On a dusty road a drifter stopped and read a faded sign. ‘ Stockton 20 miles’ it read.

“Are you really sure about this?” Nick asked for the third time since the two brothers had left the house.

“Nick for the last time yes.” Heath was getting just a little annoyed with Nick. He understood why Nick was continually questioning his decision to go, but Nick just wouldn’t leave it alone. “Anyway I wanna check on Johnny on the way back, make sure he’s okay.”

“Where is this Johnny?”

“He works in one of the camps at the bottom of the flume. Spotted him when I came up with Bentell the last time.”

In his own way Nick too wanted to see Johnny Wild if only to say thanks to one of the men who had watched over his little brother during those awful days and months.

“Heath, Nick” Matt Bentell greeted the brothers “What brings you up here?”

“Matt” Nick greeted.

Heath, Nick noticed, was still a bit to formal with Bentell, he wasn’t relaxed around the man.

“Don’t blame him,” Nick thought to himself. Out loud he said, “We need to talk Matt.”

“Sure come on in.” Matt led the way into the small cabin “Look if it’s about the quota.”

“No, it’s about Caterson and your major.” Nick was blunt and to the point.

“Ahh!” Bentell turned and faced the brothers.

“You’ve heard about the recent murders of ex inmates?” Nick eyed his employee.

“Heard something.”

“And of course you know about the link between them?”

“The circle of six we called em.” He looked to Heath “You was one of them. Toughest of all the Yankee’s I had. Not one of them broke no matter what pressure we placed on them.”

“Beat us you mean.” Heath half snarled.

Nick could feel the tension rising. He just wanted to get the answers to his questions and then get the hell out.

“Heath.” He grabbed Heaths arm. Heath had taken a half step toward Bentell in a threatening manner. “The dagger and Samuelson. Matt tell us about them.”

“One of my corporals overheard Red raving about it during one of his bouts with fever. Told Jed. After that it was all Jed talked about. How, if he could find it, it would restore his families home and wealth. He, the corporal name of Tolls and a sergeant, Smitherson, made a pact between them they’d find it and split the money after they sold it.”

“YOU KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING?” Heath shouted, struggling to escape from Nick’s grasp

“Weren’t no skin off my nose.” Bentell replied “He stopped here before this all began, telling me how he was going to finding it and how he had a contact somewhere in the government helping him.”

“Who?” Nick asked still holding onto the struggling Heath.

“Got a half or was it a step brother working somewhere in either the Governors office or the Senators.”

“There can’t be that many Samuelson’s.” Nick thought out loud.

“He ain’t a Samuelson. Jed’s mother married again after his father was killed. Jed kept his fathers name didn’t take his stepfathers.”

Nick swore as the best lead the brothers had just went out the window.

“Why didn’t you tell him about me?” Heath asked.

“He never asked. Said he would be going for Jones first and that the first would lead to the second and so on.”

“And it never crossed your mind to report this to anybody?” Nick’s contempt for Bentell was rising.

“Why should I? As I said no skin of my nose. After all they were just Yankee’s, and at times no better then animals.”

“GET OUT!” Nick’s temper boiled over. “ GET YOUR WIFE AND YOUR THINGS AND GET THE HELL OFF BARKLEY LAND.”

“You can’t just…Bentell protested.

“YES I can.” Nick countered. “And don’t ever show your face around here again.”

The brothers excited the small cabin leaving a stunned and silent Bentell staring at the walls.

“Heath.” Nick caught Heath’s arm and swung him around. “About Bentell and forcing you to..”

“Look Nick I understand.” Heath ducked his head.

Sensing that Heath was embarrassed Nick quickly changed the subject.

“We’d better get going if we want to be with your friend Johnny by nightfall.” He swung into Stealth’s saddle.

“Stockton. How it’s grown” The drifter thought to himself. He looked around, at least five new houses and three new shops had been added since he had passed through two years before. But he didn’t stop. The urge to keep heading east was strong. He didn’t understand it but it was strong.

