Blue Heron was standing above her with his hand held out. Jessica took a gulp of her juice and stumbled as she stood. Blue Heron steadied her. The muffled chants stopped, and everyone lined up on either side of them. She floated along the haze of laughing faces. She saw Cara among them and reached out to her, but she could not touch her.
The tribe quietly encouraged the couple as they entered Blue Heron’s dwelling. The low hum of chanting and giggles swam in her head. Jessica immediately went for a large fur pelt to wrap herself in and fall away to sleep. She closed her eyes, but it wasn’t long before Blue Heron joined her. She struggled as he made his advances. He took both her arms and pinned them down above her head. His face was close as his body hovered over her. She turned away. He set her arms free, and she immediately crossed them in front of her. They fumbled in the dark. Only the light of the moon piercing the hut kept it from total blackness. Shadows danced around her. More dancers.
Blue Heron brought her arms from her body. Her own strength was no match for his. She reluctantly gave in, knowing he would eventually win. He lifted her dress and petticoat. Huffing impatiently, he drew down her pantaloons. She tightly closed her eyes. It was soon over. He laid back, his breathing deep, and then he was snoring.
Jessica wept, overwhelmed by anger and shame. She quickly adjusted her clothes and brought the blanket to her chin.
~
Wide awake, Jessica crept from the hut and into the night. She was rattled but determined. Barely able to see in front of her, she hunched over and slinked away like a cat making its escape. She was making progress, when suddenly, a hit to her back brought the ground smacking into her. A forceful blow of a boot struck her side. She yelled out in pain, struggling to see who was assaulting her. She was dragged by the collar, nearly choking. The flap was flung. She was on the floor by Blue Heron’s feet. In the low light, she saw the side of Mallow’s face recede from the hut, the heavy skin thumping shut. As she bent over, retching, Blue Heron jerked awake.
“What is this?” he asked.
She could barely speak. Finally, she wiped her mouth with her hand. “The food. I think the food made me sick. I will clean it up.” She looked for her smock. He turned over and fell back to sleep before she could ask him for willow bark.
The next day, Lea tended to her bruised side. “Mallow is furious,” Lea said in warning. “Blue Heron is his friend, but you are not. Try to stay away from him.”
“Why would he care if I left?” Lea carefully rubbed the scented jelly onto her bruises. With every touch, she winced from the pain.
“His heart tells him you will bring men to take us back to the reservation.”
“No, I won’t. Tell him I will not do that. I don’t care if you all want to hop a boat to China! I just want to go home!”
Lea’s laugh was rich and Jessica smiled. Lea’s hands worked in the same skilled way her mother’s had. Jessica closed her eyes and let her mind rest, along with her body.
~
After that night, Jessica kept an eye out for Mallow who, in turn, pretended to ignore her. But she wasn’t fooled. She knew he was watching. One day turned into the next. Days passed as she worked alongside the other women. They helped to keep the small camp fed and warm. They picked berries, dug up edible roots, collected water fowl eggs, prepared the cambium under the bark of the yellow pine, and gathered firewood. The men hunted for meat and fish. Living completely off the land had been an unfathomable idea to her, but these people were doing it and Caleb wanted to do the same. She took note. When she returned home, she would have a new perspective on her husband’s ideas. The thought struck a chord of deep longing, and she was more determined to find her way back to him. She prayed he was alive.
Jessica also helped care for the two small children in the camp. It was as Cara had told her. She worked hard each day and was exhausted each night. Some nights were more difficult to find rest. Living in the hut with John-Tooth and Lea was challenging. With four, the space turned cramped and provided no privacy. Jessica would be awakened by John-Tooth and Lea making love. She would draw the pelt up to her ear and continue to design her plans. More upsetting was when Blue Heron reached for her. She would refuse until John-Tooth and his wife left the hut. It caused such disagreement that, at times, she would give in to Blue Heron, biting her lip so as not to make a sound.
