For the Love of Suzanne

by Hudecek-Ashwill, Kristi

  She felt a sense of panic. “I don’t know anything about any mutinies or Indians or even if Cody Black Fox is involved. I haven’t seen him since the day he left me here,” she said desperately.

  “Miss Dillon, I can assure you that I do not care about your lies. I think you are protecting him and you’re lying to do it. Now, I am placing you under arrest,” he said casually, his cold dark eyes filled with anger.

  She had never been arrested in her life. She hadn’t even had a traffic ticket or any parking violations and now she was being arrested? For conspiracy and treason?

  Suddenly, the room began to spin and she ran short of breath before blackness overcame her. She fell to the floor with a thud.

  Chapter 12

  Cody had been circling the fort at night for over a week, hoping to get a glimpse of Suzanne and was disappointed that he never saw her. That worried him. She was a fine, frail woman, unlike any others he had ever met. She was very beautiful, soft-spoken and very afraid. He could see the fear in her eyes and feel it in his bones. He could also see her pain and wished he could take it all away. He would love to see her happy for even just a minute, but considering how she’d come here and how everything was so unfamiliar to her, he understood her sorrow. Still, he felt as if there was more that she wasn’t telling him.

  He hadn’t been to the fort since the day he’d left her at Annalee’s. Her tears and pleas not to leave her there still haunted him, but he’d had no choice. It was either Annalee’s, where she would be around other white people, or Tall Deer who he was sure would have been cruel to her.

  He sighed as he fought his emotions of guilt and the longing to hold her in his arms again. He wanted to kiss her, comfort her, and ease her pain. He wanted much more than that. He was a man, even if he was a half-breed, and she was a woman who didn’t seem to care about it. He reminded himself that she was married. There was a husband somewhere. That was what had been keeping him away, but he didn’t want to lie to her and had come for the visit he’d promised her he would make.

  He was wearing blue jeans and a white cotton shirt and boots as well as a black wide-brimmed hat. He was dressed like a white man tonight, but his long hair still hung freely around his shoulders and down his back.

  As he approached the gate, he saw Addison Taylor in the guard tower and was almost relieved and slid off his horse. Addison was easygoing and friendly. Cody knew he was a good man and considered him a friend.

  Addison saw him, too, and ran down the flight of stairs to the ground and opened the gate just far enough to step outside. The other guards were oblivious as they played cards by the light of an oil lamp. “Cody, what the hell are you doing here?” he whispered frantically.

  He didn’t understand the urgency in his friend’s voice and frowned as he realized something wasn’t right. “I came to visit Suzanne Dillon. I left her here over a month ago and I told her I would come back. You don’t remember?”

  “Get out of here,” he whispered urgently. “Richards has a case on you and wants you shot on sight.”

  That surprised him. “Why?”

  “He thinks you’re causing problems.”

  He shook his head with firm denial. “Things are quiet for now. There are no uprisings in the near future that I’ve heard about,” he whispered back.

  “That doesn’t matter. The man has been out in the sun too long and he’s got Miss Suzanne locked in the stockade. He’s accusing her of conspiracy and treason.”

  “What?” he exclaimed louder than he’d meant to.

  “Sh-h,” Addison scolded him. “The man has gone loco, Cody. You have got to go before you are killed.”

  “I can’t leave her here, Addison,” he said in hushed seriousness. “Don’t even ask me to.”

  “You can’t come in here, Cody,” he said sternly, placing his fingers on his friend’s chest. “I’m sorry, but it would put your life at risk--and hers. Mine, too. Go back to your village.”

  He stopped himself from pushing away Addison’s hand, knowing the man had good intentions. “I can’t. I told her I would come back for her.”

  “Tonight?”

  “No,” he sighed with disappointment. “This is just a visit.”

  “Then go home, Cody. I’ll tell her you were here.”

