“Here’s your supper,” Rachel said walking into the Marshal office. She set one covered plate in front of Kid and walked over to the cell. She waited for Kid to unlock the door and then handed the other covered plate to Alexis.

“Thanks Rachel,” she said as she took the plate.

“Anytime sweetie. It’s just too bad you have to be in here.”

“Yeah, I don’t mind so much though. Better here than with Robert’s brothers. ‘Sides, I’ve got good company.”

“You mean Kid or the book?” she said with a smile.

“Well both, actually. Thanks for the book by the way. Cody was nice to give me his dime novels, but there’s nothing like a good one.”

“I know. Robinson Curusoe was my favorite book when I was younger, I read it all the time.”

“My mother gave it to me when I was a girl. We used to read it together.”

“Well, I better get back. Enjoy your supper, and hopefully the boys will be back soon and this will all be over.”

“Thanks Rachel,” she said.

“Noah and Cody should be back tomorrow,” Kid said as they ate trying to put Alexis’s mind at ease.

“I sure hope so. A few days in here and I’m ready to go crazy. I hope they found someone to testify for me.”

“I’m sure they did, Cody can be very persuasive when he tries.”

They finished dinner and then sat talking. With a Dawes brother constantly watching the jail, everyone was on edge and tired. Alexis often stayed up talking to whoever Teaspoon had watching her at the jail. It helped them stay away and make sure Seth and his brothers didn’t cause trouble. Eventually though, she fell asleep and Kid waited for Lou to show up as she often did when he guarded a prisoner at night.

“Kid, wake up. Wake up.” Somewhere in Kid’s deep recesses he heard the voice and registered it must be Lou. He struggled to open his eyes, but they were heavy and unresponsive. When he finally opened them, he saw the sideways view of boots. He realized he was lying on the floor of the office. Then he noticed the soft light of dawn coming through the window. He quickly tried to sit up and was rewarded with a stabbing pain at the base of his skull. He felt hands help him up and he looked up to see the worried face of Teaspoon. He looked over at the cell, which was empty.

“Alexis!” he said.

“Easy Kid. Yeah, she’s gone. Buck and Jimmy are going to start searching for her.”

Kid looked over and saw the worried look on Jimmy’s face. “I’m sorry Jimmy.”

“Ain’t your fault Kid. They waylaid you.”

“Dawes?” Kid asked, struggling to remain sitting.

“Yeah, we figure it was them. They’re gone, Colter too,” he said. “I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“I’m fine. Go get her Jimmy.” That was all Jimmy needed and headed out the door to where Buck was waiting.

“Sam and I’ll join you soon,” Teaspoon called out, but they were already gone. He turned back to Kid, “I figure they’re headin’ back to Fox Creek. They’re too dumb to go someplace else. So with luck Noah and Cody’ll run into them.”

“Then go,” Kid said as he stood up.

“You gonna be alright?” Teaspoon asked referring to the lump on Kid’s head.

“I’m fine. It’s my fault they got her. Go after her Teaspoon,” he said. He watched Teaspoon go outside and meet up with Sam. He knew Teaspoon was just as worried as Jimmy was even if he wasn’t showing it. As Teaspoon and Sam rode off, he sat down nauseous from the pain. He felt the lump on his head and prayed Jimmy would find Alexis safely.

“It’s not that much further Doc,” Noah said. He and Cody had found the doctor and Marcus White and convinced them to come back with them to Rock Creek. Now they were hurrying, knowing they only had until today to get them back or Alexis would have to go to trial alone.

“Hey Noah,” Cody said. “That group of riders comin’ this way, that look like Alexis in the middle?”

Noah looked hard, but couldn’t tell. “You got hawk’s eyes, Cody? How can you tell if it’s her?”

“I just can Noah. It’s her hair. But who’s she with?”

“Seth Dawes and his brothers,” said Marcus.

“You sure?” Cody asked.

“Yeah, I recognize his horse.”

“Alright, here’s what we’re gonna do,” said Noah quickly forming a plan. He had the doctor and Marcus hide and he concealed himself as well. Seth hadn’t seen Cody, so he hoped they’d have the element of surprise on their side. Cody was standing by his horse looking at its leg when the four riders approached. Thomas and Justin stayed by Alex while Seth moved a little ahead. Cody knew that Seth would be his to disarm, and Noah signaled Marcus to take Justin and he would take Thomas.

“Everything alright?” Seth asked Cody.

“My horse turned his leg. I was just checking it, to make sure he’s fine.” He was waiting for the signal from Noah. Suddenly he heard a yell.