Mallow’s watchfulness did not deter her. She would adjust her plan as she gained more knowledge of her surroundings and the tribe’s routine, and most importantly, Mallow’s routine. As a scout for the group, he would be gone for long hours, yet she never knew when or for how long. Cara had informed her that a few of the young warriors, including Mallow, would travel onto the reservation where supporters of the renegades would risk supplying them with food and more ammunition, blankets, candy, alcohol, tobacco, and other necessities and comforts. She also learned the group would be moving soon, but where to, no one would tell her. Still, she couldn’t help to be encouraged by the change. Perhaps someone would discover them.
Her efforts to keep from becoming pregnant kept her vigilant with the remedies Cara had suggested, along with the knowledge of the rhythms of her body. It went far beyond the speech she remembered Jacob giving her after their first time together. Through this, she found a sense of empowerment throughout her captivity.
While the opportunity for any plan of action had not presented itself so far, she did what was expected of her and tried to blend in with the others. She observed the way the group respectfully and lovingly interacted with each other, as they worked together for the same purpose. Their ingenuity had impressed her, until she found her dress and petticoat had been cut up into pieces and spread among the women of the camp for use in various chores. They took her clothes as they hung out to dry. Her smock was turned into a garment for one of the children. It was too late to claim any of it, and she had to prepare herself to travel with what they had given her to wear—a heavy fabric patchwork skirt, the deer hide shawl from her wedding, and soft, worn cotton shirts, big enough to cover a man. Her camisole, pantaloons, stockings, and leather, lace-up shoes were still hers. She washed her undergarments once a week and hung them to dry, keeping an eye out for anyone who waited to claim them. She also kept her footwear close. One morning, she woke to find a few of the women taking turns trying them on. She stormed over to them in her stocking feet and snatched each shoe from their hands, walking away from the mocking sounds behind her.
The day had been long and she welcomed sleep. The weather was changing, and the coolness of the earth penetrated the hut. She brought the blanket around her and adjusted the fur to cover her body. She lay beside Blue Heron, lost in her thoughts of getting home, her back to him as usual. As she dozed off, she heard him speak. She tensed. The tone of his voice was low above her head. “We will be moving on soon,” he informed her.
“Yes, I heard.”
He huffed softly. “You work hard. It’s good.”
“I don’t belong here.”
“Is it why you do not have a child in you?”
Jessica turned to face him. “Yes, that is why. The spirits see I am not one of you and won’t let a child come into this world in such a way. You must let me go and find a woman more suited to you.” She looked down, as if to mourn the unfortunate circumstance.
He raised her chin up. “I will speak to the spirits.”
She sighed and turned back on her side.
With her own world beyond her reach, she harkened back to the memory of her and Jacob, their love, so very sweet and tender, before the rules of society squashed their hearts’ longing for each other. Her thoughts immediately turned to Caleb, his strong, trusting arms holding her. Had her world vanished, never to be seen, touched, or smelled ever again? It could not be so. She would never give up.
Chapter Thirty-three
The California sun bore down on Caleb. He and Levi had been riding for over a week, heading east then north, taking the most likely trails that would end their searc
h. The Sacramento Valley was hot and nearly deserted but for a few people on horseback or walking with packed donkeys. When he could stop someone, Caleb pulled out his wedding photo and pointed to Jessica. Each person he encountered merely shook their heads and walked on. In every town, he did the same and received the same reaction. Riding beyond civilization was even more disappointing. The valleys were desolate, the farmlands open, the rugged hills hiding their secrets. None of it gave comfort to the twisting guilt and grief he now wore like a heavy coat.
Today had been long and fruitless. The sky was a splash of rust among a light-gray background. It was time to make camp for the night. They had gone as far north as Red Bluff. Finding a spot by the Sacramento River, they stopped and refreshed their horses, then sat down to build a fire. Taking food and drink, they discussed tomorrow’s agenda.
Chewing on a piece of the leathery jerky he himself had cured, Levi removed his hat and scratched his scalp. “If I might offer some advice?”
Caleb knew what his old friend was about to suggest, but he didn’t want to hear it. “I have to find her.”
