Authors: Angel Wolfe
~XIV~
Frank rode as fast as he could towards town worrying the entire time about how they would find Angel and James and how they would all get Miss Kat back home after they found her. Drawn out of his thoughts by a horrible rattling noise, he looked up to see a carriage roaring down the trail coming straight for him. Quickly, he turned his horse to the side and just narrowly missed being hit as a young boy pulled up hard on the reins, bringing the horse to a halt.
“Sir. Sir, can you possibly help us?” The most beautiful woman he had ever seen stuck her head out from the window of the carriage. “We have to find Kaitlyn Carson’s ranch as soon as possible; it’s a matter of life or death.”
“I wor…work for Miss Kat.” He answered nervously tipping his hat to her. “The ra…ranch is just a ways ba...back.”
“Oh my, if we hurry then we might still make it in time.” She announced preparing to send Willie on his way again.
“In ti…time for what?” Frank asked. “Miss Kat has been ki…kidnapped and I m…must find Mr. Rick so he can help find her and bring her home.”
“Oh drat my bad luck!” She mumbled. “I guess we weren’t in time after all. Well, let me introduce myself and then we shall help you find...Mr. Jamison I presume?”
“Um,” Frank thought hard. “I th…think that maybe that’s his n…name; I only n…n…know him as Rick though. My n…name is Frank Jenkins by the way.”
“Nice to meet you Mr. Jenkins. I am Marie Fairchild.” She extended her hand expecting him to shake it.
Instead, he took her hand in his and gently kissed her fingertips while wondering at the softness of it. The only other female hands he had ever touched had been his mother’s and Kat’s or Angel’s. None of them were soft and smooth; instead, they were all calloused and rough from hard work. “Excuse m…me for saying so but y...you are the m...most beautiful woman I ha…have ever seen.”
“Why thank you sir.” She giggled. “I do believe that that was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me Mr. Jenkins.”
“I…I’m very glad t…to have met you Miss Fairchild.” Frank said heading back to his horse. “B…but if you’ll ex…excuse me I have to g…get to town now so we can hurry to find Miss Kat.”
“Let’s get going then Mr. Jenkins.” She said. “The sooner we find my sister, the sooner we can get to know each other better.” She added in a quiet whisper.
Frank kicked his horse into a run knowing that the woman of his dreams would be following behind him in the carriage. As he rode Frank made the first decision he had ever made without dwelling on it for days. Once Miss Kat was found safe and sound, he was going to ask Miss Fairchild to marry him. “Marie” He said to himself. If they were married, he could call her Marie.
Frank’s horse ran the entire rest of the way into town, the carriage bumping along behind him. His eyes scanned the horses tied at all the hitching posts looking for Warlock or Lucifer. Finally seeing them outside of Ms. Millie’s Dress Shop, he clicked to his horse, urged it in that direction, and dismounted, quickly tying it to the post next to theirs. Not taking the time to loosen the cinch or let the animal drink, he hurried up the boardwalk and into the shop.
The bell on the door rang as he entered, triggering everyone in the shop to turn and look in his direction. Spotting Rick and Matt hovering around some ready-made dresses and unmentionables, he hurried over asking quietly if he could speak with them outside. Knowing that there was obviously a problem, the two men quickly made their apologies to Ms. Millie and all but ran out the door with Frank.
“What is it Frank?” Rick asked a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Miss Kat was kidnapped right off the ranch Mr. Rick. She went outside to the barn and the best we could all tell, George musta been waiting for her.” Frank replied looking nervously from
Rick to Matt, half worried that the men would hold him responsible for his brother’s actions.
Suddenly, the carriage came careening down the street before coming to a screeching halt in the middle of the road as a young lady jumped out and came running up. “Mr. Jamison, Mr. Jamison” she said nodding to acknowledge both Rick and Matt. “I have some urgent news that I have to tell you and it’s about Miss Carson.” Both men turned giving her their full attention. She quickly explained what she had overheard when listening at her father’s study. “And so, it looks like Miss Carson and I are sisters.” She finished breathlessly.
Rick turned to Frank, “Take Miss Fairchild to her home and have her pack enough clothing for a couple weeks; I’m not sure she will be safe there anymore if her father figures out what she has heard. After she’s packed, take her out to the ranch and have her get settled in the room across the hall from Kaitlyn and Angel’s rooms. Stay there at the ranch, take care of the stock, and keep an eye on things while we try to catch up with James and Angel and see about rescuing Kaitlyn.”
“I’ll try to take care of Wolfe and Belle too.” Frank replied.
“I’ll help all I can too.” Marie added. “And thank you Mr. Jamison for getting me out of that house. I’m not sure I believe my father would do anything to hurt me but I’d rather not be around if Mr. Jenkins were to return.”
