by Duane Boehm
“Sarah, let me fix you something to eat and then we can take a nap. We both need some rest,” Ethan said.
“Do you think Benjamin is still alive?” she asked, ignoring what he had said.
“Yes, Sarah, I know he is alive. I can feel it. God would not take our boy from us.”
“Why would God let them take him then, Ethan?” Sarah asked as she sat down at the table and started bouncing her fingers on it as if she were playing the piano.
“Sarah, there has been evil since the beginning of time. It doesn’t mean that it will triumph. Please have some faith. It’s all that we have right now,” Ethan pleaded.
“I don’t want to live without my baby. I’d just shrivel up and die anyway if he is gone.”
Ethan walked over to his wife. “Give me hug. I need one,” he said. She stood up with her arms to her side as he hugged her. “I promise you that we are going to get Benjamin back.”
∞
Gideon and Abby were getting close to home. They had made good time in their traveling and had a little over an hour of sunlight left before dusk. Most of the day had been spent reminiscing about the old times and avoiding subjects that neither one of them were ready to discuss.
“Do you think I will ever be able to see Joann?” Gideon finally asked.
“I hope so. I know Joann would want to and I think Aunt Rita and Uncle Jake would be fine with it. They know that they are always going to be in her life. She usually comes every other summer and was here last year. Maybe she could come again this year. Do you think you are going to stick around now?” Abby asked.
“I don’t know. It’s too soon to tell. I don’t really know if anything has changed or not. When this is all over, I might feel the need to start running again. I just don’t know. I feel better than I have in years, but who’s to say if it will last. How things turn out with Benjamin might make a difference too.”
“So, if you don’t stay, you’d ride to Wyoming?”
“Yeah, maybe. I don’t know what I would say to her. I’d just like to lay eyes on her. Do you think it would be good for her?”
“I think so. She understands that it’s not as if you ran out on her and now want to be part of her life. She knows that you didn’t know and she is curious. I don’t think any harm would come from it,” Abby said.
“Abby, what would you do if I decided to stay?”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. How do you think it would affect you?”
“Gideon, I’m not sure what you are asking, but if it is what I think it is, I don’t know. I have another daughter to think about and everything else. Is that what you are asking?” Abby asked.
“Maybe, I don’t know either,” Gideon said as they reached the crossroads where they would go their separate ways.
“Gideon, in case this is our last time ever alone together, I want you to know I love you. I loved you when I was sixteen and I love you now. And I have no regrets about last night. We both deserved it. Life is too short not to take the happiness when it is offered,” she said.
Gideon closed his eyes and rubbed them. He was about to say words he never thought he would ever say again. “Abby, I love you, too. No matter what happens from here on out, it has all been worth it. And even though it never happened the way we wished it had, I’m glad we had Joann together.”
Abby leaned over and wrapped her hands around Gideon’s neck, pulling him to her. She kissed him hard on the mouth and then turned her horse and rode away without looking back.
He watched her ride off until she was out of sight, wondering about the strange twists that life takes. His life had changed more in the last few weeks than it had in the previous ten years and it would have been too much to handle if not for the fact that the changes were good. Whether he ever saw Abby again or got to meet Joann, there was no going back. He was ready to admit that he did not loath himself any longer. The place that he had avoided all these years had held the key. He had found redemption at Last Stand. Now he needed to find Benjamin to make it complete. He put Buck into a lope towards Ethan’s place.
Ethan heard Chase barking out on the porch and walked out with his rifle. The dog was turning out to be good at alerting to visitors, and as Ethan saw Gideon coming, a sense of relief settled over him. Whether Gideon could help or not, he would be there for him and Sarah. “I see she found you,” he said as Gideon rode up into the yard.
“She did. Any word?” Gideon said as he climbed down from the horse.
“Nothing. I have the money arranged. There’s nothing to do, but wait for Saturday,” Ethan said.
