“Over there, Allen.” Timothy Hubbard pointed to the opposite wall. “The bullet went into the wall just a few inches above the Indian agent’s head.”
Two agents had stopped by the hotel that night when they heard about the ball. They stood in the room with the other men now.
“I saw Hugh Jones standing outside the window moments after the bullet entered,” Timothy said. “He sauntered down the street with his gun still smoking.”
Ben entered the room, followed close by Abram and a few other vigilante members.
“This nonsense has got to stop,” Jude said. “Someone could have been killed.”
They all began to speak at once, but Ben raised his hands to quiet them. “Gentlemen, please. We won’t get anything accomplished this way.”
“Why don’t you go for the sheriff?” one of the agents asked.
“No use,” Timothy said.
“Those men need to get out of this town tonight,” Abram continued. “We can’t afford for them to stay a moment longer.”
A teenage boy named Tucker skidded to a stop in the room, his eyes wild with fear. He was the young man Judge Barnum had taken in the year before. Tucker lived with the old bachelor in a shanty near the ravine. “Come quick,” Tucker cried out in his high-pitched voice. “The judge has been hurt.”
Jude put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Slow down, Tucker. What happened?”
“A group of men came to our shanty and demanded that Judge Barnum come out and get his punishment. They was yelling all sorts of things and said the judge had seen his last day.” Tucker took in a deep breath. “But when the judge refused to open his door, they tore down one of the walls and pulled him out. He told me to run for help.”
“There’s no time to lose,” Abram said. “We must go now. Who’s with me?”
The thought of Elizabeth and Gretchen alone in Ben’s barn sent alarm through Jude. The women would be worried when he didn’t come back right away. There was no telling how the war against Hugh’s gang would play out and how long it would last. If he tried to move them now, they might be seen. It was probably safer for them to stay in the barn for now.
“I’m in,” Timothy said.
“And me,” Ben added.
Jude took a deep breath. “I’ll go.”
Several men were pulling pistols out of their boots and holsters.
“It’s time to take back Little Falls,” Abram said.
The men surged out of the sitting room, their wives, mothers and daughters looking on. Several of the men stopped to speak to their loved ones, while Ben turned to look at Jude. “What about Elizabeth and Gretchen?”
“They’ll be fine for a little while longer,” Jude said. “Right now Judge Barnum needs us.”
Already, some of the men were on their way outside. Jude wished he had time to tell Martha what was happening. He looked around the crowd for Grace and spotted her near the front counter with Pascal.
Jude strode across the lobby. “Pascal, stay with the ladies and let Martha know what’s happening.” He hated to speak so plainly in front of Grace, but there was no use sparing her. “Hugh’s gang has broken into the judge’s shanty and Hugh shot a bullet into the sitting room. We’re going out to bring them all to justice, once and for all.”
Grace lifted her chin. “Where’s Hugh?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find him.”
She looked over his shoulder, toward the windows facing Main Street, and watched all the men going out to confront Hugh’s gang.
“Grace, listen to me.” Jude took her shoulders and forced her gaze to lock with his. “Elizabeth isn’t here.” He whispered for her ears alone. “She’s in Ben’s barn with a prostitute we helped escape tonight.”
Grace’s eyes grew wide.
He looked at Pascal. “If anything happens to Ben and I, that’s where you can find them. I will try to get to them myself as soon as possible. For now, just stay here and wait for me to get word to you.”
Pascal nodded, his face grave.
Jude looked back at Grace. “Go to Rose and make sure she’s all right. Do you understand?”
Grace nodded dumbly, but he could tell her thoughts were not on what he had just said.
“Are you coming, Jude?” Ben asked.
Jude left the lobby with the others and stepped out into the darkness.
Two dozen men were spreading out in all different directions. Some were heading toward the ravine and the judge’s home, some were going toward Dew’s place, and others were sneaking into alleys.
“Let’s go see if the judge needs help,” Ben said.
