He grabbed his pack and folded it behind his back, making the tree a little less uncomfortable to lean against. His recent dream of Jessica came flooding back to him. Her body was close to his. He looked into her eyes and touched her soft, pink lips. He was in heaven. She reached up and touched his hair as he went to kiss her. Then she was on a train, speeding away from him and toward him at the same time. He awoke, sweating and anxious, wishing he could hold on to the warmth and satisfaction of her face, her smile, her lips.
“Jake!”
Jacob was rudely pulled back to his reality by his cousin. “What?”
“Are you listening to me? Caleb’s telling us to join him over there.”
“All right, all right.” Jacob made no excuses for his daydreaming. It was one of the few comforts left to him.
Caleb laid out the map of the hills of Colorado to show Levi, Will, and Jacob where the next deal would be made. He warned that some of the Arapahoe and Ute were in alliance with the government and may cause them some trouble. “Or they could be escapees from the reservation and gunrunners themselves. Nevertheless, this deal will be a cash for guns deal only–no trading. It’s the biggest one we’ve done so far, and if all goes well we’ll each get a good deal of the profit. More than you fellas have seen so far.” He looked at Will and Jacob.
Jacob was eager to get his hands on some real cash, anxious for the day he and Will could be free of this band of gunrunners.
“Where did you get your information?” Will asked.
“I traded in these parts before. I know who to ask. What’s your concern about, Will?”
“Just want to know what I’m getting myself into, that’s all.”
“It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”
Caleb’s remark put Jacob in a bad mood. “Just get on with it.” Jacob felt Caleb’s hard look, but he didn’t back down. “What kind of haul are we loading?”
“All the guns and ammo we got outside of Evansville. Between the four of us, we can manage it. We’ll be on the trails for half a day.” He assigned each their roles. “Get some sleep now. Dawn will be here soon enough.”
Several men left the camp to go into town. Will lie in his blanket, snoring rhythmically. But Jacob couldn’t find sleep. He turned over and thought of Jessica, trying to reclaim his dream of her.
Chapter Thirty-two
The early summer morning was cold and damp. Caleb, Levi, Will, and Jacob headed out after a quick breakfast of hot coffee, hardtack, and jerky. They each packed more of it in their bags and poured the rest of the coffee into a canteen. They brought water and a few other supplies in case they needed to overnight on the way back.
The band of four rode on throughout the morning, the rising sun warming their backs. They broke from the well-worn trail to blaze their way through the thick brush, dismounting from their horses to chop through the berry vines and low branches with their knives.
They stopped only once on their nearly eight-hour trek. Jacob felt Caleb’s tension. Indeed, this was their most out of the way trading spot. His mouth was dry, and he took his canteen to his lips. The refreshing stream of water brought Mary’s pond to mind. “Damn!” Will turned to his cousin with a questioning look, but Jacob dismissed him with a shake of his head. Finally, they came to a clearing in the woods where a shabby cabin stood alone.
Waiting for them on the dilapidated porch was a man with a rifle. His gray, scraggly hair stuck out from his tattered cowboy hat. His clothes were frayed, and he looked weak and haggard. Jacob assured himself this would be easy. With pistols at the ready, he waited with Will and Levi for Caleb’s instructions. Their horses shifted uneasily from the weight of the weapons.
“You took your time, Cantrell.”
Caleb dismounted. “We’re here, Leon. Let’s get this thing over with.”
“All right, come on in.”
Caleb gave the signal to Jacob. They held their guns at the ready. Cautiously, they entered the rundown cabin.
Two men with drawn rifles waited inside—one in the back corner of the room and one by the front window. The man at the front window was an Indian, dressed in worn military garb in odd contrast to his long, black braids. Jacob recognized him as one of the Mohave Indians. Rumor had it the Colorado River tribe had some renegades. His attentions went to the other man who stood in the corner of the small room—a white man, dressed like a farmer, his finger on the trigger of his gun. Jacob’s stomach tightened.
“Did you bring the load we agreed on, Cantrell?” Leon’s gruff voice cut through the tension.
“You know how this goes Leon. Show us the cash first.”
