Hostages
by Aimee 
Chapter One
by Aimee Chapter One
"Kid! Jimmy! Where are those boys?" Teaspoon muttered under his breath. "Kid, Jimmy! If you boys aren't out here in three seconds I'll give you so many extra chores to do, you'll wish you was runnin' from a band of Souix with..."
"Here we are Teaspoon." Jimmy and Kid came out of the barn. "Where's the fire Teaspoon?" Kid asked.
"Boys, I got a special run for you."
"Aw, Teaspoon! I just got back and...."
Teaspoon interrupted Kid before he could finish. "I'm sorry Kid, but I've got no choice. Buck and Noah are out, and Cody's sick. So you are all I got. Unless of course, you'd rather I sent Lou instead?"
"That's ok, Teaspoon. I'll go." Kid cringed at the thought of Lou and Jimmy on a run together.
"I thought you might see it my way." Teaspoon smiled to himself at Kid's obvious discomfort.
"Now boys, this run might be real dangerous."
"What exactly is it, Teaspoon?" Kid asked, now even more willing to go instead of Lou.
"Important land documents that go to the bank in St. Jo. There's been a lot of bank robberies in the territory lately, and Russell, Majors, and Waddell want you boys to handle the run."
"Why is it always us!" Jimmy complained.
"Well, they know my boys will get the job done." Teaspoon was proud of his boys' reputation as good riders. "The papers should be here in about thirty minutes. Be ready to leave then."
"Hey. What's goin' on?" Lou wandered into the barn where Jimmy and Kid were saddling their horses.
"Teaspoon wants us to go on a special run for him. We're leaving any minute now." Jimmy explained.
"But Kid just got back. Why didn't he tell me to go?"
"Lou, don't start. Teaspoon wanted me and Jimmy to go. I'm just sorry I have t cancel our date tonight," Kid said softly. "But stay out of trouble while I'm gone, and I'll make it up to you when I get back."
"You'd better."
"Come on boys, time to go." Teaspoon walked into the barn.
"I'll see you in a few days, Lou." Kid bent down to kiss her goodbye.
"Be careful Kid. You owe me dinner."
"Don't worry Lou. Kid'll be ok. He's with me."
"That's what worries me Jimmy," Lou said with a grin. "You boys ride safe."
"They'll be ok, Lou." Teaspoon gave her a hug as they watched the two riders disappear.
"I know, Teaspoon."
"Come on. Rachel said Cody's feelin' better."
"Well, in that case, we'd better get to dinner before its gone!"
"So, Jimmy. How long do you think we'll be gone?"
"Don't worry Kid. You'll get back to Lou soon enough."
Kid couldn't keep from smiling at Jimmy's comment. "How'd you know that's what I was thinking?"
"Come on Kid. It so obvious, even Cody could see it." Kid had to laugh at the thought of Cody being able to focus on anything but himself, or food.
"Well, I can just say one thing. I hope this run won't be as dangerous as Teaspoon seems to think."
"I don't know Kid. You know how we always manage to find trouble."
"Yeah, well, let's just keep it to a minimum this time."
"Sure Kid," Jimmy replied. "We'll just get lost or something."
"Would you shut up Kid! Its not my fault the trail was washed out!" Jimmy was frustrated, and Kid's constant complaining was not helping matters any.
The two riders had been lost for about three hours now. The trail had been washed out, and they had been forced to take a detour. The problem was, they had somehow gotten lost somewhere along the way. Neither of them were happy about it. And neither of them were happy with each other.
"If we don't find the trail in a few minutes, we're going to have to make camp for the night."
"Just a minute Kid. Do you see what I see?" Jimmy said, shading his eyes against the setting sun.
"Is that what I think it is? Jimmy, please tell me that's St. Joe!"
"I'm not sure, Kid. Let's find out!"
The two boys headed toward the city in the distance. After five days of riding, both hoped they were finally to St. Jo.
"Finally," Kid sighed as they rode into town. "The bank's closed, so lets get some rooms and head there in the morning."
"Sounds good to me." Jimmy was tired and hungry. "Let's check into the hotel, and then get something to eat. I'm so hungry, I could eat almost as much as Cody!"
"Well, in that case, we'd better get you some food! You're about to starve to death!"
"Lou! Rider up!"
"Comin' Rachel." Lou ran out of the bunkhouse, pulling on her coat. "Thanks for getting Lightning ready for me Jesse. I'll see you all tomorrow!"