“Oh my goodness!” came a voice from the doorway of the shop. “Marie, I thought you weren’t coming for your fitting.” Frances said confused.
“I didn’t come for my fitting Frances; I came to help find Mr. Jamison. I didn’t get out to the ranch quick enough and Miss Carson was kidnapped.” Marie explained. “Mr. Jamison offered to let me stay at Kaitlyn’s ranch until they find her and bring her back so I don’t have to go back to Father’s.”
“Marie, think of your reputation.” Frances commanded. “You must come stay at our home and try to make peace with your father. Rumors are already going to fly since your carriage was seen following this man into town.”
“I’m Frank, ma’am.” He answered introducing himself. “Don’t think nothing bad about Miss. Fairchild. She has been p...proper the whole...whole time.”
“I give up!” Frances announced going back inside the dress shop.
“Ok, what are we waiting for?” Rick said. “Let’s get going. I don’t want Kaitlyn with that son of a bitch a minute longer then she has to be; and once we find them he’s going to wish he was already dead.”
The brothers mounted up and turned to watch in wonder as Frank assisted Miss Fairchild into her carriage. Turning their horses, they waved a quick goodbye to the hand and hurried out of town heading in the direction of the ranch.
Frank mounted his horse and followed Marie’s carriage to one of the biggest homes he had ever seen. Dismounting, he looped the reins of his horse over the hitching post and hurried over to help her out of the carriage. They walked together up the front walk and into the house.
“Miss Marie, I didn’t know you were bringing home a visitor.” Simmons said as he met them at the door.
“I’m not Simmons. Mr. Jenkins is here to help me pack some clothing so that I might stay somewhere else for a few days. I’m not at all sure what to think of Father at this point and I don’t want to take any unnecessary chances.” She explained.
“Your father will be livid Miss Marie.” Simmons replied. “But I won’t tell him where you went if you don’t want me to.”
“That would be wonderful Simmons.” Marie said heading up to her room.
“I’ll wait right here for you Miss Fairchild.” Frank said respectfully.
“I won’t be but a couple minutes.” She replied from halfway up the staircase. “Simmons, if you’ll have Willie put away the carriage and ready Flower, I’d really appreciate it.”
“No problem Miss, I’ll see to it at once.” Simmons headed out the door to do as she asked leaving Frank leaning uncomfortably against the doorjamb waiting for her to return. Coming back in, Simmons looked Frank in the eye. “You had better treat the girl right or you’ll have me to contend with.” He threatened.
“You have no account to worry bout that.” Frank answered. “I...I know I ju...just met her but I know she’s the on...one woman for me and I can’t li...live without her.”
“I thought that was the way of it. Just make sure you take good care of her and bring her back to see us once in a while.” Simmons said. “Do you have any plans on where you’ll live or how you will support her?”
“Right n...now I live in Miss Kat’s bunkhouse but, I wa..want to have a small f...farm where I can raise cows and sell mi...milk and cheese.” He answered solemnly.
“Well, you have something to work towards anyway. Just make her happy Frank, that’s all we ask.” Simmons said as he walked towards the kitchen.
Moments later Marie bounded down the stairs with a sparkle in her eyes as if it were a grand adventure. “I’m ready Frank, I mean Mr. Jenkins.” She corrected bashfully.
“Let’s go put your bags on the ho...horse. How well do you r...ride?” He asked curious as to what their pace would be heading back to the ranch. He figured, the sooner they were back, the safer she would be.
“I actually ride much better then I drive but that’s not saying much.” She laughed.
He tied her small bags to Flower and turned as Simmons and Cook came out the kitchen door. “We just wanted to give you a few supplies to get you by until you can get settled.” Simmons sniffed, handing a bag to Marie, which she in turn handed off to Frank.
“You will come back and see us won’t you?” Cook asked Marie as she dabbed at her eyes with Simmons handkerchief. “What will we ever do without our little surprises that you bring us from the store? Who will remember that Simmons loves chocolate?”
Marie hugged Cook and Simmons simultaneously and stepped back. “I am not at all sure what will come of all of this with Father. If things are as bad as I think they are, maybe the two of you can come live with us.” She stated looking at Frank. “I’m quite sure there will be room somewhere for everyone.”
Frank drew her over to the horse, anxious to get going. Turning, Marie allowed him to give her a leg up into the sidesaddle. She hooked her leg over the horn and caught the stirrup with the other foot, adjusting her skirts so she was properly covered. Taking up the reins, she nodded to Frank and gave a little wave to Simmons and Cook. Frank, having mounted his horse, turned and led the way waiting momentarily for her to come up beside him.
