"You!" The Confederate major pointed to one of the six prisoners in the tiny cell. "Out. Now!"

By anybody’s standards the major was a right hard man. The second in command of the prison was a tall and still well built man, despite the lack of food and other necessitates the Confederate Army claimed to be short of. He liked what he did and he was good at it.

The six in the cell had been the only ones not to bend to his will. The other miserable sods in this dump had all broken before him. He had left his mark on each of them.

Seeing that his target for today had not yet begun to move the major nodded to the two guards who were with him. Laughing they easily brushed aside the blonde teenager with a back still bloody from the day before and lifted their target to his feet.

"Don’t" The upper class English accent ordered, "It’s not worth it." This was said to the blonde teenager who was coming back for a second go at the guards.

Although his back was on fire and he could barely stand straight the blonde teenager was ready to have another go at the guards who were taking his friend to what was most likely to be his death.

"Remember what we said lad." The Englishman continued as he was dragged out of the door. "Remember what you promised."

The blonde teenager threw himself against the locked door. With every last ounce of strength in his weak and abused body he tried to pull the door of its hinges.

As the screams began the teenager lost consciousness.

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Jarrod Barkley was sitting at his desk going over some paperwork when a tap on the door broke into his concentration.

"Three gentlemen to see you Mr Barkley." Karen Cotts, Jarrod’s San Fransisco law office sectary announced.

Karen stood to one side and allowed the three to enter. Two of them Jarrod recognized at once. Richard Mantle the grey haired Governor of the State of California and Lord Edward Worthington the British Ambassador. The third member of the party was a well-dressed man in his early to mid forties.

"Jarrod" The Governor extended his hand. "Good to see you again."

"Governor." Jarrod took the offered hand "The pleasure is all mine."

"You know the British Ambassador Lord Edward Worthington?"

"Yes." Jarrod turned to the Ambassador. "Good to see you again Edward, what brings you to California? Another hunt?"

"Jarrod." Lord Edward shook Jarrod’s hand "Not this time my friend, purely business." He turned to the third member of the party. "Jarrod I’d like you to meet Henry Redforth, Henry this is Jarrod Barkley, attorney at law and a very capable investigator."

"Mr Barkley." Redforth extended his hand

With the introductions out of the way and everybody settled in a comfortable chair with a drink Mantle came to the point of the visit.

"We need your help Jarrod." He began. "Mr Redforth is here on behalf of his uncle."

"I’m here looking for my cousin. My uncle is dying, and well, my cousin is the heir to the family title and estate." Henry Redforth continued. "Charles, my cousin, and his father had a disagreement many years ago now which resulted in my cousin packing his things and basically coming to your country in an effort to, well, start a new life."

"Why do you need my help?" Jarrod was puzzled. Finding lost cousins was not really his field. "What can I do that could possibly help you?"

"We, the family, know that Charles settled in or around the town of Colesville where he had a small piece of land, a farm if you like." Redforth fiddled with a small package he had pulled out of his case and placed in his lap. " The last message we got from Charles said that he was taking up arms and joining the Union Army in your Civil War. My cousin was always a passionate man. If he believed in somebody or something strongly enough he would take up the cause and throw himself into to it wholeheartedly.

In that last letter he spoke of believing in what the Union Army stood for and how he would do whatever he could to see the overall goal achieved. Up until the start of the war our family was heavily into cotton mills, and gentlemen I don’t have to tell you where English cotton mills got most of their supplies from and how those supplies were harvested. "

"We need you to help us find out what happened to Charles Redforth." Worthington took over. "If he survived the war you can help us find him. If he didn’t then you can help us find proof of his death and where he’s buried."

"And if he is dead you could also help us find the dagger that belongs to this." Redforth unwrapped the parcel and handed Jarrod the most exquisitely engrave gold scabbard he’d ever seen.

"Impressive." Jarrod remarked as he held the scabbard and examined it. The craftsmanship was beyond anything he’s seen before. It must’ve been at least two to three hundred years old.

"The dagger is even more impressive." Redforth told him. " When Charles left to come here our grandfather, who was still alive at the time, gave it to him and at the same time gave me the scabbard. The understanding being that when the scabbard and I turned up here it was time for Charles to come home and claim his inheritance."

"And now?" Jarrod prompted

"Our grandfather died five years ago, my uncle, Charles’s father, never a well man at the best of times is dying or by now may even be dead." Redforth paused and took a breath. "Mr Barkley I know my cousin is alive somewhere, please won’t you help?"

"Mr Redforth, I’ll do what I can." Jarrod assured him.

Lord Worthington and Redforth rose to leave.

"Gentlemen there are one or two other matters that I need to discuss with Mr Barkley." Mantle told the two Englishmen "I’ll catch up with you shortly."

"Jarrod there are one or two things I can tell you about Charles Redforth. From what little we have been able to dig up it seems…"

Jarrod’s eyes widened with shock and alarm as Mantle spelled out just what he knew about the missing English heir.

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"Hey sleepy head. You gonna lay there all day or what?" Nick Barkley boomed the question at his younger brother who was sleeping in on of the two beds in the little hotel room the Barkley brothers had rented for their short stay in the town of San Pedros, two days journey from Stockton.

"Go away Nick and let me sleep." Heath Barkley, the younger of the two brothers demanded. Three weeks of sleeping rough had taken its toll, and although the hotel bed was not the softest one in all creation, it was softer then the hard ground. All he wanted to do was catch up on some lost sleep

"Come on." Nick swatted his brother with the three-day-old newspaper he had liberated from one of the tables in the saloon below. "The saloon’s open and empty, time for us to get a few in before the crowd arrives."

"Nick quit it will ya?" Heath made a grab for the offending paper and managed to wrench it from Nick’s grasp.

He was about to toss it to the other side of the room when a name in the lead story caught his attention. Sitting up quickly he studied the article in more depth. The expression on his face changed from one who was in a playful, if sleepy, mood to the more sombre serious look of a worried, concerned man.

"Heath?" Nick’s mood changed as well. Whenever Heath got that worried look on his face Nick got concerned.

In response to his brothers question Heath thrust the newspaper at Nick.

‘ SECOND UNSOLVED MURDER’ the headline read.

"The body of Cal Jenks was found in an alley way in the town of Gault" Nick read out loud. "This follows the discovery of the body of Russ Jones in an alley way in the town of Smoulders Gap two weeks ago. Although both men were shot after being tortured no other connection has been found between the two men. Sheriff’s from both towns are still looking into the crimes."

"There is another link between the two." Heath looked up at Nick

"What?"

"They knew each other. Nick both of them were in Carterson prison with me."

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"Where is it?" The cultured accent demanded. "You were part of the circle of six, Charlie Red told all of you about it. Now where is it?"

The hiss of leather swinging through the air was heard then the scream from the man who lay in the alley before the three strangers.

"Answer the Majors question." A second voice not nearly as cultured ordered.

"Come on Kurts you must know where it is." The tall man with the cultured accent continued.

Hank Kurts looked up at the mention of his name. Straight into the face of a man he hadn’t seen since the day Carterson prison had been liberated at the end of the war.

"You!" Kurts breathed

"So you do remember me Kurts," The accent purred, "I haven’t forgot you either, nor the rest of you group. Now tell me about it."

"Never, we were sworn to secrecy."

