hapter 1      

It had not surprised Jarrod Barkley's wife Sarah in the slightest when the State Governor of California himself asked her husband, asked him moreover as a personal favour, to undertake the job of Chief Prosecuting Counsel in the upcoming criminal trial of the infamous racketeer Marsh Lonsdale.

He was also rumoured to run a wide-spread protection racket, although rumour was about as solid as any allegation ever got for Lonsdale had a way of intimidating his victims into profound silence.

Prosecuting such a man was likely to prove a Herculean task, requiring the most dedicated and determined of prosecutors. For this reason, the decision to ask Jarrod to undertake this monumentally difficult job seemed very natural to Sarah Barkley. The Governor had assured Jarrod that he would be ably assisted by one of Sacramento's brightest young attorneys if he would agree to take on the job. Sarah knew her husband to be a man of firmly upright principles and he deserved his reputation for absolute integrity and incorruptibility. He was also a prominent lawyer in this State and a man wealthy and influential enough to withstand any attempt by Lonsdale to subborn or pressure him.

What had briefly taken Sarah by surprise was her husband's initial reluctance to take on the job. Knowing him as well as she did, she had expected him to both accept the job with alacrity and also to revel in the challenge of bringing down one of California's most feared and wicked criminal warlords.However, Sarah was as clever as she was lovely and she swiftly divined what it was that made her husband hesitate to take this job. She faced him with it as soon as the Governor had left their home, begging Jarrod as he departed to think his decision over carefully before giving his answer. Jarrod had escorted their distinguished guest to the front door, promising to telegraph his decision to Sacramento the next day. The Governor had smiled ruefully, "I DO know what it is I'm asking Jarrod and I am aware that you are a busy man with important work of your own to attend to. I would not ask this of you if I wasn't sure to the roots of my soul that you are the best man, perhaps the only man with a chance of bringing Lonsdale down."

The Lawyer courteously inclined his head, "thank you Sir, coming from you, those words mean a great deal to me."

Returning to his sitting room Jarrod smiled at his wife who was standing beside the fireplace, her chin was up and she met his clear blue gaze, a distinct challenge in her own smoky blue eyes.

"It's us isn't it?" Her voice was quiet but compelling and Jarrod raised an enquiring eyebrow. "Us?"

Sarah nodded, "me and the children, that's why you're hesitating to take a job I imagine you are fairly itching to do. You're worried about us."

Her husband smiled slightly, "well yes that is what makes me hesitate, I'm sure you can understand why."

Sarah shook her head vehemently, "no! Do you imagine that I am afraid of that man?"

Jarrod crossed to the decanters and poured them both a drink. His voice took on a harder edge, "well if you aren't afraid of Lonsdale you should be," he said flatly. He handed his wife her drink and she grasped his arm with an urgent hand, "I know that Lonsdale is a monster but that's exactly why the Governor wants YOU, he knows that you will take a stand against Lonsdale and all that he represents!"

Jarrod was touched by her faith in him but he shook his head too, "may I remind you that we are parents now, there are three children upstairs, a boy not six years old and twins under the age of two! Are you seriously asking me to put them, or you at risk by taking this case?"

"Yes! I don't want you to sacrifice your principles because of us ...If you do you will be cheating your children out of one of the greatest gifts you can give them, the courage to stand up for what they believe in. Answer me this, would you take this case if you and I had never met? If you were a single man now, wouldn't the Governor be heading back to Sacramento with your answer in his pocket?"

Jarrod grinned, "objection Your Honour, badgering the witness!"

He reached for his wife and Sarah melted into his arms, he spoke into her bright hair, "do I want this case? You bet I do! But we have resposibilities Lady Fair and we would do well to consider this matter carefully."

She pulled away from him slightly and looked deep into his wondrous eyes, a powerful wave of love making her voice tremble as she spoke, "alright Darling we will consider everything carefully," her pause was perfectly timed, "then you can telegraph the Governor and tell him you'll do it!" Her eyes sparkled with mischief and there was an answering gleam in the Lawyer's eyes as he pulled her close once more, locking his lips to hers in a kiss passionate enough to leave the pair of them breathless.

He did take the job of course and a week later, true to his pledge, the Governor sent a young attorney called Peter Barton to assist Jarrod in his work. Peter was a tall dark young man, handsome and with a ready smile. He was green but what he lacked in experience he more than made up for in enthusiasm, setting to work with a will and impressing his mentor with his diligence and his dedication. It was apparent from the first that he had a serious case of hero-worship for Jarrod and that he had jumped at the chance of working with him, the dangers of the task in hand did not deter him in the least.

Jarrod however was aware of the risks to which he was exposing his whole family. Not just his wife and three children but the wider family too. He took them all into his confidence and received the reaction from them that he expected to. His mother calmly wished him well with the venture and promised to be careful and watchful on her own account and those of the rest of the family as well. At least as she pointed out to him, there was no need to fear for either Audra or Eugene, both paying an extended visit back east in New York. Heath smiled his slow sleepy smile and quietly assured Jarrod that he would watch over his own growing family and Jarrod's too.

"Well of COURSE we will!" Nick exploded wrathfully glaring at his eldest brother, "you and Peter get the job done and leave the rough stuff to me and Heath!" A grin lightened his frowning face and he gestured at Jarrod's business suit, "we wouldn't want you spoiling those lily-white Lawyer's hands now would we?"

When the two ranching brothers were back out on the range again, they discussed the matter between them. It was a good few years now since Heath had arrived in the Big Valley, indeed Nick had trouble remembering a time when he and Heath had not discussed and decided matters together. There had been those who had predicted that Heath would not stay with the Barkleys long. Some thought he would milk them for all he could obtain and then leave as abruptly as he had arrived. Heath had proved these doubters wrong, setting down deep roots which now had an unshakeable hold on this land. Others had prophesied that Nick would never share his power with his new brother and that the formidable young rancher would drive the interloper out, with his bare hands if necessary. They too were proved wrong, after initial doubts, Nick had gladly shared his responsibilities with Heath. A decision he had never had cause to regret, for he found a friend and brother as well as a staunch ally and loyal companion. Neither brother doubted that trouble and big trouble at that was headed their family's way. Both men were married themselves now with children of their own and they knew they needed to ensure that all their loved ones were adequately protected from the considerable threat that Lonsdale's criminal empire represented. But they were confident men the Barkley brothers and neither Nick nor Heath had the smallest fear that they would be unable to defend what mattered to them most.

The safety measures that they agreed between them were implemented by Nick and Heath without delay and both were able to assure Counselor Barkley that he need have no fear for his loved ones but could devote all his considerable energies to the job before him. In the coming days Nick and Heath Barkley would both savage themselves for failing to perceive where the true danger to the Barkley clan really lay.

hapter 2      

Sarah Barkley stood alone on the terrace of her home, staring unseeingly into the depths of her rapidly darkening garden. This place had always represented peace and security, her first truly permanent home. A feeling that was so intense it moved her physical being, she had never put her roots down so strongly before, not even during her first marriage to Bart Delaney. She had always felt safe and warm here, content with her children and her adored husband Jarrod. She shivered in the chill evening air and turning went sadly and disconsolately indoors. She sank wearily onto the nearest chair, all strength draining from her as her grief overwhelmed her, for all the peace and tranquillity had vanished from her home. True, her three children slept soundly upstairs but for over three days now her husband had been missing.

Jarrod's prosecution of Stockton's biggest warlord of the vice and moneylending trade had been conducted with ruthless efficiency and dedication. He had done a relentlessly effective job and slowly, gradually he had begun to convince people that they could stand up to this thug. Ordinary citizens had started to give evidence, encouraged by the fearless decency of Jarrod Barkley, then his enemy had acted. Without warning one evening, Jarrod Barkley simply vanished from his law office and with every day that passed without a sign of him, the chilling dread in Sarah Barkley's heart and soul increased.

Victoria Barkley still lived in the elegant white mansion built for her by her late husband, it represented the fruits of his first big successful business venture and they both took delight in their happy home together and in their hard earned wealth..After Tom's death she had stayed on in the familiar house, drawing some comfort from the fact that Tom's presence was so strong there that it helped her to cope with her loss. This house had always been a bustling family home, once it had been home to Victoria's three sons and her daughter, then when Heath was accepted into the family it had become his home also. In the intervening years, Jarrod and Sarah had married, and Nick and Heath had also found wives. Jarrod and Nick both built their own fine houses, Heath and his family still lived with Victoria. Heath's gentle wife had needed the help and support of her mother-in-law's strong personality and had never wanted to live anywhere other than Victoria's house.

Just as Sarah sat disconsolately in her garden, so too did Victoria sit among her roses. It was here that Nick found her, dropping to one knee in front of her and taking her cold hands in his, squeezing them re-assuringly. "Duchess I have a little news from Heath, it ain't much but it's better than nothin' I reckon."

Victoria sat upright in her seat, her worried eyes scanning his face, "tell me Nick!"

Nick told her the rumours that had come to Heath's ears and for a long moment the Barkley matriarch sat in silent thought. At length she rose and said with brisk decision, "I think we shoud share this with Sarah, she has a right to know."

Nick agreed, "I'll bring the buggy around Mother."

With uncharacteristic bleakness and despair Sarah had made up her mind about Jarrod's likely fate. She didn't believe that she was going to see him again this side of the grave. The only comfort she felt able to hope for was that her mind might be set at ease by the discovery of his body. Even that tiny comfort would be better than simply never knowing what had happened to him. She feared however that even this dubious gift was to be denied her. If' as seemed likely, Jarrod's defendant Marsh Lonsdale had orchestrated the abduction, his most obvious course was to drop the troublesome lawyer into some hole so deep that he could never surface again. Sarah sighed, that or the river, she thought drearily.

She roused herself from her uncomfortable and dismal reverie as her front door bell pealed. Her servants would deny admittance to most people but if this was a family visit she would have company in a few seconds. She heard Nick Barkley's powerful voice and the warning tone of her mother in law telling Nick that there were sleeping children in this house. Then both were at her side, Victoria embracing her solicitously and Nick smiling lovingly at her. She did her best to return the smile, her perceptive smoky blue eyes taking in the rancher's weary pallor and red-rimmed eyes. Nick and Heath had searched frantically and with increasing desperation for their elder brother since his abduction and his exhaustion was stamped on Nick's face now.

"How you doin Sass?" It was a foolish question but she smiled gently at him.

"I'm holding up Nick, how about you and Heath?"

Her eyes darted between Victoria and Nick, there was an air of suppressed excitement about the rancher and the diminutive Barkley matriarch and a tiny spark of hope kindled in Sarah's heart.

Victoria pressed Sarah into a chair, "now listen Darling," her voice had a warning tone, "you must try not to build up your hopes too much!"

Sarah was utterly calm but the spark in her heart was slowly building into a steady flame and she knew, KNEW with every fibre of her being that her Jarrod was not yet lost to her.

When she spoke her voice was quietly but palpably joyous, "you have news for me." It was not a question.

Nick dropped on one knee in front of her, "Heath has been snooping around the dives where he might likely hear some news of Lonsdale's activities and the rumour is that he intends to release Jarrod. Seems he thinks the risks of killing him are too great. If it's true, we only have to wait a while and who knows, we could hear something soon."

