"Teaspoon, this is makin' me crazy!"

"Kid, pacin' all night ain't gonna make it any better. You need to settle down, rest for first light."

"How can I even think about sleepin' when Lou's out there somewhere, probably scared and hurt?" He visualized the blood spots on the floor. "What if the baby's comin'?"

Emma reached up and took Kid's hand as he walked past her. "Sweetheart, you've got to start thinkin' some good thoughts. Louise is a strong woman. We'll find her and it's all gonna be okay."

Kid yanked his hand back roughly and turned on Emma. "You can't say that, Emma! You don't know that she's gonna be fine. You didn't see her the last time. If he's hurt her, if he's even touched a hair on her head, I'll kill him."

"Kid!" Emma was shocked by his anger. "He's your father, you can't do that!"

Kid leaned down and placed one hand on each arm of the chair Emma sat in, pinning her there. His voice was low, the intention clear. "Yes, Emma, I can and I will."

"That's enough, Kid!" barked Sam.

Jimmy could tell the burning rage racing through Kid's veins surprised Sam, as well as everyone else in the room. Standing with his elbows on the mantle and his back to the room, Jimmy wasn't surprised at all. He clearly remembered their conversation in St. Joe after Wicks nearly killed Lou with his savagery. Kid carried the same tone now and Jimmy knew this time he meant it.

Sam stood and pulled Kid back from his terrified wife. "Son, you don't even know that it's him that's got her." He ran his hands through his hair, weary from searching all day and half the night.

"It's Wicks I tell you! It can't be no one else! The bastard found us and he took her again! What have we done to deserve this?" Kid looked around the room and demanded of his friends. "We're good people, we're trying to live a good life and all this just keeps happening!" Emotionally exhausted, Kid collapsed into an available chair and buried his face in his hands. There was nothing left to say, barely anything left to feel. He knew without any uncertainty that if he lost her, he'd wither up and die.

No one spoke, the only sound Kid's deep, uneven breaths as he fought to maintain his composure. The silence was so thick that the tiny footsteps on the stairs were deafening and all heads turned to see Teresa sleepily descend.

"Kid?" she asked through eyes squeezed tight to protect against the invading light.

Wiping at his hidden tears, Kid rose and approached the young girl. "What are you doing up, Tessie?" He reached for her and she climbed into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder as she clutched Annabelle Mumblepuss to her chest.

"I heard voices. I thought Louise was home."

Kid could only squeeze her tighter, his throat too filled with sobs he didn't dare let out. Rachel spoke for him.

"Louise isn't back yet, sweetie, but she will be soon."

"Did that mean man take her away?"

Kid stroked his young sister-in-law's hair and paced as if he was rocking her back to sleep. "We don't know who has your sister, Tess, but we're gonna find her. By tomorrow she'll be back here and restin' so she can wait for the baby to be born."

The soothing pacing was having its desired effect and Teresa yawned with her eyes closed. "I'm gonna be an Auntie," she grinned as she started to drift back to sleep.

"You sure are," Kid whispered. "The best Auntie ever." After a few more minutes of walking Kid felt the light snores of deep sleep on his neck. He headed for the stairs to return her to the safety of her bed. Turing at the bottom step he spoke to the assembled group. "I won't be lyin' to this girl. I won't stand for it. I'll have Lou back here tomorrow, even if I die doing it."

She was exhausted, but refused to let her guard down enough to sleep. Lying on the hard cot Lou shifted in an effort to find a comfortable position. Her feet were tingling and she could tell even without looking that her ankles were swollen. They'd walked for almost two miles before coming to the buckboard Wicks had tied in a stand of trees. Lou knew there was no way anyone would ever be able to follow her footprints that far as Wicks had been careful to lead them in a winding path along alternating terrain. For a man deep in the throes of madness he was nothing if not prepared. Even Buck with his natural ability to track would be hard pressed to follow them.

She'd refused to talk to him throughout the walk only antagonizing Wicks and making him angrier. His punishment, instead of his fists, was to refuse her obvious thirst. Lou feared for the child she carried more than her own parched throat and finally tripped on purpose as they walked along a creek bed. Her skirts fully drenched, she'd waited patiently through the hour-long ride. Upon reaching their final destination, Wicks left her alone to tend to the horse and she'd sucked hungrily at the moisture still trapped in the thick cotton.

