With this declaration, she realized how tired she was. The warmth of his hand against her skin and the steady movement of his fingers as they worked her stiff muscles quickly suffused her with lethargy. His fingers gently crept up and lightly brushed the dark bruise along the side of her cheek and then the one he had inflicted on her jaw. His touch made her forget the presence of others, and she turned her head, raising her shoulder, to bring his fingers to her lips. The kiss was quick, a gentle, reassuring movement, intended to show her forgiveness. Analisa looked up to see Ruth smiling warmly.
“I’m sure the major would be more than willing to help,” Ruth said, her eyes on her stepson once again.
An insistent pounding on the back door commanded their attention, and Abbie hurried to answer the summons.
Almost immediately following the silence that ensued, someone began knocking on the front door. It was Ruth’s turn to rise. As she opened the door to admit Frank Williamson, Abbie returned to the room with Zach Elliot, who trailed behind her, hat in hand.
Caleb turned toward the front door, while Analisa acknowledged Zach with a smile and a nod and was surprised to see his sun-roughened face smile back at her.
“Welcome home.” Zach spoke so softly that she was forced to read the words as they were shaped by his lips. His eye seemed to question her as he took in her appearance, and she felt the need to cross the room to explain it to him. Although until now they had only shared a silent respect for each other, Analisa knew by the look on the scout’s face that she had somehow earned his friendship. Frank Williamson demanded attention, though, and so her chance to speak directly with Zach was lost as she listened to the major’s inquiry.
“I think it’s about time someone let me in on what’s going on here.” He stood tall and commanding in the center of the room, his hands on his hips, legs spread wide.
Caleb stepped forward, undaunted by Williamson’s stature, for he was of an equal height. He sought to put the major at ease, for he knew his own appearance was the cause of Williamson’s militaristic attitude.
“You have every right to demand answers, Major. Please come in and sit down.”
“I’ll stand, thanks.” For the first time he acknowledged the women. “Miss Ruth, Mrs.... de la Vega.” He hesitated using the name as he looked first at Analisa and then at Caleb.
“The name is Storm, Major. Caleb Storm. Analisa is indeed my wife; Ruth is my stepmother.”
“And I’m still the cook,” Abbie quipped. It was clear that she’d worried and waited for two days and wasn’t about to miss this scene. Zach snorted, observing them as he leaned against the kitchen doorway.
Caleb remained standing and began to explain. “I’m an undercover agent for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Major, sent out here expressly for the purpose of investigating Buff Hardy. We suspected him of withholding government funds and supplies meant for the Sioux in his care, and we believe he was responsible for the disappearance of one of our agents.”
“Can you prove it?”
“I believe I can, once he’s under arrest. I do know he is guilty of extortion, buying white captives as well as Indians, and selling them back to their families or into slavery in Mexico. Analisa and I have just returned from the camp of the renegade leader, Red Dog. Hardy has dealt with him on more than one occasion, and tomorrow morning he plans to meet me to buy what he assumes are white female prisoners.”
Williamson stood speechless. He turned to Ruth as if to silently seek her affirmation of the facts.
“I’m afraid he’s right, Major.” Ruth spoke softly as she stood beside the commander. “Caleb works for Ely Parker, head of the BIA. I’m sorry we had to keep you in the dark, but Caleb didn’t know whom he could trust.”
“You have the proper papers, of course?” Williamson’s hard stare returned to Caleb.
“Of course.” He turned to Analisa. “Anja, the lining in the lid of my trunk contains a packet of government documents. Will you bring it to me, please?”
Hitching up the bagging trousers, Analisa crossed the room, squeezing Caleb’s hand as she passed by. She could hear their voices and searched the trunk with silent motions so as not to miss the exchange of words.
“Were you aware of Hardy’s dealings, Major?” Caleb’s tone was firm but not accusing.
“Of course not.” The major’s green eyes flashed above his thick auburn mustache. He brushed his hat against his thigh as he spoke, the brim curled into his palm. “I’ll admit there was something I didn’t like about the man. He’s always whining about a lack of supplies and monies.” He turned to Ruth, and his voice was apologetic as he explained. “I know there’s no excuse for my ignorance of Hardy’s crimes, but I’ve only been stationed here a few months myself. There’s so much to attend to that I’m afraid Hardy was low on my list of priorities.”
