The Locket

Buck glanced at the papers that Kid handed to him; the papers which McCaffrey said proved that he was telling the truth. Past experience with McCaffrey meant Buck doubted his word, but the look of total assuredness threw him a little. He shouldn't be this calm if he were lying, should he? Buck glanced at Lydia. She was leaning back, her face pale and hollow, clearly showing signs of having only a few hours sleep. But even through her fatigue, her blue-green eyes blazed defiance. Lydia was every bit as confident as McCaffrey.

Aware of McCaffrey's cocky air, Buck glanced back at the papers. Kid was right, they seemed legal enough. Only Buck caught something Kid hadn't, something which proved that McCaffrey was lying.

"Well?" McCaffrey asked.

"Well what?"

"Do you believe that I have legal proof that I'm not lyin'?" McCaffrey smiled smugly, firmly believing that he had won.

"I wouldn't go that far."

"What?!" McCaffrey and the Kid said together.

"Oh, I agree they look legal enough," Buck went on. "But they're faked."

"What would a half-breed like you... " McCaffrey began hotly.

"Quiet, McCaffrey," Kid snapped. "How can you tell, Buck?" he asked curiously, They had looked all right to him.

Buck handed the papers back to the Kid. "Read them again." he said. "When does it say she was born?"

"Twelfth March 1848, the same year that Jeremiah was... wait a minute. Jeremiah's fourteen this year."

Buck turned back to McCaffrey. "You made quite a mistake there. Lydia turns nineteen in October. That's a bit older that fourteen."

"And how do you know that?" McCaffrey sneered derisively.

"Lydia and I go way back. Why do you want her so badly?"

"Listen, you damned half-breed. I picked Lydia up on the road, and gave her food and shelter. She owes me, and I have a right to exact payment as I choose." McCaffrey cocked his gun and pointed it right at Buck's head. "Lydia, unless you want this breed friend of yours to die, I suggest you come along now."

Lydia stood slowly. "I'm sorry, Buck," she whispered. "Thanks for everything."

Buck shook his head. He wanted desperately to tell her not to listen, but he knew it was futile. As long as he was threatened, Lydia would do whatever McCaffrey said. He knew it, and so did McCaffrey.

McCaffrey reached out and grabbed Lydia, dragging her away from Buck and Kid. He grinned evilly. "Of course, there's nothing stoppin' me from killin' him anyway..."

"No!" Lydia screamed, trying to deflect McCaffrey's aim.

"Hold it. McCaffrey!" Someone commanded from the stairs. Everyone turned to see Lou standing there, a shotgun trained on McCaffrey. "Drop it!" She nodded toward Dukore. "If you want your boss to stay in one piece, I suggest you drop your gun and join him over there, nice and peaceful like."

"You okay, Lou?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I heard McCaffrey ride up so I was ready when his friend tried to jump us."

Quick as a flash, Buck bent and picked up the revolver McCaffrey had discarded. "Well, McCaffrey, what do you suggest we do with you?"

Having retrieved Dukore's gun, Kid glanced curiously at his friend. There was something in his tone... "Buck, you ain't thinkin'..."

"Well, that depends. Should we turn him over to the Marshal, or what?"

McCaffrey smirked. "I don't think Pierce will really bother all that much about this. I may have lied about buyin' Lydia as a bondservant, but she still owes me for my 'hospitality'. The Marshal can hardly dispute that. In fact, he would back me up. Now, since Lydia here is a runaway who needs to stay away from the law, I don't think Pierce should be involved, do you?"

"On the contrary," Lydia's head came up. "I want to see the Marshal. So if Buck and Kid want to send for him, I have no problem with that."

"Ah, but for one of them to go into town leaves only one here to guard us. One man guardin' three. Mmm, I wonder how that would turn out?"

Lou decided she didn't like McCaffrey's tone of voice. "Hey, don't forget about me! I could shoot you very easily and I wouldn't have a problem doin' it."

"Easy Lou," Kid warned.

"Yeah, you don't want to hurt your baby," McCaffrey smirked again.

Before anybody could say anything else, Jeremiah burst in from the kitchen, startling everyone. Fortunately, Buck recovered to motion to McCaffrey and Dukore with the gun, "Don't even think about it."

"Jeremiah, what're you doin' here?" Kid exclaimed.

"Me and Teresa saw McCaffrey and his men ride out here. I figured somethin' was up, so I sent Teresa on to school and came back here. So, what'd I miss?"

Buck, Lou and the Kid all hid smiles. His exuberance was refreshing to watch, but it was not the time and place for it. "When this is over, we're gonna have a talk about your responsibilities," Lou said sternly when she could refrain from laughing. "Such as looking after your little sister."

"I didn't bring her back here in the middle of all this!"

"No, but was it safer to let her go on into town alone?" Lou countered.

"Safer than her bein' here!" Jeremiah shot back.