As they headed towards the ranch, they chit-chatted about unimportant things as they got to know each other. They both knew there were a lot more things that would need to be discussed; but those things could wait until later.
~XV~
Rick and Matt flew out of town as if the devil were on their heels. They went straight to the ranch and looked closely at the tracks behind the barn. Matt let the upset Wolfe out of the bunkhouse and the they checked the dog, deciding that as long as he didn’t do anything too strenuous he was ok to help.
Grabbing a few supplies, they were back in the saddle and heading west in less than ten minutes. They rode quickly but carefully, not wanting to pass up any signs that might tell them where they were going. Matt, having spent more time with the dog rode with him across his lap in the saddle, not wanting him to become worn out before he could be of use to them.
“What do you think Rick?” Matt asked looking at tracks left from four horses.
“I’d say that James and Angel were close to catching up and that George isn’t positive yet that anyone is following.” Rick answered. “He had better be damn worried about what will happen when I catch him though!”
“Only if James doesn’t catch him first.” Matt added. “I have a feeling that the man sees Kat as his long lost daughter; which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
“I’ll let him argue about their relationship after we get her home safe.” Rick said sagely. “I just hope she’s ok and not hurt. I can’t believe that she has to relive that same nightmare again.”
“It will be ok.” Matt assured his brother warmly clasping his shoulder. “We’ll make sure it’s ok.”
Rick replied by kicking Warlock back into a gallop. Matt followed behind watching carefully for any change in the tracks they were following.
As dark came upon them, they were forced to slow their pace. Rick refused to stop altogether though, insisting on continuing even if they had to get off their horses and walk. They had made up quite a bit of ground and the prints looked fresher all the time.
“Stop.” Matt said quietly. “Smell the smoke? We’re really close now; maybe we should leave the horses and walk so they don’t give us away.”
“Good idea.” Rick agreed. “Just be careful, we don’t want to stumble onto James or Angel and inadvertently hurt someone.”
The brothers dismounted and tied the horses to nearby trees before stealthily setting off in the direction of the smoke. Both lost in their own thoughts, trying to be as silent as possible, they almost stumbled over James before realizing he was there.
Without uttering a word, he put his finger to his mouth and shook his head while nodding in the direction of the campfire. Rick, who could see better in the dark then Matt, squinted slightly and saw Angel scooting slowly on her belly towards what he was guessing was the campsite. Suddenly, he spotted Kaitlyn lying on the ground as George aimed a kick to her midsection; it was everything James and Matt could do to keep him from storming in.
It looked as if she had been through hell. She had a black eye and numerous bruises and scrapes on her face. Her shirt was in tatters and didn’t cover enough of her to warrant wearing. Suddenly everyone looked up as a different kind of yelling erupted from the campsite. Matt had the forethought to grab Rick but no one had given any thought to Wolfe. As George kicked Kat in the ribs screaming profanities, the dog launched straight at him without warning.
The three men burst forward meeting Angel almost at the center of the site. Wolfe already had hold of George by the throat when Rick fell to the ground next to them, giving the dog a silent command to release. Backing away, the dog whined and went to check on Kat who was gasping for breath and attempting to gather what was left of her clothing to her body.
“You son of a bitch!” Rick ground out, grabbing George by the neck where the dog had left off.
He pulled the man to his feet so that he could knock him back to the ground when suddenly there was a shout and gunfire erupted. Rick grabbed his side and fell one way as George, already dead, fell the other, gun still in his hand. Attempting to sit up and look at the damage done by the bullet, Rick cursed again as Kaitlyn, holding her side, struggled to get to him even as Angel tried to dissuade her.
James and Matt ran up, James’ gun still smoking and Matt with his in hand. “Damn, I never should have given him the chance!” Rick growled wrapping his spare arm around a crying Kaitlyn. “He died way too easy James.”
“He’s dead now and can’t hurt her again. That’s all that matters Rick. Revenge will make you sour so we’re better off being done with him.”
After giving her sister a few seconds of reunion with Rick, Angel discreetly got Kat’s attention and helped her out of sight behind a boulder. Hugging her gently first, Angel then helped her sister out of her tattered rags and into a comfortable, more concealing shirt that she’d had the foresight to grab out of the saddlebag. Gasping at the sight of her bruised, possibly broken ribs, “Oh my god Sis, what can I do?” Angel asked her, seriously concerned with the almost masked looks of pain Kat was showing. “I know you too well then to think you’re fine. Where all does it hurt and where do I start?”