Gideon walked onto the porch. His friend looked bad, dark under the eyes and his face puffy from lack of sleep. Stress was etched onto his forehead and around the eyes. “So you could not track them at all?” he asked.
“They grabbed him in that rocky spot between here and the schoolhouse. You could ride an army through there and nobody would know it. We had twenty men looking all day Tuesday and found nothing. I think they took him a day’s ride from here.”
“So the sheriff has no idea about who did it then?”
Ethan shook his head as he sat down on the porch and started petting Chase.
“How is Sarah holding up?” Gideon asked as he sat down beside Ethan and patted his friend’s leg.
“Not good. If we lose him, I think she will lose her mind,” Ethan said.
“We’re not going to lose him. I’m going to see if sheriff will deputize me in the morning. Where are you supposed to leave the money?”
“At Sand Creek Bridge,” Ethan said.
“That’s a strange choice. Not a good place from which to escape.”
“That’s what I thought. I think they have something up their sleeve. This was too well planned for a choice like that,” Ethan mused.
“You’re probably right.”
“So you and Abby didn’t kill each on the road, I take it?” Ethan asked.
“No, that is the one good thing that came from this. We met up this morning and had all day to talk. I think we came to an understanding.”
Ethan noticed that Gideon did not make eye contact when he spoke, and Gideon always made eye contact. His friend was lying to him and he was sure that the reason why was because they had spent the night together. He knew it as sure as his name was Ethan Oakes. The preacher in him might not approve, but the part of him that was a friend was glad. As much as those two had suffered, if it brought them some happiness and closure, he was all for it. “Well, that’s good.”
“Let’s go in so I can see Sarah. Maybe reassure her,” Gideon said to change the subject.
“Gideon, I’m glad you’re back, but there’s nothing that you can do. We are going to pay the money and hope that they keep their end of the bargain. That’s the only thing we can do,” Ethan said.
Gideon looked at Ethan, trying to find words to convince him that he would get their son back. He was at a loss on how he would do it. Sometimes during the war, he had had to will himself to live. It had saved him more than once when he should have died. He would will himself to rescue Benjamin now. Putting his arm around Ethan’s shoulders, they walked towards the door of the cabin.
∞
Sligo started riding to the cave at sunset. To be cautious, he stayed off the main trails all the way there. Frank’s insistence that he go check on Walter and Jasper had put him in an ill mood. In his mind, the two ranch hands should be capable of spending a week in the cave without him having to babysit them, but he brought some extra supplies just in case they were running low.
Darkness had settled in by the time that he reached the mouth of the cave. As he was getting off his horse, Jasper came out of the cave leading their two horses. “Jasper, it’s Sligo,” he whispered.
Jasper let out a holler. “Damn, Sligo, you liked to have scared the piss out of me,” he said.
“Quit being such a girl, Jasper. I just came by to check on you guys and leave some supplies. How is everyt
hing going?”
“It gets old taking these horses out every night to feed and go getting them before light. It’s a half a mile walk to grass. Did you bring us some whiskey?”
“I wanted to bring you a bottle, but Frank said you don’t need no whiskey. How is the boy doing?” Sligo asked.
“I guess he’s fine. He’s a little baby. Cries sometimes and ain’t eating much,” Jasper replied.
“I’d talk if I was you and the way you hollered when I called out to you.”
“Get off my ass, Sligo. This ain’t no fun.”
Sligo handed Jasper the sack of supplies. “Think how rich you are going to be when this is through. Keep that in mind and take care of that boy. You mistreat him and you will answer to me. Understand?” Sligo said.
“Don’t worry. I’m not stupid,” Jasper said.
Sligo mounted his horse. “See you Saturday morning.”
Chapter 23
Frank decided to go to town on Friday morning. It was time for a haircut and he wanted to visit the bank to question Druthers. He also planned to find out if the sheriff had any tricks up his sleeve for the ransom exchange. After pulling one of his white shirts out of the wardrobe, he viewed himself in the mirror as he buttoned it. It would be hot, but he decided he would wear his black jacket. It would be preferable to be a little warm in order to carry the magnitude he craved. He fetched a couple of cigars from his humidor and put them in his pocket. His wardrobe was complete with the addition of his new hat.