"Enough," Kid held up a hand to forestall an argument between the two McClouds. Their temperments were similar enough to make arguments spectacular... and distracting. Distraction was the last thing they needed at the moment.

Jeremiah had the sense to look abashed. "Sorry, Kid."

"We'll talk about it later. Right now, we need you to saddle a horse and ride into town to get Marshal Pierce."

"How come I have to fetch the Marshal all the time? Why can't I help watch them instead?"

"Because you're too young to handle a gun, that's why."

"But Jesse was..."

"I'm well aware of what Jesse James was doin' when he was your age. I don't intend to let you get into the same kinda trouble Jesse did. Before you go, could someone go upstairs and bring McCaffrey's friend down? I'd feel better if they were all in one place."

The tension in the dingy cabin was palpable. So was the stench. Grimly, the outlaws Loran and Forge surveyed the place. Matthews' body lay at their feet, surrounded by a pool of blood, kerosene and shards of glass. Between that and the flies, it was not a pretty sight.

Loran clenched his fists in rage. In less that a week they had lost half the gang. Four days previously he and Forge left Matthews to watch over their prisoner while they took the loot to a safe hiding place. It was against Loran's judgement to have Lydia as a prisoner, but he could not deny that she would provide them with some amusement. So he left Matthews to watch her, figuring there would not be any trouble. He was wrong.

"I'll get that bitch yet!" Loran growled. Forger glanced at him, startled at the level of menace in his voice. "We can't let her go," Loran continued, "she knows too much, and she'll tell as soon as she gets the chance. She's a threat that must be eliminated."

"How do you suggest we do that?" Forge asked. "She's long gone, even if we tracked her."

"She's a lone girl lost out there," Loran smirked. "How far do you think she'll get? All we need to do is make our way to the nearest town. That's where she would head. And if anyone happened to pick her up, that's where they'd take her. So that's where we'll go."

"Well, the nearest town around here is Lone Tree Valley."

"Saddle up, 'cause that's where we're goin'."

Marshal Gavin Pierce rubbed his green eyes. It already seemed like a long day, and it was only ten in the morning. He had spent most of the previous night in his office, waiting for trouble at the saloon. Like Dr, Seyton, he had heard the ruckus when Lydia "escaped", and heard McCaffrey curse Buck. Consequently, he expected either McCaffrey or someone from the pXp to come in and expect him to arrest the other. But so far…nothing. Only the usual drunk and disorderlies. The suspense was unnerving.

"Marshal!"

Pierce's head snapped up at the sound of his deputy's voice. "What is it, Martin?"

"A telegram, sir."

Grimacing slightly, Pierce took the folded piece of paper from Martin and dismissed him. It was from Fort Kearney, and was just addressed to the Marshal of Lone Tree Valley, not Pierce personally - which he found odd. It read:

     "Marshal,

     "Be on lookout for lady claiming to be survivor of stage massacre or wanting to book passage on Stage East. Possible Southern Sympathiser. May answer to Lydia. If found, arrest and hold until I arrive.

     "Capt. S. McMullen."

Pierce snorted in derision at the cryptic telegraph. What was he supposed to do, arrest every woman who booked passage on a stage back east? What was that supposed to prove anyway? He tossed the telegraph aside.

"Marshal Pierce! Hey, Marshal!"

Recognising the voice, Pierce smothered a grin as he looked up at the ginger-headed urchin standing in the doorway. "What have I told you about playin' hookey from school, Jeremiah McCloud? Mr. Richards may just refuse to teach you."

Jeremiah shrugged. "No great loss. Besides, Kid sent me to get you."

"Trouble out at the pXp? Is it McCaffrey?"

"Who else?" Seeing the Marshal's look, Jeremiah held his hands up. "Don't answer that. Can you come now?"

"Let's go. I was waitin' for somethin' like this."

"I need to get a telegraph to my husband." Mary McMullen told the Fort Kearney Telegraph officer, Owen.

"Why sure thing, Mrs. McMullen," Owen replied. "And where is the Captain?"

Mary hesitated. "Well, I don't rightly know. But I do know which way he was headed, so if you could send duplicates of the message to Lone Tree. Fairfield, and Cottonwood, I'd be grateful."

"Will do, ma'am. But it'll cost extra."

"What else is new?" Mary asked rhetorically as she scribbled the short message. Owen read it over after she had gone. It did not make much sense.

     "Scott,

     "Patient wake, stop. Lydia innocent, stop. Not member of gang"

He shrugged. As long as Captain McMullen understood, it was all right. Before Owen could send it, the bank manager came and distracted him about money he owed. While he was occupied, the girl Owen hired to tidy the place up, cleared the counter off, dispensing with the little scraps of paper she figured were just rubbish. Unfortunately, Mary McMullen's message was one of them, and Owen never noticed it was missing - although he knew he had forgotten to do something. Mary's urgent message was never sent, and Captain McMullen was none the wiser about Lydia.

Onto to Chapter 5