It was not long before she heard his loud, obnoxious snores. Exhausted after all the days of riding, he dosed off in seconds. Even though she was extremely tired because she had not slept any last night, she forced herself to stay awake so she could put her plan in action.
Any minute he should start retching from the poison mushrooms. It was not long before they took effect. He shot up in his bedroll to a sitting position. From where she lay she could hear the rumblings of his stomach. A smile played at the corners of her mouth. Fast as lightening he bolted from his warm bedroll dragging her with him because they were still tied together at the wrists. Dropping to his hands and knees, he began to vomit.
The urge to flee was strong, but she forced herself to stand by and watch. It was too soon to try to escape from him; he would get even sicker if she just waited.
Suspicious, he slanted a look at her. “What have you done to me?”
Moans of agony filled the quiet night. Terrible pain gripped his insides. Sweat pour from his face, and dripped from the tip of his nose to the ground.
He clutched the rope joining them together and jerked her to the ground. “What did you give me?” For fifteen long minutes he threw up until there was nothing left in his stomach. Then he collapsed into a heap on the ground, too weak to move.
Now it was safe to make her escape. The man was as weak as water. However, she was cautious as she inched closer to Slade stretched out on the ground pale as a sheet. For a moment she felt pity for him, but not for long because she thought about the terrible treatment he had subjected her too. Not to mention the fact he was taking her to Bob Lewis.
One more time the thought of killing him slipped into her mind, but she couldn’t commit murder. Instead, she struggled to push him onto his side which took some effort since he was a big man. Her hands trembled as she tried to remove his knife to cut the ropes from her wrists. She almost fainted when he wrapped his hand around her wrist stopping her.
Voice no more than a raspy whisper, he asked, “What did you give me?”
“I poisoned you with mushrooms. You will die in just a few minutes.” Of course he felt like he was dying. She wanted him to think he was doomed to die to punish him for all the agonizing days he had put her through.
Shoving his hand away, she pulled the knife from its leather sheath, and cut the ropes from her wrists, then the rope joining them together. Every time he put his hand on her, she pushed it away. By his grip he did not have the strength to restrain her. He was much too frail.
It took some effort, but Kate tied Slade’s hands behind him and then his feet. She removed the six shooters from his gun holster under his bedroll. She placed them in the saddle bag that also contained all the food he had brought for their trip. Without an ounce of remorse, she packed up everything in camp, leaving him nothing but the clothes on his back. She hoped she would never see him again because he was going to be one angry man when he regained his strength.
In the darkness she could just barely make out the shape of the horses restrained in a crop of trees to keep the wind off them. The shadows of the tree limbs moved eerily as the cold breeze blew. Moonlight gave off just enough light to help Kate make her way to the horses. The saddles were heavy and it was not easy to hoist them over the horses’ tall backs. She gritted her teeth and used all the strength she could summon to swing the saddles onto the horses.
Her hands were so cold they ached. She cupped her hands and blew her breath to warm them. The horse she had been riding was easy to bridle, not so Slade’s mount. A huge brut, it took some coaxing to get him to take the bit. She would leave him, but Slade might catch up to her if she left his horse behind.
She led the two horses out to the road. Just a few feet seemed like a mile. An owl hooted from one of the branches overhead, and Kate almost fainted. Eyes searching, she looked for him but could not pinpoint his location. A hand over her pounding heart, she whispered, “Calm down.”
Grateful for the little bit of moonlight, she swung into the saddle with little effort. It was not much, but it was better than pitch dark. Back stiff, she felt tall sitting in the saddle. She was becoming quite the horseman.
She took a moment to glance in the direction of the dying campfire. In the darkness she couldn’t make out Slade’s form. Was she doing the right thing letting him live? What if he tried to kidnap her again when she got back to Richmond? No, the authorities would take care of him as well as Bob Lewis for kidnapping her.
It would be a long time before the mushrooms wore off so she hoped it would be days before he could even attempt to follow her. With that much of a head start, he shouldn’t be able to catch up. Anxious to be on her way home, she turned the horses in the directions they had traveled.
Fear pushed her to ride all night. Two nights without sleep had her mind in a fog. It would feel great to shut her eyes for just a few minutes. That was a luxury she couldn’t afford. She needed to put as many miles between her and Slade as possible.
Worry for her unborn child had her chewing her bottom lip. The stress she had endured couldn’t be very healthy. She had considered telling Slade she was with child, but was afraid he would tell Bob Lewis. If Bob Lewis found out she was carrying another man’s baby, he would probably kill her. The man was much too selfish and jealous to raise another man’s child.
Kate decided to pick up the pace. Both horses were tired but she was much too eager to get home. For several miles she galloped until her horse became winded. She halted to change mounts. Slade’s horse was not so easy to control. Every time she put her foot into the stirrup, he would move to the side. After several attempts she was finally able to hang on long enough to struggle her way into the saddle. She galloped several more miles feeling she was that much closer to home.
Beyond exhausted, she wanted nothing more than to stop and rest. If she stopped, she would probably fall asleep and she couldn’t risk a long delay. Maybe tomorrow she would feel safe enough to rest.
