The two men kicked their horses into a canter, still following the tracks. Aiden wasn’t able to give him much information, but these tracks gave them plenty. He felt certain they would find Ella.
It took only a few minutes to dash his hopes, as the tracks ended abruptly at the creek. Jackson looked up and scanned the creek up and down. “Reckon they had transportation, or do you think they are following the creek? If they followed the creek, it would be a guess as to the direction. They may have had a boat or something here. Maybe somebody was waiting.”
“If they have hurt one hair on her head, I will tear them limb from limb.” Jackson bit out the words, his pent-up emotion spilling out.
Marshall touched his friend’s shoulder. “We need more help. I’m going back to get some more men.”
His shoulders dropped. He worried that waiting more time could mean Ella might be hurt badly, but Marshall was right. If these were the same men that had been hitting the area, they were dangerous. There appeared to be three; they would be outnumbered. He wanted better odds with Ella’s life hanging in the balance.
Marshall looked over at his friend. “We will find her, Jackson. I promise. You let Lizzy and Carter know what is going on. I’ll pull together a tracking party and meet you in ten minutes.” Marshall rode toward the tents. Jackson rode to the house, his heart full of dread.
It was wartime and Jackson had fought many battles. But the fear he felt now was different—worse. He dismounted and ran up the front steps. “Lizzy! Where are you? Come quick.” The screened door slammed behind him.
“Suh, what is it? You got Miss Ella?” Lizzy looked behind him and then locked onto his face. “You don’t have her,” she intoned. Tears welled up in her eyes. “What’s happened to Miss Ella?”
“I don’t know, Lizzy, but we will find her. Marshall is getting a tracking party. We found blood. I need to speak to Aiden again. I have questions to ask him about the men he saw. Their tracks led to more tracks.”
Aiden heard his name and came running into the room. “Did you find my sista? Ella!” Seeing only Jackson, he stopped. All hope disappeared from his face.
“No, Aiden. But I promise I’m going to find her. Try not to worry, son. I need to ask some questions, and what you say will be very important. It could help find Ella.” He blew out a large breath, trying to calm himself down so that he could focus and ask without getting Aiden any more upset. The child was still crying. She was his mamma, even if she was his sister. The thought slammed into him. “Tell me. Tell me everything you can remember.”
Aiden nodded. “Bo and me were playing Pirates. Then, they snuck up on us. There were three of them.” He held up three fingers, struggling to hold his thumb and pinky down. “They were the pirates. And Colonel Ross, they hurt my sista.” Red-rimmed eyes looked up at Jackson.
Jackson’s heart twisted. “Can you describe them to me?”
“They were dark people, like Lizzy and Carter and Cook. But one man wasn’t black. He was white.” Aiden clasped his little hands together. “I remember. Bo and I, we knew that white man.” A cry tore from his lips as he told who it was. “It was Jason, the man that lives yonder.” He pointed towards the fields. “He lives out there with our people.” Aiden sniffed, trying to catch his breath. “They hurt my sista, and Jason, he tried to kill Bo. But I saved Bo.”
“Tell me what you remember.”
“They tried to grab me. Jason grabbed me and slapped me when I screamed, but Bo bit him and we got away.” He stopped crying and continued to tell Jackson everything he could remember.
“Did Jason say anything?” Jason was the overseer. Ella had mentioned not being comfortable with him. A chill went down his spine when he recalled what she had said, and how the man was none too friendly with him. “Did any of them say anything?” Jackson talked slowly and emphasized his words.
“Before I got away, the man said that they gonna kill my sista if I didn’t calm down and stop crying.” He hiccupped. “But then she was looking for me, and one of the men came up behind her and hit her on her head with a rock or something. Ella fell down. She was dead!” Aiden started crying uncontrollably.
Jackson picked him up and hugged the little boy to his chest, trying to calm him. Rage blinded him. She couldn’t be dead. He needed to find Ella quickly. Her life could be in danger, and if these were the men that had been raiding the area this past month, she may only have a short time before they did kill her. Several innocent people in the area, families, had been attacked and some had been brutalized.
