Marisa watched Kid build a small fire, amazed at his survival skills in this untamed wilderness. She felt secure to be beside him…more than she had with any other man. It was as if sticking close to Kid would keep her away from all harm.

Kid rested his head back on his saddle and stared into the campfire…almost wishing that this were all a bad dream. He failed to see Marisa’s steadfast gaze on him, and continued to look straight ahead. She bit her lip, wanting to say something to strike up a conversation. However, it was made evident through his body language that Kid did not care to be disturbed. His mind was elsewhere…and she had a pretty good idea where that was. “Elsewhere” had brown hair, brown eyes, and a pretty smile.

“She was lovely,” Marisa added, slowly edging closer to Kid’s side, a motion to which he was oblivious.

Kid turned to her, “What?”

Marisa looked at him as if he was completely lame. “That girl. I saw how you and she…well, you know. What’s her name anyway?” Maybe this would be the perfect way for her to get him to open up a bit. Kind of that friend to friend, heart to heart, slowly make your way towards him to comfort him type motion. She smirked to herself.

Without really having to think, he just answered, “Louise.”

“Oh, I see, it’s like that huh?” Marisa grinned. Although, deep inside she felt a pang of jealousy strike her. She would have given anything to have a man care about her. Sure, she’d had men fall in love with her, but they were never the sort that she could return those feelings to.

Kid sat up, realizing where this discussion would be headed if he didn’t quickly switch tracks and re-direct it to a subject more relevant to the moment. “Marisa, I know this is going to be difficult for you to talk about, but don’t you think it’s about time you told me what was going on? I’ve put work, and my life aside to help you…help Seth, and I think the least you owe me is better explanation.”

She took a breath, but found that when she tried to speak, nothing came. That had been the last thing she expected him to bring up. I mean naturally it was legitimate, but still… “Kid, what is there to tell. I told you that some men came to our house, broke in, and murdered my husband.”

When he saw the tears form in her eyes, Kid felt guilty for forcing her to talk about something that would hurt her to such an extent. Yet at the same time, he needed know precisely what it was that he was entangling himself in. “Marisa,” he lightly touched her arm and drew her eyes into his.

“You’ve got to tell me what it is that is going on here. There must have been a motive for them to come in and just kill him like that. Didn’t you and Seth own something valuable that these men might have been interested in taking?”

She was outraged that he wouldn’t accept her first response. But, she refused to give in to her frustrations. Marisa wasn’t going to make another mistake. “Kid, I already told you all I know. What more do you need?” She paused only briefly, “So, tell me about Louise.”

His eyes narrowed and he bolted upright. He’d had it…no more of this “beating around the bush.” Kid wanted answers and he wanted them at this instant. “How can you just blow me off like this?” He said sharply. “I deserve to know what’s going on. There’s something you aren’t telling me!”

Marisa jumped back. It was plain to her that Kid was at the end of his rope…and wouldn’t put up with her evasive replies any longer. “Kid, I…I,” she fumbled, realizing that she was actually frightened of the man beside her. His angry eyes were accented by the flickering firelight, and his lips were drawn tightly together.

He stared back at her, not believing how she was presenting herself. Hadn’t it been enough that she had pulled them both out there into forsaken country…without behaving as if she were a small child who thought this was some sort of game? “You’ve dragged us through lightening, storms, and everything else…and this is all that you can give me? I’m sorry, Marisa, but you’re going to have to do a lot better than this before I start helping you out of the mess that you created for yourself.”

She was at a loss of words, or even the simple ability to speak. Instead, she sat there, her mouth agape, staring up at him as he rose to his feet and dusted off his hat. “Kid, wait, please.”

Shrugging her off, he put on his hat and turned to face her, the campfire being the only obstacle to separate them. His hands were defensively on his hips…and his posture was so stiff that she could have laid him sideways and used his body for the support beam of a roof.

“No, you wait. I’ve ridden through hell and high waters with you on this trip, and all for the sake of what? You’ve refused to tell me anything but what I already know! After asking me to carry out this “mission” for you, you better start telling me what this is all about. If I’m going to risk my life for this and get struck by lightening, I think I ought to know why!”

Marisa swallowed…hard. It was quite clear to her that at the rate he was going, she was not going to be able to keep him around much longer. “Kid, please, you’re doing this for Seth, remember?”

Turning his head away in frustration, he lifted his head to the sky, rubbed his hand across his face, and took a deep breath. “That’s another thing, Marisa, why didn’t you just take back the deed…I told you that I don’t want his property. It belongs to you.”

Realizing that he was sounding a bit cruel and hard towards the death of his friend, he softened his tone, slightly. “I want to find out who killed your husband, but at the same time, you’ve got to understand that I can’t be going out on some wild goose chase right now. You need to give me something that I can go by…a clue as to what we’re dealing with here.”

