Promise Me

by Deborah Schneider

  The yard erupted into a joyful cacophony. Amanda moved through the gathered throng, accepting hugs, warm handshakes, and kind expressions of gratitude. She arrived at the back door to the Miners’ Association with tears in her eyes. Ducking into the dining room to wipe away the evidence of her emotions, she was surprised to find Mr. Penny seated at the table. He jumped quickly to his feet and removed his hat.

  “Begging your pardon, Mrs. Calhoun, but I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Amanda frowned at her agent. “Waiting?”

  “Your husband asked me to come by and get you. He said there was something important he needed to talk to you about. He told me it was private and he would prefer to meet you down the street.” He sniffed at the boisterous crowd in the lighted yard. The music was starting up again.

  “I think he wanted privacy, you know, to talk.” Penny rolled the brim of his bowler in his bony hands and stared at the floor. “He said to bring you over to the livery stable as soon as I could find you.”

  Amanda was confused. She’d been waiting for Sam to return to the Miners’ Ball all evening, and she was disappointed to learn he wouldn’t be joining the festivities. She gazed out the window, then from the corner of her eye she caught an odd glance from Mr. Penny. It was unsettling, this sense of unease when he was around. When she returned to Helena she would find him another position. “Let me grab my wrap and we can go and meet Mr. Calhoun.”

  She draped the silk shawl around her shoulders. She couldn’t fathom why Sam would want to meet her at the livery. Unless he intended to surprise her with a new horse. But why on earth would Sam give her a horse? Perhaps it was to confirm to her that their dream of building a life together could be real. They approached the faded gray barn that housed the blacksmith and livery, and she quickened her step.

  Mr. Penny only opened the door a thin slice, then he quickly ushered her through it. The interior of the barn was dimly lit by one lantern, and the pungent, earthy odor of horses, manure, leather, and hay assailed her. She blinked several times, trying to adjust to the dim shadows. She frowned when she discovered the form of a man lying supine, his arms tied behind his back, curled into one corner near a stall. When she turned to find Mr. Penny holding a revolver aimed at her, she gasped. “I…”

  A tall man clothed in a buckskin jacket emerged from the darkness. His cold, hard expression frightened her. He seemed strangely familiar, and Amanda shivered when she noticed the rifle he held in his hands.

  “Got the bitch, eh? It sure as hell took you long enough, Jacob.”

  “She was enjoying her own party; it was hard to drag her away.” Mr. Penny snickered. “They were all toasting her, telling her what a great job she’s done.” The other man made a nasty sound deep in his throat. “She’s done a great job of spending her husband’s money, that’s for sure. Miners’Association be damned.”

  He glared at Amanda. “You shoulda left town when I told ya to.”

  “I don’t understand,” Amanda said. “What do you want? Money?”

  “Get up there.” Mr. Penny made a motion with the gun for Amanda to climb onto the seat of the buckboard.

  The other man laughed before he kicked at the bound man lying at her feet. “I was hoping we’d be able to capture that good-looking husband of yours, too, but I guess we’re lucky we got this Secret Service fellow instead.”

  Amanda tried to control her emotions. She stood with one foot on the metal step of the wagon, her heart racing and her hands sweating.

  “What would a Secret Service agent want in Willow Creek? Who are you? Why have you brought me here?”

  The man threw back his shoulders and stepped close enough to Amanda so she could see the fine, hard pinpoints of hate in his eyes. Amanda shuddered and returned her foot to the dirt floor of the stable.

  “I’m Jack Pruitt, one of the miners who paid Calhoun to run you outta town.” He spit on the ground. “Now that we know the truth about him, we’re sure he never intended to humiliate and get rid of you. He’s a damned Secret Service Agent, too, and once we deal with you, he’s goin’ to disappear.”

  The man on the floor moaned. Jack’s face went hard and his mouth formed an angry sneer. “You didn’t kill him, Jacob.” He aimed the rifle at the man he’d identified as an agent of the government. “I never can trust you to do anything right.”

