Lost and Found

by B C Yancey

  Charlie claimed she was an old hat when it came to keeping busy when the men were away on the yearly cattle drive and even offered to have them stay with her and Freddie if it helped the children sleep better at night.

  Lillian almost took her up on her offer but worried she'd only place them in danger if Walker came looking for her. So, she told them she'd consider it and left the matter alone. To help them all with getting through the first nights, Lillian took to reading a book to Paul and Kitty until all three of them were so tired they eagerly sought their beds.

  One night Lillian found out that Paul hadn't been put in school after he'd turned eight. It gave her something else to keep her mind busy, so she started reading lessons after dinner.

  Even Kitty joined in and proved to be an avid learner, which didn't surprise Lillian at all from the daily conversations she had with Kitty. It became a nightly ritual of reading before bed as the weeks passed.

  When almost a month had passed since Sawyer had left, Lillian began to believe Walker had decided to leave her alone. Perhaps, he had only wanted to give her one last scare before slinking away to a dark cave to live out the remainder of his terrible existence.

  Late one morning, she was out hanging the freshly washed laundry, smiling at the happy squeals of Kitty and Paul as they ran around in a game Kitty had invented.

  Lillian stretched a sheet out over the clothesline and began pinning it in place as she nudged the basket on the ground over with her foot. Freddie would no doubt be over any minute now to check in on them and request advice on what he should do about Charlie, as had become his habit lately.

  He'd been over two days ago, anxious about her not being able to keep any food down and asked Lillian what she thought about it. He was so out of his mind with worry that Lillian shooed him away, gaining a grateful smile and a promise that he'd be back early today to make up for it.

  Lillian reached down to the laundry basket to grab the next item to hang, and her stomach dropped in alarm. Worn brown leather boots appeared on the opposite side of the sheet she'd just hung. Boots she recognized due to the unique pattern stitched into the toes.

  Slowly standing to her full height, Lillian took an unsteady breath and moved aside the sheet. A woman who Lillian had believed to be dead stared back at her and said calmly, "Hello Lily."

  "Beth?" The name slithered past Lillian's numb lips as she stared at the woman in front of her.

  Beth stepped toward her, reaching out to grasp her shoulders as she looked out past Lillian toward the children. With a subtle nod, Beth pulled Lillian against her in a hug.

  Lillian wrapped her arms around Beth's thin frame, "I never thought I'd see you again; I was sure you had drowned in the river."

  "I almost did," Beth's hand touched Lillian's cheek, her fingers cold and jarring to Lillian's senses. "I got carried down quite a ways, but I managed to make it to shore eventually."

  Lillian stood back and gripped Beth's forearms, "Where have you been since then? Why didn't you try finding me sooner?"

  Beth tugged her behind the sheet, out of sight of the children, "I got a little banged up, but a kind man found me and took me to safety." She turned in the opposite direction, pulling Lillian along behind her, "That's why I'm here actually. I found out Walker's still alive. I think he's going to try and kill us after what we did to him."

  Lillian dug in her heels, "I know. He already approached me in town a little while back."

  Beth looked back at her in feigned surprise.

  Alarm skittered across Lillian's skin. Something was terribly wrong with Beth; her eyes looked empty and distant as she stared back at her, and her cold fingers latched onto Lillian's arm in a cruel grip.

  Kitty's frantic scream in the distance, followed by Paul's enraged shout, snapped Lillian out of her trance. Ripping her arm free of Beth's grasp, she turned and ran toward the continued screams and panicked cries of her children.

  "KITTY, PAUL," She shouted in alarm.

  Beth caught hold of Lillian's long braid and whipped her head back with a hard yank. Lillian's scalp sting as her body crumpled to the ground from the force.

  Her eyes widened as the sheet billowed out with the breeze and allowed a glimpse of Kitty. Walker held her tiny daughter firmly in his sadistic arms.

  Too late, she realized that in her delusional complacency, she'd left Sawyer's revolver inside instead of taking it with her as had been her habit the last several weeks. Terror gripped her. At that moment she knew her lapse in judgment would most assuredly cost her their lives.

