Bakker looks at his wife seriously. “It’s Blackwolf. I’ve been expecting HIS arrival.”
Her face darkens as she looks at her husband. She looks at Jake and politely says, “I just remembered something I have to do in the hotel, you’ll excuse me, deputy.” Without waiting for a response, she turns and leaves quickly.
Jake is stunned. “Did I say something to upset her?”
Bakker shakes his head. “She has some trouble with Blackwolf is all. Nothing all that major.”
Jake studies the doctor a long moment. “Is there something I should know about the marshal?”
Again, Bakker shakes his head. “Nah. It’s just a clash of personalities, is all.”
Jake grunts as he finishes off his cup of coffee. He looks at John, who is watching the entire scene with an enigmatic look.
John sighs. “I’ll be back.”
JOHN TURNS AND GOES down the hall to Cherokee’s sickroom. He knocks once, opens the door and slips in.
He’s greeted by the sight in the darkening gloom of the deepening night, of Joey having pulled her revolver and is pointing it directly at his heart.
He raises his hands, showing they are empty of weapons. “It’s okay, Joey. It’s just me.” In the gloom, he can barely see her tear-streaked face.
Quickly, the young woman holsters her gun, then rushes over to him and grabs him in a rough embrace, knocking her hat partially askew. She cries into his chest and is barely able to quietly sob out, “Oh, Uncle! He looks so small, so vulnerable! I can’t stand seeing him like this!”
John is startled once again by being called uncle. Awkwardly, he puts his arms around his young “niece.” He finishes pulling her hat off and kisses the top of her hair. “You know your pa’s a stronger man than you may give him credit for. He’ll pull through.”
She continues crying into his chest a moment longer, then nods and in a muffled voice says, “I know.” She pulls away and wipes at her face. “David said he came to awhile ago.”
John nods. “He told me the same thing. I told you, David is taking good care of him.”
A quiet knock on the door startles them both.
Joey hurriedly pulls her hair under her hat as John hears Josh’s voice say, “Can I come in?” John feels the door bang against his back as he hears Josh demand, “Why is this door being blocked?”
John checks Joey’s progress quickly and says, “Hey! Hang on a bit, these old bones don’t move as fast as they used to.” He slowly turns, giving Josh the ability to open the door. With one last glance, John winks at the look of gratitude that Joey gives him.
Josh looks around the mostly darkened room and asks quietly, “How is he doin’?”
“No change in the last hour or two, I think.” John moves over to the injured man and looks over him. “He seems to be resting well enough. David knows his business very well to be able to bring him back from the brink of death like this.”
“It’s not my skill,” David says, as he enters the room. “I put it in God’s hands. The fact that he’s still breathing is a miracle. Him getting better at all, is purely the will of God alone.”
Josh checks Cherokee’s condition and, after being assured his friend is alright, turns back to David. “Where’s his saddle-bag? I want to make sure that what he was carrying is still safe.”
David lights a match, then lamp and points over toward a cabinet on the far wall, then looks at John. “What was he carrying?”
John’s smile is grim as Jake goes over and starts rummaging through them. “Think it was the treaty agreeing to open up the Shawnee and Sac and Fox lands for white settlement.”
David’s jaw drops. “Did the ones who started this know that?”
Jake exclaims softly as he holds up a rolled-up piece of parchment. “Got it!”
John shakes his head. “Don’t think so. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have left the treaty. No, I think this was just a random group of idiots causing trouble is all.”
Josh sighs in relief as he reads the parchment. “Thankfully, it’s not too badly damaged. You can still read it.” He steps over and hands it to Joey. “Signed, somewhat sealed and delivered, Marshal, as promised.”
She nods, takes the rolled-up document and slips it inside her vest. “Thank you, deputy. I think I’ll hang around, at least until the marshal wakes up. Plus, I need to serve these warrants anyways.” She looks at the chair, considering her options.