No, he couldn’t let his mind think on that.
Aiden was a little calmer, so he set him down and nudged him slightly in Lizzy’s direction. “Lizzy, Carter. I need you to tell me all you know about this Jason character,” he implored.
The two looked up at Jackson, worry evident on their faces. Lizzy pulled the little boy to her skirt, gripping her small charge by his shoulders.
Carter spoke first. “Yassuh. Jason, he was hired before Massa Nole left. He tol’ us he come up from Naw’leans. His folks back there, he always said. The folks in de fields, they talk about him. Say he has a mean streak. But they clam up when I asks about it. Jason talks about find’n a wife and leave’n. But he don’t say who. Miss Ella, she stop riding with him. He right mad ‘bout that.” Tears streamed down the man’s face. Carter wiped his face with his sleeve. “You find our Ella, now, hear me? She be like a little sister to me. I know I not her brother but we, Lizzy and me, we been here to see her grow up into a fine, fine young woman. And Miss Ella, she got a good heart.” Carter’s voice cracked with emotion. “Please find her, Colonel Ross, suh.”
Carter knew about her fear of Jason by observing, and I didn’t do enough when she told me. I should have taken it all more seriously and acted on my own concerns and observations. “I will do my best. I promise.”
This seemed bigger than renegades ransacking properties and wreaking havoc in the area. This was kidnapping. “Carter, have you seen or heard anything else about Jason’s activities that might be important to know?”
“No suh, he just a mean man. Don’t look you in the eye—that kind of man. He beat a young boy here, near to death.”
Could Jason be the ringleader? “He was with two or possibly three men—they were probably slaves that he was working with, but from where? And why take Ella?” A cold shiver ran down his back. Had Jason planned to take her away with him?
“They be so many slaves done runaway from all parts, Colonel. I got no idea who dey could be.”
Confound it! What am I missing? The two men his posse tried to capture earlier in the week weren’t slaves. They were white. The posse shot them before the men could be questioned.
He hoped the death of those two men would end the plundering and violence. The two appeared to be alone…but could they have part of a bigger band? A farm was hit a couple of days ago.
“Aiden, Marshall will be here any moment.” He picked up and hugged the little boy once more, giving him an extra squeeze before putting him down. “Your sister will be home soon.” His chest seized. She has to.
“Massa Aiden, you come with me. We need to clean you up.” Wadding up a corner of her skirt, Lizzy wiped the smudges from his face. “Let’s stop by the kitchen and get something from Cook.” She lifted her nose and sniffed. “Mmm. Can you just smell that? That’s Cook’s fine fried chicken and mashed potatoes—and I know you love fried chicken! What you think ‘bout that, Aiden? Hmmm?” She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “Come on now, boy. We’ll find something good for your doggie, too.” Nodding to Jackson and Carter, she pulled Aiden with her. The two of them headed for the kitchen. Bo trotted behind.
Marshall should be back here with the men any moment. Jackson grabbed his rifle and hat. They would need horses, plus an extra one or two to bring back the men. Maybe a wagon would be better.
He met Marshall at the barn. His gut was churning. They needed to find these men before they got too far—before they hurt Ella.
I care for her, perhaps more than anyone before her. He didn’t deny it. His heart was affected.
Chapter 17
Her head throbbed, and her throat was parched. She wanted to reach up and feel her temple, but her instincts told her to stay quiet.
She could hear voices of several men around her. Her name was mentioned. How did they know who she was? Where was she? Who were these men? Where was Aiden…was he safe?
She felt her eyes well up and struggled to hold back the tears. Her head hurt. She tried to look through her lashes without opening her eyes but a crack, hoping she could figure out where she was. If she were lucky, no one would look her way. She saw men’s backs, and things were blurry. She eased her eyes closed and tried to keep her breathing low and even.
Ella stayed that way until the men’s voices sounded muffled. Her spine stiffened with fear at one voice. She’d know it anywhere. Opening her eyes slightly, she confirmed her fear. Jason!
