Midnight Secrets

by Janelle Taylor

  “Track down and . : . assassinate them?”

  “Punish them for what they did, for what they’re still doing to us. To stop Negro gangs they’re inciting, arming, and training to loot and kill us. They’re sicking embittered ex-slaves on us like starving dogs on juicy meat. Most of us didn’t even own slaves; those who did, never abused them. They didn’t believe in cruelty, and such property was too valuable to maim. We can’t take attacks lying down like cowards. But we can’t risk fighting back in the open or exposing ourselves as Klansmen. If we succeed, the South will rise to her past glory. We’ll be free, safe, and powerful once more.”

  “But what you’re planning to do with this… ‘mission’ is murder, Mr. Avery. You can’t be a part of it. You’re too good and kind; too gentle. The war is over; let it die.”

  “Like my Anna died? Raped, beaten, and murdered by Yankee soldiers. She’s not the only woman that happened to because of the war. Other members have wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters those beasts have ravished or terrorized or slain. With these,” he said, patting his waist again, “they can be located and punished. My sweet and innocent Anna and others can be avenged.”

  “With what, Mr. Avery? You have the gems hidden on your body?”

  “In a pouch around my waist. I don’t want those men to know what I’m carrying or to where. They probably think it’s money or a voucher or a promissory note. Once our scouts find the bastards we want, they’re dead.”

  Scouts? her mind echoed. Steve was a skilled one for hire, and Charles had constantly and eagerly pushed them together. She fretted over the possibility of their being secret cohorts. Steve had been inquisitive and observant; he could have been interrogating her and spying on everyone else for this very reason. He could have gotten wind of this “mission” and been seeking the carrier, a boss to approach for his next job. Steve had insisted she be armed at all times. Had he suspected this trouble and prepared her to defend herself? No, she argued with herself, he wouldn’t take a wicked job like this.

  “Were you wooing Steve Carr to become one of those scouts?” she probed. “Is that why you wanted him ensnared by me, your daughter?”

  “No, Ginny girl. I meant, hire detectives. I only wanted Steve to be willing to guide you to your father. You see now why I couldn’t, and can’t, go with you. Steve Carr is a good and honest man, a skilled guide and expert shooter. I thought you might need his help and protection after we parted and if things didn’t work out in Texas.” Charles sighed heavily and frowned. “After this, he probably wouldn’t let you hire him for any amount. He’s also proud and stubborn. If you meet again, you’ll defeat any hope with him if you continue being Anna Avery or if you confess you lied. Either way, he’ll never trust you again. Men can deceive, then expect and get forgiveness, but if a woman deceives them, they take it as an attack or unforgettable treachery. Besides, it’s dangerous and foolish to travel with a man who feels that way about you. You’ll have to find another way to get you to Colorado. I’m sorry I messed that up for you.”

  Ginny feared those grim words were true, but only time and Steve’s reaction could convince her. She worried over what her friends at the camp were thinking about her. Possibly they had added up the clues and realized her “father” was committing a more terrible deed than horse-stealing. They might even think she was a clever and disguised party to it. Her four friends … She missed them already and hoped they wouldn’t believe such awful lies about her.

  No doubt Cathy King was delighted to have her gone. And no doubt the theft of their horse would give her an excuse to cry on Steve’s shoulder!

  Steve… Would he try to trail and rescue her? But how, when fourteen families were in his care? Would the law come to help her soon? Would they be fooled by the false trail the men had marked southward?

  The following day they were riding again by eight o’clock. The Arkansas lowland was green and beautiful. Past or present crops of cotton, rice, and maise stretched before their gazes for what looked like miles in several directions. They skirted inhabited areas to avoid contact with farmers and sharecroppers, just as they did where cattle grazed on lush grass. The few hills they crossed were so low and gentle that they could more accurately be called uneven terrain. Sprinklings of hardwoods broke what sometimes seemed like prairie land. They spooked deer, quail, squirrel, and rabbit, a few times, turkey and opossum.