John quietly asks David, “Now that he’s resting, are you going to have someone here watching him in case he wakes up?”
David looks at Joey a moment and nods slowly. “I’ll be here for quite awhile. I’ll have Heart-of-Falcon in here when it gets to be too late. If he wakes up, I’ll make sure you all know as quickly as is possible.”
Joey looks at David for a long moment. “Oh, I don’t think that’ll be necessary, David. I can stay here with him.”
John carefully considers his words, given current company. “You said earlier, that one of the letters to him was explaining you?”
The look she gives him is full of daggers. “Yeah? So?”
“How much shock do you think that letter is going to give him?”
She huffs. “Alright. I can see where you’re going with this.” She crosses her arms. “So, what do you suggest I do?”
John shakes his head. “He’s familiar with everyone here. Let him find out about you in the letter and then see you. It’ll make his shock minimal that way.”
She sets her jaw stubbornly. “He’s hardy enough to take it.”
David shakes his head and gently assures her, “Not to take John’s side in this, but he’s right. Telling him about you will be shock enough. Seeing you when he first wakes up may do much more harm than good.”
She glares at the two men for several moments, before finally saying, “Fine. We’ll do it your way. Just know, I won’t forget this, John.”
John groans to himself. He just hopes the young woman is forgiving enough once her head cools, to see the light of reason. He smiles. “I love you, too. Did I tell you about the bathhouse next door? It’s like the Mallorys’, but it’s got only one stall and it can be locked.”
She levels a flat look at him. “Stop trying to change the subject.” Recognition of what he just said sparks in her eyes. “Locked, you say?”
Still smiling, he nods. “Yup. You can have all the privacy you want. That is, saying you would like to have some.”
She nods and heads for the door. “So, we need to get the horses put up, is there a livery close by?”
John nods. “Yeah, we’re just under foot, here anyway. C’mon, Josh, let’s get the horses bedded down.”
Josh looks at him and sighs, then shakes his head. “I give up. Either you’re too stupid to do as I ask, or you’re doing it intentionally. I know you’re not that dumb.”
John laughs lightly. “Thank you for that vote of confidence.” Silently, he berates himself. He’s not sure why he keeps referring to him as Josh. Guess it’s just because he’s always been Josh to him, he’s always going to be Josh. “Come on, let’s get outta here and let David do his job.”
AS THE THREE LEAVE Doc Bakker’s office, Jake sees the reproachful look given him by Ranger. Jake walks up and pats the horse comfortingly on the hinge of the jaw. He stops momentarily. “Sorry. It took longer than it should have.”
Ranger snorts and turns his head, pointedly ignoring his rider. Jake takes the lead rope, turns his mount and follows the two marshals across the street to the livery.
MORE THAN TWO HOURS after they dropped off the horses at the livery, John watches as Joey joins him and Jake in the dining room of the hotel. She seats herself at their table, quietly, and motions to Ben to come over.
“Hello, Marshal. What can I get ya?”
Her voice is hoarse as she responds, “Water.”
John looks at Joey carefully. He can see how she cleaned up the ravages of what he expects was her crying storm. Unless one knows exactly what to lo
ok for, it’s easy to miss.
The roughness in Joey’s voice isn’t lost on Josh. He stares at Joey for a moment, before asking, “You alright, Marshal?”
Joey nods. “Been a long day. Thank you.” She takes the glass of water from Ben and drains it in one gulp. “Another, please?” She hands the glass back to Ben.
John motions to Ben when he brings the glass of water back. When Ben leans in, John says quietly enough only the young waiter can hear him, “Would you mind getting the marshal a bottle of sarsaparilla for me? Go ahead and put it on my tab, thanks.”
Ben smiles and nods.
Joey looks at John curiously, but doesn’t say anything.
John turns to glance at Josh. “So, once this business is done, got any plans for how you’re going to handle raising Andy while you’re on the road constantly, like you are?”