On her journey with Slade, she had paid close attention to her surroundings so she would be able to find her way home. She had no idea what time it was or how many miles she had ridden. If the mushrooms did what her grandmother said, he was still sick. They were pretty potent. Then her worry returned. What if she didn’t give him enough for his size? Perhaps she should have given him more mushrooms.
The temperature had risen several degrees so she removed her heavy coat and tied it to the back of her horse with her bedroll. The sun was high overhead so she estimated it was about noon. She pulled some hard tack from the saddlebags so she would not have to stop to eat. There in the bottom of the saddlebag were Slade’s cigars. She fished them out and threw them to the ground. It gave her a little satisfaction to get rid of something he loved.
A woman traveling alone was not safe. She decided to keep one of the six guns close at hand so she left the saddlebag hanging on the saddle horn.
In the distance she heard pounding hooves approaching. She nudged Slade’s horse in the sides with her heels and galloped into the forest. Leaning low over the pommel, she watched a squad of gray, clad soldiers race in the direction she had just come from. In a hurry, the Confederate soldiers’ horses left a trail of dust in their wake.
Rather than call out to them for help, she decided to stay concealed among the trees. Horror stories about women being raped by lonely soldiers had spread like wildfire. Not sure they could be trusted, she wouldn’t take any chances. After the silence returned to the forest she trotted from her hiding place and pressed on.
All day and night Kate had been in the saddle. Her legs and back ached terribly. The pain was almost unbearable. It was time to change mounts again. She had been riding her mount for approximately two hours and he needed a break.
Slade’s horse was no longer so hard to control because he was nearly as exhausted as she was. Her legs gave way under her when she swung down from her horse. On shaky legs, she struggled to rise from the cool ground. Pain shot through her legs causing h
er to wince. She decided to walk while leading both horses. She was so bow legged from being astride a horse, she wondered if her legs would ever be the same again.
By the time Kate heard the approaching rider he was almost upon her. With all the swiftness she could muster, she threw the reins over Slade’s horse and tried to mount. Her bottom had just touched the saddle when she felt a powerful hand jerk her from her precarious perch.
She found herself sitting on the neck of a horse with two strong arms holding her a little too intimately. She peered into dark brown eyes with a mischievous twinkle. A wild mane of brown curly hair, his Confederate hat couldn’t contain shone in the sun. His gray uniform was worn and tattered.
With a wide grin he chuckled, “God has truly blessed me today. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone prettier.”
She finally realized her predicament and found her voice. “Put me down this instant, sir.” He made no move to release her. Close to panic, she took several deep breaths. Her nerves were already near the breaking point. “Get your grubby hands off my person.”
He threw his head back and laughed heartily. “I love a spitfire, darling. Now explain what a beautiful, young lady is doing out in the middle of nowhere. It is not safe to traipse about the countryside without a chaperone. The nearest farm is miles from here.”
Maybe she could convince him to return her to her grandfather and Jacob. “I was kidnapped by an odious man who was taking me to Durham, North Carolina against my will. I put some poison mushrooms in his food to make him sick so I could escape.”
Again he laughed. “You look too sweet and delicate to be poisoning people.” He tilted his head and gave her a hard stare. “Looks can be deceiving.” Tugging on a lock of her hair, the young man asked, “What’s your name?”
“Kate Monroe. I promise if you take me back to Richmond my grandfather will pay you a large amount of money. He will be so glad to get me back.” She did not feel comfortable with the young man. He was leering at her as if she were a piece of apple pie.
“Happy to meet you, Kate. My name is Terry Robbins.”
“Will you please put me down, sir? I have been riding night and day to get back to Richmond before Slade could catch up to me. I’m pretty sore from all the riding and need to stand on my feet for a few minutes.”
Arm looped around her waist, he lowered her to the ground. She stumbled and almost fell, but he caught her just before she tumbled to the ground. When he made no attempt to release her, she pushed at his hands. “Thank you, Mr. Robbins. I think I can stand on my own.”
“You can call me Terry.”
“Mr. Robbins, will do, thank you.”
Terry chuckled. “You are a breath of fresh air. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you.”
He was leering again. Even though he made her uncomfortable, she felt she could convince him to help her. “Mr. Robbins, will you please escort me back to my grandfather? I swear you will be compensated for your time.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m just returning from taking a message to General Lee himself. I have to report back to my company right away. I’d be honored to take you along. I’m sure my Captain will arrange an escort to take you home.”
“Thanks, Mr. Robbins. I promise you will be rewarded. Let’s just get out of here before Slade tracks me down. He is pretty good with a gun, and I don’t want you to get shot because of me.” She had seen Slade shoot at rabbits and other vermin on the trail. He could draw his gun in less than a second and he never missed.
Chapter Eighteen
Kate and Terry rode the rest of the day. The curious sort, he had asked one question after the other. It was all she could do to keep her eyes open, let alone focus her mind to answer him.
“Why did Slade kidnap you?”
The explanation began with Bob Lewis and ended with Slade kidnapping her. Perhaps in the near future she wouldn’t have to mention Lewis’ name again. The best she could hope for is he would spend the rest of his life in prison for paying Slade to kidnap her.