"Ride safe Lou!" Buck called to her as he handed her the pouch. "Hey Rachel. Where is everyone?"
"Well, Noah isn't back yet, Lou just rode out, Kid and Jimmy are on a special run, and Cody is recovering from some kind of sickness or another."
"Knowing Cody, it's probably workitis."
"You're probably right Buck." Rachel said laughing.
"Hey, I heard that you two!" Cody said coming out on the porch. "I really was sick this time!"
"That's what you say every time, Cody." At that comment, Buck and Cody began arguing loudly; but it was all in fun. Rachel listened for a few minutes, then, getting a headache from all the noise she held up her hand. "Ok, that's enough! Go wash up, lunch is just about ready."
Cody instantly stopped talking and bolted into the bunkhouse. Buck and Rachel stood there in shock, then started laughing as they walked inside.
"I don't have to be back to Rock Creek until tomorrow night. What should I do until then?" Lou wondered as she rode into Cottonwood. "Hmm...." she smiled.
An hour later a well-dressed, beautiful young lady strolled down the sidewalk, happily taking in all the sights. Lou smiled when several men tipped their hats to her as she walked by. She loved getting to dress up and act like a woman, especially because she wasn't able to do that very often.
"Oh my gosh! Louise is that you?" Lou spun around to see who was calling her name.
"Anna, Liza! I can't believe it!" Lou cried, hugging her two friends. "What are you doing here?"
Anna Stahl and Elizabeth Lindall had been friends of Lou's at the orphanage. Other than her brother and sister, they were the two people she had missed the most when she left.
"Well, we have some exciting news. We're getting married!" Anna smiled.
"To brothers." Elizabeth added. "We're in town to do some shopping for the wedding."
"Oh, I'm so happy for both of you!" Lou squealed, hugging them both again.
"We were just about to go to the restaurant for supper. Would you like to join us?" Elizabeth invited.
"That sounds wonderful. I would love to." Lou was excited at the prospect of spending time with her old friends.
"Remember that time we snuck out to go to the fair?" Elizabeth's eyes were filled with merriment.
"Yeah," Anna replied. "And when Sister Catherine caught us, we weren't allowed to leave the orphanage for a month!" The girls had been laughing over memories all through their meal.
"Well," Lou said as the waiter brought their dessert and coffee. "Enough about old times. I want to hear more about these brothers you two are marrying!"
"Oh! Their names are Michael and Giles Carter! They are so handsome! Of course, Michael is more handsome than Giles." Anna said.
"You're just saying that because you're in love with him!" Elizabeth teased. "Personally, I think Giles is more handsome!"
"Oh! Now who's talking! 'You're just saying that because you're in love with him!'" Anna mimicked.
"Well," Lou said knowingly. "Love can do that to you."
The two girls squealed. "Oh! You're engaged too! That's great!"
"No, no!" Lou laughed. "I'm not engaged! Let's just say I know what you mean," she said slyly.
"Tell us all about him!" With that, the three girls started a discussion about the men in their lives. That led to a discussion of their past crushes, and eventually more memories of their lives at the orphanage. It was late when they finally said goodnight.
"Can you spend the day with us tomorrow, Louise? Micheal and Giles should be here. We'd love for you to meet them," Elizabeth asked.
"Well, I have to leave around noon, but I could meet you for breakfast."
"That would be great. How about nine o'clock?"
"Nine is perfect! I'll see you then," Lou replied as she entered her hotel room. Little did she know, breakfast was going to be a very interesting event. "You just had to say it, Jimmy!"
"Hello boy," she said as she came to Lightning's stall. "I bet you're hungry, huh?" Lou scooped some oats out of a bucket to feed to her horse. As he began to eat, she noticed a small cut on his hoof. "What happened?" She bent down to check, but before she could stand back up she heard two men enter the stable. Something made her keep out of sight.
"So, here's the plan. Logan, Shawn, and Tommy are going to pull the job in St. Jo and meet us here in a few days. We got work of some land documents that should have reached St. Jo yesterday. If we get a hold of those papers we could become very rich men."
"How's that?"
"Those papers contain information about where the railroad is gonna be built. If we know that, we can use the money we've made robbin' banks to buy up all that land, then sell it to the railroad for a hugh profit."
The two men talked for a few more minutes, mostly revealing plans for more bank robberies. Once they left, Lou emerged from her hiding place.
