Dear Family,

I’m sorry. But until Connors and Fisher are caught I can’t be anywhere else but on their trail. It’s my fault all this happened. I should’ve remembered sooner. I’ll be back once they’re safely behind bars. Take care. I love you all.

Heath.

“Heath, it wasn’t your fault.” Nick said to the empty room.

Nicks swearing had alerted the rest of his family.

“Nicholas,” Victoria admonished her second born son “Must you?”

“Sorry Mother” Nick tried to apologize. “And to you as well Ben, but here read this and tell me if you don’t feel like swearing.”

He thrust the page at Victoria.

“Nick, Jarrod I don’t understand” Victoria scanned the document. “What’s it mean by ‘It’s all my fault’ and ‘I should’ve remembered sooner’?”

Jarrod took the piece of paper from Victoria and scanned it.

“Heath got it into his head that if he’d just remembered Fisher earlier, then maybe we could’ve prevented him and Connors taking the girls.” He enlightened his Mother.

“Heath and Fisher? Where did they know each other from?” Victoria was still very much in the dark.

“They crossed paths briefly when Heath worked as a deputy to Frank Sawyer. Seems Frank and the Federal Marshals were getting Fisher ready to be taken to a big city jail the day Heath started work.”

“We tried to tell him that he wasn’t responsible but you know what Heath’s like.” Nick put in.

Victoria just nodded.

“So when Heather woke and he knew she’d be alright he made his plans and took off.” Nick finished.

“But to where?” Jarrod asked.

“He must’ve overheard us this morning,” Adam surmised. “I came up here to tell Nick about our Sheriff not being able to find Connors and Fisher in Mining camp. I thought his concentration was on Heather, I never dreamed that he’d hear us and do this.”

“I’m surprised he heard us but not surprised about him taking off.” Nick said.

“Heath takes things far to personally,” Victoria explained to Ben and his sons. “Because of the circumstances of his birth and childhood he buries things within himself and allows things to fester until they explode.”

She turned to her two eldest sons.

Both Nick and Jarrod saw the unasked question in her eyes.

“Mother don’t worry I’ll find him and bring him back.” Nick hugged the small family matriarch. “I promise.”

“Hey Curtis.” Fred Madden yelled to one of his two prisoners “Just had word in from Virginia City. Your little scheme to sell those girls failed. They’re all safe and your two friends are on the run.”

“Blast those Barkley’s” The well-spoken man cursed. “If it’s the last thing I do I’ll have them for this.”

Again he was on his feet pacing his cell like a caged animal. And to think he had a further ten years of this.

“For the last time will you sit down and quit that pacing,” His fellow prisoner ordered. “You think you’re the only one who has a grudge against those Barkley’s?”

Although they had been locked in the same jail together for a couple of days now the second prisoner had barely given his fellow felon a second glance. Now he studied Curtis carefully. Taking note of the massive bruises on the mans face, the way he hunched when he moved.

“What they do to you?” Curtis looked to the other felon he shared the jail with.

“They put a halt to a tidy little operation I had going that sold horses.”

“You’re a horse thief?”

“And you sell women? He moved to the bars separating the pair. “Did one of them do that?”

“One of them yeah.”

“The darkhaired one?”

“Nope the blonde one.”

“Let you in on a secret, the blonde one and the red head aren’t true Barkley’s. They’re the old mans mistakes.”

Curtis’s head shot up at this news.

“Want to get even?’ He fellow inmate continued

Curtis nodded.

“Right here’s what we do.”

As his fellow inmate began to explain his plan Curtis watched him, especially his eyes. His piercing black eyes.

From the moment Heath heard Nick and Adam talking about Connors and Fisher he knew what had to be done. They had to be caught. As he was the one who sort of knew how Fisher thought Heath reasoned that he should be the one to take him and his partner out. What knowledge he had of Fisher came from Frank Sawyer.

Getting out of the house proved easy. Although he felt bad about trickling Hop Sing it was for the best. Some old clothes he found hanging around the Cartwright house would come in handy. To blend in in a mining camp one had to look like a miner. Mining camp was the place to start looking, as that was where Connors and Fisher went to ground. Somebody there would know where the pair were hiding or if they really had left maybe where they had gone. If he found nothing there, then there was one other place he could try.

Frank had told him about the small farm just over the county line from the town where he and Heath had been the law. Apparently behind the house was a mountain range, in the foothills of the range where many caves and tunnels. Fisher it seemed had played there as a child and knew the area backwards. Even though he wasn’t part of the posse that had caught Fisher all those years ago. Heath had been told that that was where he had taken the kidnap victim.

After leaving the Cartwright home Heath changed his cow-hand clothes for something more typical of what a miner might wear, got Charger into the livery stables, where at the same time he hired a work pony and headed to Mining Camp.

