by Connie Mason
Sadie had seen more than Freddie intended. When he opened his coat she’d spied sheaths of money sticking out of the inside pockets. She also noted his bulging trouser pockets. She couldn’t recall them bulging like that when he’d first come into the saloon. Sadie put two and two together and came up with the right answer. She might be a whore but she was an honest one.
Sadie gave Freddie enough time to mount up and ride off before hightailing it to Sean MacKay’s house.
Sarah rode into Medicine Bow in time to see Freddie ride away from the saloon with a sleeping Abner resting across his knees. Lines of exhaustion marred her brow and her still tender hands hurt dreadfully from hanging onto the reins. She wished she had thought to bring gloves but she’d been in too much of a hurry to think beyond the fact that Freddie had taken Abner away from her.
Sarah dug her heels into her horse’s flanks and took off after Jackson. In another hour or so dawn would lighten the skies, decreasing the difficulty of following him. Unfortunately it would also make it easier for Freddie to see her, but she didn’t care. She wanted Freddie to know she was following him. As she rode out of town she could have sworn she heard someone shouting, “Bank robbery!”
Jackson was five miles out of Medicine Bow before he realized he was being followed. Not by a posse, it was too soon for that. Unless it was the bounty hunter, he had no idea who it could be. When he passed a large boulder, he rode his horse out of sight behind it. The moon was a bright beacon in the sky, providing sufficient light to see by as he pulled his gun free of his holster and waited.
Freddie had dropped from sight and Sarah grew frantic. She had no idea how he had eluded her. Had he turned off someplace? Had he…?
Her questions were answered when Jackson shot out from behind a boulder, directly into her path. Her horse shied, nearly throwing her, but she hung on, staring at the gun in Jackson’s hand.
“Aw, shit! What in the hell are you doing here?”
Abner awoke with a start, saw his mother, and screamed for her.
“I want my son!” Sarah shouted, gaining control of her frightened horse with difficulty. “Give him back to me.”
“You might as well turn back ‘cause you can’t have him. You babied him for the first five years of his life, now it’s time to turn him into a man. Ain’t that right, kid?”
Abner’s chin lifted belligerently. “I am a man. I want my mama.”
Jackson cocked his gun. “I oughta get rid of you right now, Sarah. You’re making me mad.”
“Don’t you dare hurt my mama!” Abner cried. “I’ll hate you forever if you do.”
Abner’s words gave Jackson pause, and he uncocked his gun and rammed it back into his gunbelt. He didn’t want his kid to hate him for killing his mother. “Get out of here before I change my mind.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Sarah charged. “I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth, if need be.”
Jackson looked fit to be tied. The sky was changing from black to gray and streaks of dawn colored the western horizon. Once the robbery was discovered the vigilantes would be hot on his trail. He didn’t know how much Sadie had seen or guessed at, or if she would keep her mouth shut, but he couldn’t count on her silence. He wouldn’t be safe until he reached his hideout on Elk Mountain.
Having Sarah tag along behind him was dangerous. She knew where he was going and would spill her guts if he forced her to turn back. He really didn’t want to kill her. She was Abner’s mother, and besides, he didn’t like killing women.
“You win, Sarah. You can come with me as long as you can keep up. I don’t aim to be caught by the vigilantes.”
“Vigilantes!” Suddenly Sarah recalled the words she’d heard in Medicine Bow. “You robbed the bank!”
“Yeah,” he admitted, “but they’ll never find me.”
Freddie said nothing more as he gouged his spurs into his horse’s flanks. The animal leaped forward and Sarah followed.
Chad arose at dawn, packed up his gear, and mounted up without taking time to fix himself anything to eat. He’d awakened this morning feeling perturbed and out of sorts. Though he tried to deny it, he was worried about Sarah and Abner. Indecision plagued him. Or was it his conscience? Chad could fight it no longer. He had to return to Sarah and Abner. He had argued with himself all the way to Medicine Bow before admitting he’d been defeated by that lone spark of compassion in him. Sarah and Abner needed him, he felt it in his bones.