"Well then we’ll just have to ask a little harder won’t we?" The tall man grinned. The leather whip slapping against the palm of his hand.

"And you’re sure about this Governor?" Jarrod asked still not believing what Mantle had just told him.

"Yes. Charles Redforth was in Carterson prison at the end of the war. We’ve been able to confirm that he was still alive the day before the prison was liberated. On the last day he was taken out of the cell he shared with five others and wasn’t seen again. Now it seems somebody is murdering the other five men in that cell one by one. The papers haven’t gotten onto that fact yet, and I for one am not going to tell them." Mantle gathered the papers he had spread over Jarrod’s desk and stuffed them into a briefcase.

"The others from the cell?" Jarrod asked.

The mention of the name Carterson brought back to mind the scene just before Christmas when his family learned that their youngest brother had spent time in that horrid place. Records showed that over seven hundred men were imprisoned in that place and only a handful had emerged after the war. Even with so few coming out alive there was still a chance that Heath wasn’t in the particular cell group.

"Cal Jenks and Russ Jones" Mantle began to list them "The two that were murdered. Charles Redforth, of course, Hank Kurts, the man who’s supplied us with much of the information you’ve seen, John Wild and a teenager, the only one of the group we can’t seem to locate, Heath Thomson."

Jarrod’s heart sank as Mantle spoke Heath’s name. He was so hoping that Heath’s name wouldn’t be mentioned. Just this once maybe the ghost of Carterson would leave his little brother alone.

"Is there something you’re not telling me?" Mantle asked, noting the change in Jarrod’s demeanour.

"Heath Thomson is now Heath Barkley." Jarrod told Mantle "He’s my brother."

In a dusty no account town a hand reached out and caught the stray newspaper page.

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"There were six of us in this tiny cell." Heath began.

The brothers by now were on the road back to Stockton.

Heath, after having read the article for a third time and forgetting about his need to sleep, had started to throw the few things he had packed for this trip into his bedroll and headed for the livery where both Charger and Stealth were stabled.

This had left Nick little choice but to follow suit. The mention of Carterson prison, the fact that his brother was there and that he knew the murdered men had caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end.

Then there were the scars on his brother’s back. When Heath had gabbed the paper from him earlier in the day Nick had seen the scars that covered this little brothers back for the first time. It had only been a momentary glance; Heath had been lying with his back to his brother covered by the excuse of a sheet that was on the bed. The sheet had fallen exposing Heaths shoulders and upper back along with the marks on them. So many of them, there wasn’t one section of skin that didn’t have a scar. It sickened him to think of his brother being abused that way.

"Cal, Russ, Hank, Johnny, Charlie and me." Heath stared into the distance remembering the faces of the men who became his friends in that dark and terrible time. "I was the youngest, Cal and Hank were from somewhere in New York, never knew where Russ came from, just said he was a drifter, Johnny came from Baltimore and Charlie Red said he a had a farm outside Colesville, we knew he was English, that came out every time he opened his mouth. Upper class as well."

"What like an aristocrat or something?"

"Yeah but he said he’d left all that behind him, some sort of falling out with his father. Didn’t bring much of that life with him, only a dagger given to him by his grandfather. Only the five of us knew about that. To the others he was just a guy from across the sea living in California."

"Well you, Cal and Russ made it out what about the others?"

"Hank and Johnny too. Johnny’s the only I’ve seen I didn’t even know the rest where in California. Charlie, don’t know. They came and took him the day before the camp was liberated. I tried to stop them. I heard him scream once then I lost consciousness, didn’t wake up until I was in the camp hospital and the Union Army was in control."

They journey continued on in silence as both brothers pondered over possible motives for the murders of the ex prisoners.

"Heath?’ Nick pulled Stealth to a halt forcing Heath to do the same to Charger "Is it possible that this all turns on something that the group of you knew and you all thought somebody else didn’t?"

Heath looked straight into his eyes, and in that look Nick saw his answer.

"Nick not here I’ll explain more when we get home." Was all Heath had to say.

"Just one more thing. And I want a straight answer, no sidestepping, and no changing the subject. Are you in any danger?" Nick’s voice was heavy with fear and worry. If the answer was yes then he needed to know in order to protect this younger brother who had come to mean so much to him and whom he had no intention of losing.

"Maybe."

"Your brother?" Mantle was astounded. Like most of the state he’d heard about the two new arrivals to the Barkley family and the circumstances that had brought them, but had never made the connection between the teenage Heath Thomson and the adult Heath Barkley. "Jarrod where is he now?"

"With my other brother Nick, by now they should be on their way back from a cattle drive. They’ve been gone about three weeks."

"So much for nobody else knowing. Jarrod you do know that if whoever is doing this is hunting down ex inmates of Carterson then."

"Heath’s in real danger." This thought had crossed Jarrod mind long before Mantle had said anything. Not one to be impolite Jarrod wished Mantle would just hurry and finish this meeting. He felt a need to get home quickly and make sure his younger brother was safe.

"Look Jarrod if you don’t want to undertake the hunt for Charles Redforth, in view of what has happened here, I’ll understand and will explain to Edward and Mr Redforth." Mantle offered.

"No Governor it’s fine." Jarrod told Mantle "I’ve got the oddest feeling that the two are connected, and if I can find what happened to Mr Redforth’s cousin it may end up leading me to whomever is behind these killings."

"Thomson and Wild?" The Major growled to the broken, bleeding Hank Kurts "This whole thing revolves around those two?"

"Yes." Kurts gasped, through pain clenched teeth. "Wild knows where Charlies place is and Heath’s the only one Charlie told where it’s hidden."

The major smiled. Another one of the unbending six had broken before him. First Jenks, then Jones and now Kurts.

Red was close to breaking when the camp was taken over. For his own reasons and wanting to continue the questioning in private the major had ordered that Red be taken out of the prison and hidden nearby. By the time he’d gotten to the hiding spot Red’s body had been found and most likely given a decent burial.

It had been a good day, that day back in Carterson when one of the corporals had come to him with some information regarding one of the miserable creatures in his ‘care’ and a valuable object that belong to him.

The object was worth a fortune; plenty of money to re build his life and his home. During the intervening years he’d had to keep a low profile. His superior officer Matt Bentell had been brought up on charges as a result of the treatment meted out at Carterson. Bentell had been cleared due to lack of evidence, but for his own safety the major continued to live under an assumed name for quite some time.

"Have either of you been able to find out anything regarding Thomson or Wild?" He asked his companions, both ex-guards at the prison and in on the deal.

"Wild yes, Thomson no" Was the reply. "Wild is working in a lumber camp not far from Stockton. Nobody’s seen or heard anything of Thomson. Maybe he’s dead."

"That little runt? The hardest of the six? Never." The major swore. "He’s alive somewhere and I’ll find him."

"How?" His comrade the ex-sergeant asked

"I’ve got a link in the Governors office, he must know where Thomson is. After all he found Jenks and that mouth Kurts for us." The major smiled wickedly. It was good to have a contact in high places.

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"Jarrod!" Victoria Barkley exclaimed as the figure of her first born son came in through the front door of the Barkley family home. " You’re early I wasn’t expecting to see you for another two days." She reached up and kissed his check.

"Mother. I know but something important came up and I needed to get back here in a hurry."

"Jarrod?" Victoria heard the fear in her son’s normally calm, neutral voice

"Mother are Nick and Heath back yet?"

