It was all Gabrielle could do to keep from crying as she watched a year's worth of supplies being dumped on the floor. They would barely leave enough provisions for her to get through the winter, but she refused to let them see any weakness in her. She stood stock-still in the middle of the room as pandemonium reigned around her.
Finally, Parsons approached Taylor. "She's right, it's not here, boss."
Taylor grunted, giving a nod. "If it was my map, I don't guess I'd keep it here, either." He reached for his own parka that hung on the peg on the wall. "All right. Blindfold her and get her on the sled. We can't stay here. That Indian is liable to come by sticking his nose into things, and then we'd have to kill him, too."
Parsons nodded, seizing Gabrielle by the arm and giving her a shove. "Let's go, bitch."
This time she gave no trouble. She knew she couldn't overpower her captors, but if she was careful, she had a chance of outsmarting them. And when she did, they'd all pay. . . .
Alex sighed, tossing a twig into the blazing fire. He'd made good time today, nearly twenty miles, he guessed. He'd pushed the dogs hard, trying to tire himself, attempting to drive Gabrielle from his mind. He hadn't set up camp until well after dark; and now the dogs were fed and watered, and it was time to turn in.
Alex stretched his legs, holding out his hands to warm them. The trouble was, he wasn't sleepy. He was tired, bone tired; his legs ached from running, and his arms throbbed from hanging on to the back of the sled; but he knew he couldn't sleep. Gabrielle haunted his thoughts. He heard her lilting voice in the wind; he saw her form around every bend of the river. He knew he'd done the right thing in leaving her behind. Unconsciously he patted the worn map in his breast pocket. She'd given it to him free and clear, and it was his passage back to Richmond. He knew the map would lead to a mother lode of gold. He could feel it in his bones.
Then what's bothering me? he asked himself. I told her I couldn't stay; I told her nothing could be permanent between us and she agreed. She said she wanted no ties. She said she was happy with her life and wanted no changes. Still, all he could think of was her wide, sad brown eyes and the tremble of her sweet lips as she accused him of betrayal. Alex gazed off into the darkness, studying the trees that swayed gently casting long fingers of shadow over him and his sleeping dogs. Earlier the sky had been an inky black, but then the moon had slipped from behind the clouds to shine bright, reflecting off the snow.
Alex stretched out on his bed roll, resting his head on Leopold. The dog whined, licking his new master's face, then laid his head down again. "What am I going to do, Leo, old boy? Will I ever forgive myself for leaving the little minx behind, whether she wanted to come or not?"
The dog lifted his head, blinking sleepily, and Alex reached back to stroke his thick coat. "You listening to me, Leo? I should have asked her to marry me; that's what I should have done. Of course, what reason would she have had to say yes? I'm a penniless man with no future and a child to raise." He stared up at the three-quarters moon above. "We'd have to live in Richmond. She'd hate it there." He exhaled slowly. "So why am I so miserable? Tell me that?"
He pictured Gabrielle asleep, alone in her narrow bed and thought of the moments he'd shared with her there. You can't let her go, an inner voice warned. You'll regret it for the rest of your life.
Alex suddenly scrambled up off his bed roll. "Leo, come on boy, get up," he ordered. "We're going home."
Quickly, Alex packed the sled and harnessed his dogs, dousing the fire with armfuls of snow. Within half an hour he was on his way south again along the riverbank. The dogs, fed and rested, yipped with excitement as they bounded across the hard-packed snow, pulling the sled and Alex aboard behind them. If his calculations were right, he figured he could be at Gabrielle's cabin by mid-morning if nothing went awry. He might even get there before she woke.
Visions of slipping into bed beside Gabrielle's naked body warmed Alex's heart as he called out to the dogs, urging them faster. He didn't know what he'd say to her when he got there. He didn't know how he would convince her they belonged together or how they would settle their differences. He didn't care. All he wanted right now was to have his Gabrielle in his arms again.
The trip back down the river was not as easy as Alex had anticipated. In his rush to get back to the cabin, the dogs got tangled more than once in their traces, and twice he lost the path and veered west, then had to retrace his steps. I he sun was climbing high in the sky by the time he reached the cabin's clearing.