Once in town, Frank’s first stop was at the bank, walking into Mr. Druthers office unannounced and sitting down without invitation. He pulled out a cigar, biting off the cap and spitting it on the floor, before lighting the stogie.
Mr. Druthers, trying to ignore the rude behavior of his biggest depositor, forced a smile. “What can I do for you today, Mr. DeVille?” he asked.
“I was wanting to know if Ethan Oakes got the money for the ransom,” Frank said.
“Mr. DeVille, my other customer’s business is confidential.”
Frank took a draw on his cigar and let out a huge plume of smoke. “Listen you little weasel, you’re lucky I didn’t take the money you gave my wife to run off with out of your hide. Now answer me,” he said.
Ignoring to answer the rancher, the banker chose to defend himself. “That was a joint account. She was perfectly within her rights to withdraw that money. I had no recourse but to let her have it,” he said.
“You could have stalled her and got word to me, and you know it. If you would have, I could have stopped the bitch from leaving and saved me the humiliation. The reason I want to know if Ethan has the money is that I don’t want his son killed over a tight ass banker refusing to loan it to him. I will guarantee the loan if necessary. Now answer the Goddamn question or I am going to turn Sligo loose on you,” Frank threatened.
The banker pursued what little lips he had and ran his hand across his bald head. “Mr. Oakes will have his money. It is all arranged,” he said.
“Now, wouldn’t it have been easier to answer me the first time and save us both the irritation,” Frank said as he stood and tapped ash off the cigar onto the floor. “Good day, Mr. Druthers.”
Frank walked out of the bank, headed towards the sheriff’s office. As he looked down the street, he almost bit his cigar in two. He saw Gideon tying his horse up in front of the office and going inside. Muttering to himself, Frank said, “I’ll be Goddamn. Where in the hell did he come from? I guess I’ll get my haircut and then find out what the hell is going on.”
Sheriff Fuller was sitting at his desk, sipping coffee, when Gideon walked in. “Well, look what the cat drug in. I didn’t think I would be seeing you so soon,” the sheriff said.
“I got word on what happened and I came back to help. I was hoping that you would deputize me in case there’s trouble,” Gideon said and sat down in a chair facing the sheriff.
The sheriff sat his cup down and slapped the desk. “It’s the damndest thing I’ve ever seen, Gideon. You know, I’m a pretty fair tracker and there was nothing, not even a horse turd. I’m at a loss.”
“It looks as if they knew what they were doing. I’ve heard of kidnapping rings back East. I wonder if they’ve moved west?”
“I don’t know. I go back and forth between thinking it was outsiders and somebody that knows this place pretty good,” Sheriff Fuller said.
“There has to be more than one of them. Has any strangers been to town?” Gideon asked.
“Not a soul. The saloons and stores are keeping their eyes open for me. Now why are you wanting me to make you a deputy?” the sheriff asked.
“Because we don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow and I don’t want to be accused of being a vigilante. I’m not going to do anything to endanger Benjamin, but I’ll be ready if needed. If they hurt him, I will hunt them to hell and back, and I just as soon be on the side of the law when I did it,” Gideon said.
“Fair enough. You know that they’re holding all the cards. We are going to have to sit back and see what happens unless we want to get Benjamin killed.”
“I know. Do you think scouting around today would do any good?”
“Gideon, I don’t think they are around here. Whichever direction they went, they kept going for a long time. I know I’m too old to go chasing them down. If I were you, I would just be ready to ride tomorrow after it’s over. I suspect you would be better off going it alone.”
“I don’t like being at their mercy to do what they see fit with Benjamin,” Gideon said.