"No I had a telegram from Nick yesterday he said he and Heath were fine and in San Pedros and they’d be staying there for a day or two. Why?"

"Mother I can’t say too much until I talk to them. There’s another thing, shortly a man will be arriving here could one of the guest rooms please be made ready for him?"

"Is this man involved with whatever it is you can’t tell me?"

"Yes."

"I’ll see to it that the main guest room is ready for him."

"Mother, you’re a treasure." Jarrod bent and kissed her also on the check. "What would we do without you?"

Victoria just shook her head.

Nick and Heath pushed well into the night. It was close to one in the morning when Nick pulled Stealth to halt. Both were tired having been in the saddle for fourteen hours straight.

"Heath stop." Nick called to his brother who had overtaken him and looked like he would continue on. "We need a break and so do the horses."

In his heart Heath knew that Nick was right. He had felt Charger getting slower and slower.

"There’s a waterhole about two minutes away. We can stop there, the horses can get water and we can get some sleep." Nick pushed.

"Ok Nick." Heath gave in "Lead the way."

Nick smiled the mention of the horses had done the trick. Heath looked like hell. Ever since he’d read that report he had worn a haunted look on his face. Nick desperately wanted to know what was tearing at his brother but he’d given his word not to ask any further questions until they’d reached home.

With Charger and Stealth watered and fed and a quick meal of beans inside themselves the brothers bedded down for a few hours sleep.

"NO" The scream pierced the night air causing Nick to wake with a jolt. "GO TO HELL SAMUELSON, I’LL NEVER TELL YOU WHERE IT IS."

Nick looked toward Heath how was sleeping on the other side of what once was a mid sized campfire. His brother was tossing and turning in his sleep, arching his back as if to escape somehow blows that were being rained down upon it.

"Tell me boy," The cultured voice of Major Jed Samuelson purred in his ear "Tell me where the dagger is."

"Never."

Whoosh the leather whip stung his back again.

"Tell me."

"No."

"I can do this all day boy." Samuelson taunted "How long can you hold on for? And don’t think that the Colonel will put a stop this any time soon. As far as he’s concerned you’re been punished for a breach of discipline."

Heath remained silent He drew in a breath and prepared himself for the next strike.

"Heath, Heath wake –up." The voice sounded familiar and yet at the same time it didn’t belong to anybody in this hellhole "Come Heath, you’re scaring me."

"Charlie? That you?" Heath opened his eyes and saw the outline of a face above him.

"No Heath its Nick." Nick tried to keep his voice in check. He wanted to scream, shout, lash out at those who had, and in his brother’s nightmare were, tormenting him.

"Nick?" Heath was a bit more awake bit still a little confused.

"Yes brother it’s me. You’re safe, everything’s ok, I’m here and I’m with you." Nick looked down to the face, covered with sweat that he held in his arms. Gently he wiped away the sweat and held a canteen to Heaths mouth "Here, drink."

Heath gulped a few mouthfuls and nodded to Nick that he’d had enough.

"Alright now?"

"Thanks Nick."

"Heath I know you said that you’d explain when we got home, but is there anything you can tell me now?" Nick pressed gently. "Like what that was all about? And just who is Samuelson and what the hell he did to you?"

"Samuelson was the major at Carterson, Bentell’s number two and his pet torturer." Heath explained. "Bentell ordered the punishments and Samuelson carried them out, as well as some of his own on the side."

In that second Nick understood. Heath had just relieved a moment from his time in Carterson.

"Heath you said something about it. What is it?"

Heath just looked at him and remained silent.

"Ok just thought I’d try."

"Nick, I want to tell you believe me I do but, along time ago I made a promise and until the time is right there’s nothing more I can say." Heath looked at Nick, his blue eyes pleading for understanding.

"Come on try and get your head down at least for another hour to two." Nick encouraged. "It’ll be light soon and then we’ll move again."

Heath drifted into a dream free sleep as Nick sat and watched.

"Mr Jarrod, your guest is here." Silas the Barkley’s manservant announced.

"Thank- you Silas." Jarrod responded and turned to where Victoria was sitting in the private garden enjoying the morning sun. "Shall we go and greet our guest?" He offered Victoria his arm.

To his surprise Jarrod found not only Henry Redforth in the main entrance hall but Richard Mantle as well.

"Governor this is a surprise welcome to the Barkley ranch. Mr Redforth welcome. My I present my mother, Victoria Barkley." Jarrod ushered Victoria forward. "Mother this is Mr Henry Redforth and of course you know Governor Mantle."

"Richard." Victoria greeted Mantle. They had known each other for many years and were old friends.

"Victoria, a pleasure as always." Mantle kissed the check of one of his oldest friends.

"Mr Redforth welcome to our home." Victoria extended her hand.

"Thank you Mrs Barkley." Redforth said "I hope I’m not putting you to any trouble."

"No not at all." Victoria was taken back for a second by the upper class English accent, but recovered quickly. "Silas will you please take the Governor and Mr Redforth’s bags to the guest rooms. Gentlemen you will be staying with us for a while won’t you?"

"Sorry Victoria, I’m only here for a few hours, then I have to get back to San Fransisco. I really only came to see Jarrod about one or two things." Mantle made his apologies.

"Well I’m sorry Nick and Heath aren’t here to greet you." Victoria smiled "But this is a working ranch and they’re on a drive."

"What about Audra and your other daughter?" Mantle fumbled for the correct name "Heather?"

"They’re staying with friends of ours in Nevada at the moment." The smile died from Victoria’s eyes as Mantle fumbled over Heathers name.

"Excuse me Mrs Barkley, but Mr Nick and Mr Heath just rode into the yard."

Victoria and Jarrod exchanged looks. Something was wrong. Usually when Nick said to expect him on a given day he meant on that day, not the day before or the day after.

"Mother, Jarrod" Nick called from the deserted kitchen "Where is everybody?"

"Nick keep your voice down, we have guests." Victoria swept into the kitchen. "Welcome home son."

"Thank- you mother." Nick quickly kissed his mother. "Where’s Jarrod? I really need to talk to him."

"With our guests, now come along." Victoria tucked her arm into Nicks. "Where’s Heath?"

"Tending to Charger and Stealth, he’ll be in shortly." Nick tried to disentangle himself from his mother. "I really need to talk to Jarrod before Heath gets here."

Jarrod met them half way between the kitchen and the parlour. Victoria thought this was showing bad manners, leaving guests alone.

"Silas has given them both a drink and is now showing them both to their rooms" Jarrod explained.

"Very well then." Victoria departed in the general direction of the garden.

"Nick is Heath alright?" Jarrod asked anxiously his eyes searching for any sign of his youngest brother.

"Physically yes, but other wise no. He looks like hell. Jarrod if you’d asked that question two days ago I’d have yes but…"

"Nick what changed? Does Heath know about the murders of the ex inmates at Carterson?"

"Found a three day old paper in the saloon at San Pedros, took it back upstairs to our room the lead story was the murder of two men. Heath read it and pieced the rest together."

"Damn" Jarrod smacked his balled right fist into the palm of his left hand. "I was hoping the two of you would get home before he found out."

"Would you mind telling me what’s going on?" Nick’s voice got louder. "And why do we have guests in the house at a time like this? Jarrod he didn’t say so in so many words but our little brother is in danger."

