TRAIL OF DREAMS
TRAIL OF DREAMS© Courtnee
Lou patted Lightning's neck and sighed, her breath visible in the cold night
air, they were nearing Rock Creek and the comfort of a warm bed. Every muscle
in her body screamed in protest to the rough riding, and her head pounded with
every sound. Her arms ached to hold her son; she had missed him so much. This
was the first time she had ever spent more than a day separated from him. She
steered her horse to walk beside the wagon. Jeremiah and Theresa were bundled
up in the bed, peacefully sleeping, which she intended to do within the next
few hours.
After a brief talk with Kid, Lou headed to the station, the desire to lay eyes
on Noah foremost in her mind. Roughly a mile from her destination, Lou was startled
by the lone gunshot that echoed across the land. With out a doubt she knew it
had come from their home. Spurring her horse into a hard gallop, she was thankful
for the illumination the full moon afforded her.
A scream broke through the night, startling Lou. It had come from the direction
of the barn. She unsheathed her gun, as she took of in a dead run to the building.
That had been a woman's voice.
Once again, the pounding in her heart rose up to overwhelm her. She held the
riffle, the butt resting against her shoulder and her right hand trembling on
the trigger. And the only thing that kept her feet rooted to the floor was fear.
The fear that something terrible would befall her if she moved, maybe they couldn't
see her if she didn't so much as wiggle a toe. But she knew that wasn't so,
could feel their eyes piercing into her, waiting. Time seemed to slow down,
the seconds expanding into minutes, then hours, until the weight of the riffle
as well as the fear threatened to pull her to the ground.
A movement to the left of her caught her eye. She swung around, the riffle
waver in her hands by the sudden movement. She briefly wondered how many men
where hidden in the pitch-black barn. She only had two bullets, no more.
"Who…who's there?" Her voice, trembling and weak, sounded to
her ears as coming from a different person.
"Rachel?"
The voice startled her. Her body jerked visibly and her finger jumped on the
trigger. The force of the riffle blast nearly knocked her off her feet. A dull
ache formed in her shoulder where the butt had kicked her.
Then the realization hit her. She had recognized that voice. And even though
it had been two years ago since she last heard it, it hadn't changed a bit.
"Buck!" She dropped the gun to the floor, with a soft thud. She felt
her way to the place she had seen the movement a minute before. "Buck?"
A low groan led her to a dazed Buck. She dropped to her knees and bent over
his head. "Are you hurt, Buck?"
"Rachel?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you. I…I didn't mean to pull
the trigger, I just…" She was at a loss for words. What could she
say? Searching for a wound, she pressed her hands to his chest, then his arms
and legs. Nothing. Finally she lifted them to his face. With a puzzled sigh
she sat back on her haunches. She hadn't found blood anywhere. "Buck, where
are ya hurt?"
He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the ground beside him, "Rachel, don't
move. Stay down." He whispered into her ear.
She heard a note of panic in his words. And then she realized there was someone
else in the barn with them, a menacing presence hidden in the dark cover of
night. Her eyes shifted around the room, but nothing was evident to suggest
a hidden person. Buck rolled onto his stomach then began to pull himself away
from the sliver of light the door admitted. "Stay behind me," he flung
back to her, so softly she was sure she had imagined it. Their destination was
two barrels of feed, about six feet ahead.
A moment later they crouched behind the barricade. Buck, a gun in one hand
and knife in the other, carefully peeked over the top of one barrel. Rachel
sat with her back against the other, her mind racing with unanswered questions.
Noah was asleep in the house. She had to get back there before he awoke. He
would undoubtedly cry when that happened, and his wails had a tendency to carry.
Even as far as the barn. And if they didn't survive this, what would happen
to him then? She had no idea what sort of character this man was, had no knowledge,
for that matter, what it was he was after. She wondered if Buck knew.
The next few seconds caught them off guard. Even though Buck anticipated an
attack, he had been unaware of the shadow that moved closer and closer to its
unsuspecting victims. Rachel let out a startled scream as a grimy hand pulled
her from behind the barrels, but quickly cut it off when the cold metal of a
blade lay at her throat. She could no longer see Buck nor could she hear the
comforting sound of his breathing.
Rachel was jerked roughly to her feet, then, shielding the man from any attempted
bullet holes, was dragged backwards. He had clamped his dirty hand over her
mouth, preventing any helpful tips to aid her protector in escape.
An angry growl was uttered near her ear, "If ya try an'thing I'll slit
yer throat." And to Buck, "Don'cha go an' play hero, cause I'll kill
her, don'cha think I won't do it."
Rachel resisted the urge to retch at his foul smelling breath. They were moving
deeper into the barn, as well as the darkness. The only advantage Buck and her
had was that they knew every inch of the barn, where as the man didn't. And
even though she couldn't see him, she knew Buck was somewhere close by, at that
moment devising a plan to end this miserable tirade.
