A Lesson in Patience

by Jennifer Connors

  “You are not going anywhere without me, Colby. She's going to be my wife.”

  Ginny knelt in front of Vas and started to look at his head. Probing the large welt on his right temple, Ginny asked, “Where's Frank?”

  Colby started to look around him fruitlessly, when Vas spoke up. “He was downstairs with me. He'd had a nightmare or something and asked if he could sit with me awhile. When I heard the noise outside, I told him to stay put. He might be hiding somewhere.”

  Nizhoni entered the parlor and started talking in rapid Navajo. Ginny had no idea what she was saying until Vas told her that his mother had a remedy for him. Ginny spoke back to her in rapid fire Spanish to make it quick.

  Meanwhile, Colby and Nate went looking for Frank. When they couldn't find him, they came back into the parlor. Looking at Ginny, Colby asked the question he'd been dreading. “Do you think Frank went after them on his own?”

  Ginny wasn't about to sugarcoat her answer. “Yes. But I don't think he'll try to get her away from them. I think he'll just keep an eye on them unless they try to do something to Georgia.”

  Nate had a sudden idea and went to the kitchen to see if he was right. Upon his return, he said, “Frank's rifle is gone.”

  “Dammit. He isn't this stupid.” Colby looked itchy from standing there. “I'll go saddle the horses.”

  Before he could leave, Ginny said, “Make it three, Colby.” Then she turned back to Vas, checking to see if he had any other wounds.

  Colby turned to her and said, “I haven't got time for this, Ginny. You'll just slow us down. You don't know the trail like we do.” His voice was a mixture of anger and desperation.

  Ginny stood up and stared at her husband. “Like I slowed you down searching for Nate? Georgia was taken because of me. If worse comes to worse, I'll use myself to get her away from them. I won't have your sister in the hands of Fitzhume. We already know how that will turn out.”

  Colby's eyes widened. Ginny didn't know if it was the thought of his sister with that monster or the fact that Ginny would sacrifice herself to save Georgia. Either way, he didn't look thrilled at the notion of her joining the search party.

  “No. You're not coming. Say what you want, but you will stay here if I have to lock you in my bedroom.” He turned and left without another word.

  It was Vas who filled the sudden silence. “Ginny, you got to stay here and take care of Nate. Colby and I know what we're doing. We will get her back.” The last words came out with a strength that reassured Ginny. But, in the end, Ginny knew that she would have to be there to resolve this. That was what happened in romance novels. She needed to put herself in danger, so her hero could save her. Then again, when did she ever do things the way they were supposed to be done?

  She nodded her head and went back to caring for his wound. “Any dizziness or nausea, you need to let me know.” Her words were half-hearted at best. Nizhoni appeared with a poultice to put on the bump. Ginny figured it was some sort of analgesic or anti-inflammatory, but didn't ask and for that matter, didn't care. Her mind was working on other things, like what to do to help her husband and soon-to-be brother-in-law.

  Colby screamed from outside for Vas to join him, although the words were far less polite. Ginny, Nate and Nizhoni all went to the porch to watch them go. As they rode off, it occurred to Ginny that she may not know the the trails, but she had two people with her that did. And then the plan started to work itself out in her head. She had little doubt that Georgia would be returned to them by morning. Hopefully in the same condition she was in when she left.

  *******

  When the three entered the house, it was Nizhoni who spoke up first. “¿Usted no se va quedar a solo aqui?”

  Just sit here? she thought. Not bloody likely. So, in the next ten minutes, Ginny explained her plan to both Nate and Nizhoni. They argued over a few points, then came to a consensus. Nizhoni left to get the necessary supplies, Nate went to saddle the horses, and Ginny went to change into something she could ride in. They all met again outside the barn.

  Ginny asked Nizhoni if she was sure about the trail she was going to take them on. The old woman just tsked her disapproval at being questioned. As they climbed up on their horses, the old woman went on about how she had been in this valley for most of her life and she knew it better than even her son or Colby. After fifteen minutes of riding, she finally quieted down, much to Ginny's relief.

