Paybacks

"How long till they're back? I thought they were supposed to be home yesterday!" It was the same complaint they heard everyday, Cody just wouldn't give it a rest. Lou and Rachel had gone to St. Jo to pick up Jeremiah and Theresa a week ago and were due back anytime.

"Lou said it might take longer coming back. They didn't want to wear the kids out on the trail." Kid said. He was tired of Cody's complaining. It's not like he wasn't worried too. It was his wife that was running late!

"Dinner's ready" Jimmy yelled.

"I for one will be very glad when Lou and Rachel get back! I've had about enough of Jimmy's cooking!" Cody complained.

"Well Cody, it's better than you'll get in the army. So you better appreciate it while you can." Jimmy replied.

Captain Erbach had agreed to let Cody stay in Rock Creek until they were ready to head east. The troops were due back any day now. After Noah's death, Rosemary decided to leave Rock Creek. She couldn't stay with everyone hating her. Jimmy had left with her, but there had been an accident on the way to Seneca. Jimmy came back broken, bruised and with the news that Rosemary was dead. The wagon had overturned and she was killed instantly. Jimmy was lucky to be alive.

"Louise, when are we gonna get there?" Theresa whined.

"Soon Theresa." Lou replied.

The trip was taking a lot longer than it should've taken. They hadn't even reached Seneca yet and that was a days ride from Rock Creek. They had been plagued with bad luck the whole way back from St. Jo. They had broken an axle right outside of St. Jo, lost a wheel, and Rachel had gotten sick and was just now feeling a little better. The girls' luck wasn't getting any better either, neither had noticed the men ride up behind them until it was too late.

"Well, well, well, what've we got here boys?" The leader sneered. "Looks like we'll be having a little fun after all!"

"Mister, we don't have anything of value. We're just trying to get home." Rachel explained.

"It doesn't look like you'll be going any farther either! Now just get outta that wagon and step away." The leader instructed. "We'll just be taking this outfit off your hands. Oh, and so you can't identify us."

As the shots rang out, Lou and Rachel crumpled to the ground and the outlaws left them for dead. Jeremiah and Theresa had the sense to stay quiet and out of sight. As the outlaws rode off, the kids came out of hiding.

"Louise, Rachel are you alright?" Jeremiah asked.

"Miah, they don't look good, there's lots of blood." Theresa cried. "How are we going to get to Rock Creek now?"

"Morning Boys, I need your help." Teaspoon said as he came into the Bunkhouse. "Actually, Sam and I both do."

"What's going on Teaspoon?" Buck asked.

"Have you boys heard of the Moran Boys?" Teaspoon asked.

"They're a pretty bad bunch Teaspoon. I thought they headed to Mexico." Jimmy replied.

"Well, they did. They're back now though and Sam needs us to help catch them. They've been attacking travelers in the territory. They steal the horses, shoot the riders, and then leave them for dead. They attacked a wagon outside of Fenton a couple days ago. One of the women lived long enough to identify them." Teaspoon answered.

"Well Teaspoon, we have to help. Men like that can't run free." Kid was always the first to join up. "I guess we could look for Lou and Rachel when we're out there. They should've been back by now."

"Let's ride boys, we've gotta catch these guys."

"Rachel, you have to stay awake! We've got to get to town and let the boys know what happened!" Lou had been shaking Rachel for awhile, but it just wasn't helping. She was in bad shape and needed a doctor. By some miracle, Lou had only been hit in the shoulder. The bullet went straight through.

"Louise, I could get to town and get some help. It's not that far right?" Jeremiah offered.

"Miah, I know I shouldn't, but Rachel's in bad shape. Are you sure you can make it?"

"I won't let you down Louise."

"Jeremiah, be careful and take my gun. We've got another one. You remember what I taught you right?"

"No problem Louise. I'll stop the first person I see and bring them back to help." With that said, Jeremiah started off for town.

"Louise, I'm scared. What if those men get Miah?" Theresa asked.

"Don't worry Theresa, he'll be alright." Lou replied. "I need you to come over and help me with Rachel. Sit right here and wipe her face." Where are you when I need you Kid? I hope the boys find us soon!

Chapter 2

The farther Jeremiah walked, the more worried he got. There wasn't a person in sight. He hadn't even passed a farm. It was starting to get dark and he didn't know how much farther he would be able to go. He was so tired and hungry. As he was sinking to the ground, he heard the horses approaching.

"Well, Kid would you look at that. Poor kid must be completely worn out! Who do you think he is?" Cody wondered.

Kid jumped off Katy and ran to the boy. "I don't know Cody, but we've got to help him. Oh my God!" As he rolled the boy over, Kid realized his worst fears might just be coming true.