Kat looked down at her discolored, battered body. Rubbing Wolfe’s head, she replied. “God Angel, I don’t have a clue where to start. I guess let’s get me cleaned up some, get my ribs wrapped and then we’ll go from there. I think every inch of me is bruised but at least he didn’t have time to rape me.”
Angel, knowing by the tears in Kat’s eyes how bad it must have been just carefully hugged her again and proceeded to gently clean her up as much as possible before helping her back to camp.
“How is he?” Kat whispered looking at Rick as she attempted to get herself settled down against a saddle near him on the ground.
Opening his eyes, Rick looked up and down her body making sure that she was ok as far as he could tell with her clothes now in place. “I’m ok babe, just a flesh wound.” He whispered back. “Question is how are you?”
“We’re all awake here,” James whispered, interrupting them. “We all want to know that you’re ok and if you say it loud enough for all of us to hear, you’ll only have to tell us once.”
“You’re right,” Kat admitted. “My body is sore from being flung over the horse with the horn in my side. My head and feet hung off opposite sides and I have several bruises, scrapes, a busted lip, a bruised cheekbone and probably some broken ribs and cracked bones but other than that, for the most part I am fine.” She said looking away from everyone.
James swore to himself wishing he could shoot the animal again. We should have made him suffer and beg like Rick said, he thought to himself. Finally he decided that they had done all they could do for the night. The bullet had gone straight through so he bandaged Rick’s side and wrapped Kat’s ribs then checked Wolfe to make sure nothing had broken loose in his attack of George.
Matt had gotten rid of all evidence of the dead man while Angel had cleaned up Kat and helped her dress. James had gone for the horses that were hidden a ways back and brought them closer to camp where they could keep an eye on them. Now, the bedrolls were set up and James lay on top of his thinking he could probably take watch since there was no chance of him sleeping tonight anyway.
Rick kept his arm on his good side wrapped around Kaitlyn, attempting to assure not only her but also himself that she was safe. He didn’t believe for a second that she had told the entire story but he wasn’t about to make her relive it right now. Once they were back at the ranch would be soon enough.
Matt and Angel snuggled together, Matt quietly rebuking her for giving him a near heart attack when he arrived to find her on the ground sneaking into the camp. “What was James thinking letting you do that?” He said angrily.
“He didn’t LET me do anything.” Angel replied. “I attempted to get to Kat as soon as I saw what was happening. James told me to stay put when he went to secure the horses and I didn’t listen; so don’t go blaming him.”
“Well just don’t do it again. It was stupid not waiting for help and you could have injured yourself and the baby.” He tried to look mad.
“You know as well as I do that if it were Rick or me laying there on the ground getting kicked in the ribs, you’d have done the same thing.” She argued, snuggling up against him.
“Now shut up and hold me. I’m beyond tired and we have a lot to do tomorrow.”
Pulling her close, he whispered, “Is Kat alright? I mean, he didn’t…..”
“She’s ok.” Angel cut him off. “And I think she felt even better after she burned what was left of her clothes.”
“Thank God.” He breathed. “Your sister has been through so much hell, I hope Rick can give her at least a small measure of comfort.”
“Did you see how she went straight to him when he got shot?” Angel asked. “She loves him very much. The fact that even now after she has been abused, she is wrapped in his arms tells me that she trusts him a great deal. That says a lot. I don’t think she has ever trusted a man before.”
“Well, she can trust Rick and I don’t just say that because he’s my brother.” Matt told her. “He’s a good man and even if he weren’t my brother I’d be happy to have him on my side.”
Rick lay, silently stroking Kaitlyn’s hair and thanking God that they had found her. Yes, he knew that she was hurt and judging by her labored breathing, he’d bet money on at least cracked if not broken ribs. He knew she had a lot more bruises that she wasn’t telling him about buried under her shirt but he wouldn’t press her to tell him about it, at least not yet.
His arm tightened around her accidentally eliciting a groan from her lips, having inadvertently touched some painful spot on her body. He cursed himself, angry with for causing her pain and wishing he could have had the chance to inflict some of that on the now dead George before he died.
Grunting in pain himself, he attempted to cover them both with part of the bedroll. Hearing the discontentment, James came over and seeing the problem, helped Rick to a more comfortable position and pulled the bedroll that Rick had been trying to get hold of over top of them.
“I’m glad we got her back Rick.” He whispered. “I hope there was no permanent damage done.”
“We’ll find out when we get her home James.” Rick told him. “I want to thank you for everything you did though. If you hadn’t been so quick, I might not be here right now.”
“The man deserved to die and had already taken away my chance at avenging my loved ones but I’m glad it’s done Sir.” James went back and settled once more into his own bedroll, staring out into the darkness as he lit a smoke. Tomorrow would be a long day.