  During one rest stop, Bart told her that people in the northern and western sections of the state were fiercely independent and suspicious of strangers. He said many, especially in isolated mountain regions, were backward, poor, and rough. He disclosed that Union loyalty had been “strong and thick” in the northern region, and fights still broke out between ex-Confederates and ex-Union sympathizers. “You don’t wanna git caught by none of them mountain boys, Miss Anna,” the leader ended his chat. “You’d never see a town or friendly face again. You’d be kept like a slave to ‘em till you die, or git too old or belly-fat to serve ‘em.”

  Ginny didn’t have to be told what “belly-fat” meant. She shuddered as she realized she could escape one peril and fall into another one.

  Friday night they camped west of Barthalomeu Bayou at dusk, having used all hours of daylight available.

  The following night they camped fifteen miles southwest of Pine Bluff. Charles tried to persuade Bart to allow his “daughter” to ride into town where she could take a comfortable steamboat or keelboat down the Arkansas River to the Mississippi to Vicksburg or upriver to Little Rock and meet them there. Bart used the possibility of danger to her as an excuse to continue holding her captive. He claimed that too many Union troops had stayed in Pine Bluff or returned there since its capture in ‘63 for her to go unnoticed. Bart alleged the big town, where some of the first shots of the war had been fired, was perilous because of rough landing workers and tricky gamblers who plied their trades on the riverboats that docked there.

  Sunday night they halted on the Ouachita River. Hills were steeper in this area, some with rocky sides exposed. Woods surrounded the site. Many trees had branches low to the ground, and underbrush was thick, telling her there were excellent hiding places nearby if she could escape.

  By that time, Ginny understood what Charles was doing and why, but she did not agree and told him so. She was worried about his sinister plans with the Red Magnolias, worried about him, and worried about the bold, lustful looks the men had been giving her since Friday.

  It had poured yesterday, and her soaked shirt had clung to her breasts. The offensive men had sent her lewd smiles, nudged each other and winked, and licked their lips as if in anticipation of tasting a treat. She had chided herself for not packing a slicker but hadn’t thought about it at the wagon during her panic. She had used a dripping blanket to cover her shoulders and halt their leering. She knew time for action was slipping away and that she must escape the next day. She couldn’t wait for aid to come. Even if someone was pursuing them, she reasoned, they had traveled too fast to be overtaken.

  Ginny knew she looked a mess. She intentionally didn’t groom herself and risk creating more appeal to the ruffians. She was miserable in the dirty, sweaty, and mussed state. She yearned for the day it would no longer be a necessary precaution.

  “Ginny, I don’t trust these men,” Charles whispered. “We’re heading west now, but Little Rock is northeast of us, so they aren’t taking us there for a meeting. Tomorrow, I’ll demand they release you. If they refuse, I’ll hold a gun on them until you make your escape. When I give you the word, you ride out of here and keep riding as fast as you can, northwest to Hot Springs.” At her baffled look, he explained, “I’ve been to Little Rock and Hot Springs before and, best I remember, the mineral springs should sit at eleven on a clock from our present position. If you’re afraid you’ll get lost, just follow the river. It’s a longer route but will get you there. Once we begin our ruse, no matter what you hear, don’t look back or return.”

  “I have a derringer strapped to my leg, Mr.
Avery,” Ginny revealed in a whisper. “Steve gave it to me and taught me how to use it. If I help, we can escape together. They’ll kill you after I get away from them.”

  Charles exposed what was necessary to persuade her to cooperate, as he felt it was the horrible truth. “I think that’s what they already have in mind for me very soon. I don’t believe they’re guiding us to Timothy Graham; I think they’ve turned greedy and traitorous and plan to take the payment for themselves. I’m not afraid to die, girl. I faced death many times during and since the war. I love you, girl, and I don’t want to see you hurt. I’m more concerned about your safety and survival than I am about failing this mission. Another member can replace me, but nobody else can save you. You know what these men will do to you the moment I’m dead. I can’t let happen to you what happened to my sweet Anna.”

  Tears clouded her hazel eyes. “I can’t let you risk your life for me.”

  “I got you into this and I’ll get you out. Please don’t argue. Even if we both drew on them, these men won’t care if we shoot two of them while the other three gun me down to rob me and … hurt you.”

  She admitted he was right. It pained her to know he would probably die helping her, as the cutthroats would have no reason to hold him prisoner. She was angered by their helplessness, terrified of the grim fates looming before them in the morning. “All right, sir.”

