by Sable Hunter
Reno was safe.
As tears streamed down her face, she began to read about the King’s Ransom employee who’d been missing for a month and was believed to be dead. The story Reno related wasn’t the way it happened, of course, but she couldn’t expect him to be frank about the details. What struck her was how believable he made it all sound. Allegedly, he’d been attacked by a band of raiders and his injuries caused a loss of memory. When he came to himself, he’d been able to make his way home. Simple. Further down in the article, Journey was also glad to see how Reno properly identified the men who attacked him, calling out for their arrest to put an end to their reign of terror and deceit. “Looks like you’re taking care of business, love.”
As she held the paper, Journey noticed it was folded. With careful fingers, she opened it wide – and her mouth dropped open. There stood Reno, the love of her life, looking exceptionally handsome. Alive and well. The part of the photo that disturbed her was the very attractive young lady hanging off his arm. It was disgusting how happy the strange woman appeared as she clung to Journey’s husband. “Who the hell are you, tramp? And why are you smiling?”
* * *
“Do you think you can use this information to help us, Mr. Wallace?” Reno asked as he and Gentry sat across the desk from the esteemed lawyer.
He cleared his throat and rubbed his forehead. “As of a few hours ago, my associates were still verifying some of the details and conducting interviews. If I was able to present this evidence, the answer is yes. I believe I’d be able to gain Cole’s release.”
“Well, hallelujah!” Reno was ecstatic. His heart soared with relief and exultation.
“Not so fast,” Wallace tapped the marble-topped desk. “I said if I was able to present the evidence.”
“What would prevent you from doing so?” A niggle of uncertainty crept into Reno’s mind.
“First, I need to know where this information came from.” He waved his hand over the extensive, explicit notes.
Reno looked at Gentry who gave a slight shrug of uncertainty.
“I hired a private detective.” Unfortunately, he was becoming quite adroit at lying on the fly.
Wallace held Reno’s eye for a long space. “Must have cost a pretty penny, these witnesses are spread out all over the country.”
“I was motivated. I refuse to let my brother be executed for the crime committed by a man whose every action has been one of revenge against me and my friends. If you need more information on Jubal Pierce, I’ll tell you anything you want to know. The only thing I can’t produce is the man himself, he’s been dead for almost a year.”
“Yes, I’m aware.” He let out a long breath, still seeming to be bothered by something. “Well, there’s a problem.”
“What problem?” Reno felt his heart rise into his throat in panic.
“As we were conducting our interviews, word of our actions got back to members of the military tribunal. I don’t have to tell you how beloved General Winthrop was to his men and all those who knew him.”
“Yes, I know this to be true, but that fact doesn’t change the truth of Cole’s innocence in the matter.”
“No, but Winthrop has multitudes of loyalists and several of them sit on the tribunal. I just received a telegram that your brother’s case has been placed under conditions of martial law, which overrides any civil law or function. The military tribunal has declared the matter settled. There will be no trial. Cole’s execution has been moved up and will take place in two days.”
Reno jumped up. “Well, what are we waiting for?”
Wallace held up his hand. “I’ve already called for a carriage to carry us to the train station. Transport will meet us in Raleigh to take us the rest of the way overnight. I have requested an audience with the tribunal for tomorrow afternoon.” He sighed heavily, obviously concerned. “Black, I’ll give this my best effort, but I can make no promises. Until we arrive, I won’t even know if they’ll grant me an opportunity to address the assembly. The tribunal is obviously prejudiced against your brother.”
“Only because they haven’t heard the evidence,” Gentry pointed out with hopeful confidence.
“We’ll see.” Wallace rose to gather his things.
“Oh, sir. One thing.” Reno approached Wallace’s desk. “Have you received a package for me or my friend, Gentry Nelson? It would’ve come from Boston. It’s very important.”
Wallace waved toward the front office. “I wouldn’t know. You can speak to my law clerk.”
