Now she wished she’d memorized more Bible verses when she had a chance. Repeating the words would help calm her.
Once again, she heard a horse walking through the tunnel toward the cavern. Please let it be Franklin.
“Did you miss me?” The voice she hoped never to hear again grated against her nerves. She wished her hands were untied, so she could throw one of the rocks nearby at the hideous man.
His eerie laugh bounced off the rock walls. She wanted to cover her ears with her hands. Then he came into sight.
“Okay, we’ll eat again. At least we still have some provisions.” He dismounted and led the horse over beside the other one and hobbled him.
As he unwrapped the blankets from around her, she tried to hide her disgust when he brushed against her skin. After he untied her hands, he handed her a tin plate with cold beans and an even colder biscuit.
“This is getting close to the end of our grub.” An evil grin split his face.
She shuddered while taking a few bites.
“You better hope that husband of yours takes my letter seriously.” He shoveled a too-large bite into his mouth.
She dropped her chin against her chest and kept eating. What would happen when they ran out of food? Would this bad man go out to find something more for them to eat? She really couldn’t see him doing that.
“He needs to bring the ransom to me by tomorrow. If not–” The outlaw took his knife and ran the tip across his own throat without breaking the skin. “–he’ll never find you in time to save you.”
A strong shudder ran through her whole body. At least, the man was too interested in feeding his face to notice.
Help me, Jesus…help me, Jesus…help me, Jesus. The words ran over and over through her mind, a way to cling to her sanity.
“I watched that posse of fools looking for us, but not one got a glimpse of me.” His words were filled with an evil kind of glee.
Lorinda shut out his words, overcoming them with the words she kept repeating in her mind. Her only hope was in Jesus.
Franklin slept fitfully that night, and when morning arrived, he felt spent. He grabbed a quick breakfast with the sheriff and met the other men outside the ranch house at dawn. They divided into teams of two and spread across the valley. They swept across the area, searching every canyon, draw, smaller mountain, and river or stream on the way. As the day progressed, Franklin became more and more desperate. How long can Lorinda last in this cold?
Late in the afternoon, all the teams met and encircled a large rock formation that lifted high above the valley floor. As they looked up toward the top of the formation, they saw a horse and rider. A cry went up and spread from team to team. They closed ranks and blocked any path of escape.
Franklin rode around the pile of boulders until he reached a place where he could see the man was indeed Marvin Pratt. By that time, the sheriff was riding beside Franklin.
“Marvin–” Franklin yelled up at him.
The outlaw stopped and stared down at him.
One of the members of the posse raised his rifle and aimed for Marvin’s heart. “Want me to take the shot, Sheriff?”
“No!” Franklin rode to stop the man. “If we kill him, we won’t know where my wife is.”
“You bring my money, Franklin?” Marvin sounded very sure of himself.
Franklin seethed. The man was one ornery son-of-a-gun. He wished they could shoot the man, but not before he knew where Lorinda was.
The sheriff stood tall in his stirrups. “Marvin Pratt. We have you surrounded. Ride down with your hands up.”
“Want to make a deal, Sheriff?” Marvin still looked as if he thought he was in control.
“What kind of deal?” The lawman frowned up at the criminal.
Franklin turned toward the sheriff. “You can’t make a deal with this desperado. The man’s a murderer, arsonist, cattle thief, and we don’t know what else.”
The sheriff held up his palm to stop Franklin’s tirade.
“I don’t have to have the money.” Marvin shifted in his saddle, and his horse moved restlessly beneath him. “I’ll trade the whereabouts of Mrs. Vine for my freedom.”
Franklin started to speak, but the sheriff stopped him.
“Marvin, you know I can’t let you loose. You’ve committed too many crimes–murder, arson, stealing cattle, stealing horses, and who knows what else? We can’t have you riding around in this area. So come on down, and we’ll see what the law can agree to if you help us find Mrs. Vine. That’s the best I can do.”