The simultaneous introductions of two new players in the game of hide and seek,
left Rachel reeling. As the man continued in his role of backing up, he had
not noticed the horse stall directly behind him. And whether stemmed from dislike
of being awakened or just plain dislike for the intruder, Katy reached her head
over the stall door and proceeded to bite the man on his shoulder. At the same
time, Lou flashed an entrance into the barn.
The man released his hold on Rachel and swung around, a curse slipping from
his lips. Rachel dropped to the ground and rolled away. Buck had not been caught
unaware this time, but took advantage of the sudden change in events. He raised
the butt of his gun and brought it down with a sickening crack to the man's
unsuspecting head.
"Rachel? You in here?"
"Lou, light a lantern, quick." Buck had the man turned on his back, a gun pressed to his chest. A few seconds later, blessed light filled the room, showing a dazed
Rachel still on the ground, Buck firmly in control of the situation, and a
very dirty young man lying unconscious on the floor.
Lou hesitantly holstered her gun, a weary eye on the criminal, and crossed
to Rachel. The lantern swung back and forth, the light dancing with each step.
She held out a hand to offer her friend assistance. "You okay, Rachel?"
Rachel dusted the hay and dirt from her backside. "Sure, Lou, just a little
shook up is all. Nothin' a hot cup of coffee won't cure." She made a half-hearted
attempt at a smile, to quell the worry that was evident in Lou's eyes.
"Where's Noah?"
"He's still sleepin' in the house. Safe an' sound." Rachel walked
up beside Buck. "Guess we better get 'im into town. I'm thinkin' Teaspoon'll
be here real soon." She looked to Lou for conformation. After receiving
a nod, placed her hand on Buck's shoulder. "You all right?" He turned
his head to the side, staring at her over his shoulder. That was when she noticed
the long, jagged cut from his cheek to his ear. So, she hadn't missed, had in
fact, nearly blown off his head. Which is, no doubt what would have happened
if it'd been an inch closer to his nose? "Oh my! Buck, I…"
Buck stood, convinced by the knot on his head, the man wouldn't be doing any
harm anytime soon. "Rachel, 'pology excepted. Ya couldn't have known who
you was shootin' at." He raised a hand to his wound, fingering it gently.
"It don't hurt all that much, anyhow."
"Well let's get you to the house, won't do any harm to take a closer look."
Buck turned back to their prisoner. "I'll take 'im into town, first."
Rachel and Lou entered the old bunkhouse, sheets, pillows, and blankets in hand.
A small fire was blazing in the hearth. As they readied the beds for use, Rachel
told her everything that had happened before she'd arrived. They both had questions
for Buck, as they were curious of his return and all that had transpired with
it.
After that was finished Lou headed out to ready the holding pen, while Rachel
fixed a pallet for the two children. By the time they were finished, Buck had
returned, a solemn expression chiseled his features.
Rachel set out three cups in front of them, filled with steaming black coffee.
She had already examined his cut, and decided it would heal in no time. Even
though she felt guilty about it, she knew she'd only reacted to the situation.
And that gave her piece of mind, somewhat. "What brings you back here,
Buck?"
With a deep sigh, and a smile to hide his shyness, he replied, "Missed
your cookin'. Haven't met a woman yet, who can best your biscuits."
Rachel beamed a smile, "You're startin' to sound like Cody."
A serious look came over his face, "Do you ever talk to any of the boys?
Or see them anymore?"
Lou piped up an entrance into the conversation, "Kid just got back from
the war."
Buck lit his questioning gaze on her, not wishing to ask why he had left the
war.
"He was injured in one of the battles, shattered his knee," she said.
Rachel took a drink from her mug before replying, "We haven't seen or
heard anyone else, 'cept for you. Teaspoon and Kid are do home any minute now,
with a herd of horses and oxen."
"Why?"
Rachel glanced quickly at Lou, she wondered what Buck would think, or if he'd
go with them. "The station's been sold. Russell, Majors, and Waddell went
bankrupt or so we've heard. They're selling off all of 'em." She leaned
forward, "We're packin' up and movein' ta Oregon."
Buck raised his eyebrows at the revelation. He wasn't naïve, he'd known
there would be changes, there always were, but he'd never considered that the
express station would be sold.
"You're welcome to join us. We need all the extra hands we can get. Teaspoon
just hired on two men to make the journey with us." Lou hoped he'd say
yes. Even though she hadn't been as close to him as she was to Kid and Jimmy,
she considered Buck family. And she felt he had nowhere else to go, regardless
that he hadn't said as much out loud.
Buck looked at both women. He knew they cared for him, they all did, Teaspoon,
Kid, Cody, Jimmy. This was the first family he'd ever really had, and he'd missed
that over the last couple years. That's why he'd come back, he was ready to
belong somewhere. The flier he'd read so long ago, had given him a reason to
live and a family to love.
He'd go with them, and they'd all make a good life. Together.