"Kid, is that Jeremiah?"

"Cody, the girls are in trouble! We've got to get to them!"

"Don't you think that we should try to find Teaspoon and the rest of the boys first Kid?"

"I think we should get to the girls first. Something's got to be wrong for Lou to let Jeremiah go off by himself."

They rushed off in the direction Jeremiah came from. They knew they had to get to the girls soon.

As they came up on the fire, they found a gun pointed at them. "You can stop right there. We aren't gonna let you hurt us again!"

"Lou? Honey, it's Kid and Cody!"

"Oh Kid! It's awful! She didn't make it, they killed her!" Lou rushed into Kid's embrace as she burst into tears.

Chapter 3

Buck had no trouble following the tracks left by the Moran Boys. Once they had found where the outlaws were camped, they decided to wait for Kid, Cody and Sam.

"Teaspoon, shouldn't Kid and Cody have been here by now? I thought they were only going to see if they could find any trace of the girls." Buck asked.

"Well, maybe they found them Buck."

"Rider coming!" Jimmy yelled. "Whoa! Cody, where's Kid?"

Cody would've given anything not to tell the boys what he had to tell them. The news was so horrible and devastating he didn't know if any of them could recover.

"I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is we found the girls…."

"And the bad news?" Teaspoon had a bad feeling that he knew what Cody was going to say.

"Rachel's dead. Lou said they got jumped by some men. The men took the wagon and horses, then shot them both. Lou got hit in the shoulder, but Rachel got shot in the stomach. She didn't last very long." As Cody looked at the boys, their eyes welled up with tears. Rachel had been a good friend to all of them, sometimes a mother. She would be greatly missed.

"Kid stayed with Lou and the kids. They didn't have any food so they're all pretty hungry and Jeremiah is sick. We found him collapsed on the trail. I guess he was walking to find some help. Lou's pretty upset. We need to get a buckboard to take Rachel home and lay her to rest." With that said, Cody got back on his horse and headed back to Lou and Kid's camp.

"Damn! I can't believe she's gone. C'mon boys, let's go get Rachel and take her home." Slowly, Teaspoon got on his horse and headed toward Seneca.

Chapter 4

"That was our best haul yet Hank. Those ladies sure had some nice horses." Teddy wasn't quite sure that his brothers had done the right thing. They'd been killing a lot of people lately and now had just killed two women. He wasn't sure he should be with them, but he didn't want to get left behind again. His parents always talked about how great his brothers were and how much they wanted him to join them. He didn't want to go against his parents' wishes, especially since they were gone, but he wasn't sure that they knew exactly what their sons were doing.

"Teddy, you've got to understand we can make a lot of money selling those horses to the highest bidder. Besides, those women won't need horses anymore." Hank and the other brothers laughed. They didn't have any problems killing anyone.

"D'ya think that anyone is looking for us yet? We've been causing a lot of trouble in the territory since we came back. I heard that Sam Cain put a price on our head and is gunning for us." Burt had always been the worrywart of the bunch. He knew that Marshall Cain usually got his man and had a good friend in Teaspoon Hunter. Teaspoon had been the only one to catch the gang. Since then, Burt had always been a little afraid of both Teaspoon and getting caught.

"Of course they're looking Burt! They ain't gonna find us though!" Jack was the optimist of the group. He never believed that anyone could catch them. Of course, he wasn't with the brothers when they were caught by Teaspoon. He had no idea how tenacious Teaspoon was.

"By the time anyone starts looking for us, we'll be back in Mexico living it up. Ain't nobody gonna find us down there, so y'all quit worrying about it." Hank was always the voice of reason. It came with being the oldest.

"Even if anyone does find us, we'll take care of them."

The boys were surprised at what they saw when they reached Lou and Kid's camp. Lou, Theresa, and Jeremiah were all asleep. Kid held Lou on his lap as tears streamed down his face.

"Kid, is she alright?" Buck was afraid what Kid was going to say.

"Yeah. She's just exhausted and she's lost a lot of blood. Luckily, the bullet went straight through." Kid couldn't understand what kind of monster would do this to women. "Where's Teaspoon?"

"He went to Seneca to get a buckboard. We need to take Rachel home and I'm sure that Lou would appreciate a place to ride instead of doubling up on Katy." Jimmy wasn't quite sure that Lou would be willing to ride on the buckboard instead of with Kid. She'd been through a lot and it wasn't over yet.

Jeremiah was waking up. He couldn't remember where he was. "Louise? Where am I?"