“Yep.” Levi clapped his hat on the grass, dust flying like a cloud of gnats, then placed it back on his head as he continued to speak. “Fact is, we’re not going to find her traveling like this. Where do we go next? North? East? I reckon we just close our eyes and point in a direction.”
Caleb stared at Levi. “I can’t go home without her.” A moment passed. Looking out at the water passing over the glistening rocks, he rubbed his chin whiskers. “Damn it, she’s out there somewhere, and I haven’t a clue where.”
“Maybe Rex, or whoever took her, will be in touch with you—for money, that is.”
Huffing, Caleb released the tension in his shoulders. “Waiting is not my strong suit.”
“Mine, neither. But if they want to make a deal, you’re gonna have to be waiting—at home.”
“It’s a ten-day ride to the Klamath Reservation. I have to speak to Soaring Feather. Rex talked to him and he must know something.”
Levi bowed his head, then looked up. “You’ve been my friend and my boss. I can’t say I ever doubted ya, but here’s the plain truth. We can’t go up north. I know you see them as kin and need your Indian chief’s advice. You’re mighty keen on this, I can tell, but”—Levi gripped Caleb’s arm and their eyes leveled—“we gotta head back and play this right. Get the ransom note and pay up. It’ll be done before ya know it. We already have Cork on the lookout. Then we’ll deal with the bastards once she’s back.”
Caleb rose and walked away. Finding a spot to reflect, he sat in the shade of a cottonwood tree overlooking the river. The color of the sky reflected a muted tone of red in the river. Caleb took a heavy breath. It was as if his heart bled into the water. Frustration seethed in him and his anger surfaced. “Damn!” he shouted, pounding his fist on the ground. Never had he been so trapped. Lighting a cigarette, he inhaled deeply, then released the smoke, watching it drift away. He knew Levi talked straight with him, but he couldn’t surrender.
They would search for another week, leading them to the base of the Siskiyou Mountains.
As Caleb sat on his horse contemplating the journey to the reservation, he thought carefully about what Levi said. His own instincts had been dulled with the fear of never seeing Jessica again. Levi was right. The best thing to do was to wait on his homestead. He reached into his pocket and took out a cigarette. The wind blew steadily, and it took both hands for him to get it lit. His horse swayed at the loosened rein. Inhaling, he said a prayer to the spirits and blew out the smoke. It was time to go home.
~
Rail River–July 1889
The evening light threw long, dappled shadows across the grassy field. Caleb walked down to the place where his wife had been taken from him so abruptly and where he had set out to look for her. Coming back to wait took every ounce of his strength, and after a few weeks, he was more disheartened than ever. At least on the trails, he could do something. Cork had no word for him when he and Levi returned. Ben and Sally had nothing to offer, and Burt and June were in a state of heavy grief. He had no one to turn to. The sheriff had called on him, and he could offer him only what he wanted the law to know—someone took his wife for no good reason.
“I had my men post her likeness and the reward in as many of the surrounding towns as they could get to … all the way up to Yuba and down as far as San Jose,” said Sheriff Randall. Then he said something that chilled Caleb. “Heard there was a scout in town looking for you a while back. What do you know about this, Mr. Cantrell?”
Gathering his wits, Caleb shrugged. “I’ve no idea. Reward money brings out all kinds.”
“But he was in town before your wife was taken. Maybe he has something to do with this.”
Again, Caleb shrugged. “All I know is my wife is gone and I want her back.”
The sheriff stepped off the porch and Caleb’s stomach relaxed. “All right then, Mr. Cantrell, we will do our best.” Before getting on his horse, the lawman turned to him. “I think it’s wise if you stick around here. Going to look for your wife only complicates my job.”
With a nod and a thank you, Caleb went inside. The sweat ran down his back, and he fixed himself a stiff drink.
Chapter Thirty-four
Caleb’s days blended one into another as he kept himself busy with his land and found solace in his silversmithing. His employer, Mr. Higgins, let him work on several pieces in his own shop. Slowly, he came back to life, though to a life that held no joy.