  Paul lunged at Walker wrapping his skinny arms around the man's neck as he bit, clawed, and punched, in vain to gain his sister's freedom.

  Snarling in annoyance, Walker reached back an arm and flung Paul to the ground as though he was nothing but a pesky rodent. Paul stood on wobbly legs, trying to clear the dizziness that beset him after hitting his head on the hard ground, "Let go of my sister!"

  Walker grinned and swung a meaty fist, laughing when it connected solidly with Paul's jaw and caused blood to spew from his mouth as his body fell at Walker's feet. His heavy boots connected with Paul's ribs in a harsh kick before the man spit on the ground near the boys head.

  "NO," Lillian screamed scrambling to her feet, "NO, please, no!" But, Beth tackled Lillian back to the ground, and her cheek shoved rudely into the dirt.

  Beth's tear-stricken face lowered in front of her, "He won't hurt her, Lily. He promised me he wouldn't, just stay down and let him take her."

  Lillian bucked and wriggled; desperate to free herself, but Beth was deceptively strong and bent Lillian's left arm back. She screamed in pain as her shoulder was dislocated and tried once more to get to her feet.

  "I'm sorry Lillian; truly I am," Beth wept, "this is all wrong, I know it, but he promised me we would go away together after faking his death. This is the only way—do what he says, and he won't hurt her," She pleaded, standing and backing away toward Walker who still held a wailing Kitty.

  "MAMA, MAMA," Kitty shrieked, pushing away from him with all her might and pulling his long greasy hair until he grunted in pain. She raised her little hand and slapped him, her fingers raking down his bearded cheek and leaving angry red welts.

  Walker growled and raised a hand, slapping her so hard his hand stung from the force. Kitty continued to squirm and cry, pushing away from him with all her might.

  Lillian struggled to her feet with her arm hanging uselessly at her side. She ran toward her daughter as tears cascaded down her dirt-crusted cheek.

  Withdrawing his gun from the holster at his hip, Walker hollered. "Now, stop right there!" He pointed the barrel at Kitty's head.

  The terrified girl immediately stopped struggling even as the tears flowed with renewed force down her cheeks.

  "If you plan on gettin this girl back in all her original packagin', you best stop right where you are Lillian—this instant!" Nodding in approval at Lillian's abrupt halt, Walker leveled his gun at her, "You do right by me, and I'll let this sweet little peach go; if you try crossin' me again like before...well, I think you know what will happen," he smiled.

  "What do you want?" she begged, "I'll give you anything you want, do anything you want, just as long as you let Kitty go."

  The crisp smell of fresh dirt assailed Paul's nostrils as he took a breath, and the grittiness filled his nose. His brain was thick and foggy inside his head. Why was he laying on the ground? Kitty was screaming bloody murder setting his ears to ringing and his heart to thudding desperately in his chest—why was Kitty crying?

  He groaned, the pain in his jaw nearly blinding him when the light of day pierced his half-opened eyes. His Mama was weeping on the ground, holding her bad arm.

  But it'd been healed for a while now, so why was she holding it like it hurt? Squinting against the sunlight, he moved his head so he could see what she was looking at with such a terrified look on her face.

  His troubled and blurry eyes settled on a large dangerous-looking man who
held Kitty, and suddenly, Paul remembered why he was on the ground.

  A scowl furrowed Walker's brow. "I'm the one in charge here, so how about we start with you shuttin' yer trap." He pursed his lips as he glared at Kitty. "My head's poundin' and I'm liable to do something you won't like."

  Giving a satisfied nod when Lillian clamped her lips shut, he took a deep breath and smiled again. "Don't you just love springtime? All the new life popping up-" he looked at Beth with a laugh, "I do believe I just made a jest! Why the two of us popped up like daisies, didn't we peach?"

  His harsh gaze returned to Lillian, "I'll make this clear, so there's no chance of mistakin' me. First, yer gonna go in that fancy house of yers and grab anything of value. Me and Beth are gonna make a fresh start, and I feel it's only fittin' you contribute to the cause."

