Vicky felt content as she stirred from sleep. She rolled back and bumped into a warm body. She felt strong arms tighten about her waist and pulled her tight. She sighed.
"Jeremy." She mumbled.
"Sh. It's alright. I'm here. You're safe." He murmured.
She realized with a start that Quinton held her. She started to rise but he held her. She realized from the fading daylight coming through the window that she'd been asleep the better part of the day. Quinton had obviously kept vigil and stayed with her.
His protective embrace and his comforting words meant she probably tossed in her sleep, maybe she had nightmares. She remembered Jeremy; it was like seeing a ghost. Just like that he was gone again and she was alone again. She would have thought it a dream but for Quinton's presence. Did she tell him she'd seen Jeremy?
She didn't remember much after Katie insisted she drink some medicine to calm her. She must have been in a frightful state. She patted Quinton's hand and sighed. He was right, she was safe...and so was Jeremy. Not wanting to disturb Quinton, and still sleepy from the laudanum, she settled back to sleep.
---
Their strange little family was rather shaken after the sheriff rode off. Reuben and Edward sat quietly playing checkers in the parlor. Penelope retreated to Zeke's room to read to him. Quinton, of course, went to be at Vicky's side.
Katie was too upset to do anything. She just sat in her rocker on the porch, keeping company with her thoughts. It was a lucky thing that Penelope had come for a visit. Katie knew what friends the two women were and thought it must be a comfort to Vicky to know that her friend was here.
Penelope, of course, immediately decided to stay a few more days, to be sure that Vicky was good and truly well before she returned to town. Katie was till alone with her thoughts when the sheriff came back.
"Sherriff." She greeted without rising as he dismounted and looped his reins on the porch rail.
"Is Mr. McClintock about?" he asked politely as he removed his hat.
"The Captain's inside with the Missus. Come on into the kitchen then. Help yourself to a cup of coffee while I fetch me son." She pointed to the stove then turned down the hall, leaving him to fend for himself.
She stopped outside the door and listened. It was quiet. She slowly cracked the door open and listened again, not wanting to intrude. It was silent so she peeked inside. They were still sleeping. Quietly Katie slipped into the room and paused a moment at the sight of them curled up on the bed. She smiled sadly as she went around and set a hand on Quinton's shoulder.
"Quinton." She whispered. "Son?"
He stirred.
"Sh." She whispered.
Quinton blinked awake and gently rolled away from Vicky. She stirred but didn't seem to wake. He sat on the edge of the bed and smiled down at her before he turned to Katie.
"The sheriff is back. He says he needs to talk to you."
"Thanks." He smiled, "Ma."
She smiled and preceded him from the room. She passed through the kitchen to resume her commune with her thoughts in her rocker on the porch. She wished the badness would leave them with the setting of the sun.
"Sheriff." Quinton held out his hand.
"Mr. McClintock."
---
Vicky heard the door click. She blinked awake and realized she was alone. Bless his heart; he hadn't wanted to disturb her. A loud rumble surprised her. She chuckled as she sat up. She stood and stretched. Her arms ached? And she was sore. But more than that, she was starved!
She slipped from the room and padded in her bare feet to the kitchen.
"...confirmed that the body we found was the bandit that attacked your wife—what the—"
Quinton heard it too and spun on his heels. Vicky lay in a heap in the doorway.
"Vicky!" He ran to her and his fingers went to her neck.
Her pulse was steady. He sighed as he scooped her into his arms to carry her back to the bedroom. He settled her gently on the bed and turned. The sheriff followed.
"Is she alright?"
"Yes. I think she heard some of what you said. She was very upset when I found her..."
He followed the sheriff's gaze and realized that her arms were badly bruised. He looked more carefully and noticed a long cut down one arm from elbow to wrist. Her other arm had cuts on the underside of her forearm as well. Scratches really, but surely Jeremy wouldn't have...Maybe there was another?
"I'd best be going. You need to see to your wife. I'm glad they got the bastard though. Attacking a woman is just low. She put up a fight though. Doc said her injuries look like defensive wounds, like she held up her arms to fend him off like." The sherriff paused and Quinton looked up in time to see him demonstrate holding his arms across his face.
"Doc said she wasn't hurt beyond the bruising and I'm glad for that." The sherriff continued. " Thought you might like to know I wired the commanding officer of the fort. The currier got through to the fort okay and their story checks out. The C.O. said any bounty on that bandit is to go to your wife."