He couldn’t live with himself for deserting them while their future was so shaky. The least he could have done was wait another week or two, until Doc Clayter said she could start taking in laundry again. He frowned and shook his head. The thought of Sarah with her arms submerged in hot water was not a pleasant one. Sarah needed rest and plenty of good food. She was far too thin. He’d tried to tell himself it was none of his business but it didn’t work. Fate had decreed otherwise. He had to go back to Carbon.
Suddenly he noticed a group of riders headed in his direction. His curiosity piqued, he reined in and waited for them to approach. As they drew near, he recognized Sean MacKay, the local vigilante leader. He’d crossed MacKay’s path many times in the last two years. Alarm bells went off inside his head.
“Morning, Delaney,” MacKay said when he reached Chad and drew rein. “Who are you after this time?”
“Morning, MacKay,” Chad replied. “You seen anything of Freddie Jackson around these parts lately?”
“Strange that you should mention him,” MacKay said. “He robbed our bank last night. I had hoped you’d seen him.”
“I wish I had. In which direction was he headed?”
“Don’t know. Sadie reported the robbery right away, but it took time to gather a posse. By then Jackson’s trail was cold. You want to join us?”
The alarm bells in Chad’s head grew louder. He didn’t know why but the need to return to Carbon was urgent. Chad’s intuition seemed to be working overtime. He had no reason to think anything was amiss with Sarah, or to link her in any way to Jackson, but his gut told him otherwise.
“I just remembered something I forgot in Carbon. Think I’ll head back that way.”
“If you find Jackson, I reckon you’ll be taking him in for the reward.”
“I reckon so,” Chad contended.
“Good luck, Delaney. We’re gonna hang him on the spot if we find him first”
They left Chad in a cloud of dust. Turning his horse around, Chad rode back to Carbon. Late afternoon shadows had lengthened by the time he reached the dreary little town. The dingy, sun-baked buildings presented an appearance of peace and respectability, but Chad knew better. The town’s “respectable” citizens were small-minded and judgmental, and their preacher was the worst offender of all.
Chad rode directly to shantytown and dismounted before Sarah’s small shack. A strange premonition twisted his gut when he saw no sign of Abner, or any other movement about the shanty. Chad’s worst fears were realized when a gust of wind caught the door and it swayed open on rusty hinges.
His fears escalated when Chad walked through the house and found it empty and cold. The yard was as deserted as the house. Where could Sarah be this time of day? He glanced across the way at the Barlow shack, feeling a welcome rush of relief. If Sarah wasn’t at home perhaps she was with Carrie Barlow. His long legs carried him across the distance to the Barlows’. He rapped sharply on the door, chafing in impatience until one of Carrie’s brood appeared to open it.
Chad stepped into the house. Carrie saw him immediately and came to greet him, her newborn babe nestled at her shoulder.
“Why, Mr. Delaney, what brings you here? I thought you’d left town. Is something wrong?”
“I was hoping you could answer that question, Mrs. Barlow,” Chad said grimly. “Sarah isn’t home. You haven’t seen her, have you?”
Carrie shook her head. “Why, no, I haven’t. Perhaps she stepped out for a spell.”
“Perhaps she did,” Chad said uncertainly.
Carrie grew thoughtful. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Abner since yesterday. The little scamp usually turns up to play with one of my kids.”
Chad began to have a bad feeling about this. “Thanks, Mrs. Barlow. Is there anything else you can think of? Did anything unusual happen yesterday or today?”
“Now that you mention it, our horse disappeared from the lean-to next to the house. Charlie is fit to be tied. He’d sure like to get his hands on the horse thief who stole it. That horse was Charlie’s pride and joy.”
Chad didn’t have time to chat about a missing horse when he was so worried about Sarah and Abner. “Sorry about the horse, Mrs. Barlow. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to see if I can find Sarah and Abner.”
Chad hurried away. He had another stop to make before jumping to conclusions. He mounted Flint and rode to the parsonage. Hezekiah himself answered Chad’s knock. He scowled when he saw Chad standing on his doorstep.
“Have you come to seek redemption, Mr. Delaney? I seriously doubt you’re worth saving. Get thee gone, Satan.”
“Is Sarah here?” Chad asked brusquely. He wasn’t here to beat around the bush with a man who saw evil in everything.