  For the first time since Cody had met Addison, Cody was getting the feeling he couldn’t trust him. He had a feeling there was more going on than what he was saying. He knew his life was at risk and had the feeling Addison was going to turn him in. Then he would hang.

  He rubbed his neck unconsciously, remembering that he’d almost been hanged a few years ago when a renegade bunch of Mexicans had invaded his village, destroyed the dwellings, raped their women, and had taken some children. He’d been captured while fighting a bandito with a knife and dragged to a tree. Lame Bird had shot the men who were trying to hang him, then quickly scrambled to the horse they’d been using as a makeshift platform and cut the rope before he dangled too long. It had been the scariest thing he’d ever been through. No air and his lungs had hurt while his life flashed before his eyes. He never wanted that to happen again and avoided it at all costs.

  Was it worth risking his neck for Suzanne? Surely she hadn’t given up on him, had she? It had been over a month. She was in a strange land, in a strange situation, and she had her child to consider. He still didn’t understand how she had come into his life and, despite her denial, still thought she was a person of the stars. He had to get her back to where he’d found her as soon as he could. She had a husband and her child needed its father. Things were calm for the moment between his people and the white man. This would be a good time to get this done.

  Addison looked at his friend, knowing he wasn’t going to leave and sighed heavily. “Okay,” he said reluctantly. “I can’t get you inside the stockade, but I can tell you which cell is hers.”

  “Is she alone or with the men?”

  “She’s in with a couple of men. They’re being closely guarded. Stick your hair under your hat or you’ll be shot for sure.”

  He quickly did as Addison instructed, angry that Richards had thrown Suzanne into a cell with strange men. The man had, indeed, been out in the sun too long and Cody silently vowed revenge on him if he had hurt one hair on her head. He followed Addison through the gate, where Addison showed him how to find her before returning to his post.

  Cody hid in the shadows, walking along the walls of the buildings, passing by the saloon where there was laughter, yelling and lively piano music coming through the open door. He kept his head down and walked on without being noticed, thankful for the moonless night. The fort was dark except for lamps putting out dim light through the windows in a few buildings, including the stockade. He could see the sentry sleeping in a chair with his head down and his gun across his lap. Cody silently walked by him, looking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t seen. He hid in the shadows of the building as he made his way around to the side where she was supposed to be.

  He knew the stockade was partially underground with bars on the windows. There was no way he was going to break her out of there that way. He took a few steps back to make sure the sentry was still sleeping and didn’t see anything different. Keeping to the shadows, he made his way to the window and got down on his belly and tried to see inside the pitch black cell. He couldn’t see anything, but could hear one of the men snoring and a light sniffle. It was too delicate to be that of a man and figured it had to be Suzanne.

  “Suzanne,” he whispered loudly.

  Suzanne had been in here for almost two weeks now, living on bread and water. The first time the guard had given it to her, it had made her chuckle at the irony of it all. Her mother used to tell her if she didn’t like her dinner, she could have bread and water. The reality of it was not so funny. She was tired, hungry, sick at times, and wanted to go home.

  No matter what she did or said, she couldn’t convince Major Richards that she didn’t know anything about any revolts, upri
sings, or Cody Black Fox. She was interrogated on a daily basis. Sometimes it would last for hours in the relentless heat with no water while the major tantalized and badgered her, and even hit her a few times. She couldn’t tell him what she didn’t know.

  The men with whom she shared a cell were congenial and treated her with courtesy and respect. Nobody spoke much, but she knew one man’s name was Zack, the other was Caleb, and they were both incarcerated for dereliction of duties. They treated her with respect, always calling her Miss Suzanne, and giving her as much privacy as possible.

  She had been sleeping when she felt something crawling up her dress. She scrambled off the flea-infested cot only to fall, scratching her leg in the process. She scooted across the floor and leaned against the wall between the cots, covering her mouth in an effort to stay quiet while she burst into tears. She could feel blood running down her leg and tried to press the petticoats to it to stop the bleeding.

