch. They all had their own way of doing things but when things were coming down they worked better together than any men he knew.
Rose was no stranger to taking the reins when he was away either, the men all respected her and took her orders as if they’d come from him.
He led Velvet Ears out of the barn and mounted up.
It was good to see Patches up, Rose would be able to help her with anything she needed, now it was time for him to see if he could help Scarlet. Johnny touched the brim of his hat as he rode by Dr. Bill and Patches.
_________________
Bill
Bill put his arm around Patches and carefully helped her back into the telegraph office and eased her into the overstuffed chair that had been moved near the telegraph key. “You don’t need to be moving around so much darlin’,” he said as she sat down.
She smiled up at him. “I’ll be fine,” she replied. “Just really sore and my ribs still hurt a lot.” She touched her side where Bill knew the bandages were still wrapped around her chest. “Is Johnny going out to check on what happened in town?” she asked.
Bill paused before answering. “I don’t think so,” he said. “He didn’t mention anything about it. I think he’s going to try to catch up with Tensleep and the others. Ella and Bo have gone after Fritz to try and stop him from doing somethin’ foolish and getting’ himself killed. It looks like we are just about out of deputies here.”
Patches smiled again. Bill never got tired of seeing that smile when she looked at him. It was like nothing else mattered in the whole world for just a few minutes. “There’s still one deputy marshal left who can still ride,” she said as she placed her hand on his chest. Bill opened his mouth to protest but she stopped him by placing one finger on his lips. “Ella told me what happened while I was asleep and the things you were saying. You know you can’t always be here with me.” Again he started to speak and she stopped him again. “Darlin, you’ve always been here when I needed you to be and I know you always will be. Right now, someone else needs you as well. Rose will take care of me just fine,” she winced a bit as she changed position in the chair. “Now, you need to get goin’.”
Bill carefully hugged Patches and kissed her. In only a few words she had managed to dispel the ghosts that had plagued him for the last several days. As far as he was concerned, there truly was not another woman like this one on the face of the planet. “All right darlin’. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Within half an hour he had bribed Falstaf with a carrot and a sugar chunk and was headed into town on the big half-perchon’s back with Bunsen the mule in tow behind him.
_________________
Scarlet
Bo and Ella had ridden nearly half way to the Broken Shoe. Bo had been watching the trail for any sign of Fritz.
“Ella I don’t see any sign of Fritz coming this way. We can pick up the trail of the others and see if we come across him, but you have to know we could end up right in the middle of it all.”
_________________
Ella
"The middle of it is one place we are sure to find Fritz," replied Ella calmly. "Maybe he made a detour to fetch something. That actually gives us a better chance of meeting up with him before he throws himself at Cutter."
She smiled warmly at Bo and said, "I'm not worried about getting into the middle of it all. I was concerned about watching the menfolks act like barbarians when they rode out hot for Cutter's blood. They might be a bit calmer after we tell them the body was not Scarlet and that Patches is recovering well."
_________________
Scarlet
Bo tried to smile back. "I'm almost ashamed to admit it to you Ella, but if we cross Cutter's path I will attempt kill him. I don't believe there is a jail that can hold him and it seems he's always managed to sidestep the law when it comes to getting what it deserves."
Bo turned his horse in the direction of the place Grey Eagle had spoke of. "If you see him, don't give him a chance."
_________________
Ella
"I've no complaint with trying to kill Cutter. He has earned death several times over with his murders. I was worried that some of the men might be inclined towards torturing him first," replied Ella. "I promise that if I see him, I will shoot to kill and not wait for him to make the first move."
_________________
Bill
Bill turned over the few thoughts he had in his mind on the ride into El Paso. Patches had told him that there was some connection between Trixie and Mr Dawg and Trixie was one of the people Cutter Rowan was after. That lead to an obvious conclusion about the contents of the follow-up telegram that Patches had received: “Stagecoach robbed. Strongbox stolen. Female passenger kidnapped.” This could just be a coincidence but he was not going to bet any money on it.
The first stop was the passengers who had been on the stagecoach. A boy on the street was all too willing to tell a US Marshall that all of the people from the stage were still in one of the saloons not too far from where the coach still stood on the street. Bill touched his badge as he rode down the street. He rarely wore it, even when he was working a case since until now he was never working alone and the other members of the posse were always around to lend any authority that was needed. This time, he was glad he had remembered to pin it on.
The stories from the passengers all reinforced the few facts that were in the telegrams. Four men had stopped the stage just at the edge of town. They had taken the strongbox and then tried to pull a woman, a smartly dressed strawberry blond, from the carriage. Her dog, an enormous black mastiff simply named “Dawg” that had been friendly and well behaved for the entire ride, had attacked one of the men who shot the dog though not without taking some serious bites from the canine. The outlaws had quickly beaten a hasty retreat taking the woman and the strongbox with them after this. The driver of the stagecoach didn’t have anything else to add though he did give Bill the woman’s bag which contained nothing unusual except for a collection of newspaper clippings about the Rowans.
The next stop was the telegraph office to check with Tinker. The bell on the door jangled as Bill pushed it open causing Tinker to look up from where he sat behind the desk. “Afternoon marshal,” he said standing up and extending a hand. “Didn’t expect to see you though. Thought it would be Tensleep or one of the others – not that you couldn’t handle the job. No offence meant ya’ know,” he added a bit sheepishly.
“None taken, Tinker,” Bill said shaking the offered hand. “Patches got the telegram you sent a little while ago. Most of the other’s are out chasing the Rowans and so I thought I would take care of this. You see the robbery?” he asked.
“Didn’t see the robbery but I heard it,” Tinker responded. “It was all over by the time I got outside. Found this though,” he added reaching behind the desk to hand a large leather dog collar to Bill. Bill turned the collar over in his hand noting several spots of what appeared to be blood on it. As Bill looked at the collar Tinker elaborated on his description of the sounds of the robbery; the shooting, growling dog, and the sound of a dog being shot.
“No sign of a dog out there on the street though,” Bill added.
“Nope,” Tinker replied. “They didn’t kill him. From the size of that collar he must be a big one and from the prints he left – size of dinner plates almost they were - it looked like he was following those owlhoots that jumped the stage. I’ll tell you something else too. I think that woman they took was named ‘Trixie’. Heard that from one of the other passengers.”
“One more thing,” Bill said. “The woman had a lot of press clippings about the Rowans in her bag.” Bill pulled the file out of the bag.
“Let me see that,” Tinker said his eyes lighting on the top article that was headlined “Outlaws Buried – Rowan’s Reign at an End.” “That ain’t the Rowans” he said pointing to the bodies in the coffin. “That’s the Rowans,” he concluded pointing to a small group of men at the back of the photograph.
“Are you sure?” Bill asked
“You know it,” Tinker responded. “I met the Rowans once a couple of years ago. They stopped in here to send a telegram. I didn’t know it at the time but when the law came by a few hours later lookin’ for em’ he had a picture. Still gives me the shakes sometimes to think how they just walked in here. . .” He let the though trail off as he looked into the distance.
“Tinker, I don’t mean to be rude but if that was Miss Trixie on that stage, I need to get goin’ as soon as I can,” Bill said. He left the bag behind the counter at the telegraph office and in a few moments was heading out of town following the dog prints in a direction that he knew, from his brief conversations with Fritz a few hours before, lead toward the cabin where the Rowans had been holding Scarlet.
_________________
Tensleep
As the sun broke the horizon Tensleep and Hank were walking their horses down a draw that was behind the position that they had occupied in the rocks. A small contained fire was left burning and sticks had been rigged to drop into the flames as the supports burned through.
Reaching the end of the draw the two men mounted and walked their horses circling slowly. With any luck they would be behind the outlaws before the sun was high enough to show that they had pulled out.
With rifles in hand howling like madmen the two rode full tilt into the Rowen camp.
THEY WERE GONE!
-
Scarlet
Hank and Tensleep had ridden all day with very few words, both lost in their own thoughts. Neither one could say it was a surprise not to find men in Rowen’s camp that morning but a man could hope.
Hank pulled his horse to a stop. “It’s gettin’ dark, we should camp here.” He said stepping out of the saddle.
Tensleep looked questioningly at him.
“I don’t know them Indians all that well and I’m not riding in there in the dark. We can go in at first light. Hell I barley speak their tongue, and I don’t believe the words the girls have taught me would get us a warm welcome.” Hank chuckled softly as he pulled his saddle off.
Once the horses were settled in Hank took his rifle and found a good look out point.
He heard Tensleep walk up behind him.
“I would have liked a chance to get to know the woman Scarlet kept hidden. The woman that was beginning to show herself again. I met her a couple times before Travis was killed and I’ve seen her on occasion since there, more so since Fritz come along. I hope whatever God she prayed to let her in.” Hank said softly.
Bo and Ella had spent most of the day following the tracks of many different kinds. He had pointed out Lucky’s tracks earlier in the day. He knew she was being followed by a large group of riders, Cutter and his men most likely. He had pointed out Jimmy’s horse too, which was a bit of a challenge. Jimmy was taking care to cover his trail. Bo also pointed out where two of the riders had split off.
They had even crossed Dancer and Striders tracks. Bo had made the comment to Ella they were pulling something although he was not sure what it might be.
Movement against the sinking sun caught Bo’s attention. Taking out his spyglass he looked across the plain.
Coyotes were running around and jumping at something hanging in the tree. Bo focused on the object in the tree. Hanging upside down from a rope around his foot was what Bo was certain was Phil. He had been opened up like a gutted pig and left for the coyotes.
Not far from that was another on the ground, buzzards sat atop him picking at the man. Since they had not been to far off and not heard gunfire Bo guessed the man was also cut.
“I think Jimmy is about. Phil won’t be bothering anybody again.” Bo said putting the glass away.
“I think we should make camp up in them trees. Beyond that is the river and we could riding into a mess o' trouble if we go in the dark. We can head out again at dawn.”
“We should be able to find Fritz quickly in the daylight.”
Scarlet pulled Lucky to a stop; she wondered whose fire it was in the distance she saw. Lucky raised his head and pitched his ears forward, his nostrils quivered but he didn’t make a noise.
Scarlet knew there was something on the wind he recognized, perhaps one of his stable mates.
If it had been Johnny he would have left a sign if he was expecting her, besides this was not the spot she’d sent word she’d be.
She kicked Lucky forward heading for the bend in river. If Cutter kept the speed he’d been all day he’d catch up to her about sunrise. The sun would be at her back.
Scarlet rode onto the small island that parted the river. She tied Phil’s horse behind a tree where he was hidden but someone looking for her could see him. Once she was satisfied that he was hidden like she wanted she mounted Lucky and finished crossing the river.
She rode back to the spot she figured Cutter would stop to survey the tied horse, unsaddled Lucky and rubbed him down. Taking her rope she went to the tree and tied one end high enough to catch a rider at the neck; she planned to tie the other side hard and fast in the morning.
Scarlet checked the rig she was wearing. She didn’t know why she had put the shoulder rig in her saddlebags that morning, maybe she felt with Patches next to her she didn’t need to be wearing it, maybe it was the had of fate, she didn’t know, but it gave her something to fight with now. Cutter had the gun belt with her own gear and her knife, she made a mental note to retrieve it.
She leaned back and looked at the line of trees. In the dark she couldn’t see it but she knew the scars from the shotgun blast were still there. Scarlet ran her fingers across the butt of one of the pistols she carried; she could fell the engraving on it. She had never asked Travis if the old guns had ever failed him, there had been a time up until recently she wouldn’t have cared. The knife, a larger version of the one she normally carried, was only as good as the person who wielded it. Scarlet knew she knew would be a challenge to Kevin if they got that close. A slow wicked grin played on her lips as she looked at the long knife strapped to her rifle scabbard. Scarlet strapped the second knife to the back of the shoulder rig before she settled back for the night.
Cutter had slowly followed her, taking his time seeing how long it she would wait before moving on. The trail she left told him she was taking him somewhere. Scarlet was better than that at hiding her tracks. He took delight in knowing it frustrated her that it took him almost all day to make a less than half a days ride. As they rode the landscape took on a familiarity, but he couldn’t figure out why.
Cutter reined in his horse. “We’re camping here. I’m not riding in there in the dark.” He said pointing towards the river where he knew she’d be waiting.
Josh took his spyglass and went to a nearby rock, sitting low against it he started to look at his surroundings.
“Hey Kevin, there’s a camp out there.” He pointed into the distance. “You think it’s the boys with Trixie?”
Cutter slid up next to him. “Maybe, maybe not. They are supposed to meet us at the cabin, course we ain’t there now are we. Ride in before morning, if it’s them it will be a good day. If it’s not kill who ever it is, it will be a good day.” Cutter chuckled as he slapped Josh’s back.
A villainous grin played on Josh's lips.
----------------------
-
Bill
It was early afternoon when Bill first saw the dog as a tiny black dot on the horizon. He had been following the huge footprints for a couple of hours and the distance between them never seemed to change more than an inch or two. He urged Falstaf into a lope and closed the distance quickly.
The dog was truly enormous. Bill guessed that he easily weighed two hundred pounds. The animal must have been some indeterminate breed of mastiff Bill mused to himself based on the large round head and jowls that bounced slightly as the dog trotted along – eyes fixed on the trail ahead. “Hello Dawg,” Bill said as his horse pulled alongside the dog.
Dawg favoured him with a quick glance but didn’t break his pace.
“I’m looking for Miss Trixie too so I guess we’re going the same place,” Bill mused out loud more to himself than anyone in particular. To his surprise, the dog stopped and promptly sat down staring at Bill.
Bill pulled Falstaf to a halt and regarded the dog. From this angle he could see where the bullet had struck him; passing through a fold of flesh on his neck and upper chest. The dog was still bleeding a bit though the wound did not look to be all that serious. “Wonder if you might like some water,” Bill added leaning forward on the saddle horn.
The dog thumped his thick, ropy tail slowly on the ground while looking up at Bill. “I’ll take that as a yes,” Bill said as he swung out of the saddle. He rummaged in one of the bags on Bunsen the mule’s back and found the waxed canvas and leather bowl that he used for washing up. He poured some water in it from the bag hanging on the mule’s packsaddle and placed it on the ground a few feet in front of the dog then stepped back.
The dog stood up, slowly walked forward, sniffed the bowl and then began to noisily lap the water up. Bill squatted down on his heels while contemplating the top of the dog’s head. “Tinker said you chewed up one of the bandits pretty good but you sure don’t seem all that dangerous right now. How do you know I’m not going to hurt you?” he asked.
Before Bill could move, the dog looked up took two steps forward and bumped him with the top of his head. Bill toppled over backward and suddenly found himself looking up at the dog who for all the world looked like he was smiling. The animal “woofed” quietly and then nosed the tin star and crescent marshal’s badge that was still pinned to Bill’s suit coat. “Just how smart are you?” Bill asked as Dawg backed up and returned to his sitting position.
After dusting himself off, Bill came close to the dog and carefully reached out to touch the skin around the wound on his neck. The dog didn’t move but simply sat still and panted. “How about you let me see about cleaning that up?” he asked as he stood up and turned toward the pack mule again. Behind him he heard the thumping of Dawg’s tail once again.
With a little phenol to numb the wound so it could be sewn up – Dawg was interested in the activity but didn’t even whine – and a generous application of one of Ella’s preparations to fight infections – Bill figured if it worked on a man it should work on a man-sized dog – the two started out again with Bill following Dawg since he seemed to know where he was going.
It was just after dark when Dawg stopped trotting and sat down just below the crest of a small rise in the countryside. He didn’t bark or whine this time; just sat down then looked back at Bill and then looked up at the top of the rise. “If I’m readin’ this right, you must be smelling something that is pretty close,” Bill said. The tail wagged again, but only the last few inches this time so the thumping was less like a man vigorously stomping on the ground and more like a hand gently patting on a pillow.
The camp was nearly two hundred yards away Bill figured looking through the binoculars. They had camped in front of the burned-out remains of a small farmhouse. From the surrounding terrain and the description Fritz had given him, Bill realized that this was the location where the fight between the posse and the Rowans had taken place a short time ago.