Gabrielle's dogs came rushing toward the sled, barking and howling at the sight of the familiar face. Alex laughed, trying to release his own dogs from their harnesses without getting knocked into the snow. Finally, when all five dogs had been set free, he started for the cabin door. He hoped Gabrielle would be inside, but because she hadn't come to the door, he guessed she'd gone fishing or to tend her traps. "Gabrielle," he called.
A sharp howl of a dog came from behind the cabin, and Alex stopped to listen. The mournful sound repeated itself, and Alex started around the back of the cabin. There he found Tristan tied to a metal stake. Gabrielle's lead dog barked and howled, pawing at the snow. Puzzled, Alex slipped a knife from his belt and cut the rope that held the dog tethered.
"What's the matter, boy?" He tried to catch Tristan's collar, but the dog leaped past him, racing around the corner of the cabin. Alex followed him suspiciously. Why would Gabrielle have tied her favorite dog like that? And on such a short length of rope? It didn't make sense, and it worried him.
Coming back to the front of the cabin, Alex found Tristan scratching at the door. Cautiously, he turned the knob on the door, letting the dog in first. As light flooded the room, he swore beneath his breath. Tristan pranced in circles, sniffing and pawing at the hardwood floor.
The place was in a shambles, flour spilled onto the floor, pots and pans strewn recklessly; there were even ashes piled in the middle of the table. "My God," Alex breathed. "The map! That bastard came looking for the map!"
Calling the dog, Alex stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Rage seethed within him as he harnessed his dogs again. He had to find Jack. He would know what to do, in what direction to go looking for Gabrielle. Leaping into the back of the sled, Alex called to the other dogs, coaxing them to run behind the sled. He was afraid to leave them there for fear of them starving while he was gone or getting caught in the storm he saw brewing in the west. Mya would care for them in the village. He didn't know how long it would take, but he was going to track down that filthy rat Taylor, who had kidnapped Gabrielle, and then he was going to kill him.
Jack listened to Alex's tale, his face void of any emotion. "It was good to come here first." The Indian nodded, beginning to collect a knapsack of necessities.
Mya sat on a stool near the stove, their daughter on her lap. "How long ago do you think they took her?"
Alex brushed his auburn hair off his creased brow. "I don't know. I'm not much good at reading signs in the snow. I'm not even positive it was Taylor who took her."
Jack gave a snort. "It was him. No one on the Tanana would dare it." He got down on his knees and pulled two rifles from beneath a bed. Ammunition and two large hunting knives followed. "You know what to do with one of these?" He held up the long-bladed knife, its steel gleaming by the light of the lantern.
Alex reached for it, replacing the smaller knife on his belt. "I learned to handle one on the whaling ship. Did a little carving, a little throwing. Got pretty good."
Jack slipped a sweater over his head and reached for his seal-skin parka, directing his words to Mya. "I don't know how long we'll be gone. We're going to go by and pick up Magee, then back to Gabe's to check the signs. I expect they took her south. No tenderfoot would travel north with a storm like this coming up. They must have a cabin they're hiding her out in."
Mya got up, brushing her hand against her husband's sleeve. "You watch the storm. My mother feels a bad one coming. You will do no good for our Gabrielle frozen in
a snowbank."
Jack gave her the briefest smile, caressing her round cheek. "I'll take care, wife."
"And bring home Gabe?"
"And bring home Gabe," he answered. Swinging Mary into his arms, he kissed the child and handed her to her mother. "Let's go, Alex."
Mya made a motion in the air as the two men left the warmth of her cabin. "May the spirits be with you," she whispered as they disappeared into a whirl of falling snow.
Alex and Jack drove their dogsleds hard across the frozen Tanana and westward into the storm. They reached Beans Magee's at nightfall, waited until he gathered his gear and hitched his sled and then they headed for Gabrielle's cabin.
