In preparation, she repacked their things, leaving anything not necessary to their safety. She’d brought her father’s old coat because it was the warmest she owned. But also because it was big enough that she could button it up with Tommy inside.
She quietly worked while Tommy slept. But as the time drew closer to midnight, she despaired of Jim coming.
She crawled to the front of the tent and pushed back the flap only a couple of inches. The peaceful scene didn’t please her. Then, just as she was about to withdraw, four men approached the area of her tent. Four? Kane had doubled the guard? Where would they station themselves? What was she to do now?
She watched again as the new guards poured themselves cups of coffee before taking their places. Suddenly she realized that one of the new guards was Jim. That explained why he hadn’t contacted her. It would be safer for him to do so while he was playing guard.
She let the tent flap fall and reviewed her packing, wanting to be completely ready when he did come. Then she sat down, wrapping her arms around her knees and waited.
Chapter Four
Jim had decided to err on the side of caution. So he waited until 2:00 a.m., when the other guards would be less alert, and with any luck, have dozed off. Heart pounding, he made his way to Patience’s tent.
His heart went into overdrive when he found the slit he’d made at the back of her tent had been lengthened and the tent empty. She’d already gone? She hadn’t waited for him? Where was she?
Jim took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. They couldn’t have left without leaving tracks in the snow. Sure enough there was a single set—she was obviously carrying Tommy—leading away from the camp. How far had she gone?
She and the boy had made it half a mile from the camp when he caught up with them. “Patience! Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“Because you didn’t come,” she said.
“I wanted to be sure we could make it.”
“I made it! You can go back and play soldier. You seem to be having so much fun!”
“When did you leave?” he asked.
“About one.”
“You’ve only come this far in an hour? We’ve got to move faster.” He looked around and said, pointing, “Sit on this log. We can’t walk out of here.”
“But I can’t rest. I have to—”
“Just listen to me. I’ll go back and get horses. But I have to be able to find you. So stay here.” He waited until she nodded. “Promise me you will.”
“I promise.”
He found the camp, including the guards, asleep as he crept up to it. He circled the tents until he reached the rope corral. Quietly, he undid the rope. Then he moved silently among the horses until he found the two he’d brought with him. He’d chosen them because they were sure-footed and fast. As he led them out of the corral, several other horses followed, realizing they were free. He found his two saddles where he’d left them. He led the horses a few feet away from camp before he saddled them. Then he led them to the base of a big tree where he’d stowed some supplies.
Once he’d loaded all he could on the horses, he mounted one and checked his watch. Having to backtrack had cost him time. By the time he reached Patience and the boy again, it would be three o’clock. That gave them only an hour before the next shift of guards came on duty and the alarm would be raised.
But he knew better than to ride faster than a walk. He had to be sure he found Patience again. He picked up her trail, but soon he realized there was another set of adult-size footprints in the snow that occasionally appeared outside Patience’s tracks—and they weren’t his.
PATIENCE HAD DOZED OFF. Her first warning that she’d been discovered was a gruff voice ordering, “Stand up!”
She jerked awake, her arms encircling her child who lay sleeping against her stomach. As she struggled to her feet, she was afraid her shaking knees wouldn’t hold her. She recognized her captor. It was Benton, the nastiest of the three lieutenants.
“What are you doing here?” Benton demanded, his rifle pointed at her.
“I…I had to go, uh, take care of business, and I got lost.” Weak, but the best she could come up with.
“Likely story,” he snarled. “Why do you have the boy with you?”
“Uh, he doesn’t like to be left alone.”
“Well, get up. I’m taking you both back to camp.”
“I don’t know how to get back, you see. That’s why I haven’t returned.”
“Stupid woman. Follow your own tracks.”
She wanted to say a lot of things to this jerk, but she restrained herself. She walked as slowly as she could, afraid to get too far away from where she told Jim she’d remain.
“Move faster,” the man ordered.
“I can’t. I’m exhausted,” she said, leaning against a tree.
“Move it, or I’ll shoot you and tell the general you were trying to escape.”
She pushed away from the tree and kept moving, but not briskly, and she made as much noise as she could hoping Jim would hear.
Suddenly Jim was there, his rifle trained on the other man. “Get behind me, Patience,” he ordered. To Benton he said, “Drop your rifle. I’m taking Patience and her boy home.”
“You bastard! You were lying all the time!” He raised his rifle and shot, the bullet narrowly missing Jim’s head. At the same time Jim squeezed the trigger and the bullet hit its mark. Benton fell to the ground, clutching his knee and Jim snatched up the man’s rifle. There was no time now to think about the close call. “This way, Patience. Hurry!”
They reached the horses and he helped her and the boy into the saddle of one horse and mounted the other. “Stay right behind me. Can you manage the boy, or shall I take him?”
“I’ve got him.”
Jim nodded and swung his horse around, changing directions, and led the way through the woods.
They pressed on for almost an hour before he felt sure they had a good lead. He hoped the gunshots had spooked the horses out of their corral and sent them scattering. He reined in his horse and waited for Patience to come up beside him.
She looked puzzled. “Why aren’t we going down the mountain? I think we were even going up for a while.”