Standing on his porch, he looked out onto his land. The sound of the river still haunted him. Jessica’s favorite season—summer—had come and gone. He had celebrated her July birthday by getting drunk and passing out.
Today, with little resignation in his heart, he stood here, a victim of life’s cruel twists. He breathed in the scented air, then closed his eyes. Upon exhaling, he opened them as if a curtain were rising to present another act in a play—she was sitting on the grass by the river, her back to him as she focused on her painting. “Jess,” he said softly so as not to startle her. She turned and looked up at him gleefully.
“Caleb, come see what I’ve done so far. Let me know what you think.”
A heated jolt filled with anguish shot through him. How violent was her kidnapper? “Damn it! Why didn’t I follow her down there?” He had rarely let his regrets set up any permanent residence, but since that day, he found the practice to be a difficult task.
Why did you have to be such a selfish bastard? With no answer to be found, he stood for a moment longer. The forest beyond beckoned him to search for her again. He shook his head and walked into the house. He had to change his mood or fall back into the deep depression he had struggled to overcome.
Except for a drink with his friends, Levi and Cork, he stayed to himself. Burt invited him to the house several times, but he felt he could not share his grief with Jessica’s family. The one time he had consented sunk him deeper into melancholy.
“We certainly cannot blame you, Caleb,” Sophie began as the family gathered for the Sunday dinner, “but your property is out of town and quite wild.”
“I don’t know what I would have done if Carl had taken my Sophie out into the wilderness like that,” Laura had exclaimed. She turned to her son-in-law, who looked up from his mashed potatoes at the mention of his name. June had wept most of the time, and Burt tried to console her. The boys clamored for more food and asked many times about dessert. Caleb left as soon as it was courteous to do so. Riding home that evening, he ached to have Jessica by his side to commiserate with.
A knock came to the door. Caleb peeked out the front window and saw Ben standing on his porch. The smiling neighbor waved. Caleb let him in.
“Can’t stay,” Ben said, “just here on a mission. Sally and I insist you come to dinner tonight.”
~
Riding up to the large, white farmhouse, Caleb saw the cozy light inside reveal three figures moving about. He wond
ered who else had been invited. “Come in, Caleb. Glad you decided to join us,” Ben said.
Caleb had been grateful for his friend’s support in the months following Jessica’s disappearance. Even through their own shock and sadness, Ben and Sally’s optimistic spirits helped to raise him up, if only for short periods of time.
As Caleb removed his coat and hat, Sally came in from the kitchen to greet him. Behind her was a woman whom Caleb recognized as Martin Cabot’s stunning wife, Jane. A catch in his chest made him clear his throat.
He had seen her on occasion in town with Martin. Her beauty never failed to capture his eye. She wasn’t too tall, but she had a way of holding herself, giving a presence one could hardly ignore. Her features were unlike any other woman he had ever seen—ancient and exotic. She had a long, straight nose, high cheekbones, and almond-shaped, brown eyes. Her black hair accentuated her light, olive-colored complexion. She provoked his curiosity every time he saw her, and he wondered what a refined woman such as herself was doing on a farm.
Sally made the introductions. “Caleb, this is our friend, Jane Cabot. Jane, our neighbor and friend, Caleb Cantrell.”
“Good evening, Mrs. Cabot.” She had a basket of biscuits in one hand and raised her other hand regally. Caleb stopped himself from bending over and kissing it. He stood up straight, almost embarrassed at the thought.
“Oh, please, call me Jane, Mr. Cantrell.” Her smile lit up her face. “We’re all friends here.”
“Then please, call me Caleb.” He followed her lead, but wished for something more formal.
“I was so sorry to hear about your wife, Caleb. It must have been an awful shock to you and her family.” She brought the basket to the table. “I met her once, in town. It was some time ago, and we only spoke briefly, but she was very sweet. I wish we could have been better acquainted.” Her voice was soothing, and her eyes held only kindness.
Sacred Terrain (Traveled Hearts Series Book 2) Page 15