By Kirsten Page
Copyright 1999
Cole shook Teaspoon’s hand with appreciation. He’d just been offered the jewels of the Nile on a gold platter. His plan was now working out perfectly. “Thank you, Mr. Hunter, I’m going to due my duties to the best of my ability.” Cole was glad that his parents had forced him to work out with the horses and learn how to ride and shoot. It was certainly going to come in handy at this moment in time. Just wait until I write and tell mom that I'm riding for the Pony Express. He snickered to himself.
Teaspoon motioned to the bunk that had belonged to Lou. His heart saddened at the thought that perhaps it would never be slept in by their lovely Louise again. But, Russell, Majors, and Waddell needed the mail to continue, and he couldn’t afford to be short another rider. Besides, there was something about Cole that they still needed to learn more about. Unfortunately though, having him right there was the best way to do that.
“Rachel will have supper ready soon. We usually eat right here,” Teaspoon motioned to the table, “So make yourself comfortable.”
Without another word, the Marshal made his way outside and into town. He didn’t have plans to eat with the rest of them, in fact he just wanted to be in his office and be left alone. Hiring Cole so soon, disgusted him, and if he had done anything to harm the young woman...there was going to be hell to pay.
Buck had ridden out shortly after Kid and Jimmy had taken off to find any more information as to what had happened to Lou. His heart was heavy, so it was a relief to be able to get away from everyone and blaze the open prairies.
Cody and Noah, after Rachel’s prompting, had forced themselves to head outside and take care of the chores that needed tending. She was having a hard enough time dealing with the news without having the boys hang around. Therefore it was better all around for them to space themselves from each other.
Cole sat himself down at the table and looked around the empty room. He noticed the various items that were sitting around. Pictures of women (apparently their mothers), were hanging on some of the walls over the beds. A few of the riders even had some books that were sitting out.
His curiosity now rising as to the interests of the rider that he had killed, or thought he had killed, lead him over to the bunk which he was now to reside in.
There wasn’t much of interest sitting around in the open, so he carefully began digging through the chest that sat next to the bunk. He dug around, finding various letters, books, and clothes that obviously belonged to the other riders.
Almost resolving himself that he would find nothing exciting, he pulled his hand back and was surprised when it met with a smooth, silky cloth. Pulling out the object, he was shocked to see the dress in his hands. “Well, Lou, looks like you were holding out on us darling,” he said with disgust. That explains why the other boys were so saddened. He thought to himself. “What is this day and age coming to. Women riding for the Express now too?”
He had quickly put everything back in the proper place when Rachel walked into the room holding a tray of food. She seemed too distracted to notice that he had a guilty look on his face. In fact, she didn’t even look at him at all.
“Thanks for fixing this for us, Rachel,” he offered when she remained silent.
She barely acknowledged him with a slight smile, “It’s nothing special. Cody and Noah will be back in a few minutes.” With nothing more to say, she left the bunkhouse. The only trace that she had been there was the plate of steaming bread and the small bowl of beans.
Cole rubbed his hands together with satisfaction and helped himself down to the table. “No sense it letting this get cold,” he smiled in satisfaction.
Lou wasn’t aware of much, other than the fact that she was being carried out into the cold. She couldn’t find the strength to open her eyes and see who it was, which was probably just as well because she honestly didn’t want to know. Her energy was dwindling with each moment as it was.
In the muffled, jarbled, and stiffled noises that she was hearing, Lou was able to make out a gentle sound coming from whoever it was that was carrying her.
“Easy, easy,” he said as he set her down. Johnny knew that it would be very difficult for him to bring himself to kill another human being. In fact, he had it all planned out. He was going to take out his gun and shoot on three. Of course he'd look the other way when he pulled the trigger.
Lou moaned as she felt the hard soil beneath her. It was almost as if she were living in someone else’s body. She was there, and her thoughts were, but she couldn’t see what was happening, nor control her movement.
Johnny took the hand of the lifeless form in his own. He wanted some sign that the rider had a pulse. In fact he almost hoped as if there wouldn’t be one, that way all he would have to do would be to bury the body.
The young woman, that he was still mistaking to be a boy, was beginning to show some signs of shock. She was mumbling something that he was hardly able to make out, but when it did.....it all seemed very strange.
“Kid.......dresses.......” She thrashed and continued talking in her feverish state.
“Dresses?” Johnny asked as he leaned closer to hear what she was saying. Was that what had made her so different?
Taking a better look, he brushed some of the hair from her face. “A woman!” He exclaimed falling backwards in shock. As soon as he realized how loudly he had raised his voice, he looked to make sure that his loudness hadn’t caused Wayne to step outside in suspicion.
“I can’t kill a woman!” He exclaimed to himself. Quickly, he picked up her body and went as far from the cabin as he could. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he better come up with something quick.
Once the building was out of sight, Johnny carefully set her down as if she were a precious porcelain doll. Now that he looked at her differently, he saw just how beautiful she was, in spite of the bruises on her face.
Carefully he nudged her, “Miss, come on, you gotta wake up,” he pleaded. “Wake up.”
Lou thought she was hearing something, and she most certainly felt someone pushing on her. She tried to open her eyes, and was successful in forcing her eyelids up about half way. The face before her was one that she most definitely didn’t recognize. “Who...?” She mumbled, not completely sure what she was saying.
“Shhh, I don’t want you talking, just listen.” Johnny propped her head up on his lap. “Wayne wants me to kill you, and if he finds out that I haven’t, he’ll kill us both. I’ve got a place where you can stay that will keep you safe. In the meantime, I’ll need some of your clothes.”
His mind was racing as to what he could do to fool his superior. He had seen this trick used once before, and he just hoped that it would work for him.
Again, she felt something touching her body, but could do nothing about it. Gently he began to remove her coat, and she tried to struggle. There was no strength for her to struggle with, however, so she drifted back into the blackness of a deep sleep. The steady pulse of the pain that seared through her temple was the only thing that she was aware of.
On to Chapter Five