He looked searchingly at his lovely sister in law, "I know it isn't much Sass, but it seems pretty sure he is alive don't you think?"

She didn't answer him straight away, her sharp brain was rapidly assessing this information and soon she nodded and turned to Victoria and Nick, "yes, alive, it seems likely, but what else?"

The Barkleys were both staring intently at her and one slow tear rolled down Sarah's drawn face.

"If Lonsdale has had Jarrod for three days and nights, what has he done to him, what exactly are we going to get back, a man...or a..." she broke off as grief shook her and tears overwhelmed her voice.

Victoria enfolded her, petting and soothing but Nick took her from his mother's consoling arms and spoke to her with unwonted sternness.

"Now that's enough of that Sass! This is Jarrod we are talking about and my big brother has more courage than any man I've ever known!"

Sarah choked back her fear and distress and smiled tenderly at Nick, "Jarrod once said exactly the same of you Nick."

Despite his troubles Nick managed a ghost of his old grin, "he did?"

Sarah nodded and then shivered suddenly, turning so pale that Nick feared she was about to faint and caught her around her shapely waist. "Easy there Sassy, if I let you fall over and hurt yourself Jarrod will have my hide when he gets back!"

Sarah smiled wanly and let Nick hand her to a seat on the settee beside Victoria. Her mother in law held both Sarah's ice-cold hands in her own warm ones. Victoria spoke earnestly, "we have to hold on to the idea that Jarrod is alive Sarah, we have to believe it and we have to keep faith with him." Her voice trembled on a tiny sob, "because I know my son! Wherever Jarrod is, you can depend upon it that he is keeping faith with us too."

It was Sarah's turn to comfort Victoria's distress now and she held the older woman close, "you're right Victoria and we will keep faith with Jarrod just as he will with us.

hapter 3      

They tried to keep faith and for two more agonising days this faith was the only thing any of the Barkleys had to cling to. Sarah got a visit from the dejected Peter Barton, the young man had soldiered gallantly on with the case in his mentor's absence but he was close to despair now and explained his reasons to Sarah.

"Basically Mrs. Barkley we have a weak case here, the thing that was making the difference was your husband. He was quite literally inspiring in that court room. Facing down all of Lonsdale's thugs, reducing some of them to quivering wrecks on the stand. I was watching the faces in that court Ma'am, I actually think I saw the tide begin to turn as folks watched a man like Jarrod Barkley make a stand. I saw people begin to think, if this man can defy these animals, so can I." The young lawyer broke off and buried his face in his hands, "now all that is ebbing away and the old fear is taking hold again."

The trial proper had not yet begun, these were the preliminary hearings and Sarah knew that Peter was right, it was the personal charisma of Jarrod Barkley that was making the difference. The young attorney's next words did not surprise her, even as they cut her to the heart, "I...well...I wanted you to know first Ma'am, I'm going to tell the judge we don't intend to proceed." His anxious eyes searched Sarah's ravaged face for a reaction. She managed to command her voice and was amazed at how calm she was able to sound, "I understand how daunting a task you have on your hands Peter but I beg you not to do that! I'm asking you in my husband's name to give him the time he needs, my family are all keeping faith with Jarrod, I'm begging you to do so too."

For a long moment he looked into her agonized countenance before reluctantly nodding, "alright Mrs. Barkley, I'll do my best, but I have to warn you, I'm not sure how long..."

He broke off burying his face in his hands.

Sarah had said what she could to ease his pain but her own helpless agony was almost overwhelming her. She had acceded to Victoria's suggestion to let Minnie Perlman take the children out of harm's way until the situation was resolved but she missed them terribly. It had been painful when little Jack asked a dozen times in a day when Papa was coming home but the house was empty without Jack and his siblings and the leisure afforded by their absence gave Sarah too much time to think and to fear the worst. Several times since Jarrod's disappearance, Sarah had mentally savaged herself for encouraging him to take this dangerous case, even though she knew in her heart that not to have taken it would have diminished Jarrod in his own estimation.

Nor had she given up her offspring without a fight. Her mother in law had been sympathetic, she had gotten to know Sarah very well in the years since Jarrod had married the lady-journalist and she knew how lonely and bleak a childhood Sarah had endured. The youngest sibling of a large brood, the close and loving intimacy of family life as the Barkleys lived it had been unknown to Sarah. She had made a secret promise to herself at the time of little Jack's birth that none of her children would suffer as she herself had done. They should never know the pain of being rootless or unwanted, so when it was first put to her that she should part with not only six year old Jack but his two year old twin brother and sister too, Sarah had rejected the plan, vehemently and without hesitation. Victoria had understood and had patiently argued her daughter-in-law out of her opposition, representing to her the unwisdom of keeping the children at home in potential danger. At length and extremely reluctantly Sarah had consented and the children were taken into Minnie Perlman's tender care.

When she had said good bye to Peter Barton, after urging him not to give up on either Jarrod or the trial, Sarah went up to her peaceful bedroom and sat at her beautiful private desk. This handsome piece of furniture had been Jarrod's gift to his new wife when they first moved into their own home. It was an acknowledgement of her career and his respect for her intellect, it was a defining gesture for the nature of their marriage. Sarah drew a sheet of notepaper towards her and wrote a note to Minnie explaining that the house was unbearably lonely without her children and asking for their return as soon as possible. She wrote a further note to Victoria explaining her reasons and asking that her brothers-in-law take steps to ensure the children's safety. Her notes despatched, Sarah tried to rest and relax as well as she could, which was not very well because her missing husband's handsome and kindly face was omni-present in her mind.

Sarah need not have worried, security for the whole Barkley family had been uppermost in the minds of Nick and Heath Barkley ever since Jarrod's abduction. It was not the Barkley way to bring in hired guns but their own trusted hands, loyal to a man, were armed to the teeth and mounting the most vigilant of watches over all the Barkley family members and interests. Heath himself restored Sarah's children to her carrying a toddler twin in either arm and preceded through the front door by boisterous little Jack. The sturdy little boy at once demanded to know if his father was home yet and if so had he brought any presents? Heath saved Sarah the trouble of answering this by ordering Jack to help him with the carriage horses, he deposited Sarah's daughter Rebecca in her arms, handed little Robert to the waiting nursemaid and swept his nephew up and onto his shoulders. They went out together and Sarah had a respite to gather herself before Jack could start to question her again.

By the time Heath returned to the house once more with Jack, Sarah was more prepared for her little son's eager questions and met them calmly. In answer to Jack's indignant "but WHEN will my Papa be home! Is he coming soon Momma?" Sarah's smoky blue eyes shone with her unshed tears, "I certainly hope so Jack, I certainly hope so because we miss him very much don't we my pet?"

Heath stayed all evening ostensibly just keeping his sister in law company and playing with the children but in reality keeping watch and ward over Jarrod's family. Heath had a strong bond with his eldest brother, it was not the companionable relationship that working so closely with each other had wrought between Heath and Nick. This was an equally close but quite different relationship, Heath looked up to the principled lawyer, sought and followed his advice and respected Jarrod's judgement. Both he and Nick had strained every nerve to find their missing sibling and both men were dangerously tired. Doggedly Heath remained on guard, it seemed to him that all he could now do for the missing Jarrod was to protect the little family that meant more to Jarrod than his own life. If you are alive Big Brother, thought Heath bleakly.

Eventually Sarah threw him out and when he started to argue with her she waved a finger at the tall fair-haired cowboy, "now you listen to me Heath Barkley, you are out on your feet and need some rest! If Jarrod were here he'd give you that austere paternal frown and order you home to bed and you know it!"

Heath's gentle lop-sided smile dawned and died in the same moment, "I guess you're right Sarah," he said quietly. Shaking his head he continued sadly, "how is it possible though? How can a man, an important man disappear so completely?"

Her voice was so low that he scarcely heard Sarah's reply, "I don't know Heath, I really don't know."

His anxious blue eyes searched her strained white face, "we really have tried hard to find him Sarah, I mean we've looked in every shady dive, every back street tavern, places I was scared to go into!"

She couldn't help smiling at that, for it was the family custom, when low-life areas had to be penetrated to send Heath into danger. He had led a chequered life before his entry into and acceptance by the Barkley family and the haunts of the ungodly were no stranger to him. Sarah cupped her hand to her brother in law's handsome cheek, "believe me Heath, I know how hard you have tried!"

Heath's own hand came up to cover hers and his familiar twisted smile dawned, "you kind of sounded like Jarrod just then."

Suddenly and without warning her face crumpled and tears flowed fast from her stricken eyes.

"Sarah!" Poor Heath sounded horrified and gathered her in his arms soothing her sudden distress as well as he could. The paroxysm of grief was soon over and Sarah apologised to her shaken brother-in-law. Heath's handsome face was full of concern and he shook his head, "it's only natural Sarah, any time you want a shoulder to cry on, I'm the man for the job alright?"

She smiled sadly, thanked the fair-haired rancher and at last persuaded him to go home to his own bed. He did so, assuring her that there were a dozen men guarding her and the children and that Nick would be there at first light.

When Heath had gone Sarah went upstairs to the nursery and spent a healing hour sitting beside the cribs of her little twins. That done she looked in on Jack only to find his bed empty. Heart lurching with fright she ran down the stairs to her own room and stopped in the doorway exhaling with relief as she saw the figure of her small son curled up in her bed. She swiftly joined him and there was a measure of comfort in that small warm presence. Her last conscious thought before she slipped into a sleep of sheer exhaustion was to hope fervently that Jarrod was still alive.

hapter 4      

Jarrod Barkley was indeed still alive, he knew that much, but that was virtually all he did know, he reflected with a wry grimace. The place of his imprisonment was a dark dank stone-walled tomb, he had examined every inch of it when he came back to consciousness, at least he had examined as much of it as he could reach, for he was chained down to the cold floor like a tethered animal. His first and most frightening thought was that he had been buried alive and for a chilling few minutes he had felt raw razor sharp terror, so vivid that he could have screamed aloud, so total was his sense of panic.

It was the incisive reasoning element of himself that preserved his sanity as he took hold of the fear that threatened to destroy him and rigorously suppressed it. His brain ordered him to assess the situation and he strained every nerve, using all of his formidable faculties and also his senses to determine his circumstances. His quick mind absorbed the information that he gathered, he was NOT buried alive. The men who had abducted him from his office had knocked him cold and he knew from his nausea and thumping headache that they must also have drugged him. That must mean that a considerable amount of time had elapsed between the abduction and his awakening painfully to find himself in this impenetrably dark place. If he had been buried alive, surely he would have suffocated by now?

Having re-assured himself on this point, Jarrod set out to discover all he could about his present predicament. He was chained securely and there was nothing to hand that he could use to help him free himself. His fetters were uncomfortable but not too tight that they threatened his circulation, he could stretch his cramped limbs but could not stand up. It was oppressively quiet here and he knew that he was alone but by straining his ears he could hear sounds that betokened life not too far away. He tried the experiment of shouting for help and was hoarse before he finally concluded that he was too far from aid to be heard. His mind analysed the sounds he had heard, the rumbling of heavy wagon wheels, a distant ship's siren on the water and the hammering of construction work.

