A half hour passed while he observed the goings on. A raggedy cat wound its way through the tents, sniffing and exploring. Eli marked its progress in the murky light. As the sun began to slide into the horizon, the cat made it to Gunther. It made a wide circle around the big man, its tail up. Eli wondered what the cat smelled that made it leery.
The feline spotted Eli watching it and stopped midstep, getting into a staring contest with him. Its fur was mangy and matted with mud. It was probably hard for the critter to keep clean in such a disgustingly dirty place. Up close the cat looked like it was less than a year old. Maybe a kitten that had gotten abandoned at the camp and had learned to hunt for its own food amongst the human horde.
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a nub of dried beef. The cat’s ears went up and it sniffed the air, drawing closer. Eli set his hand on the ground, palm up with the beef in the center. The damn thing probably had fleas and ticks. Why he cared if the critter ate breakfast, he didn’t know.
The cat crept closer until it was a couple feet away. It had yellowish green eyes and a mixture of colors in its fur like a patchwork of orange, black and brown. It reminded him a bit of Charlie. Each part was nothing special, but together, it made a unique being. To his surprise the cat delicately picked the meat from his hand and sat back on its haunches to chew. Its gaze held his.
“Picking up strays?” Charlie sat beside him. The cat blinked at her but didn’t move, still chewing at its treasure.
“It looked hungry. Besides, poor thing probably doesn’t get much kindness around here.”
“I expect you’re right.” She made a clicking sound with her mouth and held out her hand. To his surprise, the cat came right to her, rubbing the side of its head against her outstretched fingers.
“It likes you.”
“I’m not likable?” She smiled.
He chuckled. “Depends on the day.”
She looked at him with a wry smile. “I expect you’re right about that too.” The cat rubbed against Charlie’s legs and knees, purring loud enough for Eli to hear it.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” He knew his wife had a soft side, and apparently so did the cat.
“She’s a good cat.” Charlie petted it for more purring and rubbing. In another minute, Eli would be jealous of the animal.
“She?”
“Definitely not a he. That means she’s smart, strong and a good hunter. She couldn’t have survived otherwise.” Charlie gestured to the sleeping Gunther. “Did you get any rest, uh, before you took watch?”
He loved the fact her freckled cheeks colored as she tried not to mention what he’d done under the blanket. As tough as she was, Charlie was still feminine and sweet. He couldn’t tell her that though or she might shoot him.
“I got enough. We need to be on our guard every minute.” He looked out at the various tents and prospectors. “Not a one of them would help us if we needed it and most of them would step over our dead bodies to claim our gear.”
“I figured that out yesterday.”
“What I’m saying is we can’t trust anyone. Not Rosie or anyone else who professes to be our friend.” He wanted to leave and never come back. He would do what Charlie wanted though, no matter how much he hated this dirty camp.
“Why are you telling me this? I’m the last person who needs to be told to be suspicious.” She picked up the cat and it snuggled into her lap as though it belonged there. “I can protect myself.”
Eli clenched his jaw. She of all people knew how evil people could be in the name of greed. “We should get started with a fire and breakfast, then see about panning in the river.”
She set the cat on the ground, which meowed loudly in protest, and got to her feet. “You’re right. We need to get busy.” Her expression had hardened. “We’re here to make our mark.”
Eli knew he’d said something wrong, but he didn’t know what nor would he be asking her. Someday their marriage would not be full of unspoken words and screaming silences.
While he set about making the fire, she took the shallow pan she’d brought and headed for the river, followed by the cat. When she squatted to begin, the cat yowled and shoved at her. She pushed the animal away with her hip and did her best to ignore it. No matter what anyone told her, she wouldn’t be dissuaded from what she thought was her path.
Eli kept his eye on her as he got coffee boiling and unpacked a few things for breakfast. Rosie sauntered up, the sun behind her. He shaded his eyes and tried to get a read on the old woman’s intent.
“Morning, Romeo.”
He wondered how the hell this strange old woman knew Shakespeare. “Miss Rosie.”
She snorted. “I ain’t been called anything so fancy in a long time.”
“What do you want?” He felt like he’d asked her that before and didn’t get a good answer.
“Nothing, just being neighborly.” Her yellowing smile was anything but neighborly.
A commotion by the river caught his attention. Three men had surrounded Charlie.
“Gunther!” Eli shouted to the big man and ran for the river. No doubt Rosie was already helping herself to their gear. She had probably planned it that way, but right now his coffee pot and food stores were nothing if his wife was in danger.
The pistol was in his hand as he ran toward them, bellowing like a bear protecting his mate. The men pushed her into the river and ran at the sight of his face, except one. The smallest of them stood his ground—one hand held a knife too, the other thumb looped around suspenders, a smirk on his dirty face.
He heard Gunther behind him, stomping across the muddy ground like a lumbering beast. Eli had no time to check on him or think of anything except Charlie.
“Are you all right?” he asked Charlie while he kept his gun on the stranger.
“Wet and angry but fine. These fucking idiots decided to see what I had packed in my trousers.” She squeezed water out of her hair. “Damn shit is colder than ice. Must be mountain runoff.”