Franklin held his breath. Would Marvin give up? Would this soon be over? His heartbeat accelerated. Please let it be over, Lord.
“I ain’t goin’ back to prison. B’sides, most of my crimes are hangin’ offenses. Last chance to let me go?” His hate-filled, beady eyes stared at Franklin. “You’ve had the love of two women. I couldn’t beat you...until today.”
“No deals.” The sheriff shouted.
Quick as a flash, Marvin’s gun was out of his holster and pointed against his own head.
“No!” Franklin’s shout coincided with the crack of the gunshot.
Marvin dropped to the hard rocks below his horse’s hooves.
Franklin jumped off Major and scrambled up the side of the huge mound of boulders. Maybe he could get there before Marvin died. If so, he’d make the man tell him where Lorinda was.
The sheriff climbed right behind him. They both knelt beside the body of Marvin Pratt. Franklin didn’t have to check the man’s pulse to know he was gone.
He hunkered on the rock, tears streaming down his face. “What are we going to do?”
The sheriff stood beside him. “We keep searching. We’ll find her.”
Franklin hated Marvin more than ever since he took his own life.
Hated that he’d argued with Lorinda.
Hated that he’d been too much of a coward to tell her how much he loved her.
Chapter 39
When they finished searching for the day, Franklin rode up to the ranch house, wearing dejection like a new suit of clothes that were a size too small, his gut tied in knots that felt as if they would never let go. There was nowhere they hadn’t looked. The men needed to get back to their businesses and ranches. For all they knew, his wife was dead. But he still felt a connection to her. She had to be out there somewhere...alive.
The sheriff once again stood on the porch talking to the men who finished the day with them. “I know we’re all discouraged. We don’t know where else to look for Mrs. Vine. Go home. Pray. If anyone comes up with somewhere else to look, please come to town and get me.”
Franklin’s boots felt as if they were made of lead, instead of leather as he walked up the front steps. He turned toward those gathered. “I owe you a debt of gratitude. I’ll never be able to repay for what you’ve done so far. I’ll understand if you need to get back to your own business or ranch. I hope tomorrow brings a new goal for our search.” He turned and trudged into the house.
Molly Malone opened the door to the room where the babies slept when Franklin walked down the hallway.
“Hello, Franklin?” Worry winkled her brow. “Any good news yet?”
Disappointed, he shook his head. “No.” He glanced over her shoulder. “Are the boys awake?”
“They should wake up from their naps soon.” She looked back at the three babies, one on a pallet on the floor, and the other two sharing the cradle.
“Good. I want to spend time with my sons after I clean up and get something to eat.
He had Mrs. Oleson heat water, hoping a hot bath would help him sleep. He was so tired he could hardly stay on his feet, but his mind wouldn’t let go of the fact that he had to find Lorinda...and soon.
After the bath, he ate the rest of the venison stew from yesterday. He forced each bite down. How could he sit here eating, knowing Lorinda probably didn’t have anything left of the food she’d taken with her? He wondered if Marvin had even shared the food with her. Pain lanced t
hrough his heart, and he couldn’t keep tears from forming in his eyes. He wiped both eyes to remove the blur.
Rusty came in from the bunkhouse and sat beside him at the table. “What are we going to do, Boss?”
“Maybe Marvin took her back to the land she and Mike owned. There’s a soddy there where they had stored food.” Hope took root in Franklin’s heart.
Rusty frowned. “Nah, we already looked there. It’s as empty as it was after we moved her provisions down here to the ranch.”
The flicker of hope died. Franklin hadn’t believed he could feel any worse than before, but he did. He was close to wanting to give up, but he couldn’t. He needed Lorinda more than the babies did.
“I don’t know of any place we haven’t searched, even the outlying ranches.” Rusty straddled one of the kitchen chairs and laid his arms along the back. “It’s not looking good, is it?”
