"What else?" Sellers murmured.
Kaed shrugged. "Well, he tried to plug me, but his aim was a little off. He almost missed." He smiled again, steeling his expression. "He took his time watching Mack Rollins break my wrist, and he was busy murdering his own men, so—"
"Damn bastard!" Travis Morgan's eyes were hot, his face livid with anger.
"Easy, Trav." Kaed put his hand on Travis's shoulder. "We'll get 'em. And when we do, believe me, I know more about making a man wish he was dead than Fallon ever thought about." He held his bandaged arm up. "This is only the beginning of what he's gonna answer for."
Standing Bear dismounted and came forward to stand beside Kaed, and Kaed turned his full attention to the warrior, waiting for the older man to speak.
It was as it had been all those years ago, when Kaed had come to live with the Choctaw people. The Apache had killed his mother and father, then taken Kaed and his younger brother and sister into captivity. The Choctaws had bartered with the Apaches for the youngsters, so they'd been raised in the Choctaw way.
The healing bruises Kaed wore today were reminiscent of the ones he'd been marked with when he first met Standing Bear, close to twenty years earlier.
"Seems we've stood this way before, Chief."
"Yes, Wolf. You were marked as you are today. But still strong enough to wear defiance in your eyes. Strong enough to stand, and fight."
Kaed gave him a fleeting grin, remembering how, as a nine-year-old boy faced with being traded away, he had rammed his head into Standing Bear's rock-hard belly, catching him off guard, nearly knocking him to the ground in front of the Apaches and Standing Bear's own warriors.
Standing Bear smiled and put his hand to his stomach. "This recovered before my pride did." He nodded at Kaed's arm. "I hope it is not so with you, Wolf. You did all you could, yet I see you still hold some blame in your heart for yourself."
Kaed had to admit it was true, and he didn't understand it. When he went over it logically in his mind, as he had done a thousand times, he knew he wasn't to blame, that he'd done everything he could have. But he'd never expected White Deer to do what she had done, and he understood the parallel Standing Bear was drawing. The chief had never expected the young boy Kaed had been to lower his head and run at him, either.
Standing Bear spoke in his native tongue. "Have you thought upon my words concerning Fire Eyes? Or will she go to one of my warriors?"
"She is my woman now," Kaed said in the same language, "and will belong to no other man."
"Does she wish it?"
Kaed nodded, and without turning, called Jessica's name. She appeared in the doorway with Lexi in her arms.
"Do you take Wolf—Turner—for your husband, Fire Eyes?" Standing Bear's voice was even. Kaed knew it wasn't that he disbelieved what Kaed said. He was trying to let Jessica know she had a choice, of sorts. She could marry Kaed, or one of the warriors.
Jessica tucked back a strand of her dark hair. "Yes. I do."
Standing Bear nodded and stepped back. "It is good."
"Well, I'll be damned," Jenkins said.
"Me, too," Sellers agreed.
Eaton slapped Sellers on the back. "What did I tell ya, Tom? Not only was he sleepin' with a beautiful woman, he married her!"
Kaed sighed as Eaton glanced up to the doorway where Jessica stood. "Beggin' yer pardon, ma'am. Uh, Missus Turner. Not that Kaed makes a practice of sleepin' with lots of women. Aw, hell."
Travis placed a hand on Eaton's back and gave him a light shove. "You've said enough, Jack. Why don't you go and see to the horses? I know they could use a drink, down to the crick."
"You're damn straight." Eaton hastily gathered the horses and led them away toward the creek, and Kaed shook his head. Right now, Jessi looked mad enough to light a fire with her eyes. He sighed. Thanks to Jack, he had a lot of explaining to do.
"Come on out, Jess. Want you to meet some friends of mine."
She stepped out fully into the light, an uncertain smile on her full lips, her eyes only for Kaed.
"Well, boy, you done good," Sellers murmured as Jessica came down the steps, Lexi on her hip. "Right good."
Chapter Eighteen
"Jessica, this is Tom Sellers. He trained me. Harv Jenkins, he's the thinker in our bunch." Jessica reached to shake hands with each of the men.
"Travis Morgan, my last partner," he said. "And, Jack Eaton," he nodded in the direction Jack had gone, "you can meet him later."