The man’s brows went up to his hairline. He’d obviously never run into a woman who let every word she wanted fly from her lips.
Eli cocked his gun, never losing sight of the knife in the man’s hand. “What in the fucking hell do you think you’re doing? No one touches my wife. No one.” That white-hot fury he’d gotten under control had surged to life the moment Charlie had been threatened.
“Wife?” The little man had a high voice. “She was supposed to be a man. He told me—well. And you was supposed to like boys.” He looked at Eli with horror.
“Now you know I’m not, you little fucker. I should slice your balls off for reaching between my legs,” Charlie snarled.
Eli didn’t realize he’d pulled the trigger until Gunther almost broke his arm pushing the weapon up. The bullet fired into the air and Eli tried to get control of himself.
“Did you just try to shoot him?” Charlie stared, her mouth open.
“Damn right. I meant what I said, no one touches you. There ain’t no call to be grabbing a woman’s person.” He shook with the need to teach the small man a lesson with his fists. “Who told you Charlie was a man?”
Instead of answering, the stranger questioned them. “Who are you people?” The man scowled at them, as though they were in the wrong.
“Who are you and why the hell did you decide to check to see if my wife had balls?” Eli’s voice was tight with the anger that pulsed inside him.
“I, uh, I’m nobody.” The man turned to run and Gunther picked him up by his neck. After a moment of struggling, the stranger looked at Eli with sad, pleading eyes.
Holy shit. Man? It was the same blonde whore from earlier, dressed as a man.
What the hell was going on at this camp?
Charlie was mad, but she also strangely calm. Normally she would have exploded with anger if someone dared to act that w
ay toward her. Instead, Eli had taken that role for her. He had done that several times and she was beginning to wonder if their relationship had flipped where he was the crazy one and she was the logical one. That would be something.
“Are you a man or a woman?” Eli spoke to the stranger. As if he could speak. Not likely, considering Gunther was holding him five feet in the air.
Charlie stepped onto the shore and shook off some of the water. “Let him down.”
Gunther obeyed, but he kept hold of the back of the man’s neck instead while the stranger visibly shook. Eli was red-faced and furious. He’d actually almost shot the man for touching her. Was that a bolt of feminine pleasure? Was she that kind of girl who would be flattered when a man defended her? Apparently she was.
“I’m gonna do what you did to my wife.” Eli stepped up and grabbed the man between the legs.
“Well, does he have balls or not?” Charlie wasn’t one to wait patiently.
The stranger sagged in Gunther’s grip, face contorted in pain.
“He’s a man.” Eli wiped his hand on his trousers. “Why the hell were you dressed like a woman less than an hour ago?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The man’s voice was husky with fear. “I ain’t dressing like a woman.”
Eli shook his finger in the smaller man’s face. “You’re a fucking liar. You saw me and Charlie. Then you came back with two more men and attacked her. And Jesus, I want to put another hole in your head for it.”
“And who is ‘he’?” Charlie crossed her arms. “You said ‘he told me’, so who is he?” She had a suspicion but she wanted to hear it anyway.
“I didn’t say that.” The stranger’s voice had dropped to a whisper.
“Gunther, break his neck. I’m done with this fool.” Eli turned away.
“No! No!” The stranger screamed and sobbed, struggling to break Gunther’s grip. To Charlie’s horror, the bigger man wrapped his hands around the other man’s neck.
“Gunther, stop.” She refused to be party to murder. Being groped in the river wasn’t a death sentence.
Gunther sighed but relaxed his grip again. He’d assured them he would do anything they told him to, which apparently included killing someone. She should have expected it of Camille’s son. He would never be the type of man she could respect or forgive. Right now the only reason he was there was to be the extra muscle to protect them. Not that he did any good when the three men had her surrounded in the water. He was somewhere else and not watching her back.
She had to be the voice of reason in this trio, which would have been laughable a week ago. Of course, a week ago, she wasn’t married to Eli either. Life changed in the blink of an eye.
“Listen, stranger, I won’t let them kill you, but you’re gonna have to start talking.” Charlie realized they’d attracted attention, and that was the last thing she wanted. “Let’s go over to the fire so I can dry off and you can start telling me what I want to hear.”
“Lady took the horses.” Gunther pointed to the now empty campsite.
“Fucking hell.” Charlie wanted to punch something. Or someone. She sprinted for their camp and found that someone had cleaned out all their gear. The only thing left was the mud and a crackling fire. Hell, even the coffee pot was gone. “What lady?” She swiveled to look at Gunther.
“Old lady with yellow teeth.”
“Rosie. Damn it.” She narrowed her gaze on the stranger. “I was a distraction. You were supposed to make sure Eli and Gunther would come to my rescue. Then while they were busy being knights in shining armor, that old bitch stole every bit of our belongings. Goddamn you all.”
They were in Cherry Creek with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the contents of their pockets. And hers were soaking wet. Now she wanted to choke the man.
“Tell me who paid you.” She advanced on the man, her hands fisted.
“N-nobody.”
“You’re lying. I know it was Volner.” She was desperate enough to reveal her suspicions.
The man’s eyes widened a fraction, but it was enough.