  Amanda’s head swam. Mr. Penny was part of this? What did they plan to do with her? Their conversation was confusing and frightening. And just who was Sam? If what they said were true, she knew nothing about her husband. She wondered if Samuel Calhoun was even his real name.

  “If you shoot him it’s gonna bring every man in town running over here to see what’s going on!” Jacob Penny warned.

  Jack glared at Amanda. “I warned you to get out of town.”

  “Are you the one who has been sending me those threatening letters?” Terror ripped through her gut, making her queasy.

  Jack laughed, but there was no good humor in the sound. “Not only did I send you those letters, but I’m the one who carved up that boy.” His eyes went darker and harder. “‘Course, I was hopin’ it would be you at the whorehouse. I had me some fine plans.” His gaze rolled over her slowly, pausing to focus on her breasts. Amanda’s stomach roiled and gooseflesh prickled her arms. He laughed again, the noise harsh and ruthless. His eyes were bloodshot and empty of any emotion except hatred. She shivered despite the warmth of the night. Her teeth chattered and her mouth was dry.

  “When I finally get rid of you, things around town will settle down. I’ll have to kill that husband of yours, too, but everyone will think the two of you left together.”

  “Get her in the damned wagon before someone misses her.” Mr. Penny’s voice was louder and more strident than Amanda had ever heard before. He was glancing nervously at the door.

  “And if I won’t comply with your demands?” Amanda made no effort to do as she was directed. Her legs felt wobbly, and she worried they’d give out beneath her at any moment. It took every ounce of courage she could muster to keep from dissolving into hysterical tears. She sensed she needed to remain calm, at least on the outside.

  She needed to form a plan. And she prayed Sam would be at the Miners’ Association now, searching for her.

  Jack Pruitt pointed at the man on the floor. “Then he dies. We didn’t have much luck with getting rid of that kid who works for you, but believe me, my technique has improved since then.” He pulled a long bowie knife from a leather pouch at his side. “I’ve been practicing.”

  Amanda swallowed against the nausea in her gut. She’d been right about Caleb all along. He’d been attacked because of her. She recognized the agent on the floor. It was Robert Holcomb. Her heart nearly stopped; she couldn’t be responsible for the death of the man, even if she didn’t understand how he was involved in this mess. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do, but please, don’t hurt anyone else.”

  Jacob shoved her toward the wagon. “Get up there, on the seat. Keep quiet, and maybe I won’t carve this man up like a holiday turkey.”

  Amanda pulled herself up the side of the wagon until she finally settled onto the seat. The horses shied and took a step, and the wagon lurched forward.

  “Get up there, Jacob, and make her grab those reins. I’ll open the door. Be sure to keep that gun trained on her. She’s a tricky one.”

  Mr. Penny followed directions, holding the pistol carefully aimed at Amanda’s stomach. She had an urge to fold her arms over herself protectively, imagining what a bullet could do to her unborn child. Instead she took up the leather traces.

  Giving a click with her tongue and a shake of the reins, the team swept through the doors of the livery stable and out into the darkness of the night. The sounds of the Miners’ Ball echoed at the end of town, and she knew most people were gathered there. The saloons were nearly deserted tonight. Jack Pruitt had planned th
is well. With all the excitement, it would be hours before anyone missed her.

  Her mouth was dry as tumbleweed on a hot summer day, and she worked to keep tears from flowing down her cheeks. She realized she’d never see Sam again. He’d think she simply walked out of his life. Maybe he’d be relieved she was finally gone for good. She didn’t think he’d come in search of her.

  Jack climbed onto the buckboard. They paused just outside the livery stable. “Let’s get goin’, Jacob. The sooner we get her to the mine, the sooner we can get rid of her for good.”

  The team continued down the street, and they were nearly at the outskirts of town when Amanda turned to take one last look at Willow Creek. A man was running after them, shouting her name.

  A muscle twitched in Jacob Penny’s cheek, and she slapped at the reins and tried to move the team faster. She recognized the voice, and she knew Sam was intent upon catching up to them. Amanda turned again to see his long legs stretching to cover the distance between him and the wagon.