“Can I help you gents?” The foreman asked the three strangers who had appeared before him.

“Looking for a man by the name of Wild.” Samuelson said looking at the foreman. “We were told he works here.”

“Johnny Wild?” The foreman nodded. “Works about two miles that way, you’ll find him there, prefers to work alone.”

The threesome departed without a word of thanks and headed in the direction indicated.

“Always figured Wild for a loner.” Samuelson shared “Didn’t make much sense him being part of the six.”

“It’ll make our job easier anyhow.” Smitherson the ex-sergeant observed. “Nobody around to interfere probably won’t even be missed for a day or two.”

Samuelson grinned wickedly at the ex-sergeant. They were cut from the same mould; both were in it for the money and to see the ones who had defied them broken. Tolls, the ex-corporal was it in for the money and if push came to shove was also expendable.

“Right, we get what we can from him and then head back to the junction box. Kelsey should’ve received a message by now.”

Kelsey Bleu was one of Samuelson’s stepbrothers.

“Thomson?”

“Yep if our friend done his job right we should have at least somewhere to start looking.”

Smitherson just nodded.

“Johnny was a loner, in the beginning.” Heath said, in response to Nick’s question. “ But begin thrown in with five others against your will, having to fight to survival it kinda bonds you together.”

“Were you all captured together?” Nick asked carefully. It was rare for his brother to open up on any subject, let alone his time in the prisoner of war camp.

“No they were all in there when I was caught. I was thrown in with them. It took awhile and one nasty incident before we all bonded in our hatred for Bentell and his mob. After that we were just always there for each other. It was the group that gave us our strength and determination not to be broken, looking back on it now.”

Nick started to ask another question but was cut off by the sounds of a man screaming in pain and the faint sound of leather hitting skin.

To Heath it was a familiar voice, even screaming in pain he’d know that voice anywhere.

“Johnny!” He exclaimed and turned Chargers head toward the sound.

“Heath wait” Nick called fearing Heath would run head on into Wild’s tormentors and be unprepared.

“Somebody coming Major” Tolls the ex-corporal warned. His part on this sort of thing was lookout.

Samuelson quickly wound the bloodied whip up and placed in on his belt. Before him in the long grass Johnny Wild lay, like the others before him, beaten and broken.

“Hurry” Tolls urged. He could now make out the shapes of two riders heading in the general direction of the party. “There’s two of them.”

Smitherson drew his gun. After Samuelson had beaten the information out of their victims it was his job to despatch them.

Tolls, in his hurry to get away, bumped into Smitherson, causing him to be slightly off target.

“Idiot.” Smitherson swore. He readied the gun.

“No time.” Samuelson called “Let’s move.”

“Gunshot.” Nick called as he and Heath brought Stealth and Charger to a halt “This way.”

It was Heath who spotted the badly wounded John Wilde first.

“JOHNNY!” Heath cried as he flung himself from Chargers back and onto the ground by his friend. “NO!”

Johnny was a mess, blood covered every blade of grass around him, his back was an expanse of torn skin and blood and the area between his shoulder and his stomach was not much prettier.

“Heath.” Wild croaked.

“Johnny don’t talk we’ll get help.” Heath tried to comfort his dying friend. Heath made eye contact with Nick, who just shook his head. Wild was beyond help.

“Samuel..did this…looking….dagger” Wild coughed.

“I know.”

“Wants……break…..you…can’t find……doesn’t know…….Barkley.”

Nick looked at Heath puzzled.

“Johnny’s the only one who knows about my link to the Barkley name.” Heath explained.

Nick nodded. Samuelson was looking for Heath Thomson, not Heath Barkley; this was what had so far kept his brother from ending up like his friend.

“But how much longer would that last?” He asked himself. “With a contact in the Governors office. A contact for whom we still don’t have a name.” His attention quickly returned to the scene before him as Wild began to speak again.

“Watch….Heath…joebleu.” Wild closed his eyes and felt himself slip away, the pain was finally ending. “ So….long…my …friend.”