  She was tired and hungry and all of the rodents in the cell were driving her crazy. She hated rats and mice and the ones that shared the cell were not shy. They came out at all hours of the day and night.

  The heat, the lack of food and water, the stench from the cell where everybody relieved themselves in a corner, the vermin, the filth of her body, and the constant interrogations were wearing her down. She couldn’t take much more.

  She took a few deep breaths in an effort to calm herself when she thought she heard someone whisper her name. She held her breath then and strained to listen. Who would be calling her? When she didn’t hear it again, she knew she was really losing her mind. A whole new flood of tears started. She couldn’t keep going like this. It was too much for her, and she certainly didn’t want to raise her child in such a rough environment. Funny, she thought wryly, who says the baby was going to live through this?

  She sniffed and pushed her hair out of her face, then heard it again.

  “Suzanne.”

  She wasn’t sure she’d heard it, but began to look around for the source and saw the silhouette of a man wearing a hat at the window. She slowly made her way across the cell and looked up at the window. “What?” she whispered.

  “It’s me. Cody. Are you okay?”

  “Oh, my God,” she covered her mouth in relief. “Cody.”

  He had barely heard her, but at least she had acknowledged him.

  “There are rats in here,” she choked softly.

  He reached his arm through the bars. “I’m sorry,” he murmured sincerely. “Can you reach my hand?”

  She reached for it and grabbed it, thinking it was the best feeling in the world. He’d come back for her and the relief was almost overwhelming.

  “I’ll get you out,” he whispered to her and squeezed her hand affectionately.

  “How? They’ll shoot you.”

  “Not if I turn myself in. This isn’t right. You shouldn’t be in there, especially for me.”

  “Go away, Cody,” she said shakily. “I don’t want you to get hurt or killed.”

  She didn’t want anything to happen to him not only because he was the only one who could get her back to her world, but because she was feeling something more for him than friendship. She’d had a lot of time to think and figured it was just infatuation. She hoped she wasn’t like some women who instantly fell in love with any man who gave them a second look, but she wanted to find out. It was scary after what she’d endured with Beau. She was determined that she would never go through that again, but she knew Cody was different. He was kind, compassionate, and respectful. Beau had never been that way. He hadn’t always been cruel but his compassion had been less than nothing.

  She leaned against the wall wearily, still holding his hand, wondering how all of this had happened. She longed for the comfort of a clean bed, a shower, air conditioning, and privacy. She was exhausted and didn’t feel well with morning sickness attacking her every day.

  She wanted to run away, but she would never get out of here as long as Major Richards was convinced she was in cahoots with Cody Black Fox. The man was relentless with his interrogations and she knew he was losing his patience.

  Cody could hear her crying softly and his conscience pricked him again. He never liked to see people sad, but with Suzanne, he hated it. He didn’t want to see her sad or frightened; right now she was both and it was his fault.

  All he could think of was how he’d kissed her in the desert and how ladylike she’d been. Not at all like Annalee’s girls who were paid for passion. He’d also held her that night as she’d slept and remembered how she’d snuggled into him and fit his body perfectly.

  He gave himself a mental slap. She belonged to another man and she was going to have that man’s child. Cody had no rights to her and had to get her back to where he had found her. What he’d told her about the renegades had been true but he’d had his own selfish reasons for not taking her back. He wanted to know her. He knew from the first time he saw her that she was a special person. After just a few kisses and the way she had so innocently laid in his arms that night, he knew that she was different.

  He squeezed her hand, noticing that she’d been doing Annalee’s dirty work. It wasn’t so soft anymore and he wished he could do more to help her, especially considering her fragile condition.

  “I’m going to get you out,” he promised softly.

  “Don’t get hurt. Give me a few more days to convince Major Richards that I don’t know anything.”

  “I can’t. You’ve already been in there way too long.”

  “Two days, Cody,” she whispered. “Please.”