Jude slipped his pistol out of his holster. He wanted to be ready in case he needed it.
They walked up Broadway toward the judge’s place. Every movement made him jerk to attention. Each time, it was one of the vigilantes and he lowered his gun.
They crossed the ravine bridge and came to Judge Barnum’s shanty. The wall was torn down, just as Tucker had said, but there was no one around.
Jude went inside, but it was empty.
“They had to have taken him somewhere,” Abram said.
The sound of running met their ears and they turned to find Nathan Richardson approaching. “Someone found Judge Barnum,” he said. “He was crawling to the Northern when Hugh’s gang overtook him for the second time. They pulled him into an alley and beat him some more. He’s barely alive. They brought him to the hotel and Dr. Jodan is examining him.”
“If the judge dies,” Abram said, “those men will hang. I want everyone to spread out. Go in pairs and find each gang member and bring them in to the jail. Nathan, I want you and Roald to go to the jail and relieve the sheriff. Keep an eye on the prisoners we bring in.”
Jude and Ben left the shanty, but instead of crossing the bridge, they went under the wooden structure and into the ravine.
Jude’s pulse pounded in his ears and his breathing was shallow.
The slightest sound brought his attention around and he peered into the shadows under the bridge.
Moonlight glittered off the cold steel of a pistol raised and pointed at them.
Ben must have seen it a split second before Jude, because he’d already raised his pistol, and before Jude could take aim, Ben pulled his trigger. At the same moment, a blast of fire came from the enemy’s pistol. A flying bullet rushed past Jude’s head as they dove behind a pile of discarded wood.
A sharp cry came from under the bridge.
Ben lay breathing hard beside Jude. “I hope I didn’t kill him.”
They could hear the man groaning in pain.
“Should we check on him?” Ben asked as he peeked over the pile of wood.
“He could still use his weapon on us,” Jude replied. “We need to wait here.”
The man under the bridge came out from hiding and he threw his gun far away. “Help me,” he cried out. “I need help.”
Ben and Jude stayed where they were. There was no telling if he was still dangerous or if there were others in hiding. “Come this way,” Jude called.
The man came toward them, holding his side. Blood covered his hands. It was Hugh Jones, the menace behind the havoc in Little Falls. Just looking at the man filled Jude with fury.
“I need help. I’m bleeding.” Hugh stumbled and almost fell.
“We need to help him,” Ben whispered.
Jude called out to Hugh, “Are you alone?”
“Yes.” Hugh’s voice was ragged. “I need help.”
“Come closer, if you can,” Ben ordered him.
Hugh took three more steps and fell into the dry creek bed.
Ben groaned beside Jude. “I shot him, now I’m going to have to perform his funeral.” He stood and moved toward Hugh.
J
ude also stood and scanned the dark space under the bridge. There had to be more of them down here. Hugh wasn’t a man to do things alone. He always had someone by his side.
Jude kept the hammer cocked and watched carefully.
Ben made it to Hugh’s side and started to roll the big man over. Suddenly, Hugh pulled a knife from his boot. In one swift movement he raised it and thrust it toward Ben.
Jude didn’t hesitate. He took aim at the blade and pulled the trigger. The bullet connected with Hugh’s hand and the knife flew from his fingers before it touched Ben’s flesh. Hugh screamed in agony and rolled on the ground.
Ben stumbled to Jude’s side, out of breath. “There was no blood on his clothing, just his hands. He wasn’t the man I shot. There must be someone else under the bridge.”
“Let’s deal with Hugh and then we can search for the other man.”
Hugh rose to his feet and staggered backward.
Jude raised his pistol. “Don’t move.”
Hugh took off at a dead run. Jude fired, but the bullet hit a wooden post with a thud.
Jude scrambled to his feet and ran after him, but when he arrived at the post, Hugh was gone. Jude leaned heavily against the bridge, drawing in one deep breath after another.
“Are you okay?” Ben asked.
“Yes. And you?”