Heath felt Wild’s body go limp; lifting his hand to Johnny’s face he closed the unseeing eyes.

“No more pain Johnny.” Saying this Heath then bowed his head and began to weep silently for his lost friend.

Nick, feeling like a stranger in the scene playing out before him, beat a retreat back to Stealth. As much as he wanted to offer comfort to Heath he also knew that his brother needed to have his cry and mourn in private.

From where they had gathered Samuelson, Smitherson and Tolls watched the brothers.

“It’s Thomson.” Samuelson announced. “How’s that for luck?”

“Are you sure Major?” Smitherson asked “After all it’s been years.”

“I swore I’d never forget that boy’s face..” Samuelson told the other two “And I never have.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Smitherson was chomping at the bit “Let’s get him.”

“When he’s alone.” Samuelson indicated to Nick “Not with company hanging around.”

“Major.” Tolls put in his two cents worth “The dark one with Thomason, I’ve seen him before. He’s a Barkley, Nick Barkley.”

“Thomson working for the Barkley’s?” Samuelson pondered the notion. “Why not? It would explain why we haven’t been able to find him.” He looked at the brothers again and then at his two companions. “Change of plan, we’ll follow them for a bit.”

Heath and Nick rode back to the lumber camp in silence. The body of John Wild was wrapped in a blanket across Chargers saddle. All the way back Nick had a feeling that something was just not right. It was like they were being followed but he couldn’t see anyone.

With the smoke of the lumber camp in sight Nick made a decision. As much as he didn’t want to leave Heath he felt it would be a good idea to ride ahead, prepare the crew for the arrival of the body and possibly organize for a search party.

“Heath. I’m going to ride ahead organize a few things.” Nick told his brother “Will you be okay?”

“Yeah thanks Nick.” Heath looked at his older brother. “We won’t be that far behind you.”

Taking a last look toward Heath, Nick urged Stealth to lift the pace.

“That’s the last of my staff.” Mantle handed Jarrod the list.

In the time since Nick and Heath had departed to see Bentell Jarrod and the Governor had been busy. Mantle had delayed his return to the city and telegrams had flown thick and fast between his office and the Barkley ranch.

“And there’s no one who’s been missed or overlooked?” Jarrod studied the list. So far he’d checked on about three quarters of the names mentioned. So far not even a possible link to Jed Samuelson had been found. He’d checked and double-checked now all he could hope for was that Nick and Heath had had better luck with Bentell.

“There is one name missing, but he’s not one of my staff. Joseph Bleu. He’s the liaison officer between my office and that of Senator Ridgeway.”

Jarrod hastily noted the name down and began to write the necessary telegrams out to have the background of Joseph Bleu looked into.

“Any idea when your brothers will return?” Mantle asked.

“Afraid not Richard.” Jarrod answered looking up from his desk. “If I know Heath, and I do, he’ll want to stop and check on John Wild before he and Nick get back.”

With the reporting of the death of John Wild and the getting together of the posse Nick didn’t notice just how much time had passed. It wasn’t until Charger appeared riderless and with the body of Johnny Wild still tied to him that Nick became alarmed.

“Get the men together as quickly as possible and follow me.” He ordered the foreman as he jumped onto Stealth’s back.

“Yessir Mr Barkley.” The foreman responded.

Wheeling Stealth around Nick hurried out of the camp and back along the track towards the spot where he had last seen his brother.

“Come on Heath where are you?” He said to the open space around him.

When Nick had left him Heath continued along at a steady pace. Charger had been given his head and was going in the right direction.

This gave Heath time to reflect, on where life had taken him and his friends since their release. On how the same life force had chosen the time to take his friends and in the manner of the taking. He was reminded of something Charlie had said to him one time after he’d come through a nasty bout of fever.

“Hold on to what you have lad, cherish what life has to offer because none of us knows how long we’ll have it for.”

The teenage Heath didn’t understand the meaning of the words, but looking back now the adult Heath did.