  “No. This isn’t right. I cannot let you suffer for me.”

  She tugged on his hand. “Please.”

  He hesitated, not wanting to do this. He had to get her out of there as soon as he could. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “I am,” she assured him. “Two days is all I’m asking.”

  He didn’t know if she could take it, but finally gave in. “I’ll be back in two days. You’re going to have to meet me outside the fort by the gate. Wait until dark.”

  “Okay,” she sniffed.

  “Suzanne?”

  “What?”

  “If you don’t come to me, I’m coming for you,” he said seriously.

  “Okay,” she whispered and impulsively kissed his hand. “You’d better go.”

  “I’ll be back,” he said in a soft voice and squeezed her hand tenderly, hardly believing she’d kissed his hand and wished it had been his lips. “Two days.”

  Before he could leave, she pulled him back. “Can I ask you one thing?”

  He caressed the top of her hand and looked over his shoulders to make sure he still hadn’t been seen. “Ask.”

  “Are you a bad man?” she asked uncertainly.

  “Some say so.”

  “I don’t care what other people think. I want to know what you think.”

  He sighed, not sure how to answer that question. He tried not to be a bad man and was doing the best he could with the Indians and the white people and was getting burned by both sides. Major Richards accused him of trying to start a rebellion and Chief Tall Deer ignored him for the most part; when he did acknowledge him, it was never friendly and often a crude remark about being a half-breed or a traitor. He honestly didn’t know the answer to her question.

  “I’ll be back in two days,” he promised, giving her hand another squeeze.

  She let him go this time.

  Cody made it back to Addison without incident and hid in the shadows, trying not to be seen. “What’s going to happen to her?” he demanded lowly of his friend.

  “I don’t know, Cody,” he said lamely. “She’s been lucky so far, but if you don’t turn yourself in or get her out of there soon, she’s going to end up either hanging or in front of a firing squad. Richards is determined to get something out of her.”

  “But she doesn’t know anything. Everything is calm right now and nothing is on the horizon that I know of. Can’t y
ou reason with him?”

  “Why do you think I’m on sentry duty?” he huffed. “I’ve tried and he threw me out of his office. The man is crazy, I tell you.”

  He nodded. “Would he really execute a woman?” he asked with disbelief in his voice.

  “I wouldn’t put it past him,” he said frankly.

  “Even a woman who is in the family way?”

  He looked at him in shock. “Is Miss Suzanne in a family way?”

  He nodded. “She is. I need to get her back to her husband as soon as I can.”

  “The child isn’t yours?” he asked innocently.

  He shook his head. “No. She’s a married woman.”

  “Who’s her husband?” he asked curiously.

  “I don’t know. She’s never talked about him. I didn’t know she was pregnant until the day I brought her here.”

  He sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face distressfully. “That certainly puts a whole new light on things, doesn’t it?” he said thoughtfully.

  He nodded.

  “Okay. I’ll talk to him again tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Addison. You’re a good friend.”

  “Aw hell, Cody,” he said humbly. “Get out of here before you get caught and we both hang.”

  He pulled his hat off and gave him a lazy salute. “Until next time.”

  He gave him a casual wave and watched him jump on his horse and ride into the darkness. “I don’t know who’s crazier. You or Richards.”

  Chapter 13

  The next morning, Suzanne was roughly hauled out of the stockade by two big men and dragged her to her feet before she was even awake. She stumbled and fell, only to be yanked back to her feet while they called her names and dragged her up the uneven stone steps into a room she had never been in before.

  It was small with no windows, illuminated only by a single oil lamp sitting in the middle of a big wooden table. Major Richards was sitting in a hard chair with his beefy hands folded in front of him and a smug look on his wicked face. The room was dirty and had a familiar, acrid smell to it, but she couldn’t remember what it was or where she’d smelled it before. Regardless, it wasn’t good, and she knew she was in trouble.