He only hoped Barnett didn't give him cause to regret his decision. The last time he had sent Barnett out on patrol alone, his deputy had mistakenly arrested the new banker, Mr. Kents, for attempted bank robbery. That mistake had led to the town council firing Barnett as deputy. It had taken considerable talking on his part to convince the town council to give Barnett a second chance.
Wearily he rubbed his temples with his thumbs in an effort to relieve some of the pain he felt there. The dull pain that had started after his confrontation with Thompkins had steadily increased into a full-blown headache. Knowing that he wasn't going to get any work done until he had gotten rid of his headache, Teaspoon decided to catch some shut-eye. Barnett would be gone for awhile, his prisoners were fast asleep and God willing, no trouble would occur during the next hour or so. He rose from his chair, crossed to the door, closed the curtains at the windows on either side of the door and turned the open placard to closed, then went back to his desk. Normally he would have stretched out on one of the cots in either cell, but they were full, so his chair was going to have to do. Teaspoon tilted his chair back against the wall, propped his boots up on the corner of his desk, lowered his hat over his face and closed his eyes.
Teaspoon had no sooner fallen asleep than Cody and Rachel arrived at his office in town. Surprise filled both of them as they caught sight of the closed placard hanging on the door and the drawn curtains at the windows. Cody's initial surprise soon turned to wariness. Never had he known Teaspoon to close up the office so early in the day, unless he was expecting trouble. If Teaspoon had known that trouble was coming, he would have sent someone to get Cody at the wystation or come himself. That could mean that trouble had arrived unexpectedly and Teaspoon had been unable to send anyone to the waystation to get him.
Cody took hold of Rachel's elbow and led her back down the sidewalk in which they had just come. When they were far enough away from Teaspoon's office to talk Rachel spoke up.
"Something's wrong Cody. Why would Teaspoon close the office up? Wouldn't he have come for you if there was trouble heading our way?"
"Not if trouble came to call instead of sending a messenger." Cody told her, his blue eyes hardening at the thought of anyone harming the man he and the other riders' considered there father.
"What are you going to do?" Rachel asked.
"Go in after him." Cody told her. "I want you to stay here until I know its safe."
"Wait just a darn minute Cody! I'm not going to just stand by helpless while Teaspoon's in danger. I'm going in there with you!" Rachel protested angrily.
"We don't have time to sit here and argue about it Rachel! Teaspoon could be hurt or dying in there!" Cody shouted. "Now stay put!"
Before Rachel could protest ever further, Cody abruptly turned around and started cautiously approaching Teaspoon's office. He went into a crouch as he passed under the curtained windows and planted himself against the wall opposite of how the door opened inward. As quietly as he could, he removed his revolver from its holster and cocked the hammer back. He shifted his gun into his left hand and slowly reached for the doorknob and turned it until he heard the tumbler clear. He shifted his gun back to his right hand, took a deep breath, cast one last glance back in Rachel's direction, shoved open the door and hurtled himself inside.
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