"Nick, I know. One of guests is sort of tied into this. Or at least the task he asked me to undertake is."

" There’s more. On the trial last night Heath, well Heath had a nightmare, god Jarrod it was awful. He went back in his mind to that hell hole Carterson. To a time when one of those sob guards was beating him." By now Nick was pacing the floor of the parlour. "Who are these guests anyway?"

"Govenor Mantle and an Englishman by the name of Henry Redforth. Redforth wants me to try…" Jarrod broke off as the sound of boots could be heard heading their way from the kitchen.

Nick was right Heath did look like hell. Pale, unshaven and haunted.

"Jarrod." Heath greeted his eldest brother.

"Welcome home Heath." Jarrod returned the greeting. "Good trip?’

"Not bad thanks Jarrod. Either of you two want a drink?" Heath moved to the drinks stand.

"I wouldn’t say no." Nick answered

"Why not?" Jarrod watched Heath reach for the whiskey bottle.

Being so warm in the house Heath had removed his jacket as he entered the kitchen. At some point during the nightmare that morning he had managed to rip the back of his shirt at the right shoulder. As Heath reached for the glasses it flapped open. Nick turned away in disgust unable to stomach seeing the scars on his brother’s back again. For Jarrod it was an eye opener.

He now finally understood what Heaths twin Heather had said to him just before she and their sister Audra had left for Nevada, a little under four weeks ago.

Over dinner the night before the girls had left the subject of Matt Bentell and the lumber project he was handling for the family had come up. He explained to Heather how the project had come about, as it had began before she had joined the family, and how it had been decided that her twin should accompany Matt and his wife Lucinda to the site and act as their bodyguard.

"How could you Jarrod?" Heather had flung her napkin on the table and was glaring at him. Her eyes green with anger.

"Honey it was for the best." He had told her "We needed somebody who could protect Bentell and his wife, somebody who knew the faces of other ex-Carterson inmates and could detect any possible trouble. Plus it would give Heath a chance to work with Matt and lose the hate."

"Lose the hate?" She’d flung back at him "Did you expect him to thank Bentell for what he did? You spoke of the Barkley family courage, do you want to hear about real courage?"

"Heather" Victoria had looked at her angry daughter. "It’s this kind of anger and hate, like you’re displaying now, that needed to be lost. We were afraid it would tear Heath apart and in the end we, the family, would lose him."

"Heather. No!" Heath tried to stop her.

"Heath they have to hear this. They have to know. I have to make them understand what kind of a monster he was." Heathers eyes softened as she looked at her twin. "You don’t have to be here."

The twins locked eyes for a moment.

"You weren’t there Jarrod, Mother." Heather took up where she’d left off. "None of you were there. You didn’t see what that animal had done, or had ordered to be done. Well I did. I was there four days after Heath was moved to the army hospital from that stinking place. I saw how sick he was, how thin, how there were fresh open cuts on his back, on top of half healed ones, on top of healed ones." Angry eyes travelled from Jarrod’s face to Victoria’s and back again. " Not giving in to Bentell. Fighting to stay alive not giving in to the call to curl up and die that is real courage, the stuff he inherited from Tom Barkley. Now do you understand? Because if you don’t then you aren’t our brother" She looked straight at Jarrod. " Or our mother" Green eyes glowed at Victoria.

With hate still burning in her eyes Heather had stormed out of the dining room and had left with Audra the next morning.

Looking at the portion of Heaths back that showed through the ripped shirt Jarrod acknowledged to himself that he indeed finally understood. He also knew now that it had been wrong on his part to have forced Heath to go with the Bentell’s When this was over and Heather was back home he’d have a long talk to both of them and apologize.

"Heath we need to talk." He told his younger brother as he took the whiskey glass.

"Yeah I know Jarrod, Cal, Russ and their murders." Heath looked at both of his brothers.

"We also need to talk about Charles Redforth." Jarrod looked into Heaths eyes hoping for some sort of reaction.

"Who the hell is Charles Redforth?" Nick butted in with.

"Charlie Red? What’s this got to do with Charlie?"

"Everything, if I’m right." He looked at his youngest brother. " And I am right aren’t I Heath?"

"Yes." Heath admitted. "Jarrod I think I know who’s behind this and what they want."

"And all of this can wait until Heath and Nick go upstairs have a bath and get some rest." The voice of Victoria Barkley announced. "Don’t even think about protesting Jarrod."

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Two hours later after both brothers had taken a bath and had a small nap the group reconvened in the Barkley family library.

" Victoria this really isn’t going to be a fit and proper discussion for a lady." Mantle protested as Victoria swept into the library between Nick and Heath.

"Richard if it involves one of my sons, then it involves me as well." Victoria’s tone invited no argument.

"For the benefit of my family" Jarrod began "I’ll just recap a few events. Two days ago, Richard and Mr Redforth along with Lord Edward Worthington came to my office and asked for my help to locate Mr Redforth's cousin Charles. We didn’t have much to go on just that Charles Redforth came to California after an argument with his father and that he told his family in the last letter that they received that he was taking up arms for the Union Army. Now since then Mr Redforth I’ve learned one or two more things."

Redforth sat forward in his seat.

"Your cousin Charles did indeed take up arms like he said in fact he ended up, and I’m sorry to have to say this to you, in Carterson prison." Jarrod looked squarely at Redforth.

"In there?" This was a blow to Redforth. "Even in England we’ve heard of that place and the conditions." He bowed his head. "Poor Charles, are you sure Mr Barkley?"

"Yes it seems he knew my brother Heath." Jarrod indicated to where Heath was sitting.

"But you’re too young son." Redforth looked at Heath.

"I fought in the war and I did end up there." Heath confirmed. "Spent seven months there shared a cell with Charlie Red for most of the time."

"He called himself that?"

"Yeah that’s what we all knew him as."

"Charlie Red was a name he would use when he did something his father didn’t approve of." Redforth hung his head. "It’s Charles alright. What happened to him?"

"On the last day before the camp was liberated they took him away I tried to stop them. I heard him scream once and then nothing, I blacked out. Next thing I knew I was in the camp hospital and the Union Army was in control. I didn’t see him again."

"And now it appears as if somebody is murdering his former cell mates one by one." Jarrod took over. " The two men who were murdered in recent time were both from the same cell."

A knock to the door put a halt to any further discussion.

"Excuse me Mrs Barkley" Silas entered the room "But this just arrived for Governor Mantle."

Silas entered the room and handed the telegram to Mantle.

"Three men now." Mantle handed the message to Jarrod "Hank Kurts was found in an alley at Still Waters. Heath that just leaves you and John Wild left."

"Heath you told me and Nick earlier you believe you know who’s behind this and why."

"I think but can’t prove that Major Jed Samuelson the ex second in command is the one behind these killings, and what he’s looking for is the secret that Charlie made us all swear never to tell."

"The dagger." Redforth looked at Heath. " Charles told you about it?"

"Yeah. One time after another session with Samuelson Charlie was ranting with fever he mentioned it, told as how it belong to your family for years, what it was worth. He made us promise not to say anything. He split the information between us. He told Cal, Russ and Hank just that it was on his farm in Coleville, he told Johnny the exact location of the farm." Heath hung his head as what he had just said sunk in.

"And you Heath?" Victoria asked gently. "What did he tell you?"