"Thank you." Quinton was only half listening. Something about the bruising and scrapes didn't feel right. "I hope you don't mind seeing yourself out?"
"Not at all." The sheriff looked down at his hat in his hands and turned to go. At the doorway he stopped and added, "I'll be in touch if there's a bounty."
Quinton nodded then turned his attention to Vicky. She must have heard the sherriff say her attacker was dead. She hadn't been told yet that Jeremy got through okay. The shock of it in her current state must have been too much after all those months of worry. He reached for the cloth in the basin of water next to the bed as he heard the door click shut and wrung it mostly dry.
"No!" she mumbled suddenly as he touched it to her cheek.
Quinton leaned close and whispered comforting words as he touched the cloth to her cheek again.
"NO!" she cried out more forcefully and began pounding at him with her fists.
He scooped her into his arms, taking the blows until she was fully awake.
"No. No. No. No." She mewed between her sobs. "Nooooo."
"Jeremy's okay." He heard the agony and grief in her denial. He'd felt the same in his own heart when he held his daughter's body.
"No. No. No." She whispered then hiccupped.
"The man that died...he wasn't Jeremy. He was a bandit that was killed in a shoot-out with soldiers after he shot Jeremy." He whispered urgently, trying to break through the grief that overwhelmed her.
"No. No. No. No." her voice was raspy through the tears that now fell silently, her sobs no longer shook her weary body.
"Jeremy's okay." He whispered urgently once more. "He wasn't the man that was killed. Jeremy made it back to the fort okay. He's alive."
She suddenly stilled in his arms and he heard her sniffle.
"He's alive?" her voice was barely a whisper.
"He's alive." Quinton sighed his own relief that she finally understood. "He was attacked at the road. He was shot by a bandit, but the soldiers were there. They killed the bandit and escorted Jeremy back to the fort. He's safe."
It was all so much to grasp. Jeremy was gone for months and she feared him dead. When she saw him alive at last, it was like seeing a ghost. He was so pale and looked so unlike the man she remembered. And he was gone so suddenly, before she could tell him anything. And then she heard he was dead, only it wasn't him that was dead. He was shot, but he was safe. She felt relieved... and exhausted.
She sighed but it came out more of a quivering whimper. She relaxed against him. Quinton kissed the top of her head.
"You should rest." He whispered as he tried to disentangle her arms from around his middle.
"Please don't leave me." she whispered, clinging to his sleeve. "I don't want to be alone."
"If I stay, will you rest?" He saw the anguish of the past few months etched in the circles under her eyes, the crease in her brow, and the tears glistening in her eyes.
She nodded and sniffled. To Quinton, she suddenly looked like a chastened child. He smiled at her.
"Alright then. Lie down." He eased her to the pillows. He kissed her forehead and eased her fingers from his sleeve so he could walk around to the other side.
He lay down on the bed and propped his hands behind his head, a favorite pose when he needed to think. He turned his head toward the rustle of fabric. She scooted over to snuggle against his side, resting her head on his shoulder. As she reached her arm across his stomach, he brought his arms down to hold her.
"It's going to be alright, Vicky." He kissed the top of her head and wished for all the world he could take away her heartache.
"Thank you, Quin." She whispered.
Within moments, Quinton felt her breathing grow shallow and knew she was sleeping.
---
As Kelli changed into her riding clothes she tried to get the mark fixed in her mind. Jeremy said the man was rather large and he seemed made of stone, unaffected by most blows. He also said the man was surprisingly limber and quick on his feet for a man of his size. She'd have to be careful not to underestimate him.
She tucked her derringer in her reticule and wished immediately it were a larger weapon. Her dagger was strapped to her thigh, and a second was hidden in her hair comb. Still, she felt naked.
Jeremy said the man was something of a bully which meant he was probably insecure. He handled Slim and Kid, which meant he was faster and smarter than them both. All of this added up to pure trouble.
She took a last look in the mirror before she headed out. Jeremy's words rang in her ears. "Like as not, he's meaner than the both of them together."
---
Jeremy rolled in his sleep and woke instantly. He groaned as he recalled the events that led up to this moment. He had his message now and he needed to get out of here to deliver it. But he'd be damned if he could get his head off the pillow without passing out! A fine mess he'd made.