With a glance to Gentry, Reno did as Wallace instructed. “Excuse me, sir,” he spoke to the young gentleman manning the desk. “Has a package been delivered for Gentry Nelson or Reno Black? The return address would be in Boston.”
“One moment, I’ll check.” The clerk squatted behind the desk to check through a mound of mail. “No, sir. No package from Boston.”
Reno froze. He felt the strength leave his body like water through a sieve.
Suddenly, Gentry stepped up with a gold piece in his hand. “This package is of utmost importance. I would appreciate it if you would personally see that it is shipped, post haste, to King’s Ransom Ranch, Kingsland, Texas. In care of Sir. Gentry Nelson, Duke of Montagu.”
The clerk beamed. “Absolutely, Your Highness. I’m honored to be of service.”
“Thank you, Gentry.”
As Gentry directed Reno to the carriage, he clapped him on the back. “What’s the use of money or a title if you can’t use them to help a friend?”
CHAPTER THIRTY
“There’s a package for you, sweetie.”
“Thank you, Aunt Myra! It’s probably those blank labels I ordered.” Journey called as she finished writing a new essential oil recipe for hair loss. “Now, let’s see…five drops each of cedarwood, rosemary, lavender, and thyme. Mix this combo with eight teaspoons of olive oil, blend well, and rub into your scalp at each shampoo. Extra note: Can also be used for dandruff control.” She finished the directions with a flourish. “There. All done.” She patted the parchment paper that would be included with the shipment.
“No, I don’t think so. This package is from a bookstore,” Myra announced as she joined Journey in the sunroom.
“Oh!” Journey jumped up. “That’s Emory’s book!”
“Really?” Myra hovered near to see what her niece pulled from the wrapping. “That looks interesting. I’d like to see it when you’re finished.”
“Of course.” Journey couldn’t wait to look. “I think I’ll go sit in the swing by the rose garden.”
“Okay, you go ahead.” Myra clapped her hands together. “Since Lou’s coming today, I think I’ll bake a cake.”
“You’re spoiling her. The first thing you know, she’ll be moving in,” Journey warned good-naturedly as she left by the kitchen door.
On her way across the yard, her heart beat faster. What would she find between the covers of Emory’s book? As she moved past the rose garden, an ache grew in the middle of her chest as she remembered taking her vows with Reno. With a still empty journal and the disturbing newspaper article, Journey needed something to lift her spirits.
Immediately, she felt guilty. Without a doubt, the piece from the Austin paper was proof positive that Reno made it back in time. That assurance alone was worth everything to her. Who the woman was in the photo was immaterial.
Okay, if she kept telling herself that – she might begin to believe it.
Still, knowing he wasn’t lost or injured during the trip through the portal was an immeasurable relief.
Settling in the swing, she folded her legs beneath her, and opened the thin, hard cover. The book was so old, there was a definite musty smell to the yellowed pages. The title page made her gasp a delighted laugh. TALL TALES OF TEXAS, The Adventures of Rio Grey. “Not very subtle, Emory. I love it.”
As she perused the table of contents, Journey realized the book retold some of the same stories included in Saul’s journal. She found one about Amelia’s r
escue entitled Captive No More. There was also one about Reno teaching the boys how to fish entitled Comedy of Errors, and an intriguing one called The Night Everything Changed. An almost urgent curiosity consumed her – she wanted to read them all at that same moment. Until…a couple of sentences on one page in a story entitled A Wise Woman caught her eye. To lose her so senselessly was hard, especially so close to losing Rio. Since Ela meant so much to our friend, we took her murder personally.
“Oh, no. Oh, my God.” Journey flipped to the beginning of the segment and began to read. Frantically, she skimmed the pages, seeing the mention of many things she’d heard from Reno’s own lips. Emory’s retelling captured Ela’s essence, a kind nurturing individual with gifts so mysterious she seemed otherworldly. And then she found a heart-wrenching account of Rio’s preacher friend finding her crumpled body lying outside her cave where she’d been bludgeoned in the head with a rock. The shining beacon of her benevolent wisdom would shine no more in this life.