His ranch hand stated the obvious, but Franklin wouldn’t accept giving up. “I’ll try to come up with other places for us to search. Of course, Marvin’s mind was so devious and twisted, who could figure out what he was thinking?”
Rusty went back to the bunkhouse.
Franklin got up slowly from the kitchen chair. His discouragement made him move like an old man. Maybe time with the boys would help him feel better.
He asked Mrs. Oleson to help him with the boys. They went into the bedroom and each picked up one of them. They took the babies into the parlor.
He clutched Michael close. He wondered if the babies could sense all the tension. After a few minutes, he started to play with his son. At one point, he wanted to throw him up in the air, because the boy liked it so much. That would get him laughing. Lorinda wouldn’t like it.
No, she wouldn’t. Instead, he sat down and crossed one leg over the other. He settled Michael on his boot and played Ride a Little Horsey with him.
Soon he and Mrs. Oleson exchanged babies. Miriam’s baby settled into Franklin’s arms. He loved holding the younger infant. He’d like to have more babies … with Lorinda.
Molly Malone came to get the babies. She took the baby from Franklin’s arms. “It’s time to feed these two.”
Mrs. Oleson followed her out of the room.
When they were gone, Franklin went to bed. He lay on one side, but couldn’t get comfortable. So he turned on the other side. Same thing. He forced his eyes closed and tried to clear his mind of all thoughts, but Lorinda kept intruding. Why, oh why had he made all the missteps with their relationship? Now he might never be able to make things right. He gripped his hands into fists, wanting to lash out and hit something...hard.
After tossing and turning for a couple of hours, Franklin got up and put on his warmer clothes. He went out and paced across the drive between the house and the barn, praying. His heart and mind cried out to God, begging for his wife’s safety. He stared up at the heavens and looked at the myriad stars created by God’s hand. God knew where Lorinda was. He wished the Lord would write it in the stars, like a banner. Lorinda is here. Maybe form the stars into an arrow, pointing to the very place. Yeah, like that’s going to happen.
Lord, I love you, and I trust you, but this is hard. Show me what to do.
As he swung around to pace the other direction, a flicker of light caught his attention. What was that? It was too close to the peak of the mountain southwest from the ranch for there to be a house, but still the light remained. He stared at it. Could it be a fire? It didn’t flicker as a fire would. The longer he stared at it, the more the light expanded, then it stopped growing.
While he was a boy, he and Marvin had explored every mountain, canyon, and forest that connected with the ranch. But that light was above the timberline. Franklin followed the sawtooth ridge of peaks around the valley. Could that be where the cave they found was located? He tried to remember every detail of how they found the large cavern. It had been so long ago, he’d completely forgotten about the adventure.
He closed his eyes and let them get used to the total darkness. When he opened them, the bright light was still there, like a star fallen from heaven. Lord, is this a message from you?
Indescribable peace enveloped him, and he no longer felt the bitter cold.
He hurried into the house and awakened Mrs. Oleson.
“What do you need, Franklin?” Sleepiness clung to her. “How can I help you?”
“I know where Lorinda is.” He had to be positive about this thought. Hope was back.
“Where?”
But he was out the door, headed toward the bunkhouse. He awakened Rusty, leaving the other ranch hands to their well-deserved rest.
“I want you to prepare Major and your horse for a long ride. I’m going into the house to get supplies to take with us. I know where Lorinda is. It’ll take us a while to get to her.”
Franklin went back into the house and told Mrs. Oleson to start plenty of water heating after breakfast, so Lorinda could have a hot bath when he brought her home.
In half an hour, he and Rusty set out across the valley in a different direction from the one Marvin took when he kidnapped Lorinda. Some places would be harder to traverse on this trail, but it should take much less time than it would to go up the way Marvin had. Still it would take the rest of the night and into the next day before they would return.