Now she lay awake and listened to Wicks' breathing beside her. He'd insisted on sleeping next to her. He'd insisted on holding her. The smell of him so close and the feel of his warm breath on her neck repulsed her, but at least he hadn't tried to have relations with her. Even a crazy man could see she was ready to give birth at any moment. Her only other comfort was that he'd also left the gag off. With only her feet and hands bound she was able to take in enough air and keep her mind alert.

Lou feared the daybreak. She was being kept in Edgar Norris' old shack outside of Rock Creek and even though she knew the crazy, old trapper was dead; she wasted prayers on the hopes of the old man bursting through the door, his shotgun at the ready to shoot the man who dared enter his home. When the sun rose, she knew they would move on and she knew if they left the territory, she'd never see home again. Wicks had tickets for the stage in Seneca, he'd proudly displayed them to her as if they were a present - like a beautiful necklace or a new pair of gloves. From Seneca they would ride west until they arrived in Ft. Collins where Wicks had reserved them space on the train bound for California. He was determined that they were to be married before boarding the train and already arranged for a preacher to meet them at the stagecoach office in Ft. Collins.

He was feeding her dinner when he described what their new life in California would bring. Deliriously oblivious to the fact that Lou listened with fear in her eyes not the joy he expected, he rattled on about investments and children and grand homes and things. Seeing his plans laid out so clearly, Lou sensed he'd been plotting her kidnapping since the day he was chased from St. Joe. Seven months was a lot of time to think and plan and as she desperately searched for a way out, she could see none. Wicks had every aspect covered, every escape route closed off. There was a real possibility that Lou would never see Kid or her family again and waiting for sunrise she cried silent, but painful tears.

Kid left the house long before sunrise and wasn't surprised when Jimmy rose and followed him. They walked to the barn side-by-side, neither one talked to nor looked at the other. It was understood that there would be no idle chitchat. Inside the barn Kid went first to Katy's stall and then to Lightning's. He rubbed the horse's neck and let him nip playfully at his hair. Ever since she'd discovered she was pregnant, he'd taken to exercising the horse for Lou. Now he found he enjoyed the stallion nearly as much as he enjoyed his own mare. He couldn't explain what drew him out of the house to the horses other than it was the only thing that gave him any comfort. Seeing everyone sprawled uncomfortably around the house, resting until there was news only made his own pain worse.

The long night of waiting was made more difficult by the fact that Buck still hadn't returned from searching. He'd gone it alone, convinced he could track the petite footsteps that led away from the back of the house while the others searched elsewhere, but he was hours overdue. As the night dragged on, Jenny started to worry first, still unused to the danger the former Express riders used to put themselves in, and still managed to find. She paced the house until Rachel took hold of her and forced her sit down. By midnight, the entire group congregated in the small room was visibly worried. No one spoke it, but the fear of losing two of their family members at the same time was tangible.

Jimmy watched as Kid paced. There was nothing that he could say that would make the Kid feel any better so he chose silence. He knew if Kid wanted to talk he'd eventually say something. Jimmy didn't have to wait long to prove himself right.

"I'm a liar," Kid declared, stopping halfway between where Jimmy leaned and Katy's stall.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I promised her I'd never let anyone hurt her again and here we are waiting for a glimmer of light so we can race off and search for her because I broke my promise and for that, I'm no better than him."

"Well then I'm as bad as both of you, Jimmy snapped back.

"How is that possible?" Jimmy's statement didn't make sense to Kid.

"I broke a promise too, so by your rules, I'm a liar, just like you."

"That's crazy talk, Jimmy. You didn't promise to protect her above all else. I did, and I failed."

"Well, I promised you I'd find him and that you'd have your chance with him. I didn't, so I broke a promise to you. So in the end, Lou's in this mess because of me too." Jimmy shrugged and raised his shoulders in a very nonchalant manner.

"That's different!"

"How Kid? It's the same, but I'm trying to show you it don't matter. I'm trying to tell you that you didn't lie to her. The same way I didn't lie to you. We both tried our hardest."

Kid stepped into Jimmy's face, going toe-to-toe with his best friend. "I guess our best wasn't good enough then," he snarled. They continued to stare each other down until the soft noises of a horse outside the barn broke their wordless confrontation. Guns drawn they turned, ready to pounce as the barn door was eased open. Both men relaxed as they made out Buck's form in the moonlight. The light of the hanging lantern allowed them to see both he and the horse were hurt and they immediately tensed again.

Kid rushed forward to take the reins and Jimmy moved beside Buck to help him take a seat on a hay bale.

"What the hell happened to you, Buck?" Kid asked as he crouched to examine the horse's hind leg. He knew his tone was gruff, but with his heart still enveloped in fear for Lou he didn't know how to express his relief that at least his friend had made it home safely.