“If you’re referring to Sarah the harlot, no, she is not here. She is not welcome in my home.”
“Do you know where she is?”
Hezekiah’s stern features hardened. “In some man’s bed, I suspect.”
“I hope you rot in hell,” Chad said, whirling on his heel. He was wasting time here and knew it.
Chad rode into town, tied Flint to the hitching post in front of the One-Eyed Jack Saloon, and walked down one side of the street and up the other, looking for Sarah in each of the businesses he passed. It appeared as if Sarah and Abner had disappeared into thin air.
“Hey, Delaney, you still in town?”
Chad whirled on his heel toward the sound of the voice. He saw Cal Bork coming out of the general store and waited for him to approach.
“Yeah, I’m still here. What of it?”
“Don’t get your dander up, I was just curious. I was in the storeroom taking inventory when I heard you asking Pa about Sarah Temple.”
“That’s right, Bork. Have you seen Sarah? She’s not at home and I haven’t been able to find her anywhere.”
“Can’t say as I have.” He gave Chad a speculative look. “Are you still looking for Freddie Jackson?”
“Yeah, why do you want to know?” Now it was Chad’s turn to become suspicious. “Has Jackson been in town recently?”
“Er … no. Not that I know of.” His eyes shifted away from Chad. “Reckon I’d better get on back to the store.”
Chad was astute enough to recognize a lie when he heard one. He grasped the lapels of Bork’s shirt and pulled him close, until they were nose to nose. Chad stared him down. “If you value your life, I suggest you tell me what you know. Jackson is an outlaw with a price on his head. You look like a reasonable man, so I’m appealing to your sense of honesty. Was Jackson in town yesterday?”
“Yeah, Jackson was in town yesterday, asking about his parents. I told him they were dead and that was the end of it. I haven’t seen him since so I figured he hightailed it out of here.”
Chad tightened his grip on Bork’s lapels. “Is that all, Bork? Think hard. What else did he say?”
Beads of perspiration popped out on Bork’s forehead. “Now that I think on it, Jackson did inquire about someone else.” He swallowed convulsively. “He asked about Sarah Temple.”
Everything Chad feared had come to fruition. Ever since Sarah’s strange reaction at the mention of Jackson’s name, Chad suspected a connection between the two. He’d tried to convince himself that he’d been imagining things, that his fancy was working overtime, yet the gut feeling had remained. Abruptly he released Bork’s lapels. “I suppose you told Jackson where to find Sarah.”
Bork gave a jerky nod. “I might have mentioned it. He seemed interested in that kid of hers. Wanted to know how old he was. I thought it odd but Jackson always was a strange one.”
Taking advantage of Chad’s distraction, Bork slowly backed away. “That’s all I know, Delaney, I swear it.”
“Did Jackson say where he was heading? Did you know he meant to rob the bank in Medicine Bow last night?”
“No! That’s all he said. I don’t know anything about a bank robbery, or where Jackson was heading. Can I go now?”
“Go on, get out of here.”
Chad needed to think. All kinds of possibilities were running through his mind and he needed time to sort through them. His growling stomach reminded him that he hadn’t eaten all day so he headed for the nearest eating house. After ordering a thick steak, fried potatoes, apple pie, and coffee, he sat back and stared out the window while his mind sorted through the facts.
Fact one: Sarah and Abner were missing.
Fact two: Jackson was in town asking about Sarah.
Fact three: No matter how much the thought riled him, Sarah and Jackson had to be more than casual acquaintances.
Now came the questions. Was Abner Jackson’s son? Did Sarah go off willingly with Jackson? Her house showed no signs of a struggle. Did Sarah love Jackson? That thought caused him no small amount of consternation. After listening to Sarah’s disparaging remarks about men, Chad got the impression that she neither trusted nor liked them. Was Jackson the cause of her distrust? What had he done to her? And why would she go with him?
His meal came then and Chad ate slowly, mulling over the options open to him. If Sarah had willingly accompanied Jackson, then it was none of his business. The reward for capturing Jackson was still a consideration, however. There was also something else to consider. If Jackson forced Sarah to go along with him, Chad would brave hell and high water to find her. Abner was a good kid. A man like Jackson would be a bad influence on him. Surely Sarah knew that.