That also brought to his mind the recent spat between Jarrod and Heather. Hearing Charlie’s words in his head and with Johnny’s body in front of him he realized that what had happened between them had to be resolved.

So lost in thought was Heath that he didn’t really hear the pounding hooves coming up from behind him until it was too late. The blow behind the ear sent him off Chargers back and onto the ground. Charger kept on going.

“Well, well Thomson haven’t we changed since Caterson.” Samuelson taunted “Are we also as unbending as ever?”

“You’d better believe it Samuelson.” Heath rose and looked at his former jailer. “Smitherson why aren’t I surprised? You two always were the perfect pair of bookends from hell.”

That remark earned Heath a smack across the face curtsey of Samuelson.

“Watch your mouth boy.”

Heath held his hand to his split lip. “Or you’ll do what?”

“Give you the same thing that we gave your friends.” Smitherson smiled an evil smile and started to hand Samuelson his favourite toy.

“Not yet.” Samuelson pushed the whip away. “ This one needs to be soften up a bit first.”

At the signal from Samuelson, Tolls and Smitherson each made a grab for Heath’s arms. Heath put up as much resistance as he could but was soon overpowered.

“Time to talk boy.” Samuelson said as he began the ‘softening’ process.

“Never” Heath spat back. Struggling against the hold of Tolls and Smitherson.

“He’s ready.” Samuelson nodded toward two trees growing fairly close together “Do it.”

“Looks like we won’t be needing Joe Bleu’s information after all.” Tolls laughed, as he and Smitherson tied the already bruised and battered Heath to the two sturdiest branches.

At the mention of Joe Bleu Heaths head went up.

“Joe Bleu’s a person, not the ramblings of a dying man.” He thought to himself. Out loud he asked “So who’s Joe Bleu?”

“He’s the major’s step.” Tolls started to answer.

“Shut your mouth.” Samuelson growled “And kept it shut.” He turned his attention to Heath “Now boy you know how this goes don’t you?”

“And I still won’t tell you anything.” Heath looked defiantly at Samuelson.

“You will boy, you will.”

“SAMUELSON.” The voice of Nick Barkley sounded loud across the still silent stretch of grass.

The ex-major spun around toward the direction of the voice. Nick Barkley and a party of ten others were rapidly approaching the quartet’s position.

With those kinds of odds Samuelson knew that it would be better to disappear now rather then take all of them on and wind up caught or dead.

“We’ll see each other again soon Thomason, count on it.”

For Nick the scene before was like something out of a nightmare. His brother was tied between two trees, his shirt ripped and torn hanging around his knees. A tall, well built man standing to his left side a whip dangling from his right hand. A second man almost as well built as the first stood facing Heath, the third member of the group stood a little further away.

“Well don’t just stand there, follow them.” Nick yelled to the rest of his party.

For his part Nick jumped off Stealth and hurried over to where Heath was tied. As he was approaching Heath from behind Nick was able to see, with relief, that Samuelson hadn’t yet used the whip. Heath’s back was free from any new marks; just the old hateful scars.

Heath’s face told a different story. Looking at the bloody mess of his brother’s face made Nick wince. There wasn’t a spot on Heaths face that didn’t have either a cut or bruise on it.

“Oh god.” Nick quickly cut the ropes that were binding Heath “WATER QUICKLY I NEED WATER HERE NOW.” He called to anybody who was listening.

“Nick.” Heath croaked through the pain. “Gotta.. get home..talk ..Jarrod.”

“No way little brother, not until we get you cleaned up and you’ve had some rest.” Nick soaked his bandana with water from a canteen somebody had handed him and began to clear the blood away from the cuts. “Hey do you know how much trouble we’ll be in if we arrive home now with those cuts untreated? Mother will hit the roof.”

“Nick..contact….know…”

“Yes, you know who the contact is and you want to inform Jarrod.” Nick said trying to get Heath to see reason. “Heath it’ll be dark soon and I don’t really want either of us riding in the dark, especially with that sick animal on the loose. I promise you little brother first thing in the morning we’ll head for home. Deal?”