What was he to make of these details? He concluded that he was more than likely imprisoned in one of the derelict warehouses on the Stockton riverfront. His wet and gloomy surroundings indicated a cellar of such a building. Clearly construction work was in progresss nearby and the noise of this would effectively prevent his cries for help from being heard. Jarrod was optimistic about the outcome of this matter though. If Lonsdale, and Jarrod did not doubt for a second that it was he who had orchestrated this abduction, intended to kill him, the Lawyer reasoned he would by now have done so. With a spark of hope Jarrod reasoned that he had at least a chance to survive this ordeal.

Ordeal it certainly was, his muscles were cramped and sore from his enforced immobility and he dwelt in permanent near-darkness. He was cold and hungry, a wooden bucket with a lid stood within his reach and it was filled with water. On the lid stood a metal cup and a plate with a large chunk of bread on it. Jarrod grimaced wryly to himself, he was not to be starved then? The water and bread both became less wholesome as the lonely days of his imprisonment wore on, but shrugged the lawyer, beggars cannot be choosers, so he both ate and drank and bent his powerful mind to the difficult task of staying optimistic and not permitting himself to either lose hope or become disorientated by his suffering.

Jarrod Barkley was a fastidious and meticulous person and of all aspects of his predicament he most hated being left to stew in his own dirt! It was this aspect of the matter that led him to realise what the object of his enemy was, he felt that he knew with utter certainty exactly what Lonsdale intended to do with him. One the one hand, there was cause for relief because Jarrod did not believe that Lonsdale intended to kill him, on the contrary, his release was assured. But how to prevent his enemy from attaining his objective? That question tormented the trapped man through the dreary and solitary days of his incarceration.

hapter 5      

Marsh Lonsdale was a larger than life figure in every sense of the word. His reputation as a ruthless and dangerous criminal was mirrored by his fearsome physical appearance. He stood six feet two and was built like a bull, with thick dark eyebrows and a craggy face. He could handle himself in a fight and years of rich pickings had not lessened his ability to take care of himself. He had half expected the hot-headed Nick Barkley to storm into the Pleasure Palace, Lonsdale's waterfront saloon and the hub of his evil empire. He had looked forward to this encounter with relish and had been slightly disappointed that Nick had not done so. Lonsdale did not know that it had taken every ounce of Heath Barkley's ingenuity to prevent Nick from facing up to Lonsdale and quite simply trying to beat Jarrod's whereabouts out of the loan shark. Heath had prevailed and it was a source of some satisfaction to him that for once in his life his brother Nick had taken Heath's advice and done the sensible thing staying away from Lonsdale and his thugs.

Unfortunately Nick was not the only member of the Barkley clan who sometimes let his feelings master his intellect and it was a much younger and more vulnerable person who eventually confronted the formidable Lonsdale in his private sanctum at the Pleasure Palace.

Lonsdale looked up from the papers on his big desk expecting to see one of his lieutenants and stared in surprise at the tall young man standing aggressively before the desk.

"Who in Hades are you Boy?"

The stranger was a handsome lad, tall and straight with wavy brown hair and deep brown eyes, now glittering with his hostility. He clenched his fists, "I'm Danny Mathews!"

Londsdale frowned, "who?"

Danny spoke with quiet venom, "Jarrod Barkley is my guardian!"

The thick-set older man relaxed in his big leather chair and his brow cleared, he grinned at the bristling Danny, "are you now? Well it surely is a dreadful business about Counselor Barkley vanishing and all but what do you want with me Boy?"

"You know very well what I want Lonsdale and I aim to get it too!" Suddenly there was a gun in the youngster's hand and Lonsdale looked at it in some surprise. If this kid was really Barkley's ward it was to be expected that he would be law-abiding, the gun was almost a shock. But Lonsdale was a pretty shrewd judge of character, that was one of the reasons why he had been so deeply worried by Jarrod Barkley's advocacy and his main motivation for acting decisively against the prosecutor. He had sensed Jarrod Barkley's steel and knew him for a real threat. He could sense the steel in this boy also but he could sense the decency too. He did not doubt that this boy had come here to demand Jarrod Barkley's whereabouts at the point of a gun, but equally he did not doubt that the lad was incapable of shooting him in cold blood.

Lonsdale's smile was patronising and his tone jeeringly insulting, "well now Sonny, your guardian should have taught you never to draw a gun unless you intend to use it!"

He had put a sneering exaggeration on the word guardian that made his gun tremble in Danny's hand but the boy was determined and answered resolutely enough, "don't make the mistake of under-estimating me Lonsdale, I don't want to kill you but there is nothing, NOTHING that I wouldn't do to help Jarrod Barkley and as for you,"the youngster's eyes flicked contemptuously over his enemy, "you're not fit to breathe the same air as him!"

The wily loan-shark had had his hand on a concealed pistol in the front drawer of his desk throughout his conversation with the Mathews boy but something stopped him from using it, although he would have been within his legal rights when the lad held a gun on him in his own office! There was just some strangely familiar quality about the lad, standing so proudly and fearlessly that touched an almost forgotten chord in the corrupted man seated at the desk. Had he ever been as fine a boy as this when he was an innocent? He shook off the unaccustomed mood of reminiscence, this arrogant pup did not perhaps need killing but he surely needed a lesson!

Lonsdale raised his voice and gave a bellow for his assistants, startled, Danny backed uncertainly away from the desk and at that moment the office door was flung open and several men rushed in. In short order Danny was over-powered and divested of his weapon, two of the men held him by the arms, "shall we throw him into the street Boss?"

The heavy-set racketeer shook his head, "not yet boys, not just yet!" He drew back his hand and brought his fist crashing forward to connect with Danny's chin, further blows rained down on the helpless boy about his face and body. Danny absorbed the dreadful beating with bitter acceptance, he had ridden non-stop from the high country on learning of his guardian's fate with the sole intention of forcing Lonsdale to reveal Jarrod's whereabouts. He had failed in his mission and at this moment didn't much care about his own destiny.

Danny Mathews arrival in Stockton had been witnessed by an intelligent young Barkley ranch hand and as he saw the boy go striding off towards the Pleasure Palace he ran as fast as he could to the Sheriff's office where he knew both Nick and Heath Barkley were in conference with Sheriff Fred Madden. He interrupted them without ceremony and blurted out his news, with a roaring oath Nick set off at the run, closely followed by his brother and a stream of lawmen.

A part of Nick was almost exultant, the boy was a fool but his actions were precisely what Nick himself had wanted to do all along and he couldn't find it in his heart to blame Danny. The promise of swift and violent action was appealing after these days of inactivity and dread.

The ensuing fight was fierce and bloody and by the time the Sheriff managed to exert his authority and separate the sides, Nick and Heath Barkley had both beaten up a good many of Lonsdale's men besides taking a certain amount of punishment themselves. Eventually, the Barkley brothers were able to carry young Danny into Doctor Merar's office, where both Sarah and Victoria Barkley eventually joined them. Victoria confronted the sheepish Heath, "well? What have you got to say for yourself," she demanded.

His smile was pained for his lip was split, "sorry Mother!"

Sarah was glaring fiercely at Nick Barkley and he waved a placating hand at her, "stop frowning at me Sass!" He indicated the reclining Danny, "he started it, we had to go in after him!"

Victoria crossed to the couch where Danny was half-lying, as Doctor Merar finished bandaging his muscular torso. "How is he Bob?"

The Doctor smiled grimly, "better than he deserves to be! He has several cracked ribs and other bruises, if Nick and Heath hadn't saved his bacon I don't think you would be looking at him now."

Victoria caressed the boy's hair, "oh Danny," she clung to him and he winced at the pressure on his sore ribs. "I'm sorry Aunt Victoria, the news reached the logging camp yesterday and I rode all night."

Sarah came to him and he looked sorrowfully at her, "forgive me Sarah, I couldn't help myself!"

Despite her troubles a shadowy smile crossed Sarah's strained face, "don't give it another thought Sweetie, Nick and Heath have been spoiling for this fight for nearly a week, you just gave them the excuse they needed."

The boy looked a little reproachfully at her, "Sarah, why didn't you tell me?"

She shook her head, "I guess I hoped I wouldn't have to, we hoped he was going to be released..." She broke off distressed and Nick stood up, buttoning his shirt before slipping a brotherly arm around her. "Now then Sassy Fair, that'll be enough of that! We've been talking to Sheriff Madden, his sources are convinced that Lonsdale intends to release Jarrod!"

Impatiently she pulled away from him, "when Nick?" Her eyes were bright with tears, "in God's name when?"

hapter 6      

Jarrod Barkley was afraid now, quietly, disconsolately and desperately afraid, it was becoming harder with every lonely hour that passed to keep his mental balance. Thus far he had retained a firm grip on his mental state, sure at least of survival, he had set himself patiently and with courage to endure his protracted and unpleasant ordeal. But that was before disaster had struck him, now survival was anything but sure and cold fear gripped his nerves with an ever-tightening hold. It had been a dream, a particularly evil nightmare from which he had awoken in a blind sweating panic. That was when it had happened, he had lashed out with his cramped feet and kicked over the water bucket. The precious liquid had swirled briefly about his chained body before running away from him for good. The cup and plate bearing the mouldering remains of the bread had crashed down into the filth that surrounded the helpless lawyer. All was now lost or unusable and how long he could continue to hold onto his sanity or his life was the question pounding through Jarrod's tired and frightened brain. He closed his eyes in a vain attempt to stem the tears that flowed freely down his grimy face, in his mind's eye he had the image of his wife, his Sarah and their children. God he wanted to live! To share their lives and futures with them. It was this image that gave him the strength to calm himself and try to keep going, keep alive, for Sarah, for Jack, Bobby and Becky.

Lonsdale had enjoyed beating up the Mathews brat and even more the ensuing fight with the Barkley brothers, the fact that his men had come off the worst and that he himself was not unscathed did not trouble him. For the entrance on the scene of young Danny had given the wily criminal an idea, here was a hot-headed boy, one moreover who clearly worshipped Counselor Barkley, surely he was the ideal tool for effecting Jarrod's discovery and release? There was a deep streak of cruelty in this flawed man, without it, he could probably never have become such a powerful warlord of crime. Without it, he might perhaps have amounted to quite an estimable man. If such a notion had ever been suggested to Lonsdale he would have laughed it to scorn. He was untroubled by thoughts of his own debauched nature and was content to be the king-pin of his own decidedly evil empire. That streak of cruelty made him want to prolong Barkley's incarceration for as long as possible but wiser counsels had prevailed with him. Since the night almost a week ago when he had caused Jarrod Barkley to be spirited from his office to the semi-tomb in which he had been chained down ever since, it had not been possible for anyone to go near the imprisoned man. To have done so would have been to court discovery and to Lonsdale's own involvement being easier to prove. His lieutenants had just succeeded in convincing the racketeer that much as he was enjoying the idea of Barkley's suffering, it was more than time to bring this episode to it's conclusion.Yes! The boy was the key, who better to be given the necessary hints to lead him to his immured guardian, to lead others to the predicament that the stiff-necked and insufferably proud lawyer was now in?

