Lou did her best to get away from the iron grip around her, but was defenseless as her attacker grabbed her fighting arms and held them tightly by the wrists. A hard blow to her head stunned her temporarily, enough for her attacker to move her over to the bed. Releasing his hand over her mouth, knowing that she was too stunned to find her voice, he quickly tied her hands to the headboard of the bed before completing it by gagging her. As the effect of the blow worn of, Lou looked up, trying to identify the dark figure in the room. It wasn't until the man reached for the lamp and lighted it, that she saw who it was. At the sight, she frowned and her muffled sounds of anger could be heard beneath the gag. "Take it easy, little lady," Jake Colter smiled, "I ain't gonna hurt you. Too sorry I had to hurt your friend though." He looked carefully at a large tear in his coat, so neat that a knife must have done it. Colter bent down only to reappear in Lou's site with Buck's knife in his hands. "Should have listened to me and done what he was told," Colter muttered as he threw the knife on the small table. Then he crossed the room to the other side of the bed and once more bent down. It was then Lou released that Buck was lying on the floor, half-dressed and unconscious. Her protests as Colter with some effort threw him over his shoulder, as he'd been a sack of flour, were nothing more than muffled sounds. "You know," Colter said sadly as he started to walk to the door. "You shouldn't have trusted that boyfriend of yours. You deserve better. And don't worry, I'm sure someone will find you in the morning." Lou raged but with her hands tied and gagged there wasn't much she could do as Colter left the room. He left the door ajar and a few seconds later she could here somebody using the window. Colter had use the same way in as she had done earlier, when she brought Buck to the room. Somebody must have told him where she was staying. Hallie! Of course! Lou cursed to herself as she continued to struggle with her bonds. But the only thing she achieved was sore wrists and she knew that there was no way she could get free without any help. Buck's knife was still where Colter had placed it, but it was too far off for her to ever be able to reach it. The fact that it was there, completely visible made her frustrated and she tried once more to get free without results. The only thing she achieved was to bang the bed towards the wall but what good would that do her. She had chosen the room because of it's desolated location. Nobody would hear her. Trying to calm herself she begun to think. It had been around 2 am when she and Millie had left the saloon. She had agreed to meet Cody and Jimmy around 6 am. That was four hours. And it might be another hour before they would check the boarding house. Five hours. Colter would have a five hours head start on them. There was no way they would be able to catch up with him. Tears of anger and frustration burnt in her eyes, as she knew that they had failed Buck. They had been so sure that Colter had forgotten about the reward and the money, but he had fooled all of them. She desperately turned her arms in one last hope of getting free but it was in vain. She wouldn't get out of there and she knew it. And she also knew that she would be trying for the remaining hours. What else was there for her to do?
Buck moaned as he tried to open his eyes. He had a pounding headache and every attempt to move only increased it. He had a hard time moving as well as his hands seemed tied to something above his head. It was cold too, immensely cold and he could feel the cold invade his body and involuntarily he shivered. He tried to remember what had happened as he with his eyes closed fought the headache and illness that seemed to spread through his body. He didn't dare open his eyes, should the intense pain in his head increase. Slowly his memory came back. He had been sleeping in the room at the boarding house, waiting for Lou. Then there had been something that had woken him up. It hadn't been the door, since he was expecting Lou to return. He usually slept through her coming back from the saloon. He couldn't remember what it was that woke him, only that when he opened his eyes he had found himself staring into the barrel of a gun. As he had raised his eyes he had seen the grinning face of the bounty hunter - Jake Colter. He clearly remembered the man from their last encounter, although he couldn't understand what the man was doing there. But before he had a chance to get his thoughts cleared, Colter had ordered him to get up and get dressed. He had complied as well as he could as he had tried to figure out what the man was doing there. He had been half-dressed as he had reached for his shirt. He remembered managing to get hold of the knife and a vague memory of raising it. Colter must have seen it and hit him, rendering him unconscious, since he didn't remember anything else. As the past became clear to him, he slowly opened his eyes, at first with a hazy vision that slowly became clearer. He was sitting on the ground, a blanket hastily thrown over his upper body, with his back against a tree, to which his hands had been tied above his head. A few feet away a fire was burning briskly, a recently snared hare or rabbit, he wasn't sure of which, hanging above it to cook. He recognized the man sitting next to it as his abductor and he stared at him, knowing that the man was well aware that he was awake. "Welcome back," Colter grinned without moving from his place. "Why are you doing this?" Buck croaked, finding his throat dry and sore. "For the money of course," Colter replied as he held up the rabbit for inspection. "What money?" Colter grinned. "Well," he drawled, "when you kill a man, there's usually a price on your head. I'm just here doing my job." Buck swallowed, trying to ignore the pain that the speaking created. He was very thirsty but it bore against him to ask Colter. He knew that the best way to spare his throat was to be silent, but he had to know what Colter was speaking about. "The reward? There's a reward?" "You didn't know?" Colter seemed genuinely surprised and after putting the rabbit aside from the fire reached into his pocket. He retrieved a document and stood up and walked over to Buck, holding it up for him to read. Buck slowly read the words on it, not ready to believe what he saw or acknowledge its consequences. He