“Seth! It’s a trap!” Colter yelled riding up. “He’s an express rider.”

Seth grabbed the reins on Alex’s horse and took off with her. Cody went to draw his gun, but Thomas shot at him before he could get to it. Marcus and Noah opened fire on Justin and Thomas while Colter took off after Seth and Alexis.

“Cody, you alright?” Noah asked approaching the scene. “Cody?”

“Yeah, Noah. I’ll be fine,” he said through clenched teeth.

Noah walked forward and nudged Thomas with his boot. He had his gun trained on him as he reached down and turned him over.

“He’s dead,” Noah reported.

Seeing that Marcus had Justin covered, he went over to Cody where the doctor was looking at his arm. The shot had gone clean through the flesh and the doctor was tying his handkerchief around the wound.

“They have Alexis,” Cody said. He and Noah didn’t know what had happened in Rock Creek, but they were worried about her being with Seth Dawes and Jake Colter.

“And they ain’t gonna be real happy,” Noah said the concern evident in his voice. “Can you ride?”

“Yeah, just get me on my horse.”

“Good,” Noah said. “You take Marcus, the doc, and this Dawes boy to town. Tell Teaspoon what happened. I’m gonna follow their tracks.”

They tied up Justin and put him on his horse, and threw Thomas’s body over his horse. As Noah was getting ready to leave, Jimmy and Buck rode up followed shortly by Teaspoon and Sam. Noah explained what happened and that Alexis was still with Seth. Teaspoon sent Cody and Noah back to Rock Creek with the others and then the four men headed off.

Chapter 12

When they finally stopped, Alexis was scared. When she saw Cody on the road, she figured Noah must have been close. She didn’t look at Cody for fear of giving away that she knew him. She hadn’t expected Colter to come up so quickly, and she now cursed him for interfering once again. He’d been a thorn in her side causing a lot of trouble. She was sorry Justin had been left behind. He was the youngest brother and wasn’t as hardened as the others, and she’d hoped he’d be a leveling influence on his brothers. He had no stomach for violence, and she hoped his conscience would finally kick in. He’d been there the night Mr. White and Claire died in the fire, but he’d hung back and looked frightened by what had happened. Now that he’d been captured, Alexis was truly terrified as to what Seth might do to her. Her only hope now might be Colter. Seth without his brothers around might not get carried away.

Seth grabbed her off the horse and tied her to a tree. When they’d broken her out of jail they’d hit her over the head so she couldn’t scream. She’d woken up tied to the horse’s saddle, slumped over his neck. The one time she’d said something, Seth had hit her across the face with the barrel of his gun, busting her lip open. So now she was tied up to a tree while Seth and Colter argued over what to do with her.

Seth advocated hanging her right then. He was angry about Thomas’s death and blamed Alexis for it because she was an easy target. He told Colter they should kill her and leave the territory. Colter began to see the instability in Seth’s eyes and rapidly began to want no part in his further plans.

“You don’t have to kill her,” he said.

“I ain’t paying you for your opinion, I’m paying you for your gun. You’re already in this too deep to back out now.” He aimed his gun at Colter to emphasize his point, “I’m in charge of things so you just shut up and do what I tell you.”

Then he turned his attention to Alexis. She fought the urge to flinch or cower as he came near her. His eyes were filled with the same murderous rage she saw in Robert’s the night he tried to kill her.

The four men were moving quickly, easily able to follow the tracks left by Seth and Alexis. This worried Teaspoon because it indicated Seth was panicking. They were riding hard searching for any indication they may have left the trail.

They rounded a turn and Buck, who was in front, reigned in his horse and signaled for the others to stop. Teaspoon and Jimmy were in the middle followed by Sam.

“What is it Buck?” Teaspoon asked, not at first seeing what had caused them to stop.

Jimmy however, immediately saw the reason for their stopping. A body was lying face down in the dirt. He jumped off his horse and quickly ran over to it. Teaspoon got off to stop what he knew was coming, but he was too late.

Jimmy grabbed Colter and turned him over to make sure he was alive. Then he kicked him in the ribs while he began shouting at him.

“Where is she?!” he yelled as Colter was barely opening his eyes.

“What?” he sputtered through the pain.

“Alexis! Where is she?” Jimmy blurted out as he grabbed Colter by his collar and dragged him to his feet.

“He’s got her,” he said.

“But where?” Jimmy asked losing the tenuous grasp on his patience.

“He took off with her. I don’t know where.”