Danny was now asleep at Sarah's house, she was relieved that he had at last taken his aching ribs off to bed, his zealous solicitude had been irking her almost past bearing. Victoria was still here too but, far wiser than young Daniel, she left her troubled daughter-in-law alone and didn't try to keep re-assuring her every few minutes. The older woman came softly into the living room, where Sarah stood motionless at the window. Staring unseeingly into the impenetrable darkness outside. Victoria hesitated, should she interrupt Sarah's reverie or not? It was the younger woman's utter stillness that decided her, there was something despairingly scared in it, very softly she asked, "what is it Darling?"

Sarah turned a white and pathetically frightened face toward her, "I...I'm so scared, so scared of losing him, of losing our happiness together," slow tears rolled down her face and Victoria crossed to her at once, holding her close and leading her to the settee. The two women sat together almost unaware of the fact that they were holding hands, yet both deriving comfort from this tactile gesture. It was Sarah who spoke first, "we're so happy together you know," her voice was barely a whisper.

"I know Darling."

The younger woman went on, "I never realised before...what family life could be like...I mean it isn't something I ever knew."

"I know that too."

Sarah stared ahead of herself, looking into the lonely abyss that was the past, "when it was...put to me that I should consider marrying Bart Delaney, I jumped at it you know."

She glanced at her mother-in-law perhaps expecting condemnation, or at the very least disapproval, she did not get it though.

"I can understand why you would do that," said Victoria calmly, "I can see that it must have seemed like an escape route to you then."

"It was, I liked Bart, respected him too, he taught me a lot and I was much happier with him than I had ever been before," she paused, wiping the last of her sad tears away. She drew a shaky breath and bravely went on, "but these last few years have been...perfect! Meeting and then marrying Jarrod, even the bad things, baby Martha, somehow, as long as we faced things together, there didn't seem to be anything Jarrod and I couldn't handle betweeen us." She smiled slightly, "Jarrod has given me a wondrous gift you know Victoria," she paused searching for the right words, "a serenity, a peace of mind that I never had before, suddenly, just now I thought of what it would be like without him and I...I don't believe I could go on."

Victoria's reply was so low that Sarah hardly heard her, "I felt the same...for a long time, but I had my children to think about and I knew that Tom would want me to go on living, to find some kind of life for myself."

Sarah looked into the older woman's eyes, "does your loss hurt as much as it did when it happened?"

"I think of him every day and I still miss him of course but it hurts less than it did," she smiled sadly, "one carries on with one's life, that is the only thing to do."

Sarah nodded her acceptance, she knew Victoria was right, whatever the future held, she must face it somehow. She sat on in the quiet room, oddly comforted by the other woman's presence and presently she spoke again, "Jarrod says my gift to him has been to set him free," her eyes sparkled with a tiny flash of humour, "which is strange when you think that he has swopped bachelordom for marriage and fatherhood."

Victoria squeezed her hand, "your husband has paid you the greatest compliment he can, if that is how your marriage seems to him."

It was not in Sarah's nature to give way and this comforting tete a tete with her mother-in-law helped her to regain her accustomed calm. For her part, Victoria was attempting to re-assure her daughter in law that all might yet be well. "Don't forget that all the sources of information we have say the same thing, that Jarrod is not going to be killed but released."

Sarah got up and moved restlessly around her elegant living room, she smacked one hand into the palm of the other, "but it bothers me Victoria! I mean what IS all this about, why abduct Jarrod only to subsequently release him? That isn't a demonstration of strength but of weakness! It makes no sense!"

Victoria sighed, "I know Darling, I feel that too," she spread a helpless hand, "all we can do is try to hang on somehow, wait to see what develops." It was a futile thing to say but she couldn't cudgel her exhausted mind to produce anything more inspiring.

Sarah smiled sadly but affectionately at the older woman, she held out her hands and helped Victoria to her feet. "Bed for us! Perhaps these...developments may come tomorrow, we'll need clear heads!"

Victoria squeezed Sarah's hand gratefully and the two women went upstairs together hand in hand.

hapter 7      

In the freezing gloom of his dungeon, Jarrod Barkley had reached his lowest ebb. His aching body was cramped from being chained to the stone floor and for a week he had been left to sit in his own filth. For over twenty four hours now he had neither eaten nor drunk and he was very close to despair. With his customary courage he fought for mental control and balance and from deep within himself he dredged up the will to go on. In his mind was still the clear and beloved image of his wife and children, his reason for wanting so desperately to survive this ordeal. There were also other images in his psyche, Victoria's concerned face and those of the brothers and sister he loved so much.

There was also one other face in his mind's eye and he locked onto this image like a drowning man clutching at a life-raft. Tom Barkley's strong and handsome face swam before Jarrod's senses and his eldest son could feel the force of will from that larger than life character. His father's compelling blue eyes saw into Jarrod's soul and renewed his strength and his will. Jarrod could almost imagine that he heard Tom's vigorous and powerful voice, so like Nick's! In his brain Tom's message spoke clearly to him, telling him that he must hold on, must survive, for he had a job to do. He must bring Marsh Lonsdale down, destroy the man who was trying to destroy him. Deep within Jarrod something bared it's teeth and he felt new determination coursing through him, lending new vigour to his exhausted body. He WOULD live! Live and succeed in his task too, with every ounce of willpower that he possessed Jarrod Barkley promised himself that he would bring about the total destruction of Marsh Lonsdale!

Danny Mathews had been cross-questioning Sheriff Fred Madden for several minutes already and now he brought his fist crashing down on the lawman's desk, there has to be SOMETHING else we can do Sheriff!"

The Sheriff sighed, he was a tolerant man but this kid was beginning to try his patience, "look here Son, I know you love the man but don't you think the Barkleys and I have thought of everything we can to try to help Jarrod?"

All the fight went out of the boy and he exhaled a sharp sigh and sank tiredly into a chair, "I guess so, I'm sorry Sheriff, I just hate feeling so helpless!"

Fred smiled understandingly, "I realise that and I promise to let you know the instant I hear anything, why don't you get a breath of air?"

Danny went reluctantly out into the street and prowled moodily up and down. It had been Victoria who suggested that he come into Stockton and position himself within call of the Sheriff. His assignment was to ride out to Jarrod's house to alert the Barkleys if there was any

news today. He had looked doubtfully at Victoria, suspecting that they were just inventing a task for him to keep him from under the adults feet. But Nick and Heath had endorsed their mother's instructions and so he had come into town. He felt sick with dread, their years apart had not diminished the very deep affection he had for his guardian and he was terribly afraid that he would never see Jarrod again.

The hiss from the alley at the side of the Sheriff's office didn't penetrate Danny's frowning reverie and the saloon girl gave an exasperated snort and picking up a small pebble aimed it carefully and threw it at the day-dreaming nineteen year old. The pebble connected sharply with his neck and the boy said "Oww" indignantly, turning to seek out his attacker. Danny blinked at the young, gaudily dressed but very pretty girl beckoning to him from the alley. He didn't follow her though, he had received a pretty stern lecture that very morning from both of the Barkley brothers. "You behave yourself boy!" Nick had said in his deep gravelly voice and with a heavy frown, "these are dangerous days and you have to watch yourself every second you hear me?" Heath had spoken more gently but with an equally grave look, "you can't trust anyone Danny, if we know nothing else about this situation we know that nothing is as it seems!"

So the wary youngster stood uncertainly watching the girl but moving no nearer to the alley. The girl came reluctantly out onto the street, reaching out an urgent hand to grasp Danny's sleeve, "I have to talk to you," she said in a low anxious voice, her eyes darting up and down the busy street. She dragged him off the boardwalk into the alley and drew him into the shadows of the jail's side wall. "I can't be seen talking to you! I'm risking my life here."

Danny looked her up and down, she was blonde and slim and perhaps his own age, no older. The boy's eyes narrowed shrewdly, "what do you want with me and why are you risking anything?"

She glared at him impatiently, "there is no time for this! I know where they are holding the lawyer and I want you to get him out right now! Otherwise they'll kill him before the day is out."

Danny stood hesitantly, his heart had leaped at her words, did she really know where Jarrod was held? She was gripping his arm tightly, "didn't you hear me? You have to act fast, get to him before they kill him!"

The boy removed her frenzied grip from his sleeve, "why should you take the chance of getting killed yourself to tell me?" His voice bristled with suspicion and the girl spoke with desperate urgency, "Mr. Barkley helped me once, I couldn't pay him but he helped me anyway, look there is NO time you have to go to the abandoned warehouse opposite the Pleasure Palace, he's in there but you have to go NOW if you want to save his life!"

Danny galvanised into action, there was enough urgent sincerity in the girl's voice to spur him into motion, "I'll get the Sheriff!"

"NO!" There was desperation in her voice and Danny stopped short, "if you take the Sheriff and his men they'll see you and kill him for sure. It has to be just you and you have to move FAST!"

Still Danny hesitated and the little spitfire stamped her foot at his vacillation, "go ON, do you want Jarrod Barkley to die?"

Danny turned away from her and ran down the alley toward the riverfront, he HAD to save Jarrod! As he dashed to the rescue of his beloved guardian, the faces and voices of the other Barkley men flashed into Danny's brain. Nick stern-faced and hard-eyed, "watch yourself every second you hear me?" Heath's pale blue eyes filled with anxiety and concern, "nothing is as it seems Danny!"

The boy stopped short halfway to his destination, why should the girl be so willing to help the Barkleys? If nothing is as it seems, maybe she, and whoever she answers to want me to go blundering in to Jarrod's prison! But why? Danny had spent the last six years at the Barkley logging camp high in the mountains, under the care of Matt and Cinda Bentell, whom he called Aunt and Uncle and whom he loved as dearly as parents. He had worked hard with Cinda to overcome his neglected education and he had worked alongside Matt often. His adopted Uncle had taught him many things, including the proper use of explosives! What if the men who held Jarrod had wired his prison up to dynamite, then Danny himself might become the instrument of Jarrod Barkley's death! Appalled and fearful, Danny turned and ran back the way he had come. He didn't know much but one thing was certain, this was NOT his decision to make alone, he needed help!

Fred Madden stood in frowning thought, whilst Danny Mathews, fists clenching and unclenching with his impatience, watched the lawman anxiously. The Sheriff was thinking hard, maybe time really was of the essence but maybe this intelligent young man was right! If there was a booby trap of some sort? Fred Madden had always enjoyed an excellent relationship with the Barkleys but there was no getting away from the fact that they were the most influential family in this whole valley! A prudent man would certainly involve them in a decision which might mean the very life of Victoria Barkley's eldest son! With a decisive nod the Sheriff made up his mind. He clapped the tense boy on the shoulder, "you did the right thing Son, I want you to high-tail it out to the ranch and fetch Nick and Heath. Meanwhile I'm gonna throw a cordon of my men around that building and stop anyone entering or leaving. But you tell the Barkleys to bring some of their men, I only have four deputies here and we need all the help we can get!"