Ruth looked up at him in understanding. The man’s gaze returned to Caleb.
“You realize I have the power to commandeer a detail of men if need be,” Caleb was saying. “But I trust that, if what you say about your innocence is true, you’ll be more than willing to cooperate?”
Offended by the slur on his character, Williamson blushed nearly as dark as his hair.
“If
what I say is true?” He took a step toward Caleb. “Listen, Storm, or whatever your name is, no one calls me a liar. Especially someone who’s been parading around as something he’s not for months now.” He made a grab for the open front of Caleb’s buckskin. Zach stood away from the doorway, ready to move if need be. Analisa watched from just inside the bedroom, afraid of Caleb’s temper, tired enough to drop, and wishing this was all over. She never thought she’d see violence in her own home. Before she could utter a protest, she heard Caleb speak. His voice was barely above a whisper, but deadly as he stared Williamson down.
“Take your hand off me.”
For a moment Analisa was afraid that neither of them would back down as they stood like a pair of fighting cocks, staring eye to eye. Ruth was dwarfed beside them, but she reached up to touch Frank Williamson’s sleeve.
Suddenly the commander of Fort Sully smiled, then winked at Ruth.
“You don’t think I’m crazy, do you?” The tension eased and he laughed. “Anybody who had me as fooled thoroughly as you did would know more than his share of fighting tricks.” He slapped Caleb on the shoulder and then asked, “Do you know what a bumbling idiot I thought you were? I couldn’t figure out how a man like de la Vega ever won such a beautiful wife.” He smiled at Analisa as she returned to the room, the large packet in her hand. “Now I know.”
“Here are the papers, Major.” She handed them over and moved to stand beside Caleb.
After a cursory glance at the material, Williamson spoke. “Everything seems to be in order. Let me know how many men you need, when you need them, and all the details. I plan on riding with you.”
“So do I.” Zach’s gruff voice carried across the room. For the first time Caleb and Williamson acknowledged the scout’s presence.
Caleb turned to question him. “Do you know Hardy personally, Zach? Did you have any knowledge of his dealings?” Caleb glanced at him sharply, awaiting an answer.
“Let’s just say I have a score to settle with him,” Zach said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Caleb stared, waiting for Zach to elaborate
Finally the scout spoke again. “I’ve seen Hardy’s slave trade dealin’s. I rode with the Comanch’ down in Texas years ago, even married one.” Zach shrugged, trying unsuccessfully to hide his hurt. “Hardy was responsible for the death of two of the people closest to me.”
He glanced in Analisa’s direction for a brief second before his eyes met Caleb’s evenly. “Let’s just say I got a stake in Hardy’s future. Or lack of it.”
“I want Hardy alive. He’s going back to Washington to stand trial.” Caleb looked at each of the men in turn.
“Agreed,” Williamson quickly assented.
Caleb turned to Zach. The man was silent as if Caleb’s statement weighed heavily on his mind. Finally he spoke. “He’ll get what’s coming to him?”
Caleb went to stand directly across the table from Zach Elliot.
“He’ll get what’s coming to him. I’ll see to that. So will the others like him.”
“We’ll take him alive, then.”
“Well, now,” Ruth spoke up as the tension visibly eased from Caleb’s shoulders, “I’m sure you men have plans to make, but they’ll be best made after you’ve all had some supper.”
Analisa watched Ruth move among the tall men like a small brown squirrel, her eyes sharp and bright, and marveled at the way she could pull everyone together in a crisis. She briskly took command of all of them and began issuing orders in much the same way she had the day Analisa met her.
“Analisa, you look ready to drop. I’ll start heating water for your bath, and I want you to go in and take those things off and lie down until it’s hot. Abbie, add to the supper, enough for an army.” Smiling at her own joke, Ruth turned to the major, and Analisa knew by their expressions that they were fast becoming more than acquaintances. “Caleb, sit down before you fall down, and—Mr. Elliot, is it?—please go spit that wad of tobacco out before you sit down to dinner.”
Analisa watched in admiration as the men obeyed Ruth’s imperious commands. Suddenly she was certain that if she did not lie down soon she, too, would fall down. Every muscle in her body cried out in pain and exhaustion. Barely able to clutch the sagging waistband any longer, she entered her bedroom on slow, shuffling feet and turned to close the door. Caleb stood framed in the doorway behind her. She had not heard him follow her.
