by Hannah
“Sheriff, I’m not going into town.” Liam stood up. “I’m going to get Hannah.” He’d gotten up so fast he bumped the wooden slat Mrs. Cooper was gently taping to his arm. The pain made him dizzy and he swayed. Cooper’s sons steadied him and he had no choice but to sit back down.
“Damn fool!” the sheriff growled. “Let the Missus finish taping you up. It won’t take the pain away, but at least you’ll be mobile. And, you are coming to town with us. We need to think this out.” He walked over and leaned into Liam’s face. “Because if we don’t, Hannah will be killed for sure.” He glared into Liam’s eyes. “You understand me, boy!”
Despite the anguish raging in Liam’s mind, a measure of common sense inched its way into his turmoil and his head overruled his heart. He took a deep breath and swallowed with a sigh that sounded like a moan. Then, he nodded. “You’re right.” His eyes bore into the sheriff’s and he begged. “But we have got to act fast.”
The sheriff squeezed Liam’s shoulder. “We will. I promise.”
While Mrs. Cooper finished with Liam’s arm, the sheriff and the others gathered their necessities. The small band arrived in town near late afternoon.
*****
When Hannah was lifted from her horse and set on her feet, her knees buckled. The pain in her stomach from the long ride, face-down, while draped over a saddle was excruciating. She fell to the ground and curled into a fetal position clutching her stomach. Her hands were still tied behind her, but the fall dislodged her gag.
Although she was hurting, she kept her head and surveyed her surroundings. They had arrived at a shack of some sort, maybe an emergency shelter for herders to escape the elements if the weather suddenly turned bad. There were dozens, maybe hundreds of long horns grazing just a few yards away. Six men stood above her.
Not one man made any effort to help her up. Five of the men led the horses away while the leader yelled toward the shack. “Hey! Your special request has arrived!”
The shack door opened and a man holding a bottle of whiskey strolled out and came to stand above Hannah. He nudged her bottom with the tip of his boot. “Yep, she’s a pretty thing all right.”
Another man appeared in the doorway. Tall, dark clothes, black hat and smoking a cigar. It was Drake. His smile a leer. He stooped down near her face.
“Missed me, huh?” He ran his hand down her arm.
She spat in his face.
He slapped her hard, then laughed as he tore a piece of her sleeve to wipe his face. “You’ll pay for that, sweetheart.” He stood up. “Conlon, you sure nobody knows about this place?”
“Just those of us here right now.”
Drake scanned the horizon and turned to Conlon and his henchmen. “Well, boys, take her inside. Then we’ll fix us some grub. We’re going to need our strength.” He nudged the sole of his boot between her breasts. “We got us a long night ahead of us.” He turned and took the whiskey bottle from Conlon as a couple of the henchmen lifted Hannah and carried her into the shack.
They threw her on the floor of a stark room and left, closing the door behind them. With no windows, the room was dark, but cracks in the doorframe and walls let enough light in to show a small table, a couple of chairs and a pile of blankets or rags in one of the corners.
Hannah’s stomach hurt like hell. She was exhausted and scared. She wanted to sleep, to feel the release it would give her. But she knew if she let herself sleep, she would die. She needed to think. She needed to escape.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a roar of laughter just outside the door.
Think! she screamed to herself.
Chapter 37
Hannah’s Offering
The horses had no more than entered the stable, when a familiar voice brought hope and light into Liam’s despair.
“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!” Daniel rushed inside and headed straight for Liam. Seeing the makeshift cast, he swore. “What the hell happened to you? You alright?”
Liam smiled. “I am now.” He reached down and clutched his brother’s shoulder. It was all he could say over the lump in his throat.
Daniel looked around. “Friends?” He turned back to Liam.
After a nod, Liam introduced the sheriff. “Daniel, this is Sheriff Beechum.” He tipped his head toward the Coopers. “The Cooper family. The Missis there, taped up my arm. They’re good folks.” He turned to the others. “This is my youngest brother, Daniel. Came up from the San Antonio area.” He smiled at Daniel. “Knew I needed him. Again.”