"Took a fall ridin' back here, about five miles east of town. It was a few hours ago." Buck yelped as Jimmy poked at his shoulder and ribs. "The moon was behind a cloud and I misjudged the trail. We both fell and I knew once we were up I couldn't ride her in. Been walkin' ever since." He closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath as Jimmy instructed.

"Don't think you broke the shoulder, but I think you got a couple of cracked ribs. You'll be sore a while." Jimmy stood and brushed the hay off his pants. "Jenny's about worried herself sick."

Buck winced and struggled to breath evenly. "I suspected that." Watching Kid absently rub at the horse's neck he added, "I found her."

Two heads whipped around in unison.

"She's at Crazy Edgar's place."

"The old trapper? His place near Pine Grove?" Jimmy stood and headed for the tack room.

"Yeah." Buck exhaled slowly to help dissipate the pain.

"And you left her there!" Kid rushed at Buck and grabbed him by the shirtfront. The force was enough to know the wind out of him again.

"I couldn't have gotten her out on my own," he gasped. "That's why I've been racin' back here." He pulled at Kid's hands.

"Did you see her? Did she see you? Does she know help's comin'?"

"Hold up, let me think!" Buck's head ached nearly as much as his ribs and shoulder did and every time Kid shook him it felt as if his head would explode. "Yes, I saw her, but only for a minute. No, she didn't see me. And no, she don't know help is comin'. I wasn't gonna risk her life when I knew we'd be back there before mornin'."

"Was she hurt? What'd you see?" Kid was getting wild with his demands and Buck grimaced in pain as Kid tightened his hold.

Catching the tail end of the conversation, Jimmy forcibly pushed Kid off of Buck. "Kid, give the man some breathin' space!"

Buck looked at Jimmy appreciatively. "I swear I only saw her for a minute. She was sitting in a chair while Wicks showed her something. Her hands and feet were tied. It looks like she's not hurt so bad." He dreaded what he had to tell them next. "But I think her face is bruised."

"He hit her?" Kid's words were slow and calculated.

Buck nodded. "Looks like it. I didn't see him do it. But he looked like he was enjoying himself. He was showing her something and I saw him touch her hair and stuff." He felt guilty as Kid walked away to saddle Katy, like he should have done more for Lou when he was there.

"Twisted son of a bitch," Jimmy muttered under his breath. "Can you ride, Buck?"

Buck shook his head. "I want to go with you, but I know I shouldn't." His ribs were aching more with every breath. "You two get started and I'll wake the others. Sam and Teaspoon won't be far behind."

"Don't tell them, Buck." Kid approached holding Katy's reins.

"How can I not?"

"Stay out here for a while, just don't go in. Just Jimmy and I are goin'. He'll bring Lou back and I'm gonna end this once and for all." The steely set of Kid's face was clear even in the dim light. The burning hate and anger in his voice were obvious, and neither Buck nor Jimmy doubted what the Kid was about to do.

Leading rather than riding the horses out of the barn in an effort to be as quiet as possible they walked them towards the edge of the property.

"Kid, how am I gettin' Lou home," asked Jimmy. "She can't ride."

"He had to have gotten her to Crazy Edgar's somehow."

"There's a buckboard and a nag," offered Buck.

"You'll take her home in that. He won't be needin' it." Kid's tone was very matter of fact. "Buck, I need you to do one thing for me." Trusting Buck with the favor was Kid's way of apologizing for being so rough on him earlier.

"Anything." The Kiowa already felt guilty enough that he couldn't ride out with them and accepted Kid's unspoken apology.

"Doc Bailey's due on the noon stage. Lou's supposed to see him today. Meet him and tell him what happened. Have him waitin' at the house when we get back." Concern for Lou and the baby consumed him.

"Done." Buck watched as his two friends mounted up and rode off under the cover of night. He whispered, "ride safe" to a moonlit cloud of dust and headed back to wait in the barn until sunrise.

"Louise, quit dragging those feet, you'd best not make us late."

"How else would you like me to move my feet? You still have my legs tied." The lack of sleep and combined with the desperate situation were doing wonders for her attitude.

Wicks continued to gather his things and the bag of clothes he'd bought for her, oblivious to the daggers Lou was throwing him wither eyes. "I loosened them."

"They're cutting me!" she hissed wanting to add, 'again', but stopped herself short of doing so. She chose not to mention St. Joe in hopes that he would at least remain in the demented haze he was in rather than the brutal frenzy he'd been in then.