The first thing he spotted when he entered the area was a group of miners playing poker. He arranged to be dealt in.

“Do hear that you can arrange to get a wife in these parts.” Heath dropped into the conversation after he’d been playing some five or six hands, all of which he won.

“What of it?’ One of his opponents asked.

“Well I got me a little claim right back in the mountains about as far out as you can go” Heath began to spin his pre-arranged story. “And well it gets kinda lonely there, just me, me hut, and me pony, thoughts how about I get me a wife to share the load and other things” He raked in yet another winning pot. “ I hear that there’s men here that can help arrange a wife”

“What if there was?”

“Well I’d kinda like to meet them and make arrangements to git me a wife.”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“Couple miners I met on the way here.” Heath began to deal out the next hand. “Told me that these men were bringing in some real lookers.”

“And who else did these miners tell?” A new voice asked. The voice belonged to a tall bulky miner .One whom you really didn’t want to meet on a dark night. “Or who else did you tell?”

Two beefy hands gripped Heath by the collar and lifted him out of his chair---

“Put him down Jake.” The first man ordered. “ You can’t go around accusing everybody of arranging for your gal to not arrive.”

“I can and I will until I find the one’s who did.” Jake opened his beefy hands allowing Heath to fall to the floor.

Heath landed with a heavy thud on his injured right arm. Just what he didn’t need.

“You’ll have to excuse Jake Mister. You heard about the little trouble we had here the other day?”

“What that those Cartwrights stopped the sale?” Heath stood and dusted himself down “Heard something.”

“Yeah well one of those girls was to be Jake’s and he’s none too happy at the moment.”

Looking at the beefy miner Heath felt relief that the girls hadn’t been forced into marriage. Little Hattie or Catherine wouldn’t have stood a chance with that brute as a husband.

“Anyways Mister the men you want have hightailed it outta here.”

“Did they say where they were going?”

“Heard one, the smaller one, say that they could hide out near his home. Didn’t mention where it was though.”

He didn’t need too. Heath knew roughly where Fishers old home was.

“Thanks Mac.” Heath flipped a two-dollar bit at the gambler.

Quickly he returned the work pony to the livery, got Charger, changed back into his regular clothes and headed back toward the border.

Knowing his older brother like he did, Heath knew that Nick wouldn’t be that far behind him. And he wanted to put as much distance between them as possible.

A few miles out of Stockton Curtis and his fellow inmate both stood by the side of a prison wagon and admired their handiwork. In front of them two prison guards lay dead.

“Quick search them both. One of them must have the keys for these damn things.” The black eyed man ordered.

Curtis rummaged through the dead guards pockets and found the keys. He unlocked the shackles that the two of them together.

“Now what?” He asked.

“Change into their clothes, we’ll be able to pass as them until we get out of the county.” The other man said. “Once we’re safe across the line we’ll plan our next move. I’ve got friends there.”

“Just one question” Curtis cautiously looked at his companion. “What do I call you?”

“Barons” Was the single word reply.

It was late afternoon by the time Nick and Adam arrived back at the Cartwright ranch. Nick had wanted to go busting into Mining camp and tear it apart in the search for both the ones who had taken his sisters and for his blonde brother. Adam, at Jarrod’s request, had gone along with Nick to: a) act as his guide since Nick was a little unfamiliar with the area and b) to make sure Nick got back in once piece.

“He was there.” Nick reported to his mother and older brother. “Seems he won a packet at some poker game. One of his opponents told him that Connors and Fisher had been there but hightailed it out soon after they tried to knife us.”

“Did this person give any indication of where Connors and Fisher were going to?” Jarrod asked looking up from a small pile of telegrams he’d received.

“All this old miner could say was that they were heading for Fishers old home.”

“Well from the requests for information I sent out.” Jarrod continued to shuffle papers. “It would be the best place to start looking. The wire from Frank Sawyer said it was located outside a town called Still Waters. That was just across the county line from where he and Heath worked together.”

“What’s the betting Heath’s already on his way there?” Nick asked staring at the map.

Even at full gallop Still Waters was a two-day ride away.

“And before you ask,” Ben put in “The ladies will be perfectly safe, they’ll be staying here until you return.”

Victoria started to protest, but one look at Ben Cartwrights face told her it would do no good.

“If we’re going it had better be soon.” Nick said “Or we’ll lose daylight and be that much further behind.”

Jarrod nodded his head in agreement.

“Missy Barklee awake again.” Hop Sing announced to the room in general from where he stood at the top of the stairs. “She asking for twin, what Hop Sing tell her?”

“Tell her we’ll be up in a minute.” Nick requested.

“And what are you going to tell her when she starts asking again for Heath?” Victoria asked.

“That he’s gone and we’re going looking for him.” Nick told her. “She’ll fret but what else can we do?”

“Baby Girl?” Nick poked his head around the door and looked to see if Heather was still awake.