Heath just nodded.

As dawn was thinking about breaking Samuelson, Smitherson and Tolls reached the telegraph junction box west of Stockton.

“Kelsey? Kelsey wake up you big oaf.” Samuelson yelled to his stepbrother who was sleeping in the tent pitched not for from the telegraph lines. “Any word from Joe?”

“And it’s good to see you to Jed.” Kelsey Bleu growled back. He’d just spent another cold night with little sleep and very little to eat listening to the clicking of the telegraph set near him. The last thing he wanted was his overbearing stepbrother breathing down his neck. “A message from Joe and plenty flying back and forward between the Barkley ranch and the Governors office. Seems Mantle is on the Barkley ranch, with some Englishman and their checking the backgrounds of all Mantle’s staff.”

“Looking for what?” Samuelson grabbed the papers off the upturned box and out his stepbrother's hand.

“Somebody working for us. Managed to intercept the one about Joe and ‘changed it’ slightly.”

“Good, anything else?”

“Yeah, bottom one has information you’ll be wanting to see.” Bleu grinned. “It seems your Heath Thomson is now..”

“A BARKLEY.” Samuelson roared. “So that’s way that Nick Barkley was with him, and why we couldn’t find him.”

“Keep reading.” Bleu was enjoying this. “There’s more.”

Samuelson scanned the message. As he did his eyes lit up.

“Now that is useful information.” He crushed the message into his pocket. “And will be put to good use.”

“Heath what happened to you?” Was the question Victoria asked as her two sons came in the door. “Who did this to you.”

Although much cleaner and less bloody then the night before Heaths face was still a mass of cuts and bruises.

“Mother I’m fine really.” Heath hugged his mother.

“No he’s not.” Nick told her. “We had, let’s say, a minor run in with that creep Samuelson.”

“And he did that?” Her hand went to Heaths face

“If not for Nick it could’ve been worse.” Heath smiled to his older brother.

“Right upstairs young man, I’m going to get my liniment, clean those cuts properly and then you’re going to rest.”

“No time Mother.” Heath protested, “I’ve got to talk to Jarrod and then I need to head for Colesville.”

“Heath, Nick when did you two get?” Jarrod voice came from the top of the stairs. “Heath what happened?” See this youngest brothers face Jarrod hurried down the stairs. “Samuelson?”

“Yeah, Jarrod we found out who the contact is.” Heath turned to face Jarrod.

“Right the Governor is in the library let’s talk.” As one the three brothers headed for the library leaving Victoria in the hall.

A discrete cough from Victoria made them all about face.

“Sorry Mother, will you join us?” Jarrod hurried back and offered her his arm.

“Much better.” Victoria took her eldest sons arm. “Thank- you Jarrod.”

Heath and Nick looked at each other. At least she’d forgotten about the liniment for a while.

Outside a small property just east of Colesville the drifter stopped he hadn’t been here before and yet it felt familiar.

“We head for Coleville.” Samuelson announced. “Barkley will come sooner or later and when he does we’ll be waiting for him.”

“Jarrod the one you need to talk to is Joe Bleu.” Heath told his brother. “He’s a stepbrother of Samuelson and the one who’s been supplying him with information. Johnny Wild is dead as well. I, we were just a bit too late to save him.”

“ Heath I’m so sorry.” Jarrod grasped his brother’s shoulder in a show of support. “ And your information about Joe Bleu comes from?”

“Two different sources. Bentell told us he had stepbrothers and one worked for the government. John Wild with his dying breath mentioned the name Joe Bleu.” Nick continued.

“And while I was with Samuelson and Co, Tolls the ex-corporal mentioned him by name and Samuelson nearly bit his head off.” Heath shifted uncomfortably “ Jarrod I’m going to Coleville. This has to end now, I’ll get the dagger and you can take it back to England with you Mr Redforth.”