"Sounds like he's got a lot to tell me," Jessica said softly. At this, the others laughed.
"Where's Frank?" Sellers asked, scanning the woods behind them.
"Damn fool," Morgan muttered. He took a few steps toward the stand of trees. "I'll go after him."
"Naw, Trav. Best to let him be awhile," Jenkins said. "Could just be he had to go—" He broke off and flushed crimson, his embarrassed glance shooting to Jessica. "Beg pardon, ma'am. It's been too long since I've been in the company of a lady."
Jessica smiled. "Never you mind, Mr. Jenkins. I was raised with six brothers. I expect I've heard everything that can be said, proper or not." She turned to look around the group of men. "Will you come on inside and rest? I'll make something to eat."
There was a taut silence for a moment, then Kaed turned to her. "We'll be in after a while, Jessi. Why don't you put Lexi down for her nap and start cooking while we finish up our business out here?"
Jessica smiled, biting back her protest as she realized the reason for his suggestion. He wanted to tell them what had happened with Fallon and his men. He wanted to talk with Standing Bear as well, maybe form an alliance to go after Fallon. He wanted the other men to be able to speak freely of all these things. But not in front of her. She was a lady. His lady. Now, his wife.
She nodded and turned to go back inside, suddenly very afraid. A cold chill prickled her neck and ran down her spine. They were here. The marshals. The Choctaws. Here together, with a common enemy.
And when they left, she knew Kaed would go with them. Whether he was healed or not, ready to ride or not, strong enough to hold his own in battle, he would go. She could not stop what the arrival of the others had set in motion, and after tomorrow, Jessi wondered if she'd ever see Kaed alive again.
* * * * *
"Damn! I know where we are." Dobie Perrin said.
Andrew Fallon turned in the saddle, glaring at Perrin, the afternoon sun dappling them through the leaves of the thick canopy of trees. "So do I, you idiot! So do we all, now."
The secluded cemetery sat on a bluff, overlooking the Arkansas River. They had been wandering for two days, ever since retracing their steps to the first small creek they'd come to. The one Fallon felt sure would give them their bearings. Now, at last, he recognized where they were. He'd figured it out ten miles back.
"Tamaha," Denver Rutledge muttered. "I was raised up over yonder." He inclined his head toward the riverbank. "Over in Vian."
"Then why didn't you know where we were?" Fallon's anger surged. "I am surrounded by idiots!"
"I shore 'nuff shoulda known, General," Rutledge said apologetically. "Right yonder's where we sunk the J.R. Williams. Rebs, I mean. Stand Watie's bunch."
Fallon jerked his head toward the other man. "Right where, soldier?"
Rutledge kneed his horse, coming abreast of Fallon. "Why, right yonder, General. It was in June of '64. She was a Union ship, the Williams was."
"What was she carrying?"
Rutledge shrugged. "Don't rightly know. Supplies, maybe."
"Payroll? Gold?" Fallon fingered his curling mustache. "Could be anything, eh, Rutledge? But the Yankees were known to cache their gold profits in casks. Maybe that's what the J.R. Williams was carrying. Casks that weren't really supplies, but were filled with gold."
"Could be, I 'spect." Rutledge's voice was hesitant.
Fallon nodded toward the river. "I think maybe we'll try to find out."
* * * * *
Kaed spent a few moments with Standing Be
ar and his warriors before the Indians melted back into the woods to make camp. They would meet again at dawn.
The marshals had eaten a filling lunch of beans, cornbread, and fried potatoes. Jessica had offered cool tea, but they'd all preferred coffee. As they moved outside once more, Jessica gathered the dishes, and Harv volunteered to fetch some water for her.
"Why, thank you, Mr. Jenkins." She smiled up at him. "I appreciate your kindness."
Harv turned red and mumbled his thanks for the home-cooked meal, then took the pail and started for the well.
Kaed came up behind her, brushing her hair aside, and kissed her on the neck. "Thanks, sweetheart," he murmured. "Glad I didn't have to teach you how to make beans and cornbread."
But Jessica didn't smile at his teasing. She turned to him, her eyes filled with concern. "What about the other one, Kaed? He's been gone a long time."
"I know. I'll take care of it." He kissed her again, on the forehead, then started after Travis who stood, looking out into the woods beyond the creek, as if he might catch a glimpse of something—or someone.