“Come on in.” Was the quiet reply.

Carefully and quietly both Nick and Jarrod entered the room where Heather was.

“Going somewhere?”

“You could say that.” Jarrod stood next to the bed.

“Where’s Heath? And don’t tell me he’s sleeping.”

The two brothers looked at each other.

“He’s gone.” Nick answered. “We think to get Fisher and Connors.”

“We’re going after him. To help him or bring him back.” Jarrod continued.

Heather just nodded. It didn’t surprise her that Heath would do something like this.

“Bring him back please.”

“You know we will.” Nick told her. “Take care Baby girl” He bent down and kissed his little sister goodbye.

“We’ll expect to see you up and about when we all get back.” Jarrod also kissed Heather goodbye.

“When you see him give his this?” Heather reached out and handed to Nick a gold locket. “It’s something he gave me.”

Nick opened it. Inside it were two pictures one of Victoria Barkley with Heath and the other Leah Thomson.

“I will.”

“How could you miss a shot like that?” Connors asked his travelling companion. You’re supposed to have been taught by an expert. Huh some expert.”

Connors and Fisher had been riding hard since they’d left Mining camp and had crossed the border just before sundown.

They had stopped and made camp by a small creek, Connors had trapped and cooked a rabbit for their evening meal.

Thud. A knife buried itself in the tree near his head.

“Don’t you ever question my knife throwing again.” Fisher glared at Connors and slapped the flat blade of the second knife into his palm again and again. “Or by god I won’t miss.”

“Well you sure missed those Barkley’s.”

Connors had hung around long enough to witness the outcome of Fishers little knife throwing exhibition the day before.

“Yeah well wasn’t my fault they moved at the wrong moment. Anyhow I caught the blonde one in the arm. That’ll slow them down for a while.”

“How can you be so sure? "Connors continued. Fisher’s confidence getting on his nerves. “ How do you know that those boys aren’t behind that bush just waiting for us to go to sleep and jump us?”

“Because I’ve been checkin our trail and there’s nobody following us, know quit worrying and get some sleep.” Fisher retrieved his other knife “We’ve still got a lot of miles to cover to reach where we’re heading for.”

Just across the border in Nevada another man was cooking rabbit for supper. Heath too had made good progress. He estimated that he was about a half a days ride from the Cartwright ranch.

His plan involved heading for Still Waters where the old Fisher place was. Fisher was bound to have supplies and possibly a little cash hidden there somewhere. If the cache wasn’t there then it would be hidden somewhere in one of the caves that the property backed onto.

Sunrise saw Heath again in the saddle. He had come across the trail left by Fisher and Connors and was following it. The slight warmth still coming form the campfire he had found told him that he was close.

Curtis and Barons too were also in the saddle. They had met up a friend of Barons who had just returned from Nevada.

“Yeah Connors and Fisher left. Seems the Barkley’s and Cartwrights made it just a little too hot for them there.” The man had told them. “They also had a lot of the miners money with them. Word had it they were making for Fishers home. And that there’s a Barkley on their tail.”

“They’ll be heading for Still Waters.” Curtis told Barons once they’d parted company with the informant.

“Where?” Barons turned his nose up.

“Still Waters, a little hick town not far from here. Mostly deserted. But with one advantage. The Sheriff there is not above a little bribe taking.”

“You mean he’s bent.”

“Yeah.”

“And that gives me an idea.” Barons laid out his plan

Sunrise saw Nick and Jarrod packing the last of their supplies onto Coco and Jingo.

“Now be careful” Victoria instructed, “I want all three of you back here in one piece understand?”

“Yes Mother” The brothers replied in unison.

“Tell Heath that there’s nothing to be sorry about and that we love him.”

“You can tell him when we bring him back” Nick said to his mother. “Now we really must get going. Goodbye Mother. Don’t worry we’ll be back before you know it.”

“Goodbye Mother.” Jarrod didn’t share Nick’s confidence. He had the oddest feeling that things just weren’t going to go as planned.

“Good luck boys.” Ben stood beside Victoria and wished them a successful journey.

“Sure wish I was going with you.” Adam held out his hand.

The sound of rapidly approaching hoof beats caused them all to look around. Virginia City’s Sheriff was racing towards them.

“Glad I caught you boys before you left.” The Sheriff handed Jarrod a telegram. “This came in for you.”

Jarrod scanned it.

“It’s from Fred.” He told Victoria and Nick. “Curtis escaped yesterday.”

“How?” Nick growled.

“Seems he and another man killed a couple of prison guards that were taking them to San Quentin.”

“Does Fred know where Curtis is headed?” Victoria was concerned. Curtis on the loose and Heath alone.

“No. But he’s not travelling alone.”

“Who’s the other man?” Nick asked.

“Barons” Jarrod responded.