Kneeling, Leon lifted up a floorboard and pulled out a burlap sack. His attention went to the window, and Jacob noticed the beads of sweat dotting the forehead of the man in the corner. Something wasn’t right and his gut churned. Standing above Caleb, he asked a simple question.
“Is it all there?”
When Caleb looked up, Jacob lifted his chin toward the Indian who was craning his neck as if looking for something, or someone. Caleb returned to counting the crisp, new bills. “You expecting anyone, besides us?”
“These fellas never done anything like this. Nerves that’s all.” Leon spoke to the Indian in his native tongue. The man lowered his rifle but only slightly.
Jacob sensed the old man’s nervousness. The count was finished, and Caleb returned the cash to the bag. “Get the load.”
Reluctantly, Jacob placed his gun back into its holster. He stepped off the porch, his hand on the butt of his pistol.
Will approached Jacob. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure, but something’s not right. They’re acting a little squirrelly. Let’s get this thing done and get the hell out of here.”
“How many are there?” Levi asked.
“Counting the old man, three.”
“Well, at least we outnumber them.” Will began to unload three rifles.
The sun lit the dusty, little room of the cabin, and Jacob saw fear on the Indian’s face as he peered out from behind the dirty, glass window. Anxiety flared up in his bowels as he removed his gun. Will took his own pistol from its holster. Jacob cocked his gun and heard the clicks of his cousin’s own gun echo beside him.
Levi loaded his arms with the three rifles and told the boys to cover him. As he got closer, the cabin filled with more sunlight. Levi halted at the foot of the porch. Turning his head slightly to the cousins, he said in a low, deep voice, “There’s a gun to Caleb’s head.”
At the pop of gunshots within the cabin, Levi dropped his load and began shooting. Jacob hunched down and followed behind, Will by his side. Levi jumped on the porch and shot at the window, then burst into the cabin with a mighty kick to the door. Jacob ran into the cabin, his gun hot in his hands. The farmer slumped in the corner. Levi had shot the Indian before getting in the door. Leon crouched above Caleb, the barrel of his gun pushed under Caleb’s chin. Jacob’s blood ran cold, and his mind sped in ten different directions. He forced himself to focus, but before he could think his gun went off, the bullet speeding into Leon’s back. The outlaw coiled up and fell on top of Caleb, who immediately pushed off the sprawled body. An eerie silence filled the room.
Caleb slowly lifted himself and grabbed his shoulder. Dark blood stained his shirt and canvas coat. He up-righted the stool and sank heavily onto the seat. “Jesus Christ,” he hissed in pain as he looked at his wound.
Levi tore the shirt from Leon’s still-warm body and wrapped it around Caleb’s shoulder and upper arm. He took the guns from the dead men, then the bag of cash. “Let’s pack up the horses and get the hell outta here.” He rushed to the horses. Will followed him outside, gagging into his shirtsleeve.
Caleb looked up, and for the first time, Jacob saw in his transparent, blue eyes and the pallor of his face the heavy consequences of this man’s choices. “Thanks,” he heard him say. Jacob nodded, and the two men left the grisly scene.
No one spoke
as they repacked the guns and got onto their horses. Levi gave Caleb a leg up. Caleb grabbed his reins with one hand while keeping his bloody arm close to his chest. Jacob wondered how far they could get with a wounded man.
The little cabin, shot up with bullet holes, its window shattered, told of the trouble left inside and the tomb it had become. The men rode away, but not in the direction of Keaton’s camp. Caleb led them farther west, and without question, they followed. Eventually, Caleb spoke. “It’ll just be a matter of time before whoever paid off Leon will come looking for us. By the looks of those bills, I reckon it’ll be the government.”
Jacob and Will exchanged a knowing glance—this could be the end of their association with Keaton’s group. They rode in the shadow of the full moon, stopping by a river for the night. There would be no campfire, and their meager packs had to keep them warm, with only the light of the moon reflecting off the water to see by.