  “Good girl. Get some sleep. You’ll need it.”

  Ginny lifted her satchel. “I’m going upriver to take a bath and change clothes. I’ll return in about twenty minutes.”

  “Halt, Miss Anna!” the leader shouted at the departing woman. “You don’t wanna go trying nothing crazy and riling me.”

  Ginny looked at him and scoffed, “Attempt escape without a horse, weapon, or supplies and in an unfamiliar wilderness? I’m not a fool, Bart, and my father is in your care. I can’t stand being so filthy and disheveled a minute longer. I’m going, so don’t try to stop me or I’ll pitch a fit.”

  Bart scowled but said, “Slim, you go guard Miss Anna. And behave yourself or you’ll answer to my fists and irons.”

  Ginny found a site close to the woods for hiding after she made her break. She trembled in suspense and prayed for Charles’s endangered life. She waited a few minutes, then called out, “Slim, a snake!”

  The outlaw joined her in a hurry, “Where?”

  “There, at the edge of the bank near those weeds and my things.”

  Slim stepped closer to the water and looked in that direction. “I—”

  Ginny clobbered his head with a large rock. She tossed one pistol into the river so he couldn’t use it on Charles and kept the other. She was tempted to return to camp and help him escape with her, but that would be futile against four men. She assumed he didn’t stand a chance of saving himself and that troubled her, so much that she changed her mind.

  Ginny bound the unconscious man’s ankles and wrists with his shirt and belt then gagged him with his bandana. She drew her derringer, as she felt she could control her accuracy better with its lighter weight. She checked the bullet chambers and sneaked to camp, a weapon in each hand. To avoid startling and distracting her companion and giving the bandits time to react, she must wait until the right moment to expose herself. Charles had said he would delay the men when they became suspicious of her lengthy absence and decided to investigate. While she was reasoning what to do next, Bart took matters out of her hands.

  “That gal of yourn is taking too long. Rollie, go check on ‘em.”

  Charles drew his pistol. “Don’t any of you move,” he ordered.

  “What the—Don’t be a fool, Avery; it’s four to one. You can’t shoot all of us before the rest clear leather and fire.”

  “Ah, yes, but which one will it be who dies?” Charles bluffed.

  “You probably can’t hit the side of a stage anyway.”

  “But I can, and I will,” Ginny vowed coldly as she stepped into the clearing with two weapons pointed in the men’s direction. “Let’s tie them up and get out of here, Father,” she said, accustomed to calling him that.

  “Mount up and ride, Anna. I’ll keep them covered then follow you.”

  “We leave together. Unbuckle your gunbelts, you scoundrels.”

  “You’re making a big mistake, girlie. You—”

  “The mistake was yours when you kidnapped me. See that canteen beside you?” Ginny fired at it and water gushed from a bullethole. “Does that convince you I know how to use these? And I will if you don’t obey me fast and easy with one finger only.” Ginny cautioned herself not to get carried away with her daring ruse. She wasn’t “Little Pearl” from the ten-cent pocket novels she had read, about a fictional western heroine who could do anything a man could and most of the time better. She was lucky her reckless demonstration had worked; it wouldn’t have if Steve hadn’t insisted on weapons lessons and target practice.

  “Do as the lady says, boys.”

  “What?” the other three shouted at the same time.

  “Do it,” Bart snarled like a provoked animal. “We don’t want to be sleeping on our bedrolls like Slim probably is. She’s serious.”

  All four unfastened and dropped their holsters to the ground.

  “Step away,” Ginny ordered, and Bart made his men obey again.

  Charles collected the holsters and backed to the horses. He kept glancing at the outlaws as he saddled two of them in a rush. He mounted while Ginny kept her weapons aimed on the scowling men, then did the same for her. He glanced at the alert woman, smiled, and thanked her for coming back for him. They kneed their mounts to gallop to safety.

  Having grasped Bart’s hint, the men dashed for their bedrolls and fetched rifles from beneath covers as the leader gave his orders. All aimed and fired. Charles was wounded in the shoulder and fell off his horse, which kept galloping. Ginny’s mount was shot in the neck and leg and both tumbled to the ground.