"He told me exactly where it was hidden and what, if he died, he wanted to happen to it."

"Where’s the dagger now?" Jarrod asked

"Still in it’s hiding spot. I went and checked on it soon after they let me out of the hospital and the last time I checked was just before I came here. It was still there, still wrapped in its water tight packaging."

"What’s so special about this knife anyway?" Nick, who had been sitting quietly listening to what was being said around him, asked

"What makes the dagger special is what it is made out of." Redforth explained. "It’s pure gold, a twelve inch blade with a hilt carved in the shape of a dragons head. The eyes of the dragon are pure blood-red rubies and it’s worth a kings ransom."

"Heath?" Jarrod looked at his brother for confirmation of what Redforth had said.

"That’s how Charlie described it, but if you’re asking me if that’s right I’ve never seen it. All I’ve seen is the parcel."

"You’ve never opened it?" Nick asked astonished

"Nope, just checked it was safe and left."

"What did my cousin say he wanted done with the dagger?" Redforth inquired

"He told me there’s an address in with the dagger, told me to go to the address and the man there would arrange for it to be sent back to his family."

"Why didn’t you do as Charles asked?" Redforth continued.

"Hey now mister are you accusing our brother of something?" Nicks hackles were up He didn’t like the tone Redforth was taking.

"Nick." Jarrod warned.

"I didn’t do as Charlie requested mister because there was never any proof that Charlie was in fact dead." Heath countered with.

"You’re sure it’s what Samuelson is after?" Jarrod picked up the questioning.

"Pretty much."

"But how would he know about it?" Nick asked, "If you were all sworn to secrecy?"

"Don’t know."

"So what’s our next move?"

"I’m going to see Matt Bentell" Heath announced "He knew Samuelson back then, maybe he knows something now."

"Like what?" Nick didn’t like this plan at all.

"Where Samuelson is, who he’s with, how he knew."

"And who’s supplying him with information." Mantle put in. "Somebody privy to this has to be working with him. Jenks and Jones knew who else had the information but how would they both know where the rest of the cell group was? No somebody on the inside has to be working with Samuelson."

Jarrod nodded. He’d been thinking the same himself.

"Okay then, but not alone. "Nick agreed, "I’m coming with you."

On a dusty road a drifter stopped and read a faded sign. ‘ Stockton 20 miles’ it read.

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"Are you really sure about this?" Nick asked for the third time since the two brothers had left the house.

"Nick for the last time yes." Heath was getting just a little annoyed with Nick. He understood why Nick was continually questioning his decision to go, but Nick just wouldn’t leave it alone. "Anyway I wanna check on Johnny on the way back, make sure he’s okay."

"Where is this Johnny?"

"He works in one of the camps at the bottom of the flume. Spotted him when I came up with Bentell the last time."

In his own way Nick too wanted to see Johnny Wild if only to say thanks to one of the men who had watched over his little brother during those awful days and months.

"Heath, Nick" Matt Bentell greeted the brothers "What brings you up here?"

"Matt" Nick greeted

Heath, Nick noticed, was still a bit to formal with Bentell, he wasn’t relaxed around the man.

"Don’t blame him," Nick thought to himself. Out loud he said, "We need to talk Matt."

"Sure come on in." Matt led the way into the small cabin "Look if it’s about the quota."

"No, it’s about Caterson and your major." Nick was blunt and to the point.

"Ahh!" Bentell turned and faced the brothers.

"You’ve heard about the recent murders of ex inmates?" Nick eyed his employee.

"Heard something."

"And of course you know about the link between them?"

"The circle of six we called em." He looked to Heath "You was one of them. Toughest of all the Yankee’s I had. Not one of them broke no matter what pressure we placed on them."

"Beat us you mean." Heath half snarled.

Nick could feel the tension rising. He just wanted to get the answers to his questions and then get the hell out.

"Heath." He grabbed Heaths arm. Heath had taken a half step toward Bentell in a threatening manner. "The dagger and Samuelson. Matt tell us about them."

"One of my corporals overheard Red raving about it during one of his bouts with fever. Told Jed. After that it was all Jed talked about. How, if he could find it, it would restore his families home and wealth. He, the corporal name of Tolls and a sergeant, Smitherson, made a pact between them they’d find it and split the money after they sold it."

"YOU KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING?" Heath shouted, struggling to escape from Nick’s grasp

"Weren’t no skin off my nose." Bentell replied "He stopped here before this all began, telling me how he was going to finding it and how he had a contact somewhere in the government helping him."

"Who?" Nick asked still holding onto the struggling Heath.

"Got a half or was it a step brother working somewhere in either the Governors office or the Senators."

"There can’t be that many Samuelson’s." Nick thought out loud.

"He ain’t a Samuelson. Jed’s mother married again after his father was killed. Jed kept his fathers name didn’t take his stepfathers."

Nick swore as the best lead the brothers had just went out the window.

"Why didn’t you tell him about me?" Heath asked.

"He never asked. Said he would be going for Jones first and that the first would lead to the second and so on."

"And it never crossed your mind to report this to anybody?" Nick’s contempt for Bentell was rising.

"Why should I? As I said no skin of my nose. After all they were just Yankee’s, and at times no better then animals."

"GET OUT!" Nick’s temper boiled over. " GET YOUR WIFE AND YOUR THINGS AND GET THE HELL OFF BARKLEY LAND."

"You can’t just…Bentell protested.

"YES I can." Nick countered. "And don’t ever show your face around here again."

The brothers excited the small cabin leaving a stunned and silent Bentell staring at the walls.

"Heath." Nick caught Heath’s arm and swung him around. "About Bentell and forcing you to.."

"Look Nick I understand." Heath ducked his head.

Sensing that Heath was embarrassed Nick quickly changed the subject.

"We’d better get going if we want to be with your friend Johnny by nightfall." He swung into Stealth’s saddle.

"Stockton.How it’s grown" The drifter thought to himself. He looked around, at least five new houses and three new shops had been added since he had passed through two years before. But he didn’t stop. The urge to keep heading east was strong. He didn’t understand it but it was strong.

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"Can I help you gents?" The foreman asked the three strangers who had appeared before him.

"Looking for a man by the name of Wild." Samuelson said looking at the foreman. "We were told he works here."

"Johnny Wild?" The foreman nodded. "Works about two miles that way, you’ll find him there, prefers to work alone."

The threesome departed without a word of thanks and headed in the direction indicated.

"Always figured Wild for a loner." Samuelson shared "Didn’t make much sense him being part of the six."

"It’ll make our job easier anyhow." Smitherson the ex-sergeant observed. "Nobody around to interfere probably won’t even be missed for a day or two."

Samuelson grinned wickedly at the ex-sergeant. They were cut from the same mould; both were in it for the money and to see the ones who had defied them broken. Tolls, the ex-corporal was it in for the money and if push came to shove was also expendable.

"Right, we get what we can from him and then head back to the junction box. Kelsey should’ve received a message by now."

Kelsey Bleu was one of Samuelson’s stepbrothers.

"Thomson?"

"Yep if our friend done his job right we should have at least somewhere to start looking."

Smitherson just nodded.

"Johnny was a loner, in the beginning." Heath said, in response to Nick’s question. " But begin thrown in with five others against your will, having to fight to survival it kinda bonds you together."