"We have a schedule to keep, Louise. I will not keep that preacher waiting so we'd best not miss the stage." Wicks walked out to load the buckboard.

"I'm not marrying you, you bastard!" Lou screamed.

Wicks turned in the doorway, nonplused by her outburst. "The baby needs his father."

"Kid is the baby's father! Why can't you understand that?" She knew she shouldn't continue arguing or she risked his wrath, but the thought that he was convinced the baby was his made her skin crawl. "Look at me, you idiot. I'm ready to give birth. I was pregnant when you raped me. This is not your child, thank God!"

Wicks walked out into the early morning and ignored her shouts from behind his back.

Lou reached the door with exaggerated movements and continued her tirade. "You won't get away with this you know!"

"Won't I?" he asked without turning.

"They're coming for me. Kid'll find us."

Wicks slowly turned with a depraved grin. "By then it'll be too late. You'll be my wife and I will own you."

Shivers ran down Lou's spine. "I will never be your wife! I'm-"

He cut her off with a snap of his fingers before she could finish. "Don't say it, Louise. If you do, you'll be lying and I don't have time to take you to confess your sins before we leave. You're not his wife and I know that, so don't try and tell me otherwise. You're divorced and therefore free to marry me."

The truthfulness of his dagger-like words had her grabbing the door for support. Lou hadn't given it any thought that she and the Kid were no longer legally bound to one another. They had been acting like husband and wife again since the day he'd moved back in and neither even mentioned the divorce at all. Now, one piece of paper, one senseless act done in a time of desperation, was going to ruin her life forever.

Watching from the grove of trees to the side of the shack, Jimmy could see Wicks, but couldn't get a clear shot. Kid was on the other side waiting to ambush and he imagined his line of fire was even worse. He knew if they were going to capture Wicks without risk to Lou he would have to draw him out. Raising his Navy Colt he fired a single shot in the air.

Wicks immediately dropped to the ground for cover and watched Lou try slink back into the cabin. "No you don't!" Grabbing her arm he pulled her in front of him and used her as a human shield. "What are you going to do now, boy?" he called out to the faceless attacker, assuming it was Kid.

Approaching from behind, Kid held his gun straight out in front of him, aimed right for Wicks' head. "I'm gonna drop you."

As he turned towards the voice with his arm wrapped possessively around Lou, Wicks repositioned his gun.

Kid could clearly see the terror in Lou's eyes as Wicks pressed the barrel of the gun into her stomach. The madman had succeeded. Kid was paralyzed by the thought of a single shot killing both Lou and the baby. "Let her go. This is between you and me."

"Ha! You really believe that? You were just a convenient bonus. It's always been about her. Hasn't it, Louise? She was mine way before you came along, son." Wicks groped at Lou's body while keeping the gun steady against her protruding belly.

Lou felt the baby kick and prayed the movement wouldn't startle Wicks. She knew one misstep and it was over.

"Let her go! Let's handle this like men!" Kid watched Wicks snicker at his suggestion.

"A duel? How noble of you, but I don't think so. I think you're going to toss me that gun and walk slowly over here. Otherwise, I can't be sure what's gonna happen here." He pressed the barrel of the gun harder into Lou's side, eliciting a yelp of pain.

"Kid," Lou pleaded in barely a whisper. She knew he would surrender his gun to save her and their unborn child, but when he did it, would he be surrendering their only chance to escape?

"I love you," he mouthed in response as he tossed his gun to the ground. He could see Jimmy moving into position over Wicks' shoulder and fought the urge to stare. One false look and he would give Jimmy away. "Okay, I kept up my end of the deal. Let her go." He started walking closer as Wicks had requested.

"Hold up there! I never shook on that deal, boy. You're just as big of a fool as you always were!" Wicks started waving his arms around as he ranted. "I always knew you were a dumb one. Weak too. Always hangin' on your mama's skirts like a baby and cryin' at the drop of a hat."

Kid let Wicks continue to rail on him. The words could no longer hurt him; only the loss of Lou or their child had the power to destroy him. Seeing there would be no better moment he lunged forward and grabbed Lou out of the way as Jimmy fired two quick shots. Falling to the ground and pulling Lou on top of him to cushion her fall, they watched as the first bullet struck Wicks in the leg, the second in the arm that held the pistol.

He fell as if in slow motion and his knees hit the ground with a thud. Rolling Lou aside, Kid grabbed for Wicks' gun, training it on him as he tried to stand up.