"What's botherin' you, Travis?"
Travis didn't answer right away. He turned to scan the edge of the woods once more. Finally, he said, "I was awful hard on Frank. Got a powerful suspicion I'm the reason he's disappeared."
"Hard on him? How?"
Travis took a deep breath. "By now, you must be wonderin' what in the hell took us so long to follow you."
Kaed gave a soft chuckle. "Hayes forget to tell you where I was?"
Travis nodded slowly.
"I figured that's what happened."
"Well, damn it, Kaed, don't you think we would have come sooner if we'd known? Damn fool didn't tell a soul he'd even seen you! Just happened to mention it when we was all out drinkin'."
"Hell, Trav, he made a mistake."
"He 'bout got you killed, Kaed!" Travis took his hat off and raked his fingers through his sun-shot hair. "Damn idiot bastard just decided to keep it to himself."
"That's enough, Travis." Kaed's voice rose slightly, cutting through the crisp mid-afternoon air. More gently, he said, "He made a mistake, that's all. Happens to all of us, at one time or another. I'm sure he's realized what he did, by now. He didn't do it on purpose, you gotta know that."
Travis nodded. "Don't make it any easier, or change the outcome any. I was so damned scared."
Kaed crossed the remaining few steps and gripped Travis's arm. Travis looked at Kaed with haunted eyes. "I just kept thinkin' 'bout those two years we rode together, and all the things you taught me, Kaed. Then all I could think of was you layin' in a stinkin' hole somewhere after bein' tortured and killed slow, like Fallon always does. I'd lie awake at night—" Brightness welled in Travis's eyes, the ultimate humiliation. He turned away quickly.
"Trav."
"It was all I could think about." He swiped a hand across his eyes.
Kaed was surprised. He had never realized how much Travis thought of him, looked up to him. He should have. Travis had been a youngster when they'd ridden together. Nineteen. Kaed gave a faint smile at the thought. He waited a minute for Travis to collect himself, then he spoke.
"What did you say to him?"
Travis gave a harsh laugh, and paced away a few steps. "I ain't too proud of what I said, Marshal Turner." He wheeled around to face Kaed. "But I promise you, if we'd found you buried in that grave instead of Mitch Beckley, I'd've done every blessed thing to him I promised I would!" He held Kaed's gaze for a moment before looking away. "And, that don't make me too proud, either, I don't reckon."
Kaed's mind shot back to the day Travis had sworn in as a marshal. Tough and temperamental, the young man had hidden behind a wall of arrogance. The other marshals hadn't wanted to take him on as a trainee. Tom had looked pointedly into Kaed's eyes, saying, "I reckon I done my time with you, son. Your turn, now."
But Kaed had never regretted helping to shape Travis into the man he was today. He knew him as well as a brother, and loved him as much as the younger siblings he'd lost to the Choctaw way of life. He laid a reassuring hand on Travis's arm. "I understand."
Travis met his eyes again, his lips curving sardonically. "Yeah. I expect you do. Figger you're the only one who really does."
"You're a good friend, Travis. Loyalty like that's hard to come by. I appreciate it." Kaed nodded toward the woods. "Come on. Let's go find him. Five years from now, we'll be teasing him about all this, but right now, it's serious business."
* * * * *
"Frank?"
Frank whirled at Kaed's voice, his hand at his Colt instinctively. Kaed and Travis stood behind him, holding their horses' reins. Kaed stepped forward. "Didn't mean to startle you."
Frank nodded, standing stiffly awkward in front of them.
"Relax, Frank," Kaed said. His gaze dropped to where Frank's hand still hovered above the butt of his gun. Frank looked down, as if he didn't recognize the hand was attached to his body.
"What're you doin' out here?" Travis asked.
Hayes shrugged. "Thinkin' 'bout everything." He turned to lean against the boulder, away from them. "'Bout how I almost got you killed, Mr. Turner." His voice was low.
Kaed glanced at Travis, and Travis looked away.
"Well, Frank, I expect you'll remember to tell someone next time, won't you?" Kaed said quietly.
"Won't be a next time, Mr. Turner. I don't b'lieve I'm cut out for this."