"Were you all captured together?" Nick asked carefully. It was rare for his brother to open up on any subject, let alone his time in the prisoner of war camp.

"No they were all in there when I was caught. I was thrown in with them. It took awhile and one nasty incident before we all bonded in our hatred for Bentell and his mob. After that we were just always there for each other. It was the group that gave us our strength and determination not to be broken, looking back on it now."

Nick started to ask another question but was cut off by the sounds of a man screaming in pain and the faint sound of leather hitting skin.

To Heath it was a familiar voice, even screaming in pain he’d know that voice anywhere.

"Johnny!" He exclaimed and turned Chargers head toward the sound.

"Heath wait" Nick called fearing Heath would run head on into Wild’s tormentors and be unprepared.

"Somebody coming Major" Tolls the ex-corporal warned. His part on this sort of thing was lookout.

Samuelson quickly wound the bloodied whip up and placed in on his belt. Before him in the long grass Johnny Wild lay, like the others before him, beaten and broken.

"Hurry" Tolls urged. He could now make out the shapes of two riders heading in the general direction of the party. "There’s two of them."

Smitherson drew his gun. After Samuelson had beaten the information out of their victims it was his job to despatch them.

Tolls, in his hurry to get away, bumped into Smitherson, causing him to be slightly off target.

"Idiot." Smitherson swore. He readied the gun.

"No time." Samuelson called "Let’s move."

"Gunshot." Nick called as he and Heath brought Stealth and Charger to a halt "This way."

It was Heath who spotted the badly wounded John Wilde first.

"JOHNNY!" Heath cried as he flung himself from Chargers back and onto the ground by his friend. "NO!"

Johnny was a mess, blood covered every blade of grass around him, his back was an expanse of torn skin and blood and the area between his shoulder and his stomach was not much prettier.

"Heath." Wild croaked

"Johnny don’t talk we’ll get help." Heath tried to comfort his dying friend. Heath made eye contact with Nick, who just shook his head. Wild was beyond help.

"Samuel..did this…looking….dagger" Wild coughed.

"I know."

"Wants……break…..you…can’t find……doesn’t know…….Barkley."

Nick looked at Heath puzzled.

"Johnny’s the only one who knows about my link to the Barkley name." Heath explained.

Nick nodded. Samuelson was looking for Heath Thomson, not Heath Barkley; this was what had so far kept his brother from ending up like his friend.

"But how much longer would that last?" He asked himself. "With a contact in the Governors office. A contact for whom we still don’t have a name." His attention quickly returned to the scene before him as Wild began to speak again.

"Watch….Heath…joebleu." Wild closed his eyes and felt himself slip away, the pain was finally ending. " So….long…my …friend."

Heath felt Wild’s body go limp; lifting his hand to Johnny’s face he closed the unseeing eyes.

"No more pain Johnny." Saying this Heath then bowed his head and began to weep silently for his lost friend.

Nick, feeling like a stranger in the scene playing out before him, beat a retreat back to Stealth. As much as he wanted to offer comfort to Heath he also knew that his brother needed to have his cry and mourn in private.

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From where they had gathered Samuelson, Smitherson and Tolls watched the brothers.

"It’s Thomson." Samuelson announced. "How’s that for luck?"

"Are you sure Major?" Smitherson asked "After all it’s been years."

"I swore I’d never forget that boy’s face.." Samuelson told the other two "And I never have."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Smitherson was chomping at the bit "Let’s get him."

"When he’s alone." Samuelson indicated to Nick "Not with company hanging around."

"Major." Tolls put in his two cents worth "The dark one with Thomason, I’ve seen him before. He’s a Barkley, Nick Barkley."

"Thomson working for the Barkley’s?" Samuelson pondered the notion. "Why not? It would explain why we haven’t been able to find him." He looked at the brothers again and then at his two companions. "Change of plan, we’ll follow them for a bit."

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Heath and Nick rode back to the lumber camp in silence. The body of John Wild was wrapped in a blanket across Chargers saddle. All the way back Nick had a feeling that something was just not right. It was like they were being followed but he couldn’t see anyone.

With the smoke of the lumber camp in sight Nick made a decision. As much as he didn’t want to leave Heath he felt it would be a good idea to ride ahead, prepare the crew for the arrival of the body and possibly organize for a search party.

"Heath. I’m going to ride ahead organize a few things." Nick told his brother "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah thanks Nick." Heath looked at his older brother. "We won’t be that far behind you."

Taking a last look toward Heath, Nick urged Stealth to lift the pace.

"That’s the last of my staff." Mantle handed Jarrod the list.

In the time since Nick and Heath had departed to see Bentell Jarrod and the Governor had been busy. Mantle had delayed his return to the city and telegrams had flown thick and fast between his office and the Barkley ranch.

"And there’s no one who’s been missed or overlooked?" Jarrod studied the list. So far he’d checked on about three quarters of the names mentioned. So far not even a possible link to Jed Samuelson had been found. He’d checked and double-checked now all he could hope for was that Nick and Heath had had better luck with Bentell.

"There is one name missing, but he’s not one of my staff. Joseph Bleu. He’s the liaison officer between my office and that of Senator Ridgeway."

Jarrod hastily noted the name down and began to write the necessary telegrams out to have the background of Joseph Bleu looked into.

"Any idea when your brothers will return?" Mantle asked.

"Afraid not Richard." Jarrod answered looking up from his desk. "If I know Heath, and I do, he’ll want to stop and check on John Wild before he and Nick get back."

With the reporting of the death of John Wild and the getting together of the posse Nick didn’t notice just how much time had passed. It wasn’t until Charger appeared riderless and with the body of Johnny Wild still tied to him that Nick became alarmed.

"Get the men together as quickly as possible and follow me." He ordered the foreman as he jumped onto Stealth’s back.

"Yessir Mr Barkley." The foreman responded.

Wheeling Stealth around Nick hurried out of the camp and back along the track towards the spot where he had last seen his brother.

"Come on Heath where are you?" He said to the open space around him.

When Nick had left him Heath continued along at a steady pace. Charger had been given his head and was going in the right direction.

This gave Heath time to reflect, on where life had taken him and his friends since their release. On how the same life force had chosen the time to take his friends and in the manner of the taking. He was reminded of something Charlie had said to him one time after he’d come through a nasty bout of fever.

"Hold on to what you have lad, cherish what life has to offer because none of us knows how long we’ll have it for."

The teenage Heath didn’t understand the meaning of the words, but looking back now the adult Heath did.

That also brought to his mind the recent spat between Jarrod and Heather. Hearing Charlie’s words in his head and with Johnny’s body in front of him he realized that what had happened between them had to be resolved.

So lost in thought was Heath that he didn’t really hear the pounding hooves coming up from behind him until it was too late. The blow behind the ear sent him off Chargers back and onto the ground. Charger kept on going.

"Well, well Thomason haven’t we changed since Caterson." Samuelson taunted "Are we also as unbending as ever?"

"You’d better believe it Samuelson." Heath rose and looked at his former jailer. "Smitherson why aren’t I surprised? You two always were the perfect pair of bookends from hell."

That remark earned Heath a smack across the face curtsey of Samuelson.

"Watch your mouth boy."

Heath held his hand to his split lip. "Or you’ll do what?"

"Give you the same thing that we gave your friends." Smitherson smiled an evil smile and started to hand Samuelson his favourite toy.