Daniel flashed a red-tinged, aw-shucks grin and mumbled. “Something like that.”
Liam squeezed his shoulder again. “Now. Get saddled up. We have some riding to do. Some plans to make.”
Daniel watched, puzzled, as the others dismounted.
“Now, son,” said the sheriff, “I told you we can’t rush into this. Get off the damn horse and let’s get over to Sadie’s. We need to get the Coopers settled, get some grub in our bellies and think this out.”
“No! While we do all that Hannah could be …, she could be …, she …” Again, a lump in Liam’s throat took away his speech.
“Hannah?” Daniel looked up at his brother.
Liam nodded as the sheriff explained. “Band of men grabbed her and rode off. Only comment they made was that she was going to be in the company of an old friend.”
“Drake,” Daniel surmised.
“Drake,” Liam managed.
“When did this happen?” Daniel asked.
“Earlier this afternoon. There were more than a half-dozen of them.”
“You know where they took her?” Daniel directed his question to the sheriff.
“No, we don’t.”
Cooper’s oldest son stepped forward. “I know of a place they might have taken her.” The fifteen-year-old took a step back from the impact of every eye boring a hole though his chest.
“Tim?”
The boy shot a look at his fourteen-year-old brother who shrugged. “Pa, sometimes when you send us out to check on where our steers are grazing, Josh and I …, well ….” He glanced at his brother again.
“Tim! Out with it,” the sheriff ordered.
Both boys started talking at once.
“There’s this place where …” Tim paused and glanced at his father.
Josh said, “we don’t mean to be doin’ –
“One at a time.” Cooper stopped them and motioned for Tim to continue. “What place, Tim?”
“Way off toward the dry land, just before you get to the river, there’s this copse of trees. Josh and I were checking our brands and kept finding our steers heading west with some of Mr. Conlon’s. We’d accounted for nearly all of ours and were about to head home when we spotted this shack.”
“Shack? Describe it,” said the sheriff.
Josh took over. “Just one small room. Could see through the crack in the walls.”
“You went inside? Someone else’s property?” Cooper asked his sons.
“It looked abandoned.” Tim defended their trespassing. “Besides, the door wasn’t locked.”
Cooper was about to say something, but the sheriff asked, “What’d you boys find inside?”
The boys exchanged glances and Tim mumbled, “Some tobacco and a little bit of whiskey in a bottle.”
Mrs. Cooper gasped. “Chaw and whiskey! Certainly, you boys didn’t –
“Not now, Josie.” Cooper stopped his wife’s sure-to-come scolding. “Let the boys tell the sheriff all they know. Could save that woman’s life. Go on, Tim.”
“Well, we looked around. Only thing inside was a table and couple of chairs. No bed, no food, no cook stove. When we went back outside, we saw lots of hoof prints with the Conlon ‘cc.’ Me and Josh figured it was a shelter for Mr. Conlon’s hands if a storm came up while they was rounding up his heard.”
“You boys been there more than once?” asked the sheriff.
“Yes, sir,” answered both boys.
“C
an you lead us there?” said Liam.
“I reckon.” Tim nodded.
“No!” Mrs. Cooper wasn’t going to have it. “I don’t want my boys anywhere near Conlon and his men.” She glanced at Liam. “I’m powerful sorry about your woman, but my boys have said and done all they’re going to.”
“Josie.” Cooper touched his wife’s arm.
“Don’t you try to sweet talk me. They aren’t going!”
“Cooper, why don’t you take your wife and daughters over to Sadie’s?” The sheriff’s tone brooked no tolerance for non-compliance. “Once you get them settled, come back here. We’ll have something figured out.”
“You’re not going to Sadie’s, get some food and maybe some rest before we head out?” asked Cooper.
“No. Liam’s right. We don’t have much time and now that we got us a possible location, we need to get moving.”
Still mounted and ready to ride off, Liam spoke to Mrs. Cooper. “Ma’am, I know how it feels to have a loved one in peril. Try not to worry. I’ll, that is my brother, the sheriff, your husband and I won’t let anything happen to your boys. I promise that as soon as we find the shack, we’ll make sure your boys are safe before there’s any confrontation.”