He looked through the binoculars again. He could see four men near the fire and one woman who had to be Trixie. There was a fifth man, much closer to them, who was wandering about in the brush. The only way Bill noticed him was when he walked in front of the fire. The moon was not up yet and the man would frequently vanish in the shadows for several seconds at a time.
“That is not a desirable situation,” Bill said as he rolled over on his back and slid down from the crest of the rise. “I would need to be at least half Indian to catch that fellow out there in the dark. Guess I could set up a timer with flares and some fireworks to illuminate the area and draw their fire then . . .” He let the sentence trail off as the dog quietly stood up and trotted off into the darkness. Bill crawled forward on his elbows until he could look over the crest of the hill again. He quickly scanned the area with the binoculars again and after searching for a moment found the silhouette of the bandit lookout picking his way through the brush again.
It was as if a huge shadow simply rose up out of the ground and swallowed the man. Bill thought he might have heard a branch crack but other than that there was absolute silence. One second the man was there and the next second he was gone. Bill crawled back down the hill and sat there a moment pondering what he had just seen. About the time he stood up and was heading back to the horse, Dawg appeared around the hill. Bill didn’t mention the fact that the animal’s muzzle now appeared to be matted and smeared with something other than dog spit.
“I still don’t know what I’m doing here,” Bill mumbled to himself as he pulled flares and fireworks out of the pack on Bunsen’s back. I’m not one of those ride in and shoot em’ up types.” He continued to quietly talk to the dog who simply looked at him with its head tilted to one side. Bill filled the rifle scabbard partially with water from the sack and then dropped the silenced rifle into it. “And what am I doing out in the middle of nowhere trying to stage a rescue like something out of one of those dime novels with a dog for my partner?” he asked the animal as he pulled the rifle out of the scabbard and attached the telescopic sight to it.
Dawg snorted quietly.
“All right, a very smart dog, but you see my point don’t you?” Bill replied. “This is really bad, usually you’re the only animals I talk to,” he commented to Falstaf and Bunsen. The two equines didn’t reply. Bill pulled a pair of thin leather gloves on and started carefully picking his way toward the camp with Dawg close behind him.
Sometime later, they had closed to less than fifty yards away from the campfire. They had stopped for a moment while Bill set up a flare launcher and started a small timer while he pressed the alarm setting on his stopwatch. Now, they sat behind a clump of brush while Bill carefully placed the double-barrelled rifle across a branch and peered through the telescopic sight.
The four men had not noticed that their companion was no longer on watch. Bill shuddered slightly at the thought of what he had seen through the binoculars. “This is not what I do,” he thought to himself and pulled his face away from the eyepiece of the rifle sight. Then he remembered how Patches had looked when she had fallen off her horse into his arms. He raised the rifle to his cheek and centred the lower crosshair on the man closest to Trixie just as the watch buzzed slightly in his vest pocket.
Joey was concentrating on rolling another cigarette when he heard the sound. It was sort of like a man slapping his thigh at a good joke: sort of, but not exactly the same. The next sound was altogether different. It was a strangled gasp from Curt who was sitting next to the lady they had kidnapped. Joey looked up just as Curt turned toward him. There was a red spot on his chest and a crimson streamer was falling down Curt’s shirt. “Joey I think I been . . .” He never finished the sentence because as Joey heard that slapping sound again, Curt’s head jerked back and blood sprayed from the gaping wound in his forehead.
Gunfire suddenly erupted from straight ahead of the camp and a searing white light caused Joey to blink. Someone was shooting at them but he couldn’t see who it was. He lunged toward where the woman should be tied up and gagged, tripping over Curt’s body as he moved forward. There were more shots, from his men this time, and then he heard that sound again followed by somebody falling to the ground.
“I’ll kill her!” Joey yelled at the top of his voice. “You shoot one more bullet and I swear I’ll kill her.” He was scared now. Cutter had said this was going to be easy and now he was pinned down by who knew how many men and at least two of his companions had been shot. The bright light faded and the popping gunfire tapered off.
Joey looked around. Curt was lying face down on the ground, as was Pete. Sandy was still standing with his pistol drawn. Carl was supposed to be on watch. “What had happened to him?” Joey thought to himself. “Now come on in here and show yourself. Be quick or I’ll kill her. I swear I’ll do it!” he yelled again as he stood up while holding his pistol to Trixie’s head.
Bill laid the silenced rifle against the brush and stood up. Dawg was nowhere to be seen. He pulled the heavy coat together buttoned the front then walked forward.
Joey looked at the man walking out of the darkness toward him: one man, wearing glasses and dressed like a schoolteacher had done this? “Where’s the rest of ya?” he asked as he roughly jerked Trixie to one side. Sandy paused in the process of frantically reloading his pistol. He almost grinned at the sight of one “city slicker” walking into their camp.
“You open that coat and let me see what ya got,” Joey said motioning with his chin but keeping his pistol against Trixie’s head. She jerked against the ropes and cursed him from behind the gag.
Bill swung back the sides of the coat to show the two Remington revolvers. “Lookie here,” Joey said starting to smile. “The dude’s got something after all. Take those two pistols out nice and slow and pitch em over there.” Again he gestured with his chin. “And keep yer hands out front where I can see em.”
“Like this?” Bill asked holding his hands in front of him, palms toward each other and roughly at chest level as he took a step forward.
“That’ll do,” Joey said. “Sandy look at them gloves,” he was grinning now. “Now, where’s the rest of you?” Joey yelled into the darkness. “Get on in here or I’ll shoot the lady and this schoolteacher.”
“There’s just me and one other person,” Bill said. “Do you want to see him?”
“The hell yes we want to see em,” Sandy said aiming his pistol at Bill’s face. “Get him in here before I kill you right now!”
“Dawg,” Bill said quietly.
Dawg must have been very close the entire time. Bill only heard two or three steps before the animal flew into the firelight. His mouth closed on Sandy’s head at about the level of the man’s eyes. There was a wet crunching sound and a muffled crack as the dog jerked the man completely off his feet. Sandy hit the ground and didn’t move.
Joey yelled from the shock of seeing the giant dog and also from Trixie scraping her boot along his shin and stomping on his foot. He swung his pistol around to shoot the man standing in front of him. As he did, Bill raised his right hand and sharply bent his wrist outward to expose the single twenty-gauge tube strapped to his forearm. The half-inch slug caught Joey squarely in the centre of the chest.
Dawg got to Trixie even before Bill did. The big animal was bumping his head against her side pushing her into a sitting position. “Are you all right ma’am?” Bill asked as he pulled the gag from her mouth.
“I need to find Marshal Tensleep as soon as I can,” she said as soon as the rag was gone. She then proceeded to throw her arms around Dawg’s neck and hug him for several seconds. The dog pushed himself against her and made quiet whining sounds as she scratched his ears. “I’m fine and I missed you too,” Trixie said to Dawg.
“Would you happen to be Doctor…” she asked as Bill helped her to her feet.
“Doctor McDowell. Yes ma’am,” Bill replied, removing his hat as an afterthought. “Marshal Tensleep is chasing the Rowans and what’s left of their gang.
“Scarlet told me about you. Said that you were almost like a magician; always with something up your sleeve. Guess it was true this time,” she said regarding the tattered sleeve of Bill’s suit coat. “How is Scarlet?” she asked with more than a trace of concern in her voice.
“Scarlet was kidnapped by the Rowans,” Bill replied. “We thought that she had been killed in the fire but,” he paused a moment – “It was some other poor woman. As best we can tell, Scarlet escaped and is after the Rowans though she's not with the posse”.
Trixie set her mouth in a thin line. “I hope Scarlet catches up with those boys first,” she said. Bill looked at her questioningly. “The marshal would catch those two but Scarlet would make sure they get what’s coming to them.” She looked at Bill again. “Doctor McDowell, do you believe in evil?” she asked. “Not sin,” she continued, “anybody can sin, but - evil: something that’s not properly part of a normal man.”
“Well, I do believe in evil, ma’am but fortunately I’ve only rarely been in it’s presence,” Bill replied.
“Unfortunately, I’ve spent a good many years in its company,” Trixie replied with a sigh. “There were three of them you know, three brothers. Scarlet managed to do what nobody else could do before, she sent one of them to meet their father. I’ll be a lot happier when all four of them are together in some private little corner of hell.” Her voice was shaking with anger by now. Bill was sure that she would have killed her sons herself if she could.
“There’s nothing else I can do right now,” Trixie concluded with a final brush at her dress. “If by some faint chance Scarlet and the marshal both miss them, they’ll come after me again.” She looked around. “I know it sounds like I’m afraid of them and truth be told I am. Is there somewhere I can go where I might stand a chance of being safe from them?
Bill smiled at the older woman. “Ma’am, there certainly is and as it would happen, that is the same place I would like to be right now. Nothing is certain, but with the work I’ve done at the Southern Starr it would take a company of infantry and a cavalry squadron to breach the defences.” For the first time a hint of a smile appeared on Trixie’s face. “If you think you are up to the ride, I believe we could be back at the ranch in time for a late breakfast.”
-
Scarlet
Cutter saddled his horse in the predawn hours, his men following suit.
“Feel that?” Cutter said slapping Josh on the back.
Josh stood a moment, deep in thought trying to pick up on what ever it was Cutter was talking about.
“What?” He finally said.
“Ya can’t feel it? There’s death in the air this morning Josh. It’s such a rush, I can almost smell the blood.” His malevolent laugh echoed through camp.
“I’ll catch up to ya.” Josh said with half a smile as he looked towards where he had spotted the camp fire.
“Make me proud, kill ‘em all lil’ brother.” Cutter said as he mounted up.
“You two come with me.” He said pointing at two of the men who were mounted up.
Cutter kicked his horse forward then turned in the saddle. “Hey, if it’s that posse bring me the heart of someone close to her.” He laughed again as he rode towards the place he had remembered his path had first crossed Scarlet’s, his men following close behind.
He caught a glimpse of the horse she had stolen through his glass. “You two circle round I want her surrounded when we get there.” Cutter said as he motioned his had for them to go in opposite directions.
Josh motioned the riders to spread out and move in slowly as he looked into the camp. He recognized the buckskin horse tied there. He wondered if the man was alone or were some of the other posse members about.
He could feel the “rush” that his brother often talked about. It would be a pleasure bringing Kevin the soldier’s heart.
Cutter waited until his two men had gotten far enough ahead of him to be able to flank her. There was a strange stillness in the early morning air. Something was wrong he could feel it. Looking around he spotted it on a rock at the rivers edge.
“I’d shoot you if I didn’t think she’d hear it.” He hissed at the black raven who squawked as it took flight.
Then came the other sounds. Cutter spun his horse around and raced towards them.
---------
Fritz
The morning was damp and cool. The sun’s rays hadn’t broken the horizon. The sky was the color of slate as the boys rode into the cold camp. The horse tethered to the picket line gave them a look, and continued munching grass. He was a cavalry mount; the “U.S.” tattoo was clear on his shoulder. The rider, however, hadn’t stirred. He lay asleep under a beat up slouch hat, and an old, sky-blue greatcoat.
“Looks like we caught ol’ Billy Yank a-sleepin,” Josh said, his face breaking into a wicked grin as he dismounted. There was a long-barreled Sharps and a double barrel shotgun propped against the saddle. Josh drew his Colt, and cocked the hammer.
The other boys dismounted and took the weapons. One stepped up and hollered, “get your ass up!” He kicked the sleeping figure. The greatcoat and slouch fell away, exposing a pile of dirty clothes and sticks. “What the…?” was all he got out. His head exploded in a pink mist.
“He’s got a Gatli..!” a second exclaimed, shot twice in the chest before falling.
The Gatling gun chuffed along, doing its terrible work. The concussive blasts and tinkling of brass cases filled Fritz’ ears. But the sound was soon replaced by a high keening wail…
“…SCAR-LETT!!!!!”
Click-click-click.
The sound of firing pins striking empty chambers brought him back. Fritz ripped the empty magazine from the receiver. As the smoke cleared however, he realized he didn’t need to reload. All in his camp was still. Fritz grabbed his Navy, and leapt on Dancer’s bare back to go finish the job.
___
Josh crawled towards his dead horse. All he could think about was his rifle. The butt stuck out of the scabbard, beckoning him. A round from the Gatling struck his Colt, tearing his right hand to shreds in the process. Fragments of the barrel were deeply lodged in his thigh. So through the pain and fear, all he could see was the rifle. He didn’t hear the rider come up until he was almost on top of him. Josh rolled over slowly, and stared down the muzzle of a Colt conversion. He gasped weakly, “What the hell did I ever do to you?”
Fritz cocked the Navy and stared down the sights.
“You shot a hole in my soul,” he said, and pulled the trigger.
_________________
Scarlet
The unmistakable sounds of a gatling gun echoed long the river. Cutter could feel his heart race as he rode towards where he was sure the sounds were coming from. It had to have been some kind of trap, maybe set by the posse, maybe they had sent for the army, he didn’t know.
Cutter pulled his horse to a stop where he could see the camp through his glass yet still be out of range of the gatling.
Rubbing his eyes he looked again. One man, all he could find was one man sitting atop THAT horse. He scanned the area for anyone else, finding no one.
Cutter could feel the hatred building as saw Fritz looking down on Josh. He was sitting atop of that damn bay horse who’d Cutter'd become to familiar with over the years.
Cutter pushed down the urge to ride screaming into the camp. “Think, Think” he told himself.
His sinister grin danced on his lips as he glanced down at the Hawkins resting in it’s scabbard. He had used this gun to shoot the horse’s first rider, he would use it again.
Cutter carefully slipped within range. “This is going to be very sweet” he thought to himself as he stepped off his horse. Loading the rifle he aimed for Frit’z midsection and squeezed the trigger.
_________________
Fritz
An iron fist struck Fritz in the side, spinning him from Dancer’s back. His Navy went flying. Fritz hit the ground hard on his left shoulder. He heard a loud ‘pop’ and saw stars before his eyes. When his vision cleared, Fritz saw that his pistol wasn’t far away. He tried to reach for it, but his left arm wouldn’t work. When he reached with his right, pain lanced through his body. A warm patch was spreading under him. “Blood,” Fritz said aloud, and wondered how bad the wound was.
He forgot about the Navy and his pain. Fritz reached into his sack coat with his right hand, and pulled the pocket revolver from its holster. Placing it in his left arm-pit, Fritz waited for the rider he heard approaching.
Cutter slid the Hawken into its scabbard, and looked down on the crumpled form.
“Go ahead,” Fritz spat through gritted teeth. “Finish it.”
“Na,” Cutter replied. “I won’t waste a bullet. You’ll be dead soon enough.” Rowen eyed the slowly growing pool of blood. “’Sides, I’ve done far worse to you.”
Fritz was getting cold. It was a bad sign. “What do you mean?”
Cutter grinned viciously. “I’ve TURNED you. Made you like me.” He looked to the bodies on the field. “These men who rode with me are dead…YOU killed them.”
The realization began to sink in.
“And you didn’t do it for your God, your country, your flag, or that uniform you wear.”
Could Cutter be right…?
“You’re just like me now Blue Belly… a KILLER. Know that before you die.”
The edges of his vision were beginning to blur. Shock was setting in. He didn’t have much time.
Fritz whispered, “Please God…”
Cutter laughed. “God won’t help you now, boy.”
Fritz focused all of his energy, the last of his will into a final, desperate act. He stared at Cutter like looking through a tunnel. His right hand came up quick, thumbing back the hammer of the 1849 Pocket. Fritz saw shock register in Cutter’s eyes, and a blur of movement. Fritz squeezed the trigger…
…and the world went black.
_________________
Ella
"That sounds like a Gatling gun," exclaimed Bo. "Must be what Fritz was towing."
They followed the sound in the dawning light, and continued when the gun fell silent. They heard one more gunshot just before they got to where they could see Fritz mounted on Dancer.
When Fritz fell, Ella had Diamond racing towards him before the distance-faded boom of the large-caliber rifle reached Bo. By the time Bo reached her, Ella was kneeling beside Fritz, pulling his clothing away from a wound that looked as deep as a well and wide as a church-door to Bo.
With her hands flying to pull things from her pockets and minister to Fritz, Ella ordered, "Bo, hand me a length of oilcloth, then use the canvas to set an enclosure up around us."
