"What will we do if we find him Teaspoon?" Cody asked.
Teaspoon had been poking at the fire with a stick and didn't hear him.
"Teaspoon?" Buck said again but louder.
"Hmmm"
"What are we going to do with Wickes when we find him?"
"Take him for trial."
"Seems we should string him up for what he done to Lou" Cody offered.
"If we did that we'd be no better than he is." Teaspoon answered.
"Yeah but Lou would be a lot safer." Buck said staring into the fire.
"None of you are to touch him is that understood." Teaspoon said gruffly
looking from face to face around the fire. They all nodded their understanding.
Teaspoon didn't believe them. As much as he hated doing it he was going to have
to protect Wickes.
Kid pulled Katy up and surveyed the land in front of him. He had been on the
trail for about a week now and was looking forward to making it to Sweet Water.
The little town hadn't changed much after the riders left it but he still felt
at home there and Emma and Sam told the riders if they ever were out that way
they could bunk in the old house. Emma had always intended on going back there
and occasionally she did just to fix the place up and keep it homey. He could
see the silhouette of the house clearly and knew he was home.
As soon as Kid reached the homestead he put Katy in the barn for a much-deserved
rest. She was one of the finest mounts the express had and Kid was the finest
horseman at the Rock Creek station. He went into the house and headed straight
up stairs he was exhausted. Sometime late at night he was awakened by someone
shaking him vigorously.
"What the?" He said sitting up quickly. It was Ike! He was signing
furiously at Kid something about Lou.
"Ike slow down what is it? What about Lou?" he said trying to calm
Ike down.
"<W I C K E S>?" He signed. The name filled his head with pictures
of Lou and what she had to endure with him. It had completely broken his heart
when Lou told him about everything that happened to her at the brothel.
"Wickes is dead Ike." Ike shook his head.
"We saw him get shot" Again Ike shook his head.
"<No he isn't he is alive and he shot Lou and left her for dead just
outside of Rock Creek. Jimmy found her.>"
"Is she all right" he asked worriedly.
"<I don't know we left right away after she told us who did this to
her>"
"We?"
"<Teaspoon and the boys went to find him. Jimmy and Noah are still in
Rock Creek protecting Lou.>" Kid was up in a flash and out the door
just as quickly.
"I'm sorry girl, I know you needed this break but Lou needs me." Kid
apologized as he put the saddle up on Katy's back.
"Teaspoon we've been riding for hours and we ain't found him yet. You
sure he went this way." Cody complained.
"There's fresh prints here" Buck said looking up at Teaspoon. The
horse is from the livery in Rock Creek.
"And how do you know that Buck." Cody said sarcastically "did
some Spirit tell you?" "Yes and he says you are going to fall off
your horse" Buck said mystically as he watched Barnett give him a shove
and Cody toppled none to gracefully from the mare's back.
"What did you do that for?!" Cody yelled scrambling to his feet while
the others laughed at him.
"Because all the horses in Rock Creek have the same blind Blacksmith and
the shoes are always have a bar mark in the center from the measuring bar he
uses so he knows how wide they are." Buck said grinning widely. Cody muttered
something about Indians and their stupid spirits and climbed back up on his
horse.
Kid stopped the slathered Katy and waited for Ike to catch up.
"I'm comin Lou." He whispered.
"<Kid we have to stop the horses are exhausted>" Ike warned.
"I've gotta get to Lou" Kid answered stubbornly.
"<We won't get there if one of the horses falls over from exhaustion.
They need a rest and so do we let's make camp here and start early in the morning>"
Kid knew Ike was right and dismounted.
"I'm sorry girl," he said gently patting Katy's neck she nickered
back as if she understood.
"Lou?" Jimmy said knocking softly on the door.
"Come in Jimmy." She answered.
"Are you all right I heard you scream."
"It was just a nightmare I'm fine" Lou said pushing herself up in
the bed.
"You had me scared there Lou I thought Wickes had found you"
"Jimmy, don't say that name."
"Lou honey you don't have to be afraid Noah's here and I'm here we're not
going to let anything happen to you. And when Kid gets back you know he would
protect you with his life."
"You can't tell him about this Jimmy"
"Ike probably already has."
"Dammit Jimmy you know what he will do! He's going to go off half cocked
and probably find and kill him and then he'll hang for it too."
"I don't think Kid would do something like that"
"I do."
"Now if it were me I would understand that sentiment." Jimmy said
sitting on the bed next to Lou "But it aint me and Kid has a better head
on his shoulders…"
"and a worse temper" Lou said cutting him off.
"Yes but he knows when to not let his temper get a hold of him and keep
him from doing what is right."
"Like all the time he and you battled it out. When it comes to me his temper
is the last thing he controls." Lou said sitting back and taking Jimmy's
hand.
"Rider Comin!" Rachael hollered. Noah ran to mount up. A few of the
replacement riders had gotten drunk the night before and were sobering up before
leaving the station. Noah was upset that he had to leave Lou but he knew Jimmy
would protect her. He was also kind of glad to be going because the townsfolk
were giving him a hard time as the replacement Marshal. Jimmy had taken over
that duty thankfully deputizing a few men and placing them around the station
for added protection. As the cloud of dust dissipated the shapes of two riders
one on a painted palomino came into view.
"Its Kid and Ike!" Noah called out. Lou hearing this rose from the
bed and carefully made her way to the window. Kid leaped from Katy's back and
rushed into the house. He ran all the way upstairs yelling Lou's name the whole
time. When he saw her standing by the window he went to her and put his arms
around her.
"Are you okay, I was so worried."
"I'm fine kid" she answered weakly, "Help me lay down."
Carefully he picked her up and laid her on the bed then sat down next to her.
"What do you want me to do?" He asked taking her hand.
"Stay with me Kid, please until I fall asleep"
Darkness was falling when Jimmy returned from the Marshal's office.
"Evenin Rachael" he said coming in the door. "Whatever you're
cooking smells mighty fine"
"Why thank you Jimmy." Rachael answered blushing. "Kid's back."
"Is he?"
"He's upstairs with Lou, would you mind taking this up for me?" She
asked handing him a few bowls of the stew she had been preparing. "Kid
would probably like some company up there. I tried to get him to come down and
wash up when Lou fell asleep but you know how he is."
"Yeah I know."
Lou's room was lit by one lamp in the corner. He went inside and found Kid
dozing in a chair.
"Kid" he said gently shaking his shoulder.
"Hi Jimmy," Kid answered sleepily. "Long ride?"
"Too Long. How's she doing?"
"All right I guess she keeps crying and I try to calm her but it's so hard
Jimmy to see her like this."
"She's always been the strong one." Jimmy said brushing a stray hair
from her face.
"What are you going to do?" Jimmy asked.
"Find him. Bring him to justice."
"Kid let it go, Teaspoon and the boys will find him. Lou needs you here.
I need you here with Noah out on a run I need the extra hands to protect her."
"You've got the deputies."
"Yeah I do, but I'm on to something with that one Barnes. I think he is
working for Wickes."
Kid sat forward in his chair and looked at Jimmy. "Tell me more"