Silently he stepped inside and closed the door. He leaned forward and pried her hands from the waistband and drew the trousers down over her hips until they fell into a puddle at her feet.
“Step.”
She stepped out of them.
“Raise your arms.”
She raised them, and he drew the shirt up over her head and tossed it aside. She felt herself sway and fought to keep her eyes open.
He folded back the quilted coverlet, and the bright splash of tulips disappeared from sight.
“Get in.”
Analisa looked at the pillow with longing. She stretched her arms forward as if diving into a shallow pool and slid between the cool, crisp sheets. The delicate scent of violet talcum clung to the pillow that cradled her head. The feeling was far better than she’d imagined.
“I’ve never gone to bed dirty before,” she mumbled into the pillow.
“Forget the bath, Anja.” Caleb’s lips touched her face with a soft caress. His tongue traced the outline of her ear, and then he kissed the soft, vulnerable spot just below it. “Get some sleep.
Ik houd van jou.”
Her husband’s voice whispering the Dutch words, I love you, floated with her into her dreams.
“Aren’t you finished yet?”
Caleb called out to her from the bed where he lay propped up against the headboard his hair washed and brushed to a fine silken sheen, his upper torso dark copper against the pillow at his back. He was covered with the bedclothes from the waist down, his hands locked behind his head as he waited for Analisa to finish her bath.
“I’ll never be clean again.” She spoke to him from behind the folding screen, the sounds of her splashing loud in the stillness of the night. The other occupants of the tiny house were all in bed. They would rise long before dawn.
“Clean by whose standards? Did anyone ever tell you that too much washing could be unhealthy?”
“Ja?
You were in here for nearly half of an hour.”
“And how would you know? You were still asleep.”
“I woke up off and on and you were splooshing and sploshing away.”
He heard water sloshing over the side of the tub and then the padding of her feet on the floorboards. Caleb could see his wife’s nude silhouette outlined on the chintz screen as she toweled herself dry, and he felt his blood warm to the sight.
Her hand reached up to grab the nightgown that hung over the top of the screen. Seconds passed before she emerged and walked to the dresser, all the while roughly towel-drying her hair.
“What did I miss while I slept?” she asked, bending forward from the waist to fling her hair down toward the floor. Without looking, she felt around on the surface of the dresser, closed her fingers over the hairbrush, and began to work through the tangles in her hair.
“Why do you comb your hair upside down?”
Her answer was a short, lilting laugh. Ignoring his question, she repeated hers. “What did I miss, Caleb?”
“I told Zach exactly where I plan to meet Hardy. He knew where I meant and left tonight with Williamson and eight of his men. They’ll be there well before Hardy arrives.”
“There is no way Hardy will find out?”
“That could only happen if the major or Zach sends word to him, but they seem sincere. The other men will not be told of their destination or the assignment. They’ll find out when they get there. Tor Jensen is going along with them as one of the eight.”
“When will
we
leave?”
He shifted his gaze to stare up at the ceiling. He’d been adamant during the dinner discussion, arguing all the while against the women going along. Analisa had slept through dinner and the planning, but Ruth had insisted that the two of them should pose as captives. Outnumbered, Caleb argued that soldiers disguised as women would work just as well, but even the major and Zach Elliot had insisted that Hardy might sense a trap if the women he was to buy were bundled and covered and appeared at all suspicious. Even the fact that Hardy had briefly met Ruth at the dance and knew Analisa on sight could not dissuade the group around the table.
Ruth decided that Abbie would stay home and take care of Kase. Caleb, Analisa, and Ruth would leave before dawn in order to arrive at the rendezvous site ahead of Hardy. If all went well, Zach and the soldiers would by then be hidden among the rocks along the rise.
“Caleb?” Analisa was still standing before the mirror awaiting his answer.
Caleb hesitated. God, he didn’t want her to go tomorrow. An ominous feeling nagged at him, pulled at his guts, and warned him not to take the women, but he’d been urged by the others to use reason and go against his instinct. When had this whole affair gotten away from him? he wondered. It had been hard for him to acquiesce to the group decision at dinner, but although he knew full well he had the final say, Caleb knew, too, that the others were probably right. The women were needed. He just hated to admit it. Hated to think that he was willfully putting Analisa and Ruth in danger.