“You know I’ve just developed the itch to see this knife.” Nick announced. “I’ll be going with you. Just to see this knife of course.”

Nick was the only one in the room with enough front to call the priceless Redforth family heirloom a knife.

“Of course.” Heath confirmed. He wasn’t fooled.

“We’ll all be going.” Jarrod told his brothers as he looked at both Mantle and Henry Redforth. The two of them gave him a confirming nod. “It’s settled.”

“This is it.” Heath announced as the party of three riders and a carriage pulled up outside the fenced off land. “This is Charlies farm.”

The property itself was some five miles east of the town of Coleville. Set in a valley between two mid sized mountain ranges it was accessible only through a tunnel in the side of one of the ranges.

“Feels like home.” Henry Redforth had said, as they existed the tunnel. “No wonder Charles picked this spot.”

“The house is this way.” Heath indicated.

“The daggers hidden in somewhere in the house?” Mantle asked.

“Nope.” Heath responded. “It’s hidden beyond the house, somewhere nobody in their right mind would ever hide a valuable piece.”

The group skirted around the small farmhouse and headed for one for the rock walls. Cascading down the wall was a small natural waterfall.

“The time’s I’ve been here this has been dry and getting to it easy.” Heath told the group as he carefully stepped over the slippery rocks.

“It’s behind the waterfall?” Nick asked.

“Yep.” Heath reached above his head. With the tips of his fingers he was able to get some purchase on the lose rocks and carefully began to remove them.

From his hiding place not far from the waterfall the drifter watched as one of the strangers, who had arrived earlier, pulled out the rocks from behind the waterfall.

“Why?” He asked himself “Why was he doing this? For what purpose?”

Looking at the waterfall, the rocks and finally the small package the blond stranger had pulled out an image appeared in his head. He was seeing his own hands place the parcel in the waterfall and push the rocks in front of it.

The vision happened so quickly that it caught him by surprise and in his shock he stepped on a dry twig.

Nicks head went up at the sound of the snapping twig. By instinct he drew his gun. Standing next to him Jarrod did the same. With a nod of his head he indicated to Heath to return the parcel to its hiding spot Heath acknowledged and did so.

“Come here you.” Nick grabbed the surprised drifter by the collar and pulled him to his feet. This was not who he had expected to find hiding in the scrub. He fully expected to find Samuelson and his two companions. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

Fear showed on the face of the helpless drifter as Nick pushed him toward the group.

“Now once again who are you and what are you doing here?” Nick repeated the question.

“I don’t now mister.” The words shocked everybody for they were spoken with a clipped upper class English accent.

“Charles?” Henry Redforth questioned as he approached the drifter. This man before him didn’t look like his cousin but the voice was unmistakeable. “Charles is that really you?”

“Do I know you?” The drifter sounded confused.

“Charles, it’s me Henry, Henry Redforth your cousin.”

The drifter regarded the Englishman with caution.

“Charlie? Charlie Red?” Heath approached the drifter. “Do you remember me? It’s Heath, Heath Thomson.”

The drifter now turned his attention toward Heath.

Puzzled eyes looked at Heath and somewhere inside the drifter’s mind an image appeared. The image of a frightened and scared teenage prisoner. A teenage boy being tossed around and used as a punching bag by several large prison guards. The blonde before him had the same face. And then it all came back, the war, the prison, the argument with his father and the older boy he played with as a child.

“I know you.” The drifter said. “You were there, at that stinking hole.”

“Yes I was.” Heath admitted. “So were you, you showed a teenage boy the true meaning of strength, and how not to give in even when the odds seemed insurmountable.”

Charles Redforth nodded. “Heath.”

“Charlie.”

“Henry.” Charles faced his cousin. “I do remember you, you and that wooden sword you never let me play with.”

Henry Redforth allowed himself to smile as he too remembered the toy in question. His cousin was back.

“But what are you all doing here?” Charles asked confused. “Not the dagger?”