  Jacob was hidden in one corner, and Amanda was sure that in the darkness he wasn’t visible.

  “Go back, Calhoun. I want to escape from you and this stinking town forever.” She recognized the shrill note in her voice. It was fear.

  They edged into the inky blackness scattered at the fringes of Willow Creek. Sam continued to call her name, and her heart pounded in her chest. She prayed he wouldn’t reach them, knowing his fate would then be fatal as her own.

  “Amanda—” He panted, catching the edge of the wagon and hauling himself up into the back. He struggled to catch his breath as he pulled himself to his knees. “You were right. I couldn’t let you ride away and out of my life. I love you, Amanda.”

  Tears slid down her face as she choked back a response. Why had he waited so long to utter the words she’d been waiting to hear? Now it was probably too late. A horrible sense of doom swept over her.

  Jack Pruitt stood up, gripping the back of the seat. He aimed his rifle at Sam’s heart. “Now, ain’t that sweet? Since it appears you two don’t want to live without each other, how about if I arrange for a double funeral?”

  A look of shock, then horror, crossed Sam’s face. He reached for the revolver at his side, but Jack’s words stopped him.

  “It would be just as easy to put a bullet in you now, Agent Calhoun, and toss you over the side of the ridge.”

  Sam’s hand shifted away from his gun, and Jack ordered him to toss the weapon into the back of the wagon. He settled down into a crouch, a grim look of satisfaction on his face.

  “I’ve been keepin’ my eye on you for a couple of weeks, Calhoun, and I’ve got to admit, you’re a bigger fool than I ever imagined.”

  Sam leaned back against the side of the wagon. “Because I waited so long to tell my wife how I really felt about her?”

  Pruitt laughed and shook his head. “Who the hell cares about that sorta thing? No, Calhoun, you’re a fool because you had one of the biggest fortunes in Montana at your disposal, and from what Jacob has told me, you haven’t spent a cent of it.”

  “I once told my wife I didn’t give a damn for that money and it’s still true.” He glared at Pruitt. “Haven’t you ever found anything more important than wealth?”

  Pruitt’s lips settled into a thin, harsh line. “The only folks who can say that are the ones who have more than enough.” He gave a bitter laugh. “But soon, very soon, I’ll be richer than those railroad tycoons back east. When the U.S. goes to the silver standard, I’ll be selling my stockpile for more than gold. Me and my pals will be the ones wearing fancy clothes, with servants and grand houses.”

  Sam braced one leg up against the side of the wagon and draped an arm across his knee. Amanda knew he was working hard to control his temper. She had to trust Sam, because he was the key to getting out of this predicament. Sam would take care of her.

  The dark shapes of trees rushed past them, blending into the night. The road was rough, and Amanda began to recognize the direction they were taking.

  She gritted her teeth at Mr. Penny. “Are we going out to the Silver Slipper Mine?”

  Laughter cackled behind her, and she turned to see Jack grinning in the pale moonlight.

  “It will take folks a long time to figure out where you are, and by the time they do, I imagine it’ll be too late.

  “Are you going to leave us out here, then?”

  Jack ignored her question. In the silence, Amanda tried to steal another glance at Sam, but he was silent now, too, leaning back against the sideboards.

  It was nearly an hour before they arrived at the mine. The buildings were outlined against the inky black sky. Stars shone above them. There wasn’t a sound, because Amanda had declared a holiday and given everyone the night off. Now that she thought about it, the suggestion to do so had been made by Jacob Penny.

  The horses slowed. They entered the yard, and Mr. Penny indicated she should bring them to a halt. Jack stood and ordered Sam out of the back of the wagon, then jumped down behind him. Sam hurried forward to assist Amanda as she climbed down, but Pruitt shoved the rifle between them.

  “Leave her be.”