Before they bedded down, Caleb spoke to Will and Jacob. “Tomorrow, we’ll divvy up the money, and you two can do whatever the hell you’d like. Just get out of Colorado as soon as possible. And for Christ’s sake, keep your mouths shut. Levi and I will do the same.” Caleb removed his coat and shirt and reapplied Leon’s blood-soaked shirt tight to his arm and shoulder. Wincing, he turned away.
“Wait a minute.” Jacob wanted to make sure he and Will got their share. Caleb turned slowly, his hand clutching his arm. “What do you mean by divvy up the money?”
“Levi and I will get most of it and you two can split the rest.” Caleb turned away.
“You think we’ll just go on our merry way with nothing but a damn thanks for our troubles?” Jacob shot back.
“It’ll be enough to get you started on something of your own. Isn’t that what you fellas have been planning all along?”
Will piped up. “It better be enough, or you’ve got two fellas stuck to your ass.”
Caleb’s laugh was short and sharp as he walked away. “Levi, you got an old shirt in that saddlebag?” Jacob heard him say. Then, “I need reinforcements here.” The thin light of the moon lit on the dark blood running down Caleb’s arm.
Will handed him his flask of liquor and Caleb received the silver tin of bootlegger’s whiskey with a grateful nod.
“Thought you might have something to ease the pain.” After taking a hearty swig, he handed it back
“Keep it. You need it more than I do.”
~
It was barely the break of dawn when Jacob awoke from a fitful sleep. Despite the sheltering trees, he felt unsafe. Caleb, too, was awake, but he was motionless and his eyelids drooped. “You need a doctor.”
“Yep. Do me a favor and look at my arm, will you?”
Beyond the pain, Jacob saw something else in Caleb’s eyes. Sorrow. Surely this warrior of a man couldn’t be sad by his fate in the cabin. Angry, vengeful, yes, but not sad. Jacob went to his pack and took out a clean shirt. “Let’s go down to the water. Your shoulder probably needs a good rinse.”
At the water’s edge, Caleb cleaned his shoulder and arm of crusted blood. His tight-lipped curses rattled Jacob. He winced and looked away, spitting out the bile that rose into his mouth. Then he steadied himself to take a good look at the wound, his insides turning upside down.
The bloody gap in the lower part of Caleb’s shoulder held no lead. The bullet had gone through, tearing up the muscle and skin. “I can’t see it, but … I should make sure.” He searched the ground for a sturdy stick. He found one and handed it to Caleb.
Caleb closed his eyes and bit down on the wood.
Jacob’s fingers met no resistance as he probed the area. He tried to be gentle, but Caleb hollered with more cursing. Finding no bullet, he washed his hands in the river, leaving Caleb to catch his breath.
The two men were the same height and their eyes met on a level plain. Jacob marveled at Caleb’s steady gaze. It was as if he were in a trance. Jacob tightly wrapped his shirt around the wound. “That should be fine for now. I hope you’re heading to a town with a doctor. This thing could turn pretty quick.” Caleb dipped his head and the tall proud man walked back to his horse. “Where are you headed anyhow?” Jacob ventured to ask.
“Southern Oregon.”
The men were preparing to leave when the sound of an approaching horse caused them to reach for their guns, yesterday’s adrenaline still fresh in their veins.
“It’s me, Cork.”
They lowered their weapons. Cork was one of theirs, but they were shocked to see him. He came around a stand of trees. “What the hell are you doing here?” Levi ran to his friend.
Cork approached cautiously, then slid off his horse. “I took off after I seen what they did to Keaton and the camp. Me and Harper were still in town when it happened. We came back to a real bad scene. Damn Harper took off on me. They killed all that was there, including Keaton. I crouched myself behind a tree way off in the distance.” He petted his horse. “Luckily, ’ol Jack here kept quiet, or I’d be with ’em. I saw ’em takin’ the bodies away. Then I looked ’round for y’all and remembered what you told me Levi. I figured I’d take my chances with my map and look for the cabin you told me ’bout.”
Caleb gave Levi a hard look. “Who else did you tell?”
Levi removed his hat and placed it over his heart. “Only Cork. I swear it.”