“Yeah” Heath answered for the group. He then went on to describe the recent events for his still slightly confused friend. As well as introducing his brothers and Mantle.

“I read about Cal and Russ’s murders.” Charles told the group. “But Hank, and Johnny too?”

“We were both there.” Nick told him “Johnny died in Heath’s arms.”

“All because of this.” Charles took the parcel from Heath and opened it.

The ruby eyes of the dragon glinted in the sun as Charles Redforth opened the package. Although tarnished by the years the gold in the piece still managed to glint just a little.

“Here Charles.” Henry Redforth handed over the scabbard. “Make it whole again.”

The group watched as Charles Redforth slipped the dagger into its scabbard. The polished gold of the scabbard looked out of place against the tarnished head of the dragon but the eyes looked right.

“Here Heath.” Charles handed the piece to a very surprised Heath. “Take it.”

“Charlie, I can’t it belongs to your family. It wouldn’t be right.” Heath protested.

“I want you to have it. After all you’ve been through to protect and guard the secret of it. It’s only right that you have it.” Charles looked at his cousin.

“I agree.” Henry Redforth confirmed.

“And Henry you can tell my father, I’m not coming back. Tell him I’m dead.” Charles instructed his cousin. “You’re the new Earl of Waterford.”

Henry started to protest but one look from his pig headed, stubborn cousin told him not to bother.

The sound of thundering hooves caused the group to look around and then hit the ground as three horses charged the area.

On the lead horse Jed Samuelson saw the object of his desire and headed for Heath. With the reins of his horse in his left hand Samuelson reached down and attempted to grab the prize from Heaths sturdy grip.

With all his strength Heath Barkley held on the Redforth family heirloom and actually managed to pull Samuelson from his horse, the pair ended up rolling on the ground each struggling to wrench the dagger from the others grasp.

Punches flew thick and fast, the dagger somehow ended up flying through the air and landing in a small clump of bushes a short distance away.

Smitherson and Tolls, while all this was going on, had circled around and where now charging the group again guns drawn. Smitherson in the lead fired a shot off in the general direction of the struggling pair. The shot missed and Smitherson never got the chance to get a second shot off as Nick took aim and fired.

Tolls faced the same fate, but at the hands of Jarrod Barkley not Nick.

With Heath and Samuelson rolling on the ground it was impossible for either of the Barkley brothers to get a clear shot. A bullet fired at the wrong moment could’ve ended up robbing them of their blonde brother.

A shot fired into the air drew everybody’s attention toward the tunnel entrance to the valley.

Sitting in her carriage drawn by Silverfire Lady was Heatherleah Barkley.

With all the focus of everybody’s attention on the new arrival and not him. Jed Samuelson decided this would be the best moment to make an escape. He may not have the prize dagger in his possession but he would still be alive and able to have another go at breaking Heath Barkley sometime in the future.

A quick backhander momentarily stunned Heath, allowing Samuelson to get to his feet and make a dash for his horse.

“We will see each other again Barkley, I promise you and when that time comes I will break you and I will enjoy it.” He called over his shoulder to Heath.

“Dammit.” Nick swore as Samuelson rode out of range.

“Well a least Charlie is safe.” Heath told his brothers as he held the dagger. “ And so is this.” He held the dagger up.

“But for how long will you be?” Nick questioned. The escape of Jed Samuelson and the threat he’d left behind left a bad taste in this mouth.

“Who knows Big Brother, who knows” Heath said gripping Nicks shoulder. The pair watched as Jarrod and Heather, once bickering siblings, made their peace with each other. “But one thing’s certain I won’t be looking over my shoulder, hiding, cowering from every sound, cause if I did it’d mean that Samuelson’s won.”

Nick nodded. The real courage of the Barkley’s had shone through in that statement. He felt very proud of his little brother.

“Hold on to what you have lad, cherish what life has to offer because none of us knows how long we’ll have it for. Charlie told me that once.” Heath shared

“And he was right.” Jarrod said as arm in arm he and Heather joined Nick and Heath.