Buck felt as if he were riding against a mighty torrent of wind, rain, and anything else that might be carried by the gusts. The path before him was nothing more than a white curtain of endless water. He reached his hand up to wipe away the excess rain that stung his eyes, and was alarmed at the inability to see his own hand when it was extended no more than a foot in front of his face.

It was slowly become clear to him that this could turn out to be a fatal mistake. He worried, not so much for himself now, but for Cody. If something had happened to him, the odds of him surviving the brunt of the storm were beginning to look scarcely dim.

Buck could no longer hope to ride through such a mess, so he dismounted and began to walk slowly backwards. It would be better and less painful to take the pounding from behind than in front. He breathed a sigh of relief that his horse was taking it all so well...most would have tried to break free and run away.

The trail, from what he was able to surmise, had nearly been washed away. There was nothing else he could go on, aside from theorizing that Cody must be along it somewhere.

It grew colder as he took a few more steps...the rain that he had noticed soiled his clothes, now became hard and frozen. It was not a good sign at all. He knew that he must be nearing the worst of it, and could only hope that he found a safe refuge before it was directly upon him.

Turning around to try and spot any area of security, Buck was alarmed at what was in front of his feet. Trees had been torn from their roots...maliciously tossed in every direction. He slowly lowered himself to his knees...feeling the ground for anything to grasp securely. Feeling a thick branch, he tugged on it once, making sure that it was steadfast before he tied his horse’s reins to it. He could only pray that once this storm passed, his mount would still be there.

Crawling through the brush, with an occasional stab in the side from one of the branches, he finally felt relief from the forces of nature and cuddled inside the only sheltered area he could see. It wasn’t much...but at this point he was so desperate that he didn’t care.

It seemed to span on for hours, raining, blowing, raining, blowing, and raining some more. Buck could do nothing but assure himself that he had not made a error in coming out to find his friend. If only I had....his thoughts were cut off, much like the rain was instantaneously. A warm breeze of air struck him, and was swiftly followed by a an unsettling void of ominous silence.

Only a few moments ago, he would have given anything for a warm blanket...and now, all he wanted to do was sweat.

Cautiously, Buck stood up, and for the first time was able to see across the land. Trees, shrubs, and what little grass existed all seemed to be facing the same direction...almost as if they pointed him in the source of the danger.

A timid groan broke the hushed surroundings, and with a deft reaction, Buck wheeled around, ready to meet an attack if it was necessary. His skin felt numb and lifeless, which only caused his movements to be stiff and lagged.

Cody groaned again, only this time he managed to shift enough for Buck to spot the movement. “Cody!” Buck cried out, hoping that he would be able to get to his friend in spite of his own sluggish movements.

The other man did not, nor could not respond. Inside his ears was a hideous ringing...and in the back of his mind he thought he might have heard a faint voice...but it soon faded, and he was lost in unconsciousness.

Buck felt his adrenaline sear to the highest level. If Cody had been stuck out there longer than he, what kind of shape could he possibly be in?

With another forced motion, Buck reached his friend and kneeled down beside him. He touched his face and was alarmed at the loss of life in his skin. The only time he had seen someone so white was when.....no, he was not going to allow himself to ponder upon such a tragic thought. Cody was going to be fine...he had to be.

Straining with every last ounce of energy that he had, Buck was able to slowly lift Cody and pull him out of the brush where he could further examine his injuries.

The stale air continued to linger with a suffocating sensation. Buck tried to ignore it and pressed on with evaluating Cody’s injuries. He spoke softly to his friend, but never received any communication in return. It was clear that he was fighting a battle inside of himself...one that was either to win over his ailments or to be defeated by them. There was no in-between.

Glancing behind his shoulder, Buck felt relief wash over him at one of the most beautiful sights he’d ever seen...his own horse. She was still there and looked nearly as exhausted as he. He knew that if she had been able to see the ground any better than himself, she probably would have been long gone.

Standing up to collect what few supplies he and packed with him, Buck maneuvered around the many obstacles spread across the ground. But, like with all horrific sites, he stopped in mid-stride at the vision of one of the most terrifying things he’d ever seen. There, on the horizon, a mighty white funnel lowered itself from the sky and struck the ground with full force. It began devouring all that it could take in without remorse, and Buck could do nothing but stare while it turned darker and darker...aiming straight for them.

Although the clothing she wore made her feel elegant and graceful, she could not enjoy the moment to the fullest. Thoughts of her dearest friends and confident being lost in the downpour of indescribable storming forces made her want to curl up, close her eyes, and wish it to all be a dream.

However, as Mark would most certainly point out to her...that would be a ridiculous and pointless choice of actions.

Lou brushed through her hair and held up the tiny mirror that she owned. Even in the dark shadows of the bunkhouse her skin looked pale and white. She felt her face, and was alarmed at the warmth in spite of such coloring.