"Cutter is still out here, Ella. It's not safe for you," protested Bo, handing her the oil cloth.
"Fritz doesn't have time for me to worry about safety," she retorted, spreading the oil cloth.
Fritz didn't rouse at all when Ella moved him onto the cloth, but she spoke to him anyway, "Fritz, that body was NOT Scarlet. You need to hang on, because she is still alive." She opened one of the bottles of sterile salt water Bill had prepared for her, and started flushing the wound, trying to find the source of the blood.
"Bo, take this syringe, fill it from this bottle, and squirt it into the wound, so I can see where to stitch," she ordered, taking a threaded needle from the inside of the cork sealing a bottle of disinfectant. Appearing as calm as when she embroidered, Ella got the bleeding stopped.
Fritz's pulse was terribly weak, and he was almost as pale as death. He had lost a lot of blood, maybe too much.
Ella tried to remember something Alan and his partner had discussed after the 1866 cholera epidemic. Someone had saved people dying of the dehydration caused by the disease by injecting sterile salt water into their veins. She had another bottle of saline - it was worth a try. She got a hypodermic needle into Fritz's arm, and started pushing fluid in.
Once all of the salt water was in Fritz, his pulse was a little stronger, but he was still terribly pale and deeply unconscious. Ella finished dressing the entry and exit wounds, and checked him over for other injuries.
The left shoulder was dislocated. With Bo's help, she reduced the dislocation, then sat back to watch over him.
_________________
Scarlet
Scarlet turned into the direction of the faint sounds of what she knew was a Gatling gun. Lucky had raised his head, his ears pitched forward almost to the point of touching, his eyes grew wide. They both knew it was a noise that they should not be hearing.
Scarlet mounted up and cautiously made her way towards the sounds. She slowed when she reached Cutter’s now deserted camp. They had spent the night very close to one another Scarlet thought.
The low roar of the Sharps Johnny carried interrupted her thoughts. Scarlet listened for a moment, there was no return fire. She knew he had her back.
Scarlet kicked Lucky forward at a faster pace. The camp came into view just as Fritz fell from the saddle. She recognized the sound that echoed across the hill, it was burned so deep in her memory she’d remember it forever, she’d heard it in her dreams and occasionally when she was awake, the bellow of the Hawkins Cutter carried.
Scarlet kicked Lucky forward heading towards the camp; Ella seemed to appear at Fritz’s side from nowhere.
Scarlet pulled Lucky up short. She could see Cutter not far from Ella. Pulling her Sharps from its boot, Scarlet took aim “If anybody up there is listening let this work.” She said softly.
Cutter’s attention was drawn from Ella to Scarlet, she could see his facial expression change realizing he was well within range of the gun lining up on him. Cutter quickly slipped into the trees.
Scarlet replaced the empty rifle and followed, passing close enough to the camp to see Ella in deep concentration. Bo was setting up some kind of tent affair and pulled the last side closed but not before Scarlet saw all the blood.
The whole scene made Scarlet feel ill. She’d tried so hard to avoid this dream coming true. She could feel her heart growing cold and dark, feelings of hate she had let Fritz chase away came back ten fold.
Cutter had made it across the open field and stopped just short of the trees. He stepped off his horse and pulled the Hawkins from it’s scabbard. The open field was about 200 yards long. “As soon as she rides into clearing I can finish her too.” he thought to himself as he began to load the rifle.
Scarlet saw him stop and remove the rifle. She knew Jimmy could reload his rifle close to four times in a minute, Cutter was not that good, she’d be within pistol range about the time he would be loaded if fate was smiling on her.
Cutter saw the horse break the cover of the trees at a dead run. He could feel the adrenalin pump through his veins as he hurried to load the rifle, the ground shook as he finished loading. Reaching for a cap he slammed it on the nipple and twisted it in place.
Scarlet kicked Lucky to move faster, Cutter was nearly ready to fire, she drew her gun, pulled the hammer back and squeezed the trigger. Her pistol didn’t fire but the sound of the Hawkins going off rang in her ears. Lucky broke stride and fear shot through Scarlet. It took a moment for her mind to register the gun lay on the ground and Cutter was holding his hand. She felt Lucky regained his stride.
Cutter stood for a moment in disbelief, his thumb had exploded sending pain through his body. The sound of the horse’s hooves pounding the earth brought him back. He reached for his pistol just as the horse’s chest hit his shoulder sending him spinning to the ground in the opposite direction of his pistol.
Cutter lay on the ground and began to laugh. “Here we are again Angel. I left him laying in a pool of blood, just like the last one. You gonna go find another for me to kill in a few years.” Hearing nothing he struggled to his feet drawing his own knife.
She was right behind him, he spun around trying to grab her swinging wildly at the same time. He ducked the flash of the blade that was meant for his throat.
Scarlet’s blade caught him at the temple and sliced neatly across his forehead. The blood flowed freely down his face into his eyes. Cutter wiped his face trying to regain his vision. He felt the blade slide across the bone of his thigh. Screaming he sunk to his knees trying to see his attacker. Cutter flinched as he heard the click.
Scarlet cursed softly when the gun failed to fire.
“I’ve always told you you couldn’t kill me. I’m lucky like that.” He chuckled.
Holstering her pistol Scarlet reached behind her pulling the long knife free from where hung off of the sharps.
“Your luck has run out Rowen” she hissed as she drove the knife into his windpipe sinking it as far down as it would go.
Johnny rode down the hill, he could see it was finally finished. Scarlet had finally fulfilled the promise she’d swore she’d keep. Scarlet sat on her knees next to Cutters lifeless body. He scanned the landscape for anybody else. The sound of the Dragoon firing brought Johnny’s eyes back to Scarlet. Her body was leaned forward and the pistol lay next to her.
Johnny couldn’t get to her fast enough. They’d been through so much he couldn’t bare the thought of losing her now, after all of this, riding back and telling them he'd been to late.
Johnny was dismounting before Velvet Ears was stopped.
Scarlet heard the animal coming up behind her she was running on reflexes now.
He was surprised at the speed Scarlet grabbed the gun and rolled to her feet, her eyes wild as she found her target.
“It’s dad. It’s over Scarlet.” He said throwing up his hands.
She eased the hammer down and holstered the pistol.
“The cost was to high.” Scarlet said as she bent over and took back the knife Cutter hand taken from her.
Looking at the body Johnny realized with relief the shot he’d heard was Scarlet putting a round through Cutter’s heart.
“War is not for the weak Scarlet, you knew that going in.”
“It wasn’t Patches war nor was it Fritz’s. I’ve traded one nightmare for another.” She spat as she walked to Cutter’s horse and began to retrieve her things.
“It was Patches choice as it was Fritz’s. Like everybody that rides with you.” Johnny said.
Scarlet narrowed her eyes at him.
Suddenly the reason for her sour mood dawned on Johnny.
“Patches is recovering nicely, she was at the telegraph when I rode out.”
He watched Scarlet take a deep breath she was obviously relieved from the news.
“Scarlet you know your bleeding.” He said softly as he watched her struggle back into the saddle.
“I got someplace I need to be.” She replied.
Bo couldn’t help but smile as he watched the familiar figure on the black horse ride towards him.
Scarlet slid from the saddle and walked towards where he stood just outside of the enclosure.
“Tell me something that’s going to bring a smile to my face.” She said as she gave him a hug.
“You look like hell and smell of death giggles n’ wiggles.” Bo grinned as he looked at her.
Scarlet laughed softly. “I told ya not to call me that in earshot of others, and that's not exactly what I had in mind.”
Bo pulled the canvas back and let her walk through. Catching Ella’s glance as she looked up Bo held up his hand. Ella could see the blood smeared across his palm. He pointed at Scarlet’s back.
Scarlet sunk to her knees and looked at Fritz. She ran her fingers gently across his face.
“How bad is he?” Scarlet asked looking at the wound and back to Ella.
“Are you ok?” Scarlet asked before Ella had a chance to answer.
-
Ella
"He's very weak from loss of blood, and hanging to life by a thread. Talk to him, and encourage him to hang on to that thread! He was unconscious before I reached him, so he may not have heard me tell him that the body he brought back to the Starr wasn't you. He had left the Starr before Bill and I verified that, so I borrowed a fast horse and Bo, and followed after him. I hoped to catch him before he went looking for death. And while you are talking to him, I can deal with why you are bleeding," replied Ella, reaching for the bloody patch on Scarlet's shirt. "You know, it was the scar from the last time I stitched you up that told me the body wasn't you. The fire had charred the front but not the back, and that scar," touching it, "wasn't there."
_________________
Fritz
When Fritz came to, he was lying in her arms. The sky was a brilliant blue. Sunlight, halo-like, surrounded her. Scarlet's hair framed her face like burnished brass. Her tears fell, warm on his face.
Fritz whispered, "Thank you."
She smiled through her tears. "For what, darlin'?"
Fritz replied weakly, "for letting me into Heaven."
Scarlet laughed. "This ain't Heaven, darlin'...it's Texas!"
"It's close enough," he said.
Scarlet touched her lips gently to his. "Sleep now darlin'...you need rest."
He closed his eyes and rested, safe in her embrace.
_________________
Ella
"He'll mend now," said Ella confidently. "Since I've been up for the past two days, I'm going to take a nap until time to fix dinner." She stood up and stretched, and left the enclosure, smiling.
"Fritz woke up for a minute," she reported to the men outside. "I think he's going to recover, but we should wait until tomorrow to head back."
_________________
Scarlet
Scarlet laced her fingers between Fritz’s and held his hand close to her chest while she continued to speak softly.
“I promised to take you to the point on the ranch Sugar. You’re going to have to pull out of this if you want to see how the sun sets on the Southern Starr and turns the sky purple and pink before it gives away to the bright stars.
In the morning the sky turns yellow and red before the sun rises. The smell of jasmine hangs in the air this time of year. It’s something much more beautiful when you share it with someone you love.
There’s a darn good chance if you invite me in swimming I will not turn you down this time.
I love you Fritz.” Scarlet said as she softly traced his cheek with the finger tips of her other hand. She kissed his cheek one more time before she gave into exhaustion and let sleep overtake her.
_________________
Tensleep
Hank awoke with a start. His rifle was not in his hands but in the hands of a Comanche warrior standing over him.
Tensleep felt a presence and slowly opened his eyes. One of the biggest Comanche he had ever seen wassquated on the balls of his feet by the fire. The warrior's eyes were boring into the marshal.
"You are the one called 'Rides for many days' by our Shoshone brothers?"
Grey Eagle asked.
"I am that one."
"You are the man of Little Fox?"
"She is the one who fills my heart with joy." Tensleep spoke with feeling.
"Good, you will come to our camp to meet her brother."
_________________
Scarlet
“That ain’t no huntin’ party, least they ain’t huntin food, judging by the way they are dressed.” Hank whispered eyeing the five warriors while he saddled his horse.
Once they were mounted Grey Eagle motioned Tensleep and Hank to follow. As they moved out three of the warriors feel in behind the two white men.
When they reached the trail head that lead into Devil’s Mountain Grey Eagle stopped and turned on his horse.
“Can I trust you to blind fold yourselves?” He said looking at the two men.
“Can we trust you not to kill us?” Hank asked.
“I would have already.” Grey Eagle replied. “The blindfold will keep you safe.”
Tensleep and Hank used the bandanas they wore to oblige his request.
They had not gone far when the sound of a man’s voice filled their ears.
“Marshal, help me Marshal Ross!” Harry yelled as he struggled against the ties that held him spread out against the desert floor.
“Shoot ‘em Ross! Their going to do this to you…they done killed my partner!”
Tensleep and Hank heard the sound of an arrow slicing the air then the scream of the man. “My leg!”
They continued to ride. Tensleep now counted only four horses besides his and Hanks. The trail they rode twisted as it rose and feel. Finally after what seemed like hours Grey Eagle spoke to them again.
“Remove blindfolds.”
The mountain seemed to touch the sky all the way around them. The grass was green, the river flowed through the middle of it. One could envision paradise looking upon this place.
Grey Eagle looked at the two men. “Heaven on Earth.” He said showing a bit of a smile.
“You all don’t speak English do you?” Hank asked.
Grey Eagle shook his head no.
“Who taught you?”
“Some from Little Fox, some from Wild Ponies.”
He kicked his horse forward and rode into camp.
_________________
By Scarlet and Tensleep
"Damn! What a place!" 'Sleep said as he looked at the beauty all around him.
He and Hank rode easily now as they were guided into the camp.
"There's her horse." Hank said softly to 'Sleep as he pointed at the herd of horses trotting through the shallow crossing of the stream.
The people they rode past stopped and looked at the strangers.
Some of the children ran along after them.
Grey Eagle came to a stop in front one of the teepee's, slid off his horse, and spoke to the woman who was working the deerhide near by.
She disappeared and soon returned with her husband.
Grey Eagle spoke briefly to him before he turned back to Tensleep and Hank.
"This is Black Wolf." He said to the two men.
Tensleep slid from Buck and his arm slapped across his chest. "Ho Black Wolf! I am called Rides for Many Days, this," He points to Hank "is Pours Firewater. We seek news of Little Fox."
The woman standing next to Black Wolf looked the two men up and down then quietly disappeared.
"She is safe. What you know of her injuries?" Black Wolf spoke slower than Grey Eagle choosing his words carefully but it was plain he spoke and understood the white man's language.
"We know nothing, that is why we came to you. You are her safety."
Tensleep spoke with feeling.
Black Wolf watched him closely "What you know of the men she seeks safety from?"
"I know that they kill for fun, they kill anyone. They are like the dog with the 'fear of water' sickness. They kill to see blood."
"Can you not keep her safe from these men?"
"If she would let me, yes I can. You know her, she has the will of the wild horse. I would take her for my wife Black Wolf. I would have her with me."
"Yes and the cunning of the fox. Why does she not let you keep her safe?"
"She fears what people would think of me and say about me. She sees herself as 'used' and wants to protect me. She is here? Is she hurt?"
Tensleep was getting edgy. "I would like to see her. I have a burning in my heart for Little Fox."
"She is here. She is..." Black Wolf paused searching for the correct words "Colored like the day and night sky. Here" He touched his cheek "here." Touching his arm. "and here." He indicated his ribs.
"One who helped do this is feeling what it was like." Black Wolf watched Tensleep's reponse closely.
"I hope that he still feels the pain when he is burning in hell. The plague of killing must stop and the killers must be punished."
Tensleep had dropped Buck's reins and was standing only two feet from Black Wolf. His eyes never waivered.
"He will welcome hell when we are done." Black Wolf's dark eyes held Tensleep's gaze. "You think different than many of your white brothers. You are like Longknife?"
"In many ways Longknife and I see alike. I am of the Shoshone, it is right for one to suffer when he causes suffering. Longknife and I have talked of this. The warrior kills to live and eat, the wolf kills to kill. The wolf needs to take lessons from the coyote and learn wisdom."
Black Wolf nodded in agreement. "Come."
He walked up the river where the horses were milling about. One of the braves had one belly deep in the water trying to mount.
"There." Black Wolf pointed to the figure sitting at the water's edge watching him. From the back the woman looked like any of the others in camp except for the brunette hair.
Tensleep dropped his hat to the ground, his shirt followed. He started to walk to the river. When he reached the woman he knelt and whispered, "Little Fox, are you alright?"
Rebecca turned her head. She was shocked to see him here. "John" She whispered before she smiled and hugged him with her good arm careful of the one that was in the sling. "How did you find me?"
"Hank and I rode to the base of the mountain and let Grey Eagle find us. I had to have you back in my life, I had to know that you were alright."
Rebecca was suddenly aware of the bruises he could see. "I'm alright. I've survived much worse." She managed to smile again. "How's Scarlet? She looked bout like I do...cept that split lip."
Tensleep thought that the question would come sooner or later. "We don't know about her. The posse split up, Hank and I followed your trail and came for you." 'Sleep took her slender body into his arms being careful he let her hug him closely. His arms formed a cradle for her.
She layed her head on his shoulder and relaxed against him. "I would love a long soak in a hot bath. Is it safe to go home?"
"It's safe to go to the Starr, we need to get you to Ella and the care that she and Rose can give you darlin'. Do you think that you can ride?"