  When he trailed the barrel down Kitty's terrified cheek again, she finally stopped screaming. Walker grinned and continued, "Seems I found me somethin that'll quiet this youngin'." He gazed at Kitty then pursed his lips before smiling at Lillian, "Secondly, I'm takin' this sweet little peach along for a ride...to guarantee the safety of me and my sweetheart Beth. Once we're a ways away, I'll set her free...see if she can find her way home before she becomes a coyote's dinner."

  Lillian screamed, "YOU'LL HAVE TO KILL ME FIRST BEFORE I ALLOW YOU TO TAKE HER."

  Thrusting Kitty into Beth's surprised arms, Walker strode to Lillian, "Seems to me you've forgotten just who yer dealin' with." He yanked her to her feet and held her close, "You and yer little family here are at my mercy, woman. When I say beg," he ground his foul lips against hers in a painful kiss and then snarled, "you'll get on yer knees, and grovel."

  Holding Kitty against her hip, Beth took a few steps towards them and snapped, "Walker, that's enough. Let's get what we came for and get out of here."

  His lip curled in a sneer as he turned to glare at Beth.

  With Walker's diverted attention, and upon seeing Paul move his body as though to sit up, Lillian caught his gaze and mouthed 'No, stay.'

  Paul froze, watching Lillian as she struggled against Walker's punishing grasp. Ripping her face from Walker's hands, she curled her lips back and spat in his face.

  Walker reached up a finger to wipe the spittle from his mouth, then threw her to the ground and kicked her in the stomach.

  Curling into a ball as waves of dizziness and nausea assaulted her entire body, Lillian coughed and gasped for air, but Walker's foot met with her face and knocked her out cold before she could draw breath.

  Kitty's screams increased as Beth rushed forward in alarm, "Walker, you said no one would get hurt. You promised! Now look what you've-"

  His fingers jerked Beth's face close, cutting off the rest of her words. Pinching her cheeks painfully against her teeth, he asked, "Are you doubtin' me, sugar?"A malicious smile bent his lips, "I can't have that. I need to know you trust me...you've gotta trust that I have this all under control."

  Beth swallowed and touched the hand that held her so cruelly in his grasp, "I do. I just want to get out of here like you promised," she soothed, "let's go get what we can like we said we would and go." Tears stung her eyes, and her heart withered in her chest when he captured her mouth in a brutal kiss. What kind of monster did she have the misfortune of falling in love with all those years ago?

  Chapter twenty-two

  "You sure you're feelin' all right, Charlie?" Freddie touched her face, concern in his eyes as he took in her pallid complexion. "I can go see if Doc or Mrs. Richardson can come to take a look at you." There was no denying that he was worried. She'd been sicker than a dog the last few weeks, throwing up everything he'd managed to get her to choke down.

  Worried he'd seen blood in her vomit, Freddie had made some broth last night, but it hadn't stayed in her longer than a minute before making a hasty reappearance on the floor. He was at a complete loss as to what else he could do that he hadn't tried already.

  With Sawyer gone and having to make sure Lillian and the kids were taken care of, along with watching over Charlie—he didn't know how much more he could take.

  She'd prohibited him from getting Doc; stating it was normal for her to be sick the first few months and that she'd already talked about it with Doc and he'd assured her it was normal, but she looked awful, and he knew she felt just as bad.

  Charlie gave a tired nod, brought his hand to her lips, and kissed it. Lips that were usually soft and pliable were chapped and rough against his skin, heightening Freddie's anxiety. Charlie was really in trouble, and if he didn't do something quick, there was a real possibility he would lose her.

  "I'll hurry and check on Lily and the kids, and then I'll be right back." He bent and pressed a kiss to her clammy brow. "Try to get some rest."

  Whether Charlie liked it or not, he would be bringing Doc, and he'd keep bringing him until she was better. She'd have to get over any irritation towards him disregarding her irrational order! He wouldn't let her stubbornness lead to her death! He was bigger than her, and more stubborn when he put his mind to it.

  Anger and fear swirled in his belly as he cursed Sawyer for being gone. If he didn't have to go out and check in on Lily, he'd be over beating down Doc's door and dragging him back here to make Charlie better.