  It was dark when they set off, and Ginny realized that she had no idea what time it was. None of them seemed tired, with all the excitement acting like ten cups of coffee, flooding their systems. The going was slow, especially as they began their climb up the mountain. This narrow pass was far east of the one Ginny took when she first came to the ranch. She probably wouldn't have even called it a pass, but Nizhoni navigated it as if she could see in the dark.

  Through the narrow passages, Nizhoni led, Nate stayed in the middle and Ginny took up the rear. Nate was good on a horse, but he was only ten. Her plan did not involve putting Nate in any danger. As a matter of fact, after Nizhoni got them to the road leading to Cheyenne, she would take Nate home and leave Ginny to find the others. That had been one of the sticking points. Nate wanted to stay with Ginny, but neither Nizhoni or Ginny would allow that. The only reason he came with them now was because neither women would leave him at home alone.

  Minutes turned to hours, as they continued their climb. They stopped only once to allow the horses a break. Ginny knew they had climbed in altitude, as it became harder to breath. If she had been hiking, she probably would have given up by then. Thankfully, the horses were doing all the hard work. Just when Ginny felt they would never stop climbing, they reached a plateau and were able to ride along side each other for a few minutes.

  “¿Cuanto mas?” Ginny asked Nizhoni how much further they needed to travel. Instead of answering, they cleared some trees, and Nizhoni pointed to the road. The sun was just breaking over the horizon.

  Ginny came up beside Nizhoni, and they tried to calculate where everyone would be. If, that is, the bad guys were bringing Georgia to Cheyenne. Based on the timing, Nizhoni speculated that the bad guys were probably already past them on the road to Cheyenne, but that Colby and Vas were at least thirty minutes behind.

  Not bothering with Spanish, since Ginny knew Nizhoni could understand English, she said, “Okay. Take Nate home and I'll see if I can catch up to the bad guys.” They had taken to calling them that since they had nothing else to call them. Ginny had a few names she could have used, and that Frank would have loved to learn, but it was just easiest to call them bad guys.

  Ginny set off down the road and Nizhoni turned her horse to return home, when Nate spoke to her.

  “We should wait for Colby and Vas, to let them know Ginny's on her way.”

  Nizhoni, who was wise after so many years on earth, considered what he'd said. In Navajo, she asked him if he was worried about his new teacher.

  “Of course. She's really special, ain't she?” Nate felt the tears forming in his eyes. Nizhoni had been wonderful by keeping them fed and making sure their clothes were clean, but she wasn't the loving type. She didn't offer hugs and kisses, she wouldn't read them books or talk to them. Ginny had offered him everything he'd lost when his mother died. She had become the missing piece in his life that he'd longed for. Having all his physical needs met was one thing, but having his emotional needs met was just as important, especially to a ten year old.

  They allowed the horses to graze, while waiting for Colby and Vas. Nizhoni had been wrong about the timing, as it was only fifteen minutes later that the two came over a small hill. When they recognized who was stopped at the side of the road, Colby's face turned murderous. Nate was suddenly afraid of his older brother, as he'd never been before.

  Getting off his horse, Colby barked, “Where is she?”

  Nate looked at his shoes, and Nizhoni simply raised her eyebrows, as if to ask, “Where is who?” Colby wasn't having any of it.

 
; “Nizhoni, you know damn well who I mean. Where is Ginny and why aren't you three at home where we left you?”

  Vas, who despite the fear he held for Georgia, had to ask, “And how did you get here before us?”

  Nizhoni went off in Navajo to her son and his friend. Colby turned toward Vas during the speech, eyes rolling. Finally, Colby put his hands across his eyes and called a halt to her complaining. He decided a more civil approach was warranted.

  “Please Nizhoni, where is Ginny? Did you see Georgia? Please tell me.”