"Scarlet looked at me she didn't think anything was broken. I can ride though, and a real bed sounds so very nice."
With Rebecca in his arms Tensleep rose, his heart felt at ease, she was safe. Carrying her, he walked to Black Wolf.
"I would take Little Fox to the wife of Longknife. Can you have a warrior lead us from this hidden place?"
"Grey Eagle will take you." Black Wolf replied.
"I will say my good byes." Rebecca said moving out of his arms.
She gathered up the few things she had brought with her then she hugged Black Wolf's wife and the young boy who brought up her horse.
The boy looked wide eyed at Tensleep and Hank then turned to the two women said something before he smiled widely and ran off to play causing them to smile.
Rebecca found a stump and climbed onto it then slid onto Clouds back.
Tensleep turned back to Black Wolf. "Before we go I must ask you, how many ponies for Little Fox? I want to make her my wife. I need your permission, she says that you are her brother. I am not a rich man but I have ten ponies that Grey Eagle can bring back to you."
Black Wolf looked at Tensleep a moment then to Rebecca who was talking to his wife.
"I am told your world has different traditions. I am told she will not take a husband of my choosing if he had a thousand ponies. Little Fox lives under her own roof and cannot be traded for ponies." Black Wolf's tone and the way he tried to choose his words told Tensleep he was not the first suitor, and it had most likely been Rebecca that had informed her brother of what she would do. "When Little Fox agrees to take you as a husband then Rides for Many Days can speak to me of how many ponies."
"Thank you Black Wolf, one day I shall return to you with my heart in the clouds and we will talk of ponies and life."
"Go in peace."
Grey Eagle moved his pony out followed by Rebecca, Tensleep and Hank.
When they reached the clearing where they had removed their blindfolds they were asked to put them back on. To Hank's surprise even Rebecca wore one until they reached the trails they had ridden before.
"Fastest way to the Starr is there." Grey Eagle pointed to the trial that lead out of the mountain. "You can take the trail of the pony soldiers towards your village then the trail to the Starr."
_________________
-
Written By Dr. Bill and Patches
Rose rapped lightly at the telegraph office door, holding a tray laden with herbs, potions and various medical accoutrements in one arm.
"WHAT?!" Came the sharp reply. Rose winced just a little bit but she was resigned.
"Patches it's me, Rose," she said to the closed door. "It's time for your changing."
There was an audible sigh from within. "Oh, sorry. Come in. The electricity is off."
She pushed the door open with her free hand and immediately turned to set the tray on the small table that stood sentinel near the door. She took a moment to arrange her various bottles and tins then looked up. Patches was not in the bed. Ella's head snapped around and she gasped when she saw Patches standing by her desk looking out he window.
"Patches!" She said rushing over to her. "What are you doing?!"
Patches turned to look at her and glared. "I'm STANDING. You know, that thing people do when they are tired of SITTING or LAYING DOWN? Geez Rose."
"You really must get back into bed," Rose said taking her by the elbow in order to guide her back to bed. But Patches was stubborn and didn't budge. "Ella said bed rest!"
"Oh to hell with what Ella said," came Patches' retort as she yanked her arm out of Rose's grip. "I’m so sick of that bed I could scream!"
Rose pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips. "Well at least come and sit down so I can change your dressings."
"I'm not getting back into that bed," she stated with finality. "Not for a few hours at least."
"The chair then," Rose swept her arm toward one of the two chairs that sat in front of the little stove. Patches looked to the chairs. One was a comfortable cushioned rocker the other was a wingback. She almost smiled. She always thought of the wingback as "Bill's Chair".
"Alright," she sighed. She took up a cane that Bill had made for her due to a slight fracture in her left hip. He had stayed up the night she had come in badly beaten carving that long cottonwood branch that Johnny Longknife had given him. He had carved it sitting next to her bed, watching her through a long, rather painful, drug induced night and well into the next day. Ella had urged him many times to go to his cabin and rest, to get some sleep. He politely declined until he finally tired of her insistence. When they finally began begging him to rest his answer was to simply take a pinch of cocoa leaves between his cheek and gum. God Himself couldn't have drug him away from her at that point. After that everyone gave up trying to convince him.
Once he had gotten the basic shape the way he wanted it, and was satisfied that she was finally sleeping peacefully, he had taken the cane to the workshop where he used the lathe to work some very intricate detail on it. When he had returned to her a few hours later, she was still asleep and hadn't moved. He had set it by her bed, and allowed himself to muse that perhaps, someday, when she was much older, when her long red hair had since gone white, she might have occasion to use it again.
"Is your hip paining you?" Rose asked as Patches sat in "Bill's chair".
"Only when I lay on it,'" was Patches' grumbled answer as Rose drew the drapes and Patches undressed. Rose lit a lamp in the now darkened room, and then began unbandaging Patches' ribs.
"Your side still hurt?" She asked as she smoothed on the cooling cream she used to heal bruises. They were concerned with Patches' ribs as she'd sustained breaks to them before and the men who jumped her had kicked her repeatedly between her neck and knees. Fortunately there were no breaks this time and only one small fracture to the middle rib on the right side.
"No, its much better."
"How about your back?"
"Just the ache from the bruises, nothing more now." Patches said but her body tensed and she hissed when Rose touched the bruises along her spine.
"Uh-huh," Rose intoned in disbelief. "Are you lying?"
"Dagummit, Rose!" Patience had finally lost her patience. "Doesn't hurt nearly as bad as when you poke at it for Pete's sakes!" But she regretted her sharp tongue the minute the words left her lips and once again she sighed. "I'm sorry Rose, I'm just ...UGH!! I’m going crazy in here laying down all the time! I feel like if I don't get OUT of here for a while I'm gonna simply suffocate!"
"I understand your frustration," Rose said as she unwrapped Patches wrists, cleaned and redressed the abrasions there. "But I'm not sure you are ready for any heavy activity just yet."
Patches entire body sagged, she was so frustrated. "I just want to go outside. I’m not going to ride or run or climb trees!! I just want to go for a little walk. Get some exercise, some fresh air. Its a beautiful day!!" That at least was the truth. The sun was warm, the sky clear, and although Patches couldn't feel the spring breeze, she could hear it.
"Are you still bleeding?" Rose asked, as her fingers gently probed Patches' abdomen.
"No, that stopped yesterday early."
Rose checked her watch, then began wrapping Patches up again, fortunately only around her middle unlike last time when she had to wear a brace for almost three months. "Well, that’s a good sign," she said. "I have an idea. Why don't you set the rocker next to the window and read? You seem to enjoy reading and the window would make it seem as if --"
"I've read all my books," Patches growled slowly gaining her feet so she could dress. "I've run out of ideas of things to draw, I'm tired of sleeping, and that yarn we ordered hasn't come in yet. I JUST want to go for a walk!! Please! I promise I won't over do it! I'm not going to put myself at risk! I just need OUT for a while! Besides my legs feel like they are going to rot off due to misuse."
Rose sighed and sank down into the rocker. "If you go for a walk where would you go?" She asked folding her hands in her lap and looking primly up at her friend.
"I don't know," she said honestly with a little shrug, her voice calming down some. "Not far. Go visit the horses maybe; perhaps visit Bill in the lab. Just...around, you know. Don't think a hike down the river would be a good idea, too much harsh ground down there." She looked at Rose with pleading eyes. "Please, I'm really going insane here. And I promise I wont be gone long and I'll stay close and I'll go slow and I won't get too close to the horses and I won't go shooting and --"
Rose's giggle stopped her. She stood up and handed her the housecoat that was draped on the arm of the chair. "Stop begging, it's degrading," she said. "Go and visit with Bill, I know you want to and he can take care of you if you hurt. But don't be gone long and make sure if you start to get tired you come straight back."
Patches beamed and allowed Rose to help her with the robe. "Thank you! Thank you! I PROMISE I'll take it easy!" Patches hugged her briefly then took up the cane and headed straight out the back door. Rose watched her go, making sure she was indeed going slow and being careful. She was. She shook her head a little, smiled and bent to retrieve her items. She would put them back in the hospital and then stand watch at the telegraph for a while. They were still waiting for word from the posse, other law enforcement people and with any luck, Scarlet.
Bill was so intent upon constructing the tubes for the new alarm flares that he failed to hear the soft knock on the door to the lab. His mind, although calm and smooth as always when he was working, still couldn't shove away some of the images of what Patches had gone through this last few days and he was bound and determined to make her as safe as possible at least when she was here. He had spent a great deal of time yesterday riding across the surrounding countryside and marking out game trails. He found a very distinct pattern between them and now as planning on placing a literal wall of flares in between them. The animals along the trails wouldn't disturb the tripwires but nothing short of ghosts would ever get through them without setting something off.
He had just laid the last of the tubes in a neat line when he turned around to see Patches poking her head in the door. "Bill?" Her voice was soft as she looked around for him.
"Patches!" He beamed, crossed the distance between them in less than a heart beat and opened the heavy door so she could come in. Once she was in she smiled at him and held her arms out. He gently hugged her, and then led her further into the lab. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you still be in bed?"
"I came to see you," she said as he pulled a comfortable chair over to the workbench where he would eventually continue to work and guided her into it. "Rose gave me a few hours reprieve but I had to beg to get it." She looked up at him as he leaned against the workbench. His smile told her he was indeed very glad to see her. "I ..uh..." she shrugged a little. "I've missed you. Haven't seen you since yesterday."
"Yes, well, " he said clearing his throat. "Two hundred acres is a lot of ground to cover." He spent the next few minutes describing his ride, finding the game trails and discovering the most fascinating natural patterns to said trails. "Now I'm making more," he concluded. "Want to try and get it done by tomorrow so these can go up quickly."
"Oh," she said looking past him. There must have been hundreds of tubes on the table. "Am I interrupting? Do you want me to go?"
"No, no!" He said perhaps just a little too quickly, but that was all right, Patches loved him more for it. "I would like you to stay."
"Well," she smiled at him. "Is there anything I can do to help that doesn’t require a great deal of standing? I mean, with both of us working..."
He rewarded her with the most brilliant smile she thought she had ever seen. "Yes," he said pushing himself off the bench and going to gather various powders. "As a matter of fact there is. Feel like mixing up some fireworks?" He set a few containers down on the bench and then went to retrieve more.
"That sounds like fun," she said. She never took her eyes off of him though, and for God only knew how many times, she once again thought he was the most beautiful man in existence.
"Wonderful!" He exclaimed, and then bent to kiss her quickly on the cheek. "What color would you like to make? Purple?"
She laughed. "Oh no! I'll do green. NOBODY can make purple fire like you can." Her gaze caught his and there was silence for a moment. "Mr. Wizard." She concluded in an almost reverent whisper. He blushed some and dipped his head, then looked up at her again. Somehow his hand and wandered to her hair and his fingers fiddled with it some.
"Green it is," he said then got up to retrieve more supplies.
He spent the next half hour or so teaching her how to measure and mix the various powders and charcoal. She asked intelligent questions to which he was more than happy to provide answers. Soon they were working diligently, speaking in low tones about other various theories, sharing ideas. He asked how she liked the new four-line switchboard and she sang the praises of that for quite some time. She told him of some the books she had been reading and they discussed those like scholars.
When she was feeling a little stiff, she would tell him and they would walk a few slow laps around the lab, her hand curled around his elbow, his hand placed gently on top of hers. She didn't think she ever told him but that was absolutely her favorite way to walk with him. They continued to discuss things as they walked, then when she felt she was ready, he once again guided her into her chair and they went back to work.
Once green and purple were done, they each worked on yellow, and Patches commented that she thought it was fascinating that each of the different chemicals had a different sound. Bill explained that it was due to mass and weight and by the time he was done she knew exactly what it was, what it did, and what all it could be used for. It wasn't until hours later, when the piles of powders had grown to enormous heights that the talking died down and they were both comfortable in the silence, simply enjoying the fact that they were together doing what they both loved doing.
They were nearly done when suddenly Patches said, "Ah! Dagummit!"
Bill looked up to see only the top of her head and the back of her wrist pressed to her eye. "Patches? What’s wrong?" He asked as he rounded the workbench and knelt down next to her.
"Got something in my eye," she said blinking rapidly for a moment then squeezing her eyes shut. They were already beginning to tear.
"Does it burn?" He asked placing his fingers gently under her chin and lifting her face toward him. Some of these chemicals could do real damage to eyes.
"No, it's just gritty," she said. He looked at her face and suddenly realized they were both literally covered in charcoal smudges.
"Probably a bit of charcoal," he said. "Keep your eyes closed and try not to move them." She obeyed having heard him say that on more than one occasion, and simply leaned her head back and relaxed. He was forever concerned about the sensitivity of her eyes, and they seemed to be a magnet for the slightest irritant. He had spent a goodly amount of time developing special drops for her eyes just for that reason and he always kept some handy. Besides, her eyes were so deep green, so incredibly expressive and so unbelievably beautiful he couldn't bear the thought of anything hurting them.
She heard him walk to the sink and thoroughly wash his hands, heard him move to the self that contained the bottle of her eyewash, heard him go to the cupboard for clean towels, then walk back over to her. She smiled to herself. He took such good care of her she was almost overwhelmed with it and she loved him so much it hurt. She was always afraid that she wouldn't be able to reciprocate this care but he never complained and she was always there for him when he needed her. Fortunately he seemed to always need her, even if it was just for company.
After a few minutes she felt him lay a towel across her chest. This was a habit with him and he'd done so ever since the first time he had "doctored" her eyes. He was always worried he'd get her shirt damp, but he never did.
"Alright," he said. He was so close to her she could hear his heart beating, her absolute favorite sound. "Now just relax and let me open your eye." She nodded, just the slightest of movements and took a deep breath. He could literally see every muscle in her face relax.
He took a damp cloth and wiped away the smudges that were close to her eye then gently placed his fingers on it. Ever so gently he spread his fingers, opening her eye and he watched as her pupil contracted making her deep green iris larger and somehow brighter. He saw the offending material immediately, a tiny black speck on the white near the tear duct. Carefully and slowly he flushed out her eye, one drop at a time, until he was certain that the grain of charcoal was gone.
"Do the other too please," she asked softly as he started to move away. He smiled and she shrugged, a tiny movement of her shoulders. "It feels good." He complied and washed out her other eye.
"How's that? Better?" He asked as she raised her head. She blinked some then looked up at him.
"Much, thank you," she returned. He stood and went to the sink then came back with two damp towels. He knelt in front of her once more and pressed one of them into her hands so she could at least wipe away some of the charcoal from her hands. He took the other towel and gently began cleaning her face. She didn't mind him doing this; in fact it felt rather good, the cool, soft cloth and his gentle touch.
"You know," he said suddenly. "I could do this for the rest of my life."
"Do what?" She asked glancing up at him.
"This," he said his voice gone soft; the voice of contentment. "This day, this work, you and I."
"Hmmm, me too," she agreed absently. At the moment she was working at a particularly stubborn spot on the palm of her hand. There was silence for a moment as Bill wiped away a smudge on her forehead.
Later he would tell her that he had no idea what he would say. The words simply came out with no apparent rational, planned thought on his part. "Patches?" He said as he lowered the towel. "Will you marry me?"
She gasped softly, her eyes snapped to his as if they were electro magnets suddenly turned on, locking with his, immovable. He watched as almost immediately tears began to well up in them, turning her bright eyes into livid pools. Seconds later the first tear fell and he noticed her lower lip was quivering. A small sound escaped her throat; as if she were desperately trying to say something but her vocal cords had been choked off. And then she froze.
"Patches?" He asked suddenly unsure. He had dreamed of what of her reaction would be for months, but none of his fantasies had anything to do with tears. He thought she'd give him that smile he loved so much, jump up and fling her arms round his neck hollering "YES!" at the top of her lungs and practically choking him. He thought she would simply kiss him, hold him and whisper "Yes, oh yes". He even thought that perhaps she might just look at him and say "Absolutely" as she did when she agreed whole-heartedly with anything he might say or do. Dear God, what if he'd been wrong in thinking she felt the same for him as he did for her? What if he had somehow offended her? It would break his heart into a thousand shards if she said no, if she didn’t love him. For some inexplicable reason he felt that now was the "right time" he had been looking for, but what if he was wrong?