He chuckled, which turned into a powerful coughing fit which left him gasping for breath against the pain and burned through his chest. His time was short. The coughing spells were becoming more frequent and his fatigue seemed an ever present companion. He just prayed he'd live long enough to finish this mission. The fate of the Union might very well depend on it!
There were many secret societies operating on both sides of this impending conflict. But the Knights of the Golden Circle were by far the most dangerous to the Union. It had far reaching political influence and they were extremely well financed, though the sources were unknown. Their mission was to control the gold and silver and other mineral deposits from California, Nevada, and Colorado.
To accomplish this, they aimed first to win the New Mexico Territory. Troops gathered in Texas to march across the river. Jeremy felt a familiar relief that his family had escaped. Once the K.G.C. secured those resources, the south could upset the balance of power and tip the scales in their favor when war erupted and Jeremy was certain it would... very soon.
He just hoped another day wouldn't make too much difference, because when he was honest with himself he knew it would take at least that long for him to be able to stand. Berating himself for his foolishness, he gave into the pain and fatigue and slept.
---
The door burst open and Jeremy reached for his gun. His arm was bound in a sling and the motion pained him sorely.
"Tell me everything you can about this Boise fellow." Smith shouted, standing at the foot of the bed raging like mad bull.
"What's the ornery cuss done now?"
"His kidnapped Kelli is what. She went out for a ride yesterday. When she didn't come back we went looking for her. We didn't find Kelli." Smith looked with fire in his eyes as he thrust a paper at Jeremy. "But we found her buggy and we found this."
With his left hand, Jeremy took the paper and recognized Kelli's neat hand immediately.
I know you killed Slim and Kid and now it's your turn to die. Be at El Paradiso at sun up tomorrow. Come alone and unarmed or Kelli dies with you. She's quite the lovely little thing.
Jeremy crumpled the missive and swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. He tossed the covers back and forced himself to sit up. As he swung his feet to the floor and stilled to let the dizzy pass.
"Tell me about this meeting place."
"It's good a choice as any, I suppose. It's a park, open and flat like. Sometimes we use it for marching drills. There's no trees to speak of and no cover anywhere close enough for us to set up an ambush..."
"I'll have to go in then. But I'll be damned if I'll go unarmed. He knows I killed Slim—so he probably knows I'm shot too. We'll use that."
"You can't hide a colt in that sling."
"No, but I can hide a derringer in it. And since I can't stay in the saddle, I can hide a rifle out of sight in her buggy."
"You can't." Smith seemed to choke on his anger and frustration. "Kelli—"
"It's Kelli I'm thinking of. Now I'm going. I'll demand he let Kelli ride out in the buggy. She's good with the ribbons and she's good with the rifle. I'll have the derringer. I don't think it's enough to stop him unless I make a head shot. But if I get close enough, I can't miss."
"I don't like it. What if—"
"No! He'll kill Kelli sure as shit. But he'll have fun with her first. He'll hurt her bad just so he can hurt me. Obviously our little charade worked because he believes she's something special to me." Jeremy flinched, "beyond our friendship, of course. Look, if it makes you feel better, I don't like it either but what choice do we have? "
"Alright." Smith sighed. His shoulders slouched as if in defeat. Then he took a deep breath and straightened. "I'll send men out to scout tonight. Maybe I can get a sharpshooter in place and find a place to watch with a spyglass. We can be ready to ride in. It won't make any difference, mind you. You'll be dead before we get there, but we'll get the bastard."
"I'm sorry Jim. I know how much Kelli—"
"No. I won't hear it. Danger is part of the job. Kelli knew that going in. She—"
"What do you mean going in? You sent her after Boise? The man's a wildcard at best. Except for mean he's unpredictable." Jeremy's voice rose with his anger and the implications. He felt his chest tighten but ignored it.
"How could you think—" Jeremy gasped suddenly as another coughing fit seized him, violently wracking his body.
He moaned as it ceased and wiped the blood from his mouth on his sleeve. He fought to catch his breath and glared at Smith. The man would be the death of him yet. A weary smile tugged at his lips at the irony of it all. It was his dying that made him ideal for this mission in the first place.
"Tell me what you can about this place. I'll tell you what I can about the man. Between the two of us we'll get Kelli back."
Smith nodded and pulled up a chair.