Tricia hurried down the stairs and almost ran literally into Jimmy.

"Whoa! Goin’ somewhere?" he questioned her.

Tricia found that she couldn’t meet his eyes. "Nowhere in particular, I just have to get out of here."

"You’re planning on leavin’ here alone?"

Tricia nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "I’ve caused too much trouble already, and I think it would be best if I just left and found some place to settle down until I can find out what’s happened to my family."

Jimmy stared at her, immediately feeling bad for being so harsh with her. "Yeah, that place is called Sweetwater, and you’re comin’ back there with us," he told her in a softer voice.

Tricia looked up at Jimmy with hopeful eyes. "I thought you hated me."

Jimmy shook his head. "Look, I was wrong and I’m sorry. I assumed things without knowing the whole story. Lou was upset and I-"

"You protected her."

Jimmy nodded. "Exactly. Lou and I have been through some times together, and she’s like a sister to me. When I saw her hurt, I immediately labeled you the reason for it. And I was wrong for doing that."

"But I did hurt her," Tricia continued, a puzzled look on her face.

Jimmy took her chin in his hand. "Did The Kid tell you about her?"

Tricia shook her head. "Not until today."

"Then my problem isn’t with you. It’s with him." Jimmy stated.

"I should slap you again Kid! Lou exclaimed.

Kid rubbed his sore cheek and pleaded with her. "Lou, just please hear me out."

Lou turned around, tears staining her cheeks. "I don’t know why I should, but go on."

Kid took a deep breath. "I was wrong-"

"You’re certainly right you were wrong."

"Are you going to let me finish?"

Lou bit her lip to keep from saying anything else and nodded.

Kid took another breath and continued. "Yes, I did, as you say, "dance" with Tricia last night." Lou’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth, but Kid held up his hand. "Please, just let me say what I have to say."

Lou closed her mouth and looked down.

"It meant nothing to me. I was upset about the way things have been going between you and me, and she was lonely and scared. We were there for each other, but it didn’t and still doesn’t mean anything to either of us." Kid walked over to Lou and kneeled down in front of her. "I love you. I am hopelessly in love with you, and I don’t want anyone else. Ever."

Lou looked up. "I don’t know how I can forgive you."

Kid sighed. "It’s not going to be easy, I know that. I know about what happened between you and Jimmy, and although there’s a part of me that still hurts, I told myself that I wasn’t going to allow that to ruin us. I’m willing to wait as long as I have to and do whatever it takes to make you realize that you are the only woman for me."

"Do you really mean that?"

"With all my heart and soul."

"How does Tricia feel about all of this?" Lou asked.

"She feels the same way that I do. In fact, when you walked in here and saw us hugging, it was because we had just agreed to put what happened behind us, and she wanted to work on makin’ things right between you and me."

"So she didn’t know about me?"

Kid shook his head. "Not until today."

"Ohh, I feel like such an idiot." Lou wailed.

"You’re not an idiot Lou. I’m the idiot for taking the risk of possibly losing you forever."

Lou looked up at him. "Yes, you are an idiot. And just because I’m talkin’ to ya, don’t mean that I’ve forgiven ya. I just think that for now we should just call a truce until everything with Harrison is settled."

Kid hung his head, still feeling ashamed. "I know."

Lou offered a slight smile. "But it also doesn’t mean that I don’t love you anymore."

Tricia had changed out of her dress into a pair of pants and a shirt. Since all of the horses were gone as well, she was going to double up with Cody for the ride back. When Lou and Kid walked downstairs and outside, the other riders were just about all mounted and ready to go.

"We were just about to come lookin’ for you two! You ready?" Teaspoon asked.

Jimmy looked at Lou and offered a small smile, which she returned. "Yes, we are."

Tricia looked at Kid was a concerned face and he smiled and nodded his head to let her know that everything was going to be all right. He and Lou climbed up on their horses, and the six of them rode off back to Sweetwater.