Danny rode like the wind, spurring the willing JB to greater and greater speed. Nick Barkley had taught him to ride and he was a fine young horseman. This fast chestnut horse had been Jarrod Barkley's first gift to his ward, the first of many. But the greatest gift he had given to this orphaned boy had been his love and care. The most important goal in Danny's young life was to make Jarrod Barkley proud of him, to show his gratitude for the last six years of happy contentment he had known under Jarrod's guardianship. As he rode towards Jarrod's home the boy offered up a fervent prayer, please Lord, let me have got this right, let Jarrod live, I beg of you!

hapter 8      

Danny's whole tale was swiftly told and produced a variety of reactions from his listeners. Nick was fairly incandescent with rage, "why the devil didn't you go right in and get Jarrod out of there!" He glared fiercely at the boy but Danny met his gaze unflinchingly, "I TOLD you why!"

The tall dark rancher and the solidly built young logger stood facing each other, eyes locked. Heath judged it time to intervene, "take it easy Nick, maybe the boy is right, it could have been a trap?"

Nick turned on him thundering "and maybe Lonsdale's men are killing our brother right now!"

"Nick!"Victoria snapped in a warning voice with an anxious glance at her daughter in law. Nick took a deep breath and calmed down, stepping swiftly to Sarah's side, "sorry Sass!"

She might not have heard Nick for all the notice she took, she was standing in the middle of the room, her quick brain absorbing all the information that Danny had given her. Victoria was watching her daughter-in-law's quiet face and she could see that the germ of an idea was burgeoning in Sarah's mind. She moved toward the younger woman and softly spoke her name, "Sarah?"

There was a puzzled gleam in Sarah's smoky blue eyes, she turned to Danny, "tell me again what you saw as you rode out of town?"

Danny shrugged impatiently, "I told you what I saw!"

Nick grabbed him by the shirt-front and shook him, "so tell her again!"

Danny frowned in concentration, I rode right by the warehouse, I saw the Sheriff positioning his men and...and ...I don't know how, but I guess word must have gotten around, because there was quite a crowd of people gathering across the street in front of the Pleasure palace."

Quite suddenly and with the force of a lightning strike, Sarah knew what all this was about. The whole scenario was clear in her mind, as sharply defined as a stormy horizon. Victoria stepped to Sarah and caught her hands, "you know don't you? You have it all worked out, I can see you do!" Her voice was quiet but she gripped the younger woman's hands so hard that it hurt.

Sarah gently detached her own hands from Victoria's grip, "yes," she agreed, I believe I do...and if I'm right we have to move fast!"

Nick began to yell again, demanding an explanation, "will someone please tell me what the devil is going on!"

Sarah turned on him like a tigress, "no time now Nick! I'll explain on the way to Stockton!"

Heath's clear blue eyes had never left Sarah's lovely face and he stepped toward her now. "What are we to do Sarah?"

She flashed him a smile of gratitude, touched by the trust he evidently placed in her judgment, she prayed fervently that she was right about it all, but even as she thought this she knew with utter conviction that she was correct!

She spoke briskly, "we need at least a dozen of our men, fully armed and I need all three of you boys in town with me."

She looked a question at Victoria and that lady made a noble sacrifice, "I believe I should stay here with the children and plenty of our men, just in case this is a ruse."

Sarah looked deep into Victoria's eyes, "thank you Victoria," she said quietly. A look of complete understanding passed between the two women, the years since Sarah married Jarrod had seen a gradual deepening and strengthening of the friendship between these two and both knew in this moment that for the rest of their lives, there would be a bond between them that nothing would ever break.

Sarah spoke urgently to her mother in law, "we need a complete change of clothes for Jarrod, from the skin out...even his shoes!"

Victoria's eyes reflected her growing sense of horror, "oh God, I think I see it too!" She pulled herself together and nodded, I'll get the clothes and his shaving gear as well."

Sarah nodded decisively, "good, I'll get my coat."

Nick looked at his younger brother, an anxious question in his troubled eyes. Heath smiled slightly, "like the lady said, she can explain on the way."

Nick gave a curt nod of agreement, and rapped out orders, "I'll round up the boys you and Danny harness up the big wagon and meet us." The party in the elegant living room broke up into a whirl of frantic activity and sooner than she had believed it possible, Sarah, and the men were driving into town. A trusted man handled the reins of the team of powerful horses and Sarah had the time she needed to share her thoughts with Nick, Heath and Danny.

She had herself well in hand but even so her voice was cracking with distress by the time she finished her explanation. For a long moment no-one spoke and the big wagon continued it's thunderous and rapid progress into Stockton. Typically Nick broke the silence, shaking his head in disbelief, "you mean...they kidnapped Jarrod and took him to that place and...just LEFT him there?"

Sarah nodded shakily, "I believe so Nick yes."

The dark rancher took off his hat and wiped away the sweat that had sprung on his forehead. "My God Sarah, that was a week ago!"

Her reply was barely a whisper, "I know."

Heath Barkley was staring into the distance, shades of his own incarceration as a prisoner of war were vivid in his mind. His fastidious eldest brother Jarrod, always so clean and tidy, so nice in his habits, left to stew in his own filth, for a week? How could he have kept himself together all that time? What if anything had gone wrong? Before he could speak, young Danny was before him with a question.

"But how did they feed him Sarah, if you're right about no-one going near him?"

She shivered in the chilly late afternoon air and at once Nick stripped off his coat and placed it around her shoulders, slipping a brotherly and comforting arm around her also.

She managed to command her voice long enough to answer the boy's question, "I imagine he has had to survive on whatever they left with him Danny."

The boy was horrified, "but anything could have happened!" He shut up abruptly as he encountered a savage glare from Nick and felt also a gentle warning pressure on his arm from Heath.

Nick Barkley's voice was a growl, "I suggest we quit speculating and just GET there!" He turned to urge the driver to even greater haste as Danny quietly murmured "yes Sir."

Heath looked into his sister-in-law's eyes, "how did you figure it all out Sarah?"

She was glad to be able to answer him, it helped her to tear her mind away from Jarrod's agony.

"It's been bothering me from the start Heath, why abduct Jarrod if all along the intention was to release him again. That would show weakness, it seemed to me, rather than strength."

Heath nodded agreement and she went on, "there had to be more to it and the pieces finally fell into place when Danny mentioned the crowd gathering to witness Jarrod's rescue."

She had the attention of all three men now, their eyes fixed on her pale, drawn face. "Peter Barton told me that the major factor in their success in the early stages of the trial was the impression Jarrod was personally making in the courtroom. People were swayed by his fearlessness to testify against Lonsdale themselves. That evil man has always run his empire on fear, seeing a decent man like Jarrod dissipate that fear, well it made Lonsdale himself afraid. That's why this whole charade has been set in motion."

Nick and Heath were beginning to understand her now but Danny and the hands were still frowning in puzzlement so she expanded her theme. "You abduct a prominent lawyer from a rich and powerful family and you keep him locked up in circumstances of the utmost squalor and degredation for a week, then you arrange to release him, orchestrating the event so that it will be seen by half the population of Stockton. And what do they see? They see a half-starved, disorientated wreck of a man, stinking in his own filth." Her voice wavered and Nick held her a little closer but she recovered herself to finish making her point, "at a stroke, Lonsdale regains his grip on the people of this community, he gets that hold of fear back."

Danny looked gravely at her, "if I had gone in?"

She nodded, "yes, you would have done exactly what they wanted you to do! I bless you for having the intelligence to wait and get help Danny." She reached out and cupped a cold hand to the boy's ravaged face for a moment. He clenched his teeth, "I'd like to kill that bastard!" His young face was contorted with hate and he made no apology for his language. For once no rebuke was forthcoming from Nick, he even agreed with the boy adding fiercely, "when I get hold of Lonsdale!"

"No!" Sarah's voice was as sharp as a stroke from a whip and she grasped Nick's shirt front urgently in her hands, "listen to me Nick, all of you," her flashing eyes encompassed them all. She went on, "we have to frustrate this scheme, to do anything else will hand Lonsdale his victory."

Heath nodded, "that's why we have fresh clothes and everything for Jarrod, he has to come out of that place as good as he went into it?"

Sarah smiled warmly at him grateful for his comprehension of the situation, "you've got it Heath!"

Danny was still troubled, "but...but can he do it Sarah? After everything he's been through!"

Nick Barkley's mouth was a grim determined line, "he can do it, he HAS to do it and we have to help him!"

Sarah's penetrating eyes were on his face, he knew what the question in her face was, "it's alright Sarah, I won't ruin things, you can count on me!"

She leaned against his shoulder thankfully and was satisfied, Nick had given her his word and that was good enough. Normally she hated fast driving but this time she welcomed every corner that flashed past, since it was bringing her closer to her husband.

hapter 9      

The scene which greeted the Barkleys as the big wagon thundered to a halt outside the riverside warehouse was truly astonishing. Across the street, in front of the Pleasure Palace there was a formidably large crowd and people were still gathering. Nick Barkley's wrathful voice spoke for the thoughts and feelings of all Jarrod's rescuers as he rounded angrily on the beleaguered Sheriff, "what the devil is this Fred? My brother isn't a circus side-show!"

Madden glared resentfully at the irate rancher but didn't reply.

Heath Barkley's quieter voice spoke before Nick could explode again and he looked searchingly at the lawman, "I think you owe us an explanation Fred."

"I can't explain," said Madden flatly. "My men never said a word about this to a soul, I don't have the least idea where all these folks are coming from or how they found out about this!"

Before Sarah could say anything young Danny's face had darkened with anger and with a snarled "we all KNOW how they found out!" The boy headed across the street toward the Pleasure Palace. Sarah flashed a glance at Heath and he nodded briefly as he chased after the deterrmined nineteen year old and seized him by the arm. Danny struggled momentarily but Heath shook him like a rat and spoke sternly, "that'll be enough out of you Boy! We all have a job to do and what you have in mind isn't a part of it!" He brooked no argument and dragged Danny back to Sarah's side. She caught and held Danny's agonised brown eyes with a compelling look from her own smoky blue ones, "There is no time for this Danny! The only way to defeat Lonsdale is in the courtroom and the only person who can do it is Jarrod! I need your help, Jarrod needs it!"

The shaken boy nodded, "I'm sorry Sarah what do you want me to do?"

"Stay close to Nick and Heath and me, do whatever we tell you to do, alright?"

"Yes Ma'am," came the subdued response.

Sarah flashed him a reassuring smile and turned to her brothers-in-law who were rapidly filling Sheriff Madden in on the situation. The older man was quick to comprehend the matter but he looked doubtfully at the mass of citizens still gathering, "I don't think that we have enough men to clear away this crowd."

Sarah shook her head, "don't try to Sheriff, we intend that my husband should walk out of this building freshly groomed and address all of these people."

The wise old eyes of the lawman considered Jarrod Barkley's lovely young wife for a moment, a remarkable woman this one, he thought and married to an exceptional man. What his family were going to ask Jarrod to do was hard, but if any man could show the courage to go through with it, Madden reckoned that Jarrod could. "You don't know yet what you're going to find in there," he said gently to Sarah.

Her reply was crisp and definite, "I know my husband Fred."