-
He watched as she slowly closed her eyes, tears flowing freely down her cheeks; her head tipping back just slightly. Her hands had come up to cross themselves on her chest, over her heart and she was actively forcing herself to breathe. Her lips parted and she made more sounds, but she just couldn't seem to make those sounds become words. And really, who could have when one suddenly realizes that one's fondest wish has just come true? How many nights had she dreamed of how he would ask her? How many days had gone by that she didn't wish with all her heart that he would just turn to her and blurt it out? She didn't think it would be like this, but that was no matter, at the moment she couldn't remember a single detail of the fantasies she'd had since she realized that he was the only man for her.
She brought her head forward again, her eyes opening at the same time. She reached down very slowly, took his hand in hers and brought it up to her chest. She placed it palm down on her heart and he felt her heart beating so fast it was likely to explode. He looked down at his hand as she did this and then slowly met her gaze once more. She was smiling, although the tears still flowed, her cheeks were flushed; her eyes sparkled. She reached up and draped her arms over his shoulders, and slowly leaned into him and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, her sounds became a single word spoken over and over again.
"Yes," he heard in his ear, "yes, yes, yes." All of this took less than 10 seconds.
He had never been so relieved in his life. His eyes pressed shut and he held her for all he was worth, although still consciously aware of her injuries, burying his face in her hair, gently stroking her back. She was trembling.
"I love you Patience Annabella," he whispered softly yet intensely. "I love you so much."
He felt her nod against him, but "yes" was all she could manage still. Finally he pulled back and rested on his heels for a moment. He looked down and put his hand in his pocket. He dug around there for a moment then looked up at her.
"I've been carrying this around since your birthday," he said as he watched her look down, and then watched her eyes grow big. "It's not much but ..." He took her shaking hand in his and slipped the ring on her finger. He was more than satisfied when it slipped on easily and fit perfectly as he had to guess at the size. It was a simple gold band with a single, small diamond placed in a delicate filigree setting, but to her it was the most precious gem in the entire world and completely priceless.
She looked at it then at him. "Its perfect, Bill," she said and once again tears of pure joy flowed. "It's heavenly." She reached up and cupped his face in her hand, brushed his hair with her fingers and he thought there was never a more loving touch. "I love you Bill," she said. "I would be proud to be your wife. . .Absolutely."
He laughed. He threw his head back and laughed heartily. He knew "absolutely" would be in there somewhere and right now he was the happiest man alive. He stood and scooped her up in his arms, she embraced him, and then he kissed her.
-
Scarlet
Jimmy drifted into camp with the setting sun, Sonny and Zeke in tow leading the horses that belonged to the dead outlaws.
“Show up after the work is done.” Bo snorted.
“Figured I was doing Fritz a favor by lettin’ Johnny keep busy.” Jimmy chuckled as he swung off his horse.
Bo raised his eyebrow questioningly.
“Well look at ‘im over there.” Jimmy looked over at Johnny “Ya think Rose be jealous she saw the way he’s lookin’ at that gun? Figured if he was busy, he’d have less time ta try an’ figure out a plan on how ta keep it. Figure somebody’s going to miss it sooner er later.”
Both men chuckled.
“It was left here, needs a good home.” Johnny said with a grin as he walked up.
The soft voices outside woke Scarlet. She was suddenly aware of the dried blood and dirt ground into her skin; she could see it streaked through her hair, but didn’t know if the blood was hers or that of her enemy.
Scarlet quietly moved, feeling Fritz’s fingers tighten between hers brought a soft smile to her lips.
“I’ll be back soon.” She whispered, gently squeezing his hand before she let go and slipped out.
“Ya left a trail a half blind man could follow.” Jimmy said with a suppressed grin when he saw her.
“Took you two days to catch up to me, must be losing your touch or going blind.” Scarlet retorted.
“I was taking care of some of your business.” He said before he hugged her.
“How many are still out there?” She asked.
“I saw a trail, two followed Rebecca, the Marshal and Hank followed them. The rest of them, they won’t be bothering us anymore.”
“That’s good to hear. You got any sugar cubes?”
“No.”
“What ya do run out you usually carry them for Moonshine.”
“I threw ‘em all at Fritz.” Jimmy said with a chuckle.
Scarlet shot him a questioning look then shook her head “You can tell me about that later.”
She went to her saddle bags and dug out the extra shirt she had and the bar of soap. Bo moved to follow her.
“I’ll go.” Johnny said walking past him following Scarlet and Lucky towards the stream.
Johnny watched Scarlet kneel by the stream and begin to splash the water on her face then rinse the blood from her hair. He saw the spot Ella had stitched when she peeled her shirt off.
“Are you all right?” He asked as he turned around.
“I will be. Ella said you took a body home?”
“Fritz thought it was you. She was wearing..”
“Jenny, I know she had on my ring and was wearing my badge. Do you know what happened to my ring?”
“I don’t know, Ella might.”
Scarlet reached in her pocket and pulled out a gold band with a diamond in it holding back towards Johnny. “It is Jenny’s. She should have it back. Her husband inherited the Broken Shoe. She loved him a great deal, they should be buried together.”
“I hope Fritz can forgive me for the hell I’ve put him through.”
“He loves you Scarlet. He’s a good man, you’ll do right by one another.” Johnny said softly as he remembered his ride back from the cabin with Fritz.
Scarlet was somewhat surprised to hear Johnny say it. They had butted heads on the issue in the beginning. Fritz was free to come and go as he pleased but if it was Johnny’s doing that he chose to go there would be hell to pay. She had told her father that on more than one occasion. After time he had given in and accepted the fact she loved Fritz then simply began to tease her about fraternizing with the enemy. It was more than that and she knew it, Johnny had always been very protective of her.
Scarlet stood and wrung the water out of her hair then slipped on the cleaner shirt.
“You don’t realize how little is left inside until somebody fills the empty space.” She said as turned to face her father. “He is my light in the darkness. Something I thought I would never have again.” She replied just as softly as she looked at Johnny.
“I know. Why did you go alone?”
“He was watching for more than one rider. I never followed him alone. Habits can get you killed unless you change them every now and then, you told me that once.”
Johnny shook his head in understanding, he knew there was more to it but Scarlet didn’t offer so he didn’t push.
Johnny took her hand and they started to walk towards camp.
“I met Grey Eagle.”
“You have met him before.”
“Yes, but I didn’t realize he was the one who you spent so much time with…explains a few things I’ve seen you do.”
Scarlet half smiled.
“He’s one of Black Wolf’s best warriors. I bet he could win you in combat.” Johnny grinned and his eyes danced mischievously.
“Grey Eagle has a wife, and I am not good at sharing my man with another woman. Besides he doesn’t have connections to things like Gatlin’ guns.” She smirked and hugged him.
“You have a point there.” He chuckled.
Scarlet sat near the fire drying her hair while she watched Sonny pour her a cup of coffee, he splashed some of the dark liquid from his flask into it and handed it over.
“You always knew how to make it just right.” She said as she took the cup.
He touched his cup against hers. “Here’s to old friends.”
“Old friends and the future.” She smiled again. “Don’t be such a stranger Sonny I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve sort of missed this. Course it’s kinda nice not dodging bullets.”
He stood as Ella approached. “What can I do to help?” he asked her.
_________________
Ella
"Hunting up some meat for dinner would be good. Or help me inventory what foodstuffs and pots are available in the various saddlebags," answered Ella. "I worried more about medical gear than about cookware this trip, but now that things are settling down, it would be nice to eat something other than journey bread and jerky."
_________________
Scarlet
Sonny drained his cup, set it down then picked up his rifle. "I can usually find a rabbit or two." He said heading off.
Scarlet began to help Ella search through the saddlebags.
"Ella, thank you for everything, figuring out that body was not mine, for coming after Fritz." Scarlet said, she paused for a moment before she asked. "Do you know what happened to my ring, Jenny was wearing it."
_________________
Ella
Ella reached into her pockets, and pulled out a folded-up lace-trimmed handkerchief. "I pulled it off her finger before we left, counting on giving it back to you," she said, handing the package to Scarlet. "It still needs a good polishing. I hadn't had time to do that yet."
_________________
Scarlet
Scarlet hugged Ella. “Thank you.”
Scarlet opened the handkerchief and took the ring out, then neatly folded the handkerchief. “That’s beautiful.” She said handing it back to Ella.
Scarlet used the bottom of her shirt to wipe the ring, she half smiled realizing Ella had wiped it off the best that one could. “I’ll polish it when we get home.” Scarlet said as she slid it back onto her finger.
“I’m not sure what happened to my badge, it was pinned to my duster, which Jenny was wearing at one point.” Scarlet took a deep breath and closed her eyes shaking the memories of the past few days.
Scarlet quietly slipped up next to Fritz; she changed the bandage careful not to wake him. Thinking she’d lay down for a moment before dinner she drifted off into a restless sleep.
She didn’t know how long she’d laid awake listening to the noises, it brought some peace knowing what each of them was. She recognized the men’s footsteps, they were taking short turns at guarding camp since there were four of them, Ella was up at one point. The horses stood quietly where they had been left. Johnny’s mule, Velvet Ears, was a heavy breather almost snoring on occasion. When she heard Lucky sniffing at the canvas she got up, put on her boots and gun belt then went out.
Scarlet put Lucky’s bridle on then swung up on his back.
“I’m gonna ride along the river.” She said when she heard Bo’s footsteps behind her then kicked the black horse into a lope.
Bo watched in silence as the shadows closed around horse and rider wondering if he should send someone to watch her back.
Scarlet rode along the river back to the spot she had been the night before. As she passed the old twisted tree she pulled her rope out of it then crossed the water onto the small island that parted the river.
Sliding off Lucky she removed his bridle and sat at the waters edge picking some of the wild flowers and tossing them into the river. She watched them swirl in small circles before they drifted along to some unknown destination much like she had done for so long.
She watched the sun peek over the horizon happy to see it this morning, thankful that the times she had wished she’d never see another were fading.
She felt Lucky lay down behind her and leaned against him, she automatically ran her fingers along his neck scratching his favorite spots as she turned a question over in her mind Patches had once asked her. “What makes us different from killers?”
She wondered if that line that made her different was fading for her. At least killers didn’t have friends they felt guilty for getting killed along the way, maybe that made her worse. Revenge and bloodlust is what drove Cutter, but the same things had driven her. He enjoyed it, maybe she had too, she wasn’t sure, but she would do it over again if she had to, maybe just a different approach to keep those she cared about safer.
She had once told Fritz the eyes of a killer stared back at her when she looked in the mirror. He’d told her that’s not what he saw; as she leaned her head back against Lucky she wondered if he would still feel the same.
_________________
Ella
Ella came up beside Bo as he watched Scarlet ride off. He commented, "I wonder if I should send someone to watch her back."
Ella responded, "I'll go".
She came back with a barebacked Diamond. "Give me a hand up?" she asked.
Bo boosted her onto Diamond's back, and Ella followed the direction Scarlet had gone.
The splashing as Diamond crossed the water attracted Scarlet's attention, but she relaxed again when she saw it was Ella.
"Ella, what makes us different from killers?"
"We are killers, but we are not murderers," answered Ella, sliding off Diamond and coming to sit beside Scarlet. "The commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' is a poor translation. It should really be 'Thou shalt not murder'. There is a lot of discussion about that distinction in the commentaries about the Torah, because of self-defense. The conclusion is that it is lawful to kill one who comes to murder you. We do kill but for business, not for pleasure. We kill those whose lives are forfeit because they have taken innocent lives."
_________________
Scarlet
Scarlet half smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard it put like that. You have a unique way of putting things into perspective Ella.
Mother says I always judge myself harshly. But I have to check myself every now ‘n then ya know. And dad he told me there’d be days like this. I should worry when I don’t ask myself that question cuz it means somewhere I stopped caring what makes me different.”
Scarlet flipped another flower into the river as she spoke. “I used to love to come here, there was a peacefulness about it.” The half smile she wore spread curling both sides of her mouth up. “A lot of good memories too. It’s time let the hurt go and the wounds heal I think.”
“I think you’re right.” Ella said with an understanding smile.
Scarlet looked up at Diamond. “Mom gave one of her best you know.”
“I asked for a fast horse and Rose told them to saddle her for me.” Ella replied looking at the bay horse with the perfect diamond shaped star on her forehead.
“You up for a ride Ella, always been one of my favorite things just to let’em run for the joy of running.”
Scarlet didn’t wait for Ella’s answer she knew by the smile that played on Ella’s lips the thought intrigued her.
“Come on I’ll give you a leg up.” Scarlet said standing.
Zeke picked up his rifle, squinting he scanned the horizon for whatever devil might be on the tail of the two fast coming horses.
“I don’t see anything.” He said to Bo.
Bo looked through his glass and shook his head back and forth with a grin as he watched the two women smiling as they rode. “Don’t worry, that my friend is just a couple of women letting their hair down so to speak.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it.” He replied as he admired the two horses race across the grass, their tails in the air and ears perked forward. The two women sat slightly forward the horse’s mane swirling around them.
"One of the prettiest sights I've had the pleasure of lookin' at." Bo said.
The two horses pranced into camp.
Johnny patted Lucky on the neck. Judging by the smile on Scarlet and Ella's faces whatever they had talked about looked to have had positive results.
He patted Diamond's neck. "Do we want to break camp or stay another day? If we want to stay I can send someone back to the ranch and let them know we are ok." Johnny said watching Ella as she slid off of the horses back.
_________________
Ella
"We should head back. The nourishing tonics I want to feed Fritz to help build up his blood supply are at the Starr, and I can't prepare them here with the supplies on hand," replied Ella. "He doesn't have any broken bones, so he can tolerate a fair amount of bouncing."
_________________
Scarlet
Scarlet slid from Lucky’s back then removed his bridle. The stallion moved off next to where the other horses stood.
Scarlet laid the bridle over the back of her saddle. Wondering if Fritz might be thirsty she picked up her canteen and went to check on him. She set the canteen down and picked up the bandages and ointment Ella had left earlier. She carefully began to change the dressing trying not to disturb him.
Part of her wanted to scream at him for being there.
If it hadn’t been for Ella…she stopped the thought there.
She knew she couldn’t be mad at him for being there; he’d done nothing she wouldn’t have done herself. She didn’t figure she had any right to tell him how the fear that froze her heart when she had seen him fall had nearly made her ill. She already knew the pain he must have felt when he found Jenny and thought it was her.
Felling his hand cover hers Scarlet looked up and smiled tenderly into his eyes. No she couldn’t be mad.
“You ready to go home soldier?” She said softly.
_________________
Fritz
Fritz opened his eyes. Light was dim, emanating from glowing embers under the rocks. Steam filled the air. Fritz realized he was in some sort of sweat lodge. Sitting across from him was the most magnificent warrior he’d ever seen…Comanche by the looks of him. Fritz hoped he wouldn’t have to fight him. He couldn’t, in any case. He wore no weapons here.
“I am Grey Eagle,” the warrior said simply.
Fritz cleared his throat. “I’m First Serg…”
Grey Eagle cut him off. “We know who you are, Yellow Sleeve. Our sister has told us."
Sister…Scarlet?
“I speak to you as one who will listen. I know your heart is sore.”
Fritz was confused. “What do you mean?”
Grey Eagle leaned forward. “I see the tiredness in your eyes. You are old past your years. There is pain there too.”
“I don’t understand…”
“In the past,” Grey Eagle replied, “you fought for the Blue Suit. You fought for a colored flag. That is not why you fought today, is it?”
Fritz shook his head.
“You fought for the one you love…to avenge her. Is that not so?”
“Yes…it is.”
“Now you know why we fight.” Grey Eagle nodded. “We fight for those we love…we fight to stay free. Do you understand this?”
“I always have,” Fritz replied.
“Then come…walk with me.”
Grey Eagle lifted the hide flap. Bright daylight spilled inside. Fritz shielded his eyes against the glare. Outside, the men stood at the top of a hill, overlooking the largest Indian encampment Fritz had ever seen. Warriors swarmed up the hillside like ants. On the opposite slope was a squadron of cavalry; Fritz couldn’t make out which one. He watched with horror as the organized skirmish lines broke down into scared knots of men, fighting for their lives. The fighting was hand to hand and gruesome. Finally, the guidons fell.