hadn't been cleared of the crime, instead it seemed as if the case against him had been getting stronger. He stopped reading and trying his best to hide the turmoil of emotions that stirred inside him he stared at Colter. Colter shrugged and folded the paper back into his pocket. He glared at Buck and then reached for a water canteen nearby. "You really are sick, aren't you?" he asked as he helped Buck drink. "I thought that was what she was trying to say, but I must admit that I thought she was just pulling my leg." Buck stopped drinking and stared at Colter. "What did you do to her?" he asked tensely, knowing that Colter was referring to Lou. "Don't worry, she's just gonna be tied up for a while," Colter grinned as he returned to the fire. Buck stared at him as he tried to figure out exactly what Colter had meant. He hadn't hurt Lou, had he? Buck desperately hoped that that wasn't the case. He would never forgive himself if she had been hurt. Admittingly, there hadn't been much he could have done about it, but still. Realizing that there was nothing he could do about it, he closed his eyes. Ignoring the world around him he tried to concentrate on his own situation, which was far from pleasant. He shivered in the cold and he knew that the fever was returning. His head hurt, not only from the blow he had received earlier and he was tired. He wondered vaguely how Colter had got him there - he couldn't have gotten there on a horse, not in his condition. He slowly raised his head and looked around. A soft rustle somewhere to his right made him turn his head in that direction. Not too far off he saw the outlines of a wagon and two horses, one of them obviously a riding horse. Colter must have borrowed the wagon from the livery, Buck pondered. That meant that they still had some way too travel before they reached whatever destination Colter had in mind. Buck turned to Colter. "Where are you taking me?" he asked. "Back to Sweetwater, of course. That's where the money is, ain't it?"
It was still dark outside. Millie shivered as she sat up in her bed. It was too early for her to get up, but she couldn't sleep. She felt guilty about not helping Louise, but at the same time she was scared of what might happen if she got too involved. She imagined herself in jail for helping a murderer, with no means of getting out or anybody helping her and that scared her. She hadn't even had the courage to tell Louise her reason, instead she had used lame excuses about too much work. Louise hadn't said anything about it but Millie suspected that she knew. And yet she hadn't seemed too upset about it either, nor did she treat her, Millie, any different from before. And therefore guilt haunted Millie's sleep and made her restless. She tried to comfort herself with the thought that Louise seemed to have found someone to help her. That young man that had been to see her had returned and she knew that Louise had spent most part of day with him. She had overheard somebody referring to him as Louise's boyfriend and she couldn't help feeling a bit jealous. She would never get somebody to notice her. Sighing, she released that she wouldn't get more sleep that night and she threw of the blanket. She might as well get up and get some wood to make breakfast. She could eat it in bed and maybe read something from her book, she pondered as she dressed. She pulled away the curtains and saw the first few rays of the sun struggle to reach over the horizon. It would be a nice day and she cheered up a bit. Maybe she would try and talk to Louise today, maybe she could repair what friendship they had. Quietly she walked out and down the hall. Instinctively she gazed down the dark hallway that led to Louise's room. She was just about to pass when she saw something. Stopping in her tracks, she stepped back and took another look down the hall. The door to Louise's room was ajar. Millie stared unbelievingly at it. Louise would never leave her door open like that. Nervously she slowly walked closer as she heard strange sounds coming from the room. Millie froze in her steps. Something was wrong - very wrong. With her heart beating in her ears, she slowly walked closer, not sure what she would expect. Outside the door she stopped and listened to the sound that came from the room. It was a muffled sound, but it sounded almost human. Sometimes it was accompanied by a sound as if something was bounced against the wall. Slowly overcoming her fear, Millie softly whispered into the room. "Louise?" The sound stopped only to moments later return with renewed force. Indecisively, Millie remained where she was. The sound from inside became more frantic and taking a deep breath, Millie slowly opened the door with one hand, standing to the side in case something horrible would emerge from the room as the door was opened. When nothing happened, she dared to peek inside. In the soft gray light of the morning she saw somebody in the bed, but the position seemed wrong. The person had his or her hands over her head and seemed hampered in his, her movements…Louise! It was Louise! All carefulness forgotten Millie rushed
into the room and fumbling she lighted the small lamp to bring more
light. What she saw made her gasp with fear and surprised. Still dressed
in her working outfit, Louise's hands had been tied to the bedpost
and she had been gagged. The bedclothes were in a mess by her feet
and for a moment all Millie could do was just stare. Then she found
her limbs and quickly she moved over to the bed. She reached for the
rope around Louise's wrists first, but failing on untying them she
removed the gag. "The knife." Lou's voice wasn't
more than a harsh whisper. Millie followed her gaze and saw the Indian
knife that lay on the table. Unaccustomed to the weapon, Millie wearily
picked it up and stared at it. "Come on," Lou urged her, "cut
me loose." With trembling hands and fear of hurting
her, Millie did her best to cut Lou loose. But despite the sharp knife,
her clumsiness and fear of hurting Lou, the cutting took much longer
than expected. As soon as Lou felt the rope give in, she tore herself
away and rubbing her sore wrist s she got to her feet. "What happened?" Millie asked
tensely as she dropped the knife back on the table. "He took Buck," Lou mumbled
as she stared around her. She had to let Jimmy and Cody knew what
had happened. Turning to Millie she grabbed her by her arms. "You have to help me," she said.