  Amanda’s toes touched the ground, and a sharp pain bloomed across the side of her cheek and she heard a ringing in her ears. Her knees melted beneath her and a small scream of surprise escaped her lips. She tumbled to the earth and into a pit of darkness.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Sam could barely control the urge to jump forward and wrestle the gun from the bastard who’d hit Amanda with the stock of his rifle. His rage was a live, angry, hot beast that curled through him, making his heart beat faster. The thirst for revenge was thick bile in his throat.

  He moved forward and knelt down to carefully lift Amanda. When she stirred in his arms, he pulled her closer. He tried to wrap himself around her, providing protection and refuge by shielding her with his body. She cried out, and he whispered her name gently.

  His wife needed to be his first priority, so he’d have to be patient and cautious. It was difficult to wait for an opportunity, but he hoped their captors would make a mistake. Sam would make sure it was their last.

  He tried to ignore the ugly bruise forming on the side of Amanda’s face. He worked to make his smile comforting. She shivered, then a single tear slid down her cheek, and he gritted his teeth. The more Amanda suffered, the harder it was for him to remain calm. If he didn’t figure out a way to disarm the men holding them hostage, Amanda could die. Fear chilled his blood, and his heart banged a wild beat in his chest.

  He had to quiet himself and remember his training. He couldn’t let his emotions take over.

  “Throw some water on her and wake her up.” Pruitt’s voice was high pitched and demented.

  “You do that and I’ll strangle you with my bare hands, I swear it.” Sam’s voice echoed in the darkness.

  “You make big threats for a man with a shotgun aimed between his eyes.” Pruitt hung back, just out of arms’ reach. Not that he’d drop Amanda to chase the son-of-a-bitch. Pruitt was obviously so deranged he didn’t know what he was doing. The cruel glint in Jack Pruitt’s eyes told him there would be no dealing with these two.

  “Get away from him, Jack. Let’s just do what we came for and get back to town.” Penny’s voice was sharp.

  Pruitt ignored his companion, then moved closer, reaching out to slap at Amanda’s face. Rage percolated through Sam’s body. He carefully leaned Amanda upon one arm, and with one quick push, he sent Pruitt spinning backwards onto the stones beneath their feet.

  Jacob Penny stepped forward, his beady eyes dark with hatred, a thick line of spittle dripping from his mouth. “Get back.” He cocked the pistol he held tightly, and Sam closed his eyes. He waited for the smashing pain that would signal his death.

  “Jacob, don’t you dare kill ‘em. I want to do it,” Pruitt roared.

 
Sam opened his eye to find the two men huddled together, the gun still trained on him. “Move on into the mine, twenty paces.” Jacob Penny gestured with the barrel of the pistol. “I want to see you move past those timbers at the entrance.”

  Sam gathered Amanda into his arms and she opened her eyes. She gave him a quizzical smile, and a few moments later her memory seemed to return. She twisted to look at the men standing in the dim light of the lantern.

  “What’s going on, Sam?”

  “I’m not sure.” He kept his voice low and even while he carried her farther into the mine. His steps took them past the square-set heavy timbers at the opening that formed the headframe. They were nearly twenty feet into the mine when he settled her back upon her feet. “Can you run?” His words were a husky whisper.

  “I think so.”

  “Good, when we get past this next cross cot, we’ll be in near total darkness. I want you to gather up your skirts, hang onto my hand, and run. Run like your life depended upon it.”

  Because it probably does, Sam wanted to add. But they were still close enough to the mine entrance that he didn’t want to take the chance of alerting their captors to his plan.

  “Stop right there,” Jacob Penny demanded.

  Not a chance. Sam knew the pistol was still trained on his back, but he would use his body to shield Amanda from the bullets. He could buy her some time to find a hiding place in the mine. With any luck, she could escape and stay hidden until morning.

  “Now,” he urged her. “Run.”

  Amanda took off, and the thud of her boots scrambling on the dirt floor echoed through the tunnel. Sam followed close behind her, his arm stretched to hold her hand. He waited for the blast of the gun.

  Instead he heard the sound of laughter. When they were farther into the tunnel he stopped, pulling Amanda flat against the wall with him. He listened carefully to determine if they were being followed. The light at the entrance to the tunnel didn’t waver.