Fritz turned angrily to Grey Eagle. “Why are you showing me this?”
His face was impassive. “You die…we die…and for what?”
Fritz wanted to tell him about manifest destiny. He wanted to say that he was a soldier, and soldiers follow orders. He wanted to say that it was a right to protect oneself. But the words seemed hollow in his ears.
“You must speak for us.”
Fritz was taken aback. "Why me?"
“They will listen to you. You have friends who will listen.”
Grey Eagle reached out and took his hand.
“You ready to go home soldier?”
His vision swam for a moment. When he opened his eyes, Scarlet held his hand, smiling sweetly.
Scarlet touched his face. “I said, are you ready to go home?”
HOME.
“Yes,” Fritz replied. “I guess I am.”
_________________
-
By Scarlet Angel and Tensleep
"Rebecca? Can we talk? I need to talk to you." Tensleep stepped onto the porch.
Rebecca turned at the sound of his voice and smiled up at him. "Of course." She gestured with her hand to the chair next to hers.
"Have I done something wrong? Have I said something that I shouldn't? Have I been inconsiderate?" Tensleep was still standing holding his hat.
Her eyebrows pulled together. "No" She said a bit confused "Why do ask such a thing?"
"You have been so quiet, so distant since we returned." 'Sleep was looking out over the plain. "I was sure that I had done something wrong."
Kneeling he took her hand. "You would tell me wouldn't you? You wouldn't make me suffer? You know that I love you so very much. I don't think I could stay if you turned me away."
"I would tell you." She half smiled but avoided eye contact. "I have been lost in my own thoughts I suppose." They had had a similar discussion before she'd left the ace and Rebecca didn't want to go there again.
"I was surprised to see you in camp. Most men wouldn't take the chance of riding into there." She looked at him with a grin "Hank is one of 'em."
"I knew you were there 'Becca. I had to find you, had to see you. I would ride through the gates of hell for you. Only thing that might stop me would be if you told me that you didn't love me."
"I won't deny I have feelings for you Jon. I hope that you know when we are together my feelings are sincere."
"But you will only say you love me in the throes of passion. Why won't you look into my eyes, my heart and say 'Jon, I love you.' I want to hear that more than anything. I love you Rebecca, I want you for my wife."
"How can you want someone for your wife you've known for such a short amount of time?"
"Rebecca, the first time I saw you as I rode into El Paso I knew that I wanted you, wanted to be with you, wanted more than just a casual aquaintaince." He lloked into the distance again. "I have searched for you all my life."
"Then why did it take you so long to work your way across the street?"
Embaressed Jon shifted his feet. Finally he looked at her. "You are so beautiful. I am so plain. You have money, I have none. Just a drifting cowboy turned lawman. I didn't think you would even give me a second look."
She raised an eyebrow as looked at him then stood. The muscles in her jaw tensed as she stepped past him so he couldn't see the tears she fought. "I love you Jon, and you were wrong to think that." She said softly trying to regain control of her thoughts and emotions.
He took a step and was behind her, his arms circled her waist. "Rebecca, will you marry me, marry me right here on the Starr? In this garden? Tomorrow?"
"Jon, even if I was the kind of woman a man would be proud to present to his family, I will not marry any body until I know what has happened to Scarlet."
"You would meet my family if I had any darlin', but I understand about Scarlet. As soon as she is home, you will become Mrs Rebecca Ross."
Rebecca's body slightly trembled as she took a deep breath. "I am not ready to a wife Jon. I told you I wouldn't see anybody else and we'd start there.
Back in the cabin Josh well....He had Cutter marry us and he wanted to consumate the marriage. While I figured ways to avoid him and then tried to figure out ways to stand his touch I kept wondering what you were going to think of me breaking that promise."
"Cutter had no power to marry anyone and being forced to do something against your will wouldn't be breaking your promise to me darling."
He turned her to face him.
"Rebecca, when you are ready, I am ready, I will say no more."
She smiled softly as she caressed his cheek with her finger tips. "I don't deserve you." her voice just above a whisper.
_________________
Scarlet
The voice of one of the men on watch rang through the house “Riders comin’!”
“Who is it?!” Rose yelled as she skipped stairs to reach the second story porch quickly followed closely by Sonny’s wife.
The man looked through his glass counting the number of riders to himself and trying to make out the faces.
“Who is it?” Rose repeated.
“I see everyone Miss Rose. Everyone is coming home.” He said through a smile.
Rose hugged him and kissed his cheek.
The two women went back down the stairs and made their way to the barn telling everyone they passed everyone was coming home.
Scarlet looked over the ranch as they rode in. There was livestock as far as one could see. The cattle mixed in with the horses were being closely watched by outriders normally seen only to collect their paycheck and sometimes spend it at the Ace.
“Looks worse then branding time round here.” She said looking around.
“Well we should have an accurate count of the stock if nothing else.” Bo said as he rode past.
As they rode by one of the corrals the black horse standing in the middle bellowed a challenge causing Lucky to pin his ears and swing his head. Scarlet tightened her hold on Lucky surprised to see that heard had been brought in also.
“That’s Midnight.” She said pointing to the stallion that was nearly a carbon copy of Lucky except for the white hairs over his eyes and along his jaw line from age. “He’s Lucky’s grandfather.”
“Welcome home.” Rose called as the group came to a stop near the barn.
_________________
Ella
"I was right, Rose," called Ella, "Fritz needed me to be his angel again. We should put him in the downstairs bedroom. He won't be well enough for the bunkhouse for a week or two. How's Patches?"
_________________
Scarlet
“Always trust your intuition Ella.”
“Fritz can choose whichever room he’ll be comfortable in.” Rose said as she wondered just how much of his stuff was in Scarlet’s room. If Rose was a betting woman she would have bet what wasn’t in Scarlet’s room at the Starr was in Scarlet’s room at the Ace, and there was just enough in the bunkhouse for appearances sake.
“Patches is doing very well.” Rose’s eyes lit up like she had a wonderful secret she was dying to blurt out. “You girls should go check on her let her know you’re ok and home.”
_________________
Ella
Once Fritz and the horses were settled, Ella urged, "Come on, Scarlet. Let's go see Patches."
Patches heard them coming and was facing the door with Bill sitting next to her when the other girls came in, with her left hand "casually" placed on her knee. Ella spotted the ring first and whooped, "Finally! Now I can finish your wedding dress!"
"Yes! You should!" Patches looked at Bill with a smile and then did a double take. She looked quickly at Ella. "What do you mean 'finish'?"
"I drafted a pattern based on your mother's wedding picture and cut out the fabric I bought in Tucson before Christmas. I've sewn the major seams, but didn't want to do the finishing without fitting it to you," answered Ella happily.
Patches grinned. "I'm ready when you are!"
_________________
Scarlet
“Come on then, let’s see what Ella’s been up to!” Scarlet said with a grin.
By the time the three reached the sewing room the rest of the women in the house had joined them.
Everyone talked about how beautiful the dress, what a beautiful bride Patches would make and complimented Ella on her handiwork.
“We can braid flowers in your hair.” Rose said with a smile as she wiped the tear of joy from the corner of her eye.
Patches gave the girls the details of the proposal as Ella fitted the dress.
Their voices and laughter could be heard throughout the house as they talked about the wedding.
-
Rebecca found Scarlet in Gypsy’s stall brushing out the mare’s think mane.
“Patches sure looked happy last night.” She said watching Scarlet.
“Yeah, she did.” Scarlet said with a smile “The dress Ella is making will be beautiful on her.”
Rebecca picked up a brush and ducked into the stall and began brushing the mare. After a short silence she said. “John proposed to me yesterday.”
Scarlet glanced up from what she was doing. “You turned him down didn’t ya.”
“Yeah.” Rebecca never looked up from the horse
“Why?” Scarlet asked picking up the horse’s feet.
There was a pause before Becca replied. “I’m afraid Scarlet. I’m afraid I will fail him or hurt him.”
Scarlet put the mare’s foot down and looked at the woman who stood on the other side of her horse.
“You are afraid of losing your independence and losing who you are, trying to live up to someone’s idea of what you should be when the truth is that will never be who you are.” Scarlet said then turned taking the mares bridle from its peg.
Rebecca stood staring at her in shock. “What makes you say such things?”
“We are not all that different Becca, and if we were, we’ve logged a lot of miles together. We know one another pretty well.” Scarlet said as a matter of factly as she bridled the horse.
“I’m afraid of becoming one of those wives who I hear about when their husbands come into the Ace.” Rebecca watched Scarlet for a reaction.
“Our men will never be like the men that drift into the Ace. Because we are not like the women they leave behind.”
Rebecca recognized the mischievous look in her friend’s eyes as Scarlet smirked at her.
“I believe our men will have enough to keep them busy and not have time enough to seek out other things to occupy themselves. And I kinda think if your man wanders he will be sadly disappointed at the skills of someone else.” Scarlet chuckled.
Rebecca punched her in the arm for the remark but laughed too.
Where are you going?”
“I’m taking the bay and his herd home.”
“You going alone?”
“I told Fritz I would enjoy his company but I understand if he’s not up to another day in the saddle. You’re welcome to come.”
“No, Hank and I are going back to the Ace shortly. Why aren’t you riding Lucky?” Rebecca asked following after her.
“I don’t want to try to keep the two stallions in line and the short ride will do her good.”
When they reached the corral Scarlet handed the reins to Rebecca. “Hold her.” Taking the stallion’s halter she slipped into the corral and slipped it on him.
“Scarlet.”
“Yeah.”
“You got any regrets?”
Scarlet glanced at Becca “Gonna have to narrow the field on that one.”
Becca’s mouth twisted slightly. “Bout Fritz.”
Scarlet stopped for a moment and thought about the question. “Yeah, I do.”
Rebecca waited while Scarlet led the stallion from the corral.
“Gonna tell me?”
“I regret he got shot cuz o’ me.”
“I’d hope so.” Becca snorted. “Anything else?”
“Yeah Becca. I regret when he proposed to me I didn’t jump in his arms and tell him yes. Instead I told him all the reasons I could think of why he might be making a mistake.”
“I guess he took me by surprise. I was more prepared for the goodbye. Ya know. And there are times more often than not I regret not marrying him in December. I might have figured I was to busy running from or chasing after my past.”
“Give me a leg up would ya.”
Rebecca cupped her hands so Scarlet could climb on the mare’s bare back.
Scarlet settled on Gypsy’s back then looked down at her friend. “Becca, you once said you wanted a bunch of kids, dog chasin butterflies in the yard and one man to make love to you for the rest of your life.”
Rebecca interrupted her. “Who told ya that?”
“Ah the secrets we share over a bottle.” Scarlet grinned wickedly as she picked up the reins.
“I don’t often tell folks what I think they should do Becca. What I’m gonna tell you is don’t watch the man you love die before you realize your regrets. His guardian angel may not be able to save him.”
Scarlet urged Gypsy forward; the bay pranced proudly along side nickering to the mares that trotted after them.
-
Combined effort of Tensleep and Scarlet
Rebecca looked across the backs of the horses spotting John standing on
the porch of his office. She didn't want to leave things the way they were
she loved him too much for that. She thought as she walked towards him of
telling him what she had told Scarlet but that didn't sound right. It
sounded like she didn't trust him, maybe she didn't, not that he'd done
anything to deserve it. She'd just seen to many things in her line of
work.
"Good morning." She said with a smile as she looked up at him wondering
if maybe saying anything at all would be a mistake.
Tensleep stood watching the beautiful brunette approaching him, she was
a vision of grace as she walked.
"Good morning to you too lovely lady, you are out early this morning.
Have you had coffee?" His eyes never left hers.
"Not yet. I was up watching the horses. That bay Scarlet is leading is
the sire to my other horse. I've ridden with Scarlet when they round up
the foals and some of the mares from his band. He is beautiful to watch."
”Why don't we get some coffee and set and watch the morning?"
”Alright." Rebecca walked with Tensleep into the kitchen of the Starr,
poured two cups and handed him one. "Where would you like to watch the
morning from?"
”The rose garden is my favorite place this time of day, evening too,
but the roses might be embarrassed by your beauty this morning." Tensleep took
her hand.
Rebecca smiled and shook her head at his comment. "John can I ask you something?"
”You can ask me anything, anytime Rebecca." He took a sip of his coffee
after he seated her on a bench. "What is it darlin'?"
”What do you expect from a wife? I mean while you're off chasing
outlaws or hole up in your office doing what ever it is you do..what do you expect
her to be doing?"
"I really expect for my wife to be a partner in our relationship. I
won't try to cast her in a role that would seem to fit all women. I also
don't plan to be on the trail a lot longer, I expect that the deputies will
handle that part. Lots more of the paper work that I hate seems to be taking
all my time."
Tensleep paused and lit his pipe. "How do you see yourself as a wife 'Becca?"
Rebecca drew a deep breath and her eyebrows knitted together. "I don't
know. Maybe that's part of the problem. Scarlet and I sit out on the balcony
and talk about the white knight on the fiery horse coming to sweep us
off our feet. But we never got much past that I suppose.”
She half smiled and looked at him "My knight has come and I don't know
what to do with him. Maybe it's because I've made the Ace my castle and part
of me doesn't want to give that up."
"Have I asked that of you?"
"No, not yet." She said softly
Tensleep looked at the woman he loved. "And I never will, that is your
decision."
”I've never met a man thinks it's ok for his wife to be running a
saloon such as the Ace."
”You never met a man like me darlin', I'm my own man, secure and self
reliant."
"One who seems to have all the answers." She chuckled softly and smiled
at him.
John Ross sat quietly trying to decide how to tell Rebecca that he had
fought through all this in his mind several hundred times. He was no
closer this morning than he was last night or last week or last month. He knew
he loved her and wanted her to be his wife, but to say he didn't care that
she ran a saloon with whores seemed awfully unfeeling.
"I wish that I did, 'Becca."
Rebecca leaned back on the bench and crossed her legs as she looked out
over the garden.
”John I love you but you should know it scares the hell out of me. I
had a husband once and when he died I was left with nothing." Her brows
furrowed together again "I can't do that again. Right now I have me to depend on
and learning to depend on someone else who has the power to take that
independence is hard to swallow." She'd said it, it made her feel awful
but she'd said it.
"The last thing that I want to do is take your independence."
She took his hand in hers. "What do you see when you look into the future?"
"I see a house with a view of the mountains and horses in the pasture in
front, you and me on the porch. What do you see 'Becca?"
Rebecca bit her bottom lip as she smiled and blushed. Her green eyes
danced as she looked into his. "I'm a little embarrassed to tell you."
"Don't be, I want to know darlin'."
She laughed slightly, her eyes looking down then coming back to his. "Well
I don't know if it's the future I see or just something I see when I day
dream. It's very similar to yours though. Except you are chasing a couple
puppies across the porch. They are about age where they are just learning
how to get around pretty good." She paused for a moment and suppressed a
smile, her cheeks blushed slightly. "Following you is some one that looks an awful lot like you and just learning to get around pretty good too."
"Is his hair the color of yours?"
"Yes, but his eyes are blue like his fathers."
"Is that something that you want to happen Rebecca?"
"A home and a family. It's one of those things I think about occasionally.
I don't know if I’m ready for that yet. But I do know that when I am I
want you to be the man that little boy is following around." She smiled as she
looked out across the garden again. She was telling him things she would only
normally tell Scarlet, after a bottle when they both were in one of those
moods to share feelings that left someone feeling completely vulnerable.
Tensleep took her hand in his. "You tell me when you are ready and I'll do
all that I can to make your dream come true."
She leaned in close and kissed him tenderly on the lips.
-
Fritz
He hadn't been able to stay long in bed. Patience he had, but just sitting and doing nothing was not in Fritz's nature. He sat up slowly so as not to tear the stitches. Someone had cleaned his feet, and replaced the torn bloody socks with fresh ones. Fritz stood and took a step forward. His vision swam for a moment. Fortunately, the desk was only a couple of steps away.
When Rose asked where he'd like to rest, Fritz smiled and said, "Scarlet's room please." Rose raised an eyebrow, and laughed in spite of herself. She'd seen to his needs, and cared for him while he rested.