Jack ran behind his sled as long as he could, and when his legs ached to the point that they grew wobbly, he leaped onto the runners to catch a ride. He talked to the dogs as they ran, constantly encouraging them, just as Gabrielle had instructed he must do. He yanked at the string of bones tied beneath the sled, urging them forward with the clatter-clatter they made. Most white men used bells on the Tanana, Gabrielle had told him, but she preferred the natives' strings of fish bones or antler pieces.
Through the darkness the three sled teams raced, each taking its turn in the lead, breaking fresh snow for the two behind. Alex cursed the darkness as they pressed on, the snowstorm closing in around them. It was difficult for him to believe that daylight lasted less than six hours in the winter in this frozen territory. It hadn't bothered him when he was with Gabrielle, safe and warm in her cabin most of the time, but now it seemed an insurmountable obstacle. How were they going to find her with a good fifteen hours of darkness ahead of them? How would they even know which way to begin their search?
Alex's feet grew numb, and he leaped off the runners of the sled, running again. The blowing snow surrounded them, the wind whistling and howling until he lost all sense of direction. Only the sound of Jack's dogs ahead and the clatter of the bone strings on his sled kept Alex on the trail. By the time they reached Gabrielle's cabin, a full-fledged storm was upon them. The air was so cold that it burned Alex's lungs as he fumbled with the harnesses to release his dogs.
"Should we bring them into the cabin?" Alex called to Jack through the driving wind.
The native shook his head. "They'll bury themselves in the snow. They'll be warmer than we will." His words were practically lost in the wind, but Alex caught enough to understand.
By the time the three men got inside Gabrielle's cabin, they were nearly frozen. Alex fumbled in the darkness to light a match, finally managing to work his stiff fingers enough to strike one. The smell of sulfur filled the small cabin as he found the lantern on the floor near the fireplace and lit it.
Jack stomped his feet for warmth, stooping to pick a piece of firewood from the center of the floor. "We'll not be starting out tonight," he stated flatly, carrying the wood to the fireplace. "Might as well light up your smokes, 'cause it looks like we're going to be sitting a spell."
"What do you mean?" Alex peeled off his frozen parka, letting it fall among the other belongings littering the floor. "We can't just sit here. We've got to find Gabrielle."
Beans shucked off his parka and kneeled to start a fire in the fireplace. "Not tonight we don't We'll freeze before we make five miles."
Alex clenched his fists in desperation. "You're not even going to try?"
Jack lifted a hand to squeeze Alex's arm. "It's like Mya told me. We'll be no good to Gabe dead. She's safe enough for now. They're not going to kill her without the map."
"How can you speak about this so calmly?'' Alex flared. "This is Gabrielle we're talking about!"
Magee fed the feeble flames on the hearth. "No way to take it but calmly. Gabe's a strong woman. She'll know just to hold out until we reach her. She'll know we're coming for her." He uprighted a chair that had been pushed on its side.
Alex heaved a sigh of frustration. "You're right; I know you're right." He was silent for a moment, listening to the mournful wail of the wind as it whipped around the cabin. "But if something happens to her, I'll . . ." He let his voice trail off into silence.
Beans Magee stood up, pushing his long mane of blond hair off his shoulder. His eyes met Alex's. "I know, son," he consoled. "I know."
Chapter Fifteen
Gabrielle struggled to keep her head up, but as she slipped in and out of consciousness, it rolled and lulled to one side, making her entire body ache. Coming fully awake, she twisted her hands tied behind her, trying to bring back some of the feeling. How long had she been tied to this chair?
Days had passed, she was sure of that, but how many? Two . . . maybe three? There was no sense of day or night in the cabin with the lanterns burning constantly and no sunlight seeping through the tiny windows. Since the storm had begun, three of her four captors had kept themselves busy playing cards on the floor and drinking whiskey. Only Taylor abstained, keeping to himself on a bunk built on the far wall.
Gabrielle turned her head to look over at him. "Bastard," she murmured to herself.