"You have to tell Jimmy and Cody what happened and ask them to
meet me by the livery." "Who? And what am I supposed to tell
them?" Millie ask, stunned by Lou's outburst and the events.
"What happened? Who did this to you?" she asked again. "A bounty hunter. And he took Buck.
Millie, I don't have time to explain this to you, but you have to
tell Jimmy Hickok and Billy Cody to meet me at the livery. They're
staying at the hotel. If we can't get to Buck before they reach Sweetwater,
they're gonna hang him for something he didn't do!" The urgency in Lou's face and voice was
not to be denied and despite herself Millie felt herself nod. "I'll get Jimmy - Hickok and Billy
Cody to meet you at the livery as soon as possible" she repeated. "Yes - and you have to go now." "What are you going to do?" "I'm gonna change clothes - I promise
that I'll make this up to you some day Millie. You've been a good
friend." Not knowing what to say, Millie just nodded again and then she left. Lou heard her run down the steps as she turned to the drawer. Pulling out her rider's clothes she quickly shredded the saloon dress and with something aching to relief dressed up as a boy. She grabbed Buck's knife from the table and then she rushed down the stairs, no longer caring if anybody see her. She had only one thought in her mind - they had to get to Buck and Colter before they reached Sweetwater. Millie rushed down the street, her feet
now and then sliding on the loose gravel under them. Determined not
to fail he friend she rushed into the hotel lobby with her, all out
of breath. She managed to pause enough to get some air back in her
lungs and then she approached the night clerk that was still on duty. "Jimmy Hickok," she gasped,
picking the first name that came to mind. "Room 22," the clerk replied
and as she rushed up the stairs she could hear him call out from below.
"But you can't just run up
there, miss! Miss!" Ignoring the clerk's call, Millie run
from door to door, reading the numbers until she finally found no
22. Stopping just for a second she pounded her fist against the door.
She heard a muffled protest from inside and pounded the door again,
this time with both her hands. She was still doing this when the door
suddenly opened and she found her fists connecting with firm chest
muscles rather than the expected wooden door. "Hey, take it easy!" the man
before her grumbled as he grabbed her wrists. Seeing her distressed
face, he added gently; "Something wrong, miss?" Millie took a deep breath and tried to
breathe normally as she became acutely aware that the man wasn't even
dressed. Clad in only his long johns and with sleep still lingering
in his eyes he must have been abruptly awaken by her insistent banging
on the door. Blushing slightly, she tried to find enough air in her
lungs to speak. "Louise," she finally managed
to gasp, but before she could continue, the sleepy look disappeared
from the man's eyes and he pulled her into the room and close the
door. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he shook her impatiently, waiting
for her to collect herself. "What's with Lou?" he asked
harshly. Millie, whose mind still was trying to
recover from the shock of finding Louise tied up, swallowed hard. "They - he - took Mr. Cross. Louise
told me to get you or Mr. Cody. She said…" "Wait a minute," Jimmy replied
as he let go off her and rubbed his temples, trying to grasp what
the girl was saying, "who took Buck - eh - Cross?" "Louise called him Colter…but…" "Colter?" "Yes. You have to meet her at the
livery!" Millie finally managed to tell him. Jimmy still had a hard time grasping the situation, but the fact that Buck apparently was gone and that Lou needed to see them by the livery was enough for him to act. Pushing Millie out of the room he told her to wake up Cody and tell him to meet Jimmy downstairs in one minute. He hadn't more than closed the door behind her until he started to dress. A minute later he rushed down the stairs
only to find a pale Millie waiting in the lobby. Cody was on his heels
and appeared a few seconds later. "What the hell's goin' on?"
