Later, under the cloak of a pitch-dark night, save a subdued light emanating from a warm fire, our happy campers were clustered around the crackling flame, wrapped up in cozy blankets. The horses were settled in a makeshift corral behind them.

Victoria told the tale of Nick’s hardship when three ladies he was courting simultaneously all showed up on the ranch’s front step one Sunday morning.

“All three at the same time?” he laughed.

“You should have seen his face,” Audra managed to articulate between guffaws.

“That must have been something. I’m sorry I missed it. What happened next?”

Victoria glanced over at Audra, shivering underneath her blanket.

“Audra, are you cold, Sweetie?”

“A little bit.”

Victoria reached for an extra blanket.

“Here, sis.” Heath extended his arms towards Audra. “Come sit by me.”

Audra slid over to her brother. He folded his strong, protective arms around her as she nestled up against his warm body.

“Is that better?” he asked, rubbing a gentle hand up and down her arm in an attempt to appease the shivers.

“Much.” She felt Heath’s warmth radiating through her icy-cold limbs. Resting her head comfortably against her brother’s shoulder, the shudders stopped. Her eyelids heavily dangling, she succumbed to her lassitude slowly cajoling her into slumber.

Victoria laid a second blanket on her children’s shoulders. Heath rested his head against his sister’s, petting her blond hair. Victoria sat across them, gazing. Her heart overflowing with delight at this compassionate display. The ordeals, the sorrows, the pain, the joy, the laughs Audra and Heath had shared in the past year had knitted them more tightly then ever. Heath had grown in Audra’s heart as a friend, brother, confidant and protector. She felt safe in his strong arms.

Victoria’s reminiscence was abruptly interrupted by the crackling of a twig snapping behind her. She turned around, squinting through the mist. Heath’s razor-sharp reflexes prompted him to slowly reach for his colt revolver inside his gun belt lying on the ground next to him. He thumbed open the latch on the holster and as he was about to unsheathe the gun, a shadowy figure emerged from behind the shrubbery.

“Don’t try it, Cowboy!” warned the chilling cryptic voice. Heath retreated his hand at the threat. Soon, three silhouettes joined the figure as it circumspectly edged towards the fire. The coarse features gradually chiseled in their faces as they neared the flame. They were the Harden brothers having finally cornered their preys.

“Andy, Cassidy, get their shooters,” Johnny ordered his brothers, pointing his handgun at the still-stock family.

The two brothers hastily confiscated Heath’s colt revolver and Victoria’s rifle. Johnny kicked aside the bag that he suspected contained other harmful weapons.

Heath enfolded a terrorized Audra tightly in both arms. Victoria inched towards her children and wrapped her arm around their shoulders.

“Scare the horses away. Wouldn’t want our guests, here, to leave the party early.”

Cassidy went to the makeshift corral, untied the rope at one end of a tree. He slapped both horses on the rump and they scampered off into the night. Victoria wasn’t worry for she knew they would eventually find their way back to the ranch.

“So, you’re the famous Barkleys?” Johnny crowed, securing the hammer on his gun.

“What do you want from us?” Victoria asked, glaring at Johnny.

“You’ll soon find out.” He smiled sadistically, basking in his achievement. “Those two are your lads?” he asked Victoria, wavering the barrel of his gun at the huddled pair.

“Yes,” Heath replied stonily.

Johnny squatted by a petrified Audra. “ And what’s your name, Pretty Lady?” Johnny asked, stroking Audra’s hair.

Heath was raging, his heart pounding off his chest. Poised ready to leap on the hellhound, he made a sudden move for Johnny’s throat, but the sound of Cassidy cocking his gun made the blond stop dead in his tracks.

“Easy, Cowboy!”

Heath resumed his sitting position, wrapping his arms around Audra’s quivering body.

“Take it easy, Heath,” cautioned Victoria.

“Listen to your pretty mama, boy, and you won’t get hurt.”

The fourth brother lurking in the background surged out of the darkness and stepped forward to get a better look at the three forms huddled together.