“I knew it. That sneaky son of a bitch.” She cursed vividly. “What the hell is wrong with that man? Why would he want to bother with us?” She tamped down the panic that threatened. How could they do anything without a horse or food? She had money sewn into trouser pockets, but it wasn’t enough to buy three horses or replace their tack. They were stranded with no way to survive and no way to return to the fort.
“He thinks I humiliated him. And he’s gone without permission from the Army. If they catch him, he could spend time in prison. Or worse.” Eli frowned hard. “He was at the fort the day before we left. I don’t know what he was doing there, but he must think we know.”
“We don’t know anything.” She returned to the small man watching them with wide eyes. “You are going to tell us what we need to know.” She pulled the knife from the scabbard in her boot. “Or I will personally make you bleed then stake you out for the critters to eat you alive.”
The stranger stared at her for a few moments before he opened his mouth. “You folks are crazy.”
“And you’re not? You dress like a woman and whore, don’t you? Why isn’t that crazy?” She wasn’t judging him, since it wasn’t the strangest thing she’d seen. Not even close.
“I gotta eat.”
“So do I, and now I can’t because your partner stole all my shit.” She pressed the blade of the knife against his cheek. “I keep this really sharp, mister. You know why? Because I’m an expert hunter. I know how to dress a kill and cut bone.”
“It was Volner!” the man blurted, and Charlie smiled without a speck of humor.
“Keep going.” She sat down on a rock by the fire. “Might as well get comfortable while he tells us his story. Start with your name.”
The stranger pulled off his hat and long blond hair tumbled out. Charlie could see how he would pass for a pretty woman. Too bad he had to sell his body and his soul to survive. She felt a pinch of sympathy.
“Talk.”
“Folks call me Bug. I been here for a month or so. I get beat up a lot so I gotta be good with disguises so I can hide.” Bug took a deep breath and let it out slow. “I gotta do what I can for money.” His gaunt face spoke of more than a few missed meals.
Charlie didn’t want to feel sorry for him. “Get to the part about Volner before the sun sets, would you?”
“A few months ago, he showed up with another man, fat with pale skin and beady eyes. They had money, bought out a couple prospectors and set up the biggest tent on the river. Started paying people to pan for them. They left and then came back just before you got here.” Bug glanced at Eli. Charlie now knew where the men had disappeared to after they’d assaulted her. “When he saw you yesterday, he went crazy. Beat up my friend Flora real bad. Said he’d pay anyone twenty dollars to steal your gear. Rosie and me decided to team up.”
“And the other two men?” Eli asked.
“We, um, paid them beforehand.”
Charlie wouldn’t ask what the currency was. “What did Volner say was the reason he wanted our things? He had plenty of money apparently. Where he got it is a mystery.”
Bug shook his head. “He didn’t have to say why. Twenty dollars is a lot of money. People would sell their mama for that much.”
She couldn’t disagree. She’d seen greed and desperation and what it turned people into. “Are you and Rosie supposed to meet up?”
Bug didn’t reply.
Eli shook the smaller man’s shoulder. “Answer her.”
“We was gonna meet right after. If I wasn’t there, she was gonna take the gear and go, leave the twenty dollars for me.” Bug didn’t sound very convincing. He was not a good liar, which could help them get their belongings back.
She looked up at Eli. “Where do you think he
got the money?”
“If I had to guess, he stole it from the fort. Maybe from the mercantile or more likely from the captain’s safe. The Army has money at the fort, secured with the commanding officer. Volner might have known where it was.” Eli shook his head. “If that’s true, he’s a deserter and a thief. They’ll hang him.”
“All the more reason to get rid of the people who could identity him.” Charlie didn’t like the theory, but in her gut, she knew it was the right one. Volner hadn’t followed them. They’d stumbled into his dark plot to set himself up as the king of Cherry Creek using the government’s money.
“Is there any kind of law around here?” Eli didn’t hold out much hope.
“Naw. Volner came in like he was the Army, ordering people around. There ain’t been no marshal or nothing.” Bug scratched behind his ear. “Mostly it’s like a pack of wild dogs. The biggest and meanest wins.”
Charlie got to her feet and pulled Eli aside, where Gunther and Bug couldn’t hear them. “I refuse to be a victim. That son of a bitch won’t intimidate me.”
Eli smiled. “Yet another reason I love you.”
She felt her cheeks heat. One day she would tell him how she felt, but it wasn’t today. She had to focus on getting their things back and not getting killed in the process.
“While I hope Kenneth sends a troop down here like he said he might, we can’t count on it.” She remembered being helpless in a lawless situation before. This time she wasn’t.
“What’s your plan? I know you’ve got one.” Eli offered a ghost of a smile. “You always have a plan.”
“I say instead of hiding, we look for Volner and Oxley.” The idea had started as a flicker in her mind, but it grew in size until the flame burned bright. “It’s what we do best. Let’s go hunting.”
“We need disguises,” Bug piped up. Charlie was pleased she’d gotten him to talk. To his credit, Eli stood back and let her work. She had already gotten a great deal of information about Volner and Oxley.
The Gem: The Malloy Family, Book 12 Page 14