  Nizhoni explained that Ginny was only twenty minutes ahead of them and if they hurried along, they would catch her. Turning toward her son, she told him that she took a little used passage, that she would have been happy to explain where it was if anyone had bothered to ask her.

  Grumbling, both men took off on their horses at a gallop, hoping to catch up with Ginny before she encountered the kidnappers. Colby knew that his wife was not the most confident rider, so he was surprised when most of the work was done by the time they'd caught up.

  Chapter 32

  Ginny hated horses. They were big, smelly and had brains of their own. The horse she'd used to find Nate had taken off on her and thrown her. There was no love lost between her and the animal between her legs. However, Ginny had to admit that she was not only getting used to riding, but maybe enjoying it just a little.

  Now that she had the memories back from Cassandra, she did indeed know how to ride. Her father loved horses and collected many different breeds. Cassandra had learned to ride at a young age and made it a practice to ride almost every day. With this new found knowledge, and along with it, confidence, Ginny was galloping down the road to save Georgia.

  She crested a small hill and stopped short. Ahead of her, maybe a mile or more, she saw a lone rider coming down a path, back to the main road. Off in the distance, north of the road, she saw a couple of buildings, a homestead. Even from the distance she was at, she could tell that the buildings had seen better days. The rider, apparently not noticing her, turned his horse toward Cheyenne and continued on his way.

  Ginny was no detective, but she knew a plot line when she saw one. Take one abandoned barn, add a few kidnappers, see one leaving toward a major city and what do you have? Ginny would bet dollars to donuts that Georgia was in that barn, with at least one of the bad guys holding her hostage until her father could come to claim her.

  Ginny made her way at an angle toward the buildings. There was some scrub brush and tall grass, but nothing that could hide her completely. Deciding on stealth over speed, Ginny dismounted her horse and walked him parallel to the abandoned buildings, using a small grove of trees as cover. As she entered the tree line, which was maybe only a few hundred feet from an abandoned cabin, Ginny tied her horse and made her way through the tall grass.

  The closer she got, the lower to the ground she put herself. The element of surprise was all she had going for her, since she hadn't thought to bring a gun. As if that would have made a difference, she thought realistically. Ginny had only shot one gun in her life, and it had been a paintball gun. She was pretty certain she wouldn't be able to pull a trigger, unless in the grimmest of circumstances. Working in a downtown ER made a person never want to inflict that kind of damage on another human being.

  As she came up alongside the cabin, she poked her head around to see something that made her heart stop short. There, on the backside of the barn, peering through the slats, was Frank. Rifle in hand, he had his attention on something inside the old barn. If Ginny needed anymore confirmation of her theory, this was it.

  Ginny didn't want to startle Frank and risk him shooting her or alerting whoever was inside to their presence. She searched the ground around her feet and found a small rock. Thinking about her complete inability to throw, she hurled the rock as close as possible to Frank's position. When she saw him turn his head in her direction, she waved her arms briefly and indicated for him to return to the cabin.

  Frank saw her and shook his head, pointing frantically toward the barn. Ginny knew he wouldn't be reasonable. After all, it was his sister in the barn with some men not opposed to felonious behavior.

  Looking out to make sure no one was outside to spot her, Ginny made her way over to Frank's spot. Without saying a word, he indicated for her to look inside a crack in the wood siding of the barn.

  Ginny peered inside and saw Georgia, sitting on an old chair, her hands and ankles bound. The place had obviously been cleaned out when the last tenants had moved on. On the far side of Georgia, were the stalls, five of them total. The doors to the stalls had been removed, so the stalls were open to the barn. There was nothing much left inside except some tall bales of hay on the side closest to where Ginny was peering in.

  The kidnappers had their horses tied to the open stalls and were standing by them. They had their heads bent over, speaking in hushed tones. Every few seconds, one or both of them would sneak a look at Georgia, who was staring off into space. Ginny saw the men snicker, then one of the men, a tall, dirty looking scumbag, with stringy brown hair, called out to their hostage.