  He stormed from the house and readied his chestnut stallion, then jumped in the saddle and kicked the horse to a steady gallop. He rode toward Sawyer's place as fast as he could; worry over Charlie ate at him until he was sure he'd vomit. The longer he thought about her, how badly she had gotten, the more he knew he needed to get Doc.

  Hauling back on the reins, he turned around and raced toward town. He'd find Doc and check on Lily and the kids later. They could wait a little longer to see him. Lily and Sawyer would understand and forgive his need to make sure Charlie was only suffering from normal pregnancy maladies.

  Hoping the bad man and lady would think he was still passed out, Paul waited so he could follow them and find out where they were taking Kitty. He'd seen them go in the house ten minutes ago, heard a terrible clattering from inside, but had yet to see them come back outside.

  Carefully, he crawled over to Ma, and put his head on her back, praying he'd find her still alive. A sob caught in his throat at the steady beat of her heart that greeted his ears.

  He'd never been so scared in his life as he was seeing that man pick up Kitty and make her scream so bad. To see him handle his Ma so roughly, bloodying up her face when he kicked her—he'd wanted to attack him like a wild animal. But, he wouldn't be able to help either one of them if he got killed or hurt even worse than he already was.

  A loud crash from inside the house made him jump. Seconds later, the front door swung open wide as the man and woman exited the house. Carefully, Paul laid back down and hoped they wouldn't notice that he'd moved.

  The man held Kitty in one arm and a quilt tied into a bag in the other as they walked down the porch, glancing Paul's way as they trekked across the yard. They'd tied Kitty's wrists together and covered her mouth with a wide strip of cloth.

  They walked to the tree line and brought out two saddled swaybacked horses into view. The man tied the bundle behind the woman on her mount and then handed Kitty over while the man mounted his horse. Once in the saddle, the man reached over and took Kitty back into his arms.

  Kicking the horses into motion, the woman looked back at the house with worry in her eyes. As soon as she turned back around, Paul crouched low and ran to the side of the road.

  He frowned when they turned towards his old house and picked up his speed. His battered ribs plead for him to stop, but he ignored the pain and ran faster.

  When he came around the bend in the drive, he skidded to a stop. Both horses were in front of his old house without their riders, and one of the saddles still had the makeshift quilt bag tied to the back of it.

  What were they doing at his old house? Paul frowned and squatted, bracing his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. There wasn't any time to
ponder the question because, in the next instant, the man exited the house.

  Muttering a curse he'd heard Pa say a few times, Paul ducked out of sight and held his breath. Had the man seen him? Was he coming to kill him?

  He looked around for something he could use as a weapon and waited, blowing out a breath of relief when the man only retrieved the quilt bundle from the saddle before returning through the side door. That was a close one. How was he supposed to save Kitty if he got killed because he wasn't paying attention?

  Should he try to sneak into the house and steal Kitty out from under them? Or should he return to Ma and get help for both of them? What if he went to Ma, and by the time he got help, they returned to find Kitty was gone and they were never able to find her again?

  His lip trembled. Fear threatened to overwhelm him. He'd failed to take care of his family, and now he didn't know what to do to save them. 'Look after and protect the girls' was all Pa had asked him to do, and he hadn't done it.

  Paul swiped at the tears flooding down his face and tried to think of what Pa would do—and still came up with the same two options he'd faced before.

  Clenching his eyes closed, he hoped Ma would forgive him and crept toward his old home to the large window in the front. Keeping as low as he could, he peeked in through the bottom corner and searched for Kitty.

  With any luck she'd be in their old bedroom; when their old Pa would scare them, they'd often snuck through a loose floorboard.

  Looking through the window, Paul couldn't find any sign of the man and woman, but in the far corner near the broken remains of their kitchen table, Kitty sat on a thin mattress with her feet and wrists tied together.

  He almost knocked on the glass, but quickly ducked out of view when the woman emerged from the kitchen holding a small bowl. She said something to Kitty and knelt in front of her. Then, reaching out a hand, the woman caressed Kitty's blonde curls and smiled.

  The man marched over and slapped the bowl out of the woman's hands, drenching both her and Kitty.