Ben knelt beside a man gasping for air. “I’m all right, but we need to get this man back to Dr. Jodan.”
“And I need to get to Elizabeth and Gretchen.”
The Little Falls War had only just begun, but Jude couldn’t risk leaving Elizabeth and Gretchen alone for a moment longer—not when Hugh Jones was still on the loose.
* * *
Elizabeth peered out the window one more time, her arms wrapped around her waist for warmth. The evening had turned cold and she had given her cloak to Gretchen, who was sleeping on the pile of hay in the corner. She hadn’t moved since Elizabeth gave her a biscuit to eat over an hour ago.
Where was Jude?
Another group of men moved through the alley and, like last time, Elizabeth ducked so they wouldn’t see her in Ben’s barn. She had no idea why there were so many men prowling about tonight. She’d seen at least a dozen going up and down the alley, their pistols raised, searching in the shadows. Were they looking for Gretchen? Maybe that was why Jude had stayed away. He needed to wait until all was clear before he came to the barn to fetch them.
Fear clawed up her spine and tightened her throat. She had no weapon to protect them—nothing to prevent someone from taking Gretchen and doing her harm, if they were found.
She waited until the men were out of sight and then she walked over to the door again to make sure it was secure.
A rustling in the corner indicated that Gretchen was awake. “Miss Bell?” Her weak voice trembled. “Are you still here?”
Elizabeth walked across the barn. “I’m here.”
“How long has it been since Mr. Allen left?”
“It’s hard to tell. At least two hours.”
Gretchen’s whole body trembled. “He’s not coming back.”
Elizabeth knelt in the hay beside her. “He’ll come back. I don’t know what’s taking him so long, but I know there has to be a good reason.”
“I should have known,” Gretchen said in a dejected tone.
“Don’t talk like that,” Elizabeth countered. “I’ve never met a more trustworthy man.” She thought about all that Jude had done for her and her sisters. His honesty in telling her the truth about his mission work, even when he didn’t have to, his patience for Rose—all of the things she had grown to appreciate about him.
“I’ve never met a man I could trust, except my papa,” Gretchen said. “I wouldn’t know one if I met him.”
“I’m sorry.”
Gretchen looked at Elizabeth, the lids of her eyes puffy and discolored. “I know what you must think of me.”
An uncomfortable lump grew in Elizabeth’s throat. She wanted to deny Gretchen’s claim, but couldn’t.
“I didn’t want to become like this.” A single tear slipped out of Gretchen’s eye. “I grew up in a good home in New York, with a mother and father I loved. I had a little brother, too.” More tears appeared and she didn’t seem to have the energy to wipe them away. “My parents died of typhoid fever when I was fifteen. They were gone within days of each other. It was just my brother and me. He was ten at the time.” She paused and took several deep breaths. “My only living relative was my father’s brother. He arrived from St. Paul to collect us. I was eager to come to Minnesota Territory, since the memories in New York were too difficult to bear.”
Gretchen’s whole body shook, but whether it was from the cold or the memories, Elizabeth couldn’t tell.
“Within a week of arriving, my uncle told my brother that he’d found a home for him with people who needed a son. I was devastated and I tried to fight. I even tried to run away with my brother, but my uncle caught us and locked me up. He sent my brother away and I never knew where he went, or who took him. I later learned they had paid my uncle.”
Elizabeth put her hands over her mouth as she listened. She thought of Rose and what it would feel like to have her stolen away, never to see her again. “How awful.”
Gretchen looked away from Elizabeth. “The night my brother was taken, my uncle visited me for the first time.” She swallowed several times before going on. “When he grew tired of me, he sold me.”
Bile rose in Elizabeth’s stomach as she tried to process Gretchen’s words.
“Eventually, I was sold to Mr. Dew and brought here.” Gretchen tried to pull herself off the hay, her eyes desperately searching Elizabeth’s. “None of this was my choice. I need you to understand. I wouldn’t choose this life, but every time I’ve tried to escape, I’m pulled back under.” She wept now. “Can your Mr. Allen save me?”