  “Run!” Charles told her as he tried to get to his dropped weapon.

  Ginny glanced back and saw the four men racing toward them. She couldn’t help Charles further. Nor could she take time to aim and fire, as four armed villains were approaching them with haste. She ignored Bart’s shouts for her to halt as she raced toward the woods. She heard the leader order a man to go after her.

  While Rollie searched for her and Ted fetched the runaway horse, Bart scoffed at the wounded Charles, “You’re a fool, Avery, if you think we’ll let you git away with the money.”

  “I don’t have any money. I only wanted to get us away safely.”

  “You musta figured we was going to take it from you today.”

  Charles winced in pain. “I had the feeling you’d try. You’re the fool, Bart. The Klan will hunt you down and kill you for this outrage.”

  “We ain’t afraid of no men in silly costumes.”

  “You should be; they’re powerful and dangerous. They’ll find you. They’ll make you wish you’d never had a greedy bone in your body.”

  “We’ll tell ‘em we was attacked and you was killed. If you had any money with you, we don’t know nothing about it.”

  “Money” would be the exposing word, and Charles smiled at knowing he’d be avenged. “They’ll know you’re lying. You’re dead men.”

  “Nope, you are,” Bart said, and shot him twice in the heart. “Search his stuff, Kip. Let’s git that money and the gal and ride outta here. We’ll enjoy her in camp tonight, make her sorry she ever gave us trouble.”

  Kip grinned and stroked his crotch.

  Bart chuckled. “Calm yourself; you’ll get your turn after me.”

  Kip tossed Charles’s things in all directions but found no money.

  “He must have it on him,” Bart suggested.

  Kip yanked off the dead man’s coat and checked it. “Nothing, boss.” He searched Charles’s pants pockets. “Not here.”

  As Bart flipped Charles over, he felt something besides flesh beneath his dark shirt. He ripped it open and grinned
when he saw the leather pouch. He removed it and looked inside. “What the devil!”

  “Cut a lizard in half, boss, them’s diamonds and more.”

  Bart chuckled. “Yep, and I bet they’re worth plenty. Lookie how they sparkle. Ain’t they real pretty. We’re rich, in high cotton.”

  Rollie joined the two men, looking mad and breathing hard. Slim trailed him with a bloody injury and embarrassed expression. Ted rode up with Charles’s horse and dismounted. All five eyed the glittering treasure.

  “Where’s the gal?” the leader asked. “You got her tied to a tree?”

  Rollie exhaled in annoyance. “I cain’t find her, boss, but Slim’s all right. She wacked him bad with a rock. Needs binding.”

  “Did you search real good? I got me a score to settle with her. After I finish, you boys can have yore fills, too. After we git tired of ‘er, we can give ‘er to some of them mountain boys if they give us any trouble.”

  “She’s hiding better ‘an a coon with hunting dogs sniffing after her. She’s real smart, but she’ll have to show herself soon. We’ll wait.”

  “Yeah,” Kip agreed, “we’ll outwit her. I’m second with her, boys.”

  “Why you?” Ted asked, licking his lips in eagerness.

  Kip reminded, “I was last with the other girl. She was ‘bout used up when it came my turn to shoot in her. So was the two before her.”

  Bart looked at the gems and thought about a posse coming to recover them and the chestnut, as horse-stealing was a serious crime in the West. “With these, we can git us all the women we want, women we won’t have to force to do what we want and like, women for each of us. Anna cain’t git far without a horse or supplies. We’ll leave her to the buzzards. Probably wouldn’t be no good hump no way. Let’s git moving.”

  Rollie didn’t know how right he was, as Ginny had climbed a tree and concealed herself among branches with thick foliage. She’d shinnied up many a tree as a child and was relieved she remembered how and could still accomplish the feat with speed. She’d heard two shots and guessed what they meant: Charles Avery was dead. She had eluded Rollie but hadn’t relaxed her guard. She assumed the gang would come looking for her again, and she feared their retribution. She heard horses gallop away but dared not show herself in case it was a trick to lure her out of hiding. Even if the evil men were gone, she was still in a dangerous predicament. Life had never looked blacker for her than it did at that moment.