"Not yet." Samuelson pushed the whip away. " This one needs to be soften up a bit first."

At the signal from Samuelson, Tolls and Smitherson each made a grab for Heath’s arms. Heath put up as much resistance as he could but was soon overpowered.

"Time to talk boy." Samuelson said as he began the ‘softening’ process.

"Never" Heath spat back. Struggling against the hold of Tolls and Smitherson.

"He’s ready." Samuelson nodded toward two trees growing fairly close together "Do it."

"Looks like we won’t be needing Joe Bleu’s information after all." Tolls laughed, as he and Smitherson tied the already bruised and battered Heath to the two sturdiest branches.

At the mention of Joe Bleu Heaths head went up.

"Joe Bleu’s a person, not the ramblings of a dying man." He thought to himself. Out loud he asked "So who’s Joe Bleu?"

"He’s the major’s step." Tolls started to answer.

"Shut your mouth." Samuelson growled "And kept it shut." He turned his attention to Heath "Now boy you know how this goes don’t you?"

"And I still won’t tell you anything." Heath looked defiantly at Samuelson

"You will boy, you will."

"SAMUELSON." The voice of Nick Barkley sounded loud across the still silent stretch of grass.

The ex-major spun around toward the direction of the voice. Nick Barkley and a party of ten others were rapidly approaching the quartet’s position.

With those kinds of odds Samuelson knew that it would be better to disappear now rather then take all of them on and wind up caught or dead.

"We’ll see each other again soon Thomason, count on it."

For Nick the scene before was like something out of a nightmare. His brother was tied between two trees, his shirt ripped and torn hanging around his knees. A tall, well built man standing to his left side a whip dangling from his right hand. A second man almost as well built as the first stood facing Heath, the third member of the group stood a little further away.

"Well don’t just stand there, follow them." Nick yelled to the rest of his party.

For his part Nick jumped off Stealth and hurried over to where Heath was tied. As he was approaching Heath from behind Nick was able to see, with relief, that Samuelson hadn’t yet used the whip. Heath’s back was free from any new marks; just the old hateful scars.

Heath’s face told a different story. Looking at the bloody mess of his brother’s face made Nick wince. There wasn’t a spot on Heaths face that didn’t have either a cut or bruise on it.

"Oh god." Nick quickly cut the ropes that were binding Heath "WATER QUICKLY I NEED WATER HERE NOW." He called to anybody who was listening.

"Nick." Heath croaked through the pain. "Gotta.. get home..talk ..Jarrod."

"No way little brother, not until we get you cleaned up and you’ve had some rest."

Nick soaked his bandana with water from a canteen somebody had handed him and began to clear the blood away from the cuts. "Hey do you know how much trouble we’ll be in if we arrive home now with those cuts untreated? Mother will hit the roof."

"Nick..contact….know…"

"Yes, you know who the contact is and you want to inform Jarrod." Nick said trying to get Heath to see reason. "Heath it’ll be dark soon and I don’t really want either of us riding in the dark, especially with that sick animal on the loose. I promise you little brother first thing in the morning we’ll head for home. Deal?"

Heath just nodded.

As dawn was thinking about breaking Samuelson, Smitherson and Tolls reached the telegraph junction box west of Stockton.

"Kelsey? Kelsey wake up you big oaf." Samuelson yelled to his stepbrother who was sleeping in the tent pitched not for from the telegraph lines. "Any word from Joe?"

"And it’s good to see you to Jed." Kelsey Bleu growled back. He’d just spent another cold night with little sleep and very little to eat listening to the clicking of the telegraph set near him. The last thing he wanted was his overbearing stepbrother breathing down his neck. "A message from Joe and plenty flying back and forward between the Barkley ranch and the Governors office. Seems Mantle is on the Barkley ranch, with some Englishman and their checking the backgrounds of all Mantle’s staff."

"Looking for what?" Samuelson grabbed the papers off the upturned box and out his stepbrother's hand.

"Somebody working for us. Managed to intercept the one about Joe and ‘changed it’ slightly."

"Good, anything else?"

"Yeah, bottom one has information you’ll be wanting to see." Bleu grinned. "It seems your Heath Thomson is now.."

"A BARKLEY." Samuelson roared. "So that’s way that Nick Barkley was with him, and why we couldn’t find him."

"Keep reading." Bleu was enjoying this. "There’s more."

Samuelson scanned the message. As he did his eyes lit up.

"Now that is useful information." He crushed the message into his pocket. "And will be put to good use."

"Heath what happened to you?" Was the question Victoria asked as her two sons came in the door. "Who did this to you."

Although much cleaner and less bloody then the night before Heaths face was still a mass of cuts and bruises.

"Mother I’m fine really." Heath hugged his mother.

"No he’s not." Nick told her. "We had, let’s say, a minor run in with that creep Samuelson."

"And he did that?" Her hand went to Heaths face

"If not for Nick it could’ve been worse." Heath smiled to his older brother.

"Right upstairs young man, I’m going to get my liniment, clean those cuts properly and then you’re going to rest."

"No time Mother." Heath protested, "I’ve got to talk to Jarrod and then I need to head for Colesville."

"Heath, Nick when did you two get?" Jarrod voice came from the top of the stairs. "Heath what happened?" See this youngest brothers face Jarrod hurried down the stairs. "Samuelson?"

"Yeah, Jarrod we found out who the contact is." Heath turned to face Jarrod.

"Right the Governor is in the library let’s talk." As one the three brothers headed for the library leaving Victoria in the hall.

A discrete cough from Victoria made them all about face.

"Sorry Mother, will you join us?" Jarrod hurried back and offered her his arm.

"Much better." Victoria took her eldest sons arm. "Thank- you Jarrod."

Heath and Nick looked at each other. At least she’d forgotten about the liniment for a while.

Outside a small property just east of Colesville the drifter stopped he hadn’t been here before and yet it felt familiar.

"We head for Coleville." Samuelson announced. "Barkley will come sooner or later and when he does we’ll be waiting for him."

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"Jarrod the one you need to talk to is Joe Bleu." Heath told his brother. "He’s a stepbrother of Samuelson and the one who’s been supplying him with information. Johnny Wild is dead as well. I, we were just a bit too late to save him."

" Heath I’m so sorry." Jarrod grasped his brother’s shoulder in a show of support. " And your information about Joe Bleu comes from?"

"Two different sources. Bentell told us he had stepbrothers and one worked for the government. John Wild with his dying breath mentioned the name Joe Bleu." Nick continued.

"And while I was with Samuelson and Co, Tolls the ex-corporal mentioned him by name and Samuelson nearly bit his head off." Heath shifted uncomfortably " Jarrod I’m going to Coleville. This has to end now, I’ll get the dagger and you can take it back to England with you Mr Redforth."

"You know I’ve just developed the itch to see this knife." Nick announced. "I’ll be going with you. Just to see this knife of course."

Nick was the only one in the room with enough front to call the priceless Redforth family heirloom a knife.

"Of course." Heath confirmed. He wasn’t fooled.

"We’ll all be going." Jarrod told his brothers as he looked at both Mantle and Henry Redforth. The two of them gave him a confirming nod. "It’s settled."

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"This is it." Heath announced as the party of three riders and a carriage pulled up outside the fenced off land. "This is Charlies farm."