“I seen what went on over there in that cabin. Don’t even want to know.” Cork blew out a whistle. “Then I tried to follow your trail. Thought I was goin’ on a wild goose chase ‘til a few minutes ago. Sure glad to see it’s you boys here instead of them in that cabin.”
“Who were the men taking the bodies?” Caleb asked.
“Looked to be the law, sir.” He removed his hat. “Dead Keaton and the rest of them bodies lyin’ there in the middle of all our belongings. After they took the bodies they burned everythin’ we owned.”
“Burned?” Jacob felt weak. If Cork was able to find them. … He turned to his cousin, but Will was still listening intently.
“Yep, all burned, saw the flames myself.” Cork lowered his head. “And I had my momma’s bible in my pack.”
Caleb scratched his chin whiskers. “What else, Cork? Do you know if you were followed?”
Cork shook his head. “Those dead men shot up like tin cans at a practice. They must’ve been sleepin’.” He heaved a trembling sigh and wiped his eyes.
The early dawn chill added to Jacob’s dread. “They’ll be coming for us next.”
“Glad to see you made it out alive, Cork,” Will said, then solemnly led his horse to the river.
“Where ya headed now?” Levi asked.
“Nowheres in particular, I guess.”
“You can travel with us,” Caleb said. “We’re riding hard until we reach Oregon. Can you manage that?”
“Yes, captain. Thank you, thank you. If you be needin’ any help there.” Cork gestured to Caleb’s bloody, wrapped arm.
“I’ll be fine. Thanks just the same, Cork.”
They all joined Will by the water’s edge. It was clear and ice cold. Jacob splashed his face and let out a whoop. He was alert and ready to ride. Caleb did the same with his good hand. He stood next to Jacob. “Thanks.”
“You might not be so thankful once that thing starts to fester.”
“I want to give you and Will a clean share of the loot. Each of us gets a fourth.”
“All right. That’s fair of you.” Their horses drank from the water and whinnied. “So, what’s in Oregon, if I may be so bold.”
“My family.”
“I thought your family was—”
“There’s a large tribe of Indians on a reservation in the south there. They are my family.”
Jacob stooped down to top off his canteen. He wanted to ask about the tribe, but he held his questions in check.
“I’ll get you back your shirt one day, Jacob.”
“Keep it. Hopefully we won’t see hide nor hair of each other ever again.” They each gave a short la
ugh.
“Just as well.” Caleb walked his horse away from the river. The rest of the men followed and each mounted his horse.
Jacob sidled up next to Will. “I’m ready to get far away from here.”
“Yep.” Will turned to the others. “It’s been interesting working with you men, and sure hope to hell I never have to do it again.”
Caleb addressed the small group. “Before we go, I want to take a moment to honor Keaton and the men we worked with.” He took off his hat and put it over his heart, his blond hair hanging down onto his leather vest, stringy with a few ends crusted with blood. He kept his horse steady with his bad arm, his expression revealing the painful effort. A brief silence followed. Caleb placed his hat back on his head and took the reins of his horse with his good hand. “Good luck.” He gave a slight dip of his head. Jacob touched the brim of his hat.
Levi turned his horse to face Will and Jacob. “You boys take care of yourselves now until our paths cross again someday.”
Jacob had a sinking feeling. What was it about Caleb that made him feel as if they were somehow tied to each other? He cleared the thought and focused on the journey ahead.
Caleb, with Levi, and Cork, turned toward Oregon, he and Will, deeper into the Southwest.
The sound of the horses in full gallop echoed through the hills.
Chapter Thirty-three
It took over a month before Jessica found a rhythm to her household, and with each passing day she felt more of the weight of her new responsibilities. Hannah was her main housekeeper. Frederick had allowed Jessica to choose the cook, though he insisted the woman must be able to prepare English food. It was a challenge, but after many interviews, she hired Miss Benton, who agreed somewhat reluctantly to consult with Hannah for recommendations of Liverpool’s favorite dishes. These included stewed meats and game pies, boiled chicken with vegetables and a jellied broth, tea service with the right biscuits, and always a good and presentable pudding. To Jessica’s relief, Frederick seemed very pleased with his meals.
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