“You’re lying,” Jimmy said. And then he punched Colter squarely across the jaw sending him sprawling onto the ground. Even though Colter had been groggy at first, Jimmy’s punch awakened him. He scrambled to his feet and swung back, hitting Jimmy in the eye. Jimmy fought back yelling and swearing at Colter for his aggravation. Not just in this case, but for the time he’d hunted Jimmy and then for the time they went after Lon Chase.

Sam, Teaspoon and Buck watched the two, until finally Sam spoke up. “Teaspoon, the man can hardly stand,” he said referring to Colter. He had only heard of Jimmy’s run ins with the bounty hunter, but he understood his frustration. Sam had no respect for the man because of the things he had heard from other marshals. But the man could hardly stand and Sam figured it was time to put a stop to the fighting.

“Buck, give me a hand,” Teaspoon said as he went to grab a hold of Jimmy. Teaspoon and Buck separated the two combatants, and Jimmy immediately felt ashamed. Fighting with Colter may have been satisfying the short term, but it only allowed Seth to get further away with Alexis. He stepped back, wiped the blood from his mouth and looked at Teaspoon.

“Feel better?” Teaspoon asked.

“Not really,” Jimmy admitted.

“I figured as much. Sam, give me a hand here. Jimmy and Buck, go find them,” Teaspoon said. “And Jimmy, this time try not to do anything rash."

“Time to die,” Seth sneered at Alexis. “You’re gonna rot in Hell.”

“Then I guess I’ll see you there,” she replied evenly. She kept praying Noah, anyone, was out in the darkness, but had almost given up hope.

“Oh, and I’ll be sure to say hello to your brother.”

Seth hit her across the face for that remark. “You got some nerve,” he said angrily.

“Me? You and Robert killed my father, Claire and Mr. White. All because I told my father Robert beat me, killed our baby and I was leavin’ him. I killed Robert in self-defense and you know it.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m gonna finish Robert’s work. After all,” he said with a wicked smile, “dead men tell no tales. It was our daddy’s favorite saying.”

Buck and Jimmy were watching this scene play out in horror. Jimmy’s stomach was twisted into knots as he seethed. They had found Seth and Alexis, but unfortunately Alexis was between them and Seth. They were unable to get a shot at Seth without placing her in danger. As hard as it was for him, Jimmy was exercising patience until he had a clear shot.

That resolve nearly disappeared when Seth placed a noose around Alexis’s neck and started dragging her towards a tree. He was prevented from acting by the arrival of Teaspoon and Sam. Teaspoon’s face became grim and he muttered something under his breath when he saw the situation Alexis was in. He looked over at Jimmy and Jimmy saw the fear and worry he felt mirrored in Teaspoon’s eyes.

The two men looked at each other and silently agreed on their course of action. ‘Let’s rush ‘em!’

“Let her go!” Jimmy yelled and stepped from behind a tree.

“Jimmy,” Alexis cried out, relieved to see him.

Seth spun and fired at Jimmy. She saw him jump and then go down, but she couldn’t tell if he’d been hit or not. Seth grabbed Alexis and pulled her in front of him.

“Let her go Seth,” she heard Teaspoon yell. Alexis looked over at Jimmy, but he was still lying on the ground.

“Never,” Seth replied. He put his gun against Alexis’s head and cocked the hammer. “I’ll shoot her Marshal, I swear. So throw down your weapon. Do it now. You and whoever else you got with you.”

“Alright,” Teaspoon said and stepped out from behind a tree. Sam and Buck stepped out and they all threw down their weapons.

“What about him?” Seth asked looked at Jimmy.

Sam walked over to Jimmy and knelt down by him. He rolled him over and said, “he’s dead.”

“No!” Alexis screamed as she stared at the dark stain spreading across his shirt. In the dusk it was hard to see anything else clearly, but there was no mistaking the large bloodstain.

“No!” Alexis screamed again and began to struggle to get free of Seth.

In the confusion of the moment, Sam saw his opportunity. He grabbed Jimmy’s other gun and fired as Alexis jerked to one side. Seth crumpled to the ground even as Teaspoon and Buck were reaching for their guns. As Seth fell he pulled Alexis down with him. She struggled to get free all the while sobbing. Teaspoon went to her and pulled the noose off her neck and helped her to her feet and held her. She looked at him, and then at Jimmy. Buck was staring at Sam and then at Jimmy trying to accept what Sam had said.

Unable to believe it, Alexis broke free of Teaspoon, ran to Jimmy and fell on her knees by his side. Buck and Teaspoon moved closer and stood by Sam while looking at Alexis. She was holding Jimmy in her arms softly saying over and over, “no Jimmy, please no.”

On to Chapter 13 and the Conclusion!