He was here with two male slaves she didn’t recognize. All three had bloodstained clothing. And they smelled—blech! The stench wafted across the room. She tried not to gag at the gamey odor. Ella hated foul smells.
Jason was barking orders. He was furious and the other two looked nervous . Cold fear ran through her, and she trembled. He terrified her and now she was at his mercy. She wished Nolan and Jackson—if even just one of them, had taken her fear of the man seriously. Nolan had dismissed him as harmless. Jackson had expressed concern about him, but hadn’t felt he posed a real danger to her.
A clutch of panic hit the pit of her stomach. Get it together, Ella Grace. Calm down and think. She slowed her breathing down and focused on stopping the trembling. She had to let him keep thinking she was unconscious.
While her hands were bound, she noticed she still had some freedom within the bonds. Did she still have her gun? She always strapped it on her thigh. Had she lost it, or was it still on her? If they turned, she could move a little and find out. She couldn’t tell if it was in the holster.
Suddenly Jason drove his fist into one of the men’s faces. She heard the crunch and then swearing from the two runaways. Smothering her gasp, she remained still and acted asleep.
“I should kill you.” She knew him. He had a look that could terrify a person when he yelled. No one else she knew made her feel uncomfortable like he did. It was a menacing look and she could imagine he wore that look on his face now. “Why did you hurt her? I told you not to harm her in any way!” Jason unleashed his temper on his accomplices.
“Massa Jason, she walked up on us and had a weapon. We had no choice. Don’t hit me, Massa.”
Jason reached over and snatched up Aiden’s stick. He laughed. “You call this stick a weapon?” Jason slung the stick, not caring where it went. His voice mocked them.
Something landed next to her feet. The stick…that’s Aiden’s pirate sword. He and Bo…she tried to remember…Bo barked at her, and then everything went dark. She prayed they were safe. They had to be. I have to get away. Her hands were going numb from the position they were in; they felt cold. She needed to shift her body, somehow.
Slowly, she moved her hand to feel her thigh. Good! The gun was still there. They had not found it. She grimaced against the pain. Jason had no idea she could shoot, but he was fixin’ to find out.
The men’s voices were getting closer. Ella closed her eyes and relaxed, determined to appear still out of it.
“Massa Jason, we best get moving. Dis here cabin, well, it’s too close to da middle of da swamp. The big witch woman lives out here and she watches the family. And it’s still on her property, you know,” he said, nodding at Ella. “If we get caught, we won’t be able to run. We be stuck right here, and I don’t want to meet my Maker in this here cabin. That army man we seen there will be looking for her. He’ll have dem army men hot on our trail. Dey so many of dem.” The shorter man’s voice exposed his fear.
“Shut up, damn it! I need to figure out what to do. I’m thinking.” She hated Jason’s voice. His thick Creole accent repulsed and terrified her.
Ella didn’t have to work hard to keep her eyes closed. Her head throbbed. She focused on staying alert.
Her head hurt, and she wanted to sleep, so she focused on the voices, listening. Did they mean her property?
“Damn! She has blood on the back of her head. I certainly cannot go into town after Doc.” Jason’s fist slammed the table near the fireplace. “I should kill you! Find someone who can help her.”
The arguing got louder, and Jason swore words she didn’t understand. No doubt it was more Creole.
Would anyone know what had happened to her? She didn’t know how much information Aiden could give…and to whom? Who would come for her? Her head hurt so much. It was hard to focus on anything. So tired. Her fists relaxed as darkness claimed her once again.
Jackson and his men were barely out of view when Lizzy called for Carter. He came running. “Carter, we got to help Miss Ella. We both know what our little man told the colonel. He says they was two stranger slaves and Jason. That doesn’t make sense. Do it?”
Carter sat down at the news.
“Carter. What you know? You betta tell me.”
Miss Ella had always been his favorite in this house. Now, she was hurt and gone.