Jake spreads his hands. “As if I know? You seem to have all the answers, so why don’t you tell me?”
John shakes his head. “I only call it like I see it. I don’t have hardly any answers whatsoever.”
Joey slams her glass down hard, spilling a small amount of the water inside. “Stop it you two. There’s no reason to argue at a time like this.”
Josh points to John. “He’s talking like all this was planned. Honestly, I have no idea of God’s plan in this. He’ll tell me what to do when the time is right.”
John can barely believe his ears. The level of faith his old friend is showing is more than a little surprising. Even though they were both raised in the Catholic orphanage, during their travels together, Josh never really showed any indication of believing in religion. But now? John just can’t understand. He looks at Joey. “Okay. Enough about that, then. I have an idea of where to look for the two who escaped.”
Ben walks up with the requested bottle of sarsaparilla and takes their orders for dinner. After he leaves once again, John explains about the south creek site. He explains that there have been several incidents out there, each one ending in violence.
Joey looks up from her food she’s been picking at and nods. “It would make sense. Are you sure you want to check there? It seems to me like that would be the place people would expect you to check first. One would think they would avoid such an obvious place.”
John shakes his head. “For some reason, people seem to be drawn to the area. I don’t know why, but things happen there.”
Joey looks at John intently. “Would you describe the area to me?”
John describes the general area and is stopped by Joey holding up her hand. “You said that this area is out south of White?”
John nods, unsure of what she’s trying to get at.
“That sounds like the area that Brigit claimed during the Landrun.”
John nods. “I’ve considered the same thing. The only way we can be completely sure is if we have Brigit go to the site. I don’t think we want to try and push her to do that, yet.”
Joey shakes her head. “I can see what you mean. That might be pushing things with her. Either way, once we can make sure Marshal Brouwer is okay, we’ll check out the site like you suggest.”
John hears Red-Feather’s voice behind him say in a tone of incredulity, “Did someone say, Brouwer?” John turns and looks curiously at his one-armed deputy. “Yeah, that’s Cherokee’s last name, Brouwer. Why do you ask?”
“I know that name.” Red-Feather shakes his head in confusion.
“Yeah, we were sent to go find him several times, before he got captured.”
“No. Not Cherokee Brouwer. This name starts with an ‘r’.” He shakes his head, obviously trying to remember. “Rowan, I think.”
Joey takes a drink from her bottle and quietly asks, “How would you know that name?”
Red-Feather looks at John. “Remember the missionary I told you about, the one who taught me how to play that song?”
John nods. Suddenly, things click together in his mind.
“He said his name was Rowan. Rowan Brouwer.”
Joey looks at John, the unasked question clearly written on her face.
John motions for Red-Feather to sit, then motions for Ben to bring his deputy something to drink. “I know you don’t wanna recall those painful events, but I think everyone at the table deserves to hear the story.”
The pleading look Red-Feather gives him says volumes, but John chooses to harden his heart. Joey deserves to know. She will be able to tell her father what happened later. He looks at Joey and asks, “Just so we’re clear, how do YOU know that name, Marshal Blackwolf?”
“Joey told me the story of her grandfather, Rowan Brouwer. Of how he was swept away in the great flood, how they never found his body.”
John looks at Red-Feather. “I think it high time that family learns the truth about their missing father.”
Red-Feather nods and sighs, obviously steeling himself for what he is about to say. “My English isn’t too good, but I’ll tell you what I can. Let me start with my childhood. These two already know most of it, but let me explain.” Over the next two hours, Red-Feather describes his childhood in the Apache camps, with his father as a chief. He goes on to describe about his father being deposed as chief by Geronimo and his parents being killed, leaving him and his sister in the care of their aunt. Then how his aunt was killed by a cougar, leaving him and Silver-Moon on their own.
“I can imagine that was really tough on you. Being alone like that, with your young sister,” Joey says, voice thick with sympathy.
“I was twelve. Silver-Moon was five.”