By the time he’d eaten the last bite of pie and drained his coffee cup, Chad had made up his mind. He couldn’t abandon Sarah and Abner to a violent man like Jackson. He would find Jackson and rescue her, even if she didn’t want to be rescued.
Women! They didn’t have the sense they were born with. The fact that Jackson was Abner’s father, if indeed that was true, didn’t give Jackson the right to take Sarah and Abner. God, he was confused. Had Sarah gone with the outlaw willingly or did Jackson take her and Abner by force?
Suddenly another thought occurred to Chad. Did the Barlows’ missing horse have anything to do with Sarah’s disappearance? His gut told him it did. Chad’s face was grim with determination as he left the eating house. Fortunately, Chad knew this area like the back of his hand. Jackson was no dummy. He knew he couldn’t show his face around here without risking capture. Common sense told him Jackson would lay low for awhile. Medicine Bow sat at the foot of Elk Mountain. Wouldn’t it make sense for Jackson to have a hideout somewhere on Elk Mountain? Chad thought it did and that’s exactly where he headed after replenishing his supplies at the general store.
Jackson led Sarah along a winding trail to an abandoned miner’s shack. It was protected on one side by a ridge, making it difficult for passersby to see. Nearby, a clear creek meandering down from the mountain top bubbled over a stony bed. It was a peaceful setting, and Sarah thought the air much cleaner than the soot-drenched air she breathed in Carbon.
Though remarkably beautiful, and despite being within a day’s ride of Medicine Bow, the area was remote and uninhabited. She was more alone than she had ever been in her life. If only Chad… No, she wouldn’t allow herself to think about Chad. He was far away by now and probably glad to be shed of her and Abner.
“We’re here,” Jackson said, setting Abner on the ground and dismounting behind him. “Lots of wide-open spaces. No one will find us here.”
“What about Indians?” Abner asked fearfully.
“Indians ain’t gonna hurt us, kid. Spotted Deer won’t let them.”
Just then an Indian woman appeared in the doorway of the
crude cabin. Her face seemed carved from stone as she stared at Sarah and Abner. The woman was handsome rather than pretty, with dark skin, penetrating black eyes, and a statuesque figure. Her malevolent glare caused a shiver to skitter down Sarah’s spine. Sarah recognized something cruel about the woman, something dangerous in her eyes that made Sarah want to take Abner and run.
“Who is the woman?” Spotted Deer asked in guttural English. “Why is she here?”
Jackson pushed Abner forward. “This here’s my kid. His name is Abner. And that’s his ma. Her name is Sarah. I wanted the kid with me. His ma followed. She don’t mean a thing to me, Spotted Deer.”
Spotted Deer approached Sarah, her eyes dark with contempt. “Her skin is pale and her eyes are strange. Send the woman away, Fred-die.”
“Aw, forget her, honey. I got no feelings for Sarah. She can clean and cook for us so you won’t have to work so hard.”
Jackson’s eyes glittered with lust as his gaze settled on Spotted Deer’s breasts. “What say you and me go inside so you can give me a proper greeting?” he said, pulling her toward the cabin. He paused in the doorway and turned back to Sarah. “You and the kid stay here until we’re finished. Don’t even think about running because it won’t work. If the wild animals don’t get you, the Indians will.”
Sarah waited until Jackson and Spotted Deer were inside the cabin before leading Abner to a fallen log and sitting down beside him. She had no idea where she was or how to get back to civilization. She could steal a horse now, while Jackson was occupied, but she wasn’t sure she could find her way back to civilization. She was exhausted and so was Abner. Her hands were so raw she doubted she could hold the reins properly. When the time came for her and Abner to escape she wouldn’t hesitate, but at the moment she was too tired to try.
“Why did that bad man take me away, Mama?” Abner asked, laying his weary head in Sarah’s lap. “Is he really my papa?”
The answer to that question wasn’t easy for Sarah to give. Biologically Jackson was Abner’s father, but in all the ways that counted, Abner had no father. How could she explain that to a five-year-old?