  “Yer a pretty one. Bet you ain't no virgin anymore. Bet if we were to have a little fun, no one'd be the wiser.” At this, his friend, a good half foot shorter than his partner, with bright red hair and a pale complexion, snickered. His mouth showed an unfortunate lack of teeth.

  Ginny felt her insides tighten. The visions of her afternoon alone with Fitzhume were flooding back, narrowing her vision and causing her to step back abruptly. Frank, who hadn't heard the men, motioned to ask her what was wrong. Ginny shook her head and dragged Frank a few feet away so they could talk.

  Whispering, Ginny said, “You need to go to the road and wait for Colby and Vas. You need to tell them where to go. Where's your horse?”

  Frank, who had been shaking his head at her words, startled at the strange question. “I tied him up by those woods over there.” Frank pointed further down the road toward Cheyenne.

  Ginny took his face in her hands. “You need to go and get my horse and get Colby here now. Those men are going to hurt your sister.”

  As soon as the words had left her mouth, she recognized her mistake. Frank turned toward the barn and was raising his rifle. Ginny grabbed him back and shook her head. She took the rifle forcibly and pointed to where her horse was tied.

  Sounding as angry and mean as she could, while still whispering, she said, “You listen to me, Frank. This is not a debate. You will go and get my horse and get your brother. I will help your sister.”

  Ginny could see just how young Frank looked at that moment. He'd carried the weight of helping his sister on his own for the past few hours. He would be a good man someday, just not that day. He nodded and headed toward the small grove where Ginny's horse was tied. When she was certain he was gone, Ginny turned back to the barn and looked in the crack. Now the two men were taunting Georgia, touching her face with their dirty fingers. More than once, Georgia tried to bite them.

  “Yeah, she's pretty feisty,” the red head growled, as he almost lost a finger.

  “She'd be the prettiest thing you'd ever have, Duncan.” Tall and ugly made a snorting laugh at his joke. The red head, Duncan, pushed him hard to show his displeasure.

  Without seeing how Duncan would handle the insult, Ginny searched for a way into the barn. As if put there by God himself, Ginny found a hole big enough for her to crawl through. The best part was that it was directly behind the tall stack of hay bales, still allowing Ginny the element of surprise. Thankful that she was wearing pants, Ginny crawled through the hole and entered the barn. Once through, she reached through the opening and grabbed Frank's rifle. She was being quiet, but it didn't matter much. Both men were now screaming horrible things at Georgia, trying to get her to react.

  If there was one thing Ginny hated, it was a bully. The strong should protect the weak, not exploit them. Her very blood began to boil, to the point where she thought she just might be able to shoot the two men
, except she hadn't asked Frank how to fire the rifle. It had a trigger, but Ginny couldn't even tell if it was loaded. Holding the weapon in her hands, she knew what she had to do.

  Glancing carefully around the hay, Ginny saw that both men were too preoccupied with taunting Georgia to notice her presence. Coming around the side of the bales, Ginny moved as closely as possible to the red head. Without any warning, she raised the gun with both hands, and like a baseball bat, she brought it down on the man's head. There was a sickening thud as the man sank, first to his knees, then falling over on his side.

  The taller man was too shocked to react at first. Ginny quickly closed the distance between them, turning the rifle around as she went. With the butt, she slammed it into the man's testicles. Ginny almost laughed at the sound, like all the air had been sucked out of the room. After the man fell to his knees, clutching himself as if he could hold himself together, Ginny brought the gun down on his head. A moment later, he was out.

  Looking from one man to the other, to make sure they were truly knocked unconscious, Ginny felt herself begin to shake. Before it could get out of hand, she took a deep breath and looked to see that Georgia was okay. She found the girl staring at her incredulously. Georgia's eyes were wide and she seemed to be hyperventilating. With a solid course of action, Ginny turned toward the girl and began to untie her.