He was just lying there, staring at the wooden rafters above him. He hadn't decided what to do with her yet. She knew he had expected her to just hand over the map, but when she refused to change her story, he had grown dark and brooding. Taylor knew she had the map and that she was lying; he just hadn't figured out how to get the information out of her. He hadn't allowed anyone to give her any food, and her sips of water had been minimal; she knew he was hoping she'd grow weak and crumble. Other than an occasional slap across the face, he hadn't hurt her, though he'd threatened far worse.
Raucous laughter filled the squatter's cabin, and Taylor shot a threatening glance in his men's direction. "Pipe down," he ordered, "or I'll burn the cards."
Gabrielle turned away to avoid eye contact with him. He was growing impatient with the storm outside as well as with her. She knew she walked a fine line between life and death now, and she was trying not to rile his anger any more than necessary. Until she could figure out a way to escape, she had to keep herself alive. She had toyed with the idea that Jack might come looking for her, but she knew the chance was remote. It might be days before he came by her cabin to see her, and then where would he start looking once he found she was gone? No, it was up to her to save herself. Maybe once they were out of this cabin and moving again, she'd have a chance. If she could get one of their dogsleds from them, she knew she could get away.
Her eyes drifted shut as she thought of her own dogs. Where would they find food? And poor Tristan. Her captors had apparently tied him up to keep him from mauling them. She wondered if the dog was still alive. If only she hadn't driven Alex away the way she did. If she had had the damned map, she'd have given it to Taylor and saved herself and Alex both.
Alex . . . tears welled in her eyes as she thought of him . . . his startling blue eyes, his thick red hair, the smile on his handsome face. She swallowed against the rising lump in her throat, wondering how he'd made out in the storm. If he remembered everything she'd told him, he'd be all right. He had to be.
Gabrielle's eyes flew open at the sound of boots on the hard-wood floor. It was Lawrence, the pig-tailed man. "So little lady." He cupped her chin with his hand, forcing her face upward. "Come up with any ideas where that gold map might be?"
Gabrielle squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to wrench away.
When she didn't answer, he squeezed tighter, threatening to break her jaw with his massive hand. "I'm speaking to you!" he growled.
Her eyes flew open. The man reeked of whiskey and stale body odor. His breath was foul. "I told you, there's no map," she whispered.
"What did you say?"
"I said there's no map," she repeated through clenched teeth.
He grinned, releasing her. His pitch eyes were void of any humanity. "You'd best be tellin' us, little lady, because Mr. Lucas Taylor is getting annoyed with you. He's going to turn you over to me, and then I'll make you talk." He laughed wickedly, fingering a tendril of her chestnut hair.
&
nbsp; "Lawrence,'' Taylor called from his bunk. "What did I tell you about leaving her alone?"
Gabrielle jerked back, and Lawrence walked away. She heaved a sigh of relief as he settled himself down beside Gaddy and motioned to be dealt into the game.
"He's right, you know." Taylor pushed himself up off the bunk and came toward her. His gait was slow and lazy; his gaze riveting her eyes to his. He smoothed the expensive angora sweater he wore as he came closer, a silly smile on his face. "You can make it easy for yourself, or you can make it difficult."
Never let them know you're afraid . . . her father's words rang clear and true in her ears. "I'm telling you, Taylor. There never was a map." She kept her voice steady, refusing to drop her gaze. "You should have done a little investigating before you murdered my father."
"He was cheating. He pulled the gun on me."
"Liar! I was there . . . remember?"
Taylor's face reddened with checked anger. "And who believed you?" His firm mouth twitched into a smile. "Certainly not the authorities."
"Only because you paid them off you son-of-a—"
"Ah ah ah," he interrupted, pressing a finger to her lips. "What did I tell you about your language? A sweet virgin like you shouldn't even know such words." He slipped his finger from her lips across her bruised cheek, lowering his voice. "You are a virgin aren't you, Gabrielle?"
She flinched against her will. A chilling blade of terror ran down her spine.
Taylor took her silence as affirmation. "Good, because when I get that map, what I had in mind was—" He broke off, withdrawing his hand. "Let's just let it be a surprise, shall we?"
The Fur Trader's Daughter: Rendezvous (Destiny's Daughters Book 3) Page 15