“We didn’t go down because that’s where they’ll assume we’ve gone. We’re trying to avoid them.”
“I know that!” she snapped. “I’m not dumb. But I wish you’d shared your plan with me.”
“I haven’t exactly had time. Even now, we can’t rest for long.”
“What if they find our tracks?”
“I expect they will—I don’t imagine we’ve gotten away clean. All we’ve done is buy a little time. The general’s pride has been hurt. He can’t let you and Tommy, especially Tommy, get away.”
She hesitated. Then all she said was, “Let’s go on.”
Without another word, he headed off and Patience followed. He’d wanted to assure Patience that he’d get her home safely. But he wasn’t sure. They were still outnumbered and the escape hadn’t gone as planned. He’d had to shoot a man, too. That would only add to Kane’s fury.
If he could get Patience to the ranch, he could count on his family to provide for her safety. And she’d need the protection. The general wasn’t likely to give up.
Another hour and the sun crept over the horizon. They had kept a steady, if not fast, pace. He hoped they were putting a lot of distance between them and the general’s men.
In spite of Patience’s questions, he did have a definite destination in mind: the cabin his family used during the summer as a special trip for the kids. They’d find comfort there and maybe food. And he was very familiar with the trail that led down to the main ranch house.
But they had a few more hours to go.
He suddenly realized Patience wasn’t behind him. He swung his horse around and trotted back to her.
“Why didn’t you call me to stop?” he demanded.
“I thought I could handle things on my own.�
� She had dismounted. Tommy was relieving himself not far away. “He had to go.”
Jim drew a breath. “I understand, but we have to work as a team. Next time let me know, okay? How about you? Do you need to stop?”
“No.”
“Come on, Tommy, let’s go,” he called softly. “I want you to ride with me.” The little boy pulled up his pants and looked doubtfully at Jim. Then he looked at his mother. “Do I go with him, Mommy?”
“No, I can—”
“Patience, take a break,” Jim said. “I can handle the boy.”
“But I’m fine,” she said. “You don’t—”
“Let me do this for you, okay?” He summoned a smile. “It’ll give Tommy and me a chance to get to know each other.”
Patience gathered Tommy into her arms, gave him a kiss and whispered in his ear. Then she handed him to Jim.
The little boy reminded Jim of his cousin Toby’s son. “Tommy, you’re going to ride in front of me just the way you did with your mom. I want you to hold on to the saddle, all right? And if you get scared or need something, you can let me know. Okay?”
The boy nodded. Jim adjusted his wool cap to cover his ears. “Our horse’s name is Jasper. Can you say that?”
“Jasper,” Tommy said softly, and Jim kneed the horse into a walk. Tommy, believing the horse moved because he’d said his name, clapped with excitement.
Jim kept one arm around the little boy, the other on the reins. He was sure that Patience, despite her protests, must be exhausted. But when he looked over his shoulder, she was riding her horse just fine.
She was a remarkable woman.
Several hours later a small hand tugged on his arm. “What is it?” he asked, easing the pace.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Man, but I’m so hungry.”
Jim slowed to a halt and slid out of the saddle then lifted Tommy down. “I think our horses are hungry, too.”
“What’s wrong?” Patience asked as she pulled her horse to a stop.
“Tommy’s hungry, and the horses need a breather. Unfortunately I don’t have anything for Tommy to eat.”
“I do.” She turned in the saddle and reached for a bag she’d added to the pack. She pulled out a candy bar. “Maybe this will keep you going for a while.” She dismounted and handed it to Tommy.
Jim led both horses to a small area under a tree where the snow was sparse and the horses could find grass.
“Are you sure we can afford to take a break?” Patience asked.
“I think so, and if we want these horses to keep on going, we have to.”
“Our pursuers will have to rest, too, right?”
“Not as much. We’re making a trail for them.”
“Oh.” Patience looked at Tommy, who was happily eating his candy.
“It’s going to be all right, Patience,” Jim said, coming nearer. “I’m going to do my best to get you home safely. At least as far as the ranch. We’ll figure out what to do next after we get there.”
“Your family won’t mind?”
Jim grinned. “You know my family. They always protect women and children.” He put an arm around her.
She leaned against him, and it was a feeling he liked. “We’re going to make it. I refuse to let a madman outthink me.”
Their gazes met and held. Almost as if on cue, they both said, “I’m sorry—”
“You go first, Patience,” Jim said.
“I…I wanted to apologize for our…last conversation.” At his look of confusion, she clarified, “I mean our last conversation in Laramie. I had gone home for the weekend and I saw my sister and her husband. I tried to talk to Faith about Joseph, but she kept telling me he loved her. I knew he controlled her, but I wasn’t sure it had anything to do with love. Anyway, I came back to school all fired up to make sure you weren’t controlling me.”
Jim frowned. “You thought I was controlling you?”
“No. At least, I knew what you wanted, but I was determined not to give in to you. Because of my sister. So I pushed you to make a commitment about our future.”
Jim felt heat fill his cheeks. “You were right. But I was too young to… I wasn’t prepared to settle down just then.”