Madden smiled at her and nodded and his gaze encompassed the Barkley brothers as well as Sarah, "alright, put your men under my command and I'll keep everyone back until you're ready to bring Jarrod out."

Sarah laid a hand on the lawman's arm and said quietly "thank you Sheriff."

From his balcony on the upper floor of the Pleasure Palace Marsh Lonsdale had been watching the ever-growing crowd with gleeful relish, he turned to one of his lieutenants, a vicious killer called Roscoe, "Counselor Barkley is gonna have quite an audience when he steps out into the sunlight!" Lonsdale's voice was smug and he felt a deep satisfaction that his enemy was about to be humbled in full sight of the gathered citizens of Stockton. He grinned cruelly, "guess he should be smelling a mite high by now too," he laughed aloud at the thought.

Mark Roscoe was a quiet and intelligent man, if his life had taken a different path he might have made something of himself, as it was he was a cold, virtually emotionless killer. He had been Lonsdale's lieutenant and right hand man for many years now and had committed many dark and terrible deeds at the behest of his mentor. However, he was now, unbeknown to Lonsdale, rather more than just Lonsdale's second in command. For, as is the case with every prominent criminal, there were other men, outwardly respectable men, even important men, behind the infamous warlord. These were anonymous but infinitely more powerful people than Lonsdale himself and for some time now, Roscoe had been reporting secretly, but regularly to the shadowy group of influential politicians in Sacremento who condoned and profited from Lonsdale's evil empire.

Lending only half an ear to Lonsdale's glee at the thought of Jarrod Barkley's suffering, Roscoe thought back to the discreet meeting he had attended in Sacremento recently. The corrupt politicians and shady businessmen present there had left their hireling in no doubt of their anxiety about Jarrod Barkley's spectacular progress in his proceedings against Lonsdale. The fat cats were getting nervous and their principal cause for concern was the depth of Marsh Lonsdale's knowledge of them and their involvement in his crimes. Roscoe had done his best to re-assure them. Speaking in his quiet, rather monotonous voice he had said, "relax! Barkley has very little hard evidence, his results so far have all come from persuading people to testify, essentially the Counselor is on a fishing trip nothing more."

His words had provoked a mirthless crack of laughter from one of the most important men present, a State Senator, Lowell Longman, grown rich from his corrupt dealings with men like Lonsdale. "Thank you for the information Roscoe, but we know exactly what Counselor Barkley is up to, we get VERY detailed reports on that! What concerns me and the rest of these gentlemen is how far we can rely on Mr. Lonsdale's...er...discretion, in the event that Barkley gets as far as putting him on the stand. Many of us feel...shall we say...a little vulnerable! " Roscoe turned pale hazel-flecked eyes in Longman's direction, his mind was working fast, so these influential figures had penetrated Barkley's investigation had they? He spoke with his accustomed caution, "I can understand your concern Senator, perhaps it would be prudent to make...contingency plans?"

Longman smiled and nodded, "precisely Mr. Roscoe, precisely!"

Roscoe came and joined Lonsdale at the window and looked out at the noisy impatient throng of people gathered outside the Pleasure Palace, all watching the warehouse on the other side of the street. He had to hand it to Lonsdale, the wily hoodlum had been quick to perceive where the danger from Barkley's investigation truly lay. In the inspiration he had been giving to ordinary decent people to take the stand and denounce Lonsdale and all he stood for. The warlord's reaction to that threat, the abduction and incarceration of Barkley had itself been a brilliant flash of inspiration. The denouement of this event was now about to unfold, for Barkley's family and their men had now arrived in Stockton. Soon the captive lawyer would be released and the assembled populace would see him, starved, stinking and filthy, humbled before them all, brought low by the might of Lonsdale. It was a superb idea and might well be very effective in quenching the momentum of Barkley's case, well, Roscoe thought to himself, we shall soon see! If not If it all went wrong, well he knew what to do, he had received specific and comprehensive instructions from his masters in Sacramento.

hapter 10      

With an ear-splitting crack, the padlocked wooden door to the old warehouse at last yielded to the mighty arm of Heath Barkley wielding a heavy crow-bar. Heath pushed open the creaking door and Nick Barkley's powerful voice called out to his men for lanterns to illuminate the dim interior. Heath held Sarah's arm as she eagerly entered and he said warningly, "careful Sarah! This place could be booby-trapped for all we know, we have to go carefully."

She nodded, waiting docilely with him as Nick took lanterns from the grizzled ranch foreman Dave McCall. Nick spoke urgently to the older man, "Mac you understand no-one else sets foot in here without my say so, you clear on that?"

McCall nodded, "crystal clear Nick, don't worry, you can depend on us!"

Nick turned to the hovering Danny, "you wait here boy, if we find Jarrod I'll want you to get Doc Merar and get him fast!"

Danny opened his mouth to protest about being excluded from the hunt for Jarrod, looked into Nick Barkley's uncompromising face and wisely stayed silent. He glared resentfully into Nick's hard hazel eyes but the stern rancher did not relent and Danny sulkily nodded and stayed by the ramshackle door.

Nick followed Heath and Sarah into the cavernous and seemingly empty space within, Heath raised his lantern high and swept it around. All was empty and the hearts of the three Barkleys lurched with fright as they looked anxiously at each other, had they got it all wrong? Nick's sharp eyes spotted the door at the far end of the warehouse, "there!" He pointed and they all raced over to the closed door. With one powerful kick, Nick burst the door open and they rushed into what proved to be a small office, with a desk, a chair and a wood burning stove. Aside from these modest items of furniture the little room was empty and Sarah turned to her brothers-in-law, her smoky eyes brimming with tears, "where is he?" Her voice was breaking with distress and at once Nick slipped a comforting arm about her.

It was Heath who saw the trap door set into the dusty floor in the corner of the office and he told Nick to hold the light higher as he once again wielded the crow-bar to shatter the lock and swing the trap open. At once a dreadful stench pervaded the air and Nick, Heath and Sarah knew that they had found Jarrod. The smell was overwhelming, but it was the odour of a live man and not a dead one. Nick's strong voice called his brother's name, "Jarrod? Jarrod it's Nick! Are you alright?"

Hot tears stung Sarah's eyes as a hoarse shout came in answer, "Nick! Nick...don't let them see, don't let them see!" It was his beloved voice, her Jarrod was alive as she had hoped and prayed he would be! She moved to the trap door and both the Barkley brothers moved deferentially aside to let Jarrod's wife be the first to descend the rickety wooden stair into the hidden cellar. Sarah started down the steps, holding her lantern aloft and almost dropping it at a rasping scream from her husband as the light illuminated the solitary gloom in which he had spent the last agonising week. It hurt Sarah so much that breathing was difficult as her husband literally cowered away from her, fighting to force words from his parched throat, "Sarah! No, PLEASE don't come near me! I beg you PLEASE!"

She had thought that she was prepared for this moment, but even though she had figured out the plot and knew what to expect Jarrod was still a shock. He was unkept and bearded, filthy and haggard but that was not all, his red-rimmed eyes held a frightening expression, he was nearly demented. He was croaking urgently at her now, trying to tell her that this was all a plot, she had to almost shout to make him heed her, "Jarrod! It's alright my Darling, I know! There isn't anyone here, but the boys and me."

He understood her and wept with weakness and relief. Sarah came a little further down the stairs but again he begged her not to touch him, not like this! She knew him too well not to understand, he was a fastidious and dapper man, always point de vice and scrupulous about his appearance and cleanliness. To have the wife he adored wading to him through the filth surrounding him was too much for him to bear. Sarah realised this, he had borne his long torture with courage but this would break him. With a supreme effort of will she restrained herself from rushing to his dear side, contenting herself with reaching out her hand and tenderly smoothing back his matted hair, and stroking his hollow cheek. "Very well Jarrod, I won't come down, but you must let Heath and Nick come to you and help you. They'll get you out of this hell-hole and bring you upstairs to me. We have everything you need and when you are clean and dressed in fresh clothes you're going to walk out of here and show everyone in this town what a Barkley is made of!"

It was heart-warming to see the light of hope kindle In Jarrod's tortured eyes and to see his eager nod, "yes! Oh yes Sarah, I can do that!"

She smiled waveringly through her tears, I know you can my Darling."

She turned back up the steps and let Nick help her out of the trap-door, she wiped away the tears rolling down her drawn face, "be as gentle with him as you can," she begged the two men.

They nodded curtly and went immediately to Jarrod's aid. Sarah went to the office door and called Danny to her, he came at the run and departed the same way to fetch Doctor Merar, still feverishly anxious about his guardian's welfare but exultant that at least Jarrod was alive!

By the time the boy returned, accompanied by Bob Merar, Nick and Heath had already accomplished the very tricky task of releasing Jarrod from the chains that had tethered him like an animal and they had managed to get him up the steps and into the office. Sarah had kindled the stove in the corner of the room and Jarrod was laid on the desk, which Nick Barkley had cleared with one swift and expansive sweep of his capable hand. The lawyer was evidently in excruciating pain and his body appeared convulsed with it. The Doctor had no difficulty in identifying the cause, "cramp! Rub his limbs Boys, we have to get his blood circulating again!"

Sarah had once more despatched Danny on an errand and he soon returned again with the fresh clothes and blankets and other gear that the Barkleys had brought to town with them in the rescue wagon. Sarah spoke to him in a low voice, warm with her appreciation, "bless you Danny, you're doing a wonderful job, the next thing we need is hot water and lots of it, food and drinking water too."

The boy needed no second bidding and vanished without protest. Sarah stood beside her stricken husband listening to Bob Merar's gentle questioning of the now violently shivering lawyer.

"When did you last have any water Jarrod?"

"Y..yesterday...I think."

"I see, and food, the same time?"

"Yes." Jarrod's voice was little more than a whisper and it was plain to the wise old Doctor that de-hydration was the most serious problem they now faced. As he asked his questions he gently examined his patient and found no obvious physical problems beyond what one might expect after the prolonged incarceration.

Nick and Heath had hovered anxiously around their elder brother but realising that they were superfluous at this point both had gone to help Danny and in short order a quantity of hot water, soap, drinking water and best of all a jug of steaming broth were produced. Sarah did not bother to ask where all these things had come from, she was operating on an almost automatic level of practicality at this point, deliberately closing her mind to Jarrod's suffering and grimly concentrating on helping him. She waited as Nick and Heath tenderly moved him, after the vicious cramping of his limbs had eased, into the chair she had set before the fire and set Danny to spooning the broth into the starved man. The Doctor directed the gradual and slow feeding and watering process, warning the others that they would make Jarrod violently sick if they overdid it. Sarah meanwhile poured the hot water into a bowl which one or other of her helpers had brought and began to sponge away the filth and slime from Jarrod's face. She looked anxiously into his vivid eyes and was relieved to see that the demented look had gone, now his eyes were glowing with a different kind of fire, the right kind. In the midst of her love for him Sarah was aware of another emotion, Pride in her husband, in the man who could endure what he had suffered and still have the resources left to fight back.