"Oh no!" She thought. "Those bank robbers are here, and I have to warn the Marshal." She checked to make sure no one was around before she left the livery and quickly made her way to the Marshal's office. He wasn't there so she decided to go meet her friends and come back before she left town.
Anna and Elizabeth were already seated in the hotel dining room when Lou walked in. "I'm sorry I'm late. Have you been waiting long?"
"Don't worry Louise. We just got here," Anna said laughing. "Remember, we're always late for everything."
"So, where are those two incredibly handsome young men I'm supposed to be meeting?" Lou asked as she sat down.
"They should be here any minute now. They had some business to take care of, but they said to go ahead and order," Elizabeth informed her.
Just then the waiter brought them menus and said he would be back in a few minutes to take their orders. The three girls were silent as they tried to decide what to order. Lou had just made up her mind when the two men from the livery stable walked up to their table.
"Are we very late?" The one who had done most of the talking earlier asked.
"Not really. We were just about to order." Anna answered him. "Louise, I'd like you to meet Michael Carter, my fiancee. And this is Giles, his brother and Elizabeth's fiancee.
"I'll sure be glad when we can drop off these papers and go home. Sometimes I hate these special runs." Kid and Jimmy were eating breakfast while they waited for the bank to open.
"Well Kid, at least nothing happened. I really expected someone to hold us up on the trail or to break into our room. But it seems as if Teaspoon was wrong this time. We just gotta take these to the bank and we can head back to Rock Creek. Safe and sound."
Thirty minutes later the two riders stood in the bank waiting to talk to the manager, when three men entered, guns drawn. "This is a robbery. Nobody move or talk and nobody will get hurt. You," one said, pointing his gun at Kid and Jimmy. "Throw your guns over here." Kid and Jimmy obeyed even though the look on their faces said they were not too happy about it.
The other two men went to the teller's windows. "Fill these bags with all your money. And I want those land documents that came in yesterday."
"What land documents?" The manager, who had come out of his office when he heard the commotion, asked. "I don't know what you are talking about."
"Don't lie to me! We know that two pony express riders were supposed to deliver them yesterday. We want them."
The manager looked at Kid and Jimmy. "Is that what you boys wanted to see me about?"
Jimmy gave the manager a dirty look. He sure didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. "Nope, we just wanted to talk to you about getting a loan. We're trying to start a horse tradin' business."
"You're lying." One of the robbers turned his gun toward Kid and Jimmy. "Only express riders carry mochillas."
Jimmy had forgotten that Kid held the pouch containing the papers. "Hand over them papers and we'll just leave as if nothin' happened.Oh, and whoever owns that prettly little paint horse outside, we'll be taking her too. My horse is lame, and I sure like that one."
Kid's eyes flashed anger as he handed over the papers. Robbin' banks was one thing, but now they were gonna take Katy too. And there was nothing he could do about it. Not yet anyway.
"Much obliged." The leader of the gang said as they left the bank. "You folks go on about your business. Although I don't think you're gonna get your loan today." The man looked at Jimmy sarcastically. With that, the men mounted their horses and rode out of town.
"Come on Jimmy." Kid's voice was full of anger.
"Where are we going?"
"To the livery."
"What for?"
"I gotta get a horse. I'm goin' after them."
"Kid..."
"They took Katy. I'm gonna get her back."
"Pleased to meet you, Louise," Michael Carter said.
Lou finally recovered from her shock enough to respond. "You too. Anna and Elizabeth have told me a lot about you." They didn't tell me you were bank robbers though. I have to find some way to warn them.
Somehow, Lou managed to get through breakfast without making Michael and Giles suspicious. She even managed to hold up her end of the conversation. The whole time though, she was trying to figure out how to talk to the girls alone so she could warn them. It turned out to be easier than she expected.
"Well," Michael said when he was finished eating. "Giles and me have some business to take care of. We'll see you girls later."
"It was nice to meet you Louise." Giles added as he followed his brother out of the restaurant.
"Well girls," Lou began standing up. "It was great seeing you again. But I have to get home. Why don't you girls walk back to the hotel with me while I get my things."
"Sure. I hate to see you go, just when we've found each other again."
"Well, you just be sure to invite me to the wedding."
"Of course, Louise! It wouldn't be right if you weren't there!" Anna exclaimed.
"Girls, I have to tell you something," Lou said, suddenly serious. "Do the names Logan, Shawn, and Tommy mean anything to you?"
"They are Michael and Giles' brothers." Anna said, puzzled. "But how'd you..."
