Chapter VII
By Lisa
The two men sat at their usual place by the window in the saloon for the third day. Yesterday, Thomas caught sight of the Marshal, his deputy Hickok, who was still watching them, the half breed Indian, and two other men he didn't recognize. Sarah had not come into town. However John had overheard the half breed saying he had to send a telegram to her grandfather for her. We'll see, he thought, that old man hasn't seen her in over five years, and by the time he receives the message and gets here she'll be long gone.
Jeremy had made the plan simple enough, find her and convince her by any means possible to come back with them. Thomas could not and would not use force to take her, he cared too much for her to put her through that, but he would use threats which worked just as good with her. From the gossip he had overheard the last two days, he and John pieced together that Sarah seemed to have lost her memory of the last five years or so. That meant she had no recollection of him or the rest of the gang. This he would use to his advantage as well. Thomas smiled to himself as he downed his whiskey, maybe today he'd finally get to see her, if she came into town, the sooner this happened the better.
Thomas once again turned to watch the street where only moments before the five riders entered the Marshal's office. "Damn." he muttered.
"What's that?" John asked.
Tom gestured toward the office, "I was just thinking. You know, if I didn't hear that the Marshal was gettin' married, I'd think he suspected us of something."
John nodded, "It does seem to be gettin' a little crowded in there." he downed his shot of whiskey before continuing, "I heard that one of the two new men is the Marshal of Sweetwater, and the other fought for the South in the War."
Thomas poured another shot for both himself and John, "Two Marshal's in the one town we decide to hit, it can't get any worse." He drank his shot, what would Jeremy have to say about this turn of events? "We'll just have to hope that they're all so wrapped up in the plans for the wedding, they don't have time to pin anything on us."
"That would be good, but we already know that won't happen." Thomas glanced at John and raised his eyebrows, "I'm talkin' about Hickok."
Thomas thought for a minute, "Well if he had anything on us we wouldn't be sittin' here right now. No, he's just being real nosy. Now let's get our story straight before we try to get Sarah." he poured them another round.
"Well I'll be!" John's eyes widened.
"What?" Thomas asked as he glanced once again out the window. "Damn," he muttered, "Damn, damn, damn."
"Well it just got worse," John chuckled, "that there's William Cody." He looked at Thomas, "So do we ride out now, or do we wait until tonight?"
"We go now!"
The two men left to tell Jeremy of the newest residents of Rock Creek. Later, when all was said and done, nothing had changed. Telling him had only served to make him angrier, and more determined to go through with their plan.
Hickok was telling the others about the rumors and his suspicions about the two strangers that were at that moment sitting in the saloon.
"Have you ever seen 'em before Sam?" Jimmy asked.
"No, I would've remembered seeing anyone that looked like Ike. Have they threatened anyone or done anything?"
"No," Jimmy exhaled sharply, "they haven't done anything, unless you count just sitting in the saloon and drinking or riding their horses around town, but that's all."
Buck who had been passively listening and growing more annoyed finally spoke up, "Listen Jimmy, those men have done nothing to anyone, I thought we agreed to leave them be."
Jimmy who had been harboring his own suspicions turned to glare at his friend. "Look Buck, I've got a real bad feelin' about those two and you of all people should know that sometimes it's best to listen to your gut."
"I just think you're going about it all wrong, I've told you Ike had no other fami-"
Jimmy unable to hold onto his anger after hearing Buck's patronizing tone cut him off, "I am not doing this for you!" he glared at Buck and then turned to Teaspoon, "and I'm not doing this because I'm bored." Jimmy took a few breaths and calmed considerably. "I've been thinking, and maybe it's just random, but maybe it's not so accidental that the minute we find Sarah, not two days go by before these guys show up out of nowhere."
"I don't understand where you're headed with this Jimmy." Kid said.
"I'm saying maybe they have more to do with her than we think."
"Like what? Are we supposed to think they beat her into forgetting who she is and leaving her for dead? And now what? They're here to make sure she didn't make it?" Buck asked angrily.
"No way," Kid interrupted, "The whole town saw her with Buck right? Everyone knows she healthy, and those guys are still around."
"Unless they want to finish what they started." Jimmy muttered.
"I don't know, but Hickok does make some sense," Sam said "Maybe we should go and question them."
Jimmy shook his head, "It's not only that," The others looked at him. "They keep sneaking off, leaving town through back roads. I still think there's more to them, and if Sarah-"
"Did I miss the party?" a voice from the doorway asked.
"Cody?" Kid asked squinting into the dark outline of a man, "it is you!" he continued when the blond man walked into the room.
"Hey fellas, what's goin' on I heard all this shouting."
"Nothing." Both Buck and Hickok said at the same time.
Cody raised his eyebrows and knew it was best not to push, he glanced around the room. "Where's Lou? I thought she'd be here too."
"Back at the house with the rest of the women, we weren't expecting you until a couple of days before the wedding." Teaspoon said.
"Well I figured I could use some time away from the army."
"More like the other way around." Jimmy drawled, which drew a laugh from everyone except Buck who had not been paying attention. His mind had been on the gray eyed woman who had somehow captured his heart.
Sarah couldn't be anything less than what she had shown me, could she? Buck shrugged away the darkness that threatened to take over his heart. The answers lay somewhere in the part of her mind that held the secrets of the last five years. And if it turns out that these suspicious men did this to her, then what? I would have to help her because . . .I love her. Buck was startled at the realization, and hopeful too. He knew she had feelings for him, it was obvious at the corral, but he could only hope that they were as strong for him as his were for her. What if she feels it's too soon? Then I'll wait until she feels the same?
"Guess so, Wait until you meet her."
"Can't wait, let's go"
TO BE CONTINUED...
Copyright 1998-This work is not to be reproduced without the permission of the author
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Campfire Tales