“It’s all right. If I hadn’t left school and come home, Tommy would’ve died along with Faith. I got there in time to get him to a doctor, which saved his life.”
Jim looked at the little boy still contentedly munching his candy bar. “Thank God.”
“Yes. He’s the light of my life.”
“Okay, now it’s my turn to apologize,” Jim said. “When I came home a couple of weeks later, I didn’t call you. Instead, I asked my friends about you. Everyone told me you had a baby.” He shook his head and then cleared his throat. “I figured you’d gotten involved with a man who had a child. I knew you’d gone on with your life without me. So I tried to put you out of my mind.”
“I see.”
“No, you don’t, Patience. I never really put you out of my mind. I still care about you.”
“I guess that’s why you came after me.”
“Yeah. Thanks for still caring enough to call me. I’m sorry it took me so long to come to help. I didn’t want you hurt.”
“Thank you. I’m not sure I deserved your concern, but I’m glad you came.”
Suddenly he signaled her to be quiet and then stepped around her to peer into the forest. “Time for us to move.”
Patience nervously looked over her shoulder. “Did you see something?”
“It’s hard to tell.” He retrieved the horses. He picked up Tommy and mounted his while Patience mounted hers. They set off again.
He encouraged Jasper to move quickly through the woods, where the snow wasn’t as deep. They had one more slope to go down and another to climb before they got close to the cabin.
As Patience followed, she thought about what Jim had said. He still cared about her. Mild words, compared to the way she’d describe her feelings for him.
But first things first. She had to make sure she got Tommy home safely before she considered her own happiness. And if Jim had no interest in Tommy, she would have to let go of her dreams at last. Because Tommy was her responsibility and her life.
She forced her attention to her mount, because descending a steep hill was tricky. A fall would only complicate their escape.
When they began the climb, they slowed. There was a trail to follow, but it was narrow at times. Her fear of heights had her clutching the saddle horn. But she didn’t dare close her eyes.
Once they got close to the top, the trail steepened even more. Jim stopped and dismounted, leaving Tommy in the saddle, clinging to the pummel. “Tommy, I’m going to lead Jasper, but I want you to hang on and stay up there. Can you do that? Can you hold on tight?”
“Yes,” the boy said softly.
“If you start sliding, you call me.”
“I don’t know your name,” the little boy said, his eyes wide.
“My name is Jim. Can you remember that?”
Tommy nodded.
“Good.” Jim turned to Patience. “You’ll have to dismount, too. We’ve got to lead the horses over this part. Let me know if you get in trouble.”
“Okay,” Patience said, looking over her shoulder. “I haven’t seen anyone on the down slope.”
“Neither have I. Hopefully we’ll be up and back in the forest before they get to that point.”
“Yes. But Tommy…”
“He’s going to hold on tight, right, Tommy?”
“His name is Jim, Mommy,” Tommy told her, pleased with his new knowledge.
“Yes, sweetie, I know. Hold on tight.”
They climbed in silence, saving their energy for the climb. Jim had warned her not to follow too closely in case Jasper got in trouble, and several times, the animal slid. Her heart leaped to her throat, as she feared for Tommy’s safety. But her little boy held on bravely.
When Jim reached the top, he tied Jasper to a tree and lifted Tommy down. He set h
im on the ground nearby with instructions not to move until he was back. Then he hurried downhill to lead Patience’s horse. She continued on up in front of him, grateful the climb was almost over. She checked on Tommy when she reached him. He seemed in good spirits. She was grateful he didn’t fully understand what was happening.
“Okay, Patience,” Jim said, “look through the trees. Do you see that big rock sticking out?”
“Yes. Don’t tell me we have to climb it!”
“No. I want you to take Tommy and ride toward that rock.”
“Without you?”
“Yeah, without me.”
He was standing there holding her reins. “Aren’t you going to tell me why?” she asked.
“I’m going to try to hide our tracks. Another attempt to buy us some time. I’ll catch up with you.”
“When? And where? At the rock?”
“You’re not actually going to the rock. You’ll come upon a cabin. It’s one my family uses in the summer. There should be food stored there we can eat. Beds we can sleep in tonight. It won’t be long before it’s dark. Then we can have a fire without worrying about the smoke being seen.”
“Can’t we keep going?”
“It would be pretty dangerous on the trail at night. It’s mostly switchbacks. One stumble and we’d go over the side. I don’t dare try it in the dark. But we’ll be off before daylight in the morning.”
“Are you sure?” Patience asked softly.
“As sure as I can be. But if I don’t show up…”
He stopped because she was shaking her head desperately. “Don’t even suggest such a thing!”
“Patience, we have to face reality. I’m sure I’ll get there before too long, but you have to be ready for anything. If I don’t show up, there’s a path leading to the east on the other side of the cabin. You follow it. When you start down on the switchback trail, get off the horse and lead him. Don’t ride. There’s a walkie-talkie in the saddlebag. You’ll be in range by then. Call my home and tell them you need help. They’ll come pick you up at the bottom of the trail and take you back to the ranch. Just tell them everything.”
Randall Renegade Page 4