Tears covered Elizabeth’s cheeks, too, and she reached out to make Gretchen lie down again. “If anyone can help, it’s Jude.” She wanted to believe he could save her—just like he had Violet and the others—but could she make a guarantee to Gretchen? “If he can’t,” Elizabeth said, “I will.”
Gretchen stared at Elizabeth, despair and hope mingling in her eyes. “What will become of me? What kind of a future does a woman like me have?”
“Gretchen.” Elizabeth took her hand and looked her earnestly in the face. “Do you know Jesus?”
More tears fell down Gretchen’s cheeks. “I thought I did. My parents taught me that He loves me and cares for me—but I called out to Him for help and He didn’t deliver me. How can I believe in a God who doesn’t listen?”
“I understand completely. But I’m here to tell you that He did hear you and He does listen. He brought you to Little Falls so Jude could help you. I believe that with all my heart. You have every right to a good and promising future. Maybe, even now, there is a woman crying out to be rescued and God is waiting to use you to help that woman. He hears her cries and He needs soldiers to go to battle for Him.”
The truth of the statement made Elizabeth hang her head. Wasn’t that what Jude was doing? He was going to battle for women like Gretchen who had no other hope of rescue. Yes, it was dangerous, and no, he couldn’t guarantee his safety—but he was doing something more honorable than anything she’d ever known before.
Gretchen studied Elizabeth as she slowly nodded.
“It might not ease the pain you’ve endured,” Elizabeth said gently. “But I hope it gives you hope for your future.”
Gretchen relaxed into the hay and closed her eyes.
Elizabeth came off her knees and sat with her back to the barn wall, thinking through all the things Gretchen had just told her.
If not for the grace of God, Elizabeth might have walked the same road as Gretchen. There was no telling
how her life might have looked if things had not happened in the sequence they had. Who was she to judge Gretchen or any other woman cast into such depravity? She didn’t know their stories. How many mamas had sheltered their little girls from looking at Gretchen—Elizabeth included? What must that have felt like? Gretchen had been forced into her shame and others had perpetuated it. Guilt and remorse filled Elizabeth’s chest as she let the tears fall for Gretchen and all the others like her.
How could she not help Jude? Now that she knew there were others who needed rescuing, how could she sit back and knowingly let them suffer?
She sat there for a long time thinking and praying.
Eventually, she stood and went to the window. As she looked out, a man appeared out of the shadows. Elizabeth stepped away from the window and pressed herself against the wall, praying he hadn’t noticed.
“Who’s in there?” the man called.
Elizabeth’s heart ricocheted in her chest and she held her breath.
“Gretchen? Is that you hiding in there?”
Elizabeth closed her eyes, hoping and praying the man would move on.
The door began to shake and Gretchen started to whimper in the corner.
Elizabeth rushed to her side. “Don’t worry. I barred the door.”
“That won’t stop him,” she said in a dreadful voice.
“Is it Mr. Dew?”
Gretchen’s sobs were the only answer.
“Come out of there!” the man bellowed. “I’ll get you out one way or another—and I’ll kill the man who took you from me.”
Elizabeth began to pray. She tried to block out the man’s curses and threats as she took Gretchen’s hand in hers. “Pray with me.”
Mr. Dew banged into the door over and over again, but it didn’t budge.
The horse became skittish and pulled at his tether.
Finally, the noises stopped and Elizabeth held her breath again. Had he given up?
“Where is Mr. Allen?” Gretchen asked in a frantic voice.
The window shattered and Elizabeth screamed.
“I’ll get you out of there if it’s the last thing I do,” Mr. Dew said.
Elizabeth looked around, but the only weapon she could see was a pitchfork. It was resting against the wall, across the barn. She leaped off the ground and raced over the dirt floor. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a large man climbing through the window, his curses filling the night air.
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