“Audra!” Tommy exclaimed, staggered.

“Tommy!” she yelped, equally stunned.

“You know this gal?” asked Johnny to his baby brother.

“She’s the one I told you about.”

“So you fancy her?” Johnny wrested Audra from Heath’s protective grasp and yanked her upright. She shrieked out in fear. He shoved her into Tommy’s arms. “She’s all yours, Tommy boy.”

Crimson with rage, Heath sprung to his feet and flailed a wrathful fist into Johnny’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Johnny bent over, dropping his gun. Heath grabbed a hold of his shoulder and swiped another powerful jab in his face, thrusting him backwards onto the ground. As Heath was about to lunge at on Johnny, Cassidy shot him in his left shoulder. Heath jerked back, crashing to the ground. He clutched his wounded shoulder, writhing in agony.

“No!” Audra screamed, wrenching herself free of Tommy’s hold to rush to her injured brother’s side.

Johnny was fuming. He staggered to his feet, rubbing his tender abdomen and straining to catch his breath. He wobbled over to his gun, picked it up and cocked it at Heath, painfully wiggling in Victoria’s arms.

“Don’t try that stupid stunt again, Cowboy,” he panted menacingly, “or next time I’ll put your ticker out of commission permanently.”

The wound was oozing blood profusely. Heath’s shirt was already drenched. Victoria dreaded that the bullet had severed an artery. She desperately needed to stem the hemorrhage. She positioned Heath’s head against her right shoulder as she beckoned Audra to hand her her bandana. Audra swiftly removed the colorfully patterned handkerchief tied around her neck and gave it to her mother to apply pressure on the trauma.

Heath winced. He gasped between clenched teeth at the lancinating pang shooting through his left side.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Victoria appeased, gently stroking Heath’s cheek.

“It’s okay,” he painfully heaved out.

Andy twisted Cassidy’s arm. “What the devil made you do that?”

“Are you mad? Let go of me!” Cassidy howled, flinging his arm free.

“We agreed there wouldn’t be any bloodshed.”

“You saw was he was doing to Johnny? I had to calm him down.”

“He wouldn’t have sprung on him like a mad man if Big Brother hadn’t roughed up his sister...which I believe he did on purpose, didn’t he?”

“Maybe,” Cassidy shrugged insolently.

Andy walked over to Johnny.

“Come on, Johnny. Let’s get out of here.”

“Not on your life! I’m enjoying myself too much.”

“If we leave now, the wind will cover our tracks. The trail will be too cold for them to sniff us out.”

“What are so jittery about?”

“Don’t you get it?”

“What?”

“Their wagon has broken down. Their family is bound to look for them.”

“Well if they do, they’ll be warmly greeted by the Harden welcoming committee. “ Johnny smiled malevolently, stroking the shiny silver barrel of his gun.

Audra noticed a fleeting quiver surging through Heath’s body. She reached for her blanket and laid it gently over her brother’s legs and chest.

“Thanks, sis,” he shuddered, eyes half-mast. He struggled to keep alert. “Can’t get...wa...warm.”

Victoria raised the blanket up to his shoulders. Another chilling prospect crossed Victoria’s pacing mind. Did the bullet exit or was it lodged deeply in Heath’s shoulder allowing for an infection to set in? She had to make certain.

Without releasing the pressure, she gingerly raised Heath’s left shoulder with the back of her hand. He yelped at the twinge of pain, biting his lower lip, drawing in deep breaths.

“Just a second, Heath. I just want to check something.”

Heath’s face contorted by the smart that could no longer be stifled. His glazed eyes darted around.

The noticeable absence of a puncture mark in Heath’s back made her heart sink.

“Did it come out?” he whispered achingly.

“I don’t think so.”

“God!” Heath rolled back his eyes in despair.

“I could tell you what you did was foolish, but if you hadn’t done it I probably would have.”

Heath cracked a faint smile at Victoria’s commendation.

She gently laid his head back against her shoulder. Dismissing the numbness gradually invading her blood-tainted hand, Victoria continued to apply pressure on the gunshot wound. Audra’s bandana was soaked with blood.