Now it was the turn of his solicitous brothers to help Jarrod and Sarah could only look on and wonder at their gentle efficiency as they stripped away his noisome clothes and washed his wasted body clean. She knew that there was more to Nick and Heath Barkley than met the eye but even with her knowledge of them they surprised her, talking with quiet and cheerful kindness to the stricken Jarrod and handling him with tender care. She smiled at the incongruous picture of Heath running a comb through Jarrod's hair as though it was his own young son he was dealing with. She blinked slightly as Nick produced a huge knife from his pocket and then marvelled at the dexterous way he used it to scrape the muck from under Jarrod's finger nails.

In what seemed like a remarkably short space of time, but was in fact over an hour, The lawyer was washed, fed, dressed from the skin out in fresh clothing and tried the experiment of standing up. His legs promptly gave way and Nick's powerful arms clasped him and helped him to sit again. Bob Merar smiled at his old friend, "now Jarrod easy does it, I need to massage a little more life into those legs before you start running around you know!"

Jarrod managed a weak smile and his eyes swept the room searching for Sarah, wordlessly he reached for her and she came to him, holding his outstretched hand, now clean and with spotless nails, between both her own. He carried her hand to his lips and kissed it fervently. She dropped a kiss on his bowed head and stooping knelt on the dusty floor in front of his chair.

Jarrod smiled tenderly at her drawn and anxious face and holding one hand to her cheek said with quiet certainty, "you figured it all out."

She was aware of his pride in her and it gave her a warm feeling of satisfaction to know that she had his admiration for her intelligence, as he had hers for his indomitable courage in the face of his adversity.

She returned the smile, "well half-figured at least, I still don't know how they knew you had gone back to your office that evening because you weren't expected to were you?"

The lawyer's eyes darkened with a mixture of anger and sorrow, "I was lured back there, by someone I trusted!"

Sarah would have asked questions but he shook his head, "time for that later, the important thing now is to frustrate Lonsdale's plan, I HAVE to walk out of here on my legs!"

Doctor Merar was patiently and carefully massaging the life back into his patient's cramped muscles and he glanced up at the restless face of the lawyer, "just a few minutes more Jarrod, you'll walk out of here on your legs, I promise you that! Just be patient a little while longer."

Nick and Heath exchanged worried glances then Nick looked sharply at his weary brother, "there are hundreds of people out there you know Jarrod," his hazel eyes shone with concern and compassion. He spoke again as gently as anyone there had ever heard him, "if you don't feel you can face the crowd, no-one would think any the less of you Jarrod, we can get you out of here and away, fast as lightning!"

"No!"

The vehemence of Jarrod's answer shook all of them, he glared up at Nick, standing protectively close to his chair, "don't you understand Nick? If I give way now then all my suffering will have been for nothing! Lonsdale will have attained his objective, people will have seen me running scared, that's what he wants and if I die for it Nick, he isn't going to get it!"

The dark rancher smiled admiringly at his brother, "alright Counselor, we'll do this your way."

hapter 11      

Sarah squeezed Jarrod's hands urgently, "do you want me to write a quick speech for you to use when you address the crowd?"

She was an accomplished journalist and thrived on the pressure of a deadline, Jarrod knew that she could produce something fast if he wanted her to but he shook his head.

"It's all up here," he said placing a finger at his temple, he smiled ruefully, "well, what else have I had to do lately?"

His wife could only look at him admiringly, even as he had suffered through the long and solitary days of his incarceration, Jarrod had been using his brain, to think and plan his retaliation against the men who had come so close to destroying him.

More minutes passed, during which the lawyer painfully and gingerly learned to use his legs again. Once he stumbled and would have fallen, both his brothers dashed to his aid but young Danny was fastest and it was he who caught Jarrod's arms in his powerful grip. Jarrod was amazed, "Danny! I didn't even know you were here Son."

Danny hugged the man he had come to love as a father. It was seven years now since his grandmother old Mrs. Mathews had died. She had asked Jarrod Barkley to give the then twelve year old Danny a job, he had done a great deal better than that. Adopting the boy as his ward and settling him into the loving home he had shared with Matt and Cinda Bentell. He had also helped the boy overcome his guilt and shame over the cruel deception practised on the amnesiac Jarrod by his mother Libby Mathews. Danny was deeply grateful to his kindly guardian and loved him very much, he couldn't stem the tears that sprang to his eyes as he smiled mistily at Jarrod, "I'm so glad you're alive Jarrod!"

The lawyer grinned and slapped his ward's back, "me too Son!"

Jarrod turned to Nick, "Mother will be worried sick, why don't you and Heath ride home and tell her I'm alright?"

"Not a chance Counselor!" Nick's voice was as uncompromising as his face.

Heath backed Nick up, "from now on Jarrod, you don't leave our sight, clear?"

Jarrod assented, "alright," he turned hopefully to his ward.

Danny didn't want to let Jarrod out of his sight either, but he saw that here was something of value he could do for his guardian so he smiled and said, "I'll be there before you know it Sir, don't worry, I'll see Aunt Victoria doesn't fret a minute longer than necessary."

He had his reward in the fervent grip of Jarrod's handshake, "bless you Danny!"

The boy was gone on the instant and Jarrod drew a deep breath and prepared to face the assembled citizens of Stockton, gathered outside.

There came a knock at the door, Sarah answered it and was surprised to see the Judge who had been presiding over the preliminary hearings into the Lonsdale racketeering charges standing there. Judge Aaron Schiffer smiled apologetically at her, "forgive me Sarah, I strong-armed the Sheriff into letting me through, I need to see Jarrod as a matter of extreme urgency."

She frowned, "can't it wait Judge, my husband has been through a dreadful ordeal and although he is determined to proceed with the case, he needs time."

Judge Schiffer's voice was grim, "time is the one thing he doesn't have my Dear!"

Jarrod's voice called from within, "Aaron! Is that you!"

Sarah surrendered to the inevitable and admitted the Judge to the little room. The older man wrung Jarrod's hand, "my dear Boy! I can't tell you what a relief it is to see you alive and well!"

Jarrod grimaced, "the "well" part is something of an act right now but I'm getting there! What is it that's so urgent Aaron?"

The Judge searched the lawyer's face, "Jarrod, I need to confirm with you in my official capacity that you are still the attorney of record in the Lonsdale case and that you are resuming personal charge of it."

Jarrod frowned, "I think you already know the answer to that Aaron!"

"Yes Counselor, but you see, at this very moment in the ante-room of my chambers sits the man who tells me you are no longer the attorney of record, but he is!"

"Barton!" Nick Barkley's wrathful voice exploded into the small room, causing Jarrod to wince. He had endured a week of solitary silence and the press of people and raised voices was too much for the still disorientated lawyer to cope with.

Sarah acted decisively, "Jarrod Darling, sit down and rest, the Judge will tell you all you need to know," she pressed her husband into the chair beside the stove as she spoke. Her expressive eyes sweeping the room and signalling clearly to the three men present that they were dealing with a sick man. Her gaze rested longest on Nick, he waved a pacific hand in her direction, he understood and would not agitate his brother further.

Jarrod looked a query at Judge Schiffer. His old friend said quietly, "Counselor Barton has just asked me to accept his submission that Marsh Lonsdale has no case to answer."

Jarrod's vivid eyes scoured Aaron Schiffer's face, "what did you tell him?"

"I haven't told him anything! He's waiting in my ante-room whilst I consider the matter."

Jarrod managed a smile, "I won't ask you how you sneaked out of your chambers to get here!"

Schiffer grinned, "I'm not quite in my dotage yet you know!" He sobered again and spoke more briskly to Jarrod, "so Counselor Barkley, do I take it that you wish to withdraw this submission and that you will be proceeding with the case in due course?"

"You do Your Honour, I would like to request an adjournment to apprise myself of...developments in the case."

"Granted, very willingly. Is there anything you want me to tell Counselor Barton?"

Jarrod's mouth tightened to a thin hard line, "I want him here, there are a few things I have to say to Peter Barton!"

Nick Barkley slapped one gloved fist into his palm, "I'll fetch him for you Big Brother!"

Jarrod looked sharply at the angry rancher, "don't harm a hair on his head Nick! He's more valuable than you can possibly know!" He looked at Heath, "you go too, and Heath! Keep your eyes peeled, Barton is in far more danger than I am right now and we must NOT let anything happen to him."

Heath nodded, "alright Jarrod, you comin' with us Judge?"

Aaron Schiffer smiled grimly, "indeed I am Heath! I can't wait to see young Barton's face when I refuse his application!"

When they had gone Sarah gently compelled her husband to eat a little more food and drink more water. A measure of colour had returned to Jarrod's white and strained face and to Sarah's quiet joy there was now no vestige of hysteria or panic in his demeanour. Considering all that he had undergone during the last nightmare week, his present state was nothing short of miraculous, a testament to his personal courage and his strength of mind. Nothing could possibly have deepened Sarah's love for her husband, for they were a most devoted couple already, but her respect for him had soared to a new plane, she had never admired him more than at this precise moment.

Sitting on a low stool beside his chair, Sarah spoke quietly to her husband, "you said before that you had been lured back to your office by someone you trusted, it was Peter wasn't it?"

He nodded grimly. "I've known from the beginning that there was more to this than a campaign against a single criminal. I suspected even when the Governor first broached it to me that Lonsdale's connections stretched all the way to Sacramento. I guess I knew going into this that I was the Administration's stalking horse."

A wave of anger shook Sarah, so corrosive that for a minute she could not speak, then she said with bitter self-reproach, "and I talked you into this job!"

His hand carressed her face, "for which I thank you Darling, what I'm doing, it means a great deal to me, I don't regret anything and I don't want you to either."

She could tell he was sincere and smiled mistily at him, "alright Jarrod, no regrets, but...can you go through with your plan today?"

He smiled into her eyes and she could feel the force of his will like a physical presence, "oh yes," he said with quiet confidence, "in fact right now I could push down that wall, want me to show you?"

Sarah smiled, "not at the moment," she said cheerfully, gathering confidence of her own from his strength of purpose.

hapter 12      

Soon, Nick and Heath had returned bringing with them the silent and dejected Peter Barton. The light seemed to have gone out of the young lawyer's blue eyes and he moved like a zombie, unwilling, perhaps unable to look Jarrod Barkley in the face. He was compelled to stand in front of his mentor none too gently by Nick Barkley and at last forced himself to meet Jarrod's eyes. Jarrod smiled without warmth, "no protestations of innocence Peter?"

Barton's voice was defeated, "is there any point?"

"None," said Jarrod briskly, "just answer me one question, do you want to live?"

Again Barton's reply was defeated in tone, "I think that's academic Counselor, you're talking to a dead man!"

"Maybe Peter, maybe not, it depends if you decide to help me now and help yourself at the same time."

Barton showed a flash of spirit, "you fool Jarrod! You have NO idea what and who you're up against, these people are untouchable!"

Jarrod shook his head, "The Governor doesn't think so and he isn't alone, if you are to have any chance of a future, your only option is to co-operate with my investigation and name names! In return for which you'll be adequately protected and after you've paid for your crimes perhaps life will still hold something for you. I guess it's up to you."

Barton stood in miserable thought for a minute and then Heath Barkley gently touched his arm, "I don't reckon you have too many options Counselor."