The cleaning kit was right where he'd left it, in the bottom desk drawer. His pistols had been laid out an unloaded. Only the Navy and the 1849 pocket had been fired, and that only once. Fritz wondered if he'd hit Cutter with that shot.
"The Navy first," he said, pulling the barrel wedge. As he scrubbed the barrel clean, Rose came in behind him. She set a steaming cup of coffee beside his gear.
"I was wondering when you'd wake up," she smiled. "Don't want no son of mine to be slackin'..."
"Thanks Rose...for everything." Fritz put down the barrel and picked up the cup. There was some molasses, and a bit of whiskey to go with it. "Ummm...perfect. You didn't think of bringing any food with you?"
Rose reached into her apron and tossed something on the desk. His badge clanked against the Navy's cylinder.
"Well, you can start by chewin' on those letters."
Fritz swallowed, and looked at the bundle.
"Ella gave 'em to me." Rose put her hand on his shoulder. "I guess in the confusion, I must've forgotten to mail them."
She walked to the door. "I'll see if can drum up anything. Don't go anywhere."
_________________
Scarlet
Scarlet rode towards the cemetery. Reaching the bottom of the hill she pulled the stallions head to her. She kissed the bay on the nose before she slid the halter over his ears. For a brief moment they looked one another in the eye before the horse turned and trotted into the group of mares and foals that followed him.
Scarlet turned her horse and rode to the cemetery. Tying Gypsy to the rail she went through the gate, stopping on her way to the graves to pick flowers from one of the bushes that her mother had planted there.
She kneeled next to Travis’ grave and placed the flowers beneath the headstone. Standing she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The heinous laugh she had so often heard carried on the wind that kept old wounds fresh was gone, instead the wind carried the sound of the horses hoof beats.
Opening her eyes she saw the heard moving towards the river at a canter. Finally she could stand here and feel a sense of peace.
Scarlet watched the horses disappear into the distance then mounted Gypsy and headed for home her mind turning to Fritz as she rode. She’d lived the kind of hell she figured she’d put him through and it had nearly cost him his life. How did someone apologize for that?
By the time she reached the house she figured there was only one way.
Rose stopped her at the stairs and handed her a tray.
Scarlet was only slightly surprised seeing Fritz sitting at the desk when she came in.
She put the tray down next to the pistols then turned to face him.
“I’m sorry for what I put you through and I wouldn’t blame you if you’re mad.” She said softly.
_________________
Fritz
Suddenly food was the furthest thing from his mind.
"I could never be mad at you." He set the cylinder down and took her hands, not heedful of the gun oil. "I thought I'd lost you. I realized that nothing else mattered in my life. Not the service...not my badge. I was willing to kill...to die for you."
He looked down at her hands, and then his own.
"I have killed, Scarlet. I've fought for my country in war, and in many scirmishes since then. But I never considered it to be killing.
Scarlet put her hand to his cheek.
"As I lay wounded, Cutter told me I'd become like him...a killer." Fritz looked into her eyes. "I hope you can forgive me. If you can't I understand. I love you Scarlet. Whatever you decide about me, I'll always love you."
He held his breath, and waited for her answer...
_________________
Scarlet
“Oh Fritz.” He felt her squeeze his hand. For him to think she would judge him to be like that saddned her. If anybody would understand what he'd done, it would be Scarlet.
“Do not listen to the empty words of a dead twisted soul. You will never be like him.”
She cupped his face in her hands and smiled into his eyes.
“There is nothing to forgive you for. As for what I've decieded about you. I’ve decided I am very lucky to have found someone who loves me the way you do, someone I love very much.”
Her kiss was warm and sweet.
Scarlet half grinned as she looked at him. Picking the napkin up off the tray she gently attempted to wipe the gun oil from his cheeks.
-
Posted by Scarlet & Fritz
Scarlet wiped the oil from her hands then traced her fingers along Fritz’s neck.
“Now eat something.” She said softly then stepped through the door that opened onto the balcony.
From where she stood Scarlet could see the marble statue of the rearing stallion in the middle of the pond that stood near the front of the rose garden which was in full bloom. She was thinking about the conversation she had had with Rebecca earlier.
She had thought it but she didn’t realize she’d said it out loud. “That would be the perfect place for a wedding.”
Outside, his hands were steady, but inside, his heart leaped. He carefully set the sandwich back on the tray, and stepped out onto the balcony beside her.
"Yes," Fritz smiled. "It WOULD be a lovely spot."
His shoulder was hurting some, but he hadn’t felt so alive in years. At one moment he felt weak and strong. He slid his hand along the rail, and slipped it over hers. Scarlet turned to him.
"Do you know what it means to marry a soldier?" Fritz asked, looking into her lovely face.
"I'm not marrying a soldier, darlin'," she replied. "I'm marrying a man."
They stood, gazing into each other's eyes. At that moment, there wasn't another soul on the face of the earth.
Scarlet laced her fingers between Fritz’s, pressed close then kissed him sensually.
This time it felt so right. Thoughts of why they should or should not be together never crossed her mind as she looked into his eyes; she just knew she loved the man that stood before her.
“You should see the way the sun dances across the flowers and the water in the pond around sunset.” The excitement in her voice was growing. “Sometimes mom floats flowers in there or changes the water blue. And near fall we get a big full moon that lights up the court yard. Moms been working on a dress …” Suddenly realizing she was beginning to run on and sound more like a school girl than herself she stopped, looked down and blushed slightly.
She wondered if Fritz realized just exactly what he did to her. She could be on top of the world and so nervous at the same time because of him; strong on the outside while she was falling apart on the inside when she was worried about him. Her father had been right when he had said Fritz had her heart.
Even when he'd jumped into the water naked, she hadn't blushed. That she did so now touched him inside in a way no one had before. Fritz knew he loved Scarlet more than any woman he ever had; more than anyone he ever could. He knew his love for her would stand for all ages. Fritz tilted her chin up. She smiled.
"Just name the day, dear Scarlet. I'm ready."
He bent and kissed her tenderly.
She held his hand smiling for a long moment before she led him back to the desk.
Opening the top drawer she pulled out a calendar, laid it on the desk and began to flip through the pages.
She had things written down like foaling/calving season, branding, breeding, and training. It seemed as if the next few months would be very busy around the Starr.
As she flipped the pages he saw she had birthdays and anniversaries of friends and family written in the pages. He saw she had drawn a smiley face next to his birthday.
“That looks to be a good day.” He said with a grin pointing at the smiley face.
“That is going to be a good day.” She smiled sweetly at him. “We shall think of something very nice to do. But it is too soon for a wedding in the rose garden if one of us would like to have the roses blooming.” She looked back at her book.
“There is a timing issue on when to prune roses if you want them to be blooming at a certain time. I could tell you a bit about it if you like but mother would be the one to ask if you want a full blown lesson.” She looked up at him with a grin.
“That’s ok.” Fritz chuckled.
“If you want to learn about anything that goes on at this ranch I can point you in the right direction.”
“What can you teach me?” His eyes danced mischievously.
She grinned flipping back through the book. “Most any of this.” She tapped the pages that said foaling/calving season, branding, breeding and training. “I can teach ya how to be a midwife for the horses’ n’ cattle and we can just go right on down the line.”
“I’d really like your help with putting the finishing touches on the horses that are sold. Mr. Whirly comes in.” Her voice trailed off and she flipped the calendar to September. There was very little written there, Johnny’s birthday on the 20th and Mr. Whirly on the 15th. Scarlet looked at the calendar for a moment.
“There’s a full moon on Thursday the 10th , mother always wants the place in top order when Mr. Whirly comes to pick up his horses anyway and that should give us plenty of time to put together the rest of the details that go along with a wedding.”
What do ya think?” She said with a soft smile.
There was a lot to learn about running a ranch. He'd worn army blue for so long he barely remembered anything else. Fritz knew that one day he'd leave the service. He figured on about ten years' worth of marshalling, and then a ranch. Scarlet knew so much about life, and he was eager to learn from her. And the sooner Fritz could marry her, the better. But the day had to be special.
"I guess that'll do," Fritz replied with a smile. He picked up a sandwich and took a bite. He was feeling a bit dizzy, so he sat on the end of the bed.
Scarlet put her hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay darlin'?"
"Yep...just gotta remeber I'm not quite 100 percent yet."
She caressed his check. "Maybe I should just tie you down in bed..."
"Don't tease," Fritz said with a grin.
“I just can’t help myself.” She smirked and her eyes danced mischievously.
Scarlet reached over and fluffed the pillows. “Now sit back.” Picking up the tray she waited for Fritz to get comfortable. “Finish this.” She said putting the tray on his lap “so you can get better and I can start teasing you again.”
She smiled the smile that told him how much she loved him, kissed him on the cheek. “So shall I go tell mother and Ella or do you prefer we tell everyone this evening at supper?”
He pushed the tray aside, and pulled her down to him.
"How 'bout we discuss it together very quietly in bed, and then go down to tell them?"
Scarlet's eyes danced. "Are you sure you can handle it?"
Fritz chuckled. "We'll manage somehow."
Scarlet pursed her lips, and blew the lamp out.
~~Later that evening~~
Everyone sat around the table discussing what they’d done that day. At times there were three different conversations going at the same time. This was one of those times.
Rose looked across the table at Scarlet and Fritz they had been fairly quiet and smiling at each other, more so than most nights.
Rose grinned. “You two look like the cat that swallowed the canary, what have you been up to today?”
Scarlet grinned back. “Spent the afternoon talkin’.”
“Anything interesting you’d like to share with the rest of us.” Rose grinned again waiting for Fritz to blush and Scarlet to give her a look that usually made Rose chuckle.
“As a matter of fact yes. We thought September tenth would be a good wedding date.”
Suddenly the conversations stopped and the room went quiet, everyone looked their way.
Rose looked shocked.
“Did I hear what I thought I heard?” Johnny asked.
“Yes Sir, September tenth.” Fritz smiled.
Posted by Ella
"What color do you want for a wedding dress?" asked Ella. "I've got a fair amount of lace already made that is suitable for trim. When I finished all the lace that Patches's dress could use, I started a length of ecru lace to have on hand. One reason I've been so willing to sit shifts in the telegraph office is that the peace and quiet in there lets me really crank out the lace."
She grinned at Patches and Bill, "And another reason was that when I was in there, Patches usually was helping Bill in his laboratory. I was hoping that giving them more time together would get Bill to pop the question sooner."
_________________
Posted by Scarlet
Ella, Scarlet and Patches exchanged grins.
“Mom has been working on one off and on for sometime, guess she might let us see it now.” Scarlet chuckled.
“Oh Ella I know exactly what we could do with the lace you had left over from Patches dress.” Rose piped in as she stood up to clear the dishes.
Scarlet stood to help, leaning close to Fritz she whispered in his ear. “I’ll see you in September.” Then grinned at him before she followed the others into the kitchen.
Rose was telling Ella about the small red roses she had started to sew around the waist, and bottom of the dress and how the lace would be perfect to scallop beneath them at the hem.
_________________
Posted by Fritz
Fritz watched her leave, and appreciated the view even more. Scarlet knew he was looking; he couldn't help himself. So she cast a glace over her shoulder, her eyes dark and smoky. Like the man said, "the eyes say it all."
A mason jar was set in front of him, along with a fine looking cigar. Fritz looked up; Johnny already had a lucifer going. He held it out so Fritz could light up.
Johnny said, "Why don't we go out on the porch and talk a spell?"
Fritz followed him out. The porch was wide and spacious. The were two cane-backed rockers side by side. Between them was a table with wrought iron legs. In the middle of the table was a large, well used ashtray.
The men sat and enjoyed their smokes awhile. Twilight was upon them. When night fell, the sky was alight with stars.
"I don't suppose I have to tell you not to hurt my little girl?"
Fritz sipped carefully at the glass, and found he didn't have to. He was drinking perhaps the finest bourbon that had ever crossed his lips.
"No," he replied. "I don't suppose I have to tell you just how much I love her?"
"No," Johnny said. "So, what about that dowry?"
Fritz was taken aback for a moment, but recovered well. "Whoever recovered my weapons has my long guns. There's a Sharps...
"Ah! The Berdan," Johnny smiled. "I have an original in my collection. They say that old fox Hyram himself used it." He took a long draw on the cuban. "But I don't have a conversion, and yours was done well."
Fritz drew smoke, and extended his hand. "Done then."
Johnny smiled. He liked this boy, despite his uniform. He'd grown on him.
"Done."
As they shook hands, Rose walked onto the porch, wiping her hands on her apron.
"What was that all about?" she asked.
"Nothin," Johnny replied.
"You aren't bothering our soon to be son-in-law about a dowry, are you?"
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posted by Scarlet
Johnny shook his head no but the sparkle in his blue eyes told Rose he was up to some kind of mischief.
“I wouldn’t want to have ta make ya choose your own green twitch.” Rose teased.
“Does it look like I am bothering him?” Johnny half smiled.
Rose just shook her head as she went back into the house.
----------
Combined effort of Scarlet & Tensleep
Rebecca watched the wagon from the Starr roll by on it’s way to the cemetery.
Trixie, dressed in black, sat silently next to the driver. Rebecca knew Trixie mourned for the people that occupied the two coffins in the back of the wagon. She didn’t mourn for the death of her sons whose bodies she told the posse to leave in the dessert to rot into hell, she mourned for the two people whose lives had been cut short because of them.
As Rebecca watched the wagon roll down the street towards boot hill she thought about something Scarlet had told her not to long ago.
Walking out behind the kitchen Rebecca cut two different red roses and a white one. Going back into the kitchen she took a glass vase down from the shelf filled it with water then placed the roses inside. Then she headed across the street to the Marshals office where she’d seen Tensleep go earlier.
She was so consumed by her thoughts she was walking into the office before she knew it. As he looked up from the paperwork he was doing she found herself not knowing exactly what to say.
"Hello darlin', what brings you to me?" Tensleep stood and came around the desk.
"Thought these might brighten up the place." She held out the vase looking at the flowers. "Rose told me once the colors had meaning. True red is the lover's rose. Fiery red symbolizes the flames of passion and white, loyalty. I know how you like the rose garden and I do have a few of them behind the Ace."
Thank you darlin', where should we put them?"
"Where ever you like." She smiled softly. "When will you be going back to
the Starr?"
"When you go with me or tell me to leave, but not until."
A light tap came on the door before the woman opened it and walked in smiling carrying a basket.
Alice had been attempting to win the marshal’s affections since he’d come to town. Usually when she showed up Rebecca would politely excuse herself and go back to the Ace leaving the marshal to “proper” company.
Alice smiled sweetly at Tensleep then turned to Rebecca, looked her up and down disapprovingly, waiting for her to leave. Instead Rebecca raised an eyebrow, returned the disapproving look and crossed her arms over her chest.
Tensleep watched as the two completely opposite women stood in the middle of his office. Alice in her sensible shoes and tan cotton dress with the bonnet that hung at the back of her neck. Rebecca in her black satin corset, green lace skirt, net stockings and high heels.
“Don’t you have men to entertain in the saloon Miz Valentine?” Alice said smugly.
“Maybe if you knew how to entertain one you still wouldn’t be hunting them.” Rebecca snorted.
Alice was shocked Rebecca usually was not bold when out of her house of sin. “Well I never!”
“Oh I’m sure you haven’t.” Rebecca said putting her hands on her hips glaring at Alice.
Alice moved to step around Rebecca who moved and planted her feet in front of the shorter woman. Alice looked wide eyed at her.
“I came to see if Marshal Ross would like to share supper.” Alice stated.
“John already has a date for supper.” Becca retorted.
Alice’s mouth dropped slightly and her eyes grew wider when she heard Rebecca use his first name.
“Tis you who needs to politely excuse yourself today.” Rebecca hissed pointing her finger towards the door.
Alice backed away, she’d seen Rebecca in a few fights and had no desire to be part of it. Squaring her shoulders she tried to regain composure.
“Perhaps another day, excuse me.” She said as politely as she possibly could.
Rebecca stood with her back to John trying to calm herself after Alice left. “I’m sorry, I ask you not to come into my place of business and make a scene and yet here I am. That woman just makes me so mad” her hands made tight fists at her side “the way she looks at me like I am the devil ‘emself.”