The property itself was some five miles east of the town of Coleville. Set in a valley between two mid sized mountain ranges it was accessible only through a tunnel in the side of one of the ranges.

"Feels like home." Henry Redforth had said, as they existed the tunnel. "No wonder Charles picked this spot."

"The house is this way." Heath indicated.

"The daggers hidden in somewhere in the house?" Mantle asked.

"Nope." Heath responded. "It’s hidden beyond the house, somewhere nobody in their right mind would ever hide a valuable piece."

The group skirted around the small farmhouse and headed for one for the rock walls. Cascading down the wall was a small natural waterfall.

"The time’s I’ve been here this has been dry and getting to it easy." Heath told the group as he carefully stepped over the slippery rocks.

"It’s behind the waterfall?" Nick asked.

"Yep." Heath reached above his head. With the tips of his fingers he was able to get some purchase on the lose rocks and carefully began to remove them.

From his hiding place not far from the waterfall the drifter watched as one of the strangers, who had arrived earlier, pulled out the rocks from behind the waterfall.

"Why?" He asked himself "Why was he doing this? For what purpose?"

Looking at the waterfall, the rocks and finally the small package the blond stranger had pulled out an image appeared in his head. He was seeing his own hands place the parcel in the waterfall and push the rocks in front of it.

The vision happened so quickly that it caught him by surprise and in his shock he stepped on a dry twig.

Nicks head went up at the sound of the snapping twig. By instinct he drew his gun. Standing next to him Jarrod did the same. With a nod of his head he indicated to Heath to return the parcel to its hiding spot Heath acknowledged and did so.

"Come here you." Nick grabbed the surprised drifter by the collar and pulled him to his feet. This was not who he had expected to find hiding in the scrub. He fully expected to find Samuelson and his two companions. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Fear showed on the face of the helpless drifter as Nick pushed him toward the group.

"Now once again who are you and what are you doing here?" Nick repeated the question.

"I don’t now mister." The words shocked everybody for they were spoken with a clipped upper class English accent.

"Charles?" Henry Redforth questioned as he approached the drifter. This man before him didn’t look like his cousin but the voice was unmistakeable. "Charles is that really you?"

"Do I know you?" The drifter sounded confused.

"Charles, it’s me Henry, Henry Redforth your cousin."

The drifter regarded the Englishman with caution.

"Charlie? Charlie Red?" Heath approached the drifter. "Do you remember me? It’s Heath, Heath Thomson."

The drifter now turned his attention toward Heath.

Puzzled eyes looked at Heath and somewhere inside the drifter’s mind an image appeared. The image of a frightened and scared teenage prisoner. A teenage boy being tossed around and used as a punching bag by several large prison guards. The blonde before him had the same face. And then it all came back, the war, the prison, the argument with his father and the older boy he played with as a child.

"I know you." The drifter said. "You were there, at that stinking hole."

"Yes I was." Heath admitted. "So were you, you showed a teenage boy the true meaning of strength, and how not to give in even when the odds seemed insurmountable."

Charles Redforth nodded. "Heath."

"Charlie."

"Henry." Charles faced his cousin. "I do remember you, you and that wooden sword you never let me play with."

Henry Redforth allowed himself to smile as he too remembered the toy in question. His cousin was back.

"But what are you all doing here?" Charles asked confused. "Not the dagger?"

"Yeah" Heath answered for the group. He then went on to describe the recent events for his still slightly confused friend. As well as introducing his brothers and Mantle.

"I read about Cal and Russ’s murders." Charles told the group. "But Hank, and Johnny too?"

"We were both there." Nick told him "Johnny died in Heath’s arms."

"All because of this." Charles took the parcel from Heath and opened it.

The ruby eyes of the dragon glinted in the sun as Charles Redforth opened the package. Although tarnished by the years the gold in the piece still managed to glint just a little.

"Here Charles." Henry Redforth handed over the scabbard. "Make it whole again."

The group watched as Charles Redforth slipped the dagger into its scabbard. The polished gold of the scabbard looked out of place against the tarnished head of the dragon but the eyes looked right.

"Here Heath." Charles handed the piece to a very surprised Heath. "Take it."

"Charlie, I can’t it belongs to your family. It wouldn’t be right." Heath protested.

"I want you to have it. After all you’ve been through to protect and guard the secret of it. It’s only right that you have it." Charles looked at his cousin.

"I agree." Henry Redforth confirmed.

"And Henry you can tell my father, I’m not coming back. Tell him I’m dead." Charles instructed his cousin. "You’re the new Earl of Waterford."

Henry started to protest but one look from his pig headed, stubborn cousin told him not to bother.

BVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBV

The sound of thundering hooves caused the group to look around and then hit the ground as three horses charged the area.

On the lead horse Jed Samuelson saw the object of his desire and headed for Heath. With the reins of his horse in his left hand Samuelson reached down and attempted to grab the prize from Heaths sturdy grip.

With all his strength Heath Barkley held on the Redforth family heirloom and actually managed to pull Samuelson from his horse, the pair ended up rolling on the ground each struggling to wrench the dagger from the others grasp.

Punches flew thick and fast, the dagger somehow ended up flying through the air and landing in a small clump of bushes a short distance away.

Smitherson and Tolls, while all this was going on, had circled around and where now charging the group again guns drawn. Smitherson in the lead fired a shot off in the general direction of the struggling pair. The shot missed and Smitherson never got the chance to get a second shot off as Nick took aim and fired.

Tolls faced the same fate, but at the hands of Jarrod Barkley not Nick.

With Heath and Samuelson rolling on the ground it was impossible for either of the Barkley brothers to get a clear shot. A bullet fired at the wrong moment could’ve ended up robbing them of their blonde brother.

A shot fired into the air drew everybody’s attention toward the tunnel entrance to the valley.

Sitting in her carriage drawn by Silverfire Lady was Heatherleah Barkley.

With all the focus of everybody’s attention on the new arrival and not him. Jed Samuelson decided this would be the best moment to make an escape. He may not have the prize dagger in his possession but he would still be alive and able to have another go at breaking Heath Barkley sometime in the future.

A quick backhander momentarily stunned Heath, allowing Samuelson to get to his feet and make a dash for his horse.

"We will see each other again Barkley, I promise you and when that time comes I will break you and I will enjoy it." He called over his shoulder to Heath.

"Dammit." Nick swore as Samuelson rode out of range.

"Well a least Charlie is safe." Heath told his brothers as he held the dagger. " And so is this." He held the dagger up.

"But for how long will you be?" Nick questioned. The escape of Jed Samuelson and the threat he’d left behind left a bad taste in this mouth.

"Who knows Big Brother, who knows" Heath said gripping Nicks shoulder. The pair watched as Jarrod and Heather, once bickering siblings, made their peace with each other. "But one thing’s certain I won’t be looking over my shoulder, hiding, cowering from every sound, cause if I did it’d mean that Samuelson’s won."

Nick nodded. The real courage of the Barkley’s had shone through in that statement. He felt very proud of his little brother.

"Hold on to what you have lad, cherish what life has to offer because none of us knows how long we’ll have it for. Charlie told me that once." Heath shared

"And he was right." Jarrod said as arm in arm he and Heather joined Nick and Heath.

The End.

Final line of the story Heath tells his twin and jarrod to hold onto and cherish what live has to offer because you don’t know how long you’ll have it for.