he asked as he saw Jimmy. "Ain't sure, except that Lou wants
us by the livery." He turned to Millie. "Thanks," he
said sincerely. "You better get back," he advised. "They will be all right, won't they?" "Yes." The reply was short and Millie had just to take one look at the determined face to know that the young man had every intention to see that they were. Nodding, she turned around and briskly walked back to the boarding house, still stunned by the quick changes.
Lou waited impatiently by the livery.
It was with some efforts she had managed to get pout both Jimmy's
and Cody's horses and only after insisting that they all were Express
rider had the owner allowed her to access all of them. Now she waited
for Jimmy and Cody to show up getting more upset for each minute that
passed without seeing them. She contemplated heading over to the hotel
herself in case something was wrong but quickly discarded the idea.
If Jimmy and Cody were on their way it would only be a waste of time.
Finally she saw them approaching and she sighed with relief. "Finally," she muttered when
they reached her. Not waiting for them she swung herself up in the
saddle when Jimmy rushed up to her and grabbed hold of the reins. "Whoa, Lou, wait a minute! Mind explaining
to us what happened?" "Didn't Millie tell you?" Lou
frowned. "Not all of it." "We ain't got time," Lou objected.
"Colter got Buck and if we don't catch up with'em he's gonna
take Buck back to be hanged!" "Hey - Teaspoon ain't gonna let Buck
hang," Cody objected as he rode up next to her. "If he has anything to say about,
he won't," Lou admitted. "But he has to follow the law -
and until we've found proof Buck didn't do it we know what the law
think. They'll hang him for sure" "Lou's right," Jimmy stated.
"We better get to Colter before Colter gets to Sweetwater. When
did they leave?" "They got a head start of 4 hours,"
Lou admitted between her teeth. "Then we better get going," Jimmy concluded as they spurred their horses into a gallop before they reached the city limit.
Millie, still feeling a bit stunned by the swift events of the morning, slowly walked up the stairs to her room when she heard voices from the hall where Louise's room where. Surprised, she slowly moved towards the hall, knowing that the only one staying there was Louise and she had left. As she peeked around the corner she saw light coming from Louise's room and she slowly moved forward. As she came closer the voices grew stronger and she frowned as she overheard them. "There's nothing here, Amelia. You
must have been wrong." "I saw her take the money, Mrs. Abell.
I saw it with mine own eyes! And by the mess here it's obvious that
she left - she must have suspected that I knew." "It doesn't make sense, Amelia,"
Mrs. Abell objected. "Louise didn't strike me as a girl that
would steal." Millie frowned as she listened. She knew
Louise wouldn't steal any money. Amelia was lying. She wasn't clear
of why she was lying, unless Amelia had stolen the money herself and
wanted to blame someone else. Millie had once witnessed Amelia putting
money in her own pocket, but she had been too afraid to tell anybody.
Now she deeply regretted her cowardice. Had she told Mrs. Abell back
then they she wouldn't have believed Amelia now. Millie leaned against the wall as she heard Amelia continue to argue with Mrs. Abell that they should send the sheriff after Louise. Millie knew that the sheriff was the last person that Louise wanted to encounter and it was with fear that she heard Mrs. Abell finally give in and stating that it was better they headed over to the sheriff. Without thinking Millie quickly moved from her place behind the door and opened it. All she knew was that she had to keep the sheriff off Louise's back.
Jimmy, Cody and Lou rode for all they
were worth. They didn't bother looking for any tracks as they hadn't
the time. The sun rose as they wearily pushed for Sweetwater. It was
midday when the finally reached familiar grounds. Lou was so intent
on getting there that she never noticed the look that passed between
Jimmy and Cody. Not until Jimmy reached over and grabbed her reins,
did she turn to them. "What are you doing?" she growled
at him. "We'll be in Sweetwater in a few
hours, Lou," Jimmy said. "So?" Jimmy and Cody exchanged glares. Lou saw
it and stared at them. "What is it?" she demanded hotly. "You can't go there," Jimmy
said. "You're still wanted, Lou,"
Cody added. "If you head into town, you'll be
arrested." Lou stared at them. She had completely forgotten the fact that she was on the Wanted poster too. "Then what do we do?" she asked silently. |
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Part
24
