She was hot and tired. She mouth was full of dust, and she was so desperate for something to quench her thirst that she would have killed someone for one sip of cool water if given the chance. Her dress was covered with orange dirt and the hem was torn pitifully. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on anything but the pain.
"C'mon Collier, don't you think she's had enough? I don't think she can take much more of this."
"Shut up Jones…I'm tryin' to teach her a lesson."
"But-"
"I said shut up." Collier replied, digging his feet into his horse's side to spur it on.
Lou tried to match it's pace so that her arms wouldn't be pulled from their sockets, as the rope binding them was tied to Collier's saddle horn, but the hours of running bootless over the hot desert had taken it's toll. Lou fell down and let herself be dragged across the ground, not even crying out as her inert body passed over jutted rocks and cactus. She was towed in this manner for about a mile before Jones put a stop to it.
"I'm warning you Collier, if you don't stop that horse right now, I'll kill you in the saddle." He said dangerously as he pulled his gun from its holster to stress his point.
"I don't think you have it in you Jones." Collier replied as he slowed his mount.
"You willin' to stake your life on it?"
Collier studied him for a moment before finally pulling his horse to a halt. Moving deliberately slow, he untied the rope from his saddle horn and dismounted. He crouched before Lou and turned her prone figure over. Even he seemed a bit surprised at her state. Her dress had been torn to shreds, modestly covering her body. He could see the scratches and purpling bruises on her exposed flesh, but he felt no remorse.
"What in God's name." Jones breathed as he knelt beside the young woman, cradling her head in his lap.
Lou moaned and tried to move, but her sore muscles wouldn't allow her. "Stay still." Jones commanded quietly as he tried to survey her wounds.
"My baby…" Lou whispered, still not fully lucid.
"Baby…Oh God, she's pregnant…" Jones muttered as he screwed the top off his canteen and brought it to her lips.
She gulped it down eagerly, as if she were afraid it would be taken away at any moment. Jones tenderly brushed her matted hair from her face and glared at Collier. The man stared back at him defiantly, almost daring him to say something. Jones didn't take the bait though, and looked back to Lou.
"It's all right now…I won't let him hurt you again." Jones said loudly, aiming his comment more towards Collier than Lou.
"It's time to get a move on…if we wanna make it before nightfall we better hurry. She'll be fine." Collier said as he mounted his horse.
Jones looked at him murderously, but said nothing. Instead he took the empty canteen from Lou's lips and gathered her gently in his arms. He gasped at the rawness of her wrists as he removed the rope, but still he said nothing. He winced as Lou cried out once he put her atop the horse. Climbing behind her, he pulled her back so that she could rest against his chest.
"He'll pay for what he's done…I promise you." Jones said darkly as he spurred his horse off.
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"Here…thought you might like some coffee." Kid said as he extended a steaming mug to Jimmy.
"Thanks Kid."
Kid sat beside his friend on the porch steps, watching as the sun made its ascent into the sky. Neither of them had gotten any sleep the night before. After they had cleaned up the mess in the house, they had sat companionably in the living room, neither speaking. Cody and Teaspoon had stayed in town at the office.
"Uh Jimmy…I'm sorry about…" Kid spoke, gesturing to his face.
"I shouldn't have said what I did." Jimmy replied softly.
Kid nodded, but didn't respond. He felt incredibly guilty at Jimmy's appearance. His face was swollen and bruised to a point that Kid hardly recognized him. He transferred his gaze to the horizon where he could just make out the figure of a rider. Initially he thought it was Cody or Teaspoon, but as the man came closer, his instinct told him it was the messenger they'd been waiting on.
Standing up and placing a hand on his gun, he walked down the porch and into the yard. Jimmy quickly followed suit, leaving the forgotten mug on the step. They hardened their gazes as the man dismounted and walked towards them. Removing his hat, he glanced between the two men.
"Which one of you is Kid?" He asked in a soft voice, not noticing the badge pinned to Kid's chest.
"I am." Kid responded as he stepped forward.
"Then you're the man I need to talk to…You still got Frank?"
"You know I do."
"You, and you alone, are to take him down to a little town in Mexico called Blanca Sierra. It's right beyond the Texas Mexico border…it'll take you about five days to reach it. If you're not there by the sixth…the woman dies. You'll leave tomorrow at sun up. Let me warn you, don't try anything funny. Jesse is not a man to be taken lightly. If you don't do exactly as he says, he will kill her."
Neither Kid nor Jimmy said anything, but when the man started to mount his horse, Jimmy pulled his gun and pointed it at Jake's chest. "Where do you think you're goin'?"
"Oh, one more thing…if I don't meet back up with them by tonight, she'll meet with some unfortunate accident."
"But then the advantage you have will be gone." Kid pointed out.
"Jesse plans on getting Frank out one way or another. Whether your wife stays alive depends on you."
Kid looked at him a moment before placing a hand on Jimmy's arm. He nodded to the man and Jake rode off. Jimmy sighed in frustration and looked to Kid. "Well, what are we goin' to do?"
"We got to head to town and tell the others."
********************************************************************
"That's all he said?" Cody asked.
"Yep."
"Well…?" Jimmy asked.
"I've been thinking about it, and I've come up with a plan." Kid said. From the look on his face, Jimmy knew he wasn't going to like it.
"Teaspoon, you Cody and Jimmy, are going to take Frank to Laramie, as planned. I'm goin' down to Blanca Sierra to get Lou."
"What?? That ain't no damned plan!" Jimmy exploded. Every time he and Kid seemed to make progress in their friendship, Kid always did something to destroy it. "Don't you remember we tried that with Pike and Amanda?? That didn't work out to well, now did it?"
"We all made it, and we'll do it again." Kid said quietly.
"You're a damned fool and I ain't goin' to let you do this!" Jimmy yelled.
"If I remember correctly, I'm the Marshal, not you. It's my decision."
"Kid, I ain't so sure-"
"Look Teaspoon, I know what I'm doin'. If you feel you can't handle this, then I'm sure Cody could transport Frank by himself, hell I'll even assign a deputy to go with him." Kid said through tightly-pressed lips.
Jimmy was about to explode when a thought struck him. He almost smiled, but quickly hardened his face. He knew he had to play his cards right if his plan was going to work. "You're right Kid. We can't just let this scum get away without standing trial. I know I ain't exactly been makin' this easy on you."
Everyone seemed surprised by this sudden change of heart, but none more so than Kid. He wasn't quite sure how to handle Jimmy's words, so he just nodded. Teaspoon eyed Jimmy in suspicion, but said nothing. Instead he turned back to Kid, who had begun to speak.
"We'll all leave tomorrow at dawn then."
TO BE CONTINUED…..CHAPTER 8