"Don't worry Jeremiah, Cody and I found you. You're back at the camp with Lou and Theresa. As soon as Teaspoon gets here, we'll head back to Rock Creek. We need to lay Rachel to rest." Kid comforted the boy. It must be so hard on the kids. They watched their sister and her friend get shot. They saw Rachel die. He hoped they all would get through this.

A few hours later, Teaspoon rode up with the buckboard. Since it was getting dark, the group decided to rest for a night. They'd get an early start in the morning.

Chapter 5

It took the group of mourners two days to get back to Rock Creek. The first stop was the undertakers to make preparations for Rachel's funeral. It was decided that she would be laid to rest next to Noah. They could look after each other better that way and wouldn't have to be alone. When they reached the station, Sam and Emma were waiting for them.

"What are you doing here?" Teaspoon exclaimed. "I thought you were meeting up with us in Seneca."

"We were going to Teaspoon. The livery boy told us you picked up a wagon to carry home a body. What the Hell happened Teaspoon?" Sam was very worried about what he had gotten his friends into.

"Lou and Rachel were attacked on their way back from St. Jo with the kids. They were both shot and Rachel didn't make it. We had to bring her home." Teaspoon couldn't stop the tears from welling up in his eyes.

"Oh Teaspoon, boys, Lou, we're so sorry!" Emma couldn't keep from crying even though she'd never gotten to meet Rachel. She had heard so much about Rachel from Lou's letters, Emma felt like she knew her. "When is she being laid to rest?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. It's been a couple days since she passed so we wanted to get it done as soon as possible. Boys, lets get the horses put away and start on dinner." Teaspoon wanted to try to keep the boys busy for the rest of the day. It wouldn't ease their pain, but would help to keep their mind off the terrible loss. It had been a rough year. First Ike was killed, then Noah and now Rachel. Tragedy happens in threes.

"Emma, could you help me with Lou and the kids? This has been really hard on them." Kid didn't know how to help his wife and her siblings. All he could do was just hold his wife and hope everything would work out.

"Of course. Is Lou alright?" Lou had lost all her color. Both Emma and Kid were worried that she was getting an infection. She was very pale and hadn't said anything since Kid found her. Kid would do anything to help relieve her pain.

Most of the town of Rock Creek was at the funeral for Rachel Dunne and there wasn't a dry eye in the group. No one could believe that this had happened. It would take a long time for anyone to get over her death.

After the funeral, Teaspoon, Sam and the boys discussed how to catch up to the Moran Boys. They didn't realize that Jeremiah was listening or that he knew who had caused their pain.

"Kid, I don't think you should ride with us. Lou needs you right now and you should stay with your wife." Sam was determined not to let Kid go with them. He knew that if anything happened to the Kid, he could never face Lou again.

"I know Sam, I just don't know if she'll get over this. Rachel was her best friend. She feels like this was her fault. I just can't leave her right now." Kid had been trying to explain to Lou that she did everything she could. Lou just didn't listen. She kept punishing herself for what the outlaws had done.

"Sam, we've got to find the men that did this! I can't go looking for the Moran Boys until we find the others first." Jimmy was very upset about what happened to Rachel. He couldn't understand how anyone could shoot a woman in cold blood.

"Jimmy we just can't look right away. We know where the Moran Boys are right now and we can't let them go free any longer. We've got to stop them before they kill again." Sam understood how Jimmy felt, but until Lou could give them more information about the men who shot them there wasn't much they could do to help.

"As much as I would love to find these men, Sam's right Jimmy. The Moran Boys must be caught before we can look for who attacked Lou and Rachel. Besides, until Lou tells us more about what happened, we don't have anything to go on. I hate this as much as you do, it was my wife that they tried to kill." Jimmy couldn't believe what Kid said. He didn't want to rush out to find the men who shot Lou?

Jeremiah hid outside the bunkhouse window listening to the conversation. He didn't know if he should tell the boys what he knew. He wanted to make sure that the outlaws couldn't hurt anyone again, but he didn't want anything bad to happen to the boys. He was afraid of watching someone go through what Rachel went through before she died.

"Kid, I know who did this!" Jeremiah burst into the bunkhouse. He just couldn't keep quiet about this.

"Jeremiah, what are you talking about? I thought you and Theresa couldn't see the men from where you were hiding." Kid couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"It was the Moran Boys! When I was walking for help, I heard some horses so I went towards them to get help. Before I got there though, I saw the men that shot Louise and Rachel. I was so afraid. I ran away as fast as I could, but I heard them say that nobody will take down the Moran brothers." Jeremiah would never forget what he saw or how much he wanted to get these men for what they did to Louise.