“Promise?” she pleaded.
“I swear.”
She nodded at Liam, then let her husband usher her and the girls out of the livery.
When Cooper came back, everyone was mounted and ready to ride. “What’s the plan?” he asked.
Liam spurred his horse to lead Daniel and the Cooper boys out of the livery.
“No plan,” the sheriff informed him. “We’ll see what we’re up against when we find the shack. Let’s just hope that’s where she is ‘cause Liam’s gotta feeling her time is running out.” As he spurred his horse to follow, he added, “And so do I.”
*****
Despite her hands being tied behind her back, Hannah had managed to inch about the small quarters looking for something to help cut the rope and free her hands. When she’d reached the blankets and rags, she wiggled and squirmed under and around them hoping to feel something sharp. They stunk of things Hannah refused to acknowledge, but no luck as to finding a tool.
She glanced across at the table. The lone items on it were a couple of tin cups that would be no help. Hannah was squirming away from the blankets when she heard the door open and a man filled the doorframe.
“Come on, filly. It’s show time.” He stooped down and rolled her onto her stomach. She felt his breath against her cheek. He raised her arms up behind her so high that she uttered an involuntary moan. His tongue scraped from her cheek up to her ear. “Um, liked the sound of that.” His breath reeked of liquor bringing a thought that perhaps it would slow him down, perhaps present her with an opportunity to best him and run.
Hannah felt the sawing motion of his knife and nearly screamed with relief when her hands broke apart. When he began to stand up, she could only hope her hands were at the right angle to land a debilitating punch.
Yes! She felt the two small sacs pound into his crotch. He fell to the floor. In a blur, she flipped over and mounted him by jamming her knee into his manhood. His hands were already clutching his testicles. His mouth opened to scream, but her hand grabbed at a blanket and stuffed a filthy corner of it into his mouth, all the while savaging his crotch with her knee. Eventually, he blacked out.
She wasn’t sure if he’d fainted or died and didn’t care which it was. Hannah hurriedly grabbed the rope that had so recently bound her and wrapped it around his head to secure the gag. She looped it down to bring his knee against his chest and tied a knot.
She grabbed his gun from his holster, tucked it in her waistband, and crept toward the door to see if anyone had heard her attack. Their lewd remarks were loud and carried a restless tone at how long it was taking to bring her out to them. Hannah grabbed a chair and holding it by the seat with the legs out in front, took a deep breath. She ran full force at a back wall so full of cracks that the late afternoon sun spread across the floor like tiger stripes. It gave, but didn’t break through.
The shouts out by the campfire let her know she had only seconds. She ran at the wall again. This time she found herself on the ground outside the shack. Grateful that her legs and feet still worked, she began to run. With angry shouts fueling her determination, she made it to some tall grasses and dropped down into them. She’d noticed some trees and a river not too far away and began a fast crawl toward them.
“What the hell kind of idiots do you hire, Conlon?” Drake’s rage echoed out across the grasses. “Put a bullet in that bastard and FIND THAT BITCH!” he roared.
A shot rang out, but Hannah didn’t have time to feel any sympathy for the inept man as she moved steadily in what she hoped was an escape route.
*****
Still out of sight of the shack, the sheriff and his makeshift posse heard the gunshot. He drew his horse to a stop and the others followed. He turned to the boys. “Are we near the shack?”
“Yeah,” said Tim and pointed ahead. “Just past those trees.”
“You boys stay here. If we don’t come back in an hour or so, or if Conlon’s men head this way, you hightail it for town.”
“Sheriff, we ain’t afraid,” said Tim. “We’ll go with you.”
“Got nothing to do with fear. Just do as I say.”
Cooper agreed with the lawman. “You heard the sheriff, boys. Stay here.”
“It’s still pretty light.” The sound of the gunshot tore into Liam’s heart. The thought that Hannah could be hurt or worse gnawed at his determination to wage an all out cowboy assault. “Once we get the shack in sight, we’d better dismount and see if we can creep up on them.”