Were it not such a serious situation, John would have smiled at the look of shock on Joey’s face. He motions for Red-Feather to continue.
Over the next hour, he describes how, a few months after they were orphaned, they were found by a missionary, who called himself Rowan Brouwer. He describes how the missionary stayed with them a for a while, before having to leave to go back to his family, then never returning.
Surreptitiously, John watches Joey as Red-Feather relays the story. Her attention is so focused on Red-Feather, John feels like if he pokes her or any loud noise happens, she’ll jump out of her skin.
Red-Feather continues. After several years of his searching for what happened to the man, his fiancé brought to him a cousin who claimed to have killed the missionary.
He didn’t go into too many details describing either the missionary’s death, or his cousins, either, but what bit he did describe, was more than enough.
John looks at Joey once Red-Feather is done and sees a single tear escape her control. He truly feels sorry for her. Even more sorry for her father, who’s had to wonder all these years what happened to his own father, mourning without knowing his fate. John looks at Red-Feather’s face and sees it full of compassion. He’s not surprised, more like, touched at his old friend’s ability to feel guilty for the death of a member of his own family and compassion, for telling the story of the death of a loved one.
John looks back at Joey. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know the connection until now. Otherwise, I would have told you.”
Joey turns to look back at John, her mask back in place. “I can’t say that I thank you for this, but I can say I appreciate the effort and insight it gives me.” She stands. “You’ll excuse me, I hope. I have a lot to think about.” Without waiting for an answer, she turns and heads up to her room.
Josh looks at Red-Feather a moment. “So, Heart-of-Falcon gave him to you as a wedding gift?”
Red-Feather smiles and nods. “After you died, she told me she wouldn’t let me go on the trail anymore without our being married. At least that way, the army would take care of her and our kids, if I was killed. Your death hurt her more than she ever would admit.”
Josh’s face is downcast as he says, “I was ordered not to tell ANYONE. I couldn’t help it. Maj. Walters told me no one could know, or I’d be hung as a traitor. From John’s reaction so far, I would say that he was right.”
John studies his old friend a moment, wh
ile everything clicks in place, then shakes his head. “It wasn’t that you faked your own death that rankles so badly. It’s that you’ve let us believe you were dead all this time. You never even tried to reach out to us—your family—to tell us you were still alive. That’s the worst kind of betrayal you could have ever made.”
Josh crosses his arms and sighs. “Do you think you’ll ever be able to forgive me for that insult to you?”
John feels his eyes narrow and considers a moment before shaking his head. “Honestly, I don’t know. God knows I am trying, but only He knows if I ever will be able to.”
Josh’s face sets into a hardened expression. “Don’t invoke God’s name, blaming him for a failing of yours. If you’re not strong enough to do it, man up and admit it.”
John slams his drink down on the table and stands up, knocking his chair over. He can feel his hand itching to pull his gun. Instead of drawing down on Josh, he crosses his arms. “If either of us were the men we used to be, you wouldn’t have gotten the chance to ask for forgiveness and you know it.” He shakes his head again. “Don’t you talk to me about my duties as a Christian, you being the one to live the life of another man for the better part of twenty years! You could have told us. We would have kept the secret. Just like I keep the secrets of so many others.” Why can’t Josh understand the truth of it? He should have tried to contact us, tell us he’s still alive. SOMETHING. Now, after all this time? “I tire of this discussion. I’ll see you all in the morning.” Without waiting for a reply, he turns and leaves the hotel.
When he gets back to his quarters in the Marshal’s Office, he bows his head in prayer, asking for the strength, the power and, most importantly, the wisdom to be able to forgive Josh for the betrayal of these last number of years.
Chapter 15
Jake is awakened by a banging on his door and Rebekah’s voice calling out, “Deputy! He’s awake. Come quickly!”
He grumbles something to the effect of “Wuzzat,” without realizing he’s not asleep anymore.
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