Lorinda had been tied up in the same position so long, she didn’t know if she could even stand up if...when…someone rescued her. Cramps in various muscles came and went with closer frequency. Is this the way it feels to starve to death? Stiffness was her present reality. She wanted to cry, but she didn’t have enough moisture for tears. At least, her body functions had ceased. If only it had happened before she soiled herself.
How long had Marvin been gone? Much, much longer than any other time. Her mouth and throat were so dry, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, and her teeth felt cottony. She felt dirtier than she’d ever been, even when she was a child living with her father and uncle, who didn’t care if she was clean or not. Hunger clawed at her stomach like a living monster, and her head ached whether she held it up or leaned it against her knees.
She had no concept of how much time had passed since Marvin left. She did remember it had been daylight when he left, but had there been only one night or two since then? She wasn’t sure. Her thoughts were muddled.
She missed holding baby Michael and baby Andrew. Her heart longed for the comforting presence of her husband. If someone didn’t come to find her soon, they might only find her body.
Jesus, help me...Jesus, help me...Jesus, help...
As Franklin and Rusty picked their way up the mountain trail, the glow of the light near the peak continued to shine bright. Franklin had brought a lantern in case they might need it, but so far the strange light had somehow lit the pathway even though there was no moon. Here they were near the end of November, with snow falling all around them, but the snowfall hadn’t reached blizzard proportions. So it didn’t block out their surroundings.
Franklin couldn’t help thinking about the wise men who came from the East to find the Christ child. Having the star shining on their path to guide them. Maybe they felt a little like he did. He recognized that the light leading them had to come from God. Every one of his heartbeats sang out in thanksgiving to the Lord. Somehow, he knew this beacon would lead him to Lorinda. With God going to so much trouble, he had to find her alive. The family would really have something to celebrate on Thanksgiving Day.
Dawn was just barely peeking over the rim of the mountains when they reached the opening of the tunnel just where he remembered it. One streak of morning light shot a beam right at the opening, scattering the darkness inside.
When they were out of the wind, Franklin lit the lantern so they could see as they went deeper into the ground. “Lorinda!” His shout bounced from the rock walls of the tunnel and echoed back at him.
No answer came. Please, Lord. Don’t let us be at the wrong place.
The next shout was answered by a wh
inny. A whinny? A horse was in the cavern. He rode closer and closer to the large room he and Marvin had discovered. When they turned the corner into the vast space, another whinny sounded much closer. He lifted the lantern high, and Rusty followed behind him.
Golden Boy stood near the far wall beside a large lump of something. His muzzle lay against the top, and he blew a whiffle of breath against the mound. Something moved under his head, and he stepped back.
When Franklin caught sight of the dirty, blonde curls, he knew he’d found her. And she moved. Relief shot through him.
He jumped from his horse and ran toward her. “Lorinda, are you all right?”
Major followed behind him.
Her eyes opened a little, but she didn’t look as if she knew where she was. No recognition shown in her eyes.
Marvin has been dead for almost twenty-four hours, and who knew how long he’d left Lorinda alone here?
Franklin grabbed his canteen. “Rusty, bring me a couple of those blankets.”
He sank beside her on the cool rock floor. His heart beat so strong, he had a hard time catching his breath at this high altitude.
Gently, he tipped her head higher. “Lorinda, sweetheart, open your mouth. I have some water for you.”
After opening the container of drinking water, he tipped it against her dry lips. When the first drops touched her, she opened them a little. He dribbled small amounts into her mouth and waited until she swallowed. It took several tries before the liquid started to revive her. When she opened her eyes again, a light shone in them.
“Fr...anklin...you...came...for me.”
“I’m going to give you another drink, but not too much.” Once again, he tipped the canteen only a little.
This time, she sucked in more fluid. “I knew you would.” The words were so faint, he had to listen closely to hear them. “Jesus...”
Now that she was more alert, he unwrapped the two blankets surrounding her. His heart nearly broke when he saw she was tied up. While he worked the ropes loose, she whimpered. Oh, how she must hurt.
A Heart's Gift Page 29