Jarrod looked at Heath, "Peter needs time to think Heath, have the Sheriff and his men take him to the jail and make absolutely sure he's well guarded. Do you understand Heath, it's vital?"

"Leave it to me Jarrod," replied the fair-haired rancher. Barton was soon removed and Sheriff Madden blinked slightly as the dapper Jarrod Barkley, freshly clothed and perfectly groomed smiled a welcome at him. When the Barkleys were alone again, Jarrod grinned at his wife and brothers, "alright family, I believe my audience awaits, let's get the show on the road!"

They could only wonder at his composure and assurance, he looked as if he had just stepped out of the barber-shop not out of a dank dark prison, where he had spent the last week in cold and starved darkness. Humbly, Sarah and the boys followed Jarrod Barkley out of the warehouse and into the glare of public scrutiny awaiting him.

As she waited anxiously at Jarrod's house,Victoria did her best to amuse the little ones and tried to starve her imagination, close her mind to the sufferings of her beloved eldest son. In this she only partially succeeded, for it was hard to drag her thoughts away from Jarrod's probable fate. Time seemed to pass with painful slowness and it seemed like hours later when she heard a commotion downstairs. Leaving the children with their nurse, Victoria rushed to the head of the stairs, Danny Mathews stood in the hall and Victoria could tell at once that all was well, for the boy looked joyously excited and grinned up at her. She came down to him at the run and he caught her in his arms, laughing and swinging her round, "he's alive Aunt Victoria, he sure has been through the mill but he's gonna be just fine!"

He set Victoria on her feet and the Barkley matriarch had to cover her face for a moment as mingled, joy, relief and distress threatened to overwhelm her. Danny led her into the living room and solicitously brought her Sherry, rubbing her hands and generally fussing until she had to laughingly beg him to stop. He sat with her then and in answer to her urgent pleas, told her everything that had happened in town.

Still at the window of the Pleasure Palace, Lonsdale was becoming more and more impatient. Hell! They had entered the warehouse ninety minutes ago, how much longer was he to wait for his victory over Counselor Holier Than Thou Barkley! Mark Roscoe's sharp eyes had spotted Heath Barkley bringing an obviously unwilling Peter Barton into the warehouse and he and Lonsdale had also seen Barton's departure, surrounded by deputies and accompanied by the Sheriff himself. Roscoe turned his cold pale eyes on Lonsdale, "if Barton talks..." he didn't finish the sentence.

Lonsdale puffed confidently on his cigar, "he wouldn't dare! You don't know just how important some of my friends are Mark!"

Roscoe smirked inwardly, oh no? His thoughts were running over the careful contingency plan hatched weeks earlier in Sacramento.

Lonsdale straightened, staring intently at the door of the warehouse, "here they come! Now Counselor High and Mighty Barkley, let's see how you look after a week in the cold and the dark under my tender care!"

As the Barkleys stepped out into the chill of the early evening, the last of the day's sunlight still brightly lit the scene. As Jarrod led the way to where the Sheriff's men had erected a makeshift platform, an excited murmur ran through the crowd. This ripple was building in intensity and volume until as Jarrod stepped up onto the platform, a confident grin on his face, waving cheerfully at the huge crowd, the whole assembled mass of people began spontaneously to applaud. Sarah had to close her eyes against the sting of tears as she heard the warm reception for her husband. She stood beside Jarrod, her hand in his, both his brothers were standing behind him. There was no-one else close to Jarrod, which was just as well because he was suddenly clammy and trembling with fear. He shielded his eyes from the sun's glare, with a hand that shook pitiably and a hoarse "aaahh" of fear escaped him. He was squeezing Sarah's hand so hard that it hurt, but she made no move to free herself, indeed she clung all the tighter, too choked to speak. Both the other Barkleys spoke to Jarrod, Nick said, "easy now Jarrod, take a deep breath!"

His deep gravelly voice seemed to penetrate the clouds of panic in the lawyer's mind and they could all hear him rasping with the effort as he dragged air into his lungs and fought to quell the awful feeling of dread that had suffused his whole being.

Heath spoke gently, "we're here with you Big Brother, time to get the job done now Counselor."

Even as he spoke, Heath hated himself, how could they expect Jarrod to rise to the occasion? It was unreasonable after all that he had endured!

Jarrod exhaled a sharp breath and with it the panic seemed to be expelled too and he was once more in control. His fight for mental balance had taken just seconds but now he was master of himself again and felt a new surge of adrenalin flood through his being. As he had some days ago in his lonely confinement, he seemed again to hear his dead father's voice, exhorting and encouraging him. So that now, it was not Heath but Tom Barkley who said, "time to get the job done!"

Becoming conscious of how hard he was crushing his wife's hand, Jarrod relaxed his grip, raising Sarah's hand to his lips and then releasing it and stepping deliberately away from her.

He flashed Sarah and his brothers a re-assuring smile and stepped to the front of his makeshift dais. Summoning up every ounce of nerve and willpower that he possessed, Jarrod raised his strong voice and began to address the expectant crowd.

"Ladies and...Gentlemen..." The lawyer was forced to break off as his still dry throat cracked as soon as he raised his voice. Heath had anticipated the difficulty though and at once handed his brother a water canteen. Jarrod smiled his thanks and drank deeply.

He turned to his hushed and expectant audience again and grinned, "sorry about that folks, but I guess you've all been waiting so long to hear me speak another second or two is neither here nor there huh?"

This mild jest was greeted with a flattering degree of appreciation and several well-wishers in the crowd were emboldened to call out. There were shouts of, "glad to see you Jarrod!"

"More power to ya Counselor!"

"You're wonderful Mr. Barkley!"

The lawyer's confidence in his ability to achieve his objective was growing steadily under this heartening treatment and when he began to speak again, Sarah could hear the assurance in her husband's tone. Inwardly, Jarrod was exultant, thanks to the intuitive cleverness of his wife, Lonsdale's plan to display him in a debased condition and shatter the momentum of the case inexorably building against the racketeer had been frustrated, now it was his chance to turn the tables. To take the hellish experiences of the past week and use it to bring about the downfall of his tormentor. He addressed the crowd with total confidence, "Fellow citizens of Stockton, Friends, I'm alive, I'm well and I'm ready to pick up where I left off a week ago!"

He had to break off to allow the storm of applause and cheering that erupted in the crowded area. Nick and Heath grinned at each other, he was doing it! It was going to work! Both men glanced at Sarah standing a little to Jarrod's left but she was gazing intently at her husband, her whole being focussed on him.

Jarrod's vivid blue eyes swept the multitude, "no doubt you've all heard many rumours as to my fate in recent days, so before we go any further, let's set the record straight. A week ago, I was abducted from my office, blindfolded, drugged and brought to an underground chamber in the building behind me here. I was chained down in the cold and dark and there I've been from that day to this!" He stopped again to let the ripple of exclamation and comment die down. Then he went on, "I was half-starved and left thirsty, it was intended to break my spirit," he paused for a second, "it hasn't," he said flatly and there was another storm of clapping and cheering.

Jarrod smiled wryly, "an hour ago, I was wallowing in my own dirt and that's how my abductors wanted you to see me. They were trying to intimidate me, and through me, all of you!" His compelling eyes caught and held his audience, "that purely and simply is what this whole ugly charade has been about Folks! Someone in this town is running very scared, scared enough to try and frighten a whole town into silence and submission.." He paused and waved a hand indicating his crisp white shirt and immaculate suit, "well I don't scare easy and I think I clean up pretty good, what do you think?"

There were roars of approval and when the tumult had died down, Lulu one of the town's better known saloon girls called out amiably, "You're just as beautiful as I remember you Counselor!"

Jarrod burst out laughing, "why thank you Lulu, but have a heart Honey, I DO have my wife with me you know!"

Amid the general laughter Sarah riposted smoothly, "I think you're beautiful too Dear!" She too received a round of applause. The Barkley ranchers Nick and Heath were both grinning broadly, why had they ever doubted him? Jarrod had them all eating out of his hand.

Jarrod had turned serious now, his voice strong and convincing, "some of you good people will remember my father Tom Barkley, he was afraid of nothing and nobody!"

There were many calls from the assembled crowd,

"He sure wasn't!"

"Tom was a MAN!"

"You got that right Counselor."

Jarrod went on, "my father used to say Barkleys don't scare easy, I say it too, I say more, I say you people don't scare easy either!"

Another wave of acclamation greeted his words, he continued, "I won't deny that I've suffered this last week and all I want to do at this precise moment is go home to my loved ones and take a well earned rest, BUT in a few days time I'm going to be walking through the door of the Stockton court-house to complete the preliminary hearings in my current case." He was forced to stop again to accommodate the rapturous cheers of his audience.

Jarrod held up his hands for silence and was instantly obeyed. He spoke with grave sincerity, "I make you all a solemn promise, I will not rest until the canker of corruption and intimidation has been driven out of our town, with your help we will reclaim our Stockton from the evil men who have dominated our lives for too long. Make no mistake ladies and gentlemen we WILL win this fight, when ordinary decent men and women stand up to be counted, that is REAL courage, that is the true nature of courage. Are you with me?"

There could be but one response and the storm of clapping and cheering, the roar of approval and assent gave the lawyer his answer.

Standing at the window of his office on the first floor of the Pleasure Palace, Marsh Lonsdale had a grand-stand view of Jarrod Barkley's stunningly effective and confident speech. He stood rigidly, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides, watching in impotent fury as his arch-enemy re-siezed the initiative from him. He had gambled on humbling and humiliating the lawyer. Barkley had been intended to be seen by the citizens of Stockton, filthy, demented, his spirit broken. The clear message to the people of Stockton being that to stand up against Lonsdale was to court disaster. Lonsdale was incredulous, how could his plan have failed, who had betrayed him? He heard Barkley's words again in his mind, "the true nature of courage!" What the hell had the lawyer meant by that? He was about to turn to ask Roscoe what he thought Barkley was talking about but unbeknown to Lonsdale, Mark Roscoe, had moved stealthily and silently to stand immediately behind his boss. As Lonsdale began to move, Roscoe slipped a wire garotte around his throat and tightened it with ruthless efficiency. Above the rush of blood in his ears Lonsdale heard Roscoe's silky voice, "like you said Marsh, you got important friends in Sacramento, they asked me to ensure your discretion!"

Lonsdale was a strong and powerful man, but once a man has a garotte around your neck and his knee in your back you are doomed, he knew that, which didn't stop him struggling like a demon, clawing fruitlessly at the wire choking out his life. His last conscious thought was a wave of bitter hatred against the whole world, before the blackness of death over-whelmed him. A minute later, having assured himself that Lonsdale was dead, Mark Roscoe released his grip on the ends of the garotte and moved away from the dead man. He stood looking down at the man who had been his mentor for the last ten years, without any emotion and then went quietly from the room. It was not hard to slip un-noticed from the Pleasure Palace, for the area around the saloon was still thronged with excited people talking over the sensational events of the afternoon. Within minutes Roscoe was saddled up and riding calmly out of town, on his way to report to his politcal masters that they no longer had anything to fear from the lifeless corpse that had once been Marsh Lonsdale.