The Marshal walked up behind her and put his arms around her. "Miss
Valentine I will not hear of an apology from you." His grin was growing.
"I want my woman to take a stand when she feels the need."
He turned her to face him and said, "Now about that supper.... the Ace
or the Cafe?"
"I have it on good authority that the Ace has the best cook in town. Have to go back to the Starr for better." She smiled as she traced her fingers along his cheek.
"The Ace it is then, I know the owners there and we should be able to
get a good table." He chuckled, "I just hope that they have two nice steaks and a good bottle of red wine. You can never tell what will be on the menu out here in the west. I have heard that certain establishments even serve caviar and other delicacies."
John Ross took Rebecca's hand and tucked it under his arm then picked
up his hat. "I hope that you don't mind being seen with a rather uncouth lawman because I intend to escort you to supper the long way 'round so that people can see that I am with the prettiest woman in El Paso." With that he closed the door behind them and turned left onto the boardwalk which led them away from the Ace.
Rebecca smiled at him. “I don’t see any uncouth lawman present, but no, I don’t mind as long as they behave themselves.” She teased.
Rebecca ignored some of the looks from the women as they walked; she was well practiced at that.
“Do you spend much time talking with Scarlet?” Rebecca asked.
He knew by the sound of her voice her mind was turning things over as it often did when it came to him.
"We talk a little, mostly business......... and about other things. Why do you ask?"
"Grey Eagle says sometimes she speaks with much wisdom and when she does I would be wise to listen."
"Grey Eagle is also very wise." Tensleep was watching her from the corner
of his eye and also watching the looks on the faces of the townspeople. He
saw the Mayor approaching them.
"Mr. Mayor, have you met my fiancée, Miss Rebecca Valentine?" Tensleep
watched the mayor closely. Both the mayor and Rebecca looked a bit surprised at the introduction.
"Yes, I've had the pleasure. Miss Valentine." He tipped his hat. "Congratulations to the two of you."
"Thank you sir and a good evening to you."
The grin on the marshal's face was as wide as he could make it as he and
Rebecca stepped on down the street. Word would spread quickly now, the
mayor's wife was one of El Paso's biggest gossips.
"The mayor is very tactful." Rebecca said quietly.
"Do you think I shocked him?" Tensleep chuckled. "Did I shock you?"
"Yes, I think he was as surprised as I was. I think he is disappointed, I am
not."
"Why is he disappointed? He has no reason does he?" Tensleep turned her
and looked into her eyes. "You sure about this Miss Valentine?"
Rebecca glanced down avoiding his look. "He will find someone else to
spend his time with. It is you I worry about disappointing."
"Why would I be disappointed darling?" He tipped her chin up with his
finger and searched her eyes.
"Because most folks will not be as tactful as the Mayor. It's not really
the women's comments that concern me."
"Rebecca if I cared what people said or thought about me I would never
have taken your hand and stepped into the streets. What people think is their
business and I really don't give a damn."
It seemed no matter how much they had spoken of what she did Rebecca just couldn’t get past what she was.
"But I worry about your heart John." She said placing her palm on his
chest. "I worry about how much pain being with me will bring you when the men tell you they've had the pleasure of my bed also."
"The only thing that will happen is that they will look at me and know
that I am the man in your bed now. I doubt many will ever want to brag to me about being with you sugar." He clasped her hand and started to walk.
"Scarlet spoke of regrets. Do you have any?" Rebecca looked at him as they walked.
"Yep, I do."
"You?"
"I suppose everyone has them." Rebecca said thoughtfully
"My only regret is not finding you when you were 16 darlin'." John Ross,
US Marshal took Rebecca Valentine in his arms on the main street of El PasoTexas and kissed her as soundly as she had ever been kissed in her life.
"That should really give them something to talk about now." He winked at
her.
She blushed slightly and chuckled. John had the ability to make her feel like she was 16.
"Where you expect we will live after we are married." She stopped and looked up at him. "I mean much of your time is at the Starr and my time is here."
He found they had come to a stop in front of the Ace.
"I suppose that I will have to split my time between El Paso and the Starr
at first, but I intend to be where you are as much as I can. Someday when you are ready to leave the Ace I would like for us to live in northern New Mexico, where the plains meet the mountains."
Tensleep stood looking around; they seemed to have drawn quite a crowd of watchers. "You ready for supper Miss Valentine?"
She took his hand as they went into the Ace. "I didn't know my girls had the time to stop and gawk at folks outside." She said as they walked past a couple of the girls who had been peeking over the door.
"No ma'am." They replied with grins on their faces and moved off into the
crowd.
Rebecca lead him through the kitchen, stopping to ask Sadie to prepare them steaks, then continued out the back door to a small table that sat in the yard.
"This is our outside dining. You have a nice view of the horses and the rose bushes, the only drawback is when you have something to eat the dog and cats show up. If you prefer we can find something inside."
"I prefer a table that is quiet with you sitting next to me so that we can
talk and eat alone. Here is good and the dog and cats are no bother. Who
knows, I may want to kiss you between courses." Tensleep took her hand and winked, then he seated her and pulled a chair around so that they were next to each other rather than across the table.
"If it's no trouble I would like to have all our meals here when I'm in
town."
"Darlin' where ever you like is fine with me." She said as she leaned back,
crossed her legs and tried to relax. "The balcony off my room is also nice
at times."
The sounds of their voices brought Timber and a large long haired black cat whose eyes matched Rebecca’s.
"I told you." She said pointing to the two who had come to join them in the
small courtyard.
"Hey Timber!" Tensleep ruffled the hair on the dog's back."How are you big fella? Who's your friend?" Timber's tail was wagging hard against the table leg and causing a rocking motion.
"I think that your dog likes attention darlin'." The rubbing continued. "Your
balcony would be a nice place to have breakfast and perfect for a drink
late at night watching the stars."
”Not much around here that doesn't enjoy attention." She chuckled. "That's Stormy" Becca said nodding towards the cat who watched them. "This seems to be a home for a lot of strays down on their luck at times."
"And we are all grateful that Rebecca and Scarlet are willing to take us in
and find a job we are happy with." Sadie said with a smile as she placed the plates down. "If there's anything you need let me know." She said as she turned to go back inside.
"Thank you." Rebecca replied to Sadie then fell silent trying to figure out
just how you told a man one day you were not ready and the next day you were to be his wife.
Tensleep looked up from his steak and saw the confused look on Rebecca's face.
Taking her hand he asked, "Is there something bothering you darling?"
"Just thinking about the last few days is all. I saw Trixie headed up to the cemetery earlier. Those folks were newlyweds, hadn't even had a chance to start life together."
Rebecca took off the thin long chain that hung around her neck. He couldn't tell what was on it as the chain was long enough the charm hung out of sight. She held it in her hand for a moment then picked it out of her palm with her other hand. Rebecca held the platum and gold ring between her fingers looking at it.
"This is the only thing I have left of my father besides a few memories. I know men often put their mothers or grandmothers ring on the finger of their bride. Would it be strange if this were the ring I put on your finger when we are married?" Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at the band. Then she looked John. "I understand if it would be uncomfortable to wear it though."
"I don't think that it would be strange at all and I would be proud to
wear your father's ring. That you would ask me to wear it means so much to me,
I hope that I can live up to it's meaning to you." The look that passed over
Rebecca's face showed her great relief.
"Now my dear, you just need to tell me when you want to put it on my
finger." Tensleep locked his eyes with hers when he spoke. "You name a
date."
"You mentioned the garden at the Starr. I guess I need to ask Rose how long
it would take to help put something together, because I really don't know.
And I hardly think I have anything appropriate in my closet to wear." Rebecca chuckled.
"I suppose that the next thing we need to do is go to see Rose then and
let the flurry of activity begin." Tensleep chuckled. "I can see me being
pushed out the door and plans being made and sewing needles flashing."
Rebecca laughed softly. "It better be before you figure out the truth
about my cooking."
Later that evening when Rebecca took the stage to sing every cowboy in the
saloon felt as if she was singing to them, but her heart belonged to only one.
Standing at the batwings John Ross was filled with love for the woman on
the stage. His eyes never left her as he took every word she was singing into his heart.
Tensleep and Becca were up with the sun and on their way to the Starr to
talk to Rose.
Rebecca couldn't help but have an ear to ear smile this morning.
"Darlin'," Tensleep said in his slow drawl. "You look especially lovely this
morning and that smile is as bright as the sun. I sure hope that I had a
little to do with putting it there."
Rebecca moved her horse near him, leaning over she kissed his cheek. “You are the reason for my smile.” She said softly.
"Now that is good to hear cuz you are the reason I want to be the best I
can be. I want you to always look just like you do now and to act just like
you did last night." He winked as he returned her kiss.
Rebecca grinned, giggled then kicked her horse into a gallop.
Tensleep made Buck jump with a touch of the spur but reined him in behind Rebecca's mount. He watched the graceful way the woman moved and loved to see her posting in rhythm with the horse. His eyes caught every movement of the curvy, long legged love of his life.
Too soon to suit him the Starr loomed on the horizon and the flash of a
telescope told him they had been spotted by the lookout. Reining Buck
to the side 'Sleep pulled up beside Becca and motioned for her to slow
down.
They were bid good morning by the hands as they passed.
"Where is Rose?" Becca asked one of the men.
"In the pen, been working with one of the colts this morning." He pointed
towards the round pen where they could see Rose and Scarlet working with a couple of horses.
"Thanks" Rebecca said.
"Ma'am, Marshal." he said touching the brim of his hat.
The gate to one of the small corrals was open and the couple rode in.
Tensleep offered his hand to Rebecca helping her dismount. "Honey, why
don't you go and talk to Rose? I'll strip the horses and cool them off then come and join you."
By the time Tensleep made it back to the where the women were he
could already hear plans being placed into motion.
"I know, you don't hafta tell me..... I'll just go to my office and be a
good marshal while y'all make plans for my future." Tensleep winked at the conspirators.
The women watched him go then went to the herb garden to talk to Ella.
Hearing Scarlet say “well just ask her.” followed by Rose chuckling caused Ella to look up at the trio coming towards her.
“Ella, do you think you would have time to help Rose make another wedding dress by September 10th?” Rebecca asked hopefully.
-
posted by Ella
"I certainly am glad to have that sewing machine! Of course I would have time to make you a wedding dress, Rebecca," replied Ella. "Are there any more weddings pending? Maybe Jimmy and Sadie?"
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posted by Scarlet
“Thank you Ella!”
Rebecca hugged Ella not caring she had caught Ella off guard and now had some of the dirt she had been working with on her shoulders from the hug she got back.
The women grinned at Ella’s comment about another wedding.
“You never know, weddings seem to be contagious.” Rose said through her grin.
“Sadie’s got her mothers wedding dress. Had it the day she moved into the Ace, was one of the few things she held onto.” Rebecca said.
Scarlet chuckled and shook her head. “Better not go puttin’ ideas in Sadie’s head Becca.”
“We can make a list of things I need to order or get at the mercantile. I’d like green ribbons or something on it.” Rebecca bubbled.
_________________
posted by Ella
"It's Jimmy's head that needs the idea put into." Ella laughed, "Oh my, that sentence had very German sentence structure, but you know what I meant. As soon as I finish here, Rose and I should measure you, Rebecca, and start tossing design ideas around. I've got a bit of the emerald satin left over from the dress I wore for New Year's Eve. Maybe we could put scraps of that behind cutwork in ivory satin. "
_________________
posted by Scarlet
“Oh that sounds wonderful.” Rebecca said starting to help Ella. She looked up at Scarlet. “I’d like to ask Trixie to be here. Think she’d stay on for a bit if we offered her a job at the Ace?”
“I like that idea.” Scarlet looked over her shoulder where the woman was standing with Jimmy looking over one of the horses. “Fact now is a good time.” She said with a sly grin and wandered off.
“Don’t be thinkin’ like a woman now.” Rose laughed after her. “That’s what Jimmy would say about it.” She said to Ella and Becca.
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posted by Fritz
Fritz stared at a spot just above and to the left of Colonel Troutman’s ear. He’d had his ass chewed before…but not recently. He stood rigidly at attention. His left arm hung in a sling, his sack coat draped over his shoulders. The wound in his side still hurt some, but he tried to pay it no mind.
“If you were my soldier, I’d have your ass in irons right now! In all my years of service, this is the most egregious violation of military rules I’ve ever seen! Who the hell do you think you are?”
Fritz kept his mouth shut. He knew whatever answer he’d give was wrong, and the Colonel would just get angrier.
“Larceny of Government Property…”
Fritz couldn’t recall what was stolen. The Gatling gun had been completely disassembled and cleaned (by Bill, just because he was curious) and returned to the armory.
“Misappropriation of Government Property…
Fritz had expended one full magazine from the gun, totaling 40 rounds of .45-70 ammunition. He’d since reloaded and returned the casings, plus the extras Keith had provided him.
“You’re a liar and a cheat, and if you were my solider, I’d have you court-martialled!!!”
Fritz held his tongue. He didn’t like being called a liar and a cheat without cause. To his knowledge, he hadn’t lied or cheated anyone.
“But,” Colonel Troutman added, “I’ve been reminded that you’re NOT my soldier.” He flipped through letters on his desk, and found one on heavy parchment, bearing a presidential seal.
“You have powerful friends, apparently. I’ve been reminded that you only belong to this post administratively. You’re assigned to the Territorial Marshal. What’s that?” Troutman asked, pointing to the folder under Fritz’ arm.
Fritz handed the folder over. “My report, sir.”
“On what?”
“On the field testing of the M1874 Gatling gun, “Camel gun” variant.”
The Colonel flipped through the file. He was impressed, despite himself.
“Any problems with it?”
“The folding sights are a bit flimsy for my tastes,” Fritz replied. “I’d make them fixed, and heavier.”
Troutman tossed the file onto his cluttered desk. “That’s all, sergeant,” he said.
Fritz rendered a salute, and began to about-face.
“Oh, Sergeant,” Troutman said, “there IS one more thing.”
The other shoe was about to drop.
“By regulation, the rank of First Sergeant was created as a buffer between the commissioned and enlisted ranks…would you agree?”
“Yes sir,” he replied.
“Should the commissioned officer be injured or killed, the First Sergeant takes command of troops in the field. Isn’t that right?”
Fritz knew where this was going. “Yes sir.”
Troutman was smiling now. He put both hands on top of his desk.
“Do you currently lead troopers in the field?”
Fritz sighed. “No, sir.”
“Then, administratively, I’m reducing you in rank to Sergeant. Should you decide to return to your duties of leading troopers in the field, your rank, and requisite pay, will be immediately reinstated.” The Colonel didn’t wait for a reply. He turned on his heel, and looked out the window. “You’re dismissed, Sergeant.”
Fritz turned and left the office, without bothering to close the door.
Rosie O’Grady had been serving the troops for many a year. Back during the war, when she was young and fair, she serviced the men in other ways. She’d saved a fair penny or two in the process. Now, she was the only authorized person to wash and mend troopers’ uniforms. She looked at the solider riding up and smiled, seeing the old, sky-blue greatcoat mounted on the saddle. Then she saw the blood.
“Now you be givin’ me that sack coat and greatcoat right now. Jesus!” Rosie spat. “It might be better if you stripped naked, and jumped into this here bucket of lye.”
Fritz pulled the greatcoat from its straps and handed it over. He took off the sack coat and gave it over as well.
“Rosie, would you cut the lozenges off before you clean ‘em?” Fritz asked.
“Were ya busted now, Sergeant?”
“Yep…you could say that,” Fritz replied.
“Well, don’t you worry none,” Rosie smiled. “You keep your nose clean, and you’ll get ‘em back.. I’ll have these ready by Thursday.”
Fritz tossed her a coin. “No hurry,” he added, as he turned to leave.
Fritz saluted the colors. As he rode to the gate, he saluted the Officer of the Day.
“You’re out of uniform, Mister,” the young Lieutenant remarked.
Fritz looked down. “Yep…I guess I am," he said. He reached into his vest pocket, and pinned the badge back on his vest. With that, Fritz rode out the gate.
The End
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Well I am still waiting for it to be continued! Hugs WD