"I'll kill them! They tried to kill my wife! Jeremiah, you did the right thing telling us. Now I need you to go to the house and look after the girls. Take good care of them and I'll be home soon." Kid's eyes were full of fury after Jeremiah's announcement. He stormed out of the bunkhouse and headed to the barn to saddle Katy. No one even considered trying to keep Kid from going with them.

Chapter 6

Teddy was horrified by what his brothers had just done. He knew that he couldn't stay with them any longer. How could anyone just wipe out a family like that? They even killed the baby. There was just no reason for any of it. Nothing had felt right about this since Hank and Burt had shot those two women and taken their buckboard. He knew now that he had to get away from his brothers. He just didn't know how to go about it. Maybe he'd go to find this Sam Cain person or maybe Teaspoon Hunter. The boys seemed to be afraid of both those men.

"Hey Hank! We gonna hit Rock Creek next? I heard there's a Pony Express station there. Lots of nice horseflesh." Jack was more than ready to pick up some more horses.

"I think we're gonna lay low for a little while boys. After our last job, everybody's gonna be gunning for us. Besides, that Express station ain't going anywhere. That'll be the last place we hit before heading back to Mexico." Hank had been doing a lot of thinking about what to do next. He knew Teddy was having some doubts about what they were doing and he wanted to get them all down to Mexico to convince Teddy he was doing what he's supposed to. Blood is thicker than water. Teddy needed to be reminded of that.

"I wonder why they haven't moved very far yet?" Buck was amazed at how easy it was to track the brothers. They hadn't moved far from where he had first tracked them.

"Look at all the horses they've stolen. There's only 7 of them, this shouldn't be very hard." Jimmy was more than ready to take this bunch down after what they did to Rachel and Lou.

"They're a lot tougher than they look Jimmy. We'll take them tonight." Teaspoon knew it would be tough keeping both Jimmy and Kid from rushing right into the camp. They were both so upset over what happened and more than ready to pay back the Morans for what they did.

Later that night, Teddy decided that it was time to leave. After the brothers had fallen asleep, Teddy quietly snuck out of camp. He didn't get very far before he ran into a person.

"Hold it right there!" Sam tried to get to the boy before any of the riders could. "Who are you and what are you doing around here?"

"I'm Teddy Moran. I've been riding with my brothers, but I can't stay with them. They've done terrible things. I can hardly stand myself! I hate that I didn't stop them." Teddy knew he must be as bad as his brothers since he didn't stop them from the killing. "When they killed that family while they slept, I knew I couldn't stay with them. I've been trying to get away since then. Are you Marshall Cain?"

"Yes I am son. We're going to have to take you into custody too. Since you were trying to leave them, maybe the judge will go easy on you." Sam felt a little sorry for the boy. Maybe if someone would just give the kid a chance, he could turn his life around. "Cody, take Teddy back to our camp and keep and eye on him."

"But Sam I wan…"

"No argument Cody! Someone's going to have to watch him and make sure his brothers don't get to him. If they do, we don't have a witness to any of this." Cody knew Sam was right, but he wanted the chance to get back at the Morans.

"Alright boys, let's get them!" Sam was more than ready to take on these men. He knew the boys were all out for revenge, but hoped they didn't kill them unless they had to. "Hank Moran, this is Marshall Sam Cain. Put your hands up and throw down your guns."

As soon as Sam said that, the bullets began to fly. After just a few minutes, all was quiet. The Morans were dead. The debt was repaid.

EPILOGUE

One Year Later:

Four-month-old Rachel Marianna had her father and all her uncles wrapped around her little finger. At the slightest whimper, they jumped to see what she wanted. She was the little blessing that survived the shooting. Lou hadn't known she was pregnant when she and Rachel were attacked. When she found out a few weeks later, she couldn't believe the baby survived. They all knew this little girl must be destined for greatness since she survived the ordeal. Lou tried not to indulge her daughter, but sometimes she just couldn't help it.

Sam and Emma were headed out for a visit. Emma and Sam's son, William James, (you know Cody couldn't stop gloating about that!) was the same age as Rachel. Everyone thought it was about time these youngsters met. Sam had decided that Teddy Moran had been through enough when he was with his brothers. Since Teddy didn't do any of the killings and was so upset about them, he decided to let Teddy go. Teddy kept in touch with Sam and had recently become a deputy sheriff in Kansas. Sam knew the boy would be all right with a little guidance.

After the Sam, Emma, and William arrived, the group headed to the cemetery to visit Rachel and Noah. They had even put up a marker for Ike beside Rachel. With the two boys looking out for her, she wouldn't have to worry anymore. They were all missed, but they weren't going to be alone.