If the book weren’t so old and so precious, Journey would have thrown it across the lawn. Instead, she sat it down on the other side of the swing – as if putting distance between herself and the book could erase what she’d just read. Standing to her feet, she walked blindly to the corral fence and leaned against the rough wood. Was this just a story? Or was it true? Did Reno return to find Ela already dead? The horrific implications made her weak. Nauseated. She rested her head against the post and let the realization seep into her soul.
If Ela were gone, Reno would have no way to come home. No one to guide him safely through the portal. With anguish, she clasped the railing in both hands, digging her nails into the wood – and screamed.
In a few moments, Brandon came rushing from the barn. “What’s wrong, Miss Journey?”
She was crying so hard she couldn’t speak.
“Grandpa!”
Kota came too, hurrying as best as his arthritic knees would allow. “Journey, what’s the matter?” Together, they led her back to the swing and Kota sat down next to her. “Brandon, go ask Ms. Myra for a glass of water for her niece.”
“Yes, sir.” He took off at a run.
“I’m…I’m…fine.” She hiccupped a sob.
“I can tell.” He sat patiently with her, waiting for her to find the words. Before she could begin to speak, Brandon returned with the water and Kota took it in his hand, sending the boy on his way. “Go finish up for me in the barn, son.” Once they were alone, Kota held the water while she took a few sips, then relinquished the glass for her to hold. “I’m listening, little one.”
Journey reached for the book at her side. “Emory, Saul’s little brother, wrote this.” She showed him the title. “Some of the tales are fictionalized stories about Reno. One of the chapters is about Ela. It says she was murdered just a few days after Reno disappeared.”
At first, Kota said nothing. Journey assumed he was allowing the cruel fact to sink in. “Unfortunately, it is impossible for us to know one way or the other. Perhaps Emory was using artistic licensing to make the story more interesting.”
“No. He wouldn’t do that.”
“We don’t know what he’d do. Regrettably, our information is limited on these people who lived so long ago.”
Journey took another drink of water and stared out across the pasture toward Enchanted Rock. As she did, it occurred to her that she hadn’t shared the good news with Kota. “I did learn Reno made it safely back in time.”
“Wonderful!” A big smile creased his weathered face. “The journal delivered his message. Did he say anything more?”
“This news didn’t come from the journal. I found a newspaper article in a box of old papers that belongs to the Blackhawk family. An Austin paper interviewed him about the month he was missing. The headline read COWBOY COMES BACK FROM THE DEAD.”
“Catchy title.”
“He spun a story about having amnesia. Although, they didn’t use that word. I don’t think they knew about the condition back then.”
“Probably not.” He shifted his weight in the swing, reaching up to hold onto the support chain. “At least we can celebrate his safe arrival.”
“There was an accompanying photograph. A woman was in the picture with him.”
Kota turned his head to look at Journey. “I can tell by your voice you are jealous of this woman. Does the article identify her?”
“No.”
“Forget her.” He dismissed the idea with a wave. “She probably wanted her picture in the paper.”
In spite of her worry, Journey had to laugh. “Are you saying this was a photobomb?”
“That’s right. Reno wouldn’t have moved on so quickly from you. He was in love.”
“He is in love,” she corrected him. “Although, I have no idea why he hasn’t sent the message to me as promised. What if he knows he has to stay in the past and he doesn’t know how to tell me?” Her voice rose in a panic.
“There’s a reason he hasn’t responded, but it’s not indecision. Reno would not leave you wondering. He loves you and the babe too much to do that. No, there’s a reason he hasn’t contacted you. Do you still have the journal?”
“Yes, I looked at it this morning. It was still empty.”
“Good. That means it hasn’t been destroyed.”
“Are you saying if something happened to the journal in that time, our journal would just disappear?”