"You shot me!" The indignity of it was unbearable.

"No he didn't, I did," replied Jimmy from only steps away. "And you deserved it." It felt good to fire the two bullets into him. Looking at Lou still sitting stunned on the hard dirt he could see the purpling bruise on her cheek. "You okay?" he asked, as he reached down to help her up.

"I'm fine now," she replied, as she buried herself in his embrace. "Took you long enough!"

"Buck spotted you yesterday, but was too concerned he'd get you hurt if he showed his face in the window. He came back for us and got thrown on the way so it took us a while to get here. But we're here now, ain't we Kid?" There was no reply. "Kid?" Jimmy turned with Lou in his arms to find Kid standing over Wicks with the pistol trained on his head. "What are you doing, Kid?"

"Just what I said I would. Get up you bastard!" Kid kicked at Wicks' ribs and aimed again until the wounded man rose to his feet.

"Kid! What are you doin'?" questioned Lou. "We'll take him back to Teaspoon, we'll let the law handle this." She tried to untangle herself from Jimmy's arms, but he was holding onto her too tightly.

"There's gonna be no law, Lou. I'm the law now." Kid indicated with his gun and had Wicks start hobbling out into the open space on the other side of the horse.

"Kid, please!" Lou pleaded. She didn't want to see him do this. He was so caught up in his revenge that he was someone she didn't recognize.

"Take Lou home," Kid said to Jimmy, ignoring Lou's pleas.

"Kid, you can't do this," Jimmy protested half-heartedly. He was torn between stopping the Kid and doing it for him or letting him do it as he planned.

"Jimmy, don't make me ask you twice."

The hardness in Kid's voice was too familiar. "You do this and you'll never be the same. You're not cold-blooded like this." He needed Kid to understand the consequences of what he was about to do.

"Just take her home, damn it! The doc'll be there waitin' and he needs to check her out."

"Kid, I'm fine. Please come home with me. Forget about him." Lou was beginning to sob and Jimmy had to tighten his hold as she fought him to get to Kid.

His gun still trained on Wicks he looked over his shoulder at Lou. "How can I forget about him when he was gonna hurt you and the baby? He's worse than any evil we've ever known. I don't end this now and he'll do it again." Kid's face was red with anger.

"You can't kill me, I'm your father!"

"Shut up!" Kid whipped back around to face Wicks. "Not another word from you!" He knew what he was about to do was a sin, but he had no qualms about breaking the fifth commandment. There was no reason to 'honor thy father' when the father in question answered only to the devil below. He refused to turn back around and look at Lou and Jimmy again. He knew if he did he would see the pain and confusion begin to mix with the disgust and contempt for him that would come from the decision to take matters into his own hands.

The minute Jimmy had her legs untied, Lou broke free and started to rush towards the Kid. She needed to grab him, shake him. He wasn't acting like himself - not like the boy she'd met and married nor the man she'd spent the last several months learning to love again. Yet, when Jimmy caught her and started to pull her away, she found she didn't resist. Seeing the determined set of Kid's shoulders Lou knew what he was about to do was the only end to the madness.

Jimmy lifted Lou onto the buckboard and she settled into the seat. Placing her hand over where the baby was continuing to kick she couldn't look up as she said a silent goodbye. She wouldn't let what was about to happen, what he was about to do, change the Kid. He was doing it as much for her as he was for himself and if it was what he had to do to exorcise the demons, she would stand by him. The idea of leaving the Kid alone with Wicks scared her to the core. She knew what Wicks was capable of and knowing he would not go down without a fight she turned to plead with Jimmy again.

"Jimmy, you can't let him do this!" She pounded her small fists into his arms and chest.

Grabbing hold of her flailing arms, Jimmy gave her one quick shake to calm her down. "Lou, quit it!" She stopped fighting him, but the sniffles and tears were about to break his heart. "Are you tellin' me you want me to go and try and stop them? I can't do it. I made a promise to Kid way back when that I would help him and I have to honor it." No matter that he'd tried to stop the Kid, Jimmy wanted to kill Wicks for hurting Lou just as badly as his friend did. However, it was Kid's fight. His alone. As a friend, a brother, Jimmy would do his part and get Lou home. It seemed that he and Kid would both keep their promises after all.

The buckboard started pulling away from the cabin and Lou twisted in the seat. Kid stood motionless, the gun still pointed at the already bleeding man. She knew he'd wait until they were gone, until there were no witnesses, and then he would do it. He would kill his own father.

Chapter 21