"Riders coming!" Noah called.

Rachel and Buck came running out of the house. Teaspoon, Jimmy, Cody, Tricia, Lou, and Kid came riding up.

"Kid! Are you all right?" Rachel asked as she ran over to greet the riders. When Cody had come back, he had filled her in on what was going on.

Kid climbed off of Katy and smiled to Rachel. "I’m fine, thank you"

"So what happened? And who, " Noah gave Tricia an appreciative glance, "is this?"

Cody climbed off his horse and helped Tricia down. "Tricia, I’d like you to meet Noah, Rachel and Buck."

Tricia smiled. "It’s a pleasure."

"So is anyone going to tell me what in the world happened?" Rachel asked.

Teaspoon walked over and put an arm around Tricia. "It appears as if Harrison and his goons are involved in the disappearance of Serenity’s townspeople. Including Tricia’s family."

Buck looked up, suddenly very interested in the conversation. "Did you say Harrison?"

"Yeah why?"

Buck walked over to Teaspoon. "Harrison was in town today. He was mouthing off in the saloon about how he had just purchased the old Johnson place, and the mines that surrounded the property."

Teaspoon raised his eyebrow. "Did he say anything else son?"

Buck took a deep breath. "Yeah, but maybe we should talk about this inside," he said, indicating Tricia’s presence.

Tricia looked from Buck to Teaspoon, walked in between them, and looked firmly at the both of them. "Anything you have to say can be said in front of me."

Teaspoon nodded at Buck to continue. "Well, he was saying that he was gonna be a rich man in a few days. Claims to have gold in those mines and says he has enough man power to dig it all out."

Jimmy’s eyes widened as he looked at Teaspoon. "Enough man power? There must be at least a hundred acres of land there!"

Kid looked at Jimmy. "Are you thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?"

Jimmy nodded. "I think we found our missing townspeople." He looked at Tricia. "And your family."

"You mean, Harrison is using them as slaves?" Tricia asked cautiously.

"Well now, we can’t go jumpin’ to no conclusions, but that’s the way it seems." Teaspoon stated.

Tricia grew pale and Rachel rushed over to her. "Why don’t you come on inside honey? We’ll get you something cold to drink."

Tricia shook her head. "I appreciate it, but no thank you Rachel." She turned to Teaspoon. "What are you planning to do?"

"Something tells me nothing I can say will keep these boys-"

"Ahem!" Lou cleared her throat loudly.

"Um, and Lou," Teaspoon smiled sweetly at Lou, "from heading over there to check out the situation."

Tricia nodded. "Well then count me in as well."

"Are you sure that’s a good idea?" Buck asked. "It could get dangerous."

Cody stepped forward and held up his arm. "I think I’m proof that she can handle herself with a gun!"

The riders laughed and Tricia blushed.

"Then it’s settled." Lou said as she started walking towards the bunkhouse. "Boys, get all the extra ammunition that you can carry. I have a feeling we’re not going to be met with smiles."

Twenty minutes later, Cody, Jimmy, Kid, Buck, Teaspoon, Lou and Tricia were on their way to Harrison’s place. There was a hill with a rock clearing that hung over the property where they could hide, and still have a clear view of the place. One by one they quietly climbed off of their horses and crouched behind the rocks. As they had thought, the townspeople of Serenity were being used as mining slaves. Harrison seemed to have no qualms about using men, as well as women and children, as his slaves, while he and his four men sat around laughing and drinking ale.

"Oh my God! MAMA!" Tricia gasped loudly as she spotted her mother, dirty and covered in dust, hacking away at rock with a pickax.

"What are we going to do Teaspoon?" Kid asked. "There are more of them than us!"

"Somethin’ tells me that the hostages won’t back up Harrison. That means there are five of them, and seven of us." He looked over at the riders. "Think we can handle them?"

Jimmy snorted. "Of course we can."

On to Chapter Eleven

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