"I heard Michael and Giles talking in the livery stable earlier. They were talking about robbing banks."
"You mean..." Elizabeth gasped.
"I think the Carter brothers are the ones responsible for all the bank robberies that have been happening in the territory lately."
"Surely you are mistaken!"
"No, I'm afraid she is quite right." The three girls spun around to see Michael and Giles pointing guns at them. "Well Miss Louise, you three just got yourselves in a heap of trouble."Lou work up early the next morning and decided to go check on Lightning before she met the girls for breakfast. As she walked toward the livery stable she enjoyed the peacefulness of the town. Only a few people were out and none of the shops were open yet.
"Guess you're right Jimmy. I just hate to stop now."
"Don't worry Kid. We'll get Katy back. I promise." Jimmy knew how much Katy meant to the Kid. Cody once said that Kid "spent more time talking to his horse than his girlfriend," and sometimes it seemed as if it might be true. Oh, Jimmy knew the Kid loved Lou (sometimes he was even a little jealous of their relationship). It was just, well... Kid and Katy had a special bond that Jimmy had never seen with any other horse and rider.
"Well, this looks like a good place to camp," Kid said as they came to a clearing by a small stream. "They have to stop for the night too, so we shouldn't be falling behind anymore. I'd say they're about three hours ahead of us now. I really wish Buck were here."
Kid and Jimmy had been losing time all afternoon. The robbers were good at covering their tracks, and the boys had had to double back because they lost the trail more than once. "We sure could use him right now."
"What are we gonna do with her?" Giles asked, nodding toward Lou. The two men had taken the girls to their hideout, a small cabin about two hours from Cottonwood.
"We'll decide that when the others get here. I don't know what they'll want to do now that we've got three hostages." Michael glanced at Lou. "We'll probably get rid of her."
"What do you mean hostages?" Anna asked. The three girls were huddled together in a corner. They were still a little confused as to what was going on.
"Well, you two girls were supposed to be our hostages. You see, we have a big job coming up. We need hostages just in case anyone tries to capture us." Michael smiled wickedly. "Louise here messed things up. Now it looks as if you'll be here for a few extra days."
"What do you mean? What about the wedding? I don't understand!" Elizabeth was almost hysterical, having a hard time understanding what she had just heard.
"What wedding? You girls are so gullible. We just needed you as hostages," Michael replied.
"What is this big job you're talking about? Does it have anything to do with those land documents?" Lou asked them.
"Nope. There's a big gold shipment going from California to New York next week. Let's just say its not gonna reach its destination."
Meanwhile, back in Rock Creek, Rachel, Buck and Cody were beginning to worry. Lou should have been back hours ago.
"The run to Cottonwood is an easy one. Lou shouldn't have had any trouble," Buck said.
"Maybe she's just running late. She would stop for the night rather than try to ride back in the dark. If she's not back by lunch tomorrow, we'll go after her," Cody assured Rachel. "I'm sure she's alright."
"That's all we can do Rachel," Buck added. "You know Lou. If she's fine and we go after her, you'll have two less riders around here."
"I know you're right. I just can't help worrying."
"I know Rachel, but we can only do so much. Cody and I will ride out first thing tomorrow afternoon, okay." Buck reassured her.
"Well," Rachel said. "I guess I'll have to be satisfied with that. I probably won't stop worrying about her though."
Early the next morning, Lou and the girls were still trying to make sense of all that was happening. Apparently, the Carter boys had been robbing banks for a long time. Until about a year ago they had been operating mainly in Alabama and Georgia. But when the law began to close in on them, they decided to go west where the hiding was much easier. They had met Anna and Elizabeth six months earlier and decided to court them so they would be able to take hostages if needed. They had done the same thing in Georgia once, and it worked so well they decided to try it again.
Michael and Giles were in the middle of telling the girls about all the banks in the territory they had robbed when they heard riders approaching. The two boys went outside to greet their brothers. As the five men came into the room they were talking about the robbery in St. Jo. When the three who had just arrived saw the girls they looked at Michael and Giles.
"What're they doin' here?" the oldest asked. "You weren't supposed to bring them here until next week. And who's she?" He nodded toward Lou.
"That's Louise, a friend of Anna and Elizabeth. She overheard us talkin' about the robberies and told the girls. We brought them here to wait and see what you wanted to do with them." When the other man didn't answer, Michael repeated, "Logan, whatcha want to do with them?"
"We only need two hostages," Logan replied. "Take her outside and kill her."