“Me neither. I just don’t see no choice. Now stand up and raise your right hand,” the sheriff said and waited for Gideon to get to his feet. “Do you swear to uphold the laws of the State of Colorado to protect and serve the citizens to the best of your ability?”
“I do,” Gideon answered.
“I’m not sure if I got that all right, but it’s close enough,” he said and handed Gideon a badge out of his desk drawer.
Gideon smiled. “Close enough for swearing in a drifter anyway,” he said as he pinned the badge on his shirt.
“I’ll see you here in the morning then.”
Gideon walked out into the street thinking about going to the saloon before deciding better of it. Life was complicated enough already without seeing Mary. He chuckled to himself at the thought that sleeping with Mary would now feel like cheating on somebody else’s wife.
Frank was walking towards the sheriff’s office and saw Gideon come out the door. He had hoped he would be gone by now and cursed under his breath when he saw the sun reflecting off the badge. Deciding that talking to Gideon would be the best thing, he kept walking.
“Gideon, you are back,” Frank said.
“Yeah, it’s getting to be a habit I guess. I got word about Benjamin,” Gideon said.
“It’s a terrible thing. I know you don’t care for my man, Sligo, but I had him help with trying to find the boy. It’s as if he disappeared. I see the sheriff made you a deputy. If there is anything we can do, you let us know. Me and you have never seen eye to eye, but we have to bury our differences for things like this,” Frank said.
“I don’t think there is much to do. Pay the ransom and hope it all comes out fine,” Gideon said. “I have to get going now.”
“You take care.”
Frank watched as Gideon rode away without even bothering to say goodbye. He would make the arrogant bastard pay for returning to Last Stand. Gideon never knew when to leave well enough alone and he would teach him this time. Climbing on his horse, he headed home to talk to Sligo.
He found Sligo in the barn brushing down his horse. “Come on to the house. We need to talk,” he said before unsaddling his horse and putting it in a stall.
As they walked to the house, Frank said, “Gideon is back and the sheriff deputized him. I’m going to make the bastard regret it.”
Frank went into his office and shut the door behind Sligo. As he sat down at his desk, he pulled two cigars from the h
umidor, and for the first time ever, offered one to Hank. He waited to talk until both cigars were lit and burning well. “All right, here is the plan,” he began. “Tonight after dark, you are going to take a note to the bridge and make sure to put it where they will see it. It will tell them to take the money and leave it at the base of that big rock at Sulfur Pond. It will then tell them to come back to the rock an hour after delivering the money to get the note to tell them where the kid is, and if anything funny goes on, a gun will be fired that will be the signal to kill the kid. What do you think so far?”
“Sounds like you got it all figured out. What’s the rest of it?” Sligo asked.
Frank took a big puff on his cigar and then started waving it through the air for emphasis as he talked. “You ride over to the cave in the morning and send Walter with the note to leave when he picks up the money. I was going to have you watch him in case there was trouble, but I don’t think there will be. You stay with Jasper. Just tell them we’re going to leave the kid there. When Walter gets back, kill them and lay them out with their guns in their hands like they shot each other. Make sure you don’t forget to shoot their guns as many times as you have to shoot them. Put five gold pieces in each of their pockets. Then I want you to slit the kid’s throat. It will be safer that way and I want to make Ethan and Gideon pay for returning and sticking his nose into it. I’ve put up with one or the other of them my whole life and now it is payback time. You should have plenty of time to ride out the back way after it’s all done. Just be as careful as you were the first time about tracks. When you get a half of a mile away or so, head for the road. You won’t have to worry about tracks then.”
Hank was starting to feel sick. He never envisioned killing the kid and the thought of walking up to him to slit his throat made him want to puke. He had done a lot of despicable things in his life, but he had never sunk to killing children. “You sure you want me to kill the kid, boss?” he asked.
“What’s the matter? Aren’t you man enough to do it? You’re always running your mouth about how big and bad you are. Surely you can take care of a kid,” Frank said.