Knowing that she couldn’t handle her own dismal temperament any longer, Lou placed the mirror back on the dresser and headed for the door. It was too early to be meeting Mark, but a stroll down the street alone was something that she desperately needed.

Taking in the sights and smells of the town, she found herself smiling at the reality of how she lived her life. Not many women walking passing her on the streets could boast of living two lives...that of a male express rider, or that of a lady.

It surprised her to see just how many people barely even gave her a second glance. Surely she didn’t change that much just by putting on a dress and brushing her hair. Couldn’t they see her for who she really was behind the hat, gun, and pants. Or was it that they merely pretended not to see?

Her thoughts were opportunely interrupted when a very familiar and striking face appeared before her. “Always early, as usual,” Mark smiled and extended his arm.

Louise wordlessly took it and mentally breathed a sigh of relief that he had saved her from her own rambling and pointless thoughts. Somehow Mark Twain always knew when she needed a little “interference” in her life, and had been there in the hardest of times. She knew that she wouldn’t be where she was now if he hadn’t encouraged her to step out in life and not settle for anything but her absolute best.

It was unusual for them to be in each other’s company without any exchange of conversation...but tonight, they didn’t seem uncomfortable with the arrangement. Mark knew that if there was something that Louise wanted to say, she would have said it...and until she brought up any dialogue, he would remain silent.

She gripped onto his arm, tighter than she had realized until he gently patted her hand. “I’m sorry, Mark. I’m not the best company tonight.”

Louise had spoken first, so it was now his duty to help her along with encouragement to discuss what was so evidently distressing her. “Is something on your mind, my dear?”

With a brief glance up at him, she shook her head, hearing him speak, but not hearing what he said. “No...it’s just that I’ve got so much on my mind.”

Mark tried to stifle a laugh, “Oh?”

“Cody’s horse came back today without him on it. Kid and Marisa rode out, and they’re saying that we’ll be having the worst storms this area’s ever seen blowing through. I’m stuck here, not knowing what to do other than clean the bunkhouse over and over...Jimmy’s no help because he’s just as nervous.” After speaking so rapidly, Lou found herself out of breath and sighed deeply. All of these things churning round and round inside of her were exhausting, to say the least.

They reached the front of the only restaurant in town and stood to face each other. “If you’d rather go back, we can do this tomorrow,” Mark offered, wondering if he had anticipated what could become her request.

Before giving an answer, she stepped inside, “No, this will be great,” she replied, smiling for the first time since they had met this evening.

A young man seated them at a table next to the window. The candle-light reflections of all the customers in the room were cast upon the glass windows. It provided an elegant atmosphere...one that might have suggested that they were somewhere besides Rock Creek.

“So,” Mark began, folding his hands together and placing them on the table, “You want to tell me what else is bothering you?”

“I told you...the storms...”

“Yes, but what’s the real reason? Isn’t it because you aren’t out there with either one of them, and instead you’re sitting inside a glorified saloon with an old teacher?”

Louise was crushed that he would say such a thing...but what distressed her even further was that he was completely right. It wasn’t just the threat of the weather, it was that nawing sensation that there was much more to this ordeal with Marisa than was evident. “I don’t know, Mark. I know I’m just overreacting, but there’s something about this girl that I don’t trust. Why would Kid’s friend, whom he hadn’t seen in years, leave his house and land to him instead of his wife?”

Mark mulled it all over in his mind. He couldn’t deny that he had shared many of her concerns and feelings. It just didn’t seem to be his place to suggest that perhaps Marisa was a fraud. “Do you have any reason to doubt that she’s lying?”

Shaking her head and taking a sip of water, Lou looked down at her hands. “That’s the crazy part. I don’t know anything about her, other than she’s from Philadelphia, and her name is Marisa Hugh.”

The name struck a chord inside of his mind and he froze. He strained, trying to break through his own clouded mind. Where had he seen that name?? “Marisa Hugh?” Mark repeated it out loud and then panned through his day. “I looked through my articles today, and somewhere in there...” he began speaking out loud.

“What?” Lou asked, legitimately confused.

Forcefully, the recollection struck him, “Louise, where did you say they were headed?” Mark stood up from the table, panicked at the memory that surfaced.

“Back East, but why?”

He extended his hand to her and headed towards the door. “Come on, we’ve got to go.”

She pulled back, refusing to go anywhere until he had given her an explanation. Frankly, Louise was beginning to worry...his actions did not make any sense, and the last thing she needed was to have to fret over the idea that he was coming down with some sort of mental problem. Wasn’t there enough turmiol right now? “I don’t understand!”

Mark turned to her, his eyes more distraught and appalled than she had ever seem them appear before. “If my assumptions are correct, your Kid is in a lot more trouble than any of us realize.”

On to Chapter Ten

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