Standing up to meet him on a more level basis, Marisa struggled to present the proper response. It wasn't as if she could be completely honest and tell him that she wanted someone to use….someone to take care of her…and someone to possibly "eliminate" a few years down the road. That wouldn't be nice, would it? "Kid, it's impossible for you to understand…"

He cut her off, "Try me."

She ignored the comment and proceeded. "Seth wanted so much to be reunited with you. He wanted to bring you back out to the ranch, and let you have a part of it. He also said that there was something important he had to tell you." Anticipating his next question, she quickly added, "But he didn't bother explaining to me what it was."

Bowing her head in a dejected womanly fashion…one which made any man as soft hearted as him feel like a heel, she finished. "I'm so sorry, Kid. I never should have asked for your help. It was wrong of me. Please go back home, leave me here…I'll be fine. Forget we even met." She picked up her skirts and walked away, not leaving any room for him to decide whether to be enraged at her action, or to be saddened by it.

Cody remained unchanged. If anything, his condition seeming to rapidly grow worse rather than improving as Buck would have hoped. His pale complexion only seemed to grow whiter by the hour. And to top it off, they were lost…the trail having washed away in the storm.

Even Buck with his keen tracking and riding skills felt helplessly trapped in unknown territory with nothing to use as a reference. He realized that during the hailstorm, he had not been able to see around well enough to establish any familiar markings along the trail.

"Cody, you've got to hang on," he said, slowly lowering him from the horse's back. "We can't be that far from the station…I had only ridden out a couple of hours when I left." Buck stopped himself, was he going crazy by talking to a man who was unconscious?

Where do we go from here? He questioned to himself, deciding not to speak out loud this time until he decided whether or not he was insane to be talking to someone who couldn't even hear him.

Where DO we go from here? Buck repeated the question in his mind as he scanned their surroundings, finding no comfort in the flat prairies, lack of trees, and gray skies.

Never in his wildest dreams had he envisioned himself becoming so lost, at least not this close to home. That was even more maddening to him than the very dilemma itself. Every since he had taken on this job at the express, everyone had relied on him for his superior tracking skills…and now, he was stranded not knowing which way was north, or which way was south. The sun was completely blocked by the storm, and no matter which way he turned, he always ended up right back where he started.

Buck took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow. His gaze returned to Cody, who was lying on the ground, motionless and void of all human tendencies. The only proof that he was still alive was his breathing, and even that seemed strained.

Sinking to the ground, Buck did his best to pour some water into Cody's mouth before taking a drink himself. If only someone would pass by and at least tell him east from west, he would be fine. But the odds of anyone sojourning through these torrents were slim to none.

Lou had no comprehension of time at all…the only thing that signaled her to rise was the gentle side-ways swaying motion that came from someone whom she was leaning against. Pulling the blanket over her eyes, she groaned, "Go away."

But then, once spoken, she realized that she wasn't in her own bed…which should have been her first clue long before now. Freezing, she strained to get her mind to work…but found it quite difficult to get any clear thoughts through.

Then suddenly amidst the grogginess, it dawned on her. This was the morning they were riding out! A million things ran through her mind; what she had to take, what they needed to prepare for, and how she needed to saddle her horse!

She jolted herself upright so fast that the porch swing lost balance and swung backwards, knocking she and Mark off at the same time. His eyes widened at the sudden movement…all he was trying to do was wake her quietly, not scare her out of her senses.

He started to stand up, and offer to help her to her feet as well, but they both were whammed back down to the ground when the swing rocked back forward and smacked into their heads.

"OUCH!" Came a simultaneous yelp. Lou looked at Mark and Mark at Lou…both of them glaring at the other deciding who should take the blame.

Mark rubbed his head and started laughing, which only further provoked Lou into becoming frustrated…that is until she saw the humor of the situation and smiled. "I'm sorry," she mumbled and rose to her feet, offering him a hand.

"It's okay," he replied grinning at the scenario which had now brought out the sleeping residents from the bunkhouse. Jimmy, Cody, and Noah made their hasty appearance, concerned that something more serious had happened…and were incredibly relieved at the simplicity of the accident.

"Let's try starting this morning anew, shall we?" Mark said, straightening his shirt as if to refine what little dignity he still had.

Lou could think of nothing to say. Instead, she wordlessly stepped inside to gather the few things that she had already packed. Then, returning outside, she gripped tightly to her small saddlebag and realized that this was it…today was the day when they would find some resolution. Or, they would find themselves caught in a disaster which none of them understood. Either way, it was a catastrophe that she could live without.

It had all begun as an issue between Marisa and her deceased husband…then, she brought it in to Kid's life and made it his problem. Now it had been created, formulated, and molded in to her own dilemma as well.

Marisa had deviously fabricated this quandary…and Louise was determined to finish it.

On to Chapter Thirteen

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