“I’m sure my captain will help you, Kate, especially after you explain your predicament to him.”
She rolled her eyes and looked up at the sky for patience. Maybe she was wrong and she’d never be able to omit the name Bob Lewis from her vocabulary.
God, she was tired. She closed her eyes and let the clip clop of her horse calm her frayed nerves. Next thing she knew, she was groping for the saddle horn. A strong hand caught her before she plummeted to the ground.
Terry shoved her back onto her horse. He grabbed the reins of her horse and halted in the middle of the road. “Let’s camp here tonight, spitfire.”
Her voice full of fright, she pleaded, “No, we must push on. I’m afraid Slade will kill you, and take me to Bob Lewis. I can’t go back. Please let’s keep going.” The thought of being at the mercy of Bob Lewis was just too painful.
“Kate, you almost fell off your mount from exhaustion. Do you want to break your neck? I insist we stop for the night. I will protect you. Besides, I don’t plan to die in a hail of bullets unless it’s on the battlefield.”
She didn’t have the strength to argue. Chances were Slade was still sick. Anyway, he didn’t have a horse or gun so could pose no threat to them. No matter how many times she told herself they were not in danger she was still scared.
Terry began to build a fire since it was going to be another cold night. She unstrapped his saddlebag and rummaged through for something to eat. A can of beans in her hand, she gasped when he gripped her wrist and took the can from her hand. Hand still around her wrist he led her to the fire, and pushed her to the ground.
“That’s okay Kate, I’ll prepare our supper. I wouldn’t want any poisoned mushrooms to find their way into my food.”
“Very funny, Mr. Robbins, I only poison people I don’t like.”
“I promise to never forget that, Spitfire.”
After their meal Kate felt uneasy. Terry’s smile was a little too warm, a little too personal as he sat watching her. “I think I’ll turn in.” She stood and wiped her hands on her pants. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Wanting to get as much warmth as she could, she unrolled her bedroll near the fire. It seemed she had not been warm since she left Richmond.
When he unrolled his bedroll and lay down much too close to her, she requested, “Would you please move to the other side of the campfire, Mr. Robbins?”
Propped on his elbow, he peered into her eyes. Humor in his voice, he lifted an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Are you afraid of me?”
It seemed the young man didn’t take anything seriously. “I’m engaged to be married, Mr. Robbins. On my return to Richmond I will immediately be married. I don’t think it is proper for you to be so close to me.”
He gave her a rakish smile. “I’m here to protect you. What if Slade catches up to us?”
Of course he was just trying to scare her. She rolled over facing the fire. “Good night, Mr. Robbins.”
For the moment she felt safe. All they had to do was get to Terry’s camp and someone would make sure she found her way home. She smiled as sleep took over.
****
A gentle hand was shaking her shoulder. She curled into a tight ball and moaned. “Spitfire, wake up, it is time to go. We need to get moving.”
Kate stretched out the kinks from sleeping on the hard ground and yawned. It would be wonderful to get home so she could sleep in a comfortable, feather bed once again. Dirty, sore, and miserable, she accepted the hand he offered. With little effort he pulled her to her feet. Once he was sure she could stand on her own he relinquished his hold on her.
She groaned in agony as her aching muscles screamed for more rest. “How did you sleep?”
“Better than I have in days.”
She dropped to her knees and rolled up her bedroll. Without much enthusiasm, she replied, “I’m ready, Mr. Robbins. Let’s ride.”
His dark eyes swept over her as if he wanted to devour her. She blushed. “I’
m sorry, Kate. I guess it’s easy for you to read my thoughts. You’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. If I weren’t a gentleman, I would have made an attempt to bed you last night.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Thank God, you’re a gentleman.”
Terry chuckled. “You are something, Spitfire. Your fiancé is a lucky man. Let’s get moving before I forget I’m a gentleman.”
Little more than an hour passed, and she finally felt safe enough to enjoy her surroundings. The sun was beginning to peek over the trees, birds were singing, and she felt a sense of peace. Before dark they would arrive at Terry’s camp and the nightmare would be over.
“Where do you hale from, Terry?”
“A little farm on the outskirts of Tarboro.” After a brief hesitation he continued, “Both my father and brother are dead, casualties of the war. My mother is still on the farm trying to survive best she can without any help.” Eyes straight ahead looking at nothing, he seemed to be deep in thought.
She saw the sadness on his face. The carefree attitude of not taking life too serious seemed to have disappeared for the moment. The pain of losing his father and brother was evident. She liked Terry. Suddenly, his eyes swept over her as if she were something sweet to eat. Did the man ever think of anything else? She rolled her eyes.
All hell broke loose as gunshots came from the forest. In the chaos, Kate couldn’t tell from which direction the shots were coming. Terry yelled for her to head for the woods on the left side of the road. She bent low into the saddle, kicked her horse into a full gallop and headed for cover. Glancing over her shoulder just before she entered the forest, she saw Terry fall from his horse. It was as if everything was happening in slow motion. She watched in horror as he hit the ground hard. Not considering the danger, she reined her horse around and headed back to help him.
Desperate (Harris Trilogy Book One) Page 26