“I would assume so, yes.” He dry-scrubbed his face. “Who knows? This mystical shit wears me out.”
Journey wasn’t through with her fretting. “If he has to stay in the past, I wouldn’t want him to be alone.” The thought brought a frown to her face. “I just don’t want him to fall for the woman in the photo. I don’t like her.”
“Slow down, you’re getting ahead of yourself.”
“You’re right.” She reached over and took the old man’s hand, needing the support. “Are you sure you were never told when or how Ela died?”
Kota stared at the ground in front of the swing, letting out a harsh breath. “No. Details of her life were never the focus. Only her teachings mattered. I’m afraid the answer to that question is lost in the mists of time.”
“If Ela’s not there to help Reno, he won’t be able to return to me, will he?”
Kota hesitated to say. “I’m not certain. It would be risky. If Ela is gone, Reno will have to make that decision himself.”
Journey’s mind was racing. “Surely there’s something we can do.”
Kota held up the glass, offering her more water. “I know of nothing. We will have to wait to see what the full moon brings.”
“I’m not sure if I can wait that long to make a decision.” She tightened her grip on his hand. “Kota, you have to do something. If Reno can’t come to me, I want to go to him.”
“No.” The old man stood slowly to his feet and began to shuffle off.
“Kota! Wait!” She rose to follow him. “You have to help me.”
“I will not. I told you, you must have faith.” With that, he waved off her protests and returned to the barn.
Journey was left behind to imagine the worst.
* * *
“Distinguished Members of the Military Tribunal, my name is Kenneth Wallace and it is an honor to be allowed to present the facts of this case to you. We have witnesses ready to testify as to the falsehood of these allegations and we have testimonials and affidavits from those who could not arrive here in time to testify in person. Due to time constraints, some of these items will be in the form of legally notarized telegrams. Nevertheless, by the culmination of the irrefutable evidence that will be presented to you today, I will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt the innocence of my client, Cole Wesley Black.”
Reno sat next to Gentry at the back of the military courtroom, his eyes trained on his brother. Cole looked thin and pale. As Reno stared, Cole glanced back, his face brightening when he recognized Reno. The banging of the judge’s gavel made him turn away to face the front.
“Do you think he’ll get a fair hearing?” Reno asked Gentry.
The Englishman leaned near to whisper out of the corner of his mouth. “I’d feel better if they wore powdered wigs, all of those bald heads make me nervous.”
Reno had to hide a grin, but soon that smile was gone as he listened to the lawyer make his arguments. The judges asked question after question, but Wallace had answers for them all. Soon, it came time for the witnesses and Reno was relieved to see the young drummer boy enter the courtroom. Only, he wasn’t young or little anymore. Jerome Grassley was a strapping young man with a booming voice. And when one of the military judges asked him to explain in his own words what he remembered of the encounter between the Black brothers, his response was unequivocally in Cole’s favor.
Next, came the evidence to support the theory of Jubal Pierce being the traitor. Telegram after telegram from people who knew Pierce was read attesting to the illegalities he traded in, the underhanded methods he used to worm his way into positions where he could be privy to information that he could sell to the highest bidder. Finally, a former Union soldier was brought to the stand who testified that he witnessed Jubal pass what he knew to be false intelligence to a Union general. This deceit resulted in Frederick Winthrop being ordered to attack the Confederate line in a fortified location, resulting in his death.
Reno studied the faces of the tribunal members, searching for any sign they were being swayed in Cole’s favor. He couldn’t tell, their experience and training kept their expressions unreadable.
In closing, Wallace expounded upon Cole’s record. He told stories of his honor and devotion, holding up the medals he’d won for bravery in the line of fire. “This man’s only crime was the desire to see his brother and to fulfill his father’s dying request. In a departure from normalcy. I’m going to ask Cole Black’s brother to come forward and tell his version of what happened on the battlefield at Five Forks, the day that Frederick Winthrop was shot and killed.”