Nick swore long and hard.

“Riders coming” Connors warned his companion.

“I see them.” Fisher growled. There were times when Connors really got on his nerves. Like now. He would’ve dumped him back in Mining camp if he could’ve but Connors still had the money.

“Connors Fisher?” Curtis called to his former employees.

“Boss.” Fisher returned sourly.

“Curtis” Connors acknowledged “Who’s that with ya?”

“Meet Mr Barons.”

“Who is he and what does he want?”

‘I’m the man who helped your boss escape and what I want is revenge on the Barkley’s.” Barons said coolly. “And I don’t appreciate being talked about like I’m not here.”

“Well excuse me.” Connors was starting to really dislike this guy. “We don’t know you but Curtis we do.”

“I’ve heard about you.” Fisher admitted “You’re the guy that stole those horses from McAdams, killed him and his wife.” There was a hint of admiration in his voice.

“They never proved that I killed them.” If it was possible Barons black eyes got even blacker. “I’ve been free yet if those blasted Barkley’s hadn’t stuck their noses in where they weren’t wanted.”

“Yeah well they did and you got caught.” Connors sneered.

“Don’t get cocky” Barons warned, giving Connors a backhand Connors was getting under his skin. Looking at Fisher he could tell that Connors was annoying him as well. That would be helpful. “Word from Virginia City says that there’s a Barkley on your tail. And if there’s one then if follows that the other two won’t be far behind.”

“Why you..” Connors held a hand to the area Barons had struck him. Dislike for this Barons character quickly turned to downright hate.

Connors lunged toward Barons fist flaying. Soon the two of them were rolling in the dirt exchanging punches.

From where they stood Curtis and Fisher watched the fight.

For Fisher it was the opportunity he had been waiting for. He had seen the hate growing in Barons eyes. A fight between the two of them was inevertible. His hand slid down to the sheath that held his knife. Slowly, so as not to draw attention to what he was doing, he undid the clip holding the knife in place. The words of his teacher again rang in his head. The knife left his hand and lodged itself in Connors back.

Connor eyes were wide with shock. He stumbled toward Fisher.

A shot rang out.

Barons stood behind Connors a smoking gun in his hand.

“Never liked him” Was the only comment he made. “But now that he’s dead we can use him.”

Nick and Jarrod had covered a fair amount of ground. They had passed the site where their brother had camped for the night. The ground was kind of soft and hoof prints were easy to follow.

For Nick the quietness of the journey have given him an opportunity to think on what Adam had asked him`

“So how are you coping with a little brother?” Was the question Adam had asked him.

When he stopped to look at himself he wondered how he was coping. He loved Heath no doubt about that. Even though they had only known each other little less then a year he had come to love Heath like he loved Jarrod.

But surely there was more to this big brother stuff. Yes he was Audra’s big brother as well, but being a big brother to a sister was different. Little sisters need to be protected, watched over, guided. Was it the same for little brothers? Plus the issue was clouded by the fact that this little brother was also a fully-grown man. This little brother had experienced more in his nearly twenty-one years then Nick would ever in his lifetime.

“Nick?” Jarrod’s worried voice broke in to Nick’s thoughts.

“Sorry Jarrod, I was miles away.”

“So I noticed. Everything alright?”

“Just thinking about something Adam Cartwright asked me. He asked how I was coping with a little brother. I gave him the first answer that came to me but now I’m beginning to wonder. Am I really coping well with Heath? Am I doing the right things by him as his older brother?”

This stumped Jarrod, temporarily.

“From where I stand Nick you’ve done everything right by Heath. You’ve been there when he’s needed you. You helped him fit in to running the one of the biggest ranch operations in this state. I know that you both didn’t see eye to eye in the beginning. Nick nobody could ask that you do anything more then you’ve already done. And if Heath was here beside us right now I’m sure he’d agree with me.”

Many miles ahead of Nick and Jarrod, Heaths thoughts too were on the question Adam had put to Nick. He wasn’t really listening to the conversation between Nick and Adam. It was just that their voices travelled. He smile to himself has he replayed Nicks answer in his head.

“Nick I wouldn’t change you for anything either.” He thought to himself. “You’ll do me fine just as you are.”

Reaching down he grabbed his canteen.

“It’s sure getting hot.” He said mainly to himself but also to Charger. Not that they were travelling through full desert. There was shade in the form of trees along the roadside. And there was also the odd cloud in the sky.

Looking down at his right arm he notice that the knife wound from a few days ago had started to bleed again. Great just what he needed. Most likely it was also infected, that would explain why he was so hot. Right now it seemed so easy just to turn around and head back to the safety of the Cartwright ranch.

“No” He ordered himself “Fisher and Connors must pay for what they did. When that’s done then I’ll rest.”

Wearily he returned the canteen to its proper place and continued on.

...Continued