Travis started forward, but Kaed put a staying hand on his arm. Travis met his eyes and Kaed shook his head. He came toward Frank slowly. When he got within arm's length, he stopped.
"How old are you, Frank?"
"Twenty. Or close enough. My birthday's next month. My ma, she always made a cake." He glanced around at Kaed, a flush staining his neck, making its way into his face. "Chocolate," he mumbled, "if she could get it."
Kaed gave him a half-smile and closed the last bit of distance between them. "You're awful lucky, Frank. I lost my mother when I was just shy of nine. I'm not sure I even remember exactly when my birthday is. But, that's not really important, anymore."
Frank nodded, but didn't look at him. He kept his eyes fixed on the gently swirling water of the creek.
Kaed went on. "When you became a marshal, you got another family. We all share the same life, the same dangers, the same loneliness of bein' out on the trail."
Frank shuddered, his lips compressing tightly. "I know you're right, Mr. Turner."
When he didn't continue, Kaed said, "I'm not mad at you, Frank. Anybody can make a mistake. Travis, here, he was a couple of years older than you when he made his big one."
Travis drew his breath in, and Kaed turned to give him a quelling glance. "Right, Trav?"
Travis nodded.
Kaed turned back to Frank. "You'll have to get Trav to tell you about it." He spoke easily, as one friend would to another, as if he thought Travis and Frank were on amicable terms.
Frank gave a short, brittle laugh. "I don't think Travis Morgan is gonna talk to me about any mistake he ever made."
"Trav, come on up here," Kaed said.
Travis slowly stepped forward to join Frank and Kaed, swallowing tightly. "Frank, I guess I need to say—"
"You better do more than guess what you need to say, Travis," Kaed said, his tone cool.
Travis glanced at Kaed and flushed. He nodded. When he turned back to Frank, his green eyes were apologetic. "I gave you a hell of a rough time, Frank. I'm sorry for that." He extended his hand. "Will you accept my apology?"
Kaed looked at Frank expectantly. He felt like an older brother overseeing two younger, quarreling siblings, forcing them back to brotherhood once more. But Kaed knew he was the only one who could end this discord between them.
Hesitantly, Frank reached for Travis's hand and shook. "Sure. Forget it."
"All right. Now let's hear no more of this business of you givin' up marshaling, Frank," Kaed said. "You trained with Lem Polk, didn't you?"
"Yes, s
ir. I think that might be my problem."
Kaed nodded, sure that it was. "You ride with Travis for the next few months, see if he can't teach you what you need to know."
Both Travis and Frank started to speak, but Kaed held up a hand, giving them both a hard, cutting look. "Make your peace, boys. Travis, I expect you to teach him everything I taught you."
"Including the language, sir?" Travis asked quickly in Choctaw.
Kaed smiled, noting Travis's sudden formality, and replied in the same. "Up to you, Travis. Everything else, he's gotta know to survive out here, Indians or no." He held Travis's gaze. "No more of that, Trav. It's rude. Speak English if you aren't going to teach him the other."
"Yes, sir," Travis said, still formal, but this time, in English.
"Frank, you soak up everything you can, so we don't have any more mistakes. I know Trav'll be a good teacher. He was a quick study when he rode with me."
"Yes, sir."
Kaed looked at Travis once more. "And you—work on your patience."
Neither of the other men protested further, but Kaed could tell neither of them were happy with the situation. He reached for his horse's reins. "Let's get going. Frank, lead on out."
Frank looked at Kaed miserably. "I don't know where we are, Marshal Turner. I don't know how to get out of here."
It was worse than Kaed had thought. "Do you have a compass?"
"It's broke. Marshal Polk, he busted it on purpose one night. Said I needed to learn to steer by the stars."
Kaed glanced at Travis, who voiced what they were both thinking. "Well, what if it comes up a cloudy night, Frank? What in tarnation do you do then?"
Frank shrugged. "Didn't make no never mind to Marshal Polk. He always knew where we were."
Travis cursed, and Kaed knew, at that moment, everything would be all right between them.
"See this tree here, Frank? Moss growin' on the side of it? It always grows on the north side. That's one thing it'll help you to know." Frank listened intently to Travis as he explained, showing him several other trees like the first one. "Now, the cabin, it's back down thataway—"
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