“I need a clean cloth,” she requested of her daughter.

Audra promptly untucked her shirt and tore off the borders. She handed the strip to Victoria who momentarily released the pressure to make the substitution.

Heath’s respiration was shallow and barely audible. He was losing a fighting battle with darkness. Victoria felt that he hadn’t completely left them. His alertness became evident as he flinched at her removing the drenched bandana from his injury. She was relieved to see that the outflow of blood had decreased significantly. She carefully swathed his shoulder in the makeshift bandage.

“Audra, boil some water, please.”

Audra grabbed the water canteen and poured half its content into a coffee pot. She gave the container back to Victoria who raised the spout up to Heath’s lips, tilting it gently so he could drink. Water started dripping down the corner of his mouth as he shook his head.

Audra threw a few more twigs into the wavering flame to keep it alight and placed the coffee pot on top of the intense braze.

“Don’t forget the saddlebag, Mother,” Heath feebly rasped out, reaching out for her hand cradling him underneath the blanket.

She laced her fingers with her agonizing son’s as his words chillingly propelled her to the moment he first formulated his wish.” If anything happens, see that she gets it.”

She leaned closer to Heath’s ear. “You’ll give it to her yourself, son,” she softly murmured, squeezing his hand.

Johnny walked over to Victoria, resting her head against Heath’s. He crouched by her, eyeing her from head to toe.

“You’re Tom Barkley’s widow?”

Johnny’s query pierced through her weary mind but she remained undisturbed, eyes closed, gently lulling her son.

Johnny leveled his gun at Heath’s head. “You know, I could end your angel boy’s misery right now.”

“Yes, I am Tom Barkley’s widow,” she vociferated, eyes seething with anger.

“Did you know you were married to a murderer?” he taunted.

“Tom Barkley was a decent man.”

Johnny rose upright. “Boy are you wide off the mark, Lady.”

“Enlighten me.”

“Bill Harden. Does that name ring a bell?”

“No. Should it?”

“He was our father. You dear husband shot him.”

“Could have been in self-defense.”

“In the back? I don’t think so, Lady!”

“You obviously heard only one side of the story.”

“That’s plenty enough for me.”

Heath’s coughing momentarily turned Victoria’s attention to her ailing son. As she brushed back the damp hair from his forehead, she could feel the fever slowly taking hold on his weakening body.

“What do you want from us?” Victoria bargained with the frenzied man who held the power to end this nightmare.

He hunched next to her and pressed the barrel of his gun against her temple. “Revenge.”

He walked away as she heaved an inaudible sigh of relief.

Andy accosted Johnny. “They’re not good to us dead,” he admonished.

Johnny was riled up. “Still rambling on about that ransom. It was never about money...but about wreaking vengeance.”

“I might have known. You intend to kill ‘em all, aren’t you?”

“Oh no! I just want to see them suffer.”

“What kind of bastard are you, and I mean that literally.”

Troubled by Andy’s remark, Johnny turned round and walked up to him.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Never mind,” he answered, dodging the question, averting from Johnny’s glare.

Johnny grappled Andy’s leather strap, weaving his gun menacingly in front of his sibling’s face. “I asked you a question, boy!”

“You’re not Bill Harden’s son.”

Johnny raised a fiery fist up and smacked Andy in the face. “You’re lying!”

“Dad found out about Mother’s affair and adopted you anyway.”

Andy’s account of his birth had awoken a dormant volcano within Johnny. An eruption was brewing. He turned away from Andy as he felt the vials of wrath bursting, unleashing their toxin that streaked through his body until it all came spouting out in a gush of fury.

At that climax, Johnny swiftly cocked his gun and swung around to shoot Andy in the chest.

Everyone jolted at the shrill sound, ripping through the mist. The assembled company held its breath in a deadly silence as they witnessed a bug-eyed man dropping to his knees, slumping face down on the ground, stone dead.

“Anyone else wishing to question my birthright?” he fumed, waving his gun in front of his two stunned brothers.

...Continued