“Lizzy, I does know sump’um but I cannot think what it is. It’s something that I heard from Jason. ‘Bout a month back, I brung some food to the field hands. Jason showed up and yelled. He took a whip and beat a young boy near to death. But it was what he said that I can’t remember. And I think it is important.” Carter’s head was down, and he tried to focus.
“Carter, she our family. You should have tol’ her. You never even said nothing to me. Miss Ella needed to know this.”
“I not say anything ‘bout the beating because he told me it be his word ‘against mine, but I see him beat dat young boy. He near killed him over a scrap of food. I know how Miss Ella feels ‘bout her people. She wants to give her people a home, but he be the Devil. The ones dat left, dey run because of him.”
Carter put his head in his hands, “I been notice’n him round Miss Ella. I don’t like the way he looks at her. He mentioned something ‘bout a place…he called it his place,” Despairing and wringing his hands tightly—Carter tried to recall more details about that afternoon. Jason hitting the boy was a scary thing, too. “I can’t recall what more he said, ‘bout his place.”
“I know what we need to do, Carter. Massa Nolan, he got to be ‘tol. Keep an eye on the little massa while I go tell him.”
Lizzy was out of the door before he could respond. Carter checked Aiden’s room. The littlest Whitford and his dog were curled up on the bed in front of the fireplace. It was still cold, even though it was spring. Carter rubbed his chin as he watched them. He wouldn’t let anything happen to Aiden and his puppy, not on his life.
It was good that Aiden was able to sleep. He looked so much like his older brother when he was asleep. He could remember Nolan at that age clearly and couldn’t help taking a moment to think about those happy memories.
“I hope you be dreaming sump’um good, boy.” Carter gently closed the door and went downstairs to find Cook.
Lizzy took her time. Making sure no one saw her, she opened the pantry door and stepped in. Closing it behind her, she moved to the back of the closet and pressed the wallboard in the upper corner. The wall opened slowly and she moved into the stairwell, closing the door behind her. The kitchen entry had been used a lot. There was no dust. Probably Carter and Ol’ Indie.
Knocking lightly on the inside wall to alert Massa Nolan she was coming, she made her way into the safe room. “Hello…Massa Nolan…Miss Sara…I’m coming down. I need to talk to you, Massa Nolan. It’s very important.” Lizzy hoped that she was doing the right thing, though she wondered what he could do to help.
Two whispering voices sounded rushed. There was rustling. She waited a minute then made her presence known. “Massa Nolan, yo sister
is gone, and the colonel and his men have gone to find her.”
“Gone? What?” Nolan and Sara rushed to the back stairwell at her words. “What do you mean, my sister is gone?” Nolan thundered.
“She been afraid of that man, and now he—that no-count Jason—he took her. Carter, he witnessed bad stuff from that man. He and two slaves hurt your sister in front of Massa Aiden. They tried to grab Aiden, but he got away, he and Bo. You don't worry ‘bout them. But Miss Ella, she was taken.”
Terror filled him and he looked around for his weapons. “I have to help find her.”
“Now how you s’posed to do that—you being wanted yo-self? I just needed to tell you. You needed to know. The colonel and his men, they gone after the men that took her. They will bring her back.”
“I cannot just sit here. That no good Jason!” Anguished, he recalled an earlier conversation with Ella. “She was trying to tell me something about Jason, and I cut her off. If I had only given what she was trying to tell me a chance. I should have listened to her.”
“Nolan, you can’t go.” Sara pleaded with him. “You could be caught. The colonel is a smart man. He will find our Ella. He will bring her back to us.”
“Sara. This is Ella we are talking about here. I have to find her. I promise I will come back to you. But I have to find her.” Images of his sister wiping his brow and nursing him through the fever flashed through his mind. “She risked her own life to care for me. I will find Jason and if he hurt my sister, he will be a dead man.” He meant that. He needed to know as much as he could. No way did he want to get caught, but he would give his own life for his sister. He wasn’t staying here while she was in danger.
Nolan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “Lizzy, thank you for telling me. Aiden is okay?”
Embers of Anger (Embattled Hearts Book 1) Page 16