DISCLAIMER: The Young Riders is the creation of Ed Spielman, and the property of Ogiens/Kane productions in association with MGM/UA television. This Story is created for entertainment purposes only, no infringement intended. Not to be copied without permission from the author.
Buck , angrily picked up his saddle bags and walked out of the bunkhouse. Before he had even reached the stairs, Jimmy and Kid were behind him strapping on their gun belts.
'Give us half an hour to get ready Buck. We're coming too. You don't think that we'd let you do this alone do you' Kid stated as he started down the steps
'This is my problem, I don't want you caught in the middle.' Buck answered shortly
'If it's your problem, it's ours too.' Kid answered still following Buck towards the stables.
'Kid, be sensible, you have a wife to care for.' Buck stated, not wanting to reveal Lou's secret
'C'mon Buck, you know as well as I do Lou can take care of herself just fine.' Jimmy answered.
'Besides, she's not going anywhere, she's going to look after the way station while we're gone.' Kid spoke
They saddled their horses in silence then led them back to the bunkhouse. Lou was waiting for them on the porch. Distraught and saddened by the events of the last day, her as yet unannounced pregnancy making her more emotional than usual she was unsure how to cope with Jenny's departure. One look at her teary face, and Buck knew that Lou was not coping with the days events, walked back on to the porch with his arms opened to her. She walked straight into his arms and buried her head against his chest.
'I'm sorry Buck, I didn't mean for any of this to happen.' she explained
'Lou, this is not your fault, this is the fault of the narrow minded bigots in town.' he hugged her back
'I shouldn't have interfered' she shook her head sadly. Buck tucked his hand under her chin and tilted her face towards his. His thumbs wiping futilely at the tracks of her tears. 'When we come back, Jenny and I will marry. I'm sure she would like me to ask you if you would stand up for her. She has no friends in town, I'm sure she would like for me to ask you' he smiled at her 'I could think of no one else she would want more at her wedding.' He kissed her forehead and released her. Lou followed him down the stairs and hugged Jimmy and then walking into her silent husbands embrace she hugged him tightly, kissing him deeply then ran back up onto the porch as they mounted up.
'Ride Safe Boys' she called as they rode out, sinking onto the top step, her long skirts fluttering gently around her feet as she hugged her knees. She watched her boys until they merged with the horizon, then went about doing her daily chores, all the time worried about her family, praying for Jenny's safe return.
The boys rode for what seemed like hours, checking first the area where Jenny had been found with the Lakota. She had covered her tracks well, traveling on a heavily traveled path, her tracks had been obliterated by the time that Tomkins had found her missing. The only clues to her whereabouts were the places that Buck knew she had liked to go for reflection when he had first found her all those years ago. Finding no trace of her, they seemed to travel aimlessly, the whole Indian territory seemed to have swallowed her up. Not wanting to discourage Buck, who seemed to be becoming more and more morose with each mile they traveled neither Kid nor Jimmy had the heart to tell him that perhaps their searching was futile. Both knew that the longer she as out on her own, the more danger she was in, and the less likely they were to see her return. 'Kid, Jimmy I want you two to go back.' Buck pulled his horse up and turned to look at his friends
'NO' Kid spoke for both of them .
'It's too dangerous for you two to be out here in the middle of hostile Sioux territory. I can't let you put yourself in that danger. Jenny wouldn't want you to either.'
'How many times have you risked your life for Lou and I?' Kid asked 'I can't remember the number of times you have helped to save us'
'You have saved me from my own foolish self more times than I can count' Jimmy explained self deprecatingly.
'If we can help you in this small way we will.' Jimmy answered, Kid nodding in agreement Hearing gunshots in the distance, the three of them looked at each other and then rode hard toward the sound. Approaching warily, they found Cody and several soldiers on a small rocky outcrop, firing on an unseen assailant.
'Cody, what's up?' Jimmy asked as they crawled up the side of the incline to speak to him.
'Indian War Party. I don't know what they were up to, but we ran into them early this morning, just after they found Thomkins daughter. They haven't treated her very well. Worse than I have seen them treat a captive. Maybe because she's wearing Indian clothes. We have followed them this far but they turned and stood their ground again We think it's their camp'
'What have they done to her?' Buck asked frantically.
'Buck! how long have you been back?' Cody turned and saw his old friend
'A few days, what have they done to her?' Buck asked his mind whirling with the things they could have done to her.
Cody frowned at Buck's concern for Jenny Tomkins, looking over Bucks shoulder to Jimmy, who shook his head as Cody formed the question he longed to ask, but instead fell silent and looked back at Buck
'They beat her pretty badly, she stood up to them well. She's been unconscious for a while now though' Cody explained watching Buck's face with interest. 'We figured that they will... well you know' Cody spoke seriously, not willing to put into words the unthinkable things that could happen to her 'we know that we can't get her back. We don't want her to go through that. We wouldn't want any woman to go through that. When one of us can get a clear shot we're going to kill her' he stated flatly.
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