The sheriff nodded. “We’ll do what’s right by Hannah, Liam. Right now, let’s move in on ‘em.” He spurred his horse.
They had no trouble finding their direction. The shouts of Conlon’s men slashing through the grasses got louder and louder. One particularly loud one reached Liam and Daniel. “Come on, bitch! Bitchy, bitch! Come to Papa.”
“Daniel, she got away!” Liam felt hope for the first time since Hannah had been carted off.
Daniel smiled. “Be like Hannah to rescue herself.”
“Damn if she couldn’t!” Liam smiled back, but didn’t slow his horse.
The shouting got louder and nearer bringing the sheriff to signal a slow down. “I think we need to continue on foot.”
Without a comment, the men agreed by dismounting. Daniel helped Liam down. Before they started off, Liam drew his pistol and held it at the ready as he walked forward. They fanned out and eased through the trees. Liam’s eyes raked across the area and found around a dozen men combing through the tall grasses. He continued to scan until his focus locked on a man in black. “Drake!”
“Liam, don’t do anything stupid now. Stay low.” Daniel eased closer to his brother.
Liam cocked his gun and moved dangerously near the edge of the tree line.
“Liam, ease back.” Daniel looked over at the sheriff and Cooper who hadn’t heard Liam’s word. They inched forward while trying to keep their cover.
Daniel wasn’t close enough to stop Liam from walking out into the late afternoon sun. “Drake!” Liam shouted. “Leave her alone, you bastard!”
Daniel, the sheriff and Cooper gathered close and cringed. The sheriff touched Daniel’s arm. “Stay put, son. Let’s see if we need to plow out there with Liam or stay put for a rescue effort.”
“Let her go!” Liam followed the barrel of his gun that held a bead on Drake.
The search party turned to aim at Liam. “Hold your fire!” Drake ordered. He walked toward Liam. “Now we got ‘em both.” He grinned. “Seems we meet again. And again, I have the upper hand.”
Liam fired a warning shot. His aim was dead on as it missed Drake’s ear by less than three inches.
Drake’s rigid stance surprised all onlookers, including Liam. “Do that again and I’ll order her shot on the
spot.” Drake continued his slow, but sure, walk toward Liam. When they were inches apart, Drake held out his hand.
So intent on the scene that threatened his brother’s life, Daniel nearly cried out when Hannah appeared at his side.
“Give me your gun,” she whispered.
“What?”
“Your gun.” Hannah nodded at the sheriff and Cooper. “Give it to me, Daniel.”
“Do it,” the sheriff urged.
Hannah put it in her boot. She took the gun from her waistband and put it in her other boot. “Daniel, if this doesn’t work, I’m sorry. But know this. I love your brother and our love is such that we would die for each other.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Stay here.” She touched his arm with affection and began to unbutton her blouse as she walked out of the tree line.
During the time Hannah had gotten Daniel’s gun, Drake had taken Liam’s and was now verbally abusing him. “Yes, indeed. It is a pussy to chase. Once you’ve tasted it, fucked it, you just have to have more.”
“I’ve given you my gun. Now, stop chasing her.” Liam would not back down.
Drake looked at the taped arm and gripped it. He smiled at Liam’s grunt of pain. “Get hurt? Oh yeah, the boys told me about you getting stepped on by a horse.” Acknowledging that Conlon and his men had abandoned their search and were closing in around him and Liam, Drake laughed, and spoke to them. “See boys, luck is with us. This here dupe is honey. The little bitch needs the honey he gives her. She’ll come out of hiding now.” Drake looked out past Liam. “Won’t ya, Bitch,” he called out.
Liam prayed that Hannah had made it to Daniel and the others and was safe from this beast. A wave of relief that she might be safe raced through his heart, but it was short lived. The sound of her voice replaced relief with heart wrenching sadness.
“Drake. Yes. I need his honey. I need your honey.” All eyes were wide as a topless Hannah walked toward them. Her blouse was still tucked into her britches, but it circled her hips and fluttered in a slight breeze as she moved. “You taught me about a good fuck. I need it now. I need lots of them.”